Meet Shashi Behl, Joydrop CEO and Retail Council of Canada's Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year

Welcome to The Voice of Retail. I'm your host Michael LeBlanc. This podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada.

Canadian retailer Joydrop was just named 2022 Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year by Retail Council of Canada. Shashi Behl, Joydrop's CEO and founder, is my special guest for this episode. 

As an entrepreneur with a passion for jewelry, sharing creator stories and advocating for women in business, Shashi has a history of partnering with other women leaders in business. 

When Shashi opened Joydrop, a retailer that sells unique jewelry and accessories, Shashi infused her new business with the ethos that it be a platform for female designers – local, national, and international – to showcase their designs and tell their stories.

Thanks for tuning into this special episode of The Voice of Retail.  If you haven’t already, be sure and click subscribe on your favourite podcast platform so new episodes will land automatically twice a week, and check out my other retail industry media properties; the Remarkable Retail podcast, the Conversations with CommerceNext podcast, and the Food Professor podcast.  Last but not least, if you are into BBQ, check out my all new YouTube barbecue show, Last Request Barbeque, with new episodes each and every week!

I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company & Maven Media, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!  Have a safe week everyone!

About  Shashi

The Joydrop journey begins with one woman’s quest to share other women’s stories. Shashi Behl has always adored jewelry, but was also fascinated by the creators behind the scenes. She is inspired by the passion that goes into every piece - pieces which are part of a much bigger, beautiful puzzle. 

For Shashi, life and business are about simple pleasures. Good margaritas. Really good friends.  An epic mountain hike when the clouds are just right. Lime popsicles.  Her husbands’ belly laugh. Her son's deadpan humour. And a gift that makes a friend gush. It’s that easy. They are simple things that mean everything. 

A passionate entrepreneur and strong advocate for women in business, Shashi has founded and partnered with various women lead businesses before opening the doors of Joydrop.

When she’s not sourcing the world for the best products and stories, Shashi enjoys travelling with her family, road biking, practicing yoga, reading and hearing about other peoples’ stories. 

About Michael

Michael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated on thought leadership panels worldwide.  Michael was recently added to ReThink Retail’s prestigious Top 100 Global Retail Influencers for a second year in  2022.

Michael is also the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts, including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus the Remarkable Retail with author Steve Dennis, Global E-Commerce Tech Talks and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.  Most recently, Michael launched Conversations with CommerceNext, a podcast focussed on retail eCommerce, digital marketing and retail careers - all available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music and all major podcast platforms.   Michael is also the producer and host of the “Last