Cynthia Soda

It’s the last month of Q3 and August went by in a flurry of sunshine, construction drawings, concepts, finish samples, meetings, back to school shopping and children’s activities (So. Much. Driving…) During my drives, I get to listen to podcasts, make calls, and sometimes just think (my best ideas like to hit when I least expect them to… and usually when I don’t have easy access to a pen and paper 😉). The strangest of things inspire me to write, and this time, it was the feeling of going...

My teenage son was recently struggling with commitments he made to his various friend groups. Namely, how to be ok saying “NO.” He was genuinely anxious about letting anyone down. He worried about saying no to sleepovers, no to hanging out when he’s tired (or just didn’t feel like doing anything), no to overextending himself – essentially a not-so-mini people pleaser in the making. What a gut punch. As a reformed people pleaser (yes, ok it’s a work-in-progress), my heart broke for him. I...

People often tell me they admire me for carrying on my father's legacy. Every time they say it, I smile... ...and every time, a tiny part of me wants to gently correct them. Not because I don't adore my father. I do. More than words can explain. But because that's not actually what happened. When I was in Grade 8, beside my graduation photo, we were asked to write down our dream career. Mine said: Interior Designer or Pediatrician. I'm still not entirely sure how I thought I was...