Photo taken by Courtney Moore @cmoorehd 

 One night I was sitting in my room and crying my eyes out and begging God to help me, I was seriously desperate and wanted to end my life. I ended up just laying there and didn't move for what seemed like a lifetime. I started thinking about how I use to love writing and how I hadn't done it in a while. So I began to write out questions to myself asking why I was doing the work I do, where I see myself in 10 years, what motivates me, stuff like that. I then thought to myself, this would be cool to ask other people in the city. At this time I was literally just beginning to meet some interesting creatives and go to some events, but it took long for that to even happen because the city or even the creatives in the city didn't do a good job at advertising these events. And if you weren't apart of the Ottawa clicks then you wouldn't really know what was going on and that was the most frustrating part, the clicks. But I don't want to stress on that too much because I was fortunate to meet some really great people and I'm still friends with until today. 

Once I had the idea to ask people these questions, I needed a name. It was my own personal project, and I didn't want to just have it constrained to naming it just about artists so I figured that entrepreneurs as a whole would be great because to me all creatives/artists are entrepreneurs. I hope that made sense. I came up with The Entrepreneur Project, but it sounded too long so I just used the "E" to shorten it, The E Project. I messaged friends first to interview them and they were so down and excited, and that made me so happy. Since I was also a photographer it made it convenient and perfect to capture there portraits to go along with the interview. I also decided to add a handwritten note to the project, so everyone I interview writes down their thoughts and or further advice they would want someone else to read. It was also a keepsake for me to look back on to keep me motivated. And that's pretty much how and why I started this project. It has literally saved my life in so many ways. I thank God everyday for giving me this gift.

Have you achieved some of your goals or has something happening in the world to make you want to work even harder? 

The only thing that has changed is the fact that it is now a podcast rather than just a blog. I have achieved my goal of facing my fear of recording my voice and having other people listen to it. That was my biggest insecurity and what almost made me not do the podcast, and not having any professional or formal training in interviews. I just prayed to God to help me and with the support of friends and family I just took the leap and did it. The main thing that drives me is the fact that my podcast is making a difference in showcasing people that don't always get the shine they deserve. I've had so many people tell me that they were inspired by hearing these interviews and that they don't feel so alone in their journey. That right there is everything to me and what motivates me to keep going.

How do you think being a woman of colour has impacted your journey?

Being a woman of colour has impacted my journey because I get to be apart of an industry that lacks us. The podcast world doesn't have many of us at all! So being a woman of colour that younger girls can look up to and see themselves is the best feeling. I feel proud to be a woman of colour that is apart of making a difference and showing the world that we too have a voice and a platform in podcasting that is needed, wanted and deserved to be heard.

Have you had a remarkable breakthrough or a win that you would like to share with our readers? We all love hearing success stories! Tell us yours!

A remarkable breakthrough for me is when I realized I had reached 38 episodes and made it to one whole year of podcasting! That was a huge milestone for me. Knowing that all that hard work throughout the year had paid off was amazing.

What would you tell your younger self? 

I would tell her that she's enough. Her quirky personality is okay and too never change a thing. People will hurt you, but never lose your love for people and it's okay to say no and not feel bad. People may not understand you now, but one day they will, and they'll love you for exactly who you are.

Passion, acceptance and questions - lots of questions.  Jodianne bonded her unique interests and talents into a loving podcast. You can find The E Project on Instagram at @the.e.project

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