Today we’d like to introduce you to Cat Canada.
Cat, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up with the understanding that other women are friends, not competition. It was a lesson ingrained in me from my mom and one that I am so grateful to have learned. As an athlete my whole life, I also understand what it means to wholly rely on and trust women and not only show up to my highest ability for them but to know we all have each other’s best interest at heart.
So working and designing a collective space that brings women together, removes the antiquated notion that women are enemies, and shares the stories of powerful, passionate and intelligent women in the San Diego community really seems like a no-brainer for me. And San Diego – and arguably the whole country – is seeking and embracing this type of female-centric connection. Though challenging in its own ways, it’s a very exciting time to be a woman.
It was in the uncharted social and political times of February 2017 that I found myself confused and searching for a connection with other women. I discovered, with very little effort, that I was not alone. There were tons of other women looking for comfort, community and a little bit of hope. After attending some different meetups and gatherings, my friends started noticing that I was seemingly always privy to what events were happening around town. So with a little nudge – got to love good girlfriend boosting you up – I launched Ladies Aloud (at the time, called GRL GNG Local – we recently re-branded!). It was originally just created as a curated calendar of all the other incredible female-focused events and groups around San Diego to help amplify their voices and shine the spotlight on them
And since, it has grown and evolved in a beautifully organic way. Like I mentioned, we have recently undergone a re-brand with a more sustainable focus, both as a female movement and also a community. We are dedicated to conscious living through a female lens hosting our own events now and sharing interviews and articles talking all things related to the female experience. The original goal of amplifying other women is still at the heart of everything we do.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t been completely smooth, but a little turbulence keeps you honest, right? I have learned more about myself than anything, though the value of a good web developer is real. What I have learned the most in the past year and what I want to pass along is: Be true to you and learn to simplify.
As a creative, I have big dreams and then an onslaught of overwhelmed paralysis. After lots of failed projects, I have learned to tackle one thing at a time and to release myself from expectations. Sure there may be little edits to the website or minor mistakes that only I see, but it can’t be what stops me from launching, posting, doing! It’s a journey not too dissimilar from self-love; we will always see our flaws, we will always stare at our face inches from the mirror, but no one else sees what you’re talking about. You are perfectly you, so embrace it, quirks and all!
For me, this manifested in the re-brand. There are so many incredible women websites and groups out there now, and honestly, the more the better! But I found myself repeating their appearance, using similar language and just trying to fall in line with the overall look and feel of those brands who were already killing it in the space. It always felt a little disconnected for me – I’m not all millennial pink and rosé, though those are great in their own way. And as soon as I was honest with what I was really about both in aesthetic and content, the floodgates really opened.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Ladies Aloud story. Tell us more about the business.
Ladies Aloud is a collective voice where everyone is allowed – it’s a budding online community built for women to share, write, connect and feel heard. We have a focus on conscious living, from sustainable fashion to clean beauty, and aim to inspire women to collaborate. I don’t think we are set apart from any other collective – we are trying to bring everyone together. Truly, we want more women from across the city to seek female connection and if that is through LAdies Aloud, then fantastic, but if it’s through Boss Babe Brunch Club or the Dames Collective or Lady Killas, then that’s amazing too!
We recently hosted our first two events – Women & Sustainable Fashion and Talking Dirty with Clean Beauty. The events were humbling, to say the least. The level of enthusiasm, engagement and vulnerability that every single woman in attendance brought to the event was palpable and infectious. Both events sold out a week or so ahead of time, so I am inspired and motivated to offer more events that can host even more women.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
This is advice that I practice every day and share with friends all the time: You only need a moment of courage to do it. Whatever that ‘it’ is for you, the ball starts rolling as soon as you knock on the door or hit send on that email, and it is only for that single moment you need some extra courage. After that, it will show up, the words will come and your next adventure will be in motion.
It is with that advice that I cold email women who I think are rad… all the time. I constantly seek connection and new relationships. The response is most often hugely positive, sometimes there’s nothing in return but that’s okay too. I still did it, I still put myself out there. And the connections that are made are always worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://ladiesaloud.co/
- Email: cat@ladiesaloud.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladiesaloud/
Image Credit:
Katie Gardner Photography, Vocabulary Boutique, Eyes To Stars
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
