[EP 85] From immigrating to Canada to getting a deal on Dragons' Den: Constanza Safatle's inspiring story and journey.

For the first time ever, we have a guest joining us on the podcast. The one and only Constanza Safatle.

Listen to the incredible story of this lawyer-turned-entrepreneur who founded Newbornlander, a social enterprise that's become a beacon of hope and empowerment for immigrant women. From learning English at Starbucks to winning over the Dragons on national television, Constanza has been unstoppable in her journey the last 8 years. 

In this episode we celebrate the steps, both big and small, that have led Newbornlander to resonate so deeply with its customers and community. From these personal anecdotes, any listener can draw strength and inspiration—learning that it's possible to build a business that's not only financially successful but also rich in culture and connection, and that fear can be a powerful tool for growth when faced head-on.

Constanza's story exemplifies the sacrifices entrepreneurs make and the resilience required to push through barriers, whether it's changing local laws or preparing for a life-changing pitch on Dragons' Den.

So, if you're ready to be moved by a tale of determination and heart, join us for this episode of Money in Miracles—an episode that will leave you both enlightened and inspired.

Links mentioned:

Newbornlander's Instagram @newbornlander and website https://newbornlander.ca/

Emily's meditations: buy the entire vault for $97

Want to be coached by Emily? Connect with her on Instagram @emilyking.ca for more information.

Transcript

Constanza Safatle: 0:00

because, at the end of the day, nobody's telling us, oh, I don't like it. Or nobody is telling us, no, you can't. We are the ones that usually put these words in our brains, our minds.

Emily King: 0:15

Hello and welcome to the Money in Miracles podcast with me, emily King. We call ourselves rich women over here because we are all about living the rich woman life inside and out. We take the taboo at a talking money and we say yes to our desires. And each week I'll be bringing you a dose of money, mindset and relatable life stories so you can go out into the world and live your best freaking life. Let's do this, rich woman. Hey everyone, welcome back to the Money in Miracles podcast with myself, emily King. We have a really incredible podcast for you today.

Emily King: 0:54

I brought on my first ever guest, constanze Sifatle, and to be honest, I've like rerecorded this intro so many times because it is so hard to succinctly summarize how incredible this woman is. I will say this she is the founder and owner of an incredible social enterprise and business here locally in Newfoundland called Newborn Lander. I'll link it up in the show notes If you have no idea what this business is. Go look it up. And it is beyond just baby hats, baby bibs, baby accessories. It is such a movement, such a community, such an empowering business for women and, in particular, women immigrants coming into and refugees coming into Newfoundland, and Constanze is one freaking powerhouse. So I met Constanze a few years ago when she reached out to me. She had seen online that I was doing vision board workshops and she asked if I could come in and do a vision board workshop with her staff. So I did, I went in and it was incredible. To this day I still, you know, see some of her staff and get to witness their incredible ventures that they've embarked on and made dreams come true. And that was the start of it.

Emily King: 2:16

Then last year she reached out to me because she was going on the Dragon's Den and those of you outside of Canada, dragon's Den is the equivalent of Shark's Tank. So she had been selected, auditioned and got selected to go onto the Dragon's Den. So she was preparing to go onto the show. She reached out to me, asked if she could have a session. We had a session to help her with her minds, had her confidence really showing up and, you know, owning her power in that moment. And, spoiler alert, she got a freaking deal. She wasn't allowed to tell me she was sworn to secrecy with the show and even she went on to then hire me privately to work with her for four months as her private coach and like she knew the result, even working with me in the beginning, and I was dying to know, but I knew that she couldn't tell me until it got revealed to the public. So I was just as surprised as many of you were, who watched it live, to see that she got a deal. I shouldn't say surprised. I had a good feeling she would get a deal because, as you will soon hear, she is an incredible woman.

Emily King: 3:27

To give you a little bit of the backstory behind Constanza she is from Chile and she was a lawyer in Chile and she moved to Newfoundland eight years ago with her husband and she knew zero English and basically had to start from the ground up. Right, as you'll hear in the interview, she started working at Starbucks. She knew zero English and just kind of work in and being forced to speak English. She figured it out. She is just this driven, solution oriented woman who finds a way to make her dreams happen and the dreams of others. So, as you'll hear in the interview, she started up a business having zero sewing skills, having zero knowledge of how to sew, but started her business with an idea and, as you'll hear in the interview, it grew and grew and grew to what it is today and I tell you it's going to huge places beyond just Newfoundland.

Emily King: 4:29

Not only is she a Dragonsden winner I guess you could call it, but she also recently won the Canada Post Tales to Triumph Award, which is a huge prize that Canada Post does across the country. She got selected, won it. So this woman just is relentless in pursuing her dreams and making shit happen, right, just to put it bluntly, just makes shit happen. Where there's a will, there's a way, and I really hope that this interview today blesses you with inspiration, with hope, with knowing that, no matter what obstacles you're facing, you can overcome it. And just witnessing another woman in this world doing incredible things, I hope that just shows you what's possible for yourself. So enjoy this interview with Constanze Safatle of Newbornlander. So tell me a bit about how did this idea come to you to even start a business.

Constanza Safatle: 5:33

I always have these inside boys that I want to do a business Since I was really young. I remember taking the bus to go to the school, then to the university and go through the street and see all these businesses with their name there and it was like who will start that? Who was the person in that family that they did the C-Sherm? Today we will start a business, this will be the name. And then they opened this space and when they put the sign, how they feel and it was like, oh, that would be so cool if I am able to do it one day. And doesn't matter which kind of business it was can be like a bakery or something like that. I just admire the fact that a person have a dream and make it happen. So I feel that I always have these inside me like, oh, one day that can be me. I never knew how, when or what, but I always admire a lot that in kind of entrepreneurial life and brain and so I always thought that it is my dream when they do something like that.

Emily King: 6:51

Okay, I love that. So you had been a lawyer in Chile for how many years before you moved? And almost two years, okay, okay. So two years as a lawyer moved to Newfoundland with two young kids, husband your husband's going to school your home how many years was it? Well, I guess you're working at Starbucks full-time. Was it full-time? You were working there, yeah.

Constanza Safatle: 7:16

I was working full-time and the two children born here, so they are Newfoundlanders actually.

Emily King: 7:22

Yeah, oh right, because, yeah, with their ages, yeah, that would make sense. Yeah, so they're. Oh my God, so you're like, wow, so two small kids here working at Starbucks figuring out life. When was it that you decided to start your business? Like how many? Years in here.

Constanza Safatle: 7:39

Yeah, well, first, my work at Starbucks was amazing. I believe that every job matters, doesn't matter what it is. I truly enjoy it. Never was a morning that I feel like I need to go to make coffee. I was really, really happy, and I learned English there, so I am really grateful to be there. But at some point I started to think like, okay, I feel that I would like to do something else, but I didn't know how, because my networking was zero. My English was a little bit more decent, but I have my first child, mateo.

Constanza Safatle: 8:15

And then it's when I believe, women that are in maternity leave. It is a creative time, it is a challenging time, it is a daily challenge that solve problems alone in your home with your baby, and so I believe it is a really great time. So I thought, okay, I am in my home, I am learning every single day in how to be a mother, basically, and so let's start to think of something else. If I need to come back to Starbucks, I would be really happy, but I knew inside me that I have something else that I need to put out, like, for me, make business is a way to express who we are.

Emily King: 9:02

You know.

Constanza Safatle: 9:03

And so I start to think, okay, what I will do, what I will do, what I will do, and then become the idea like in that maternity leave time.

Emily King: 9:15

And so that was with your first time, mateo, that you had this idea.

Constanza Safatle: 9:19

Yeah, yeah. And it's so funny because sometimes Mateo asked me like, hey, mom, I was your inspiration to start your business, and I was like no, no.

Emily King: 9:31

You're not getting that credit Mateo.

Constanza Safatle: 9:33

I'm sorry but no, my, I mean. The reason why I go through the manufacturing industry in baby accessories was because I couldn't find a good bandana bit. But the real reason why I started New Volander and was because I was not able to find any other job where I can feel that I can show who I was, my skills, that I believe that I have leadership skills. I am a really creative person and unfortunately, making coffee is not a place where I can show the world. It is a place where I cannot get my full potential. So that limitation to move here, to don't have access to English classes, to don't be able to show who I was, make me think I can create something. And in the future, if I am able to create this thing, what if I hire other women like me that feel that they have more potential, that they feel alone, that they are not able to get basic services like a formal English classes? So that's why my real inspiration.

Emily King: 10:55

Those of you that don't know, constanza had this idea to do the bibs, and now you do hacks and all sorts of things now, but you had zero sewing experience, so you bought a sewing machine, caught yourself on YouTube and like, how did you? Because there's lots of people out there that I chat with that have these ideas but they don't know where to start, or even if they are making something in their home, they're scared to sell it or show it or like start putting themselves out there. So did you come up against any fears of like I can't sell this stuff? Or tell us about that journey of when you started to actually putting it out there?

Constanza Safatle: 11:41

Yeah well, yes, of course, I still have many fears and it's something that, with the time, you learn and you train and you ask for help, as I asked, like Mike Kozhin, with you also like, allowed me to overcome this fear. So, first, fears will be there forever, right, we need to learn how to embrace this and move forward.

Emily King: 12:09

So fears aren't allowed to be an excuse, really.

Constanza Safatle: 12:12

Oh, yeah, no, and I learned in my journey as an entrepreneur we need to stop to make a habit, the argument why you don't do the things that you know that you need to do in order to get where you want to be. So, for example, I don't have money to start, I don't have time for a start, it's not the right time to start a business. Well, and what if this happened and nobody liked it? And what if like? But what if it works? Yeah, I feel that we are so used to think first in the negative way because it's so easy to think and fail because success is hard. It's so easy to talk in a negative way. If we can transform that in a positive and we can first to our mind and come to positive, like, and what if it works? And what if everyone loved it? And what if? Then I go to the Dragon's Den, you know, and what if everyone getting love and this became a national thing? Yeah, and what if? Like? If we are able to switch, to move? That switch in our head, I feel, is where everything is start to happen, because, at the end of the day, nobody is telling us, oh, I don't like it, or nobody is telling us no, you can.

Constanza Safatle: 13:31

We are the ones that usually put these words in our brains, our minds. So when I started, I I I feel that I was enjoying so much, I was so impressed about my skills to sell and the time that I couldn't believe it, that I was like wow, I am really good. I was like cool, like. And then, when I started my first day in the farmers market, I remember that a person go customer and he was like you know, I don't have any baby, but see your display, like how you are putting an expose, like you know how you put the people, how you put this pilot hat, just I feel you will be super successful. And he didn't buy it. And but I remember that words because I was like I think so too.

Constanza Safatle: 14:25

I think that if you walk in the farmers market at that time in the lion's loops and you see my stand stand, you know you will say like, oh, this is beautiful. I don't have any baby, but it's beautiful. And I always have that kind of identity. I want to create something different, something that people see and say like wow, this is special, like good things I can find here, you know, and I believe the piece of joy in doing your and in Abandana beat in that time was so it was so excited that just only think that somebody will be by it and, in exchange, will be pay me for that and what's excited. So I didn't. I mean, and when you are starting you need to think, okay, what can be wrong, like if this doesn't work, what is that? And that is fail. And when you fail, that is a feedback of the market or a customer telling you I don't like it because something, and that feedback is knowledge and knowledge is power.

Emily King: 15:38

So you always win, yeah and actually as long as you don't quit on yourself.

Constanza Safatle: 15:46

Yeah, and it's not personal, it's about and maybe I should be changed. Like, I can give you an example when I started Newfoundlander, I choose the logo to be a newfoundland dog and everyone approach to Newfoundlander thinking that was a dog, a store for dogs, and I was like how you there, like it is for babies, and but what's something by the logo? And who cares? I change it. Yeah, and that is the thing. Like you are in a constant path of improvements, even today, and that is the beauty of business. You know business, you need to. I don't like perfection, but I like to stick at some point something better every single day. And that day when that customer told me that I was like huh, okay, that is over me. I make a mistake. Of course, if you read Newfoundlander dog, you say, okay, this is a big dog store. Yeah, and that is not a fail. I mean, yes, I explain money doing that logo mistake. Okay, I fail, I change it, I win.

Emily King: 17:04

Amazing. So it sounds to me like the joy of the process is what kept you going and embracing Well actually, not even well embracing, but also redirecting perceived failure as feedback and just keep going.

Constanza Safatle: 17:25

Yeah, I love that in red reaction or redirection.

Emily King: 17:34

Oh, is it rejection or is it redirection? Uh huh, yes, and you get to choose and you kept choosing. This is redirection, and maybe because sometimes people get rejection and it's straight up rejection, like I don't like this, but it's our choice and to go, am I going to care about the fact that they don't like it?

Constanza Safatle: 17:53

Oh, yeah, and many times you have projections and you can say, no, I feel my intuition is like you are wrong. I feel like I'm in the right path, yeah, and you continue to see that path if you, if you feel it but I love that oh, that is rejection. Is God protection? Yeah, because it is. I mean, and it is feedback. Rejection is also information that you can take and shoot If you will redirect or you will continue seeing this path because you believe is the right one and the person that is giving you that. And rejection is wrong.

Emily King: 18:32

When was or was there a moment when you it felt like you were onto something bigger than just yourself?

Constanza Safatle: 18:41

Yeah, yeah, I feel Newfoundlander and always recommend entrepreneurs that I start in their business. You can have any excuse to start a business, okay, like, okay, I want to be my own boss, or I want to, you know, have money and get money in another way and I want to have my time. But at some point, what? If you get all that? Okay, you get all that. What else? What is the reason? Like you already have it all, and I choose, I believe, a mission that is so strong and have it as a continuous and I don't think I will solve the whole problem, which is good, because this keeps me up every single day to say, I believe, that immigrants, women, that are arriving to this province, don't have the basics to be successful. What are the?

Emily King: 19:38

basics. What do you mean by?

Constanza Safatle: 19:40

that the basics for me is arrive to one place, find other peers, navigate with them in a place that empowers you, a place where ask you, how are you, what do you want? How I can help you to get there. A place that can teach you English, to see you succeed, not to check the box, you know like and a formal English class is not volunteers that I love volunteers, that they try to help you in their best capacity. But if you cannot celebrate that process to provide formal English classes focusing in an specific industry, I don't know, like if I will have access to English classes, basic and then focus okay, I want to be a lawyer again how I can prepare myself to get there or even connect me with one employer. That is a last year and I will figure out inside every day, working there, making coffee there, I don't care, put me there, put me in the context.

Constanza Safatle: 20:43

I will figure out. And I asked for that and they told me, no kind of, you don't belong there. You are not anymore a lawyer here and I was like I would take forever to be where I want to be and I feel and that we deserve better. I feel that these province have a huge potential. People need to understand that the people that is arriving how amazing skills and they are not able to show that, to tell you this, because the system push you to don't go in that way, push you to take places and roles that you never like, that you think that are not there for you. You know that you come to this world for something else, but that the system don't allow you to show that.

Constanza Safatle: 21:35

So my mission in New Bolander was and what if I can change that? And what if I can respect this country, which I call home, and kind of have a strong brand? And I want that everyone understand that when you have a brand, you have a responsibility. You have a reputation to take care about it, you have values to protect and, unfortunately, many times, when it is this expectation because that is the call that the country made come immigrants. We need you and we need professionals and you come and you realize that nothing is in place, that it was kind of a shit in publicity and you need to start from the beginning and the scratch which okay, I will do it how you can facilitate that space, how you can accelerate the process of belonging.

Constanza Safatle: 22:32

So I thought, like you know what, Okay, it's not here, I cannot change that but what if I do it? And what if I show, through my company, the values that another have? And I try to do that with a lot of pride, Like if you come to New Bolander, I hope that the women that enter and work here still think that this is Canada, this is fair, this is opportunities, this is transparency, this is a place of dialogue, this is a place that was waiting for you and want to see you succeed. And that is exactly what is New Bolander. So the mission is so big and I know that I will not able to solve the big problem that I think that we have, but I can show by the example, I can create waves, I can change and definitely, yes, we do.

Emily King: 23:26

So is it as you started to get your business going and creating the opportunity for yourself? Because, like you said, it wasn't out there, like people were basically putting you at the bottom of the ladder and going figure it out by yourself, you know. And so you said I'm going to pave my way, I'm going to make my own business, I'm going to sell my own products, I'm going to do it. So did you? As you were going, did you have that moment where you're like I'm going to hire, like when was that moment where you're like I'm going to hire someone else to do this too?

Constanza Safatle: 23:59

Yeah, well, when I was trying, because my capacity body capacity didn't allow me to fulfill the demand, which is pretty cool. I have a huge demand and I am the kind of business person that I will never close New Bolander because we don't have capacity. I will continue, I will figure out, but I will not close opportunities because we don't have capacity. And so I was like, okay, I am sewing until 5am.

Emily King: 24:29

Oh, my God.

Constanza Safatle: 24:32

And wake up at 5am to make my products and be able to sell them. So I thought like, okay, this is not anymore sustainable. And I feel that cold when you are not enjoying anymore because you can give more. And if the time that you need to stop and think, let's solve this, let's solve the problem and realize that I need to hire someone, was amazing, but also was really painful, because I realized that in order to hire someone, I will need to leave, give the company to somebody else for my immigration status and I thought, okay, there is two options.

Constanza Safatle: 25:16

I can continue like this, you know, sewing by myself, getting money for me, and I will be like this forever. Or I will give the company to a Canadian friend. I will challenge the system. I don't care the rules, okay, I will follow your rules, but it's ridiculous. So I will continue. I will give the company to somebody else and I will hire in someone. In order I mean to hire in someone, you need to incorporate, right, so it would be a payroll and it would be everything formal. And also I was growing so I was able. I can apply to fundings, but if I am not incorporated, nobody would give me a dollar, like the bank don't give me a credit card.

Constanza Safatle: 26:01

Right yeah, and because I wasn't not a permanent resident. So was that moment in that you need to take decisions and I take them with a lot of pain because I need to give the control of the company to a Canadian friend. But I didn't care because, again, my mission was so strong that I didn't make this business for me.

Emily King: 26:21

What you say. Sorry, indra, when you say you gave control to a Canadian friend. You didn't like sell your company to someone. It was just like you passed over responsibilities.

Constanza Safatle: 26:30

Yeah, but basically the shares and you put that person get control over the company. So if that friend want to go away with my company, so it was a Canadian resident. Yeah, or permanent resident yeah, canadian permanent resident.

Emily King: 26:49

That you then, because you didn't have permanent residency, you couldn't incorporate Exactly Right, so you had to find someone who could incorporate newborn lander, so that you then could hire and grow the business.

Constanza Safatle: 27:02

That is correct yeah, Wow, yeah.

Emily King: 27:05

that's a big deal to hand over that key essentially.

Constanza Safatle: 27:10

Yeah, but I feel in that crucial moment is where you come back to your why, why you are doing this. It's for you, it's for your children, it is for your family. In my case, yeah, it is a quote of that, but this is for other women, this is for our community and I will not make any impact and I will not get any immigrant women working in newborn lander if I don't give this a step and I make it for a place of love. I was afraid, but we don't take decision in our business from a place of fear. We take decisions from a place of love. And that is exactly what I did and was the best decision, I think.

Constanza Safatle: 27:54

When you are able to hiring, it's scary. I know many people say like, oh, but I need to create more profit, then right, increase my sales to be able to maintain that person. And that is what happened. If you don't take the step, you will never know. It is a risk, but it's a control risk that you can control the risk. So it is the step and it is beautiful and you will feel really proud when you hiring someone and say like we are two now. I always thought when would be the day that I would be able to hiring someone, and today we are seven in newborn lander, so I feel like yeah, incredible, from how many different countries Seven.

Constanza Safatle: 28:37

Wow, each of us is from different countries and it is amazing, but we have something that cross culture. It is a culture of newborn lander. Every day, you enter to newborn lander and you give a hug, like every single day is not like hi, hi, no, no, no. You enter and you give a hug to your friend that is there sewing next to you.

Emily King: 29:03

Oh.

Constanza Safatle: 29:04

I love that. That hug every morning really inspired me to start my day.

Constanza Safatle: 29:10

So you go in, give a hug, yeah to each of them and a hug and a kiss, because I am from Chile, but that hug for everyone, even. Like you know, body language cross all cultures and many times I told them, like you feel so alone as an immigrant, you don't have your mom here, you don't have your sister, your brother to give a hug and enter to newborn lander and give a hug and have that hug back. It is oh amazing. It's full of energies. Like you are not alone, I am here with you. So I love that. That is part of newborn lander. So far, everyone that entered to newborn lander like that is the way even if I don't go to newborn lander, when they enter between each other it is a hug. How are you? Good morning yeah.

Emily King: 30:05

And what I love about this story is that, because I think a lot of people get caught up in needing to know, like I like to say think big, do small, like take those small little breadcrumb steps. Because, and maybe people don't even have a huge vision to start, because, like I feel like when you started your business, you didn't see it like hiring lots of people. It was just like, oh, like I want to make a change for myself, like get myself established here. So you like had the little dream, took a step. The dream got bigger, you took the next step. The dream got bigger, took the next step.

Emily King: 30:35

And I feel like so many people get caught up in having a dream and going how do I get there? What's my next step? And newborn lander wasn't created overnight with the hugs, with the love, with the environment, with the seven staff, with all that kind of stuff. It started from you sitting down with a sewing machine in YouTube, right, and it didn't start with you going I'm going to go on Dragon's Den. So I just love this evolution and the fact that love guided the next step. And fear was there for the process, but it was in the backseat of the car.

Constanza Safatle: 31:10

Yeah, yeah.

Emily King: 31:11

Yeah, and actually I want to jump for a second to something around this whole fear, because when we start working together I remember our first we had that VIP day together and you had the fears presented and I just want you to share what was that kind of aha moment for you around, because at that time you kind of wanted to get rid of the fears, like I don't want to feel this way, I don't want to feel completely powerful, and you are an incredibly passionate, powerful, driven woman. So tell people listening how you were able to shift having fears and kind of what that experience was like in that VIP day.

Constanza Safatle: 31:56

OK, so well, first of all, I am a person that I like to solve problems. I mean, I am concerned when people are carrying problems, so I don't do that, I solve problems. If I see something, I don't move forward, and to solve it If I can. I am pretty rational, I am not crazy on that, but I don't like to carry problems over me and for me, being afraid and feel all this control go against my personality and I feel it's a lot of expectation.

Constanza Safatle: 32:30

We see women in business that went power, doing this, doing that, and I was like I want to be that lion too. Looks like they are not afraid, looks like they have everything solved it and I want to be like that and I want that. So I come to you like hey, I want to solve this and I remember you teach me that. No, no, no. Like let's talk about it when this fear come from and we are humans and it's totally fine and it is OK. The way in how I approach now is like you learn how to control this, you know. You learn how to be enough empowered to put that fears in the back and embrace them and say it is OK and this will be happen and will be continuous, happen. Now what you will do with that is like can be little steps, like, for example, if sometimes I am afraid right now Newfoundlander is a transition space, a transformation space, of course I am afraid, but I have the same emotion.

Constanza Safatle: 33:36

When I hiring my first employee, I was afraid. I have the same emotion when I moved from home to a commercial space and I was like and now how I will pay a rent and salary is like I don't think that I will can. And there you go. Now we are seven people, we are planning an expansion in this space and I have the same emotion. So I learned how to recognize this emotion, what are the symptoms and how you work with that. I know I will go through this and I will succeed. And if I don't succeed, that is feedback. That is, I will redirect then my energy to another way to grow.

Emily King: 34:22

It comes right back to the basics, like we were talking about the beginning Failures, feedback, projections, redirection, and it's just that, this new level, now you had to get that. We're like, ok, Like you said, we look at the people that are doing the successful things, have all the things that we want, and we're like, oh well, they 100% of the time feel confident, they 100% of the time feel powerful.

Constanza Safatle: 34:42

And I was like no, that's bullshit and I feel that is so good to have a circle of people around you that is doing the same. It is when you have children and you are looking for fuller moms that have children too, so you can share. How do you feel? It's kind of the same. You need that support and learn that everyone is concerned when the payday and it's fine. And being a leader sometimes is really isolating because you are alone with all the things. People see just succeed. People just see oh, she's good, oh, she get it, oh, she probably have now a lot of money, and people forget the vulnerability and the human that is behind that and I feel that is what we should remind ourselves. That is what makes me also succeed in some ways is to see everyone as a human, like, oh yeah, a minister or, yes, the most successful entrepreneur business person, like when I was in the troubles. Then I thought, like, they're humans, they are exactly right, like me.

Emily King: 35:54

Like that's the worst thing that we can do for ourselves as humans, and entrepreneurs in particular, is put someone on the pedestal and think they have everything figured out and there's so much above you. It's like no, they just are moving through the fear and doing the things. So with that, I want to talk to you about Dragonstone, because that's a huge deal. What sparked the idea to apply to Dragonstone.

Constanza Safatle: 36:14

When I was really young in Chile, I watched Charthang.

Emily King: 36:19

Oh I love it.

Constanza Safatle: 36:20

Then I moved here and, oh, here is Dragonstone. Ok, so I remember sewing many times and putting my iPad and watch Dragonstone to learn English. And I remember one day I was sewing a little booty and I thought like, and one day I can be there, like it is possible one day be there. And then in last year January, I decided I get the PR and I decided to move full time to Newfoundlander. So I was like, ok, now I need to figure out my whole salary. And I remember, ok, well, I need to do big things. You know I really want to, this year, be meaningful. I will leave then off a profit sector, I will leave my full time job. I need to prepare the transition there, but I need to prepare my welcome package to Newfoundlander how, how I can go to the other level. And I receive an email saying are you ready for the Dragonstone? And I was like, you know, I think I am ready.

Emily King: 37:19

Cool. How did you receive this email? You're on like an email list or something like that.

Constanza Safatle: 37:22

Yeah, in an email list of Futurepreneur and they send an email and say are you ready for Dragonstone? I was like you know, I feel I am ready, wow, and that I was so determined. I mean, if you ask me today I can watch Dragonstone and I will be freak out, afraid to go, I will tell you I will never be go there. Like you can do a big ridiculous. Like you know, they can destroy you in national television, my English, my like, and what if I don't understand and what if I forget my English? Because when I am nervous, literally like my language can really limitate it and I'm, I didn't thought nothing about that. I was like I am ready and I will do it.

Emily King: 38:07

Wow, and yeah, I think that just comes back to that love voice, that heart versus head, like.

Constanza Safatle: 38:14

Yeah, I was really determined.

Emily King: 38:17

There's a real sense of groundedness within you that I think has guided you throughout this entrepreneurial journey.

Constanza Safatle: 38:26

Yeah, and I was like this would be an experience for my life. Yeah, so literally, if I fail or succeed, this would be a life experience For an entrepreneur. How much pride you feel to go there and just being selected. So I was like I will see the process and if I don't get it well, even the process would be allowed to me to learn.

Emily King: 38:50

So when did the what's the time frame? So the email came through when? When? In February, february, okay, and then you applied. And when did you?

Constanza Safatle: 39:00

hear back from them and they sent you an email to make auditions Make an audition. Okay, yeah, and I made the audition. I was coming from a big trip, from Cornerbrook, so I have just a date to prepare my audition. Wow.

Emily King: 39:15

And when was that? When did you get that email? Like April or?

Constanza Safatle: 39:19

No, I get that email like two weeks later. Oh, okay, so pretty quick. Yeah, I got an audition, yeah, and I made the audition and they told me and I remember I was here in my home preparing, a friend of mine helped me I gave this pitch to her and she was like okay, change this to that blah blah. And then I present my pitch and they told me Constanza, if you get a call, it's because you get it, if you don't get a call, it's because you don't. And I was like okay, so I wait for a call for two months, I feel Two months, Wow.

Emily King: 40:03

Then you get a call. I guess that's like probably April May. You get a call.

Constanza Safatle: 40:07

Yeah.

Emily King: 40:09

Saying what you've been selected. You're coming on like.

Constanza Safatle: 40:12

Yeah, yeah. And I received a call and was like, hey, and we are calling you from the Truggles then, and blah, blah and you get selected. You will go to the Truggles. Then I was like I couldn't believe it. I was crazy. Yeah, I feel so, so good. But I was also freaked out. I was like, oh, no, no, no, I need to go to national television and I need to give my best. That was when I knew I was like, okay in this, I will give my best. What you will see that day of myself will be my best version of my humanity that day.

Emily King: 40:52

That is what I thought. So you got that call, say May. You didn't go up until what?

Constanza Safatle: 40:56

was it August that you actually had to do the yeah Well, I just realized that I told you wrong the day.

Emily King: 41:02

Oh.

Constanza Safatle: 41:03

Sorry, okay, I applied. And they because I was in Chile. You remember that I was stuck in Chile and I couldn't come back. Yeah, so so I was there. I remember I already applied when that happened. So probably I applied. Sorry, big mistake. In November, oh, okay, november, yeah, okay, I make my audition there and like, let's say, a month later then I traveled to Chile, I was stuck, I couldn't come back home and I come back in January and they call me at the end of January to say that I will go and in May I go to film to shoot the video Right May was when you did it.

Emily King: 41:52

Well, something that really stuck with me because I think anyone listening would think holy shit, like how did you not have nerve? Or did you have nerves? How did you do it? How did you show up with confidence? And I remember you and I went for a lunch last summer after it had happened and you had said to me something that stuck with me forever where essentially, you said you could surrender to the outcome because you knew that you had done everything in your power to prepare for it and from there it was up to God universe whether it was meant to be or not. But you had gone in knowing that you had gone a hundred percent and beyond with your preparation. So there was no regrets, there wasn't going home and going. Oh, I wish I'd done this, I wish I'd done that. It was like I had fully prepared and done my part and I like to think of life really as this co-creation with God of like we do our 50%, god does its 50% and that's what I feel.

Emily King: 42:57

You were able to really surrender to that process because leading up to it, I mean you and I had a session together to do some mindset work on the confidence and really feeling good. Who else had you worked with to prepare you for Dragonstone?

Constanza Safatle: 43:10

Okay, so this is the thing. I am really a strategist and I recommend all entrepreneurs do that. Do what you can with the tools that you have today, not tomorrow. You are not rich now. You don't know a lot of people now. You are afraid. Now, okay, but what else do you have? What do you can do? So I was okay, I will go what I will do. Well, prepare my pitch.

Constanza Safatle: 43:31

So I choose seven Dragonstone in Newfoundland and Labraville. I choose a person expert in marketing, other one expert in accounting, other one expert as a lawyer, other one expert in business general, other one and I didn't know them, all of them. I didn't know all of them. I reach out to them and I say, hey, I am Constanza, I am the owner of Newfoundlander and I will go to the Dragonstone. Do you want to be my Dragonstone?

Constanza Safatle: 43:55

Now, of course I know I always think, like entrepreneurs, that is your job. You will increase your networking and if they tell you, no, sure, I didn't love anything, you know. But I am really direct. Like, give me 15 minutes. I invite you to a coffee, I will give you my pitch in five minutes and you have 10 minutes to give me your feedback, because usually these level of people don't have time to give. But if you say 15, okay, it's worth it. Okay, cool, yes, let's make. Okay. And I was curious okay, I want to hear your pitch while you were saying the travel. So I prepare so well my pitch. I have feedback from amazing people in the island and I became more and more comfortable telling my story.

Emily King: 44:49

Yeah.

Constanza Safatle: 44:50

And then I was numbers. Listen, I am the worst number. I am a lawyer, okay, so I am not good. So I was like, okay, how I can feel comfortable speaking about numbers studying. So I call a friend that was an accountant. I prepared all my numbers, was really clear, because I have a professional accountant over the company. But I need to learn terms like revenues, income and cost of goods. So, like you know so many kinds of like in English, because I can, I know them in Spanish, but in English and blah, blah, blah. So was crazy.

Constanza Safatle: 45:31

But I prepared myself in a way that, whatever you will ask me, I will know about it. I watch all the videos, the past videos of the dragons then every single day, and I take notes about the questions that they did. So I prepared myself with a rigor and kind of yeah, really like strict, like no, no, I will do everything that I can that after that is not regret, as you say. I will not come back home and say like, well, if that day I will wake up more early, or well, I was and I did this and I watch Netflix. You know the full and I don't know season of whatever, instead to a setting and focusing my pitch and my task that day. Nothing of that could be happened. I will not allow that happen and I should and take, yes, effort and sacrifices. Now do you pay the effort that you need and you will pay the sacrifices that you need. You know that you need to do to get where you want. And there is the question that I feel many people is like no, you know, I will not pay that cost. Good, yeah, it's fine, it's fair.

Constanza Safatle: 46:53

But what I did which is it's not crazy, it is like I am pretty. I have two young children, I have an amazing husband, I have great friends, I make a sport because it's my way to you know, like, breathe, yeah, so I I continues doing all that. I have fun in the process. I was sure that every special and you know plan that I will do my favorite things would be there my family, make a sport, my friends. But I will get some limitations in some things. I will not watch TV. Yeah, if you ask me to have fun, I will tell you. Emily, I am super focused in this. We can meet the next month, like I am really focused and commit with this.

Emily King: 47:37

Incredible. And then you go to. You go to Dragonsden and the beautiful thing was you got to bring your family with you. Yeah, and was there anything? I'm curious was there any like ritual or anything you did before you stepped out into the den that centered you or grounded you?

Constanza Safatle: 47:56

Before entering, I remember I put my earphones, yeah, and I make a meditation, actually from your meditation package that you have, yeah, and I remember thinking in each of the dragons, thinking in them, in their soul, in their body. I imagine a light over them, in every single them, and a light kind of inside me saying please see who I am. I know my business is not big, I know that I am selling baby hats, but I want that. You see the reason behind all this, that is the reason that they will feel that it's important, because maybe they arrived to Canada when most of them are immigrants one, but they arrived to Canada when they was really young or they were born in Canada. But the generation behind them I know they will have, they had these challenges. So if I am able to call the grandmother, if I am able to call the parents and they are Canadian CDs, they will see me and that is what happened.

Emily King: 49:11

Wow, yeah, so you're able to connect with them at that soul level and get the mission and the love and the change that New Born Landers making this world through to them. Because, like you said, it's not like New Born Landers making multi-millions. It's this huge business opportunity for them. It's more about the soul work and the change work and work that Canada has to do for immigration.

Constanza Safatle: 49:36

Yeah, exactly it is that we need to realize, ok, we need to respect where we are and who we are as a country and as a community, and if we believe that things are not in place, who we are to make that change. I mean, it is our responsibility, it is not our fault, but it's our problem what we will do with that. We will do like, oh no, that doesn't matter, somebody will be figured out, or we will make the ones that make the change. And I am a changer, I am not a follower, I am not.

Constanza Safatle: 50:13

I am a changer. If I don't like it and I feel things can be done in other way and better, I will challenge you. Yeah, I refuse to think that this is it.

Emily King: 50:24

Yeah.

Constanza Safatle: 50:25

I refuse to think that the person that make a policy 40 years ago. We continue thinking that that is adequate for the times that we are living today. And because I love so much Newfoundland and Labrador and this country, I refuse to stay quiet.

Emily King: 50:42

Yeah, because, for those of you that don't know, constanza challenged the law in Newfoundland and Labrador that said if you do not have permanent residency you cannot incorporate your business. And you basically said that is not right, that is not fair, that puts us behind again as immigrants. And you challenged it and you got the law changed a few years ago where they said OK, if you are an immigrant you can still incorporate your business so you can get established and start to build that business.

Constanza Safatle: 51:10

Yeah, and you know what, at that time I don't feel just that put behind immigrants, that put Newfoundland and Labrador behind.

Emily King: 51:19

Yeah, exactly In the country.

Constanza Safatle: 51:21

Yeah, and I don't care. Like I am in love with this province, this is my home and I refuse to live in the place that is not able to innovate, in a place that is not able to be enough attractive to retain new people. Like we deserve better and so it's like my home where I live right now. I refuse to think that this is it. We have so much potential and the kindness of people here. They deserve better. Yeah, and I will be part of that and I will say it loud Because in yeah, things need to change for better and I feel people want it.

Emily King: 52:06

It is just they don't know how Well I do want to say well for everyone listening. Constanza got a deal. Is there anything you can tell us about the deal? Like, are you allowed to share? Oh?

Constanza Safatle: 52:16

yeah, yeah. So basically, what happened? Ok, so you need to understand that it is a show, ok, but everything that happened is real. Nothing is prepared, everything is real. That is one and two, the deal in the show.

Constanza Safatle: 52:31

Then come all these papers and lawyers and things to see inside and the dragons are humans and they are business people and, as humans, I believe that they are not people that want to get an advantage in your business. And so in this case, it was Manjit that I respect so much and I am so grateful, and when I have meeting with her by Zoom and I was like hi and Manjit, I can take a selfie Like this is a glorious moment. I couldn't believe it. I really admire her a lot. And then we have conversations about OK, where you will drive the business and all that.

Constanza Safatle: 53:17

And I want to tell everyone to understand that Newport London is not just a business. It's not even. If grow and I became insane millionaire, let's say that and my desire of Newport London is grow to welcome more women. I cannot wait for the women that will be crossed for that door, and if I can expand this through the whole country and impact refugee women and immigrant women in the country. That is my victory this year and my social passion many times don't match with the economic way, which is fine and it's fair, because I am a social enterprise. My main goal is not just money. Money will be the way in how I can increase and impact more people. So my decision that is so strong and with Manjit we talk about it and all that. And Manjit still mentors us and she offered us mentorship. I told her that for me, her opinion on how she drive her business is amazing and she offered that to us. But I reject the deal just because she also believed that I can do it. I don't need her to get there.

Emily King: 54:30

And I think so.

Constanza Safatle: 54:32

After that, I won the Canada Post Award, which was more money than the one that I ask for zero equity. So we was like, well, this don't make sense now, it's not about money. And then I come back. It's not about the money. Manjit was like listen, I will mentor you, I will continue to mentor you, and it was that. That is exactly what I want, and I am so excited and happy to see that we are growing. Manjit is still mentor us and that is a privilege that I win, because I choose to win, I choose to go, I choose to put in the back my tears, I choose all that and I choose to make sacrifices, and here you have your payback.

Constanza Safatle: 55:18

I really want to encourage especially women that I feel sometimes. I hope their generation of Victoria and your daughter would be come with this. We are paying that for them, for that generation, and we need to learn, since they are really young. Tell them, you can do it, you can be a successful businesswoman and you will be a great mother to, if you want to be a mother, and you will figure out. But don't stop because you are a woman and because society put you roles over as a caregiver, and so I feel that that is crucial because the fears that we have today probably I will take care that Victoria will be not have them. I will try to encourage her.

Constanza Safatle: 56:09

And also, mateo was so happy and excited for him. He remember the drag on every day and that, after a mother, many times when entrepreneurs say, well, I am not taking time with my children, the impact that you can create in your children when you are an entrepreneur is humongous. Make them part of the business, make them see that this is fun and they are part of this with you.

Emily King: 56:34

So Manji is mentoring you, but she has no equity in the business now, and that's the best of both worlds.

Constanza Safatle: 56:42

Yeah and listen. If the business grow, I don't have doubts to come back to her and say, listen, let's see it again and let's talk about business. And because I think you can be part of this now. But New Holland is expanding and I have this brilliant idea that hopefully we'll be go for it. And what's my idea? And I was like, well, it's not fair. Now she will take the piece of this and it's my idea. And then I realized I can do it alone. And yes, and she helped me to get that, like Constanza, I feel that you are good and you can do it. And I was like I think so too. Thank you. Thank you for taking the first step and tell me, because I feel this in my God.

Emily King: 57:26

Yeah.

Constanza Safatle: 57:27

I just was afraid to lose her. Yeah, and she was like I will continue mentoring you and I was like, wow.

Emily King: 57:35

Well, I want to thank you for an incredible talk. Is there anything that you want to say to entrepreneurs, non-entrepreneurs, women out there listening, because most of the people listening to this podcast are women? Is there anything left that you would like to say before we wrap up?

Constanza Safatle: 57:52

I will say that don't wait for somebody else. Change your opportunities, create your space, create your opportunities. You cannot relate in the system or other people to get your full potential out. It's your job and nobody will be doing it in the brilliant way that you will find, because it's you and you are unique. So I believe so much in this internal power that we are able to create the life that we want, and nobody is limited to that. And I want to again come back to that space where I didn't speak English. I was alone. I never touched a sewing machine before. I am not an expert in business and I am doing it every day, so you can do it too.

Emily King: 58:45

And that is a wrap with the incredible Constanza Saffatle. If you enjoyed this interview, share it out. Screenshot, this podcast. Share it out so more people can hear about this amazing woman's story and be inspired for themselves. Go give Constanza a follow on her Instagram at Newbornlander I'll link it up in the show notes. Go check out her business. Go share a message with her in her inbox and her DMs. She's in there answering all the DMs, so let her know how she inspired you today and just how awesome she is.

Emily King: 59:20

There's one thing else I want to mention that she did mention my meditations as part of her ritual that she did before she went on Dragon's Den. So if you're like, oh, what's this that she's talking about, I'll link that up in the show notes as well. That's for my meditation vault that you can access for $97. You get all my meditations. And if you are looking to have private coaching yourself, to up level your business, to help you with your mindset, to believe in yourself, to have that confidence, to go for it, then reach out. I do have some spaces available and, in particular, I am offering a special package with coaching and hypnotherapy, a new modality that I am going to be certified in very, very soon, which is incredible. I just love the results that hypnotherapy can get for clients, so do reach out to me on Instagram at EmilyKingca, or just shoot me an email, emily and EmilyKingca, and I hope you have yourself an incredible day. Bye for now. Music.