In this episode of Collected, we sit down with Brandi Leifso, CEO and founder of the beauty and wellness company Evio Beauty, and author of Fearless Choices: How to Reclaim Your Power, One Decision at a Time. Brandi shares the origin story behind Evio, which started while she was living in a women's shelter in Vancouver. With a laptop, and a pirated copy of Photoshop, she mocked up a fake product catalog and pre-sold it to local boutiques, before she had any idea how she'd actually make the product. What began as Karma Face Cosmetics, then Evelyn Iona, eventually became Evio, now sold in Shoppers Drug Mart and Duty Free. The conversation moves from there into what it means to find and use your voice, in business, in relationships, and inside the health care system. Throughout the conversation, Brandi reflects on: building a company from nothing, one decision at a time, while surviving a women's shelterthe messy, non-linear path from Karma Face Cosmetics to Evelyn Iona to Eviowhy it's often easier to advocate for a business, a friend, or a partner than for yourselfself-advocacy inside the health care systemnavigating miscarriage and PMDD, and needing her husband in the room to be heard by her doctorreframing failure as data, not defeat, and hosting a "failure party"why effective advocacy has to be personal, rooted in lived experiencethe serendipitous story behind her HarperCollins book dealThis is an honest, grounded conversation about survival, self-worth, and what it actually takes to use your voice, whether you're building a company or sitting across from a specialist who isn't listening. 🎧 Listen in to hear Brandi's story and why she believes failure isn't something to avoid, it's something to get familiar with. Follow Brandi on Instagram @brandileifso, here. Learn more about Evo, here. Collected by Unum Co. is a podcast about the power of lived experience, and how stories can shape more human-centred systems, services, and spaces. Created by Unum Co., a patient-experience consultancy and creative studio helping health care organizations connect with people through storytelling, strategy, and digital engagement. 🔗 Learn more at unumco.ca 💌 Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram Subscribe, rate, and share the show. Your support helps more people discover these stories. Collected by Unum Co. is a podcast about the power of lived experience, and how stories can shape more human-centred systems, services, and spaces. Created by Unum Co., a patient-experience consultancy and creative studio helping health care organizations connect with people through storytelling, strategy, and digital engagement. 🔗 Learn more at unumco.ca 💌 Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram Subscribe, rate, and share the show. Your support helps more people discover these stories.
