The Summer is finally here and there is nothing more enjoyable than reading a good book in your favourite summer place. Below is our pick of the top 10 books to read this Summer. 👇

A Burning – Megha Majumdar
Jivan is a Muslim girl from the slums, determined to move up in life, who is accused of executing a terrorist attack on a train because of a careless comment on Facebook. PT Sir is an opportunistic gym teacher who hitches his aspirations to a right-wing political party, and finds that his own ascent becomes linked to Jivan’s fall. Lovely – an irresistible outcast whose exuberant voice and dream of glory fill the novel with warmth and hope and humour – has the alibi that can set Jivan fee, but it will cost her everything she holds dear.

Surrounded by Idiots – Thomas Erickson
Do you ever think you’re the only one making any sense? Or tried to reason with your partner with disastrous results? Do long, rambling answers drive you crazy? Or does your colleague’s abrasivemanner get your back up?  Then this is the book for you! 

Everything I Never Told You – Celest Ng
Begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970’s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favourite chld of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the dIfelicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos.

Rodham – Curtis Sittenfeld
In our reality, Hillary Rodham met Bill Clinton as a law student at Yale, and married him after repeatedly refusing his proposals, eventually following him to the White House. But what if she didn’t? In this gripping tale that interweaves real history with the imagined, we see an alternate future for Hillary – one both with and without Bill. Al lot of the characters are familiar, but the paths they follow couldnt be more different.

Beach Read – Emily Henry
If the title doesn’t give this one away as perfect for an afternoon by the pool, just crack the spine. Augustus is a literary writer trying to pen a masterpiece, and January is a romance novelist stuck in a rut, both renting beach houses next dor to each other. They decide to burst through their writers’ block by trading manuscripts. As they do the, ahem, research for their books, tthigs take a decidedly readable turn.

Big Friendship – Aminatou Sow & Ann Friedman
If you’re missing your faraway besties right now, this book on the power of friendship might inspire you to give them a call. Long-distance best friends and cohosts of the podcast Call your Girlfriend Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman tell the story of their enduring relationship, as well as how to imvest in one of the most important relationships in our lives.

The Guest List – Lucy Foley
Lucy Foley has done it again with this murder mystery set at a destination wedding off the coast of Ireland. You’ve got your high-flying bride and groomsmen, your suspiciously heartfelt bridesmaid who doesnt seem as excitd as she could be. Then, there’s the body. Cozy up with this whodunnit and watch the hours fly by.

Pizza Girl – Jean Kyong Frazier
Do yourself a favor and order delivery before you even start this story about two women living very different lives that may actually have more in common than they think. One is 18, pregnant , and deliverying pizza to get by. The other is a stay-at-home mom who orders pickle pizzas for her son. This story is both heartbreaking and hystereical, so buckle in for a wild emotional ride.

The Pull of The Starts – A Novel –  Emma Donoghue
From the author of Room comes this eerily prescient novel set during a flu pandemic. Three women working in a quarantine maternity ward deal with horrific loss and new life in tandem, and help hold each other up through it all. It’s the perfect read for right now. 

If I Had your Face – Frances Cha
Kyuri’s a gorgeous woman who entertains men at an underground bar, until one mistake ruins it all. Her roommate, Miho, is an artist whose dark work belies an inner turmoil. Then there’s Ara, who’s almost dangerously obsessed with a K-Pop star and Wonna, trying to have a baby, she and her husband can’t afford. Their interconnected stories willmake you want to call your own female friends.

Donna’s View on the Power of a Positive Mindset

There are many, many, MANY books written on the act of focusing on a positive mindset. On some level it seems hokey pokey that so many people can write all these books about such a simple concept.

And yet, it is so easy to fall into the negative trap. 
To blame. 
To complain. 
To find fault. 
It is just way too easy. 

To be effective and successful you have to have a positive mindset. Blaming others for your lack of success will never get you ahead. Complaining about the work ahead of you will never get it done. Pointing out faults only stifles creativity and limits cooperation- both things needed to grow personally and as a business. 

It is not always easy to have a positive mindset. It is even harder if you are surrounded with negativity. Sometimes the circumstances of your surroundings are not changeable. It is in those circumstances it becomes more important you do not get sucked into the negative vortex. This is when you will work the hardest to find the positive, and then replay that moment in your head, and quiet out the negative. Replay the positive over and over in your head. Do not give time or energy to the negative. 

Three questions I find that help in my reaction to events, or my wording in responses are (after some contemplative processing):

• Is it kind?
• Is it true?
• Is it helpful or necessary?

Some simple exercises in creating positivity:
1. Make it a weekly habit to compliment one stranger. Notice a nice outfit, a nice hairdo, or hold the door. It’s just one small gesture and see how it changes them – and how it puts a smile on their face. 

2. Make it a daily habit to say something positive to yourself in the mirror. A genuine thing that you are happy or proud about. Out loud so your brain can hear it. 

Keeping it real- nope, you won’t change the world overnight. Honestly, you probably won’t change the world. But you CAN change YOUR world. Changing your perspective will change your view. And with a positive outlook maybe you CAN change the world of someone else. 

Wishing you continued success!

~ Donna 

I am Mum to my amazing 2-year-old boy and have 2 fur-baby dogs and 4 fur-baby cats! I work full-time for an engineering consultancy firm – been with them for 12 years. My favourite things to do in my free time are…Playing with my son, road trips and going to the gym The best thing about my SGL business and being a stylist is The freedom – I can work as much or as little and whenever/wherever I choose. I have met some wonderful, inspiring people. Including the other members of SGL, my amazing customers and also other sellers at Vendor Events. (And it’s a much easier way to support my leggings addiction. LOL)

You can find Nicola on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Shes-Got-Leggz-with-Nicola-110688556941032/ or shop at nicola.shesgotleggz.ca

It’s that time of the year again! So many nights out at neighbourhood gatherings, office parties, holiday get-togethers, and New Year’s Eve events. Do you have all your outfits planned?  She’s Got Leggz has some great tips on how to wear your leggings for any occasion.

Picking the Perfect Top

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to dress up leggings is not wearing a shirt that is long enough. Our Button high-low tunic, our 9 to 5 longer blouse, or the Pretty Women sweater dress are all great options to wear with leggings.

Tammy, our Grimsby Stylist is wearing our 9-5 Blouse in Ivory and Cranberry. Each paired with one of our signature leggings. Slothing Around the Christmas Tree and Wall Street. Pair the outfit with a pair of high boots and you are set for an evening out.

Kayli, our stylist from Burlington, is wearing our Pretty Woman sweater dress in light grey with our Labyrinth leggings. Pair it with some navy heels and a chunky necklace and it is the perfect outfit for your neighbourhood gathering. Our Pretty Women Sweater is also available in Black.

Adding a Blazer

Adding our Working Girl Blazer will make any ensemble feel polished. A black blazer adds just that extra touch of class for any look. Paired this outfit with the right black heels or flats and you can go straight from the office to the party.

The lovely Anissa is wearing our Working Girl Blazer, with our Ivory 3/4 Laura Tee and our Moonlighting leggings.

We hope we have inspired you to add leggings to your special occasion, besides being dressy and on-trend, you will be comfortable throughout your event. She’s Got Leggz offers so many legging patterns and all the essential pieces to create the entire outfit.

To see our entire line up visit www.shesgotleggz.ca or reach out to your stylist. Happy Holidays!

To find a stylist near you, click HERE! 

We were recently interviewed by The Mompreneur about She’s Got Leggz, and here are our responses. We enjoyed sharing our journey with the entire Mompreneur group. These ladies inspire us every day! 

1. Describe your business/product and/or service – what is your business/company all about?

We are an energetic and fun social selling leggings and apparel company. We started the business in April 2015 at my dining room table as an opportunity for extra play money for the kids extracurricular activities, for family vacations, and it took off from there! Fast forward to 2019 and we have over 90 Stylists across Canada. 
All our leggings are designed in house by me, Laura Youngs, and manufactured overseas. We provide sizing from children’s(2 up to 14)and in women’s from petite to curvy plus (00-24). All women of any shape or size can enjoy the comfort of our product.

In the beginning, there was two of us, myself and Theresa Place, but as of May 2019 we took on our 3rd partner and CFO, Donna Pinsonneault. Who brings 20 years of CPA experience to our company along with a whole lot of love of leggz.

We take great pride in being able to offer the opportunity to empower women. Our business model is similar to Avon or Tupperware, allowing women to become their own boss. We have Stylists who have paid for their annual family vacations, and Stylists who have quit their full-time job and solely focus on their business with She’s Got Leggz.

2. What is your “WHY” behind your business/being an entrepreneur? 

We loved the comfort and versatility of leggings and had looked into being sales reps for a couple companies but they already had people selling in our area and turned us away. We knew we wanted to do this and we finally reached a point that we wanted to create something of our own and something that our families could carry on. We didn’t want to look back wondering how things would be different if we didn’t go for it.

3. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur? 

Freedom, fun and prosperity….
We never imagined it would grow to this level! Being an entrepreneur comes with a lot of risk, but where there is risk there is reward. Creating something that is “yours” is the greatest reward!

4. What’s the best part about owning your own business? 

Having the flexibility to be there when our families need us and showing them that hard work and perseverance does pay off. The sense of servitude. Helping others achieve their goals and create their own independence. Lastly, building our own dream instead of someone else’s.

5. Describe people and/or experiences that have been instrumental to you along your journey to entrepreneurship – what impact did they have on you, and how did they help you get to where you are in your business today? 

We have met numerous people throughout our years. We have been blessed to make the acquaintance of so many wonderful women entrepreneurs who have helped us on our journey. We have a wonderful friend and business coach in Julie Ellis ( former co-owner of Mable’s Lables) who has listened to our questions and concerns and guided us in the right direction. We have met with the fabulous Tonya Johansen, Founder of Steeped Tea, who helped us to realize the benefits of the Direct Sales model for us and for our Stylists. 

Lastly, but definitely not least, Monica Graves of Glam Julz, she has been a hard core entrepreneur for several years. We have done several fundraisers together and always bounce ideas off each other.

6. What values do you believe in and live by, and how do they shine through when it comes to your role as a business owner?

Our tag line and moto is “Be your own kind of beautiful”. One of greatest rewards is empowering women to be their own bosses through our direct selling business model. Our sense of team work and support has helped us create this amazing network of women.

7. What are you most proud of when it comes to your business/being an entrepreneur? 

Inspiring other women to become their own boss. We love seeing our stylists succeed and grow their business and find a sisterhood of support in this company.

8. What does the future look like for you and your business? 

BIG! She’s got Leggz is looking forward to spreading our network further across Canada. Reaching new communities and regions is very exciting for us. We are expanding our line up to include collections – so sweaters and jackets may be on their way! We hope to offer the full outfit to women, as a one-stop-shop from the comfort of your home.

9. Any tips for other women thinking of starting a business? 

Do your research – know your market. Have concrete goals -right from the start. 

Find a mentor – another women entrepreneur and network with other women business owners. Sometimes you overthink the reasons you can’t or shouldn’t. You just have to take the chance, believe in yourself and JUST DO IT! Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You can not do it all or you will burn out. Align yourself with the right skillsets to complete your puzzle and you will be able to focus on the things that make you grow.

Rachel is our 2019/2020 Brand Ambassador and she has been with She’s Got Leggz since 2018. Rachel embodies the corporate identity in appearance, demeanour, values and ethics. Rachel represents the SGL company and brand in a positive light and we are proud to have given her this title.

Rachel is a happily married mom with two bright and wonderful children. Rachel works as a full-time elementary school teacher in the Greater Sudbury Area. Rachel loves to travel, spend time with her kids and have family nights-in watching movies.

One of the things she loves the most about having a She’s Got Leggz business is having the freedom to work as much or as little as she wants. Depending on what is happening in her personal or professional life, she can adjust how much time she can commit to her business. She loves that She’s Got Leggz provides “discount” pricing for stylists to maintain stock if they wish. This helps Rachel enjoy her earnings as soon as the sale is complete, and that extra money is available to use for her family immediately. Being a part of SGL has allowed her to make lasting friendships and connections with women from across the country. She has made connections with so many new people in her community as well. With a family that loves to travel and kids that are involved in many extra-curricular activities, working this business provides her with the money to do both! She’s Got Leggz has given Rachel the opportunity to enjoy three family vacations in the past 18 months, including Great Wolf Lodge, a family reunion in Virginia and a trip to Disney World!

Find Rachel here: https://www.facebook.com/shesgotleggzbyrachel/?t
Or on her website at https://rachel.shesgotleggz.ca/

Gale was our top selling stylist for 2019. She started with SGL in November of 2018 as she was ready to retire and wanted something to keep her busy. She has been rocking her business ever since. Here is her story…

My name is Gale and I am a married mother to two sons David and Chris and a Stepdaughter Louise. I have seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. I recently retired and last November I decided to join the SGL team and this is what I am doing in my spare time along with golfing in the Spring and Summer months. I never thought I would ever wear a pair of leggings until I bought my first pair in the fall of 2018 and I fell in love with them. This is how I started and why I joined. I find it very awarding. I love meeting new people and making new friendships. SGL has impacted my life so much as it is very easy to sell the product and when you love the product, wear it daily it allows you to show customers how everything goes together. We carry tops that match our leggings plus we have other accessories too.  Talking to other women about my experience is amazing. 

She’s Got Leggz has made a huge difference in my life after retirement.

You can find Gale here: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/galescozyleggingsshesgotleggz
or Shop: https://galescozyleggings.shesgotleggz.ca/