Building a Great Influencer Program

This summer I went to Vancouver to meet with the Canadian team of Telus Advocates. I’ve shared my love for Telus over the years but this experience was truly amazing. They flew in content creators from across the country to visit their Vancouver office, tour Telus Garden, create, eat, explore, and build relationships. I’ve worked with heaps of brands but I truly admire the influencer program Telus has built over the years. Ok yes, I am a little bias because I chatted with the team before they created the program and shared my likes, dislikes, and brand experiences. They have set the bar high for what it means to work with a telecom company or a big brand. The experience (as an influencer) is tailored to each person’s style of content and audience. This kind of influencer marketing service is bound to provide a great product for their clients too, as they clearly value quality and retention. In this post, I’m sharing a few of my tips for creating a great influencer program with Telus as my example. Build Relationships The thing about being an influencer is that you’re usually sharing your real life, so when you work with a brand, it means authentically integrating their content into your own experience. You have to get to know each other in order to learn what works and create opportunities that mutually benefit the relationship. It’s cool when you work well together and even cooler when it becomes a friendship. I’ve worked with Telus for about 8 years now and we’re colleagues but also friends. I can text with jokes, links, or that odd time on the weekend when I broke break my phone. (Sorry!) Since we’ve built a good working relationship, we all reach out whenever something cool comes up like…

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I’m Internet, but I’m Human Too

Do you ever just feel like you need a break? To run away. Get on a plane. Be alone. Put away your phone. Take flight and be free. I don’t know exactly why but today I feel frustrated. There are lots of things to feel great about but with a few roadblocks, no amount of meditation, water or walking is going to save me right now. I want to curl up with my computer on a patio of a villa somewhere far away, alone. I’ve got things I want to write and I feel like I need a secluded place away from everyone and everything. Life is full of distractions and no matter where I go, they’re all around. Maybe I should turn off wifi. I’m doing a wellness retreat this afternoon and in the middle of planning a trip with Aeroplan. Maybe I have travel jitters and I just want to leave now? Please remember that no matter how many smiling selfies, cute couple photos, designer dresses, great skin, and clean houses, nothing is that perfect in real life. We all have our struggles, battles, and have no idea what we are doing. But we’re doing it. I had no idea what I was doing when I started my blog and stuck at it. I was addicted to documenting, I love writing, smiling photos. Most of my blog posts aren’t even about anything other than how I’m feeling or where I’m going, but we all feel things and go places. Writing it down helps me deal with everything, it’s great therapy. I’m gonna go for that walk now. I think it might actually help.  P.S. When I opened up Twitter before leaving my computer for the aforementioned walk, this Tweet was waiting for me. Good read. I relate to this ‘smiling depression’ quite a bit. Hiding…

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Crawl into your creative cave and come out a butterfly.

I was so looking forward to being in the city this weekend. We’ve been away for almost every weekend since March! I got a few things done around the house and took some good time to fully relax. It feels great! We all need days like this. After watching The Wedding on Saturday at Windsor Arms, I came home, changed into sweatpants, sat on my bed, opened my computer, and set up my iPad. It was the perfect day to chill. Tbh, I love sitting at home, quietly, on the couch or in my bed. I’ve got a great little setup using a small table I made last year. I originally found it on Etsy but was crazy expensive on Etsy so I made it myself! It’s great it for sitting or working in bed, and as a footrest at the desk. For my mouse, I use a book or a marble board I got at The Drake General Store. Another thing I use in my ‘bed office’ is this iPad holder from Umbra. I shared it in a gift guide video a couple years back (video). It’s $20 at Umbra but sold out and $35 on Amazon. ? The rest of the weekend I watched  The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Video (good show!) and caught up on the Y&R. Drove to the beach with Sean. Hung out with some friends in Trinity Bellwoods. Did some fireworks, played with sparklers. It was the perfect city weekend! This week I’m in Vancouver with #TeamTelus.  I can’t wait! We’ve got 2 days of activities with the Canada-wide Telus influencer gang. Most of us are staying at the beautiful Westin Bayshore, the view looks amazing. My flight is super early so I arrive with plenty of time to explore before we all meet up for dinner. As usual, I’m leaving packing to…

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Balance + Books + Blogs

Sean and I had a really romantic weekend, we cleaned house and went to the dump about 4 times. To be honest, chucking furniture into a huge bin is exhilarating. We managed to move a massive fridge then, on the way it fell off the trailer, it was so mashed up! Also kinda satisfying seeing it so mangled! haha ? We got it back on the truck with no fuss and Sean moved another fridge later in the day. This spring we’ve been up here quite a bit. It’s been nice. Though, unless you have a cottage or something like it, you won’t know how much work it is. We’ve been husting every weekend since we opened this place in March. This weekend I managed to carve out time to finish a book I picked up Friday. [Sister of Mine, it was good! Toronto based author, Ryerson Professor] Check this out, the author and I chatted on Twitter. Love reaching out after a read a good book to thank the author, even cooler when they reply! Over the last little while, I’ve been working on a thing that’s really exciting and I can’t wait to share with the world. I think it’s important to have something not everybody knows, a secret project, a magic motivation to focus on. If you tell everyone everything, you have no surprises! This week I’m also working on blogging more. I often chat with people who have blogs and they set really high goals and rules for themselves, then, beat themselves up when they don’t blog every day or publish as much as they imagined. Don’t do that! Write when you feel like writing, if it’s your own blog and you’re your own boss, be a good boss to yourself!  A blog is your creative expression, it’s always there for…

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Creativity: It’s Always There, You Just Have to Find It

I haven’t written much in the last week. I’ve been busy but I’ve also been tired/lazy. Last week I directed a commercial, went to a conference, and had a press trip. It was non-stop go-go-go and although I relaxed over the weekend, come Monday I felt drained. I love my work and what I do but I am much more of a homebody and introvert than you might realize. I love staying home! Being a blogger (writer) means you spend a lot of time at home on your computer.  I’m listening to the Call Me By Your Name Soundtrack, did you see that movie? It’s beautiful. I saw it on one of the flights I’ve taken since January. By the end of February, I’d seen almost every new movie on Air Canada. I was happy to see this one pop up, it’s good. After coming back from New Zealand I was pretty relaxed and ready to start 2018 business. But now, I can’t believe it’s April and I feel like the last two months have been a blur. I was super sick for half of February then I had a week in Vancouver, a week in San Francisco, a couple weekends at the cottage, and few days in Ottawa (Gatineau). Where did the time go?! This weekend we are heading up to the cottage and I can’t wait. Before we head north, I’m attending a creativity workshop with FITC. I’m hoping for an electric charge that inspires me to make things. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine, feeling tired but your creativity is always there, you just have to find it. I’m a very creative person but I go through waves of stopping and starting, staring at my computer, into hour-long blackholes of scrolling FB or IG. It’s easy to get caught…

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Encouraging Women in Tech w/ Ladies Learning Code + Booking.com

Last week I attended a Women in Tech Panel hosted by Booking.com to kick of March which includes International Women’s Day. It was nice to see some of my fav ladies and be inspired by powerful women on the panel. The panel included: Melissa Sariffodeen, CEO & Co-founder of Canada Learning Code; Helen Papagiannis, Ph.D, a world-leading expert in the field of Augmented Reality; Huda Idrees, the founder and CEO of Dot Health; and Ioana Popa, Strategy Manager at Booking.com. It was refreshing to hear their stories of creating new things, fighting stereotypes, and career struggles. “Surround yourself with good people, be confident, and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.” Closing advice from an excellent #womenintech panel #BookingFEMpowers @bookingcom pic.twitter.com/lqnjjFEqDY — Women of Influence (@WomenOfInflnce) March 1, 2018 This year, Booking.com is honouring International Women’s Day with a month-long series of events in partnership with Canada Learning Code. I’m quite familiar with Canada Learning Code, it was Ladies Learning Code was founded by some awesome Toronto Women. Since 2011, LLC has had over 17,500 participants and held over 600 events. The organization is dedicated to ensuring all Canadians – particularly woman and girls – are given equal opportunity to access education in tech, a field still mostly run by men. Yes, ladies!  March Workshop w/ Ladies Learning Code Booking.com has a two-part Ladies Learning Code workshop on March 21st and 28th. For $65, you’ll learn basic coding skills and build your own website in a positive and encouraging environment. It’s totally a-ok if you aren’t a code whiz, this workshop is perfect for beginners. There’s more! Everyone who takes part in the workshop is has a chance to win a $500 Booking.com travel credit which can be used at any of the 1.6 million properties available on the site. PLUS, you’ll receive a professional one-hour mentorship…

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Spring is a Feeling

We’re under a deep cold alert but I can’t help the spring feeling in my heart. Next week I’m in Vancouver and then SF in 2 weeks. I’ve got a few projects blooming and seeds I’ve planted are starting to sprout. I was at the office today and interviewed by a documentary filmmaker in Germany. Last night we watched skating and Canada won GOLD in the team figure skating. It was glorious. Tessa & Scott are truly incredible. They danced across the ice with such delicate precision and passion. I seriously don’t know how they are not dating. One of my fav moments was That was for the haters. #Olympics pic.twitter.com/ZcqFaLoyQn — Michael Yerxa (@mikeyerxa) February 12, 2018 This was a great interview. ??⛸ #Olympics https://t.co/vfQVyfhyC5 — CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) February 12, 2018 Read this article today with a short feature on Shelagh McLeod, the director of the movie I was in a little while ago. This is the article! https://t.co/1u433RTFkh — CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) February 12, 2018 The feature photo for this post is from the Flora collection by Angela Deane. I love them. Thanks Epiphany for sharing today! ‘Flora’ by Angela Deane https://t.co/w9Dkg5TnrQ pic.twitter.com/S11jQsA5HI — ❣️ΣPIPHΛПY (@eexplores) February 12, 2018 Sending sunshine through the internet to the very screen you are looking at right now. These ? are for you. Fluoxetine no prescription buy Plavix online buy Pepcid no prescription buy soft Viagra online

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A Super Good Time Celebrating Mexico w/ Jarritos!

It was the day after Halloween, I’d been working from home, did some work, and took a nap. When I woke up I was in a hungry daze. Checked my calendar and I was so glad so glad to see this dinner because I love Mexican food and Marian invited me + I was really hoping we’d get to sit together.  On the Eve of Dia de los Muertos and I hung out with a bunch of bloggers and  Jarritos Canada eating Mexican food. The night was full of laughs and a delicious menu all washed down with Jarritos. My favourite flavours are grapefruit and mango for the record. WATCH THE VIDEO Here’s a #SuperGood throwback to a night of tequila & tacos with Toronto friends, celebrating #DayOfTheDead at @La_Carnita! pic.twitter.com/lXJDJaPCVw — Jarritos Canada (@JarritosCanada) November 9, 2017   Shoutout to their photog Josh for the photos.↓ In this one,  I’d already posted something on my IG story and someone said “do that again” so I’m laughing here because I’m watching my own IG story haha.  The menu was prepared by La Carnita. We started with 3 dips and chips including amazing guacamole, corn salsa, and spicy bean dip. Next, we had spicy Scorpion wings and Mexican Street Corn. I really wanted to eat the corn but it was a bit too messy for my liking so I passed and moved right onto the tacos. I really love dinners like this that bring together a bunch of people from different backgrounds. I don’t usually get invited to that many ‘foodie’ specific things so always fun to make new friends. We finished off the meal with Paleta, one of their signature items, similar to a popsicle that cleans the palette. I am getting hungry as I write this.  Thank you Jarritos Canada + Branding & Buzzing for the invite. So…

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Celebrating the Power & Promise of Women! #Whatifwomen

#WhatIfWomen is a fundraising event for War Child, an organization that helps children in war-affected communities get back their childhood by giving them access to education and opportunity. On Monday I’m excited to celebrate The Power and Promise of Women with War Child Canada. You can get a ticket here.  Growing up, my mum really instilled in me that I could do anything and be anyone I wanted when I got older. It wasn’t easy and there were struggles but nothing like growing up in a war-torn country like Sudan or Iraq. For the past couple weeks, I’ve been working with the War Child team to join a group of incredibly inspiring women in this campaign. When they approached me about volunteering it was around the day when all the ‘Me too’ posts hit the internet and I nearly broke down talking about how important it is for women to support other women and girls. THOUGHTS ON MY MIND… What if women were given the same work opportunities as men? What if women had the courage to speak up without consequence? What if women had equal pay? What if women had equal access to education? What if women were given the chance to lead? What if women didn’t have to be scared of walking alone at night?  What if women grew up knowing they can achieve anything they want?  #WhatIfWomen earned the same as men? I’m volunteering w/ @WarChildCan, see blog for details! ❤️ https://t.co/lsnMMPo4xg pic.twitter.com/unZUt79ssZ — CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) November 2, 2017 November 6, 2017 | Eglinton Grand | Toronto | 6 pm | #WhatIfWomen You can still get a ticket to Monday’s event at Eglinton Grand featuring performances by Sarah McLachlan, Chantal Kreviazuk, and Ruth B. It’ll be a room full of strong voices coming together to show the world that compassion…

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Speaking at Centennial College – Advanced Social Media

Here I am on the TTC again. I really wish I had headphones but they’re still in my travel bag at home. I’m heading over to Centennial College to chat with a class of Advanced Social Media year 3 students about my life and work. I try to say yes as often as I can when a friend or close contact asks me to chat with their class. It’s always an opportunity for me to learn. I love their questions. I love reminding them that the job they’ll have one day might not, and probably doesn’t even exist. It’s ok if they don’t know what they want to do yet. I remind them to find something they love doing and become really, really good at it. I tell them to explore creativity and try new things. To not be afraid of other people who can’t see their vision or grasp their unique idea. There have been so many times in my career where the person/people I was working with or for, didn’t get my idea. Most the time it was because only I could see so far ahead, not as far as me. They weren’t there yet. Having the skills and knowledge to see an idea before anyone else will often keep you ahead of the pack.  When I worked at CTV for Much/MTV Canada I remember telling my boss it would be a good idea to put the show hashtag on the tv screen. He totally thought I was crazy and made me feel bad about my ‘dumb’ idea. We all know how that turned out, eh? Another time at an agency job I suggested we get this cool InstaPrint thing from NYC. It involved hiring a guy to man 4 machines onsite for the event that would print little…

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#MillionHours + #TelusCelebrates + New iPhone!

Last week I attended an event at Telus HQ in Toronto to celebrate how they’re creating change in communities across Canada. Telus is unleashing the power of the internet and mobilizing people around the world to donate an hour of their time to collectively donate a MILLION HOURS this year for Canada 150. As a company, Telus is working with partners and local business leaders to make the future friendly. They’re collectively dealing with crisis, addressing social issues, and building a brighter future for Canadians. They’ve created Telus community boards for community giving with 13 boards across Canada and 5 globally. In 2016, Telus gave out $6M in charitable grants & 600 projects in Canada. Earlier this year, Telus made a donation in my name a charity of my choice. I picked SKETCH, a Toronto arts-based charity that helps youth and the donation went towards their new Media Arts program. I’m planning to get involved with the program!       One cool project supported by the Telus Media Fund last year was CUT OFF a documentary by VICE. It was shot by Sean’s company OCCUPIED VR! You can see his business partner J Lee with Chris Mooresby beside the camera, behind Justin Trudeau below. Watch the doc on VICE here. IN OTHER NEWS… I was totally caught off guard when a very cool person on the Telus team asked me about my iPhone and then surprised me with A NEW PHONE. I’m now on the new iPhone 8 Plus and will be testing out new features and sharing my thoughts on it soon. If you’d like to get involved with the Telus #MillionHours initiative, check out this link and sign up! Here’s to making the future friendly!

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Best Buy Life and Tech Show 2017

Earlier this month I attended the Best Buy #LifeandTech event at YD Square. This is my second year attending and honestly, it feels like Christmas for tech lovers! I got to test out and bring home some of the coolest tech around. You can find everything mentioned in this post at BestBuy.ca. I’ve been working with Best Buy Canada for the last couple years and it makes ME SO HAPPY. I love being invited to test out the latest wearable tech, smart home gadgets, and overall life-enhancing products. Here’s a few of my favourite things from the Best Buy Life and Tech show! SMART HOME SECURITY: One of my ultimate favs is this Ring Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Pro. I haven’t set it up yet but I can’t wait to creep anyone who comes to my door or walks past. Since moving into a house with a front door (from a high-rise condo) I get so freaked out when I’m home alone and someone knocks on the door. Who does that! Unexpected! Gah! I get all packages delivered to the office so it’s extra weird if someone sends something to the house. I feel that this new burglar alarm will give me peace of mind and make me feel much safer. I like that I can see everything in real-time too, so if there was a burglar, I would be able to have an instant description of them! With the new Ring, you are able to monitor hour home with audio and video from anywhere. The rep I chatted with was from Minnesota and he showed me his backyard while we were chatting in YD Square. He’s able to record video, sound an alarm, or say something to an intruder if he see’s someone suspicious around. So cool! Imagine yelling ‘HEY…

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After All My Tweeting About Amazon…

As you know, I have been tweeting about/obsessed with Amazon (see all tweets) since a year ago when I forgot to cancel my Amazon Prime trial. Not cancelling Prime was one of the best things to happen and my life has honestly been better with Amazon. So…they took notice! I’ve been invited to join the Amazon.ca Associate Partner Program! What does that mean? When I find something cool on Amazon and post it like I’ve been doing for a decade. Posts with products from Amazon will have an Affiliate link, meaning if you buy it from my link, I make a few cents. I don’t ask for much around here, so y’know, think of it as a tip! I’ve stayed away from Affiliate programs in the past, but I seriously love Amazon and am mostly sharing things I’ve already purchased. The 2-day shipping is so convenient, I get everything sent to the office. I’ve ordered a few things each month for the past year.  I also can’t WAIT for Amazon Whole Foods to launch in Canada. Think of all the possibilities?! And Snacks! Just thinking about ordering stuff from Whole Foods via Amazon Prime ? pic.twitter.com/Ia7XhB0EHL — CASiE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) June 16, 2017 Try Amazon Prime free for 30 days! A Few of My Favourite Amazon Purchases This is one of my fav wearable accessories. I love my FitBit but I felt like the band on my AltaHR wasn’t stylish enough. I ordered this band from Amazon for $24.99, get it here. When I was in LA in January I was hanging out in Venice Beach and this bkr water bottle was so popular. I came home and ordered it right away. It’s glass with a removable BPA-Free Silicone Sleeve and loop handle. I have been taking it with me to yoga and the office since I got it.…

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It’s In The Cards

Today was so much fun. I’m feeling really excited and inspired this week. It’s one of the busiest few days I’ve had in a long time with a different job each day and 3 different cities but I wouldn’t have it any other way! I met up with a blog OG friend Danielle Meder, who recently started Drawing Tarot where she combines ‘a thoughtful Tarot reading with a live watercolour portrait session‘. Mine portrait is above and I framed it when I got home. The reading was just what I needed today, this week. I’d like to go back again in a month or so. You can book an appointment to see her at the Darling Mansion or her studio near the Junction Triangle here. Tonight I bailed on going to anything TIFF so I could stay home and put in a few hours on a presentation and get a good sleep. I have no FOMO only JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) because I know that self-care is important and if I don’t take care of my priorities, I’ll lose my mind. This week is a crazy one, especially after my very relaxing summer. Monday was filled with TIFF stuff and celebrities (Justin Trudeau, Angelina Jolie!). Today I was the #LifeandTech event with Best Buy Canada. Wednesday morning I’m at a top secret event then head to Montreal on the train for the night. I fly back to Toronto early Thursday morning then to New Orleans, Louisiana in the afternoon. On Friday morning  I’m speaking at a conference and fly back to Toronto in the evening. On Saturday I’m in front of the camera for a commercial and Sunday I am doing N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Popped into Studio Fitzroy today, my favourite dress boutique to rent a dress for my talk on Friday. Took my sister…

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