UNIQUEfemme

When Women build for Women with Jen Govier

• Cynthia Aguiar • Season 2 • Episode 2

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0:00 | 48:15

In this episode of the UniqueFemme Podcast, Cynthia sits down with Jen Govier, founder and CEO of HUX, a Canadian women’s performance underwear brand. 

After a 20-year corporate career in leadership and private wealth, Jen made the bold decision to choose alignment over security. What began as a very real gym moment, one many women know all too well, sparked the creation of a patented product designed to support women without compromise.

In this conversation, Jen shares what it really takes to walk away from the expected path, trust conviction before proof, and build something rooted in listening to women. 

Together, Cynthia and Jen explore confidence, innovation, and the power of solving problems women have simply learned to tolerate.

Connect with Jen: @huxwear 

Connect with Cynthia: Coach.cynthia.a @theuniquefemme @Hermovement.co

SPEAKER_01

Welcome to the Unique Fam Podcast. Hello, everybody. Welcome to the Unique Fam Podcast. We are back. I am here with a special guest, and I'm so excited. We actually have a little bit of an announcement to make that we'll leave for the end, but I'm here with Jen Govier, um, former corporate finance leader who left a 20-year career to follow a calling and build Hux, a patented women's performance underwear brand born from a personal moment of awakening. Her work centers on courage, alignment, and empowering women to live distraction-free from the inside out. And I can confirm that not only is she amazing, but so are her underwear. And I'm wearing them right now. And I cannot wait to talk to you more and hear more about your story. Honestly, we've been literally chatting off um camera for, I don't know, like an hour already, because I could talk to you for hours. So thank you so much for joining me today.

SPEAKER_00

We met at the gym. It's funny when you, you know, when you have an instinct about something. I was seeing, I was actually, you were working out in front of me at the gym, and there's just an energy about you when you were working out and you're super fit. So F the beautiful thing about community and doing all of this is that they posted you working out, and then I got your name, and then I checked you in. I was like, this woman has done so much. And I've learned so it's just like full circle to come sit here and be with you. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01

Wow, that made me emotional. Because I remember seeing you at the gym as well and being like, wow, what a powerhouse. Like, you know, you just tell somebody's just a really cool person, you're like, I want to be friends with that person, you know? You're like, eventually I'm gonna talk to her. And I made the first move. You did. I was just like, and I was, but it's so funny because I had said to Maya, I'm gonna message her because she was like, Oh, that's she owns Hucks, and and we were talking about what you do, and I was like, Oh, okay, cool. And then you messaged me.

SPEAKER_00

So, like, it was just the universe is looking out for us.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, 100%. So, okay, I have so many questions. Maybe we'll start with just a little bit of your story. Okay, sure. Um, and what is Hucks? Tell us about this famous underwear because um it's it's making, honestly, it's creating such waves in the community and we're seeing it everywhere and for good reason.

SPEAKER_00

So yeah, I feel blessed. So I created Hucks when I had a wardrobe malfunction. And so I was at the gym doing kettlebell swings, and I literally was just checking my form to make sure everything was right. I didn't want to get hurt, and I got a glimpse of my reflection, saw my camel toe. I didn't love the look. I always say, if you like the look, have at her. It just wasn't something that I was interested in. But what I realized is in like it just pulled me out of the moment. And it's like I was no longer focused on my workout. I was focused on what was going on down there. And I thought, why are we settling?

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And so uh the funny story, my niece was a cheerleader at the time. So I was starting to socialize this with people. Like, is it just me? I feel like my anatomy is pretty generic, right? And so my niece said she was a cheerleader, and she said, Aunt Jen, what we do is we put these little pads in our underwear. So people are thinking about this, but haven't solved yet. And they got sticky, sticky back. And it's actually a pad you put in a high heel so your foot doesn't slick. She said, We stick it in so that when they throw us up and our skirt comes up, you don't see anything. So I tried it, and I was like, this is actually amazing. It's comfortable. There's a pack of six. First couple were amazing. And then I was doing warm-up laps around the gym. And the instructor, her name was Wanda, and I remember this because I was so like, oh my gosh. She picked something off the ground, picked it up, and she was like looking at it because she didn't want somebody to trip on it. And what she didn't realize was that was in my pants a moment ago because I was doing laps and it slipped out. I didn't acknowledge it. Oh my God, that's so funny. I did not know that. I did not acknowledge, but that literally was like, why isn't this stitched in? Everybody's thinking about it. Then people are sending me videos because I've now socialized with people to say, is this a thing or is this just me? They're like, no, look at this video. Like, people are taking the pads out of their bras and putting in their people are wearing panty liners. And so that's kind of that was the that really was the genesis of Hucks, was like, it's like necessity is a mother of invention, and I needed it. And I just thought, I was working corporate at the time, and I just thought I initially started out just saying, if I did one thing every day that moved this forward, time was gonna pass anyway. So let's just see where this goes. And looking back, thinking I was raising kids, I was doing like traveling. I had like it was nine years from idea to like, like to now, to left my corporate job. So doing this all on the side, I know that this is bigger than me. It's more than just underwear. I'm so passionate about helping women live and move with more confidence. It starts with the underwear, but I feel like the underwear is just a conduit.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It's just a conduit. So that's how it started. And I just I look back and go, I don't, I can't even understand how I had the energy to do it all. But it just one thing every day, and it just now we're, you know, have people on a different continent helping us build this amazing product. Yeah, wow, because you, yeah, you're worldwide. Yes, globally. We ship globally, we've shipped to Dubai, Singapore, Australia, Cambodia. But it's like it's global. And so I find for us the biggest thing is when women try it, they come back.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

But because this is fully funded by my husband and I, you know, we've just been strategic about how we're building this. So we haven't poured a ton of capital into, we've done it in perfecting the product, getting the patent protection, but we haven't in terms of it's literally been word of mouth on social media. So it's been women just telling other women the power of that is unbelievable.

SPEAKER_01

It really is. And I love that. I really think that this is the energy of this time, especially. And we're seeing the power of women coming together and working together, collaborating, supporting each other. And it's something that I find I've I've really heard personally actually about you is that like, oh yeah, she was at this event and like she's so wonderful. And like on top of like an incredible product, just knowing that the person that's creating it is creating it with such like love and intention, and right, and there's and and community support. And I think that that's probably also the reason you've received so much was because you give so much.

SPEAKER_00

I've been so grateful, and I do try to take that in. I'm always the first, like, oh, it's you know, it's not not nothing that I'm doing, but it literally, I there's nothing I won't do to help another woman. Yeah. If I can, I'm still writing my hand, I pour love. We get so many orders, and it's like I know sometimes they're not going to cause I want to write handwritten notes and all of them because I literally pour my love into because it's like thanking women for they have choice on how they want to spend their money. And the fact that they're choosing to purchase this product means a lot. Yeah. And then they post it and tell people and do this huck splash.

SPEAKER_01

Oh my God.

SPEAKER_00

I will say how do you do that? And then I don't want to do it. There it is. So when I when I like it, like it people don't understand. It's just like it's like the fuel that I need to keep going because there's hard days, right? It's like this is not for the faint of heart to walk away from all your security and just trust that this is gonna work out the way I intend it, which is a global billion dollar company. And it's not about the money, but it's about having exposure and platform when you get to that level so that you can help other people. And it's underwear now, but we've pro we're prototyping and we have prototyped to put it in. We're built building products that women ask for. So women say, I don't always wear underwear. Could you put it in like the actual yoga pants? So we're like we've done that. We've had women say that they wear them as bathing suit bottoms, the full bottoms.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, a bathing suit bottom things. Lisa and I were like, okay, we can't wait for Jen to have like a bathing suit because yeah, we were at Great Wolf Lodge with our kids and we're like, this would be great right now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And it's just those moments where you're, you know, so this is we just we're taking all the feedback. And so women said, you know, could can you go in larger sizes? So we've expanded our size um offering. And then, you know, could you thin up the thong? Could you give us so we're literally building products that women, it just it's it takes time, right? So initially we came out of the gates, we're like, okay, what's gonna sell the best? And then as women start to say we want more, we've we've will continue to grow.

SPEAKER_01

Wow, it's just so incredible. And and I'm gonna actually share my experience and how I wish that I would have had these because as a professional dancer, we've done so many music videos. I've been on stage like hundreds and hundreds of times. And like in front of like one of my gigs, I remember thinking, like, oh my god, do I have camel toe? And I was in front of 5,000 people. I was in St. Martin dancing um internationally in front of a festival at a festival, um, the Heineken Regatta, it was 5,000 people. Wow. And I remember thinking like, there is no way I don't have camel toe right now. And I know exactly those shorts. And then I wore different shorts for a different music video. And I have, we have so much BTS, right? Because when you're doing a music video, you've got the people recording, but there's always people that are hired to record the process. It's just part of the thing. What does that BTS mean? Behind the scenes. Okay, sorry, okay. Yes, sorry, yeah. And literally, I was like, I could count like hundreds of times for this specific music video that we recorded, I don't know, like last year. And I'm like pulling down my shorts because I know that I'm having camel toe. So it's something that I can't believe I never even looked into as a dancer. Um, but especially my dancer friends, my artists, like, if you don't have hawks, like message that.

SPEAKER_00

And what I will say is it initially started out as camel toe. It gives you that bit of a buffer, but we made the lining out of the bamboo charcoal because my twin sister works in healthcare and she's like, Jen, if you're gonna do this, you need to make it a bamboo charcoal because they use it on burns because it doesn't stick and it helps pull it avoids, um, like absorbs moisture and helps reduce odor. And so some women have said camel toe, actually, I don't, it's not a thing for me. Um, but they come back and they love it because it keeps them dry and fresh. That too.

SPEAKER_01

If you're in a music video for like six hours dancing, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Oh my god. I can only imagine. Yeah, yeah. I remember once I'm TMI.

SPEAKER_01

No, it's never TMI. I um I was doing one of the music videos that we did. It actually won Toronto Film Festival, it won TIFF Wow. Um, and I was we I was in water and all day, um, for like maybe like five, five hours where like I would do a shot in water, and I was wearing this like white dress thing that they put me in. It was like a lot of material. So it's not like I could take it off and put it back on. And then there was like this white gown thing. Um, and it was it was such a cool music video, by the way. It's brilliant. The director is brilliant, it was such a cool experience, but I'm splashy in water, and then they'd have to do another take. So then I'd stand on the side like freezing, but very like wet too. And I remember thinking, like, God, that's so uncomfortable. And I I'm I'm sure that that would have been a better product to have. Yeah. So I feel like it's something that as artists or dancers, performers, you know, I like that you call it like performance underwear. Yeah. Um, because obviously that would be.

SPEAKER_00

And I would say for any woman also that's wearing a panty liner, I literally say you can throw away your panty. Because someone wear panty liners. And even as you age too, there's one of the, it's funny, once you start talking about camel toe, people will tell you everything, which I love. It's like you're showed of vulnerability. It's like we all have this stuff, but women have said to me anecdotally, um, since wearing hucks, they no longer get UTIs. Interesting. Or no, we haven't validated. I actually had a meeting a couple weeks ago with a gynecologist and a microbiologist from Western to start going down that road to say, I know there's something here. Cause I know even for me, I don't get them at all. I haven't had them since I've been wearing these, you know, six years. Uh, and I did use to use to get them. And so um, there is something there. We just haven't I can't claim that because we haven't done the full research and development. But I what I can claim is if a woman's wearing a panty liner, you no longer have to wear a panty liner because even teenagers are wearing them as a buffer so they don't get camel toe. Right. So I would say it's the product's eco-friendly because you can literally eliminate the use of those panty liners. And panty liners are not breathable, they have that plastic on the bottom where Hucks is a breathable.

SPEAKER_01

And let's be honest, like honestly, like as moms too, like I do have like a lot of mom friends who have like a little bit of like bladder leakage or whatever it is, right? Like you're going to a trampoline park with your kids, you sneeze, like, especially if you're like a newer mom.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Um, that's a thing. So I know, I know you were talking about that. Like that helps it helps with that. So I think that that's it's it's actually very empowering for a woman because it comes with a lot of not shame, but you know, there are some emotions associated with it.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, for sure. There, there's no question about it. And that's what I would say, it's it's less about the features and benefits, it's more how you feel when you wear them. You're not even the young girls at volleyball. So it's we've that was a uh a spot that I didn't necessarily think through. I was like, okay, it's a you know, it's a premium product. There's it's$36.99, um, which relative to other underwear, it seems high. But if you look at men's underwear, which is like sacks and$59. Yeah. But like women, sometimes we want to spend it on ourselves, but right? Which is just a thing. But because the girls are like tugging on their shorts because they're you know jumping up and self-conscious. So when they wear the hucks, they don't have to do that. So it's like that feeling of confidence that you can just worry about your game and not your gear, yeah. Which is really what it's about for me, is the empowerment piece.

SPEAKER_01

Sure. Honestly, like I I just posted a video. I don't know if you saw it, but you guys can go to my Instagram. I just posted a video of me, I think I'm saying something about um performance coaching. And you can see me on a music video set had help helping a musician. And I edited some of the parts out because and you could see the beginning of me pulling down my shorts. Oh, wow. Because I'm wearing black little shorts and I'm like pulling them down because I don't care how short they are, just because a hundred percent of Campbell go into that.

SPEAKER_00

And they don't even realize that I'm doing it. Yes, right? And that's imagine the volleyball players too, and you're a woman with experience and confidence. So then you have these young girls that are so yeah, it's been a great space for us. So being on stage is very distracting.

SPEAKER_01

It can't be like this is my next move, and I have to go quickly. There's like 60 people on stage, but it's like I also have this issue.

SPEAKER_00

And sometimes you just gotta own the moment, and if you got a camel toe, you know, there's there's something about that. Like, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So something you touched on that I love, and we were talking a little bit about this before we turned on the camera, but was this idea of like women when you start talking about camel toe, like they just open up and they can speak freely. And I know that you coming from a corporate world, that would that's a thing. And I know we really connected with me being a teacher and coming into the arts world, it allowed me to be free and to speak openly. Right. Can you share a little bit of your experience?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, what we were talking about was that you know, when you're in these corporate worlds, there's an expectation on the way that you have to behave and the words that you use. Yeah. And so I was, you know, put on my suit and put on your kind of armor and head into the office. And so, um, and then as I'm building this business on the side, that's everything but that we're talking about camel toe and like damp and moisture and all of that. Uh, UTIs, it was it was a contradiction. And I felt like the reason that it didn't grow at the pace I is because I number one, I I I felt like I couldn't talk about it as much as I would like. And so the the you know, after I I saw the proof of concept women coming back, um, I started to really think like this upside is much bigger than my corporate job. And quite frankly, it was giving me the joy that I needed, like connecting with women and just like talking about the things that sometimes we're embarrassed to talk about and like taking the shame out of it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And so as soon as I stepped away, like it's almost like the business started to, you know, it just started to grow. Like we signed a partnership with Good Life. You know, we had Trish Stratus help us launch. She's you know, Canadian icon. Um, like all of these things, Julie Black gets on, like, oh, that just she's such a beautiful voice. All of these things started to happen because I was being more of who I really am.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Right. When I'm in this other corporate job, I felt like I just, I mean, it was I was a version of myself, but I'm fun and I like to be silly, and I just felt like this business more aligns to who I really am. And then things, the world's met me in a just uh just uh just in spades since I've it's just validating that once you're more of who you are.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, things happen. You because you're in alignment and and you become magnetic because people can feel it too. And what's beautiful about that too is that it also gives others permission to be who they are. Right. I think it's just so inspiring. And I love that more women are doing that now. More women are like, actually, I am incredibly intelligent and I can run this powerful business and speak openly about this really real things that we've kept so hidden for so long, whether it be, you know, camel toe. For me, it's like the sensual aspect of movement and why I think that that's so important. And um, yeah, so I I just love that because I I definitely connect with that as well because being a teacher, you know, in teachers' college, they're they they really teach you and um there there's a lot of fear around going out, even in public. I remember not going to the beach because I was like, what if I see my students? Because like a student can't see me in a bikini. Like I was so, and it was it was a weird thing because if I was like teaching young, young kids, maybe that's different. But I was teaching grade seven and eight. So it's like it's awkward too, and but there was just so much like, make sure you're not going to a bar, make sure you're or like if you are, you're like dressed a certain way. And they told us the story of this teacher who was on an airplane and she was, you know, dressed a little bit more risque, like nothing crazy, but like I think she like lost her job. And so it was this like idea that I remember feeling so constricted, and you know, I love my teaching career special ed at the end. I I really actually enjoyed it very, very much. But um, yeah, uh feeling like I couldn't truly be myself. And then there was like almost this shame like, well, if I'm posting me doing a heels class or shaking my butt like I'm gonna be judged, right? But really, like movement is a celebration of life, and it's always been a part of who we are. And shaking your butt isn't necessarily sexual, it can be something that's used to in in many cultures, just to celebrate actually life and and things like that. So um community and um yeah, so now I feel that freedom.

SPEAKER_00

Way more, and yeah, I've never been more at peace in my life, even though there's like so much uncertainty, right? Just you don't have the same security. It's just like you eat what you kill, it's a different beast, but shit, I've never been more at peace, like ever. And like you, I I'm so grateful for my 20 plus career because it's given me the courage, the confidence, the experience to do this. And I've loved there are bits of every part of that, you know, career that I've loved. Like I got to work in India and I worked in HR and you know, brokerage operations and like the stuff that I've learned, even from my own business acumen, is so helpful. Um, but then I come back to build camels. So I love it. But I feel like yeah, it's like there's something that just is so like liberates have this idea and then like bring it to life and then be able to like just do it full time. It's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. How do you, yeah, that's that's a cool thing to talk about because I love that you mentioned that it there is a lot of risk or fear that can come with like the, I don't want to say instability, but like that it's just not this very constant, like you know exactly what's happening. There's a lot of unknowns. Right. And a lot that's out of your control and trial and error. Um, what's how have you been actually able to move through that? Like, what tools can you give to somebody who's maybe just starting out in this world, maybe with a product line or or whatever calling they're kind of following. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So I would say most entrepreneurs, like we think that they're so risky, they're ready to just, you know, jump and go all in. I I think that like I say this to people as I talk to them like if you have an idea, you need to test, you need to you need to test it, you need to test it, you need to listen to the people that are trying the product. And so for me, it was like I needed to make sure I was listening to women, getting the real feedback and making the changes. Like we had a test group initially of women. We just, here's what we're thinking. It was a prototype. Can you give us feedback? Do like different body types, different ages. And then, you know, once we got perfected 30 plus prototypes later, then once we started to sell, like there's like from 2016 to 2020, like there was a lot of work that happened with like a lot of people couldn't endure that, not getting money, not getting any, like no validation is this. Um, and then we launched during COVID, and then we like it was a slower, like a I would say slower growth because I was also working, but I was like, oh, there's something here. Women are coming back, and why are they coming back? And then so I would say I I would never recommend making leave until you have that proof of concept. So we had recurring revenue, we had a patent, we were getting attention from people. So I was like, okay. And then I had business coaches that were like, Jen, like, I know this is a big secure job. And I left hundreds of thousands of dollars behind because part of my compensation was RSUs, restricted stocks. And so they invested every three years. So I left stuff there, hundreds. And I was like, I don't care because my coach helped me see through that. What is that? You'll be making that in a month. Like, what are you worried about? And so having people around you that have done this and they show you what's possible gives you the courage to do it. You're not, you don't have to do it all on your own. So I'd say test the product, make sure you've got some proof of concept, listen to people. If people are saying it doesn't work, like I wouldn't say, I would never recommend jump in and you know, and just listen to the people around you. People get in the rooms. I got in, I was in masterminds with people that have done this before. And they're saying, Jen, you're doing the right things. Like this is every entrepreneur's story. There's a gap before the game, and you just have to trust it. And when I look back at my life when I get scared, I'm like, everything has worked out. Everything has worked out the way it's supposed to. No matter how scared, no matter how hard, it's worked out. Even if I didn't see it in the moment, I just kept moving forward. And so it's just like one step every day.

SPEAKER_01

Wow, that's just incredible. I feel like that's the best advice you could possibly give to anybody. Like I think it's like you said, it's finding that community and same. Like I was able to find, you know, coaches and support and like and um and and I think it's I think we're in a world where on Instagram uh there's a lot of promising of of quick fixes. Like like, okay, you can make like one million dollars tomorrow. And it's like, or like you can blow up your your business and brand in like a day and like sure, maybe for someone. I don't know. But like how first of all, your nervous system can't sustain that. From a nervous system perspective, um, it actually takes a lot of time for your body to get on board. So having a progression, a slow progression, a secure progression, even though there's a lot of risk and fear and whatever, it's like staying in your job for a while from a nervous system perspective, calm the nervous system while you were able to do this. And if somebody were to jump out, I would never say, like, you know, just leave your job and go all in. If that doesn't feel safe, your nervous system. Maybe for somebody that's like, I just know I'm the type of person that if I do that, then that's great. Um, but yeah, I think from a nervous system perspective, like your body actually needs that time to get on board with this new type of success, too.

SPEAKER_00

I love that you're saying this because the craziest thing. So six months out of the gate, we were nominated for a Tech Alliance Award, which the Tech Alliance community has been on that whole leadership team, unbelievable. Um, and so supportive. So six months, and I remember when we first launched, I was like, oh, I hope this takes off. I hope this takes off. And I didn't even have when I we won the award, I didn't even have the awards. I was talking about this Huck's business in like third person. Like I was like, yeah, this and they interviewed me, and I go back to look at the interview and go, like, I look like an idiot. I still did it. I we accepted the award. We actually won. It's a great, it was a great easy thing. But I was like, I didn't even have the story down. I didn't actually believe. I was so anchored to my corporate world, and this is who I actually was. My identity wasn't with this entrepreneur, CEO, founder that I was so detached. And it took like, it took time for me to build that and get my nerves to say, like, no, this is something you invent. I just, it was the craziest thing. It took me time for my body to actually connect the two. So I love that you said that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Wow, that's such a cool story. I, yeah, like I think, I think it, like you said, like an identity isn't gonna shift overnight. And it does take some time because there's always gonna be the part of us that's going to pull us back for safety. Like your body knows familiar is safety. And even if that new situation is healthier, think of like people that stay in relationships that aren't healthy. It's like, but your body sees that's as safer than the unknown. We're just designed for survival and we're more likely to survive in an environment that we can predict. Right. And so, um, but there's so many cool ways of getting your body, that's what I do, getting your body on board with your success. And one of them is just time. And another one is surrounding yourself with coaches and people that are gonna support you and and like connect energetically. And and I think something that I love so much about you, Jen, honestly, is that you're you created such massive success and you're such a like important pillar of our community, but you are so humble. I appreciate it. And I really mean that. And I think that that that makes me emotional.

SPEAKER_00

I was like, but I even that means that's important, that's very important to me. Like, because I always respect someone who because I don't care how much money I came from a world of more money than you know, these people are like the most affluent, high net worth, and I didn't care. It's like how kind are you, and I notice those people, no matter the level, you need to help people who haven't been there, right? And so spending the time to do that is such a part of who I am. Yeah, and some of it's my upbringing. Like I remember I'm one of 10 kids. Oh, wow. And so we didn't have a lot of we I came from a family, lots of love, but we just never had a lot of money. So, like there were trips that I didn't go on because my parents couldn't afford it. And I remember my dad always had a second job. So I would go follow him, he'd go cut grass for all, do the landscaping for that was a second job for these uh high net worth people, we call high net worth in this world. And I would go and I'd walk around these properties, and I remember thinking, oh my gosh, if I could ever, I would, you know, if I could ever aspire to this. And then just like meeting the people, and they, you know, some were nicer than others. And I remember my just like seeing my dad in that interaction and him feeling like he wasn't enough in some of those situations. So it just to me was like, if I when I get there, I'm always gonna make sure no matter what you do, you're always important. We just do different jobs, right? And so that is, I'm I appreciate you acknowledging that because that's in very intentional.

SPEAKER_01

Wow, wow, that's a beautiful story. Yeah, thank you for sharing. Wow, 10 kids can't have thousands like that. Um, and a twin sister. I'm a talent sister. Yeah, yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah, well, and no, I do mean it, honestly, because coming into even like this world, this is a new world for me. Like I've been in the dance world for so long. Like, put me in a room full of artists and creatives, and like that's my job. I feel very at home. I feel very safe. I've built my name. I think, you know, and the company, my dance companies within the dance industry in London, let's say, in the the artist industry. And I'm so lucky. We have we have PSK side note. We have the most talented humans in London, Ontario. I swear. The musicians here, the dancers, the artists, the storytellers. It is so incredible. So I just have to like call them out because, and it's such a beautiful community that we have. Same thing, like everyone just wanting to support each other. So calling out all my artists, lovely.

SPEAKER_00

And even just like I'll just jump in there. That the the prep call we had with these beautiful people that all live in London that I didn't know. I was like, how did I not know this talent is here? That's unbelievable. Lights me up so much.

SPEAKER_01

And that's what I mean about women. We have such incredible powerhouse women. I mean, we're before we were on the call, we were talking about people that we know in common that are, you know, other women who have been on the podcast, Sidat, uh, Megan. Oh, now I have to call them all up. Yeah, yeah. All of you. Um, Marcy, all of you. Um, but but just such incredible people in London. And so I'm just and I'm honored to be running this conference. And maybe this is a good time to actually announce it. Okay, so I'm so honored to announce that Jen will be a speaker and facilitator um at the unique Fathom conference that's happening on May 2nd. And my God, my heart. Like, I feel like it makes me emotional. The first time I met you, I well, no, okay. The first time we had like a full conversation was when I came to Lumen House. Yes. And um Isn't that spot beautiful?

SPEAKER_00

I know, by the way. She's a powerhouse too.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. Ask her to come on the house. You should, yes. Um, and there's actually somebody else who who works her, her name is Martina. I don't know if you know Martina. She's part of that family too, anyways. Okay. Um, and we did gymnastics when we were younger together and we've reconnected. So it's just so cool. And um, but I remember thinking, like, wow, not only is she such a powerhouse, but like again, the she's so humble and kind. And it was just like I felt like so like welcomed in your your energy. And I thought right away, I was like, oh my god, how can I have her at this event? Like that would just it was instant. And you know, my human design as a generator is like when you get that full body yes, it's like, and I remember saying in the car, like, Lisa, how cool would it be if she was a speaker? And we our lineup was actually just already full. Um but we hadn't known each other yet. And so, anyways, and then Lisa was like, I was gonna say the same thing. So I I sat on it for a second and I was just like, I don't know if she would. And I was actually kind of nervous to ask because it is, you know, it's time, it's energy. And um, but I'm just so so grateful because I know you have so much to teach, you're so inspiring, and I'm excited to learn from you at this conference.

SPEAKER_00

So thank you. I know I might I'm excited to be there. And then the lineup and the just to get out in the community and meet other awesome women.

SPEAKER_01

The lineup. The lineup is crazy. My um, I mean, are you allowed to share or you're gonna tease it out? Maybe by the time these come out. Well, we're just gonna announce it. And if you're here, then you get to be here at first. So we've got you, which I'm just so excited about. Um, and then we also have um, well, myself, I will be facilitating speaking. Um, we have, oh gosh, now I'm like, who else do we have? We have Veronica, um, who is a um storyteller. She was, I still think, I still say she's a comedian because she's hilarious, but she's is just one of the coolest storytellers I've, or the coolest storyteller I've ever met. The way she tells stories and and helps other women tell their stories is not only healing for the others who are witnessing, but for the person themselves. And I've been honored to be part of one of her events where it was a storytelling event, and I got to share my story. It was actually the story was around my marriage and how it ended and how I learned to trust my body in decision making. It was a very vulnerable way of telling my story, but um, she really helped me with that, and it was so healing. Wow. And um, and Veronica and I were on the same gig. We were doing something for London Arts Council, and and we I she was the the host and the speaker and the MC, and I think I was doing some dance facilitation. We connected and we became like really good friends. But she's a powerhouse, she's in Toronto, she's traveled for her work. Um, she's you know a coach as well. So um we've got um Zola. Oh my goodness. So Zola is another speaker. She did a TED talk recently, really doing incredible things for women's health. Um, also a storyteller, really beautiful human. So much to learn from Zola. Um I'm trying to think of, I'm trying to list off my oh my god, we have Carissa! Yes, CEO and founder of Crushed Aftercare. And she was actually my coach when I first started as well. Okay, so we've got Zola, Veronica, myself, you, my brain.

SPEAKER_00

And then is Lisa speaking? Lisa won't be speaking. I'm like, Oh, she's doing so. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Um, oh, and then we have Kristen. Kristen literally sat at a table with Joe Dispensa, by the way. She's so cool. She'll be coming in from Costa Rica and she teaches women how to invest. She educates women on how to invest, whether you're making 10k months, whether you're making 100k months, whether you're making millions. She is like the queen of teaching women and simplifying how to invest um so you can really earn and and live. Like she really lives off of her investments. It's wild. She's brilliant. That's awesome. That's a powerhouse. But it's a powerhouse lineup, and I'm just so excited. Um, and and we may be adding one more person, but we'll wait to announce that. Yeah. Yeah! And I think for this, what I'm so excited about the Unique Fam Conference, or why I'm so excited, is that it's like I said, our speakers, you guys aren't just speakers, well, that's incredible, but you're also facilitators. Everything's gonna include like an embodiment piece, and we're integrating on the spot, and there's gonna be movement, and there's gonna be, you know, nervous system tools, and there's gonna be heart and soul, and talking about manifestation and energy and human design. And um, I think it's something that we just haven't had yet in Lenin, but all the conferences we've had are perfect. And then this is like I think an addition where we're bringing the body a little bit. Fabulous idea. Oh, I'm so excited. And the vendors, like, and just the community support has been really incredible. And then the place is supposed to be beautiful. I haven't been there. It is it's beautiful. What's special about it is that it's on the water. And I we thought, you know, like water is so healing, right? The properties and waters, it's just so healing. And you know, I'm a cancer, I'm a water sign anyway. So like I love being by the water. Um, but it's surrounded by greenery, so it feels very and but the the space is very beautiful. It's all oak, it's just gorgeous, and it's like it's a perfect space to yes, have a conference, but with that nature kind of aspect to it, so it pulls it all together. You can go put your feet in the ground if you want to on point, and and just like the whole side is just windows and right looking out onto the water right there. So I'm really excited. What's the date again? May May 2nd, 2026. Let's go. Yeah, it's gonna be an incredible day. It'll be unbelievable. Yeah, and of course I'm gonna be wearing my hucks. Maybe we'll do a hucks splash. Yes, okay. We're gonna do like a so you you have to get your hucks before May 2nd, or you'll probably be able to buy some at the event, I'm assuming. But yeah, but if you can get them before, wear them so that we can we should take like just like a massive hucks picture. Can you imagine? So cool. Yeah, that would be um and something I love will be some movement, there's maybe some performances, like it's pulling all the things I love.

SPEAKER_00

I love it's using all your strengths, right? So even when we had the call and I don't breathe enough. I know that I'm always like running and running. I I think most women do. Yeah, we're trying to get it all done, and you're like, you open it. So I was like, this is just a little bit of insight into what I can expect the day of, and like just like the way you do this, it just makes me feel calm. Oh so I can imagine the whole event will have that same feeling.

SPEAKER_01

That's that's that's the hope. It's like that we we we leave there feeling so in our body and so inspired and so loved. Like the women that are part of it are just so loving. They all have kind of the same energy of just like we all belong here. Like, and the more we stick together, the further we all go. And so that's the goal, and it's bringing kind of the different parts of our communities together. And um, so I'm so excited for it. Oh, I can't wait. I'm grateful that you're so good. Yeah, and and I mean, you you do a lot of nervous system regulation stuff. I mean, you you're also obviously very, very active because there's there's a lot of there's a lot of pressure, like you were talking about in terms of entrepreneurship and becoming visible, doing those interviews. I would love to know actually, because I love learning this. What are the tools that you kind of use for for that?

SPEAKER_00

Well, work like that. I work out six days a week and it's be it's for my mental health. It gives and it gives me the energy for sure to do what I do. Uh I so I have a gratitude practice. Ooh. Yeah. So so this is what I normally I I've changed it slightly because I'm prioritizing sleep because I've my sleep has been disrupted because I'm going through menopause. So the hot flash is every but my ideal practice when I'm doing what I need to do all the time. So I'm up before everyone, anyone else's house is up. So I'm up at six o'clock, I'm doing my meditation. It's the first thing I do. I light my diffuser or set my diffuser, do my meditation. I put the uh the uh it's the first thing I do, put the mask over my eyes and I just I do a guided meditation. And then sometimes if I'm feeling good, I will just put music on and just spend a bit more time. Gratitude practice, 10 things I'm grateful for. Um, so I have a book, you know, right in that space and I do that. Um, and and then, you know, I'll have my coffee and um and then I will read. So I will just spend so I that's why it's important to get up while the house is still quiet.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And then I will read at least I read at least 10 pages, and then when I'm, you know, getting ready, I will listen to a podcast. So like I am fairly consistent with that. Now I say what's changed slightly is I'm sleeping in a little bit longer because if I've been up all night, yeah, um, but I will always get up and go to the gym. That's I start every day going to the gym except for Saturdays, usually my rest day.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um, and today I didn't go this morning, so I I'll go at 5 30 tonight, which I just make sure that I squeeze it in. It just makes me feel strong. It gives me the energy. And it's just it's part of who I've at my identity now. It's just like it's and then I get to meet great people.

SPEAKER_01

I think that that's what you know, Jennifer. We met at F-45, and um, I was nervous to go at first, and Jordan is so wonderful. She was like, You just need to come. Just come. And she kind of and and Megan, of course. Like, no, I knew people there, but it can be intimidating. And if you are thinking of F-45, like I recommend it. I recommend it. So much fun. And no, you don't need to be like a crazy athlete or anything like that. Like it really is for everybody. And it, and I love it's I don't like working out here. I have my, you know, like I have all the weights and everything, but I don't like it and I don't do it. And I was like, and if it's not fun, my body doesn't want to do it. So how do I get my body on board? Going with Lisa and then meeting you, and you get to meet the community and even like the music kind of blast. The music, yeah. Um, which for me too, what was really cool, and this is like the personal side of it, is that even a year ago, I don't I wouldn't have been able to do that several times a week because of my injury. Oh, wow. Because of my my brain injury, and uh, it would have caused a lot of symptoms in the lights. So if you look at like the videos of me in the past like four or five years, most of those three years, like I'm wearing a hat. I don't go anywhere without a hat. That's something people don't know. Like if I'm going somewhere, even the brain injury association last year, I was so symptomatic. It was just sometimes it's the weather. That's the thing with brain injuries. It's so unpredictable. You don't know how you're gonna be able to do that. So, what does a hat do? The lights.

SPEAKER_00

I can't do the lights. Oh, that's a baseball hat, not just a toque. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

A baseball hat, something that blocks the lights. Like two years ago, I would have never been able to. We've got a ring light, I would have never been able to. And I was back dancing again, but then I'd be out for like three, four days, you know, after the stage lights and stuff. Oh my goodness. Um, oh yeah. Some some lights still bother me. It just it just is. It's just surrendering to it. I bring my hat, I was wearing my earplugs at a cheer competition the other day. I think I was for a long time I resisted those things because I didn't want to I I resisted using tools, and I don't know why. There's something about that, and you just want to go back to the way you were. But now I'm like, no, I bring my hat everywhere, I bring my earplugs, and so often they're in my car if I would need them. But it's so for me, it's so cool because I'm like, wow, like I can do this now. Like I can go to F-45 where the music is blasting, and it's but again, the energy is so great.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, and I attribute that to Megan and Amy. Yeah, yeah. They really have invested in making sure that their instructors are solid, like really great instructors, that they're invested. Um, and then like the community, like they have a skate coming up, and they're there's all they're always doing something fun. Yeah. Um, and that's I attribute that to both their leadership. So they've really invested the time and energy to make it that.

SPEAKER_01

Cool. I see uh yeah, I love that. And um, yeah, yeah, I was lucky enough to have Megan on the podcast, such an incredible human, and both of them and Amy too just so, so, so great. So I'm really loving it. And we got to meet and that's the thing, we get to meet other people. And so I think that that's something I also say to like my clients, because you know, I do I actually have a business diploma. I started with that because I went to Oak Mount Studio, and then I went to psychology and teachers college and all those things, and then and then life coaching. But so I do embodied business kind of coaching where it's like more of the embodiment piece, how like identity, those things, and and getting your body on board with your success. But um, something that I think a lot of us get stuck on are is Instagram. Like you have to, we almost feel like we have to like live on Instagram, you know? And yes, you have to do your content, yes, you have to show up. But I say like the best thing you could do though is like go in your community, do something fun, meet people. Yeah. That's how the word actually spreads.

SPEAKER_02

I actually spread.

SPEAKER_01

And Instagram's fun, but if you like can't do it that day, go have a coffee with somebody, and I bet you your your return on that coffee investment's gonna be way more than spending that time on Instagram.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, because I do that to myself too. It's like, you know, I have only so many hours in a day. And it's like the Instagram doesn't come as easy as as it does for some people. It just takes that creative side, and I don't just I have to work harder at that. Um, and so it's like getting out in the community has has I got the ROI is there like tenfold. So I just have to give myself permission, like chill out, you're with Cynthia today, you're out doing what you needed to do. And so yeah, I love that too.

SPEAKER_01

And like, and it's I mean, again, I always come back to the four pillars of my the nervous system, and I use it in a business model, and it's just like one of them is community, like, especially as women, men too, or anybody, you cannot regulate your nervous system without community. Right, we are designed for connection, and you know, and so I I just say, like, if you don't have your community, like start there. Yeah, like whether you're building a business, whether you're trying to heal, whatever it is. And even in terms of like niching, we say, like, make sure you niche down. Sometimes that's really good and important, but like I also say niche down your community, like make sure you find your your the mom needs the mom, the business owner needs another business owner, you know, the single mom needs a single mom, you know, you and and finding different yourself within your community. I think it's really important.

SPEAKER_00

It is. It's it's it helped me grow this business, there's no question. And feeling calm about it for the most part, right? Because you have you're talking to women who've been through it, yeah. Um, and that have different strengths that can help you with the tools to get through it if you're not feeling great.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, yeah. Oh, I love it so much. And and something I'll say too, just like to end off, is something that I love that you've done with your business is that you've made it so fun. Like the flash, and like just like and and women love talking. Talking about things I think that we weren't allowed to talk about. And so how freeing. Like it's also allowing women, I think it's giving them a voice because you're talking about something that like maybe was taboo before. Right. And when you're like, oh, I could talk about that, I could talk about anything, you know? And I feel like it's it's it's so empowering.

SPEAKER_00

So thank you for everyone you're doing. Yeah, no, my pleasure. And it's been a blast. And I I every day I make sure that there's some belly laughs. And so, you know, we do that with our car confessionals as we communicate with the community. Like I, it's a big part of who I am. Is I like if we're not having fun, why bother?

SPEAKER_01

Yes. Okay, you have to go to Jen's Instagram. What what is your Instagram?

SPEAKER_00

Uh Hucksware uh is yeah, I can find Instagram, yeah. And if you want our website, it's uh myhucks.ca. Everything's connected on Instagram, I'd say, where's why I spend. I have a little LinkedIn, but it's like there's just it's it's once a month. It's all it's uh and then my kids are like, you gotta get on the TikTok. So Oh my god, that's yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I know it's it's it's a lot. I was gonna say like for LinkedIn, I've been doing it more for like speaking and stuff. And then but then there's like the dance part, and then there's and then there's coaching. I have a TikTok for dance, or no, it's I just turned to Cynthia coaching, so randomly I'll put stuff on there. Okay, but it's my my TikTok is very limited. If anybody wants to kind of move that, great. Um, and it's like very just Cynthia. So it's like sometimes it's dance, sometimes it's dancing with my kids. Okay. Sometimes it's maybe some EFT, whatever it is. So it's kind of a mix right now. But I think that that'll just be like a random hub for all of me.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I have a random Jen Govier, Govier. Yeah, yeah, I do. I have that. I had set my own because people kept saying, well, you have to have your own one. And I'm thinking, okay, so how many social medias can you have?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Um, but definitely check out her Instagram because you also do the car confessionals, which are so fun. Anyone to get on the sofa? I would love to be a guest. I we're gonna do a choreography. Yes. And Jen's actually coming to do some dancing with me soon. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um, yeah, and we're everyone, like, it's so funny. We're all like, can we dance? Do we know to dance? Is this gonna be so we're all a little bit nervous? Although I was on, I was telling you, I was on the stage last night with Julie Black, which is pretty cool. But we have, I think we're at 10 women now that we're gonna come uh do some dancing with Cynthia and just like I tell I reassure them that you it's you're gonna just take good care of us and we don't have to worry about being self-conscious. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But and that's a I think that that's what's so important is like how can we experience movement in a really safe and fun way. And that's like what I'm doing with my business. It's just because women are like we're we're designed to like move, you know, but we've been taught that it has to look a certain way. And I always say if it feels good, it looks good. Yeah. If it feels good, it looks good. And movement should feel good. And actually, sensual movement is experiencing pleasure simply by being in your body.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I think you just gotta get out of it for me, get out of my head and be more in my heart because I'm like thinking about a million things. It's like, no, just be where your feet are, Dan. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And I think that that's what movement allows us to do is to come back because then then we are used to living in our heads, especially as entrepreneurs. Thank you. Thank you, Sarah. Thank you. I appreciate that for being on the podcast. Oh my God, what an honor. Um, make sure you check out Hucks. Get your Hux before our May 2nd conference, please. Um, and if you don't have them yet, then you can go on the website to purchase them. I guess you can. Yeah. Okay, perfect. Um, or you should probably buy, you'll be able to buy them at the conference.

SPEAKER_00

Or the other thing I will say is just for if you happen to see this podcast, if you DM me, I will give you a discount code. Ooh. Just so I can get a sense of, yeah. So if you DM me, I will give you a good incentive. Okay. Come purchase, yeah. Okay, so D M hers at Huxwear.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, exactly. And then and then let her know that you heard the unique fam podcast. Um, that sounds great to me. I need some extra ones. Yeah, so I brought them for you. Oh my goodness. I need I will buy so many. They're the best. So thank you so much, Jen. Oh, thank you. So appreciate you. What a gift. And thank you, everybody. We will see you next time. We love you guys. Bye.