Over the course of the pandemic, FastStartDC has continued to support Durham College’s (DC) student entrepreneurs to find novel ways to bring their business ideas to life. Despite the challenges, our students have demonstrated innovative thinking, discovering inspiration within themselves, their personal experiences and from each other.

DC alumna Erin Malcolm is a graduate of the DC’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business program and a shining example of how our students have turned innovative ideas into viable businesses during uncertain times. Erin started her academic program knowing that she wanted to enhance her skillset while building a business that would allow her to leverage her creative energy for good in order to help others. What wasn’t quite as clear for Erin was what form her new enterprise would take.

“Entrepreneurship has always been a part of who I am and how I relate to the world,” says Erin. “I have always craved independence and I know that I am really creative and possess a wildly vivid imagination.”

What Erin didn’t know at the time was how the things she learned in her program at DC, combined with the free entrepreneurship supports available through FastStartDC and the inspiring faculty and staff she met along the way, would allow her to graduate with an incorporated business, She Wolf Inc., and launch two sub-businesses by the end of 2021 and a third slated for 2022.

The FastStartDC team provided Erin with the support to build a viable business model and long-term strategic plan and helped guide her through the launch process to tell her unique story through her branding and marketing.

“The mentorship I received was irreplaceable, and the connections I was able to make will be invaluable as I continue to grow my business. My only regret is that I didn’t start working with FastStart sooner.”

As a DC student, Erin was able to take advantage of the many services offered through FastStart. At no cost to her business, she received logo and branding support, website development, photography, videography, postcard and workbook design and social media strategies and templates.

“FastStart was instrumental in the development of the She Wolf Inc. brand and all that comes along with it.” says Erin. “FastStart helped bring my vision to life by listening to who I wanted to serve, and how I wanted to serve them, and then helping to express that through the many layers of my brand.”

In addition to She Wolf Inc., Erin’s experiences starting and running a small business helped her identify opportunities and address gaps in the market.

Erin’s Methodically Yours is a consulting business that provides small enterprises with a variety of services so owners can focus on growth. These services include bookkeeping, digital marketing (social media, email marketing, blog posts), graphic design, copy writing, customer relationship management and employee onboarding supports.

As a way to give back, Erin also launched Whole Hearted Coaching. As the creator and chief coach behind The Whole Hearted Coaching program, Erin is building on her first-hand experience with emotional healing and seeks to share this insight with women all over the world who are in need. The Whole Hearted Coaching program is designed for women who are feeling burned out, uninspired, anxious, depressed, or directionless. The program includes mindfulness, emotion regulation, finding your “spark”, connecting to your future self, cleaning house from the inside out, and learning how to set clear goals and a path for moving forward. To ensure every young woman in Canada that desires to participate in the program has access to it, Erin started the Whole Hearted Coaching Program Scholarship Fund that aims to help women facing financial barriers participate in the coaching program.

Without a doubt, Erin is a DC alumna to watch. Her passion to give back and support women in need is admirable. The team at FastStart wishes Erin well and is excited to watch her businesses flourish as she makes a meaningful impact in the world.