CASIE STEWART

THIS IS MY LIFE • BLOG EST. 2005
BLOG TORONTO, CANADA

TRANSFORM – What to See at FITC Toronto 2018

TRANSFORM – What to See at FITC Toronto 2018

Over the past couple years, I’ve attended FITC in Toronto and highly recommend it. I’m not shy about my love for emerging tech and welcome any opportunity to see what’s new, learn from innovators, and get my hands on the latest gadgets. If you love that stuff too, you should GET A TICKET NOW. Use code FITCCASIE for a 20% discount. Tell your boss you need to go for professional development. 

FITC is a hub for creatives and stands for Future, Innovation, Technology, Creativity. My first FITC was in 2011 and I was blown away by all the cool stuff I saw. It’s amazing to think about how technology has changed since then.

Last year I was walking around showing off my Snapchat glasses and this year nobody really uses the app anymore. I love tech because it moves so fast and it always changing. I’m writing this to you from the tech centre of the world in San Francisco, California. ? Since 2012 FITC has held events all around the world bringing people like-minded people together to embrace design and technology.

FITC: The Technology & Creativity Conference

 

What to See at FITC Toronto 2018

Here’s a few things I picked I’ve added to my schedule. You can make yours on the website. The list of speakers is great and there’s heaps to learn. Something I really like about the website is for each session they detail an overview, objective, target audience, and 5 things the audience will learn. This helps you maximize your conference experience based on your own personal interest and desire to learn.

One of my fav things last year was the lounges set up for chatting and relaxing between sessions, one had mini massages and essential oil, another had bean bag chairs and beer. They have everything! 

FITC, casiestewart, tech, blogger

Wondering who attends? All kinds of people including a couple well-known companies you *might* have heard of. It’s a great place to meet people, network, and be inspired.

I would love to meet you there and attend sessions together/catch up. Use my code FITCCASIE for a 20% discount and LMK when you get a ticket.

 

Watch the 2017 FITC Highlight Reel

 

This post is in partnership with FITC. FITC produces design and technology events worldwide which inspire, educate and challenge attendees. Since 2002, FITC has brought together like-minded professionals and students in Toronto, Amsterdam, Tokyo, San Francisco, Chicago, Seoul, New York, Los Angeles and many other cities.

Tech TORONTO, CANADA

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

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.

Nadia (Addicted Magazine), me, Jenn (JennandtheCity

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 session with a top female tech leader at Booking.com. Props if you get to chat with my friend Carolyn Van! 

How to Enter

 Participants must Tweet about a woman that inspires them using the hashtag #BookingFEMpowers. Winners will be announced at the start of the second workshop on Wednesday, March 28th.

Get Tickets Here

Time to get tweetin!

 “Connecting with strong female role models is crucial to help women advance their careers, especially in the tech industry. Our recent research revealed that 90% of female respondents would be inspired to chase their dreams just by seeing more women in leadership roles,” says Gillian Tans, Booking.com’s CEO. “Booking.com explores female mentorship opportunities wherever we can so that we can continue to support women to progress and excel in their careers.”

The workshop is presented by Booking.com and the title partner is my BFF Telus. Both companies are committed to encouraging women in tech and it’s my pleasure to work with them both. Thank you for supporting us!

This post is in partnership with Booking.com and in line with my goals of female empowerment in tech. Booking.com is dedicated to providing women around the world with the tools they need to succeed in the tech industry. From the inaugural Booking.com Technology Playmaker Awards, to Women in Technology scholarships at the University of Oxford and the Delft University of Technology, to now partnering with Ladies Learning Code on coding workshops in Toronto, the company is working harder than ever to empower women around the world to achieve their digital dreams. Learn more here.

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Travel San Francisco, California

Hello from San Francisco!

casie stewart san francisco

Hi!!!! This is a quick little update from the Bay Area. I just checked into my hotel in Union Square and am meeting the other journalists shortly for dinner. It was sunny when we landed then a few showers rolled in. It was raining on the way to the hotel, sunny when I got to my room, then it rained, and one second later a beautiful rainbow appeared. Magical!

san francisco rainbow casiestewart

I’m really excited to explore the city over the next 6 days. I’ve been here a couple times but mostly just quick work trips with Virgin America. I’m here w/ SF Tourism this time writing for Canadian Geographic and we have a really great itinerary including a Segway tour, Alcatraz, Mission District, dinner theatre, and heaps of good food.

WELCOME TO SAL FRANCISCO!

Follow along on Twitter @casiestewart or IG @casiestewart here. I love sharing my adventures and am really excited about what the next few days will bring.

The rainbow at sunset from my balcony!!!

Here’s to a great weekend!

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BLOG TORONTO, CANADA

Interview w/ CASACOM: How do you maintain authenticity as an influencer?

casiestewart, optimism, gucci

I recently did an interview with Toronto based PR firm, CASACOM. They invited me to the office to have a candid chat about the current state of social media, the world of influencers, and my career in digital over the past decade. You can read the interview here or scroll down for a little snippet.

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE

 2. How have you maintained your authenticity over the years as the digital landscape changes?

You have to stay true to who you really are. Sometimes bloggers and influencers make themselves look a certain way and portray a life they don’t actually live. It’s hard to live up to those kind of standards you set for yourself and you’ll burn out if you’re not yourself. I’ve heard of younger people wanting to starting a blog or ‘be an influencer,’ but influencer isn’t something you can just decide to be; influence comes from DOING something that gets recognized or influences the ideas and thoughts of people. You can’t buy your way into being influential, establishing yourself as a brand or thought leader takes time.

For me, authenticity is more important than perfectly curated Instagram. I think the best way to be authentic is to be yourself and tell stories, to be a real human. One of my favourite ways to tell stories is going on adventures and exploring new things. I also only work on things that I like, have tested, or experienced first-hand. How can you share your honest opinion on something if you haven’t tried it?! [Read more]

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LIFE Queen West, Toronto

How to Make a Difference In Your Life

casiestewart, optimism, gucci

Wake up and smile at yourself. Look at the sky. Take some deep breaths. Think about what you are grateful for. Think about who you love and who loves you. If there is no sun, think about how you can be a sunshine that day. Wear something that makes you feel great. Use your best products you’re saving for a ‘special day’, each day is special. Put on your favourite makeup. Smile in the mirror.
Keep that smile and flash it around to people in the street, in a store, at work. You will feel better about your life if you spread your smile around. Eat food that makes you happy, healthy is best but you got to live a little. Share. Write handwritten notes. Drink more water. Go for a walk. Look at the sky. Take some deep breaths. Think about your future.
Set goals, write them down. Make your lunch. Think about travel. Dream of adventure. Call someone in your family to say hi. Feel warm sunshine on your face. Ride your bike through the park. Drink some water. Surprise someone with flowers. Thank your friends. Smile at yourself in the mirror.

Inspired by this quote today: Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you’ll start to see a big difference in your life. Yoko Ono

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Travel VANCOUVER, BC

Happiest When Travelling

Happiest When Travelling

Hellooooooo! Good morning from Surrey, BC. I’m here as a consultant for a conference and that’s all I can say about that right now. Arrived yesterday afternoon after a great flight on Air Canada. I’m staying at a pink hotel called Pacific Inn that looks like a Caribbean resort. I’ll take some photos before I leave!

Today we’re at a beautiful golf resort with mountains in the background. The view below is from the beach in White Rock, BC where I had dinner last night.

Tomorrow I’m heading to downtown Vancouver for the day and booked an Airbnb for the night. Back home Thursday.

Sending sunshine from the West Coast!

P.S. If you’re looking for a GREAT Airbnb in Toronto, check out this list from Yore Oyster! 

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LIFE SASSOON TORONTO

Sassoon 2018 + Winter Hair Care Tips

Sassoon 2018 + Winter Hair Care Tips

You’d be surprised if you touched my hair, it feels like a little baby bunny it’s so damn soft. I do get it cut quite often but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I bleach/tone it every few weeks. Bleach is especially hard on your hair and so is the long dry winter. That is why you need to take special care of your hair during the coldest months of the year. If you’re not 100% sold on some of the hair care products such as shampoo that you use regularly, then you might want to compare some of the very best shampoos using a site like Reviewing This. They review some of the very best hair care products on the market, such as the Oribe Gold Lust Shampoo & Conditioner, so they may be worth checking out.

We’ve got about 6 weeks left of this cold so if you haven’t been taking winter precautions to protect your hair, start now!

The other day I had my first 2018 appointment at Sassoon Toronto. You will remember from last year I partnered with them for cut/colour which was totally awesome. I’ve never had such great attention paid to my short, yet very high maintenance locks. Kim does an amazing job on my blonde and Jason cuts it just enough with perfect precision every single time.

Tips for Winter Hair Care

I chatted w/ Sassoon to get the low down on how to make sure your hair doesn’t get the winter blues.

  • Pamper. Sassoon offers a range of Kerastase Fusio-Dose customized hair treatments. They apply a tailored treatment to my hair each time I visit.
  • Protect. It’s important to use something on your hair to protect it from heat treatment. Use a blowdryer, you might be damaging your hair! Apply a thermo protection cream like the Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique. It’s made for dry hair and soft enough for you to use daily. You can also give your hair some TLC w/ the Kerastase Nutritive Masquintense once a week. You can also have a look at some professional hair care products to make sure your hair is efficiently nourished and ready to combat the harsh winter months!
  • Trim. This is my secret to having soft hair. Since mine is short I get it cut a lot. Regular maintenance trims split ends and keep your hair from becoming rough and dull. Sassoon recommends a trim every 5 weeks (4 weeks for short hair).
  • Be gentle. Dry your hair before you leave the house, if you go outside in freezing cold air with wet hair, well, you’re looking for disaster. Blow-dry gently using a wide-tooth comb or small paddle brush.
  • Don’t overwash. I am guilty of this but my fine hair is super short. I am envious of people with long thick hair who do the recommended wash only 2-3 times a week and use products like hair thickening shampoo. Maybe this is what I should try if I am after thicker hair. With this being said, washing your hair less maintain natural nourishing oils in the hair and keeps it nice and smooth.

Products used on my hair at this appointment.

I’m heading back to Sassoon for a full colour in about a week and looking forward to it. if you are looking for a new salon or a fresh look. I’d be happy to connect you to my peeps. Feel free to get in touch and I’ll hook you up w/ my special discount!

With love,

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Travel ON THE ROAD

Go Ahead, Use Your Phone! Telus Has Easy Roam!

Go Ahead, Use Your Phone! Telus Has Easy Roam!

Even though I was really glad to be home from New Zealand, I would LOVE to be back there on the beach right now. This winter seems never-ending and I even missed a month of it!

While I was away I didn’t miss a beat posting things to the internet. For three weeks I used Google maps as my navigator, Stories, Twitter, and Facebook to share photos, and was able to stay on to of emails.  

A few people asked about my phone data usage and what plan I had. If you have ever travelled overseas, the phone/data situation can be stressful and very expensive. That was, until now! ?

Telus has a great add-on called Easy Roam where for you can use your phone’s regular data plan in over 100 countries. If you’re in the USA, Easy Roam is $7/day and capped at $100 per billing cycle. For international destinations, like New Zealand, the $10/day fee is capped at $150 per billing cycle.

Telus Easy Roam lets you use your Canadian rate plan while travelling in the US and 100+ international destinations – now and on all future trips.

 

Honestly, this is such a good deal. I remember travelling to the states for a weekend and a friend racked up $1,000 because she didn’t have a data plan like this.

The good things is, you’re only charged for days that you access your Canadian plan in your destination. So, if you don’t need to use your Canadian data plan (hellooo wifi!) you’re not charged.

While in NZ, I had wifi at almost every place I stayed, so that helped for nighttime/morning scrolling (just like home haha).  Safe to say, I didn’t go over my monthly data and or get a shocker of a bill when I came home.

If you’re planning a winter getaway, you’ll find these useful:

Next week, I’m travelling to Vancouver to speak at a conference and before I head home, visiting the Telus HQ. I’ve wanted to visit Telus Garden since it was built!

The building takes up an entire city block downtown Vancouver and blends architecture, art, and environmental sustainability. It has 10,000+ square feet of outdoor space on six different levels, a community garden, bike storage, electric car charging stations, and more. I’m excited!

See you next week Vancouver!

 

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LIFE THE DREAM GARDEN

Spring is a Feeling

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

Read this article today with a short feature on Shelagh McLeod, the director of the movie I was in a little while ago.

Thats a wrap! On set of Astronaut w/ Shelagh McLeod

Omg! Yes, we got to hang out w/ Colin Mochrie!

The feature photo for this post is from the Flora collection by Angela Deane. I love them. Thanks Epiphany for sharing today!

Sending sunshine through the internet to the very screen you are looking at right now. These ? are for you.

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LIFE

No Winter Lasts Forever

It’s been snowing for days and I’ve hardly left the house. Today I binged all of the new Queer Eye on Netflix and it is amazing. I prepped heaps of food as a distraction from anything else and it was great. I’m really glad it’s going to warm up this week. Somehow I hurt my shoulder so taking a break from yoga. I’m excited about what this week will bring. Tonight we are watching Olympic figure skating.  Both Sean and I love skating!

On Friday night we watched a couple movies, The Tower and Dunkirk. Discovered this great list of the best 50 Style Tips of all time from InStyle. So many good things. Big fan of adding scarves to things. I can’t wait for spring.

If you haven’t watched queer Eye yet, HIGHLY RECOMMEND. It will make you laugh, cry, and maybe give you inspiration for self-care or updating your life/space.

casie stewart, toronto, blogger, speaker, influencer, "this is my life"

 

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