Her Name Is...

The MUFF Society is a group of really rad women who hold screenings of what they call 'feminist movies', which feature and include talented women onscreen and offscreen (directors, editors, producers, cinematographers, writers, production designers, and so on). The last few movies they've screened? Legally Blonde! 9 to 5! Now and Then! Learn more about them at www.muffsociety.com/about-us At the screening of 9 to 5, which is part of a new MUFF series called Reel Girl Talk, we talked to a few MUFFS, and also participated in our first panel discussion as Her Name Is. (Very exciting, and thank you again for the invitation!) Have a listen to hear about the film industry, why it's so important to champion women onscreen and offscreen, and how it's never too late to get started on a project you're super passionate about. -Emily and Jenny Find us at www.hernameispodcast.com, on Twitter at @_hernameis and on Facebook.

We're back! With new guests! With a new episode format! To kick off our second season, we'd like to introduce you to Sara Simms. She began her career with a second-hand DJ mixer and a lot of practising, and now she's a touring DJ, a producer, and a record label owner - she's a full-blown music entrepreneur. Whether you're in the music industry or not, there is still a lot to learn from Sara, especially when it comes to running a business, branding and spotting opportunities in hidden places. We hope you enjoy Sara's story! -Emily and Jenny

Here we are after almost a year and seven episodes later. We've learned many, many lessons from producing the podcast, ourselves, and most importantly, our guests. And this is the one main thing that has stuck with us: Be inspired and be inspiring. We decided to take a mini break before releasing out next episode because we wanted to work on some personal projects: Emily will be focusing on her music and Jenny will be learning how to code. We've learned so much from these women and we hope you it's been the same for you. Finally, thank you thank you thank you for supporting us and for listening - we couldn't have done it without you!

It all started with Twin Peaks. Jenn Woodall was working in film as a costume designer when she decided to submit art to Damn Fine Coffee! A Twin Peaks Fan Zine in 2012. Seeing the end product was all she needed to keep going. Jenn went on to pursue her passion for illustrating and making comic books and she hasn’t looked back since. In this episode, Jenn talks to us about her Sailor Moon obsession, how a Twin Peaks zine changed her career path, and what was going through her mind when she was contemplating a second round of university. We hope you enjoy Jenn’s story! -Emily and Jenny Check out Jenn's work at jwoodall.tumblr.com! Psst: Don’t forget to rate us on iTunes!

Tiana Feng’s life is surrounded by music. She’s the owner, editor and photographer for Canadian music website Ride the Tempo. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music in Performance. She works in the marketing and communications department for SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada). And finally, she’s a juror for Polaris Prize, Prism Prize, JUNO Awards and FACTOR. On top of all that, Ride the Tempo hosts live shows and she teaches piano. Phew. In this episode, Tiana talks about getting a post-post-secondary education, experiencing the all-too-familiar job-hunting nightmare that most 20-somethings currently face, taking on not-so-glamourous internships, and the feeling she gets when music brings people together. We hope you enjoy Tiana’s story! -Emily and Jenny Psst: Ride the Tempo and NeXT will be presenting a killer lineup featuring Partner, PONY, Eyeballs, Pale Lips, and Pins and Needles at the Silver Dollar for Canadian Music Week on May 3 – we’ll see you there!

Over 25 years ago, Ingrid Randoja decided to take the plunge to turn her passion for film and film criticism into a career. That meant leaving her secure, full-time job at an insurance company to go work at a video rental store (does anyone remember Toronto's Sam the Video Man?). And she hasn't looked back since. Starting in 1990, Ingrid worked as a freelance movie reviewer for NOW Magazine and from 1995 to 2001 she served as NOW’s film editor. She is currently the deputy editor at Cineplex Magazine. She's come a long way since her days of stocking video shelves. In this episode, Ingrid talks about her quarter-life crisis, her interview with Michael Apted, the representation of women in cinema and finding her voice as a female film critic. We hope you enjoy Ingrid's story! -Emily and Jenny Some of Ingrid's freelance work has been archived on NOW's website and don't forget to check out Cineplex Magazine the next time you're at the theatres!

April Etmanski is a post-production pro that's been in the industry for several years now and has worked on shows such as Chopped Canada, Open Gym, Food Factory and Property Brothers (to name a few). Nowadays, it seems that many people - after graduating post-secondary - are either getting a post graduate degree or are back in school to learn a new skill. April was one of those people. In this episode, April tells us how her passion for film led to a career in post production; she describes what kind of attitude you need to be able to survive and thrive in this industry; and she stresses that, sometimes, it's necessary that you run out to get the coffee for everyone in the office. Finally, April is a dear friend of ours (we've known her since high school!) and was kind enough to be our very first interview (aka guinea pig) when we started up Her Name Is. Might we add that she's also a fine actor and you can find her in films such as We're in a Fight (2014) and the upcoming Impossible Horror. We hope you enjoy April's story! -Emily and Jenny

Freelancing isn't easy. How do you find clients? How do you get them to pay on time? How do you make it work? Leigh Young has been freelancing ever since she started her career as a graphic designer and illustrator, and while freelancing wasn't a conscious decision, it's a path she's glad she took. In this episode Leigh talks to us about how she puts time aside for passion projects (which is challenging when her hobby is also her career), what she wished she had known before she jumped into freelancing, and how she deals with those dreadful creative blocks. We hope you enjoy Leigh's story! -Emily and Jenny You can check out Leigh's work at her website and you can also follow her on Twitter @leighyoungart!

You probably haven’t met Pam Pilkington but you’ve definitely noticed her work before if you’re a fan of the CBC. From radio spots to television commercials to social media videos, it’s Pam’s job as promo producer to convince you as the viewer to tune in. (Check back later to see some of her work!) However, it wasn’t a straight line to get to where she is now. In this episode Pam talks to us about the trials and tribulations she went through to get to where she is now. (Sneak peek: It involved getting fired, eccentric editors, a lot of contract work, and business owners that couldn’t pay employees.) Having been in the media industry for over 17 years, Pam offers insight on the changes she’s seen and advice on what a young creative can take away from this changing media landscape. We hope you enjoy Pam’s story (and her many voice impressions!). -Emily and Jenny

Katie Jensen is an audio producer best known for her work with Canadaland. Since early 2015, she has been developing compelling and challenging content, alongside the team she works with. But that’s not all she does; Katie is an indie music guru and hosts Indie-licious, her own podcast that has over 300 episodes. She writes music reviews for Weird Canada, helps run Wyrd Distro, a non-profit record distribution service for emerging Canadian experimental musicians, and runs a monthly series called Feast in the East which features music, food and art. In this episode, Katie takes us through her process for picking projects, gives great advice about staying organized and even delights us with a musical performance. She talks about what it’s like to be part of a new Canadian media landscape and what she plans to do moving forward as a journalist. On February 13, World Radio Day, Katie will be speaking on a panel called BoomBox, about change in the world of radio alongside Nora Young, Piya Chattopadhyay and Jesse Brown. The live webcast is hosted by Farm Radio International and the Canadian Commission of UNESCO. Listen live at CHUO 89.1 FM or register for the livecast/webcast here: http://www.farmradio.org/boom-box/

Her Name Is… is a podcast about independent women creating content in Toronto and surrounding areas. Each episode features a guest that is single-handedly influencing the entrepreneurial and creative spirits of other women in the city. This podcast is for anyone looking to be inspired by incredibly talented and smart women, creating content in any medium. Episode one will launch next week. Until then, visit the website and sign up for the newsletter to hear about news events and opportunities for creative folks just like you! Follow us on Twitter @_hernameis and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/hernameispodcast.