At Hot Soup, we’re all about the people. Our team is quirky, fun, and all around talented. It would be a crime for us not to brag a little, so join us for our Meet the Hot Soup Team blog series where we introduce the stars behind the screen!

First up we have Brianna Blaney, Director of Partnerships + Growth at Hot Soup and Managing Partner at Envol (Hot Soup’s employer branding division). Or as we like to call her: People-Person Brianna! She’s the glue of our team and is easily one of the most colourful people you’ll ever meet, so we sat her down to get the inside scoop on all things Brianna.

Q: What’s your story?

A: Well, I grew up ingrained in my family’s trucking business – which may not be immediately apparent when you meet me. My business education started early and followed me into adulthood. I graduated from UBC’s Sauder School of Business with a BComm (Honours) in Marketing and Sustainability.

I found a passion in employer branding and people strategies. Working for a recruitment agency, I grew frustrated watching great employers fail to attract great people simply because people didn’t know to be excited about working with them. That’s why I built Envol: to help make businesses human!

 

 

Q: What’s your favourite thing about working at Hot Soup?

A: Easy peasy. The flexible work hours. I am NOT a morning person… *sips coffee*

Besides that, our commitment to giving back to the community makes Hot Soup such a great place to work. It gives us the opportunity to create impact while building lasting relationships with powerful organizations and initiatives like We Matter (link)!

 

Q: What makes you you?

A: I’m perpetually cheerful with a dash of sparkle and a generous dose of sass. People often hear me before they see me. And while I seem like the person who loves catching rays, I actually despise the heat and enjoy the rain. My ideal weather is cold and sunny.

 

Q: What do you do when you’re not managing people and growth at work?

A: I’m a sucker for community investment. I love supporting nonprofits that make an impact on my community. I’m eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to align with a number of great organizations; *insert list of great organizations here*:

Vancouver Aquarium

Young Women in Business

Ballet BC

Ovarian Cancer Canada

Canadian Cancer Society

And these are just to name a few!

I recently found a way to take my nonprofit passion one step further! Stay tuned to meet PHIL, my newest initiative. PHIL is a platform created for professionals ages 25-40 to engage with nonprofits in a friendly, low-commitment way! We get together quarterly for around an hour to hear Dragon’s Den style pitches from 3 nonprofits and vote for 1 winner. Everyone donates $100, with 100% of donations going to to the winning nonprofit. You’re all invited to the next one!

 

Q: What are you great at?

A: I hate to brag, but I’m naturally talented at being really loud and distracting around the office. Also super great at wine. Mostly drinking it.

On a more serious note, I’m passionate about understanding our clients’ business goals and collaborating with them to provide relevant, integrated solutions that have a tangible impact on their business success. The same is true for our people. Helping our people grow and develop helps us become a better company that delivers better work. There is no greater feeling than helping people smash through glass ceilings and exceed their biggest goals!

 

Q: Where’s your happy place?

A: Napa! Napa is basically like Disneyland for adults.

 

Stay Tuned!

Well folks, it’s safe to say that Brianna is the light at our office. #HotSoupLife wouldn’t be the same without her! Check back soon to meet our next star, Erin James!