The Gals Podcast

The Gals

Welcome to The Gals Podcast! 🎙️ Hosted by Erin Gregg, this is a space for real conversations, authentic connections and the stories that bring us together. Through candid interviews with inspiring women, we explore life, personal growth and the experiences that shape who we are. An extension of The Gals community this podcast celebrates women's voices and the power of connection. Take care of yourself. And take care of your gals. 💕 Photo credit: Dallas Curow @luminariecreative Music credit: Do Something Crazy Diamond_Tunes & Loksii

Episodes

  1. Sep 21

    Ep. 6: From side-hustle to full-time business with Amy Dixon

    What happens when a side passion becomes the thing that finally gives your life room to breathe? Edmonton artist Amy Dixon shares how she walked away from a corporate career, rebuilt her days around painting, and turned creativity into a full-time business - even when people thought she was taking a huge risk. Amy opens up about what pushed her back to art in the first place, the planning that made her leap possible, and the practical realities no one talks about: shipping paintings across borders, building an e-commerce studio from scratch, and learning how to run the business side of being an artist without losing the joy of making work. We discuss: How Amy recognized that art had become essential to her mental health and sense of selfWhat it actually takes to be a self-represented artist selling directly to collectorsThe hidden logistics behind painting while traveling How she balances bold creativity with spreadsheets, deadlines, and strategyWhy listening to your gut can be the hardest - and smartest - move you make Amy also shares the mindset shift that helped her survive uncertainty: focusing on what she can control, accepting the messy middle, and tuning out other people’s opinions long enough to hear her own. If you’ve ever felt pulled toward a career pivot, a creative leap, or a life that fits your values better, this conversation will make you feel a little braver. Photo credit: @luminariecreative

    Ep. 6: From side-hustle to full-time business with Amy Dixon
  2. Sep 21

    Ep. 5: The hidden business skill nonprofits need now with Ashley Brosda

    Most people think nonprofit leadership means choosing between impact and business sense. Ashley Brosda proves you can build both, and she reveals what it really takes to lead a mission-driven organization through growth, resilience, and major change. As Executive Director of Kids Cottage Foundation in Edmonton, Ashley is helping expand a 24/7 shelter and care space for children whose families are in crisis, from housing insecurity and medical emergencies to addiction and mental health challenges. In this conversation with Erin Gregg, she shares the path that led her from education and disability services to consulting at and back to the nonprofit sector, and why she believes sustainable impact requires creativity, strategy, and long-term thinking. We also discussed: What she learned about resilience from working with people navigating life changesWhy strong leadership teams need shared vision, honest check-ins, and real boundariesHow monthly donors, wish-list items, volunteerism, and board service all help sustain nonprofit work Ashley also challenges the idea that nonprofit work is only for one type of person. She makes the case for skilled professionals with business, governance, and strategy experience to step into the sector and help strengthen it from the inside. If you’ve ever wondered how to make a meaningful pivot, contribute without burning out, or build a career that actually feels aligned, this episode will leave you with a fresh perspective on service, success, and what it means to do work that matters. Photo credit: @luminariecreative

    Ep. 5: The hidden business skill nonprofits need now with Ashley Brosda
  3. Sep 21

    Ep. 4: Building a carerer that feels meaningful with Christiana Manzocco

    What if the biggest career moves came from trusting your curiosity, not following a straight line? Christiana Manzocco, Senior Director at Alberta Enterprise Corporation, shares how a life-changing loss, a solo trip, and a willingness to keep saying "yes" to what interested her shaped the investor and leader she is today. From a demanding start in management consulting to helping grow Alberta’s venture capital ecosystem, Christiana opens up about the pivots that looked random from the outside but made perfect sense in hindsight. We discuss: Why Christiana believes career growth starts with gravitating toward what genuinely interests youThe framework she uses to make decisions when you will never have perfect informationHow venture capital really works behind the scenes, where trust, people, and incomplete information matter more than polished appearancesWhy Alberta’s tech ecosystem is unusually welcoming and how that has helped more women founders and investors get in the roomThe advice she gives women who feel out of place in high-stakes rooms - and why discomfort does not always mean you're in the wrong place This conversation is about more than career strategy. It is about rebuilding after loss, learning to trust your own judgment, and defining success as more than titles or promotions. If you're navigating a pivot, questioning your next move, or trying to grow your confidence in rooms that still feel unfamiliar, this episode will leave you feeling both grounded and excited. Photo credit: @luminariecreative

    Ep. 4: Building a carerer that feels meaningful with Christiana Manzocco
  4. Sep 20

    Ep. 3: The Fruit Fly Startup and the new formula for sustainable success with Jalene Anderson-Baron

    Building a biotech company usually means chasing certainty. Jalene Anderson-Baron did the opposite - she left a secure career, followed a deeply personal why, and helped turn Future Fields into a commercially scaling company making high-value proteins with genetically engineered fruit flies. For listeners wrestling with a pivot, a burnout warning light, or the pressure to become someone they are not, this conversation is a reset. Erin Gregg and Jalene unpack how a social scientist ended up co-founding a future-facing biotech startup, why the leap into entrepreneurship felt more stable than staying put, and what it really takes to keep showing up when the path keeps changing. In this episode, we discuss: Why the company’s mission is to improve one billion lives by enabling the products humanity and the planet need mostHow maternity leave, an accelerator program, and the pandemic became the catalyst for a major career pivotWhy Jalene believes resilience is less about grinding harder and more about staying open, humble, and willing to learnThe company culture philosophy that rejects “we’re a family” in favor of “we’re a team, not a family - spend time with yours”How to lead authentically as an introvert Why the “pick three” framework can help protect your family, career, and health from burnout If you're building a company, a career, a family, or a new version of yourself, this episode is a powerful reminder that you do not have to become louder, harder, or more chaotic to lead well. You simply have to keep going, keep learning, and build in a way you can actually live with. About the guest:Jalene Anderson-Baron is the co-founder and COO of Future Fields, a biomanufacturing company creating high-value molecules with genetically engineered fruit flies. She helped grow the company from an idea into a commercial-stage biotech business with ambitious global impact goals. Photo credit: @luminariecreative

    Ep. 3: The Fruit Fly Startup and the new formula for sustainable success with Jalene Anderson-Baron
  5. Sep 20

    Ep. 2: Building your network before you need it with Sunita Coloma

    If you've ever wondered whether your skills still matter outside the place you built them, this conversation will hit home. Sunita Coloma shares how an unexpected restructuring pushed her out of her comfort zone - and into a role that stretched her in all the right ways. She opens up about the feelings of change and rebuilding her confidence in a completely new industry. We discuss: Why a strong network matters most when your plans change fastHow to tell whether a big career move is fear or intuitionThe mindset shift from “I need to know everything” to “I'll figure it out”Why women often hold back from applying until they meet every qualificationHow resilience is really about moving forward even when things feel messy This episode is a powerful reminder that growth often comes from the moments you did not choose. If you're facing a career pivot, questioning your next step, or need a push to trust what you've already built, this one is for you. Perfect for anyone in a season of transition, especially women ready to stop waiting for certainty and start moving anyway. Speaker credits:Erin Gregg guides the conversation as host of The Gals Podcast, which highlights real stories behind meaningful pivots. Sunita Coloma is a leader in insurance who spent 24 years in banking before making a bold move into a new industry, bringing a grounded perspective on resilience, reinvention, and the power of community. Photo credit: @luminariecreative

    Ep. 2: Building your network before you need it with Sunita Coloma
  6. Sep 20

    Ep. 1: The Founders' Story with Madeline Hann and Chloe Xing Schimpf

    Most networking events are built for volume. The Gals is built for chemistry. Chloe and Madeline reveal how one coffee, two mid-career women, and a simple dinner-party experiment turned into a thriving community where real friendship, business, and belonging actually happen. In this inaugural episode of The Gals Podcast, Chloe and Mads share the origin story behind The Gals, from that first conversation to the moment they realized the idea was bigger than a single dinner. What started as a small, curated experiment for women in tech quickly became a cross-industry network designed around intentional connection, shared life stages, and the kind of conversations that don’t happen at conferences or crowded mixers. We discuss: Why dinner was the perfect format for building trust, not just contactsHow they curate each table for chemistry, curiosity, and community impactWhy growth is not the goal, sustainable impact is If you’ve ever felt disconnected in adulthood, worn out by superficial networking, or hungry for a community that feels both fun and purposeful, this episode makes the case for building smaller, smarter, more human rooms. It’s also a reminder that the right partnership can create something far bigger than either person could build alone. Essential listening for anyone interested in community building, women supporting women, and what it really takes to create a space people keep coming back to. Join host Erin Gregg as she sits down with founders Madeline Hann and Chloe Xing Schimpf to explore the story behind The Gals. Photo credit: @luminariecreative

    Ep. 1: The Founders' Story with Madeline Hann and Chloe Xing Schimpf

About

Welcome to The Gals Podcast! 🎙️ Hosted by Erin Gregg, this is a space for real conversations, authentic connections and the stories that bring us together. Through candid interviews with inspiring women, we explore life, personal growth and the experiences that shape who we are. An extension of The Gals community this podcast celebrates women's voices and the power of connection. Take care of yourself. And take care of your gals. 💕 Photo credit: Dallas Curow @luminariecreative Music credit: Do Something Crazy Diamond_Tunes & Loksii

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