Blackout Podcast

Leah is the “business hug every entrepreneur needs”—at least, that’s what her clients tell her. She’s an entrepreneur, marketer, teacher, and international trade practitioner. Leah practices what she preaches and teaches—structured joy to move you through your work day, overcome barriers, and unlock opportunities. After all, you can’t spell functional without FUN!

As co-owner of Kelford Inc. (along with her brilliant partner Joel Kelly—check out his episode!), Leah spend her days translating complex entrepreneurial emotions and desires into clear operational, financial, and marketing actions. This helps the amazing entrepreneurs and founders they work with achieve meaningful business results (and often lifelong dreams), and enjoy the process along the way.

When not consulting on marketing or teaching trade, you’ll find her mucking about her wonderfully chaotic garden; digging through the compost heap, talking to the birds, quietly watching the bees enjoy the flowers, or collecting the day’s delicious veggies!

Akintunde Abimbola is a seasoned Real Estate professional with years of experience and knowledge of the Nova Scotia real estate market.

Akin has helped numerous families find their dream homes and high turnover investment properties in the Halifax Regional Municipality by leveraging on technology and excellent collaboration with prospective home buyers and sellers.

Akin is licensed with Air Realty Limited, a Bronze Award recipient for Innovative Business of the Year by the 2020 Halifax Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

Find out more @akinzogeee

Joel Kelly is a writer and marketer from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He owns and operates Kelford Inc., a boutique marketing firm, with his wife and business partner Leah Sanford. Joel spends his days helping entrepreneurs “demonstrate their value at a distance,” which is his definition of marketing.

He’s a writer and strategist who’s spent his career helping clients find the right words to attract their best prospects. He’s built and led large marketing teams, won international industry awards for his clients, and helped founders and entrepreneurs get their business off of the ground and into the market.

Outside of marketing, Joel is a history and film enthusiast, a collector of 90s movies on VHS, and one of his fondest accomplishments is having all five generations of the Sony PlayStation hooked up to his living room TV at all times.

Check him out on his LinkedIn Page @joelkelly

Precious Fagbile is a Halifax-based musician, music director, and keyboardist celebrated for his versatility and dynamic live performances.

With a passion for Afrobeat, gospel, RnB, and hip hop. Precious has worked with renowned artists such as Teni Makanaki, Eben, Arenye, and Tomi Favored. He has also shared stages with acclaimed artists like Buju (BNXN), Falz, and Todd Dulaney, and performed with Symphony Nova Scotia, seamlessly bridging contemporary and classical music.

As the music director for KruxBand, Precious brings his expertise in keyboard performance and arrangement to craft unforgettable live experiences. His work has been showcased at prestigious events such as JunoFest, held during the Juno Awards weekend, Nova Scotia Music Week, the East Coast Music Awards, and the Halifax Jazz Festival. Whether arranging intricate gospel harmonies or delivering high-energy afrobeat rhythms, his creativity and attention to detail consistently shine.

Precious’s engaging social media presence combines his humorous personality with his deep connection to music, helping him build strong connections with a diverse and growing audience. Determined to become one of the most trusted music directors in Canada, he continues to push the boundaries of live music while inspiring others through his craft and charisma.

Check him out @pre5h_

Two words answer the question: What’s the vibe?

MILLION VIBES!

@million___vibes

Rosanna Pelton is the founder and CEO of ROSAPEL Virtual Assistant Services Incorporated. Recognized for her ingenuity and unwavering dedication to helping businesses thrive, Rosanna has positioned ROSAPEL as a premier provider of virtual assistant and consulting services.

With a profound understanding of the challenges entrepreneurs face, Rosanna founded ROSAPEL with the mission of alleviating the administrative burden on business owners. Her company provides tailored solutions that enhance productivity, efficiency, and organization for clients across various industries.

Find out more @rosapel_va

With Over Two Decades Of Experience, Devin Sherrington Is An Award-Winning Fitness Professional And The Founder Of 360fit. Named The #2 Best Trainer In Canada In 2015, Devin’s Commitment To Excellence Has Been Recognized With 10 Gold Awards, 3 Silver Awards, And 9 Bronze Awards For Halifax’s Best Trainer.

His Dedication To Fitness And Client Success Extends To His Gym, 360fit, Which Has Earned Top Honors As Coast Magazine’s Best Gym, Including A Gold Award In 2013, Multiple Silver Awards In 2012, 2014, And 2015, And Bronze In 2017, 2018, And 2019.

The Gym Has Also Been Recognized By Metro Star, Winning Silver In 2018 And 2019. Devin’s Expertise And Passion Continue To Inspire Clients And Elevate The Fitness Community.

Check him out @360fitgym

Okoye Franklin aka Bad Friends is a record producer, sound engineer, DJ, musician & songwriter from Halifax.

Supported by Spinnin’ Records and recently signed to One Seven Music, distributed by Sony Music, Bad Friends mixes his Nigerian roots with his new Canadian home in a thunderous heartfelt track that lets EDM and Afrobeat mingle on the dance floor.

Check him out @badfriends_music

Courage has 10+ years of experience in the corporate world in different continents and across sectors. She is currently a Business Development Manager at Futurpreneur and supports Young Entrepreneurs in Nova Scotia in launching their businesses through the organization’s various program offerings.

Courage has developed a number of skill sets in her career journey, and combined with her diverse experience, she is able to support and champion different causes across Africa – first in her home country, Nigeria and two Eastern African countries – Ethiopia and Kenya. Some of these causes include financial literacy training for women and tech education for children.

A lover of art and entrepreneurship, Courage operates a digital media outfit in Halifax and spends her weekends photographing individuals, and helping professionals and small business owners create memorable brands through photography and storytelling.

Courage holds a master’s degree in International Development from The New School, New York, a Bachelor’s degree in Guidance and counselling from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria; and several certificates in finance, Web design, Marketing and Project Management.

In her downtime, Courage enjoys photographing, designing, bead crafting, cooking, reading, volunteering and travelling.