Tell Us Your Story. What motivated you to start your business? Why are you passionate about what you do?

A passionate storyteller and an obsessive digital content creator with a knack for repurposing, Helen arrived in Vancouver in 1989 and quickly launched the seminal underground magazine ‘In Hell’s Belly.’ The city’s first hybrid arts, culture, and activism magazine. Two years later, she was firmly entrenched in underground publishing, artist management in music, TV/film, and contracting in entertainment law. A renewed interest in publishing came in 2015 when she acquired BLUSHVancouver digital magazine and rebuilt it into a lucrative asset with 1M visitors in its first year. Creating a women’s mid-market lifestyle brand funded with sponsored content was new and exciting. Doors opened at VancityBuzz (now Daily Hive) and multiple Toronto-based digital lifestyle magazines. Through her network, Helen extended her reach into the print world as Editor-in-Chief of the now-defunct HLM Luxury Lifestyle Magazine and as a senior contributor to Boulevard Magazine (English & Chinese) before returning to digital as West Coast Correspondent of Retail-Insider and numerous others. During this time, she gained an understanding of the publishing industry (print and digital) and its reliance on ad sales, the inequality of coverage for those people and brands without connections, and those without capital to have their essential stories shared with receptive audiences. In December 2019, seeking to fill a void in the local market for effective, eco-friendly and distraction-free content, she launched EcoLuxLifestyle.co and Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle (flippable and digital versions) as marketing vehicles for her latest venture – EcoLuxLuv Communications & Marketing. ELL Comms specializes in guiding small BC-based businesses with ethical and eco-friendly mandates to success through solid digital foundation development and comprehensive marketing strategies. In August 2023, Helen launched PORTFOLIO.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine is a partner publication for Folio.YVR showcases the stories of 10 Canadians who are creating, innovating, and making waves in their industries. Helen has worked with brands for over a decade to tell their stories through content creation, publishing, and digital marketing. She has never been one to shy away from a challenge; she is an expert-level problem-solver and an unorthodox troubleshooter with an extensive network of international connections honed from decades of entrepreneurism.

Describe and demonstrate, including metrics, your community support. How do you support and uplift your community, and how do they show that support in return? Minimum 25 words, maximum 2500 characters.

EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications has a proven track record of successfully collaborating with a diverse range of solo entrepreneurs and companies. Our expertise, honed over years of experience, spans various areas, including direct marketing, consulting, business development, digital foundation building, publicity, media placements, recruiting, networking, and referrals. This breadth of knowledge and experience ensures that we provide the best possible service to our clients. During the challenging times of the pandemic, we actively engaged with numerous associates to establish home-based businesses, providing comprehensive support in launching social media platforms, creating websites, designing campaigns, and training on essential platforms such as Canva and later.com. We also ensured the smooth management of financial responsibilities. The resilience and adaptability of these home-based businesses, which have not only survived but thrived post-pandemic, stand as a testament to our ability to navigate and excel in adversity. We are particularly excited about collaborating with new businesses, especially those within the vegan and plant-based sectors, and look forward to the opportunities this will bring. As EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications transitioned from media/marketing services to the compelling digital publishing realm, our capacity to elevate brands has experienced exponential growth. With a carefully curated database comprising over 35,000 Canadian business professionals, affiliate distribution agents (24,000+), and an omnichannel system that effectively disseminates repurposed content, we have achieved a monthly content reach exceeding 1 million views across all platforms. In addition, clients and featured individuals who partner with EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications automatically gain entry into the 'Friends of Folio.YVR Affiliate Program.' This program offers various opportunities for mutual benefit, including referrals resulting in commission payouts, commission paid forward to another small business, banking for future story inclusion, or charitable donations.

Why do you deserve to win the Business Impact award?

EcoLuxLuv EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications is not your typical marketing company. We do not create clickbait or follow trends to create viral content. Instead, we specialize in crafting evergreen legacy content that sets the bar for a brand. Our team works diligently behind the scenes, creating organic content that champions Vancouver and the West Coast, and the visionaries and innovators that make this city unforgettable. We do this through strong public-facing text and imagery that resonates with our audience. With over 2,000 stories, articles, blogs, and press releases published; 100,000+ social media posts created and shared; over 500,000 flips of the magazine titles; and incalculable social media reach, EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications has an extensive track record. We deserve to win the Business Impact award, not for being the most recognizable but for being there when small businesses need us most.

Tell Us About Your Culture. How are you creating a sustainable and healthy workplace where everyone feels welcome? Provide examples of leadership you show in interactions with clients, vendors, contractors, staff and others.

EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications is a company that empowers entrepreneurship, inviting all those who wish to embark on a new journey. We believe in the potential of freelancers and as such, we exclusively collaborate with them for our services, fostering a culture of innovation and creativity. Over the years, we have encouraged and worked with many interns (JCI Institute) who felt their only option for post-grad work was to work in fast fashion as sales associates in starting businesses. Helping them lay the groundwork for their future included assisting with name/logo design, website building, training on digital marketing, product development, business etiquette, networking protocol, and more with no fee. At EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications, our commitment to our clients is unwavering. We do not just sign an agreement and move on. From the moment we start working together, we actively promote and recommend the brand at networking events, through word-of-mouth, and on social media. This long-term dedication is a testament to our belief in the brands we work with. One of the unique offerings at EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications is our AMBASSADORSHIP PROGRAM. In our continuous effort to champion Vancouver and the West Coast, we have designed this program to have an Ambassador in various market niches (Tech, Live Theatre, Social Events, Beauty, Health & Wellness, and Hospitality). This ensures that community events are attended and promoted, rising stars are recognized and promoted, and we stay connected with the pulse of the communities in the city, sparking intrigue and interest among our audience. Our REFERRAL PROGRAM is designed to be mutually beneficial. It offers various opportunities for individuals and organizations to scout within their networks those who would be a good fit for any or all the three publications that EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications currently produces. The referral program has a commission structure of 20%-50% depending on the value of the content, resulting in commission payouts, commission paid forward to another small business, banking for future story inclusion or charitable donation. This system benefits newbie entrepreneurs two-fold because it encourages them to step out of their comfort zone and monetize their networking efforts.