Beyond just sharing aesthetic content, Albane envisions her platform as a space where people can come to feel inspired, connected and included. She is passionate about bringing people together through shared experiences, whether it be discovering a new spot to take pictures, stumbling upon a cute new coffee shop, exploring a city, or simply finding the beauty of everyday life. Albane strives to create a community that can feel like a close knit group of friends, sharing each other’s favourite things, as opposed to just a “following”. As if you were to be living the experiences in real time.

This all began with a simple post about places in Toronto she kept going back to. Having grown up in Toronto almost all her life, after moving when she was only 5 years old, Albane has always loved going to explore places in Toronto. She would share those discoveries in the form of story posts on her Instagram. What started as a personal collection of her favourite spots quickly resonated with others, evolving into a series that encouraged conversation, recommendations and shared experiences.

What is your channel called and what is it about?

My channel is called itsalbane. I like to think of my content as reading through my personal diary. It is a glimpse into all my favourite places, the outfits that make me feel my best self, and small moments from my everyday life. I document everything, whether it be sharing places I have been, an event I attended, what I might think of a new food spot, and much more. My focus is to capture experiences in a way that feels genuine and true to me. I want people to feel as though they’re right by me, discovering these moments, rather than me simply sharing them. Being in my mid 20s, this is THE time where I can fully embrace spontaneity and do things “for the plot”, saying yes to new experiences, all while documenting everything along the way.

When did you start it? What motivated you at the beginning?

I started sharing pictures on Instagram casually, during high school and university, posting here and there without thinking much about it. It wasn’t until 2021, when I moved into my own apartment, that I started taking content creation more seriously. At the time, I was balancing work while creating content on the side, focusing mainly on fashion, especially curated outfit pictures taken in different locations. Putting together cute outfits for people to see and being able to work with different brands became a strong source of motivation for me. It wasn’t until recently, in January 2026, that I really thought about what I wanted my content to represent. A month later, I took a leap of faith and created my post “places in Toronto I keep going back to”, which marked a turning point in my content. That moment helped shape the direction of my platform, shifting it toward a more lifestyle-driven, experience-based content, all while keeping my fashion content. What motivates me now is being able to see people respond to my content. When I read people’s comments saying that something I shared helped them discover a new place, or that they found a spot they really enjoy due to my recommendation, it makes everything feel very meaningful. Knowing my content can have that kind of impact is surreal.

Who were you inspired by? Any influences?

I have always been drawn to the idea of creating content that people would genuinely enjoy, all while building something for myself for the long run. Rather than being inspired by one specific person, I found inspiration from various fashion and lifestyle creators whose platforms made me realize what was possible! I draw a lot of my fashion inspiration from films, such as The Devil Wears Prada and Confessions of a Shopaholic. I have watched both countless times, and they have definitely shaped my love for styling, storytelling and the way I can express myself. My dream has always been to work at a fashion magazine or a marketing firm, which naturally led me to start creating content that feels editorial and curated, almost like building my own digital magazine.

How would you describe your audience?

My audience is primarily women in their 20s and 30s, who love fashion, lifestyle and travel content. A large portion of my audience is based in Toronto, which makes sharing local spots and recommendations quite meaningful, as they can experience it firsthand.

What is your creative process? Do you have people who work with you?

My creative process starts out with a single idea, something I feel is missing or would personally look for on social media. For example, in the post “5 iconic doors in Toronto for your next photoshoot”, I focused on something simple but specific, which was to find and share some cute, photograph-worthy doors around the city. I hadn’t really seen anything of that sort, but knew that it would have been something I would have found useful myself. From there, I do research, using tools such as Google Maps to plan locations and scope out areas. Once I have taken my pictures, I edit everything together in a cohesive way in order to tell a story. At this moment, I manage every part of the process myself, from the photography and editing aspect to brand outreach.

How do you monetise your content? Do you also have another job?

I monetise my content through brand partnerships, sponsored posts and UGC. At this time, I am balancing working a full-time job and doing content. Some days may be tough, but thinking of what I can build for myself helps me stay focused and motivated.

What is your favourite piece of content you have created?

I have created several pieces of content I adore, but these have to be my favourites:

5 iconic doors in Toronto | Places in Toronto I keep going back to | Come with me to a Samsung event

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part is being able to be fully myself creatively while building a community of people who connect genuinely with the things I adore. Being able to work with various different brands, especially those that I have admired since I was younger, is a dream come true. The most challenging part is maintaining consistency and staying on top of things while balancing a full-time job alongside content creation. It may get hard, but I always remember why I started. I am doing this for my younger self, the version of me who would have been so excited to see where I am today. This is the perspective that keeps me motivated to continue.

What are your future plans for your channel?

A: I plan to continue posting Toronto guides, while starting to introduce guides for cities nearby, such as Burlington, Hamilton, Guelph, etc… As my social media grows, I’d love the opportunity to work with more fashion brands and further explore travel content opportunities. Ultimately, I want to keep creating curated lifestyle content that people can turn to for inspiration, wherever in the world I may be. Rather than looking for new places to explore or outfit ideas, I want to be there for my new internet friends.

Where can we follow you?

Instagram | TikTok

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Canadian content creator that you love?

Jassy

The post My Digital Life: Content Creator Albane Vermande appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What is your channel called and what is it about?

I share content on TikTok and Instagram with the goal of romanticizing my life in Toronto and urging Torontonians to go out and experience the best the city has to offer. From standout restaurants to sports games and experiences. I post about it all:)

When did you start it? What motivated you at the beginning?

I started posting during the pandemic on TikTok. At that time, like many others, I was working from home and craving connection. My content has evolved a lot since then, but at that time I made a lot of comedy videos about my background, which is Romanian on my mother’s side and French Canadian on my dad’s side.

Who were you inspired by? Any influences?

I have truly been inspired by so many people over the years. I feel like every time I open up my Instagram app, I am learning something new, which is such an advantage of living in these times. If I had to pinpoint one specific person, I would definitely say my boyfriend Conrad. He is also in the social media space, and he has truly taught me so much, from hooks to filming to organizing my time as a content creator. He is a bona fide veteran in the space.

How would you describe your audience?

My audience is the best. I love seeing the city alive and bustling with people, and I’d like to think that I contribute to that, even just a little bit.

What is your creative process? Do you have people who work with you?

Funnily enough, I actually have quite a rigid creative process. I like to break news fast, so I do a lot of research on new things opening in the city. I have found that researching and planning is the key to being a successful content creator. It is definitely not as spontaneous as I once thought.

How do you monetize your content? Do you also have another job?

I work part-time as a content creator for ToDoToronto, and I also do brand partnerships on my own personal channel. However, I actually used to work full-time as a corporate accountant up until 2025.

What is your favourite piece of content you have created?

Right now it would definitely have to be this since I am seriously looking forward to a spectacular Toronto summer.

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part of what I do is definitely all the opportunities this job bestows me with. I get to do things that I could have never even dreamed of working a 9-5 in accounting. I have so many pinch me moments and “wow, I can’t believe this is my life right now” moments. As for the worst part, I feel like sometimes this industry can encourage a lot of comparison and competition, which you feel the need to disconnect from at times.

What are your future plans for your channel?

My goal for this year is to open up a bit more regarding my life on social media. The internet can be a scary place, but I truly want to put myself out there a bit more:)

Where can we follow you?

Instagram | TikTok

Thank you for all the support!

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Canadian content creator that you love?

Valeria Lipovetsky! I remember meeting her at the Eaton Centre years ago and loving her since her early YouTube days in Toronto.

The post My Digital Life: Content Creator Ilinca Ducharme appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What is your channel called and what is it about?

I share lifestyle content on Instagram & TikTok, but the real theme is building a life in your 20s – building a life away from home (I immigrated to Canada from Ukraine 6.5 years ago), juggling a 9-5, side projects, finances, relationship, traveling and everything in between. My content is a mix of career, ambition, “figuring it out” moments, and real-life routines, all in a way that’s aspirational but still realistic.

When did you start it? What motivated you at the beginning?

I’ve always loved social media, but I started taking it seriously about three years ago. It began as a creative outlet – I genuinely enjoy every part of the process: filming, photography, editing, writing/copywriting, storytelling, and even the “behind the scenes” of building something from nothing.

Who were you inspired by? Any influences?

I wasn’t inspired by one specific creator – it was more the industry itself. It looked fun and aligned with my skills, and I had this mindset of: if they can do it, why can’t I? Especially since I already loved creating.

How would you describe your audience?

My audience feels a lot like me: mostly Canadian women in their 20s and 30s, many of them immigrants or first-gen, who want to be ambitious without sacrificing quality of life. They’re building careers, figuring themselves out, and trying to get the most out of living in a big city.

What is your creative process? Do you have people who work with you?

Because I do this alongside a full-time job, my process is pretty integrated into real life – I film when I’m inspired and when I have time, and I build content into my day-to-day. Which is not ideal, and I would love to have a better system around it.

In terms of help, I hired an assistant last year, which has been a game-changer. And honestly, my best friend and my boyfriend have been my OG team since day one – they’ve helped me film most campaigns. I’ve only worked with a professional videographer on one campaign so far.

How do you monetize your content? Do you also have another job?

Right now, monetization is mostly brand partnerships, plus UGC (creating content for brands to use on their channels or in ads). I also do social media consultations/coaching, which I love because it lets me go deeper strategically. And yes – I also work a 9–5 as a marketing manager, and I consult for social media clients on the side.

What is your favourite piece of content you have created?

I love to get creative with campaigns, and here are a few of my fave ones:

Starbucks | Trident | Vachon | Tourism Calgary | Staples | Intrepid Travel

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

Best part: how many doors it opens – creatively, financially, and socially – and being able to have a voice. It can genuinely become a platform for whatever your next chapter is.

Worst part: the mental load. It’s hard to set boundaries when everything can be content. Sometimes life moments (birthdays, trips, big milestones) start feeling like a content opportunity first – and you have to actively remind yourself to still experience them.

What are your future plans for your channel?

This year, I want to diversify beyond brand deals (affiliate marketing, digital products, and more scalable income streams), and focus more on community – being more open, creating more connections, and building something that feels like it has depth, not just reach.

Where can we follow you?

Instagram | TikTok

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Canadian content creator that you love?

Jade Lagassé

The post My Digital Life: Content Creator Lisa Horbunova appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What is your channel called and what is it about?

We are called the Sweaty Trio Pod. We are a Canadian sports podcast covering the NFL, NHL & NBA. We record every Monday and already have had some cool interviews, including Cabbie Richards, Jacob Scarfone (former CFL player), George Visger (Former NFL player), Devon Bailey (Former CFL player), Aaron Rose (Raptors and Blue Jays reporter).

When did you start it? What motivated you at the beginning?

We started the podcast about 4 and a half months ago, and I do the podcast with my brother and one of our friends (Michael and Oussama). We started it because we are always talking sports, having debates, and we wanted a platform where we could talk about these things and post them. We are always trying to interview people with cool stories and profile them, all while keeping our fan base up tp date on the 3 sports we cover on current news.

Who were you inspired by? Any influences?

We do have some sports pods we all listen to, however, we don’t model our pod after anyone in particular, we are trying to be unique and set ourselves apart from the industry.

How would you describe your audience?

Currently our audience is a mix of family and friends and a chunk of people across Canada and the USA turning in. Our audience is mostly male; however, we are trying to figure out ways to interact with a female audience, too. I have reached out to a few female sports figures in Canada for an interview.

What is your creative process? Do you have people who work with you?

We cover breaking news for the NFL, NHL and NBA each week, we do mix in weekly segments about the Toronto Maple Leafs, and some of our favourite NFL teams. We usually end the pod with a fun game, touching on at least 1 of the sports we cover.

How do you monetize your content? Do you also have another job?

Yes, we are all employed outside of the podcast, we are trying to grow, and we have done well for only 4 months with over 5.5k likes on TikTok and 120 followers on Instagram. We have not paid for any content to be promoted. We post 5-6 clips a week, along with a full episode every Wednesday.

What is your favourite piece of content you have created?

We interviewed Cabbie Richards, and that was by far our shining moment. We recently did a golf outing at an Ontario course, and we are going to upload that in the coming weeks as well. This was called the Sweaty Trio Open. Here is our interview with Cabbie

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part is getting a chance every week to hang with my brother and my friend and chat sports for an hour. I do love Mondays – when we record, as it is the highlight of our week. The worst part is trying to balance a 9-5 on top of having a podcast where we are uploading content all the time, doing outreach and trying to find interesting guests and ways to have our podcast shown to the world.

What are your future plans for your channel?

Ideally, we would like to have this become our jobs; we always talk about “when we blow up” and how amazing that would be. We understand it is a marathon, not a sprint, and we are so thrilled about the natural growth we have had over the last almost 5 months.

Where can we follow you?

YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Spotify

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Canadian content creator that you love?

We have had a lot of interaction with a podcast called Buds & Pucks, they cover the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The post My Digital Life: Toronto Podcasters Sweaty Trio Pod appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What is your channel called and what is it about?

Digital 55, an indie subculture media studio, runs two original channels:

Coolhunter – A short-form, cinematic series inspired by subculture scenes—each episode dives into art, culture and innovation with a community-driven, indie-vibe storytelling and short film ethos.

Filter – A niche channel devoted to new cannabis culture, blending lifestyle features, narrative-driven pieces and indie-music curation to spotlight this distinct subculture.

Both channels reflect our passion for community, counterculture, and authentic creative expression—just aimed at slightly different corners of the underground.

When did you start it? What motivated you at the beginning?

After years producing storytelling, digital, and media content for clients, I knew it was crucial for Digital 55 to create our own IP—I wanted to tell stories we actually owned: about music, art, and underground scenes that resonate with me as a musician (I’m one half of Jo Ryder and was in Lovely Killbots). Once we went full-time in 2018 and built a stable foundation, I deliberately reinvested revenue into original projects—launching Filter and Coolhunter in 2019.

Who were you inspired by? Any influences?

We pull inspiration from both film and music—especially that dreamy-meets-gritty energy of the ’90s and early 2000s. On the music side, influences include indie and electronic acts like NEIL FRANCES, Chezile, Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Death From Above 1979. As a musician myself (I’m currently one half of Jo Ryder and was previously in Lovely Killbots), music doesn’t just underscore our work—it shapes how we pace and vibe our stories.

Visually and narratively, we’re influenced by character-driven, mood-heavy films such as Before Sunrise, Mallrats, Dazed and Confused, Good Will Hunting, Lost in Translation, Fight Club, and Pulp Fiction. Those movies used tone and atmosphere to create scenes that stick with you—and that’s exactly what we’re chasing with Coolhunter and Filter: storytelling that lingers.

How would you describe your audience?

Our audience is made up of subculture enthusiasts and creative explorers—indie music fans, art and culture aficionados, and entrepreneurial spirits who crave authentic, underground stories. They’re digitally native (mostly 18–45), and they tune in for short-form, cinematic and slow storytelling content that speaks to their passion for music-driven narratives, innovative art, and community-centred subculture experiences.

What is your creative process? Do you have people who work with you?

Our process is simple and lean:

1. Research & Immersion: Dive into a subculture—talk to artists, attend events—to spark story ideas.
2. Storyboard & Shoot: A core team scripts, films, and edits each episode.
3. Iterate & Adapt: Refine with feedback, then remix the modular content for different platforms.

We partner with dynamic creators, artists, and collaborators—and as our channels grow, we’ll bring even more voices into the mix. This tight, collaborative network keeps our work fast, authentic, and endlessly reusable.

How do you monetize your content? Do you also have another job?

At this stage, we’re exploring a range of monetization avenues: IP licensing & syndication with niche streaming partners and international co-producers; brand partnerships & sponsorships that align with our subculture ethos; ad and subscription revenue on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo; a “Behind the Scenes” membership tier and limited-edition merch collaborations; and non-dilutive funding programs (WEOC, Ontario Creates, Canada Media Fund, BDC, FundThrough) to fuel new IP.

Running D55 as an indie studio and building our media channels is 150% of my focus. Oh yeah, and making music with Jo Ryder.

What is your favourite piece of content you have created?

I would have to say Filter Season 1, Episode 1: “Blondies Pizza”. We shot it in 2021—right in the middle of a world turned upside down—and editing was a massive challenge. Our footage was all over the place, and for a while, I was sure it’d all end up on the cutting-room floor. But somewhere in that chaos, we found our story and our vibe: the unpolished ’90s energy, the shop itself as a character, and working with indie record labels like Six Shooter Records on the soundtrack. That edit taught me the power of persistence and set the creative tone for everything we build across Coolhunter, Filter, and beyond—making this episode deeply nostalgic and personally meaningful as an Executive Producer.

I also love the Jo Ryder video for “Imprint”, filmed in 2021 inside an empty Drake Hotel. It immediately transports me back to the Drake Underground’s “Elvis Mondays” in the 2010’2, brimmed with musicians and creative energy. That past vibrancy makes me nostalgic for the subcultures and tight-knit communities that thrived there—even as the city continues to evolve.

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

Best part: Merging storytelling with our love of music and film and knowing we own every frame. As a truly indie, bootstrapped studio in year 7, we dive headfirst into subculture stories—whether it’s an underground music scene or a local art collective—and bring them to the screen exactly as we envision. Thinking about the future of Coolhunter and Filter as they grow makes it even more thrilling. As a woman founder, owning what you create and integrating your passions into every project is both empowering and unforgettable.

Worst part: The constant financial tightrope. Running a truly indie shop means juggling cash flow, chasing grants or partnerships, and wondering if next month’s revenue will cover payroll. You’re also wearing every hat, which can feel chaotic and lead to burnout. The risk of a project stalling or a funding pitch falling through never really goes away.

What are your future plans for your channel?

Ultimately, we’re evolving from single-series channels into a multi-platform subculture media brand. Looking ahead, we’ll expand Coolhunter and Filter with new content drops, seasons, spin-offs, and niche streaming partnerships, while deepening dynamic artist collaborations.

Where can we follow you?

@explorefilter | @coolhunterto | @digital_55 | @jorydermusic

PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another Canadian content creator that you love?

Here are three amazing creators/creatives who I’d love to feature on Coolhunter someday (soon).

Cliff Cardinal is an edgy cultural badass—an unstoppable force as a playwright, theatre artist, and musician. He reinvents every subculture he touches, and I love how he continually pushes creative boundaries. Can’t wait to feature him on Coolhunter.

Tatagabor is a pole-dancing, aerial powerhouse (we used to box together) whose art practice and online content are equally provocative and sublime. I’m a huge fan of how she fuses physical performance with creative storytelling.

Alexei Morita‘s skating and rollerblading videos are pure ’90s vibes—hypnotic and adventure-driven. I first saw him speak at Buffer Fest in Toronto and was taken by his whole “adventure approach” to content creation. Watching his content feels like being right there.

The post My Digital Life: Toronto Content Creator Lauralee appeared first on Toronto Guardian.