League of Extraordinary Young Women: Danica Oliva

Danica’s passion for film began while completing her degree at Western University for Film Theory in London, Ontario, and has now brought this passion to the online world of film making and media. She created content for social media platforms during her time at the Cannes International Film Festival 2015 and the Toronto International Film Festival 2015, which combined her passion for film and interest for the online world together. 

She is now a happy graduate from the Post Production, Post Graduate Program, at Humber College 2016.

Describe what you do, why it's important to you.

I am a freelance video editor, photographer and videographer. After completing my post graduate program in Post Production I have been very fortunate to have been involved in a variety of projects. I am so lucky to call my hobby my full time job now. It’s been the extremely rewarding because I get to practice my skill set in different forms of both production and post production. Being a freelancer is important to me because it enables me to have complete control over my career and take on many roles. Every week is different, I am always meeting new people, working for different projects and creating great content. I have been involved with music videos, commercials, weddings, social media creation, and producing.

How does your role empower you?

Being my own boss, creating my own schedule, and taking on projects that I’m passionate about have made me embrace being a freelancer, rather than fear it. I can’t say this lifestyle is for everyone, but it’s been the most fulfilling job I have ever had. There are jobs I never thought I would be a part of and other jobs I didn’t know existed. It’s a great way to try new roles while building a portfolio and skill set as an artist. More specifically, this role empowers me because I am constantly pushing myself to create a better skill set for myself. I am always learning new ways to prep a commercial, upgrade a camera or photoshop to perfection.

What advice do you have to other young women looking to get involved in your field of work?

The stigma of women in the post production world is a fine-line and can be a controversial conversation. I think it is important to mention that while teams I have been fortunate to work on have been male dominated, I do see women making a more prominent presence in post production as I learn more about the industry. I believe women and men have different outlooks on particular projects. Having a female editor is an advantage to many post production teams for this reason alone; a female perspective can be a great advantage.

With that said, ladies, be nerdy! Be as technically savvy as you possibly can. Although my industry requires creativity, none of that matters if you cannot execute your vision technically. For anyone wanting to get into post production, make the effort to learn the technical requirements to be an assistant, this will be another way to gain professional respect within this workplace. It is no secret that there is a stigma around being a female in post production, but don’t let that stop you or intimidate you from apply to those jobs you truly love.

Who is your biggest role model, why?

I’m always finding woman to look up to for inspiration for many different reasons. I have recently met peers in my workplace who are just soaring with experience and knowledge. Though I do have to mention Jane Goodall and Shannon Wild. It’s women like them that push me to travel more, doing what I love to do for organization I am passionate about.

If you could go back to your 16 year old self, what would you say?

Keep doing what you're doing. I would have been in high school at this time, a time where I made my most precious friends. Those friends I still call my best friends today. They were always supportive of my passions and were probably my first “muses” to photograph in my early photography days. Looking back I was always focused on creating something that was bigger than myself.

When I was 20 I decided to create myself into a brand and I this has kept me focussed on my passions. It all started with a blog to showcase my work. At that time it was the best way for me to develop my interests in photography; looking back it was probably the best decision I ever made. I knew what I liked to do but wasn’t sure how to make that hobby into a job, or if there even was a job for all the roles I enjoyed doing. My blog started as Olive Dee Photography, since then it has grown to Post Services and Videography. It’s a great space I am always returning to for personal projects and now, actual work.

Why do you think groups like YWiB are important?

Groups like YWiB are important because they bring conversation to the stigma surrounding issues of equality within the workplace for women. Equality is a grey-area in my industry, but the more conversations that are being had, the more awareness to issues that women face within post production are discussed. I do think there is a change in our culture towards women in post production. I’ve asked men in my industry if they see this inequality, and they definitely do, but they are aware and want to close the gap. That type of answer was refreshing.

What can our readers do to help you?

As a freelancer I am always meeting new people and would love to meet you. You can find my work and contact me through my website www.olivedee.com, Instagram @danicaoliva, or Facebook @OliveDeePhotography.

League of Extraordinary Young Women: Carly Silberstein

Carly is the CEO and driving force behind Redstone Agency Inc. She is a devoted entrepreneur, focusing on her passion for connecting with others. Her ongoing commitment to client experience has set a precedent for the quality of service that Redstone clients have come to expect. She has years of experience leading marketing and event teams that service corporate clients, not-for-profit organizations and professional associations in a variety of industries. Carly is a self-proclaimed foodie, enjoys a full body of red wine and when not working, she is jet setting, trying to see as much of the world as possible.

Describe what you do, why it's important to you I am the co-founder of Redstone Agency, a full-service event and association management company. I find that most people know what event management is, but as an industry, I believe we still need to educate people on what association management is.

Essentially, we provide management services for membership-based organizations that are predominately run by volunteers. Redstone manages the day-to-day operations and reports directly to the Board of Directors. We provide the professional staff, administrative support, office space, technology, and equipment an association needs to operate efficiently. We work with different associations from our physical office here in Toronto, providing a wide range of benefits to our clients including shared technology systems, access to specialized staff, and shared purchasing power.

How does your role empower you? The most empowering part of being my own boss is being able to put ideas into action. Some ideas have been incredibly successful, while others have needed to be fine-tuned. I think the process is incredibly rewarding especially because you learn so much along the way.

What advice do you have to other young women looking to get involved in your field of work? The advice that I would give to any young person is to start building your network! I strongly recommend joining a professional association (such as YWiB) to create professional ties.

I would also stress the importance of volunteering and getting actively involved in the professional association(s). Taking your membership one step further and volunteering one’s time is a great opportunity to learn from others in the industry.

Another piece of advice is to say “yes” to everything…you won’t know what you’re going to love (or hate) until you try.

Who is your biggest role model, why? I consider my dad to be my biggest role model. I practically grew up in the association world. My dad has sat on the board of many industry associations, sector councils and charitable organizations (both in Canada and the US). He instilled in me, from a very young age, the importance of giving back to the community and helping find solutions to challenges that we are passionate about.

He has taught me some incredibly valuable life lessons that continue to serve me well. Some of these lessons guide me, as they have become my core values.

A few of these include: “your word is everything – say what you mean and mean what you say”, “always be fair”, “if you don’t ask, you don’t get” and “it’s not always what you know but who you know, so your reputation is important”.

What book do you recommend every young professional should read?Lean In – Sheryl Sandberg. It’s about women, work and the will to lead. It shows you that women can “have it all”, with hard work, determination and a collective effort to achieve gender parity.

If you could go back to your 16 year old self, what would you say? Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Why do you think groups like YWiB are important? I think YWiB is important because it fosters community amongst young women in business. As I mentioned above, getting involved in an association or community group such as YWiB is incredibly valuable both personally and professional. I think we are all better and stronger together. We need to boost each other up and support one another.

What can our readers do to help you?Join an association. I am a proponent of young people getting involved in associations. I have found them to be incredibly valuable in my life/career. With LinkedIn and other such online platforms, I find the value of associations have become diluted or misunderstood amongst young professionals. I am an advocate for keeping these organization so I want to educate people on their value

If you know of anyone who is a member or volunteer of an association that could use management services, please share the love www.redstoneagency.ca.

League of Extraordinary Young Women: Jacquelyn Mayo

Introducing the League of Extraordinary Young Women. A new profile series where our Director of Partnerships, Victoria Stacey, chats with young women doing great things in the community, their careers or their personal lives.

Jacquelyn is currently working with the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 organizing committee as the Digital Communications Associate leading the social media and website strategy. She is a University of Waterloo graduate and has been living in Toronto for the past 2 years.

Describe what/who you're working on/for and why it's important to you? The Invictus Games will be coming to Toronto from September 23-30 2017. This adaptive international sporting event is for ill, injured and wounded active duty and veteran service members from 17 participating nations who are using sport to overcome physical and mental limitations. This 8-day competition will be hosted at various venues across the city. These Games were established by Prince Harry where the inaugural Invictus Games were held in London in 2014 and the second Invictus Games took place this past May at the Invictus Games Orlando 2016. I am so happy to have Toronto host this inspiring event for it will encourage Canadians - both young and old- to start talking about the sacrifices of those who have served and are still serving and how it is still important to never forget the sacrifices of these military men and women and their families.

How does your role empower you? I'm doing what I love in the world of digital communications and marketing all while being a part of a great cause that will leave a lasting impression on all Canadians. I have a passion for social media and am thrilled to be leading the social media strategy across all of our social media channels. It is a great honour for me to be given this level of responsibility for a grand international event established by His Royal Highness Prince Harry. I am also learning a new skill set I thought I would never have the opportunity to learn and that is managing the company website and using the program WordPress. I am now starting to develop a passion for website design which I never thought I would be good at.

It is very rare to be given such a great learning opportunity while also working for a great cause. I recently had discovered this year that my great-grandfather had served in WWI during the Battle of Somme with the British Army. My grandfather was also a Royal Marine of the United Kingdom and was trained to serve during WWII but the war had ended before he was sent to the front lines. My family's military past was not often discussed mainly due to the relatively modest attitude of my British family members. The Invictus Games is a great platform for troops and veterans to share their stories of sacrifice and for family members to give recognition to their loved one's who served so bravely.

What advice do you have to other young women looking to get involved in your field of work? My advice to women is to not let the sports industry intimidate you. Remove any preconceptions you may have that the sports industry is a male-dominated industry. I have worked at Toronto 2015 Pan Am/ Parapan Am Games, and now Maples Leafs Sports and Entertainment (part-time Fan Engagement Representative at Toronto Maples Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Toronto Marlies) and the Invictus Games, and I can reassure you, the workplace consists of both men and women equally.

My advice to new grads is to not let your degree title limit you to other possibilities. I graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Major in Sociology and Minor in Drama. As much as I have a passion for theatre and sociology, I wanted to be a part of the many great sporting events that the city of Toronto had to offer. I made it a personal goal of mine to be a part of these major sporting events and companies and I was able to accomplish this by surrounding myself with the right people that lead from one opportunity to the next. Sometimes, it just takes one person to give you an opportunity that will shape your career direction. As long as your committed to the cause of your company- whether it is to give back to the military community or to provide an unforgettable fan experience during live events- you will grow with the company.

Who is your biggest role model, why? Not too sure how to answer this question, but all I am focusing on is being the best person I can be and to keep my drive for personal success. I take a lot of pride in having a passion for what I do and for the companies I work for.

What book do you recommend every young professional should read? The book I recommend reading is the "Secrets of Six-Figure Women" by Barbara Stanny. This books focuses on efficient workplace habits and how to change your mindset to achieve personal growth.

If you could go back to your 16 year old self, what would you say? Absolutely nothing. I was a dedicated theatre kid and all the habits I learnt from participating in theatre productions (personal confidence, how to be a good public speaker, to be at rehearsal on time and many more) has led me to the type of worker I am today.

Why do you think groups like YWiB are important? Groups like YWIB are important so women can surround themselves with other goal-oriented women who push each other to go the limit and pursue inspiring opportunities. With the glass-ceiling affect, motherhood penalty and income inequality still prevalent today, women need to focus more on lifting each other up then criticizing each other on mundane things that do not contribute to personal growth.

What can our readers do to help you?  Please check out the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 website and volunteer, donate, or buy tickets for this great event. 2017 is the year for all Canadians to join together and show their support for the military community.