Transcript
Find A Way Podcast: Welcome everyone, this is episode 104, Unbreakable Journey, and today our guest is Madeline Monica Fermoni. Originally from Hungary, Madeline built a thriving fashion agency before immigrating to Canada in search of new opportunities.
Find A Way Podcast: Starting over was challenging, navigating language barriers, rebuilding social circles, and working tirelessly to make ends meet. Learning to sew at 11 from her grandmother, she turned her lifelong craft into a business.
Find A Way Podcast: Today, she is the proud founder and owner of multiple textile-related ventures, a testament to her resilience, determination, and love for high-quality craftsmanship.
Find A Way Podcast: Welcome, Adeline, or shall I say Monica, like I used to call you.
Madeline Monika: Hello Beatrice, thank you for having me here.
Find A Way Podcast: Thank you for being here with us. Before we start the episode, Monica, can you share more about your business?
Madeline Monika: Sure, um my business is called Mark 1 Sports, one of the main businesses that I run with textiles and this is specialized for mainly boats and outdoor upholstery services.
Madeline Monika: um And I run a couple of others that is also textile related. One is with design and the other one is just like tailoring.
Find A Way Podcast: that Thank you. um Before we start with some other questions as well, Monica, um we before we connected on on this recording, we were having a brief conversation that sparked the interest in your opinion on a few things.
Find A Way Podcast: And ah our previous guest you left a question for you that I i felt was very fitting to some ah just some brainstorming we were having.
Find A Way Podcast: And the question that was left for you from last episode was, if you would like to chant challenge the Canadian startup ecosystem, how would you do that?
Madeline Monika: I believe we need manufacturing more than ever here in Canada and North America. um The practices that we've done for many years now, it's, I think, in long term, um destroying our ecosystem in the way of people are losing skills.
Madeline Monika: They don't have the skillset. They don't know how to make things. And well, it's now drawn from original thought, but let me just start with this at this point.
Madeline Monika: I strongly believe in that some people born to be working with their hands. and It's really important. It's a creative process. It's something that you make and when it's done,
Madeline Monika: and you hold it in your hand, it gives you that you have a purpose, you have something that you live for. And not everybody is capable of um holding conferences and speaking front of people, or not everybody is capable of, you know, conversational phone or working on computer.
Madeline Monika: ah Some people are made to be creators. um Well, I'm, um Probably it it sounds a little silly, but if anybody saw, ah I and watched with my kids, so it's not me.
Madeline Monika: But there was Tinkerbell.
Find A Way Podcast: Uh-huh.
Madeline Monika: And when Tinkerbell born, basically got the hammer, which she felt um it's it's how come one gets a wand and talks to the animals and I just got a hammer.
Madeline Monika: And that hammer had a purpose in her hand because she was the only one who was able to create things with that hammer. So today's society is building in you. If you are doing something with your hands, you're not enough.
Madeline Monika: But I think you are more than others who are just making up schedules all days or making of the yeah paychecks for other sorts.
Madeline Monika: you're capable and able to make something, then you're worth much more because that's what makes you valuable in society, how much value you can provide to the marketplace.
Madeline Monika: That is really important.
Find A Way Podcast: True.
Madeline Monika: So that is one thing, how I challenge. That is one thing for this. And why, what's the other reason why manufacturing here are more important? Because everything that you spend today it's going out to another country.
Madeline Monika: So you buy something for $100, 100% of that $100 going to another country's people's pockets.
Find A Way Podcast: true
Madeline Monika: And it's spent by millions of Americans and Canadians and that's going to China. What they're gonna do with that money, they're gonna come here and buy the properties and make you a tenant in long term.
Madeline Monika: And then they have the skills They have the the the set of factories that be able to produce those things. Once we lose the knowledge, once we lose the skills, once we don't have the factories anymore here, they will control us by putting the price as high as they can because nobody else will be able to compete with them.
Madeline Monika: So I think this is the only time now when we are able to build those factories, even if AI added to it or anything but make us be able to make production on our own hands in our own land
Find A Way Podcast: I love that line of thought that you followed and it makes so much sense. And we have so much space in Canada, right? We have so much land. We should definitely be investing in that.
Find A Way Podcast: And I was part of a AI project. course a while back. And one of the questions that was asked to one of the facilitators was, what are the jobs that are still going to be required you know with all this AI that's happening around the world?
Madeline Monika: Thank you.
Find A Way Podcast: And I remember his answer was ah intent communicators, authentic creators, um interpersonal specialist, decision arbiter, And look at the interesting thing, low volume artisans and manual dexterity specialists.
Find A Way Podcast: So the more that we see in the long term, these are jobs that will still be required. And the more we incentivize that in the country, the more prepared we will be for those jobs in the future as well.
Find A Way Podcast: So I think that's very important. And the manufacturing process. perspective that you you put here I think it makes so much sense and that's exactly what's happening right so thank you for sharing that um point of view Monica um okay going back to my script here let's see you launched a fashion agency in Hungary at just the age of 20.
Find A Way Podcast: What lessons um from that experience helped you rebuild your career here in Canada
Madeline Monika: Yes, I think, well, there were many, many lessons that I've learned during that time. And I'm so grateful to experience that. And I think the biggest, biggest lesson I've learned is I had a condominium and I've sold to put it into the business because, and right right at the start.
Madeline Monika: So I didn't even wait.
Find A Way Podcast: well
Madeline Monika: I didn't even wait. at least let's run for like a couple of years or something. No, I just right at the start, put all my money into the business. And then of course I was just 20 and I didn't know better.
Madeline Monika: i didn't have anybody at my back. I didn't have the DMZ in this field but that I have today. And I'm thankful for that. ah That was a little advertisement. So anyway, I didn't have,
Find A Way Podcast: they are great
Madeline Monika: ah my is and i didn't have that knowledge that made me able to navigate with all those hard things. I designed really great dresses. I had my own fashion shows. i I had my many, many lines of designs that still today, I think um it's like timeless, right?
Madeline Monika: um But Yeah, I put all my money into that business and basically I lost everything. Except the dresses.
Madeline Monika: And yeah, and then what I sold. But anyways, yeah, that was a big lesson. And the other lesson, right after that, I felt like a failure.
Madeline Monika: I felt like this is not for me. um I'm not good enough. However, that was not the case. I just thought that because everybody else told me, oh, you lost that much money. you not You're not that good.
Madeline Monika: Or think about what my family was saying. ah and But yeah, I should not have ever given up. I almost gave up.
Madeline Monika: And then during during COVID, covid that that changed my mind. to go back and try my own business, go back and try to build something that is mine and not working for others, you know, nine to five.
Find A Way Podcast: that's Way to go. um I am curious to see your designs and your dresses. If you ever have a chance to share that, I'd love to see it. And which leads me to my next a question, because you did fall in love with sewing at a young age.
Find A Way Podcast: So what about the textiles and the craftsmanship that inspires you the most?
Madeline Monika: um I think there is a great future of the modernized textiles and basically I'm thinking about the industry of textiles and vinyl.
Madeline Monika: So any substance substance of textile products, um we can make almost anything out of those because it can be formed to 3D,
Madeline Monika: It can be, it's it's lightweight. So basically we can, have you seen those cars that is wrapped with like an industrial vinyl. So it looks like it's wrapped with a textile and it's it's it's not hard on the outside. So it doesn't have a hard shell.
Madeline Monika: So, and then when it's closing its um it's a then um i mean, it's closing its lamp and it looks like an eyelid.
Find A Way Podcast: ah
Madeline Monika: So that's very cool.
Find A Way Podcast: Wow.
Madeline Monika: So yeah, I think textile is great. And then in the future, we will hopefully use more of the industry apart of textiles.
Find A Way Podcast: love that. I'm going to have to Google those, that car that you mentioned. What were some of the biggest obstacles that you faced in starting your business here in in Canada and how did you navigate them?
Madeline Monika: The biggest obstacles are
Madeline Monika: i think, because of people forgetting the skill and doesn't have the knowledge anymore. ah can't really do hire people because it's a special skill and a special knowledge.
Madeline Monika: And people often telling me, um you know, your kind of from trade is like dying out. because almost only old people are doing sewing.
Madeline Monika: Very rare that my age or even younger does these. And once we forget these skills, what's going to happen? So that's that's my biggest obstacle, guess.
Madeline Monika: obstacle i guess
Find A Way Podcast: um now i'm curious um some people they come from you know their their country of origin and they still have some of their habits or some cultural aspect that they continue to act upon even after they move, some things that they don't want to lose.
Find A Way Podcast: Sometimes I do feel I'm more Canadian than I am Brazilian. But I'm curious to understand, how did your Hungarian roots influence your approach to doing business in Canada?
Madeline Monika: that's that's that's an interesting question um not sure how much of a Hungarian I am anymore to be honest I'm here years
Find A Way Podcast: And you've been you've been in Canada for 17 years
Find A Way Podcast: now? 25, okay.
Madeline Monika: So, and yeah. um
Find A Way Podcast: Wow.
Madeline Monika: Well, basically, half of my life I believe I've lived here already.
Find A Way Podcast: You're more Canadian than you are.
Madeline Monika: Exactly.
Find A Way Podcast: Yeah, yeah.
Madeline Monika: um um i think. In general, Hungarians are ah very hard worker people. And I am I am that as well. So basically, when I started my business, I I still worked at two places.
Madeline Monika: So navigating between the two workplaces and my business that was finished one work at 4.30. four thirty So I started at 7.30, finished at 4.30, running to the other, starting at 5, finish at 9, go home. If I could have done anything, just scribbling an idea, I was up to...
Madeline Monika: any lunch break, anything like that, I was working on my business in my in my mind. And um on the weekend, I was working on my business. And as soon as I gave up one job, kept another focusing more on my business.
Madeline Monika: And I after I wasn't able to do that anymore than I was 100% my businesses. my businesses And then then I got more than one business. So slowly built up more than one.
Find A Way Podcast: Wow. Yeah, reflect.
Find A Way Podcast: It takes a lot of ah passion and a lot of courage to pursue that and to follow through, right?
Find A Way Podcast: Because it it takes so much energy, but it's at the same time, it's so rewarding, right?
Madeline Monika: Yes, yes, it is rewarding and it it pays it pays off and it it's challenging and a lot of people doesn't want to do that much for themselves.
Find A Way Podcast: Yeah. when and
Madeline Monika: and then But they do for others. So they wake up, they go to the work, they work for someone else to build their business, but they wouldn't do that for themselves.
Find A Way Podcast: Yeah. For themselves.
Find A Way Podcast: for themselves yeah
Madeline Monika: I gave up Netflix, I gave up gave up a lot of things in my life that I i think I watched a movie probably Christmas or or maybe at New Year's or something that time, I don't even remember, but I don't watch anything.
Madeline Monika: What I do is whenever I can listen, I listen to an audiobook and i I do that all day long and listen to something.
Find A Way Podcast: I
Madeline Monika: So basically I do that and then I make a lot of notes about what I come up with and that's how I navigate throughout my day.
Find A Way Podcast: i love that. What was, looking back 25 years ago that you stepped into Canada, what was the hardest part of adjusting to a life in Canada?
Find A Way Podcast: And how did you push through those early challenges?
Madeline Monika: As much as I don't go back and remember anymore, um I believe the hardest one is that, well, the language, of course.
Madeline Monika: And then that when you can't you know articulate yourself good enough, then people think you're stupid, you know?
Find A Way Podcast: Thank you.
Madeline Monika: And then they don't know how you how good you are in your own language or how good thoughts you have about something, but you can't really tell them you... and then Well, yeah, that was really, really a challenge. that was That was something that I can go back and if I could change it, I would i would come more prepared.
Madeline Monika: But thankfully, had this skill sewing, so it gave me the yeah potential to get jobs very quickly.
Madeline Monika: And I think that meant a lot.
Find A Way Podcast: That's incredible. That's
Madeline Monika: So having having a skill or a skill set and then growing that skill set is a must for any newcomer, even if you speak the language, even if you're the best in English.
Madeline Monika: um I think if you have a skill that is you know sellable and makes value. And then probably have more than one skill that's even more beneficial.
Find A Way Podcast: that's lovely And you were mentioning about the the language and how much you think like, oh, I can i articulate this so much better in my you know my first language.
Madeline Monika: Yeah.
Find A Way Podcast: It makes me remind of the, remember the so the actress Sofia Vergara from Modern Family. She's a Colombian.
Madeline Monika: Yes.
Find A Way Podcast: And I love her.
Madeline Monika: Yes. Exactly.
Find A Way Podcast: and and and She's just like, you don't know how smart I am you know, in Spanish in my brain because she translates. it's It's really, it's exactly what happens to us that are, you know, have a second language or third language, however many languages you have, but it's your your mother tongue.
Find A Way Podcast: You're always smarter, funnier, even with jokes. It's just like, oh, that doesn't make sense in English, but it makes sense in Portuguese. It's funny in Portuguese.
Madeline Monika: exactly
Find A Way Podcast: I love that you mentioned that. um Now, looking ahead, and I know you're a person that focused a lot on, you know, on self development and all of that, but I'm curious, the looking ahead for your business.
Find A Way Podcast: What is next for you and your textile businesses? Any exciting projects or goals in the horizon?
Madeline Monika: Yes, I have a very, very big goal that I'm looking for partners and I really hope I find um very quickly.
Madeline Monika: but I have discussions with a couple of people about it. I want to make a level of boat cover for winter that will possibly eliminate shrink wrapping forever.
Madeline Monika: that That's my goal.
Find A Way Podcast: Wow. That's incredible. Well, please share once you get that ready and we're going to advertise as much as we can.
Madeline Monika: Yeah.
Find A Way Podcast: That's incredible. um And now we're at the point of the podcast, Monica, which is usually my favorite part. It's diving diving deep into the individual, right? So the personal side, of course, all the questions here have a personal touch to it.
Find A Way Podcast: But if you could have dinner with any person alive or dead, who would that be?
Madeline Monika: That's a good question. do i have to Do I have to only ah answer with the name or can I answer a little longer?
Find A Way Podcast: Oh, go ahead. We have time so you can be longer.
Madeline Monika: ah okay
Find A Way Podcast: No worries.
Madeline Monika: so basically I normally have a table of 12 in my mind and those 12 people are advisors of mine.
Find A Way Podcast: I love that.
Madeline Monika: And starting the list with a couple of the greatest people is number one would be Jim Rohn. thats
Find A Way Podcast: I love But Proctor.
Madeline Monika: That would be one um at my table. And, well, the rest is something similar. similar i haven't felt Bob Proctor, for example.
Find A Way Podcast: yeah
Madeline Monika: And Zig Ziglar.
Find A Way Podcast: Yeah. Uh-huh.
Madeline Monika: Or, well, I always set up that table for 12 in my mind regarding of what i want to achieve and what is the discussion at the table would look like.
Find A Way Podcast: yeah
Find A Way Podcast: ah
Madeline Monika: And I change some of the faces because I have a list of 25 people. And change... paul
Find A Way Podcast: right
Madeline Monika: but and i changed regarding the subject.
Find A Way Podcast: Of course.
Madeline Monika: And yeah, and then that's my dinner table.
Find A Way Podcast: I love that. And that's, um I remember, I think it was, um I read this about this dynamic, which was fascinating to me. I think it's something that Napoleon Hill from his book, right? Think and Grow Rich.
Find A Way Podcast: He did mention that, like creating your own mental mastermind group of how would that people, how would those people ah react?
Madeline Monika: Yes.
Find A Way Podcast: And he even mentioned in the book that he would feel the sarcasm of so-and-so and the harshness of,
Madeline Monika: Yes. Yes.
Find A Way Podcast: you know, X, Y, z So all of those emotions into ah putting on the spot while you're, you know, dwelling within opinions and exposing something you need assistance with.
Find A Way Podcast: And it's incredible, the mental work and how much you can get out of that, you know, just thinking from different personas and different people that advise you on something.
Madeline Monika: Yes.
Find A Way Podcast: I love that you mentioned that. So that's incredible.
Madeline Monika: Yeah. Yeah. Well, actually, that's that's what I do as a practice. Well, I don't do that regular regularly, but once in a while when I go into bigger decision and I want to have like a meditation practice on it, then I definitely sit down with my people.
Find A Way Podcast: I love that. Thank you for sharing. It's something that everybody should do every once in a while, right?
Madeline Monika: Yeah, I think self-development is really a great practice.
Find A Way Podcast: i think it's...
Find A Way Podcast: And knowing um a little bit about you and knowing how how much focused you are on self-development or on becoming the best version of yourself, what advice would you give to your younger self, Monica?
Madeline Monika: I think the greatest advice would be that to my younger self who once gave up,
Find A Way Podcast: So,
Madeline Monika: um to just never believe in that one failure is enough for you to to give up.
Madeline Monika: um Today, i think the way of if there would be a hundred thousand times I've been knocked off of something that I want to accomplish, I would get up even one more time just to be able to to do it.
Madeline Monika: However, my younger self thought that she was a total failure because of losing that condominium. And then at that time, it was really a big thing.
Madeline Monika: um now I know it's nothing compared to what it comes to.
Find A Way Podcast: That's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. And what would you say, based on everything you've collected and learnings throughout your journey, what is success to you?
Madeline Monika: Success is coming from inside. Once you accomplish something that was in front of you for a while or um you get to your goal, everything is success that you decide inside. I want to have that become a reality or I want to do this thing that's a success.
Madeline Monika: if you accomplish that. So basically, um remember for how long we're trying to have this interview since March.
Find A Way Podcast: Yes.
Madeline Monika: I think this is a success. Now we are actually here and then we're able to do that.
Find A Way Podcast: Yeah.
Madeline Monika: So every little step is a success, but people under appreciate sometimes the little steps that takes them up to the higher level.
Madeline Monika: But without little steps, there are no higher level.
Find A Way Podcast: yeah
Madeline Monika: you can You have to do those little steps. I appreciate every single one of them on the go because they meant to be there. they they They are there. Those little, little obstacles that will become success ones when you are done your part, when you you do everything that make it happen.
Madeline Monika: And then you can get to wherever you are heading to.
Find A Way Podcast: That is so true. And for the listeners that don't know the background story, it's we've been trying to record this episode for such a long time. ah First moments we had, it was problem with the microphone. Second moment we had, like you know things came up and we had to cancel.
Find A Way Podcast: Just in the beginning of the recording, we had a problem. We had to do it again. But here we are and it's working. And so it's a success. I love that.
Madeline Monika: Yeah.
Find A Way Podcast: um If you could choose one superpower, what would it be and why?
Madeline Monika: Okay. um Yeah, this is this is a great question because I was actually um dealing with the same idea for a long time. What would be my superpower if I want to have one? And I discovered I already have one.
Find A Way Podcast: love that.
Madeline Monika: and that's And that's intuition. It's called intuition. And that's my superpower. And I love it. I trust it. And I really, really appreciate that I have it. And I really, really listen to it um every single day.
Madeline Monika: um Whenever I get a ah sign, i really look into it. And I accept it, whatever is.
Find A Way Podcast: Yeah. and we And it's a power that many people oversee, right? And don't um sometimes don't give the the proper value it has. I'm a big personal intuition and many, many decisions in my life were based on intuitive nudges or shall we that.
Madeline Monika: Yeah. yeah Yeah. and but Yeah. And let me tell you that whenever I was,
Madeline Monika: how can I say it the way? um Okay, so there was a time in my life, then I wasn't following my spiritual practices or I wasn't following my own self that aye really wanted it to.
Madeline Monika: And that time of my life was not only not spiritual, but I couldn't really listen to my intuition because of the way how everything was around me. um I did not allow myself to do that because of the thinking of others around me made me a little bit like focusing on the material side.
Find A Way Podcast: Mm-hmm.
Madeline Monika: So part of my life had given me a lot of signals, gut feelings, intuitive um energies came to me that could have changed a lot of things in my life at that moment or at that time.
Madeline Monika: But because I was closer to that material side of myself, I did not listen to it. And it caused me a lot of damages that I actually see, foresee now.
Madeline Monika: And I understand now why those things happen to me back at the time. But today I'm focusing more on my superpower intuition and I love everything around it. And I think I will just grow it even better.
Find A Way Podcast: love that. Thank you for sharing. um Moving on to some, we usually do like a rapid fire questions. We give you two options and then you choose what is more suitable.
Find A Way Podcast: ah First question, spring or fall?
Madeline Monika: Hmm. Hmm, fall.
Find A Way Podcast: Fall, good. ah City life or countryside?
Madeline Monika: Countryside.
Find A Way Podcast: Dancing or singing? yeah Vintage fashion or latest trends?
Madeline Monika: Hmm.
Madeline Monika: I make my own designs.
Find A Way Podcast: Tough one. I love that.
Madeline Monika: but
Find A Way Podcast: So somewhere in between, like a more, you know,
Madeline Monika: Yeah, classic.
Find A Way Podcast: classic. I love that. um And Ingrid and I, we are we we just enjoy so much reading and we like to collect from our incredible guests some book recommendations for not only for ourselves, but for our listeners in case they also enjoy reading books.
Find A Way Podcast: What would be one or two books that you would like to recommend to the audience?
Madeline Monika: I think I have already mentioned the name Jim Rohn so read anything and everything from Jim Rohn and if you want to follow maybe a spiritual practice another old timer have you ever heard of Neville Goddard?
Find A Way Podcast: Oh, yes, I love him.
Madeline Monika: okay okay so
Find A Way Podcast: There's so many things in common, Monica.
Madeline Monika: what should I um
Find A Way Podcast: I love him, but and but we'll just leave those two, which is, I hope our listeners, that probably not everyone has listened to Neville Goddard and his they his books.
Madeline Monika: yeah
Find A Way Podcast: And Jim Rohn, too. My husband is a big fan of Jim Rohn. um So he he has, he he left so many incredible ah lessons for us to, you know, development.
Madeline Monika: Yeah, yeah.
Find A Way Podcast: He's just a great mind to read about and all his teachings are really good. And same as naville ne Neville Goddard, I really enjoy his his writings.
Find A Way Podcast: And even though it was from like early 1900s, right, many of them, there's so much quality in it.
Madeline Monika: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Find A Way Podcast: And it's incredible the value can extract from that, those those teachings. So I'm fully on board. Thank you for sharing that.
Find A Way Podcast: um Okay, as we're heading to the end of the episode, Monica, we would like to see what would you like to ask our next guest?
Madeline Monika: Well, the question would be how important is for you self-development and what you do as a spiritual spiritual of practice to grow yourself?
Find A Way Podcast: Perfect. Thank you. ah That's great. yeah
Madeline Monika: I think I'm so much into it. Thank you. My pleasure to be here.
Find A Way Podcast: Me too, me too. We have so much, news so many things to talk about. And whoever is interested in that too. So feel free to reach out to us to talk about those topics as well. It's always so, so, so many rewarding conversations that we have on that path.
Find A Way Podcast: um But thank you so much, Monica, for telling your story.
Madeline Monika: thank you my pleasure
Find A Way Podcast: This is lovely.
Madeline Monika: p
Find A Way Podcast: Is there anything you want to add before we close the episode?
Madeline Monika: should I add? Well, I, well, that's that's a surprise. So I wasn't prepared at all.
Find A Way Podcast: Whatever you want add, if there's anything you want to say or any learnings, anything or just or nothing at all. and to
Madeline Monika: Yeah, um I think self development and focus on growing yourself is ah more important than focusing on growing your own business. So basically that is the teaching of Jim Rohn.
Madeline Monika: And that's why I love him. And then the little explanation is for someone who never heard about him or never read anything about. The the most important thing is not what you um get at the end, but what you become.
Find A Way Podcast: I love that. That's beautiful. Well, amazing way for us to close our episode.
Madeline Monika: no Thank you.
Find A Way Podcast: That's beautiful. Thank you so much, Monica. And this was our episode number 104, Unbreakable Journey with Madeline Monica Firmani. We'd like to thank all of our listeners and would like to remind you that we will be posting one episode bi-weekly, always with a different guest.
Find A Way Podcast: So make sure to subscribe on your favorite streaming platform.
