October 22, 2025 • 52 mins
BOOK A FREE COACHING CALL - 🎧Watch on YouTube
🌐The websiteRachel Mielke is a dynamic entrepreneur, accomplished philanthropist, and sought-after speaker whose visionary leadership has left a lasting impact in business and beyond. Best known as the founder and CEO of Hillberg & Berk, one of Canada's most celebrated jewelry brands, Rachel transformed her passion for design into a thriving, multimilliondollar company. Her journey from a small home-based business to becoming a nationally recognized success story exemplifies the resilience, creativity, and tenacity that define Canadian entrepreneurship.Rachel's philanthropic endeavors are deeply ingrained in her personal and professional values. Believing that businesses have the power to change lives, Rachel has embedded philanthropy into the very fabric of Hillberg & Berk. Her efforts have garnered recognition for creating a positive social impact, reflecting her belief that success is best measured by the ability to uplift others.A committed volunteer, Rachel dedicates her time and resources to various charitable causes and community organizations. As a highly regarded public speaker, Rachel shares her expertise and inspiring story on stages across Canada. Rachel's ability to connect authentically with audiencesmakes her a role model for entrepreneurs and changemakers alike.Rachel Mielke is not only a powerhouse in business but also a compassionate leader who believes that success is meant to be shared. Her legacy is one of empowerment, generosity, and the relentless pursuit of making a difference.Rachel's websiteRachel's instagramPodcast episode with Dr. Jody Carrington
Rachel's Notes from the Sidelines:
- Social media promotes what you don't have. Get clear on your value system so you're less impressionable on what's missing.
- A big part of success is not what you know, but resilience. Be the last person standing.
- Bottom line can't drive a business. It's people first.
- SPARKLE FACTOR is wanting to leave the world better. Be community-minded, and have a strong rooting of values.
- Fashion is about authentic self-expression.
- Women need to stop worrying about being judged by others.
- What you consume and who you spend time with is how you look at yourself and who you become.
- Do continual auditing. Ask if a thing or person aligns with you and supports you feeling good about yourself.
**The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to constitute legal or medical advice; all information, content, and material on this site are for general informational purposes only. This podcast contains links to other third party websites. Such links are only for the convenience and enjoyment of the user.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Hey ladies, my name is Jenny Chaffetz and I am the host of
Sideline Sisters. Are you a busy mom, powerhouse
professional or high achieving go getter?
This show is for no BS women whowant to be inspired to get off
the sidelines of their lives. Ever feel like you're playing
small or safe or just on autopilot?
(00:23):
My guests are relatable women who've gone on a journey,
overcome challenges, and live toshare the lessons that we want
to hear. These conversations will be
funny, sad, scary, wise, encouraging, and most of all,
real. So whether you're driving, doing
chores, exercising, walking the dog, or just laying on the
(00:45):
couch, settle in and enjoy. I want to invite you to take
back your power, reignite your passions, and step off the
sidelines. Let's go.
Hey guys, it's Jenny. Welcome to this week's episode.
If you've been following along for the last few weeks, then
you've heard me talk about the rebrand.
Well, Oh my goodness, it's happening.
(01:07):
And it's happening now, like waysooner than I had planned due to
a little snafu with my GoDaddy account.
No shade to anyone. I just didn't understand how
everything really works. And because I am my own tech
advisor and all things online manager, well, I just didn't
(01:28):
know how things operated exactly.
So I thought this transition would be a little smoother than
it's going to be because as of today, today is Wednesday,
October 22nd, 2025. It's here.
The new business is here. So the business previously
gentle coaching is now the flirty Vegan.
(01:50):
Yes, you heard it here right now, the flirty vegan because
I'm talking to people who are flirting with the idea of going
vegan or the idea of getting healthier or the idea of
prioritizing one's health and Wellness.
So the website The Flirty Vegan is up and running and this
(02:13):
podcast will hang out here as Sideline sisters for the next
couple weeks so that I can officially launch with a special
episode on November 12th. Now, if you have been tuning in
and loving the conversations, you will continue to do so.
Yes, I am changing the mission of my business to reflect my
(02:35):
passion for veganism, but the underlying purpose of this show
is to present inspiring people who have done really remarkable
things in the world as a result of their beliefs and personal
challenges and resilience. So regardless of whether you are
a vegan or plan to go vegan, I believe you will find my guests
(03:00):
fascinating and you will definitely learn and be moved by
what they share. So if you've.
Been tuning in for a long time or if this is your first time,
please stick with me. Follow or subscribe wherever you
listen. It's going to be great.
Now all that being said, I want to offer you a free coaching
session with me as I get certified as a vegan Lifestyle
(03:23):
coach and educator. I'm giving you the opportunity
to get curious and consider whatthis lifestyle might do for you.
Now, if you're a midlife woman in particular, or anyone for
that matter, chances are you complain about something related
to your health. Maybe it's you exercise a lot,
watch what you eat, but still don't lose weight.
(03:45):
Maybe you sleep like crap. Maybe you feel bloated and
inflamed all the time. Maybe you have skin or hair
issues. Maybe you have some gut stuff
going on, or reflux, allergies, hypertension, high cholesterol.
Maybe you know, people who are battling something you want to
(04:08):
avoid like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's,
chronic infections, the list goes on and on.
So if you see other people dealing with medical stuff that
you would like to prevent, then let's get on a call.
It's free. There's no commitment, there's
no pressure, there's no expectation.
(04:29):
I would just love to have a chance to chat with you about
your life and see if I can offeryou any ideas, strategies so
that you can look and feel better.
That's the goal. Look and feel better than you do
right now. And hey, if you are living your
best life and you feel like you have optimal health, mazel tov.
(04:50):
I am so happy for you and you can consider yourself a Unicorn
because not a lot of people say that they are thriving all the
time. So yeah, the link is in the show
notes. Check it out.
Click. Let's go, let's get started now.
Still going with the fashion image style series.
(05:11):
I am super excited to present Rachel Milky.
And what's really fun is I learned about Rachel through my
previous guest, Doctor Jodi Carrington.
And if you haven't listened to that episode, you will
definitely want to check it out because Jodi is brilliant,
relatable, tells it like it is. So you can find my conversation
(05:31):
with Jodi in episode 88. I will link that in the show
notes. Now for Rachel.
Rachel Milky is a dynamic entrepreneur, accomplished
philanthropist and sought after speaker whose visionary
leadership has left a lasting impact in business and beyond.
Best known as the founder and CEO of Hilberg and Burke, one of
Canada's most celebrated jewellery brands, Rachel
(05:52):
transformed her passion for design into a thriving
multimillion dollar company. Her journey from a small home
based business to becoming a nationally recognized success
story exemplifies the resilience, creativity, and
tenacity that define Canadian entrepreneurship.
Rachel's philanthropic endeavorsare deeply ingrained in her
personal and professional values.
(06:14):
Her company champions women's empowerment and she has
partnered with organizations across the country to fund
education, mentorship, and opportunities for women, helping
them realize their potential andachieve financial independence.
As a highly regarded public speaker, Rachel shares her
expertise and inspiring story onstages across Canada.
Rachel Milky is not only a powerhouse in business but also
(06:37):
a compassionate leader who believes that success is meant
to be shared. Her legacy is 1 of empowerment,
generosity and the relentless pursuit of making a difference.
We have a powerful conversation about what it takes to grow a
business, the values that one needs to stand by to be an
(06:59):
authentic leader, and how to tapinto confidence and
self-expression. Now let's get into the
conversation with Rachel. All right, well, I am super
excited to continue this series of fashion and style and beauty
and confidence with the lovely and talented Rachel Milky.
(07:21):
So welcome to the show. Great.
To be here. Thank you for having me.
You know, the listeners are all over the world, so perhaps some
of them have had the good fortune of running into your
products, your stores. It is for anyone who goes to
your Instagram or website. It's overwhelmingly beautiful,
(07:45):
thank you. And it pricks at the little
nerves that make many of us wantto just.
Buy, buy, buy. So let's let's start this
conversation. We're just gonna dive in and
let's address some of women's Maybe it's not fair to say
(08:06):
problem or addiction, but time consuming focus on consumerism
and you're. A part of it.
You you put out things that we want to buy lots of.
So what are your thoughts on thethe state of the world right now
(08:26):
as far as wanting to purchase everything we see, especially
the things that we think will make us prettier?
Yeah, I have a lot of thoughts on that and have and always have
had a really strong perspective on building a brand in a world
where we need to be incredibly mindful of our impact on the
environment, our impact on how people perceive themselves in
(08:48):
terms of how a brand markets to women.
And from the outset of starting Hilberg and Burke, I started
this business at my kitchen table in a small Prairie town in
Canada where if your product wasn't really amazing and long
lasting it I wouldn't have ever made it.
And you know, having grown up without really ever having
(09:09):
access to any nice jewelry, any nice fashion, when I started
Hilberg and Burke, I wanted to bring a product to life that was
incredibly high quality and longlasting, but also was at a
really accessible price point. So I think the thing that makes
Hilberg and Burke special is we create this incredibly beautiful
product that I think really helps women to be able to
(09:33):
sparkle from the inside out. And we manufacture a product in
a way that is like really intended to last.
It is not, it is not fast fashion or fast jewelry.
It is a product that when you purchase it, it's meant to stick
around and being a jewelry box for many, many years and not go
to style and be something that you can pass along.
(09:54):
So for, for me and, and my philosophy on fashion is and my
personal philosophy on purchasing is I would much
rather purchase something that is incredibly well made that is
going to last me. You know, I kind of think about
how can I purchase something that's going to last the rest of
my life? So then I think really
critically about what I spend money on.
And that same philosophy extendsinto Hilbert and Burke is like,
(10:16):
how can we give people not only an incredible experience when
they come into our store or shopwith us online, but how can we
give them an incredible product too?
That really is going to make them feel special.
But last. And so we really are unlike a
lot of brands that are, you know, fashionable and here for
the moment, but may not be around in a season or two.
We want to make a high quality product that really sticks
(10:37):
around and we make that product in a in a really mindful way.
I love that, yeah, that that completely aligns with my values
because I, I have recently, recently, you know, the last
five plus years where it's, it'sbeen much more part of the
conversation. You think?
I mean, I don't even really buy books anymore, which is, I know
(11:02):
some people love to have the full bookshelf.
And especially when you see things like the home edit and
they're all rainbow organized and it's like, oh, I want more,
I want more, I want more. But I think I don't want, I can
get it from the library, I can borrow it from a friend.
I can, if I'm going to buy it, buy it used.
Yeah, I mean, that's the danger of social media is that it
(11:23):
really does promote sort of likewhat you don't have.
And, you know, social media is, is challenging for our
generation. It's challenging for young
people, for people my age, I'm 45.
You know what, I think you just have to be.
I think you have to get really clear about your value system.
And then you, I think, are less impressionable about like,
feeling like you're missing out if you feel like really rooted
(11:46):
in a value system that makes youfeel comfortable and confident
and happy in who you are and what you have.
Have you always? Been a confident person that you
mentioned, knowing your values. Have you always felt like
someone in touch with that, or did that happen at a certain
point? I think growing older and
(12:07):
especially like getting into your 40s gives you sort of this
beautiful confidence that I don't think I necessarily felt
as much of in my 20s. However, as I look back over my
life, I truly believe I'm here and I am the person I am today
because of my family, in particular my mother and the way
(12:27):
that my mother raised me and theway that she made me feel
confident to myself. Even though, you know, like
childhood, growing up in the 80swas really, it was really hard
and I experienced a lot of bullying and, and, and childhood
trauma. And my mother was always this
like steady presence in my life everyday reinforcing my value as
(12:50):
a person. Like no matter what I did, just
my value as a person because I exist and always painting a
bright future of opportunity ahead of myself.
Even though I think it was an unlikely story to have kind of
gotten from where I came from towhere I am today.
So I think she just really planted a seed of, of safety and
(13:13):
confidence and yeah, of like a, a value system of, of loving
yourself and, you know, being rooted in a strong family, a
family that supported each other.
And it definitely became a big part of who I am today and how I
run my business. So in speaking to that point of
(13:36):
going from humble beginnings or small town roots to something
much bigger, how did that dream evolve?
What was it like navigating that?
Yeah, so I grew up as a kid and I didn't realize until my own
kids were diagnosed with ADHD. I grew up an ADHD kid, but like,
(13:59):
didn't, no idea. No one had any idea, you know, I
just felt kind of weird growing up as a kid and didn't quite fit
in. So sort of always had this
feeling and I came from my parents were entrepreneurs, both
of my grandparents were entrepreneurs.
I sort of thought that that's just what I was going to do and
what everyone did. So I sort of knew that I wasn't
going to go down the traditionalpath of getting a, getting the
(14:22):
corporate. Ladder.
I'm in the corporate ladder. Like I knew definitively that
was not for me since I was in high school.
And like entrepreneurship was definitely on my heart.
The ability to create something,create something out of nothing
and sort of live your full potential.
And so that sort of seed and that idea that I wanted to do
(14:45):
that combined with, I was a really creative kid and taught
myself how to do a number of things, including like sewing my
own clothes in high school and then teaching myself how to make
jewelry in university. They kind of came together at
this perfect, like time and place in my life where I was
starting to figure things out inmy early 20s.
And I decided to just try it, tojust launch a business and try
(15:07):
it. And it worked.
And it sort of blew me away, youknow, out of the gate.
And I thought, wow, I love this product and how it makes me
feel. I love what this product can do
for other women and how it can make them feel.
And entrepreneurship. It's it's what I dream of doing.
So I kind of just leaned into itat a time when I knew very
(15:28):
little about what I was getting myself into.
And I kind of think, thank goodness I was naive because
it's been a journey from then towhere I am today.
But I think a big part of success is not about what you
know, it's about like resilienceand being the being the last
person standing through the challenges of ups and downs of
(15:48):
entrepreneurship. So Speaking of challenges
throughout your career, like everyone I know, it was not a
completely smooth, freshly pavedRd.
What have been some of the hardest experiences?
Yeah. I think the hardest things have
(16:10):
been when it's both, it's like personal and business kind of
coming together. And there is definitely like a
moment, you know, over the course of about a year that I
was most, most challenged both personally and, you know,
professionally in in this business.
I was diagnosed with cancer in January of 2020, like just a few
(16:33):
weeks before we found out that, you know, COVID was closing the
whole world down and I was goingto have to shut down all of my
retail stores. And at that point had no idea
what was coming, if the we were going to have to face bankruptcy
or you know, what, what that meant in terms of like revenues,
just kind of like shutting off overnight.
So that was a really challengingtime because, you know, my
(16:55):
number one priority in my life is my family.
And so facing my own mortality when I had two young children
was really scary. And it it caused me to really
reflect on, you know, reflect back on my values of what was
most important in my life, how Iwas running my business and
maybe not always honoring myselfas my top priority in life
(17:16):
through the journey of scaling my business up.
And I look back and I just feel like really grateful for the
lessons that came out of that because it really level set
everything and made it so clear of how I wanted to live my life
going forward. So I really looked at how I was
running my business and how I was spending my time.
We looked at where we were living geographically and
(17:38):
decided to move closer to family, move closer to move into
an environment where was we felta little bit healthier for an
outdoor active lifestyle for a we have now beautiful organic
garden that provides us with food all year round for a
family. And yeah, just kind of like
reassessed my, the intensity of my life in business and found a
(18:02):
way to really find that integration between running a
company and being a mom and a wife and and someone who really
takes care of themselves too. So although that was an
incredibly challenging time, it carved a path for me to make new
choices that I'm so grateful fortoday.
That's such an amazing story. I mean, I I've heard you and
(18:25):
other people talk about the giftof a diagnosis or a tragic
experience like that, but the lessons that are pulled from it
are profound. I apologize for interrupting
this interview, but I am curious, have you ever thought
about going vegan? Maybe you heard someone talking
about it or read an article online, but you're thinking it
(18:49):
sounds way too restrictive, way too extreme, way too boring, not
to mention all those concerns about protein.
I get it. I've been there myself.
And that is why I am in the process of becoming a certified
Vegan Health and Lifestyle Coach.
And during my course time, I am offering free coaching sessions
to people who are in that hesitation phase, contemplating
(19:12):
going forward but definitely wanting help.
That's where I come in. So please go to the show notes
and click the link for free Vegan lifestyle coaching session
and we'll get started. Now let's get back to the show.
And I'm curious with all the shifts that came from that time,
did you ever encounter people who in your life, Friends, other
(19:35):
distant family who weren't supportive or didn't get it?
Didn't you know what is what is this now with you in the garden
or you know, I don't know, like why would you want to do that?
Did you ever, I think people, wemade the decisions pretty
quickly. You know, I was diagnosed in
January, COVID was March, middleof March.
(19:57):
And we decided right away that we're going to reset our lives.
And we sort of my husband and I both had a vision for what that
wanted, what that was going to look like.
And so, you know, made the decision pretty quickly, put up
our house for sale, packed up our stuff and moved.
And I think people were just surprised at how quickly.
But I don't think anyone in my life was surprised that that we
(20:19):
sort of just like prioritized what was most important.
I think anyone that knows me or anyone that works for me knows
my values and how I show up and lead our company from a place of
values 1st. And that to me, again, that
means like my family is my top priority.
And you know what means like leading my company the same way,
ensuring that people come to work and know that they're
(20:40):
supported to also put their family as their top priority.
Because in life, things come up and things happen.
And the bottom line can't be thenumber one thing that drives a
business. It has to be the people first.
That makes I'm sure a lot of listeners think I need to move
to Canada and work for you because that sounds like the
(21:00):
kind of value system I want to experience in the workplace
well. I think to me, that's the that's
the challenge of like a capitalist society and too much
consumerism is it tilts the balance of, of people centric
way of living and a way of running business.
(21:20):
And, and it has shifted too far to capitalism and consumerism
and profit being the bottom line.
And although we've seen the development of a triple bottom
line over the last couple of decades and a lot of companies
realizing that this is the best way to run business, both for
the communities we want to live in and having those feel like
they're healthy, but also the workers that work within our
(21:42):
companies. Because at the end of the day,
people have to show up and feel like they are a part of
something and that they are appreciated and valued and that
their values can really align towhat they're doing.
Otherwise, it's just a job. And and you know, like you can't
really build a culture in my opinion that supports an
incredible, incredible brand, anincredible product.
(22:05):
So it's, you know, it's taken a journey to articulate that, to
get that to the point that it's fully entrenched throughout
Hilberg and Burke and that we fully hire on it.
We performance manage on those values.
And I would say everyone across our business really is a part of
it, both in how they show up andthey believe in it.
And now we can be really critical about who we bring into
(22:27):
the business knowing that we're just bringing on, you know, the
people with the biggest sparkle factor and people who align to
our values within HB. Isn't that perfect?
Sparkle factor? What is sparkle factor?
I mean, not that you said it to mean anything bigger, but I'm
just going to pull those words from you.
What does it mean for someone tohave sparkle factor?
(22:48):
How do you? How?
Do you judge that? What is that?
I guess if I was to put it in like simple terms, it's someone
that like wants to leave the world better than what they
found it. Someone who is community minded,
someone who has a strong rootingand a value system and wants to
bring that to their work and their work life integration.
(23:08):
And someone who wants to be a part of a company that's about
so much more than just creating beautiful product, but creating
a legacy, a difference. And you know, I'm, I'm
passionate about how can we use our brand as a tool to make a
difference in the community. I think the people who come into
H&B have that same passion. So that that is, you know, in in
(23:28):
a simple form that's sparkle factor.
That's so great and I do, I do know this about you because I've
gone down the rabbit hole, but one of the things that drew me
to you was the community minded aspect of you and your brand.
Can you share some of your? Favorite.
(23:49):
I don't even. Want to say philanthropic
because I feel like that's a boxthat people check and I don't
like that. But the fact that it's so part
of your soul, what, what kinds of initiatives are you drawn to?
Yeah. So we are really focused on the
(24:10):
empowerment of women, specifically the economic
empowerment of women because quite often that is the factor
that sort of holds women back from being able to set up the
life that they want, leave challenging relationships,
really be able to make a difference themselves and their
families and their communities. So we work really closely with
an organization that I am deeplypassionate about and and
(24:33):
actually sit on the board of theFoundation in Canada.
It's a global organization, including having a ton of
chapters in the US and it's called Dress for Success.
And it is about so much more than just providing the women
with a new like wardrobe, a new outfit.
That's a big part of what they do.
But that's just the first step in giving them a community,
(24:57):
tools, confidence, you know, just really a team behind them
that says you can do this, you can take this first step and you
can, you know, like take this first step to financial
independence. And so all of the women that go
through that program in Canada, and it was about 8000 last year,
get Hilbert and Burke Jewelry atthe end of their suiting
(25:17):
program. And just kind of a little
memento to say like, you've got this.
And I'm passionate about that because so many of those women
go on to change their life and not just their own life, but
their family's life and really take back their financial
independence. And to me, that's like such an
important part of women being able to live their their best
lives for whatever that means for them.
(25:38):
Yeah. It's so huge.
I mean, so many. I was just talking about this
with someone yesterday. As far as I know, your kids are
probably a little younger than this, but with the college
application process, there's always the talk of community
service and what, what did kids do, how many hours and have they
(26:01):
done community service in order to apply for college?
And I just find that, I mean, I'll say it here, it's my show.
I can say what I want, but I find that despicable, like to,
to do good in the community for the sake of bettering your own
circumstances. I, I just don't care for that.
I think you do for other reasons.
And there's a billion other reasons outside of ourselves.
(26:25):
So I love that you are just so involved in something that's
making. A.
Powerful impact, I love that. I think like, and I think
everyone can find something thatthing that they're passionate
about, even if you feel like maybe it's not completely like
obvious to you now. And, you know, I think
especially for entrepreneurs, like entrepreneurship can become
(26:46):
disillusioning because it's can be a lot more challenging than
it is rewarding feeling. And I sort of like, I think I
just had, you know, this understanding when I was
starting Hilberg and Burke that,you know, the money was never
going to be what gave me any kind of satisfaction.
I was never going to be any happier in my life with any more
(27:07):
money That to me it was, it was going to have to be like I was
actually doing something with the hard work that I and my team
are putting in every day that wewere actually doing something
more valuable than just creatingan economic impact.
And it's really cool that we employ 200 people and, you know,
they're creating their livelihood through Hilbert and
Burke. That is amazing.
(27:28):
But what's even more cool is thefact that we're able to do
things like, you know, give to the women who are going through
the Dress for Success program and impact many other
organizations across the countryas a result of the work that
we're doing, you know, really leaving, leaving an impact.
What? Is it about a piece of jewelry
that is so exciting and and uplifting to a woman?
(27:53):
What is that? Yeah, I, I don't know, you know,
and I think I discovered it. I didn't have any nice jewelry
until I was until I was really starting to make it for myself.
And I remember beginning to makethings with nicer elements like
sterling silver and semi precious gemstones.
And I made this like first necklace out of supplies I had
(28:15):
gone and purchased from this beautiful jewelry supply store.
And I spent more money than I was sort of expecting to spend
at that time again, you know, like hadn't really ever had
anything quite like that. I made this piece of jewelry and
I put it on and I just, it changed the way that I felt, you
know, I felt like just like a more confident version of
myself. I felt more like myself.
And that was a bit of an addicting feeling.
(28:37):
And I thought, gosh, if I feel like this and it, it makes such
an impact for me, I wonder if that will also be the case with
other women. And, and I saw that right away
as I launched the my first collection and I saw how women's
light eyes lit up when they picked up a piece and put it on.
And it really just, it changed, you know, a little bit how they
felt about themselves and, you know, whether that's a piece of
(28:59):
jewelry or a lipstick shade or aoutfit that just fits you
perfectly. I think having those things and
an investing in those things. And again, I think for me
personally, it's about having high quality things that I know
are going to last. It's really important to have
those in your wardrobe. And I, I always like hope and
believe that women feel that they can treat themselves to
(29:20):
those things because it's sort of it's one of the tools that
you have as you go out and navigate your life and navigate
your own independence. You know, you need to have
whatever it is that makes you feel good.
You know, I, I hope that women can find those things and I
don't think it always has to be material things, you know, But
(29:40):
for whatever reason, nice jewelry struck A chord with me
and has remained the same ever since.
Yep, you and so many others. Now, I've talked to a couple
other women in this series aboutclothing and the question of
(30:01):
capsule wardrobe and certain pieces that every woman should
and, and we debated about it. So it, it wasn't a clear answer.
But I mean, obviously you can godown that that ridiculous abyss
on Google as far as the pros andcons of a capsule wardrobe and
what items every woman should have in their closet when it
(30:24):
comes to jewelry. What's your take on that?
Do you think every woman should have a pair of diamond studs, a
Pearl necklace? You know, what's your take?
Because there are light clothes so many in and out trends.
And my last guest did say something about there's no such
(30:47):
thing as a trend. It's just marketing and and
selling practices. But when we see the gobs of gold
chains layered and you know, these trends that I perceive as
trends, as current fashion statements, what's your take?
Do you think that there are jewelry pieces everyone should
(31:10):
have or just you do you? So I am 100% about individual
expression. And the thing that has always
made me cringe is trends where everybody looks the same and
this feeling that you have to somehow buy that piece this
season and that piece next season and fit into a certain
like trendy mold that everyone else looks like.
(31:33):
To me, that's like the opposite of what we should be doing.
Like fashion is about self-expression and authentic
self-expression, so our whole collection is about how can we
create pieces that help people really express their
individuality. And that being said, I also
think that in my own life, I have really struggled with the
(31:55):
time I have spent on fashion andbeauty in my own life as a
result of of messages that I wasprogrammed with growing up about
how I needed to look and what was professional and what was
expected. And I love to see my daughter
buy into none of that at all. But, you know, it's really
programmed in my brain since I was probably 4.
(32:17):
So I like to think about how canI like hack things as simply as
possible. And you know, one of the ways
I've thought about my fashion collection, obviously I have a
wide, wide assortment of jewelryand love to be able to like,
pick and choose something, a newlook every single day.
But I think about fashion as when I find something I like, I
want to buy that outfit in two colors.
(32:38):
And I want to buy five of them. Because when I'm getting up in
the morning, I do not want to put any mental energy into my
outfit any more than I have to because I know I'm going to need
that mental energy for running my company and for my family.
And so I have tried to think about, yes, building a wardrobe,
but not based on what someone says it needs to be or these
specific pieces. And I really believe that each
(33:01):
of us has to build it ourselves based on what we feel good in.
And we all feel good in different things.
So I really don't think that there's rules around what you
should build. Maybe that's helpful for some
people because it could be overwhelming to get started.
But to me, it's about like figuring out what you really
feel most confident in and then just buying five of those.
You know, like if you can find 10 things that you feel good in
(33:24):
and you have 5 of each of those,you've got your wardrobe.
And every day when you get up, you don't have to think about it
too much. You can just put something on
and you feel good and you feel comfortable and that makes a big
difference in your day-to-day. That's so it's like the Steve
Jobs mentality. Just totally, yeah, I'll take
that turtleneck and I'll take five of them.
Yep. Exactly.
Yeah. And for me, it's it's not it's
(33:45):
nothing boring. You know, I've got some pretty
fabulous clothes. But when I find a brand that
fits me, where I find a silhouette that I like, I will
like not think about it too much.
And, you know, just like I'll get four of those to make sure
that I just like, have that outfit now for the next five
years. And I'm never concerned about
like outfit repeating. I want to buy high quality
(34:06):
things that are made well and that they're going to last.
And if I wear that outfit every day on every Monday, then so be
it. You know, and if someone's
judging me because I'm repeatingan outfit, that's their problem,
not mine. I want to plaster that on a
billboard and have everyone see it cuz that is it's.
(34:26):
So funny, like this conversation, I was just having
this conversation around the dinner table with a bunch of
women this week at an event thatI was at.
And yeah, it's, it's sad how much of our brain capacity for
many people it occupies. Worrying about what people are
going to think or worrying aboutjudgement or worrying about is
appropriate. Yeah, if there's one thing I
(34:48):
could just erase from women's brains, it would be that that
worry. Sorry to interrupt this
incredible interview, but I haveto tell you guys about vegan
lifestyle coaching. Veganism is my passion.
Yes, you've heard me say that, but so is health and helping
people feel their best. We have become so complacent and
tolerant of feeling crappy that it's mind blowing.
(35:12):
And we have also accepted that we are all going to grow old and
get sick. That mentality has to stop
because it's not true. It doesn't have to be the
inevitable course, whether you've strongly thought about
going vegan or it's just kind ofcome up in passing, doesn't
matter. I would love the opportunity to
get on a call with you to hear what's stopping you from going
(35:35):
all the way and see if we can strategize together because this
really is the healthiest, most joy filled, abundant way of
eating and living. So be sure to check the show
notes and you'll see a link to book this free call.
Share it with your friends. And now let's get back to the
episode. Right.
So how does someone erase that from their thinking and also
(35:58):
scroll social media? You know, I think social media
is a very dangerous place and I think that for myself, I try to
be very careful about what I consume.
I think what you consume, the people you spend your time with
is ultimately how you end up looking at yourself and thinking
about yourself and what you become.
(36:20):
So I think like who you follow is very important And just, I
just think like limiting social media time is pretty critical
for overall mental well-being and, and well-being in general.
I mean, it's hard. It's a tool that's like
incredibly addictive and it's designed to be addictive.
So I like, you know, I utilize apps like Opal because I have to
(36:41):
be on social media for part of what I do, but I, I utilize apps
like Opal that just like close it down and don't let me access
it to reduce the temptation. So I think you got to figure out
whatever works for you. But I think social media is a
really dangerous place because it leads you down a path of like
worrying about judgement, right?And a moment you spend worrying
about judgement is a moment thatyou are taking away from
(37:03):
something great you could be thinking about or dreaming
about. Yeah so true.
I just recently went through my Instagram and knocked off about,
I don't know, 70% of the accounts that I was following.
And who knows, maybe they'll they'll figure it out and
backlash and unfollow me as well.
(37:24):
And I'm OK with that. But I felt like my feed, even
though I was intentionally curating it, it still was I, you
know, people change the direction of what they're
posting. So that one who was originally
posting spiritual messages and tarot cards, now all of a sudden
it's outfit of the day. And I don't want to see that
(37:46):
necessarily. I want to see more of the tarot
cards and you know, fluffy lambsand things like that.
And so I I have completely axed a good amount of the accounts I
was following to present my mental.
I think that, you know, like kind of continual auditing of
(38:06):
what it is you're consuming again, whether it's through
social media or your friend circle or anything but words you
sit on, you know, that continualauditing of does this align with
my values? Does this support me feeling
good about myself? If it doesn't, just be ruthless
about cutting out because there's just not enough time to
deal with that. That is the thing that is the
(38:27):
message right there that I feel is missing from so many people's
consciousness is. The regular audit.
Yeah. I love that.
So were there things over time, whether it was from your illness
or COVID or just growth that youhave determined no more?
(38:52):
Definitely. I mean, I think I am the type of
person that also likes to reallygive get like if I'm thinking
about sort of like maybe personal relationships, give
people really a chance and believe in the best part of
people, you know, which may be it pre cancer, I, I let too
(39:12):
much, you know, into my life. That was definitely a moment
where it shifted and I became less tolerant for again,
unhealthy interactions again, because you know, it just, you
want to just you know, your energy is so important.
It you know, the, and everythingyou consume, whether it's just
conversation, social media, the people you work with, my
(39:33):
employees, everything impacts how I feel and everything takes
a little tiny bit of energy. So selfishly, I just want to be
surrounded by people that I likeare good humans are values
aligned and I've become the older I get, the more I become
really ruthless about ensuring that happens.
I. Love that message.
I'd love that message for the listeners.
(39:54):
So everybody please go back and listen to the last couple
minutes again because that one needs to be repeated.
I, I think a lot of women, especially at this 40s plus age
get to, I don't know if there's a guilt factor or a discomfort.
(40:14):
I mean there's, there are the people that are like, this is my
life and I'm going to live it and I don't have time for BS.
But then there's a lot of peoplewho are just.
Stuck in the safety of the status quo and don't advocate
for their needs or don't feel like they have permission to do
the audit. Well, in order to do that, it
(40:37):
requires you to look inside and to begin confronting things,
confronting patterns. And it makes it also challenges
you to get really uncomfortable.You know, first because you have
to dig through things and ask why.
Why am I like allowing someone to make me feel bad?
Why am I wasting my time on social media like looking at
(41:00):
things that make me feel bad about myself?
Why am I not prioritizing myselfand the things that need to make
me feel good about myself as my top priority?
Because if you don't, if you were not feeling well, you can't
be the best for everyone around you.
But has to start with yourself. And sometimes going in and
asking those questions and starting to unpack that is
(41:21):
painful, but it is the first step.
I know that's what our our friend Jody likes to say that go
in, go out and repeat go in, go out.
It is uncomfortable and I have done a lot of that trimming in
my life since COVID because I just.
(41:42):
I don't have the mental and emotional bandwidth for it.
You don't owe anyone anything. You know, at the end of the day,
I think, you know, I feel like I'll look back and regret time I
wasted on, you know, worrying about things or spending time
with people who really, again, didn't align with my values in
life. And so I try to keep that in
(42:02):
mind as I go through my day-to-day.
Yeah. So I mean, just to to lighten
this up, do you have a favorite piece of jewelry?
I would say, like, hard to pick a favorite.
It's like, how do you pick a favorite child?
Yeah, I'm always really excited about what's coming next, but I
(42:23):
think that I definitely have like a sort of favorite
experience of designing a piece of jewelry.
We were incredibly fortunate to have been commissioned to design
a piece of jewelry for Queen Elizabeth the Second when she
was still alive. And that experience was so
fascinating. And then that piece was designed
and presented to her, and she went on to wear it so many
(42:45):
times. And then that resulted in a
second opportunity to make another piece.
Those experiences making a pieceof jewelry for someone like that
was so fascinating, from the history of royal jewelry to, you
know, taking inspiration and figuring out how we were going
to create a piece of jewelry forsomeone with a jewelry
collection like she has. And I don't know what.
(43:07):
You're talking about. Is this going to, is this going
to speak to her? And it will, Will she like it?
Will she wear it? That was a fascinating journey
and such an incredible experience.
What was it? So we created 2 pieces.
The first piece was a Commissionfrom the Lieutenant Governor of
Saskatchewan. So that's like the
representative in the province of the Queen and they were going
(43:30):
to, she was going to meet with her for the first time and
wanted to present a gift on behalf of, you know, the
province and obviously wanted toSaskatchewan based company to be
able to make that gift. And she really wanted like the
reason she chose Hilberg and Burke was because of our social
impact work and the things that we were doing specifically for
women. She really wanted to share that
(43:51):
message when she presented that piece.
So the first piece we designed, we made this beautiful
asymmetric floral brooch. We chose a flower because it's
both like soft and strong and such a, you know, like a
representation of resilience. And it was the first piece was
unlike anything like she has ever worn or has in her
(44:13):
collection. It was a bit of a fashion risk
in terms of creating like that sort of like very different
piece. And honestly, I wasn't sure that
she would wear it. It was very Hilberger Burke and
true to like our design aesthetic and what we make every
day and what we see our customers and every day.
And I was like, I really want tostay true to who we are and not
(44:35):
make something that's totally different than what we design
every day. And something about that piece,
I think really spoke to her because she went on to wear it
so many times. We kind of joked internally that
she must keep it on her night stand because she just kept
getting photographed in it over and over again.
And what we, what he learned throughout the process was
although her wardrobe was alwaysmade for her for the special
occasion months in advance and that was always pre planned, the
(44:59):
jewelry was brought to her and she was, she personally selected
what pieces she was going to wear for every occasion.
So it was pretty special knowingthat she continued to choose
that piece over and over again. That's wild.
It was a pretty wild experience.That is a really good story to
be able to tell generations to come.
(45:19):
That's so good. That's so good.
I love that. So I told you, I live in the
Northeast US. What's the closest store to me?
The closest store to you right now is it's probably like our
online store. You could come up to Toronto.
We're rapidly expanding our footprint in Toronto.
(45:39):
So we have a store opening in just outside of the GTA in
Hamilton. We have one in Newmarket in
Toronto. But if you're in the US, our web
store is incredible. It's fast shipping, we ship the
same day. We have an incredibly incredible
customer care team and that's probably the simplest way to for
you to shop unless you're comingup to Canada.
Right. OK, so Toronto that's maybe
(46:00):
it'll. Be stores in the US in the
future. Yeah, yeah, I'll keep my fingers
crossed, but Toronto's a good destination, especially since
they have a tennis tournament every summer, so.
Yeah, come on up. We have.
We're opening three more stores.So we'll have 5 stores in
Toronto in the next year? That's insane.
Wow, congratulations. Thank you.
(46:23):
All right, so please, on that note, tell everybody where to
find this gorgeous collection. Yeah, So Simplest is just online
at Hilberg and burke.com. All right, and your social
media? Is.
Actually quite lovely. I mean it.
It is fun to see your conversations and you know, kind
(46:45):
of the behind the scenes at the company.
It's good stuff. Totally.
I mean, I think it's always interesting to see the people
behind the business. And as I mentioned before, we
have some pretty like incrediblepeople in our business.
So, you know, we like to try andfeature our own team as much as
we can and tell a little bit of our story of what we're
passionate about the, you know, both from the design and product
(47:06):
side to the purpose side of our business too.
So you can get a little flavor of that through our social media
for sure. Yeah, it's so great.
All right, well, before I let you go, Rachel, I want to invite
you to raise your glass so that we can say we have matching
glasses. We can say cheers to be ruthless
(47:26):
about your energy and prioritizeyourself first.
Absolutely cheers to that. Cheers, I am so grateful to you
for coming on and sharing your story, pieces of yourself, your
mission, and your thoughts aboutjewelry and fashion because this
(47:47):
was so fun. It's been my pleasure.
Thanks so much for inviting me, Jenny.
How great was that? And if you were watching this
episode on YouTube or Spotify, then you saw how gorgeous this
woman is and how phenomenal her outfit is.
Just perfect for a conversation about fashion and beauty.
(48:07):
Now let's get into Rachel Milkie's Notes from the
Sidelines. Number one, social media.
Promote what you don't have. We know this, right?
Get clear on your value system so you're less impressionable on
what's missing #2A big part of success is not what you know,
but resilience. Being the last person standing
(48:31):
when things are really hard #3 bottom line, cannot drive a
business. It's people first.
Number four, Rachel talks about the sparkle factor.
What is it? It's wanting to leave the world
better. It's being community minded,
having strong values #5 fashion is about authentic
(48:53):
self-expression. Number six, women need to stop
worrying about being judged by others.
It's OK to repeat an outfit. That one was so good #7 what you
consume and who you spend time with is ultimately how you look
at yourself and who you become. So we've heard this before, the
idea of the five people you spend the most time with, but
(49:16):
it's also all the other stuff you're taking in on a regular
basis, which leads to number 8INconclusion, it's important to do
continual auditing, asking yourself if the things in your
life, whether it's clothes or people or anything else, does
this align and support me feeling good about myself?
(49:38):
Be less tolerant of unhealthy interactions.
And to do that kind of audit requires looking inward at your
patterns. Like Doctor Jody Carrington
said, go in, go out, go in, go out.
So I'm very grateful to. Rachel for this episode, and I
will also link my conversation with Doctor Jody in the show
(49:59):
notes. I want to remind you about the
link in the show notes to book afree coaching session with me.
No pressure, commitment, or expectations, just a
conversation. If you are curious about how you
can look and feel better, Rachelcan certainly help you look
better when it comes to your jewelry, but I want to help you
(50:19):
look and feel better in health and Wellness.
So if you think things are just not optimal, which is pretty
much everybody, let's be honest,then book this recall with me
and let's just talk about it. It's a no judgment call.
I just want to see women out there living, operating, doing,
(50:40):
experiencing in the best way possible.
And from my conversations with people on a daily basis, it's
not happening right now. So whether it's your nutrition
choices, lack of movement, too much stress, not enough sleep,
negative thought patterns, it all contributes to feeling
crappy and staying stuck in thatcycle, believing that that's
(51:02):
just the way life is, especiallyas we grow older.
So I want to just knock that on its side for you and show you
what might be available with some little tweaks.
So again, that link is in the show notes.
I thank you for listening. I hope you're excited about
Rebrand and please join me next week for my final interview in
(51:23):
this fascinating series about fashion, beauty and style.
I will be interviewing the beautiful and big hearted Ginger
Burr. She is an image consultant,
personal stylist and so value driven.
So I hope you show up at that one next week.
And please tell your friends about this podcast.
(51:46):
Tell them to follow or subscribenow and then they'll be here in
time for the rebrand. Have a great week.
Cheers to you.
Hey ladies, my name is Jenny Chaffetz and I am the host of
Sideline Sisters. Are you a busy mom, powerhouse
professional or high achieving go getter?
This show is for no BS women whowant to be inspired to get off
the sidelines of their lives. Ever feel like you're playing
small or safe or just on autopilot?
(00:23):
My guests are relatable women who've gone on a journey,
overcome challenges, and live toshare the lessons that we want
to hear. These conversations will be
funny, sad, scary, wise, encouraging, and most of all,
real. So whether you're driving, doing
chores, exercising, walking the dog, or just laying on the
(00:45):
couch, settle in and enjoy. I want to invite you to take
back your power, reignite your passions, and step off the
sidelines. Let's go.
Hey guys, it's Jenny. Welcome to this week's episode.
If you've been following along for the last few weeks, then
you've heard me talk about the rebrand.
Well, Oh my goodness, it's happening.
(01:07):
And it's happening now, like waysooner than I had planned due to
a little snafu with my GoDaddy account.
No shade to anyone. I just didn't understand how
everything really works. And because I am my own tech
advisor and all things online manager, well, I just didn't
(01:28):
know how things operated exactly.
So I thought this transition would be a little smoother than
it's going to be because as of today, today is Wednesday,
October 22nd, 2025. It's here.
The new business is here. So the business previously
gentle coaching is now the flirty Vegan.
(01:50):
Yes, you heard it here right now, the flirty vegan because
I'm talking to people who are flirting with the idea of going
vegan or the idea of getting healthier or the idea of
prioritizing one's health and Wellness.
So the website The Flirty Vegan is up and running and this
(02:13):
podcast will hang out here as Sideline sisters for the next
couple weeks so that I can officially launch with a special
episode on November 12th. Now, if you have been tuning in
and loving the conversations, you will continue to do so.
Yes, I am changing the mission of my business to reflect my
(02:35):
passion for veganism, but the underlying purpose of this show
is to present inspiring people who have done really remarkable
things in the world as a result of their beliefs and personal
challenges and resilience. So regardless of whether you are
a vegan or plan to go vegan, I believe you will find my guests
(03:00):
fascinating and you will definitely learn and be moved by
what they share. So if you've.
Been tuning in for a long time or if this is your first time,
please stick with me. Follow or subscribe wherever you
listen. It's going to be great.
Now all that being said, I want to offer you a free coaching
session with me as I get certified as a vegan Lifestyle
(03:23):
coach and educator. I'm giving you the opportunity
to get curious and consider whatthis lifestyle might do for you.
Now, if you're a midlife woman in particular, or anyone for
that matter, chances are you complain about something related
to your health. Maybe it's you exercise a lot,
watch what you eat, but still don't lose weight.
(03:45):
Maybe you sleep like crap. Maybe you feel bloated and
inflamed all the time. Maybe you have skin or hair
issues. Maybe you have some gut stuff
going on, or reflux, allergies, hypertension, high cholesterol.
Maybe you know, people who are battling something you want to
(04:08):
avoid like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's,
chronic infections, the list goes on and on.
So if you see other people dealing with medical stuff that
you would like to prevent, then let's get on a call.
It's free. There's no commitment, there's
no pressure, there's no expectation.
(04:29):
I would just love to have a chance to chat with you about
your life and see if I can offeryou any ideas, strategies so
that you can look and feel better.
That's the goal. Look and feel better than you do
right now. And hey, if you are living your
best life and you feel like you have optimal health, mazel tov.
(04:50):
I am so happy for you and you can consider yourself a Unicorn
because not a lot of people say that they are thriving all the
time. So yeah, the link is in the show
notes. Check it out.
Click. Let's go, let's get started now.
Still going with the fashion image style series.
(05:11):
I am super excited to present Rachel Milky.
And what's really fun is I learned about Rachel through my
previous guest, Doctor Jodi Carrington.
And if you haven't listened to that episode, you will
definitely want to check it out because Jodi is brilliant,
relatable, tells it like it is. So you can find my conversation
(05:31):
with Jodi in episode 88. I will link that in the show
notes. Now for Rachel.
Rachel Milky is a dynamic entrepreneur, accomplished
philanthropist and sought after speaker whose visionary
leadership has left a lasting impact in business and beyond.
Best known as the founder and CEO of Hilberg and Burke, one of
Canada's most celebrated jewellery brands, Rachel
(05:52):
transformed her passion for design into a thriving
multimillion dollar company. Her journey from a small home
based business to becoming a nationally recognized success
story exemplifies the resilience, creativity, and
tenacity that define Canadian entrepreneurship.
Rachel's philanthropic endeavorsare deeply ingrained in her
personal and professional values.
(06:14):
Her company champions women's empowerment and she has
partnered with organizations across the country to fund
education, mentorship, and opportunities for women, helping
them realize their potential andachieve financial independence.
As a highly regarded public speaker, Rachel shares her
expertise and inspiring story onstages across Canada.
Rachel Milky is not only a powerhouse in business but also
(06:37):
a compassionate leader who believes that success is meant
to be shared. Her legacy is 1 of empowerment,
generosity and the relentless pursuit of making a difference.
We have a powerful conversation about what it takes to grow a
business, the values that one needs to stand by to be an
(06:59):
authentic leader, and how to tapinto confidence and
self-expression. Now let's get into the
conversation with Rachel. All right, well, I am super
excited to continue this series of fashion and style and beauty
and confidence with the lovely and talented Rachel Milky.
(07:21):
So welcome to the show. Great.
To be here. Thank you for having me.
You know, the listeners are all over the world, so perhaps some
of them have had the good fortune of running into your
products, your stores. It is for anyone who goes to
your Instagram or website. It's overwhelmingly beautiful,
(07:45):
thank you. And it pricks at the little
nerves that make many of us wantto just.
Buy, buy, buy. So let's let's start this
conversation. We're just gonna dive in and
let's address some of women's Maybe it's not fair to say
(08:06):
problem or addiction, but time consuming focus on consumerism
and you're. A part of it.
You you put out things that we want to buy lots of.
So what are your thoughts on thethe state of the world right now
(08:26):
as far as wanting to purchase everything we see, especially
the things that we think will make us prettier?
Yeah, I have a lot of thoughts on that and have and always have
had a really strong perspective on building a brand in a world
where we need to be incredibly mindful of our impact on the
environment, our impact on how people perceive themselves in
(08:48):
terms of how a brand markets to women.
And from the outset of starting Hilberg and Burke, I started
this business at my kitchen table in a small Prairie town in
Canada where if your product wasn't really amazing and long
lasting it I wouldn't have ever made it.
And you know, having grown up without really ever having
(09:09):
access to any nice jewelry, any nice fashion, when I started
Hilberg and Burke, I wanted to bring a product to life that was
incredibly high quality and longlasting, but also was at a
really accessible price point. So I think the thing that makes
Hilberg and Burke special is we create this incredibly beautiful
product that I think really helps women to be able to
(09:33):
sparkle from the inside out. And we manufacture a product in
a way that is like really intended to last.
It is not, it is not fast fashion or fast jewelry.
It is a product that when you purchase it, it's meant to stick
around and being a jewelry box for many, many years and not go
to style and be something that you can pass along.
(09:54):
So for, for me and, and my philosophy on fashion is and my
personal philosophy on purchasing is I would much
rather purchase something that is incredibly well made that is
going to last me. You know, I kind of think about
how can I purchase something that's going to last the rest of
my life? So then I think really
critically about what I spend money on.
And that same philosophy extendsinto Hilbert and Burke is like,
(10:16):
how can we give people not only an incredible experience when
they come into our store or shopwith us online, but how can we
give them an incredible product too?
That really is going to make them feel special.
But last. And so we really are unlike a
lot of brands that are, you know, fashionable and here for
the moment, but may not be around in a season or two.
We want to make a high quality product that really sticks
(10:37):
around and we make that product in a in a really mindful way.
I love that, yeah, that that completely aligns with my values
because I, I have recently, recently, you know, the last
five plus years where it's, it'sbeen much more part of the
conversation. You think?
I mean, I don't even really buy books anymore, which is, I know
(11:02):
some people love to have the full bookshelf.
And especially when you see things like the home edit and
they're all rainbow organized and it's like, oh, I want more,
I want more, I want more. But I think I don't want, I can
get it from the library, I can borrow it from a friend.
I can, if I'm going to buy it, buy it used.
Yeah, I mean, that's the danger of social media is that it
(11:23):
really does promote sort of likewhat you don't have.
And, you know, social media is, is challenging for our
generation. It's challenging for young
people, for people my age, I'm 45.
You know what, I think you just have to be.
I think you have to get really clear about your value system.
And then you, I think, are less impressionable about like,
feeling like you're missing out if you feel like really rooted
(11:46):
in a value system that makes youfeel comfortable and confident
and happy in who you are and what you have.
Have you always? Been a confident person that you
mentioned, knowing your values. Have you always felt like
someone in touch with that, or did that happen at a certain
point? I think growing older and
(12:07):
especially like getting into your 40s gives you sort of this
beautiful confidence that I don't think I necessarily felt
as much of in my 20s. However, as I look back over my
life, I truly believe I'm here and I am the person I am today
because of my family, in particular my mother and the way
(12:27):
that my mother raised me and theway that she made me feel
confident to myself. Even though, you know, like
childhood, growing up in the 80swas really, it was really hard
and I experienced a lot of bullying and, and, and childhood
trauma. And my mother was always this
like steady presence in my life everyday reinforcing my value as
(12:50):
a person. Like no matter what I did, just
my value as a person because I exist and always painting a
bright future of opportunity ahead of myself.
Even though I think it was an unlikely story to have kind of
gotten from where I came from towhere I am today.
So I think she just really planted a seed of, of safety and
(13:13):
confidence and yeah, of like a, a value system of, of loving
yourself and, you know, being rooted in a strong family, a
family that supported each other.
And it definitely became a big part of who I am today and how I
run my business. So in speaking to that point of
(13:36):
going from humble beginnings or small town roots to something
much bigger, how did that dream evolve?
What was it like navigating that?
Yeah, so I grew up as a kid and I didn't realize until my own
kids were diagnosed with ADHD. I grew up an ADHD kid, but like,
(13:59):
didn't, no idea. No one had any idea, you know, I
just felt kind of weird growing up as a kid and didn't quite fit
in. So sort of always had this
feeling and I came from my parents were entrepreneurs, both
of my grandparents were entrepreneurs.
I sort of thought that that's just what I was going to do and
what everyone did. So I sort of knew that I wasn't
going to go down the traditionalpath of getting a, getting the
(14:22):
corporate. Ladder.
I'm in the corporate ladder. Like I knew definitively that
was not for me since I was in high school.
And like entrepreneurship was definitely on my heart.
The ability to create something,create something out of nothing
and sort of live your full potential.
And so that sort of seed and that idea that I wanted to do
(14:45):
that combined with, I was a really creative kid and taught
myself how to do a number of things, including like sewing my
own clothes in high school and then teaching myself how to make
jewelry in university. They kind of came together at
this perfect, like time and place in my life where I was
starting to figure things out inmy early 20s.
And I decided to just try it, tojust launch a business and try
(15:07):
it. And it worked.
And it sort of blew me away, youknow, out of the gate.
And I thought, wow, I love this product and how it makes me
feel. I love what this product can do
for other women and how it can make them feel.
And entrepreneurship. It's it's what I dream of doing.
So I kind of just leaned into itat a time when I knew very
(15:28):
little about what I was getting myself into.
And I kind of think, thank goodness I was naive because
it's been a journey from then towhere I am today.
But I think a big part of success is not about what you
know, it's about like resilienceand being the being the last
person standing through the challenges of ups and downs of
(15:48):
entrepreneurship. So Speaking of challenges
throughout your career, like everyone I know, it was not a
completely smooth, freshly pavedRd.
What have been some of the hardest experiences?
Yeah. I think the hardest things have
(16:10):
been when it's both, it's like personal and business kind of
coming together. And there is definitely like a
moment, you know, over the course of about a year that I
was most, most challenged both personally and, you know,
professionally in in this business.
I was diagnosed with cancer in January of 2020, like just a few
(16:33):
weeks before we found out that, you know, COVID was closing the
whole world down and I was goingto have to shut down all of my
retail stores. And at that point had no idea
what was coming, if the we were going to have to face bankruptcy
or you know, what, what that meant in terms of like revenues,
just kind of like shutting off overnight.
So that was a really challengingtime because, you know, my
(16:55):
number one priority in my life is my family.
And so facing my own mortality when I had two young children
was really scary. And it it caused me to really
reflect on, you know, reflect back on my values of what was
most important in my life, how Iwas running my business and
maybe not always honoring myselfas my top priority in life
(17:16):
through the journey of scaling my business up.
And I look back and I just feel like really grateful for the
lessons that came out of that because it really level set
everything and made it so clear of how I wanted to live my life
going forward. So I really looked at how I was
running my business and how I was spending my time.
We looked at where we were living geographically and
(17:38):
decided to move closer to family, move closer to move into
an environment where was we felta little bit healthier for an
outdoor active lifestyle for a we have now beautiful organic
garden that provides us with food all year round for a
family. And yeah, just kind of like
reassessed my, the intensity of my life in business and found a
(18:02):
way to really find that integration between running a
company and being a mom and a wife and and someone who really
takes care of themselves too. So although that was an
incredibly challenging time, it carved a path for me to make new
choices that I'm so grateful fortoday.
That's such an amazing story. I mean, I I've heard you and
(18:25):
other people talk about the giftof a diagnosis or a tragic
experience like that, but the lessons that are pulled from it
are profound. I apologize for interrupting
this interview, but I am curious, have you ever thought
about going vegan? Maybe you heard someone talking
about it or read an article online, but you're thinking it
(18:49):
sounds way too restrictive, way too extreme, way too boring, not
to mention all those concerns about protein.
I get it. I've been there myself.
And that is why I am in the process of becoming a certified
Vegan Health and Lifestyle Coach.
And during my course time, I am offering free coaching sessions
to people who are in that hesitation phase, contemplating
(19:12):
going forward but definitely wanting help.
That's where I come in. So please go to the show notes
and click the link for free Vegan lifestyle coaching session
and we'll get started. Now let's get back to the show.
And I'm curious with all the shifts that came from that time,
did you ever encounter people who in your life, Friends, other
(19:35):
distant family who weren't supportive or didn't get it?
Didn't you know what is what is this now with you in the garden
or you know, I don't know, like why would you want to do that?
Did you ever, I think people, wemade the decisions pretty
quickly. You know, I was diagnosed in
January, COVID was March, middleof March.
(19:57):
And we decided right away that we're going to reset our lives.
And we sort of my husband and I both had a vision for what that
wanted, what that was going to look like.
And so, you know, made the decision pretty quickly, put up
our house for sale, packed up our stuff and moved.
And I think people were just surprised at how quickly.
But I don't think anyone in my life was surprised that that we
(20:19):
sort of just like prioritized what was most important.
I think anyone that knows me or anyone that works for me knows
my values and how I show up and lead our company from a place of
values 1st. And that to me, again, that
means like my family is my top priority.
And you know what means like leading my company the same way,
ensuring that people come to work and know that they're
(20:40):
supported to also put their family as their top priority.
Because in life, things come up and things happen.
And the bottom line can't be thenumber one thing that drives a
business. It has to be the people first.
That makes I'm sure a lot of listeners think I need to move
to Canada and work for you because that sounds like the
(21:00):
kind of value system I want to experience in the workplace
well. I think to me, that's the that's
the challenge of like a capitalist society and too much
consumerism is it tilts the balance of, of people centric
way of living and a way of running business.
(21:20):
And, and it has shifted too far to capitalism and consumerism
and profit being the bottom line.
And although we've seen the development of a triple bottom
line over the last couple of decades and a lot of companies
realizing that this is the best way to run business, both for
the communities we want to live in and having those feel like
they're healthy, but also the workers that work within our
(21:42):
companies. Because at the end of the day,
people have to show up and feel like they are a part of
something and that they are appreciated and valued and that
their values can really align towhat they're doing.
Otherwise, it's just a job. And and you know, like you can't
really build a culture in my opinion that supports an
incredible, incredible brand, anincredible product.
(22:05):
So it's, you know, it's taken a journey to articulate that, to
get that to the point that it's fully entrenched throughout
Hilberg and Burke and that we fully hire on it.
We performance manage on those values.
And I would say everyone across our business really is a part of
it, both in how they show up andthey believe in it.
And now we can be really critical about who we bring into
(22:27):
the business knowing that we're just bringing on, you know, the
people with the biggest sparkle factor and people who align to
our values within HB. Isn't that perfect?
Sparkle factor? What is sparkle factor?
I mean, not that you said it to mean anything bigger, but I'm
just going to pull those words from you.
What does it mean for someone tohave sparkle factor?
(22:48):
How do you? How?
Do you judge that? What is that?
I guess if I was to put it in like simple terms, it's someone
that like wants to leave the world better than what they
found it. Someone who is community minded,
someone who has a strong rootingand a value system and wants to
bring that to their work and their work life integration.
(23:08):
And someone who wants to be a part of a company that's about
so much more than just creating beautiful product, but creating
a legacy, a difference. And you know, I'm, I'm
passionate about how can we use our brand as a tool to make a
difference in the community. I think the people who come into
H&B have that same passion. So that that is, you know, in in
(23:28):
a simple form that's sparkle factor.
That's so great and I do, I do know this about you because I've
gone down the rabbit hole, but one of the things that drew me
to you was the community minded aspect of you and your brand.
Can you share some of your? Favorite.
(23:49):
I don't even. Want to say philanthropic
because I feel like that's a boxthat people check and I don't
like that. But the fact that it's so part
of your soul, what, what kinds of initiatives are you drawn to?
Yeah. So we are really focused on the
(24:10):
empowerment of women, specifically the economic
empowerment of women because quite often that is the factor
that sort of holds women back from being able to set up the
life that they want, leave challenging relationships,
really be able to make a difference themselves and their
families and their communities. So we work really closely with
an organization that I am deeplypassionate about and and
(24:33):
actually sit on the board of theFoundation in Canada.
It's a global organization, including having a ton of
chapters in the US and it's called Dress for Success.
And it is about so much more than just providing the women
with a new like wardrobe, a new outfit.
That's a big part of what they do.
But that's just the first step in giving them a community,
(24:57):
tools, confidence, you know, just really a team behind them
that says you can do this, you can take this first step and you
can, you know, like take this first step to financial
independence. And so all of the women that go
through that program in Canada, and it was about 8000 last year,
get Hilbert and Burke Jewelry atthe end of their suiting
(25:17):
program. And just kind of a little
memento to say like, you've got this.
And I'm passionate about that because so many of those women
go on to change their life and not just their own life, but
their family's life and really take back their financial
independence. And to me, that's like such an
important part of women being able to live their their best
lives for whatever that means for them.
(25:38):
Yeah. It's so huge.
I mean, so many. I was just talking about this
with someone yesterday. As far as I know, your kids are
probably a little younger than this, but with the college
application process, there's always the talk of community
service and what, what did kids do, how many hours and have they
(26:01):
done community service in order to apply for college?
And I just find that, I mean, I'll say it here, it's my show.
I can say what I want, but I find that despicable, like to,
to do good in the community for the sake of bettering your own
circumstances. I, I just don't care for that.
I think you do for other reasons.
And there's a billion other reasons outside of ourselves.
(26:25):
So I love that you are just so involved in something that's
making. A.
Powerful impact, I love that. I think like, and I think
everyone can find something thatthing that they're passionate
about, even if you feel like maybe it's not completely like
obvious to you now. And, you know, I think
especially for entrepreneurs, like entrepreneurship can become
(26:46):
disillusioning because it's can be a lot more challenging than
it is rewarding feeling. And I sort of like, I think I
just had, you know, this understanding when I was
starting Hilberg and Burke that,you know, the money was never
going to be what gave me any kind of satisfaction.
I was never going to be any happier in my life with any more
(27:07):
money That to me it was, it was going to have to be like I was
actually doing something with the hard work that I and my team
are putting in every day that wewere actually doing something
more valuable than just creatingan economic impact.
And it's really cool that we employ 200 people and, you know,
they're creating their livelihood through Hilbert and
Burke. That is amazing.
(27:28):
But what's even more cool is thefact that we're able to do
things like, you know, give to the women who are going through
the Dress for Success program and impact many other
organizations across the countryas a result of the work that
we're doing, you know, really leaving, leaving an impact.
What? Is it about a piece of jewelry
that is so exciting and and uplifting to a woman?
(27:53):
What is that? Yeah, I, I don't know, you know,
and I think I discovered it. I didn't have any nice jewelry
until I was until I was really starting to make it for myself.
And I remember beginning to makethings with nicer elements like
sterling silver and semi precious gemstones.
And I made this like first necklace out of supplies I had
(28:15):
gone and purchased from this beautiful jewelry supply store.
And I spent more money than I was sort of expecting to spend
at that time again, you know, like hadn't really ever had
anything quite like that. I made this piece of jewelry and
I put it on and I just, it changed the way that I felt, you
know, I felt like just like a more confident version of
myself. I felt more like myself.
And that was a bit of an addicting feeling.
(28:37):
And I thought, gosh, if I feel like this and it, it makes such
an impact for me, I wonder if that will also be the case with
other women. And, and I saw that right away
as I launched the my first collection and I saw how women's
light eyes lit up when they picked up a piece and put it on.
And it really just, it changed, you know, a little bit how they
felt about themselves and, you know, whether that's a piece of
(28:59):
jewelry or a lipstick shade or aoutfit that just fits you
perfectly. I think having those things and
an investing in those things. And again, I think for me
personally, it's about having high quality things that I know
are going to last. It's really important to have
those in your wardrobe. And I, I always like hope and
believe that women feel that they can treat themselves to
(29:20):
those things because it's sort of it's one of the tools that
you have as you go out and navigate your life and navigate
your own independence. You know, you need to have
whatever it is that makes you feel good.
You know, I, I hope that women can find those things and I
don't think it always has to be material things, you know, But
(29:40):
for whatever reason, nice jewelry struck A chord with me
and has remained the same ever since.
Yep, you and so many others. Now, I've talked to a couple
other women in this series aboutclothing and the question of
(30:01):
capsule wardrobe and certain pieces that every woman should
and, and we debated about it. So it, it wasn't a clear answer.
But I mean, obviously you can godown that that ridiculous abyss
on Google as far as the pros andcons of a capsule wardrobe and
what items every woman should have in their closet when it
(30:24):
comes to jewelry. What's your take on that?
Do you think every woman should have a pair of diamond studs, a
Pearl necklace? You know, what's your take?
Because there are light clothes so many in and out trends.
And my last guest did say something about there's no such
(30:47):
thing as a trend. It's just marketing and and
selling practices. But when we see the gobs of gold
chains layered and you know, these trends that I perceive as
trends, as current fashion statements, what's your take?
Do you think that there are jewelry pieces everyone should
(31:10):
have or just you do you? So I am 100% about individual
expression. And the thing that has always
made me cringe is trends where everybody looks the same and
this feeling that you have to somehow buy that piece this
season and that piece next season and fit into a certain
like trendy mold that everyone else looks like.
(31:33):
To me, that's like the opposite of what we should be doing.
Like fashion is about self-expression and authentic
self-expression, so our whole collection is about how can we
create pieces that help people really express their
individuality. And that being said, I also
think that in my own life, I have really struggled with the
(31:55):
time I have spent on fashion andbeauty in my own life as a
result of of messages that I wasprogrammed with growing up about
how I needed to look and what was professional and what was
expected. And I love to see my daughter
buy into none of that at all. But, you know, it's really
programmed in my brain since I was probably 4.
(32:17):
So I like to think about how canI like hack things as simply as
possible. And you know, one of the ways
I've thought about my fashion collection, obviously I have a
wide, wide assortment of jewelryand love to be able to like,
pick and choose something, a newlook every single day.
But I think about fashion as when I find something I like, I
want to buy that outfit in two colors.
(32:38):
And I want to buy five of them. Because when I'm getting up in
the morning, I do not want to put any mental energy into my
outfit any more than I have to because I know I'm going to need
that mental energy for running my company and for my family.
And so I have tried to think about, yes, building a wardrobe,
but not based on what someone says it needs to be or these
specific pieces. And I really believe that each
(33:01):
of us has to build it ourselves based on what we feel good in.
And we all feel good in different things.
So I really don't think that there's rules around what you
should build. Maybe that's helpful for some
people because it could be overwhelming to get started.
But to me, it's about like figuring out what you really
feel most confident in and then just buying five of those.
You know, like if you can find 10 things that you feel good in
(33:24):
and you have 5 of each of those,you've got your wardrobe.
And every day when you get up, you don't have to think about it
too much. You can just put something on
and you feel good and you feel comfortable and that makes a big
difference in your day-to-day. That's so it's like the Steve
Jobs mentality. Just totally, yeah, I'll take
that turtleneck and I'll take five of them.
Yep. Exactly.
Yeah. And for me, it's it's not it's
(33:45):
nothing boring. You know, I've got some pretty
fabulous clothes. But when I find a brand that
fits me, where I find a silhouette that I like, I will
like not think about it too much.
And, you know, just like I'll get four of those to make sure
that I just like, have that outfit now for the next five
years. And I'm never concerned about
like outfit repeating. I want to buy high quality
(34:06):
things that are made well and that they're going to last.
And if I wear that outfit every day on every Monday, then so be
it. You know, and if someone's
judging me because I'm repeatingan outfit, that's their problem,
not mine. I want to plaster that on a
billboard and have everyone see it cuz that is it's.
(34:26):
So funny, like this conversation, I was just having
this conversation around the dinner table with a bunch of
women this week at an event thatI was at.
And yeah, it's, it's sad how much of our brain capacity for
many people it occupies. Worrying about what people are
going to think or worrying aboutjudgement or worrying about is
appropriate. Yeah, if there's one thing I
(34:48):
could just erase from women's brains, it would be that that
worry. Sorry to interrupt this
incredible interview, but I haveto tell you guys about vegan
lifestyle coaching. Veganism is my passion.
Yes, you've heard me say that, but so is health and helping
people feel their best. We have become so complacent and
tolerant of feeling crappy that it's mind blowing.
(35:12):
And we have also accepted that we are all going to grow old and
get sick. That mentality has to stop
because it's not true. It doesn't have to be the
inevitable course, whether you've strongly thought about
going vegan or it's just kind ofcome up in passing, doesn't
matter. I would love the opportunity to
get on a call with you to hear what's stopping you from going
(35:35):
all the way and see if we can strategize together because this
really is the healthiest, most joy filled, abundant way of
eating and living. So be sure to check the show
notes and you'll see a link to book this free call.
Share it with your friends. And now let's get back to the
episode. Right.
So how does someone erase that from their thinking and also
(35:58):
scroll social media? You know, I think social media
is a very dangerous place and I think that for myself, I try to
be very careful about what I consume.
I think what you consume, the people you spend your time with
is ultimately how you end up looking at yourself and thinking
about yourself and what you become.
(36:20):
So I think like who you follow is very important And just, I
just think like limiting social media time is pretty critical
for overall mental well-being and, and well-being in general.
I mean, it's hard. It's a tool that's like
incredibly addictive and it's designed to be addictive.
So I like, you know, I utilize apps like Opal because I have to
(36:41):
be on social media for part of what I do, but I, I utilize apps
like Opal that just like close it down and don't let me access
it to reduce the temptation. So I think you got to figure out
whatever works for you. But I think social media is a
really dangerous place because it leads you down a path of like
worrying about judgement, right?And a moment you spend worrying
about judgement is a moment thatyou are taking away from
(37:03):
something great you could be thinking about or dreaming
about. Yeah so true.
I just recently went through my Instagram and knocked off about,
I don't know, 70% of the accounts that I was following.
And who knows, maybe they'll they'll figure it out and
backlash and unfollow me as well.
(37:24):
And I'm OK with that. But I felt like my feed, even
though I was intentionally curating it, it still was I, you
know, people change the direction of what they're
posting. So that one who was originally
posting spiritual messages and tarot cards, now all of a sudden
it's outfit of the day. And I don't want to see that
(37:46):
necessarily. I want to see more of the tarot
cards and you know, fluffy lambsand things like that.
And so I I have completely axed a good amount of the accounts I
was following to present my mental.
I think that, you know, like kind of continual auditing of
(38:06):
what it is you're consuming again, whether it's through
social media or your friend circle or anything but words you
sit on, you know, that continualauditing of does this align with
my values? Does this support me feeling
good about myself? If it doesn't, just be ruthless
about cutting out because there's just not enough time to
deal with that. That is the thing that is the
(38:27):
message right there that I feel is missing from so many people's
consciousness is. The regular audit.
Yeah. I love that.
So were there things over time, whether it was from your illness
or COVID or just growth that youhave determined no more?
(38:52):
Definitely. I mean, I think I am the type of
person that also likes to reallygive get like if I'm thinking
about sort of like maybe personal relationships, give
people really a chance and believe in the best part of
people, you know, which may be it pre cancer, I, I let too
(39:12):
much, you know, into my life. That was definitely a moment
where it shifted and I became less tolerant for again,
unhealthy interactions again, because you know, it just, you
want to just you know, your energy is so important.
It you know, the, and everythingyou consume, whether it's just
conversation, social media, the people you work with, my
(39:33):
employees, everything impacts how I feel and everything takes
a little tiny bit of energy. So selfishly, I just want to be
surrounded by people that I likeare good humans are values
aligned and I've become the older I get, the more I become
really ruthless about ensuring that happens.
I. Love that message.
I'd love that message for the listeners.
(39:54):
So everybody please go back and listen to the last couple
minutes again because that one needs to be repeated.
I, I think a lot of women, especially at this 40s plus age
get to, I don't know if there's a guilt factor or a discomfort.
(40:14):
I mean there's, there are the people that are like, this is my
life and I'm going to live it and I don't have time for BS.
But then there's a lot of peoplewho are just.
Stuck in the safety of the status quo and don't advocate
for their needs or don't feel like they have permission to do
the audit. Well, in order to do that, it
(40:37):
requires you to look inside and to begin confronting things,
confronting patterns. And it makes it also challenges
you to get really uncomfortable.You know, first because you have
to dig through things and ask why.
Why am I like allowing someone to make me feel bad?
Why am I wasting my time on social media like looking at
(41:00):
things that make me feel bad about myself?
Why am I not prioritizing myselfand the things that need to make
me feel good about myself as my top priority?
Because if you don't, if you were not feeling well, you can't
be the best for everyone around you.
But has to start with yourself. And sometimes going in and
asking those questions and starting to unpack that is
(41:21):
painful, but it is the first step.
I know that's what our our friend Jody likes to say that go
in, go out and repeat go in, go out.
It is uncomfortable and I have done a lot of that trimming in
my life since COVID because I just.
(41:42):
I don't have the mental and emotional bandwidth for it.
You don't owe anyone anything. You know, at the end of the day,
I think, you know, I feel like I'll look back and regret time I
wasted on, you know, worrying about things or spending time
with people who really, again, didn't align with my values in
life. And so I try to keep that in
(42:02):
mind as I go through my day-to-day.
Yeah. So I mean, just to to lighten
this up, do you have a favorite piece of jewelry?
I would say, like, hard to pick a favorite.
It's like, how do you pick a favorite child?
Yeah, I'm always really excited about what's coming next, but I
(42:23):
think that I definitely have like a sort of favorite
experience of designing a piece of jewelry.
We were incredibly fortunate to have been commissioned to design
a piece of jewelry for Queen Elizabeth the Second when she
was still alive. And that experience was so
fascinating. And then that piece was designed
and presented to her, and she went on to wear it so many
(42:45):
times. And then that resulted in a
second opportunity to make another piece.
Those experiences making a pieceof jewelry for someone like that
was so fascinating, from the history of royal jewelry to, you
know, taking inspiration and figuring out how we were going
to create a piece of jewelry forsomeone with a jewelry
collection like she has. And I don't know what.
(43:07):
You're talking about. Is this going to, is this going
to speak to her? And it will, Will she like it?
Will she wear it? That was a fascinating journey
and such an incredible experience.
What was it? So we created 2 pieces.
The first piece was a Commissionfrom the Lieutenant Governor of
Saskatchewan. So that's like the
representative in the province of the Queen and they were going
(43:30):
to, she was going to meet with her for the first time and
wanted to present a gift on behalf of, you know, the
province and obviously wanted toSaskatchewan based company to be
able to make that gift. And she really wanted like the
reason she chose Hilberg and Burke was because of our social
impact work and the things that we were doing specifically for
women. She really wanted to share that
(43:51):
message when she presented that piece.
So the first piece we designed, we made this beautiful
asymmetric floral brooch. We chose a flower because it's
both like soft and strong and such a, you know, like a
representation of resilience. And it was the first piece was
unlike anything like she has ever worn or has in her
(44:13):
collection. It was a bit of a fashion risk
in terms of creating like that sort of like very different
piece. And honestly, I wasn't sure that
she would wear it. It was very Hilberger Burke and
true to like our design aesthetic and what we make every
day and what we see our customers and every day.
And I was like, I really want tostay true to who we are and not
(44:35):
make something that's totally different than what we design
every day. And something about that piece,
I think really spoke to her because she went on to wear it
so many times. We kind of joked internally that
she must keep it on her night stand because she just kept
getting photographed in it over and over again.
And what we, what he learned throughout the process was
although her wardrobe was alwaysmade for her for the special
occasion months in advance and that was always pre planned, the
(44:59):
jewelry was brought to her and she was, she personally selected
what pieces she was going to wear for every occasion.
So it was pretty special knowingthat she continued to choose
that piece over and over again. That's wild.
It was a pretty wild experience.That is a really good story to
be able to tell generations to come.
(45:19):
That's so good. That's so good.
I love that. So I told you, I live in the
Northeast US. What's the closest store to me?
The closest store to you right now is it's probably like our
online store. You could come up to Toronto.
We're rapidly expanding our footprint in Toronto.
(45:39):
So we have a store opening in just outside of the GTA in
Hamilton. We have one in Newmarket in
Toronto. But if you're in the US, our web
store is incredible. It's fast shipping, we ship the
same day. We have an incredibly incredible
customer care team and that's probably the simplest way to for
you to shop unless you're comingup to Canada.
Right. OK, so Toronto that's maybe
(46:00):
it'll. Be stores in the US in the
future. Yeah, yeah, I'll keep my fingers
crossed, but Toronto's a good destination, especially since
they have a tennis tournament every summer, so.
Yeah, come on up. We have.
We're opening three more stores.So we'll have 5 stores in
Toronto in the next year? That's insane.
Wow, congratulations. Thank you.
(46:23):
All right, so please, on that note, tell everybody where to
find this gorgeous collection. Yeah, So Simplest is just online
at Hilberg and burke.com. All right, and your social
media? Is.
Actually quite lovely. I mean it.
It is fun to see your conversations and you know, kind
(46:45):
of the behind the scenes at the company.
It's good stuff. Totally.
I mean, I think it's always interesting to see the people
behind the business. And as I mentioned before, we
have some pretty like incrediblepeople in our business.
So, you know, we like to try andfeature our own team as much as
we can and tell a little bit of our story of what we're
passionate about the, you know, both from the design and product
(47:06):
side to the purpose side of our business too.
So you can get a little flavor of that through our social media
for sure. Yeah, it's so great.
All right, well, before I let you go, Rachel, I want to invite
you to raise your glass so that we can say we have matching
glasses. We can say cheers to be ruthless
(47:26):
about your energy and prioritizeyourself first.
Absolutely cheers to that. Cheers, I am so grateful to you
for coming on and sharing your story, pieces of yourself, your
mission, and your thoughts aboutjewelry and fashion because this
(47:47):
was so fun. It's been my pleasure.
Thanks so much for inviting me, Jenny.
How great was that? And if you were watching this
episode on YouTube or Spotify, then you saw how gorgeous this
woman is and how phenomenal her outfit is.
Just perfect for a conversation about fashion and beauty.
(48:07):
Now let's get into Rachel Milkie's Notes from the
Sidelines. Number one, social media.
Promote what you don't have. We know this, right?
Get clear on your value system so you're less impressionable on
what's missing #2A big part of success is not what you know,
but resilience. Being the last person standing
(48:31):
when things are really hard #3 bottom line, cannot drive a
business. It's people first.
Number four, Rachel talks about the sparkle factor.
What is it? It's wanting to leave the world
better. It's being community minded,
having strong values #5 fashion is about authentic
(48:53):
self-expression. Number six, women need to stop
worrying about being judged by others.
It's OK to repeat an outfit. That one was so good #7 what you
consume and who you spend time with is ultimately how you look
at yourself and who you become. So we've heard this before, the
idea of the five people you spend the most time with, but
(49:16):
it's also all the other stuff you're taking in on a regular
basis, which leads to number 8INconclusion, it's important to do
continual auditing, asking yourself if the things in your
life, whether it's clothes or people or anything else, does
this align and support me feeling good about myself?
(49:38):
Be less tolerant of unhealthy interactions.
And to do that kind of audit requires looking inward at your
patterns. Like Doctor Jody Carrington
said, go in, go out, go in, go out.
So I'm very grateful to. Rachel for this episode, and I
will also link my conversation with Doctor Jody in the show
(49:59):
notes. I want to remind you about the
link in the show notes to book afree coaching session with me.
No pressure, commitment, or expectations, just a
conversation. If you are curious about how you
can look and feel better, Rachelcan certainly help you look
better when it comes to your jewelry, but I want to help you
(50:19):
look and feel better in health and Wellness.
So if you think things are just not optimal, which is pretty
much everybody, let's be honest,then book this recall with me
and let's just talk about it. It's a no judgment call.
I just want to see women out there living, operating, doing,
(50:40):
experiencing in the best way possible.
And from my conversations with people on a daily basis, it's
not happening right now. So whether it's your nutrition
choices, lack of movement, too much stress, not enough sleep,
negative thought patterns, it all contributes to feeling
crappy and staying stuck in thatcycle, believing that that's
(51:02):
just the way life is, especiallyas we grow older.
So I want to just knock that on its side for you and show you
what might be available with some little tweaks.
So again, that link is in the show notes.
I thank you for listening. I hope you're excited about
Rebrand and please join me next week for my final interview in
(51:23):
this fascinating series about fashion, beauty and style.
I will be interviewing the beautiful and big hearted Ginger
Burr. She is an image consultant,
personal stylist and so value driven.
So I hope you show up at that one next week.
And please tell your friends about this podcast.
(51:46):
Tell them to follow or subscribenow and then they'll be here in
time for the rebrand. Have a great week.
Cheers to you.
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