Women With Ambition - Issue 8

A TRIBUTE TO FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS

VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 4

An interview with Cityline’s

TALKING ALL THINGS LIFE, FAMILY, BUSINESS AND FASHION.

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“

I GENUINELY CARE, AND I HOPE THAT COMES THROUGH IN EVERYTHING THAT I DO. ” - Tracy Moore 2

editor’s

LETTER If there’s one thing most mompreneurs can relate to is this longing for balance. To discover the big “secret” to managing our many roles and responsibilities without compromising ourselves or letting one area of our lives down. In my recent interview with Tracy Moore, I learned to look at things through her eyes and liberate myself from this feeling and need to manage everything perfectly. She is 100% right: “There is always going to be a winner and loser in every situation.” Meaning, sometimes to be present for one area of your life, you will have to be absent from another. You can’t be everything to everyone all of the time, and the more realistic you are about your commitments, the lighter you will feel at the end of the day. We all go to bed at night with unfinished to-do lists, good intentions that were not fulfilled, messy rooms, unfinished tasks, and too many tabs opened in our heads. That’s just life, and it’s so much easier to embrace the reality than to try and curate an unattainable lifestyle. No matter how many roles we play and commitments we have, I genuinely believe that if we chose to focus more on the gain, rather than the guilt, we would see the difference we are making in our children’s lives and the remarkable roles models we are to them.

To me, that is what being a mompreneur is all about; pursuing your passion with a positive perspective so that we can be the best versions of ourselves for the little people in our lives.

Free yourself from the guilt and find what works best for you and your world. It’s not so much about balance as it is about perspective. There is no way to be a perfect mother but there a million ways to be a great one.

Keep shining, Lisa xo

LISA AQUILINA Editor-In-Chief of Women with Ambition™ and Founder of Stilettos and a Stroller

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the

INTRODUCTION Tracy Moore is the host of Canada’s longest-running lifestyle show Cityline and Co-Creator of Tracy Moore designed by Freda’s. Like so many of us, she is a mother, wife, and businesswoman who faces the same day-to-day to challenges to find a sense of balance in the midst of her many roles, while staying true to herself and her brand.

If I can be totally honest, there was nothing “business-like” about my interview with the remarkable Tracy Moore. It was like being on a fabulous date with one of my closest girlfriends, talking about all things family, life, and fashion. The more she spoke, the more of a crush I developed because there is nothing more beautiful than seeing someone be their authentic selves unapologetically. It’s no wonder that she is adored by so many fans globally because it’s not very often that you feel right at home with someone you just met. I wish I could’ve taken you all on this fabulous date with me, but since I couldn’t, here is a preview into Tracy’s world as we dive into all areas of business, family, community, and lifestyle.

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TRACY

Moore

Who is Tracy Moore and what is your brand and business?

Tracy Moore is a mom, a hard worker, a wife, a very loyal daughter, a philanthropist, a volunteer, a fitness fanatic, and a chocolate lover.

Regarding my brand, it’s difficult to summarize into words. At the core of all that I do is family, fitness, fashion, and fun. I’ve always been a work hard, play hard kind of girl, and at 43, I’m still going strong. I have an unshakeable work ethic, but also invest a lot of myself into time spent with friends and family. To me, it’s all about creating balance.

What inspired you to explore a career in television?”

My parents have always been big readers; not necessarily of books but of newspapers. There were always newspapers, magazines, and books in our house and my sister and I grew up with a vivacious love for reading. When I was in school, I discovered how much I loved reading, writing and talking but I wasn’t sure how to make a career of these passions. I was fortunate to have a fantastic English teacher who recognized my love for presenting and stoked this unbelievable confidence in me. She helped to narrow things down and navigate me towards a career path that highlighted my talents. As I moved on to McGill University, my very first year I started working at the campus radio station, and that is what initially sparked my interest in broadcasting. Once I completed my Masters in Art, I moved on to complete my Masters in Journalism and through my internship, I transitioned from radio to a career in television.

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What was the transition like from serious reporter to lifestyle host?

It was quite the learning curve. I would have never in a million years thought that I would be in lifestyle television because I was so invested in news. I loved being a live reporter on Breakfast Television, however, as my life changed and we began to family plan, I had to think about how I was going to make it all work. Ironically, a position became available when Marylin Denis was leaving, and I was encouraged to audition as the new host. Again, it didn’t even register to me that this would be a suitable opportunity as I always saw myself in the world of news, but I soon discovered that it was the perfect fit and compliment to my every-day life. The most significant transition was discovering that my audience and viewers were now very interested in learning about me, as opposed to the details of daily events. I had to quickly become comfortable with this new, transparent way of sharing myself with the world and I’ve always chosen to do that from a very authentic place.

For me, this sense of authenticity and realness has been very successful for me and has allowed me to connect with viewers on a deeper level.

Did you have any reservations about opening up about your life?

I did and sometimes, still do. It’s a very vulnerable position to be in. Opening yourself up takes courage because it opens you up to criticism. So, I’ve always been very honest about who I am and embrace the imperfections rather than fake the perfections. I feel there is more room to criticize the “filtered” version of an individual because it’s impossible to live up to such superficial standards.

If someone doesn’t care for who I am, there’s really no argument. I’m not going to change – this is me – and they can move on and change the channel.

As time went on, I became more comfortable with sharing more about life but all within reason. With social media being such a big part of our world, I try to give tidbits of my everyday life, but I think 6

people need to realize that snapshots are a moment, and not necessarily a reflection of reality. We are all human-beings that deal with day-to-day highs and lows, and we need to set healthy boundaries for ourselves. I believe that it’s essential to have a presence on social media and to connect, but all in moderation.

How does it feel to be such a positive influence and to be celebrated by so many people?

It feels amazing! I feel so good about the community that both Cityline and Tracy Moore have brought together. Having such a diverse audience that is continuously cheering for me is something I find almost miraculous. I cheer for people too but typically these are people I know, whereas these individuals only know me through the digital sphere but they want to see my wins and celebrate them, and I feel so fortunate for that. When I meet people in real life, they have real things to say to me, and it’s usually within minutes that we start talking on a deep level. I believe that’s because people feel familiar and comfortable with me and I will never take that for granted.

I just adore how real and authentic you are. Your sense of realness comes through in everything you do. Why is authenticity so important to you?

It’s important to me on a personal level because you let yourself off the hook for being anything other than who you are. And also, because we are living in a world of fakeness and I work in one of the fakest industries – television! There are a lot of superficial relationships and a lot of words spoken that people can’t stand behind. I almost see it as part of my job to fly in the face of that. For example, if I have a genuine reaction or opinion on something while we are filming, I encourage that “realness” to remain a part of the show. I’ll always be respectful with my opinions, but honest first and foremost. Being honest allows me to stay as real and authentic as I possibly can be.

I’ve always been very honest about who I am and embrace the imperfections rather than fake the perfections.

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You must be thrilled that City Line has grown and expanded into the U.S! What does that mean to you to be able to have this new audience and platform?

It feels like it’s a dream come true. There was a time in my life where I contemplated moving to the states to pursue my career further, but I put that aside after having kids. I could never imagine leaving my family, especially with how close my children are to their grandparents, so having this incredible opportunity to expand into the U.S without having to move is amazing. It was years in the making, and when I found out Cityline had finally become syndicated, I was thrilled! I’m so excited that our Amercian viewers get to have a taste of this legacy brand from Canada because I feel that there is a level-headedness, a happiness, and a lightness that we can offer people. I never used to think that was important, however, in these times of natural disasters, political instability, and divisiveness, it’s nice to have non-political, relatable show that touches on light, lifestyle topics and offers realness and happiness.

Who would you love to have as a guest on the show?

Oprah! For the entire hour haha. I would also love to have Michelle Obama and talk about what it was like being a black family in that position, who although received a lot of love, they also received a lot of hate. There was a lot of stepping into shoes that we had not stepped into before, and I would want to know what it was like being the wife, and the mother in that scenario. Let’s just say I have a lot of questions for her! I would love to have Justin Bieber and Drake – I think that they would be great guests because we would approach it from a very different perspective. It would be about cultural identity coming from Canada, it would be about realness and authenticity, and it would be about legacy.

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What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned throughout your journey in television?

To be honest, I’m surprised at how invested people are in how I look. I know it comes with the territory, but it really does surprise me how invested people are in my makeup, or my hair, or my outfit. And to be honest, I’m very grateful for that because that interest has allowed me to have a successful clothing line and brand. Television is a visual medium, so it made sense to merge my role and my brand and represent myself. I mean at the end of the day, people watch the show for different reasons. Some people want to know the recipe, and some want to know the lipstick – either way, it’s okay.

What are you most proud of about Tracy Moore designed by Freda’s?

I’m most proud of the quality. It is not a cheap brand, and it is not going to be a cheap brand because it is made it Canada. I see where it’s manufactured, that people are receiving a fair wage, and I know of the quality and craftsmanship. I have to be 100% behind my brand in order to represent it, wear it, and sell it and I’m honestly so proud of what the Tracy Moore designed by Freda’s brand has become and all of its success. I absolutely love the clothes and comfort, and it makes me excited to wear my pieces proudly. I know that when people receive their orders, they’re going to love it!

If you could change anything about your business journey thus far, what would it be?

What would you have done differently?

There’s so much trial and error, and I don’t think that can be helped, in fact, I think it’s necessary. I believe that every experience and learning curve was needed to learn the invaluable lessons. There’s nothing I would change in my journey. I believe it is what it is; I believe that I’m where I’m supposed to be, and I believe that wherever I’m supposed to be in five years is where I will be. You just have to trust the process.

What are your future business plans?

From a philanthropic perspective, I have big ideas for the future regarding scholarships and literacy, and I’m also knocking around the idea of having a small collection that will have proceeds going towards a charity. I proudly work with three specific charities right now. One is called Trust 15; they are a program started by a woman who created an afterschool program for all of the children in her community who had nowhere to go. She partnered with No Frills who generously provides food, and each day focuses on different educational topics. I’m so proud to contribute any way that I can; whether it’s by hosting their events or taking 85 students to Canada’s Wonderland for a day of fun, or by talking or reading to a group of children. I also work with the Children’s Aid Foundation, another fantastic organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. I host their recognition night every year.

And lastly, I proudly support and work with the Grocery Foundation so I would definitely want to have a further future collaboration with them as well.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are just starting out?

You can sit, and you can plan and you plan forever, but you have to execute. Just do it! You have to put yourself out there, break down your goal into small, attainable tasks, and just go for it.

How do you deal with negativity, obstacles, and lack of motivation?

I don’t deal very well with negativity, and it’s something I’m continuously working on. I started meditating and making small, daily changes to help me find a sense of calm in the chaos and alleviate myself from unnecessary stressors. Morning meditation and JULY/AUGUST 2018

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workouts are a must for me because I come away from them feeling good and confident, which helps to set the right tone for the day.

I’ve changed my approach and level of emotional investment to social-media, and have also limited the number of events that I do in order to be more productive and present in other areas of my life that take priority. It’s important to create healthy boundaries and know where to invest your time and energy.

Obstacles aren’t a big deal to me. I’m the type of person that will sit on it for an evening and then move on the next day with a new approach and positive perspective. I always find a way to turn a no into a yes!

To be honest, I don’t have a lack of motivation. The only area that I struggle with staying motivated is when it comes to food and eating healthy consistently. But even with this, I just own a “bad day” or “bad choice” and move onto making better choices.

How do you balance being a mompreneur?

I don’t believe in balance, and the moment I liberated myself from the idea of balance was the best moment ever. I believe that there is always going 10

to be a winner and a loser in every situation. Sometimes I have to say no to a work event, and sometimes I have to say no to my kids or not be present for something - you’re going to win some, and you’re going to lose some. But this is the reality of life, and as soon as we free ourselves from the guilt and accept that these choices are necessary and inevitable at times, the freer we become. I decided to switch the way I was looking at things, instead of drowning in mom-guilt and everyday pressures.

I decided to look at the role I was playing in my children’s lives and how much good I am teaching them daily through my level of commitment, hard work, and dedication to building a stable future for them and our family. I decided to feel proud, rather than guilty and this has tremendously helped with the mom-guilt we all know too well. I can’t do it all – something will lack or “lose” so the best thing to do is learn to become ok with it. Let yourself off the hook!

What do hope your children say about you?

I hope they say: “Our mom is loving and thoughtful, and she works hard. If there’s anything out there that she wants, she works for it and doesn’t make excuses.” I’m very honest with my kids. They know when I’ve had a good or bad day, just as they do.

We have this game called “rate the day” that we play while we’re walking home from school that allows us to rate the day on a scale of 1 to 10 and talk about what took place to earn that score. It’s a great way to encourage honesty and realism and be able to relate better to your kids.

It’s beautiful how you speak of your husband, Lio. What advice would you give about marriage?

I didn’t understand the saying “marriage is work” until I was married. Basically, you have two people coming together from two different backgrounds, with different baggage and stories, and I think it’s necessary to talk about the “ugliness” and not gloss over situations and feelings. As time passes and life changes, you have to work on growing together and remain to be very open and transparent with one another. It’s so important to listen to each other and take the time to not just experience, but truly understand the good, the bad, and the ugly.

It’s the highest form of respect you can show your partner. A relationship should be a competition of generosity. It’s a balance of knowing when to step back, step in, or step forward and truly respect and love one another.

With such a thriving career and being a positive influence to so many, what do you hope people take away from your words?

What would you want your audience to say about you?

I would want them to say I cared. I want my audience to know that I care about what I say and how people feel and what they take away from their experience with the show. I want viewers watching who may be going through a difficult time in their life to know that I care and hope to bring a sense of light and happiness to their lives. I want people to know that as a representation of the black community, I take my role and the influence I have very serious, and I care about what these little girls hear and how I can inspire them. I genuinely care, and I hope that comes through in everything that I do.

Where can we get more of Tracy? Which platform are you most active on?

I’m very active on Instagram, and you can see a little bit more of me on Twitter as well. I do have Facebook; however, I’m not as active.

I’m a big believer in incorporating “little luxuries into our everyday lives. When you’re not working, what do you love to do most?

What are some of your little luxuries?

If I can go to Indigo and buy five books and read all day, I would! I love to sit in front of our fireplace, wrap myself in a cozy throw blanket in my pajamas, and just read. That is like the ultimate luxe. The other side of me likes to party hard and let loose with my girlfriends. I love to laugh hard and dance up a storm, so I make sure to make this happen a few times a year.

To learn more about this amazing gem, be sure to tune in daily to Cityline and follow Tracy on social media. Not only will you fall in love with her as I have, but you will also want to own her entire brand; Tracy Moore Designed by Freda’s which is available at The Shopping Channel.

What is your favourite life motto or quote?

STAY SOCIAL WITH TRACY

“This too shall pass.” My mom used to tell me this all of the time, and it’s true for everything.

@thetracymoore JULY/AUGUST 2018

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