David Rocco: All in the Family

It’s one of those dog days of summer, when humidity is hard to deal with and precipitation doesn’t help your case, that celebrity chef David Rocco arrives at a Toronto studio. He’s breathless and clammy after having had to circumnavigate a tricky maze of staircase and hallway before reaching his intended destination.

Slightly dishevelled but intact from his journey, Rocco reminds us that sometimes life isn’t all apple pie and sunshine – even if others wistfully think you’re living the sweet life uninterrupted. “Are you kidding? Yesterday, on my birthday, I had one of the toughest days at work – we’re doing a new series – and there were some issues that came up. I have a business, a production company, and like any entrepreneur or business person, you have challenges,” says the eponymous host and producer of David Rocco’s Dolce Vita. “Nothing’s easy. The harder you work, the luckier you Read more

Amado Salon: The Mane Attraction

It was nearly three years ago when hair stylist-entrepreneur Robert Amado first opened Amado Salon, and he’s never looked back since. Through a customer-first philosophy and the skilled hands of innovative stylists, Amado Salon has blossomed into one of Kleinburg’s mane attractions.

“If it is one thing that we have learned in the last three years it is that if you take care of the people, the business takes care of itself,” says Robert Amado, owner and creative director of Amado Salon. “There are so many factors in running a business, but at the end of the day, it’s the people that matter most.”

Like the agile scissors of a polished stylist, Amado’s empathy towards his clients’ needs has shaped this cutting-edge salon into a sanctuary of style and relaxation. Read more

Brett Wilson’s Risky Business

As much as I love the Hollywood classic Risky Business, I’m not sure I want to see a remake where former Dragons’ Den star Brett Wilson rocks out in his underwear to Bob Seger’s Old Time Rock and Roll. What’s that? Wilson’s Risky Business is a high-risk, high-reward investment TV show? That sounds more like it.

Based on the British series Beat the Bank, Wilson’s latest on-air venture creates opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs alike. An investment-inclined couple is introduced to two opportunities and selects the one they fancy to finance; Wilson backs the other. The two sides then have 30 days to see their prospects flourish or fail.

“Real people show up with their own money,” says Wilson, who entertained over 700 business opportunities on Dragons’ Den. “We do real follow-ups on real deals in real time and we get Read more

Designer Diva — Roula Thalassinos, Stagedfx

“I can’t live without my imagination,” says Roula Thalassinos, the owner and visionary behind Stagedfx. With a presence and passion for the home staging and interior decorating business, she doesn’t have to.

Growing up, Thalassinos always had a love of beautiful things. “My mother was a custom dressmaker and I would always see luxurious fabrics and one-of-a-kind pieces.” Following in her mother’s footsteps, this businesswoman first started as a fashion designer for her own successful line of children’s clothing. After years of compliments on the look of her home, it was time to apply her knack for decorating and creative vision to yet another endeavour.

Thalassinos soon became an expert in the home staging industry and a successful interior decorator. “When staging Read more

Dragon’s Den’s Brett Wilson

‘‘With great power comes great responsibility.” The first time I encountered this phrase I was seven years old with my nose buried deep in a Spider Man comic. At the time, I had absolutely no idea what it meant, just that it sounded pretty cool. Indeed, power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely – guess that’s where the responsibility comes in. There are many men tempted and corrupted by the seductive allure of financial conquest and the power it brings. Entrepreneur and television star Brett Wilson once walked this dangerous path, but unlike his ferocious fellow constituents, Wilson has evolved as an individual and become a beloved and big-hearted philanthropist known for his generous exploits and business prowess.

Today, Brett Wilson is a highly successful Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist and all-around good guy. He’s the Read more

Inventors Business Centre (IBC) Canada Launch

Inventors and entrepreneurs joined in on the excitement and celebrated the launch of IBC on May 19, 2010. Introduced by Canadian entrepreneurs Steven Page and Kevin Harrington, Inventors Business Centre Canada will give businesspeople the tools they need to turn their ideas and inventions into successful new Read more

City Life Great Achievers

Great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, once wrote: “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.” City Life magazine introduces booming entrepreneurs in the GTA who have carved their own successful existences. These great achievers give us a good reason to never give up. All admirable and ambitious, with impressive businesses, these inspiring community icons are showing our readers what it takes to lead successful lives and achieve their goals. Read more

Reasons to Love Vaughan

We’ve scoured the city, chatted with prominent people and examined the evidence, all in our attempt to unearth the source of Vaughan’s allure. This is what we found.

Green Initiatives
With numerous green initiatives in place such as the Greening Vaughan program and an impressive 740 hectares of parks and acres of land ensured by the Woodlot Protection Strategy, Vaughan is committed to painting the city green. “The woodlots that you see that are speckled through our subdivisions are going to be there through perpetuity. Vaughan is one of the first municipalities in the province of Ontario to do this,” says Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson. Read more

All Roads Lead to Tokmakjian Group

For a man who has successfully conquered the competitive industry of transportation, Vahe “Cy” Tokmakjian emanates bashful charm. He’s dressed in a light-coloured suit and dress shirt of a royal blue. Sipping on his morning coffee, Cy’s face is never without smile or nostalgic expression, as he delves into the storied past of his domestic and international conglomeration, Tokmakjian Group, a prodigy in the transportation business.

Headquartered in Ontario’s industrial community of Concord, Tokmakjian Group was conceived from childhood dreams and born via skilled experience. During a time when deals were sealed with a handshake, Cy set out solo at 29, unbeknown to what the future had in store for him. “I remember shaking hands with Tony DeGasperis, when we were both small businessmen beginning our journeys,” Cy, 69, reflects. Read more

Julie Toskan-Casale, From Lipstick to Philanthropy

Julie Toskan-Casale looks as though she would be comfortable working behind the M.A.C counter at the local department store. Dressed in all black with chunky accessories and perfectly applied makeup, she still has the M.A.C look that has become their staple. But Toskan-Casale was never just a girl behind the counter. She was the girl behind the whole company. One might think that the woman who co-founded M.A.C would be rather hard-edged considering the line’s bold attitude and product names like Smut, Bitter, and Vex, but Toskan-Casale is anything but. With a friendly demeanor and a warm smile, it is not hard to tell why she went from the high-glamour world of fashion and makeup to starting a charitable organization that teaches high school students how to become philanthropists and give back to their communities. With the work that she does, Toskan-Casale proves that it’s possible to take success and turn it into something even better. Read more