Fridays With Bri - Spot light on Amanda Cottreau

Amanda Cottreau, photo from showcaseyourmusic.com

Hey, everyone; just a quick post for today. With all the amazing events going on with Celebrate Her, I wanted to quickly highlight the brains behind the operation, the Celebrate Her mastermind: Amanda Cottreau.

I got a chance to sit down with her and groove to some incredible music last night, and find out why she wanted to do such an amazing thing for the women of the community. In a nutshell, Amanda wanted to find a way to link the community together and really show to everyone that, "Wow, Women are really doing that!" She wanted to show to all women around the city that they can achieve amazing things, and that we should really take time to celebrate them all.

SURROUNDED BY AMAZING WOMEN

Amanda and one of the nominated women Jules Hilliker

Amanda, a local song writer and musician who has truly married her music, told me about about her past and how at one point she had only $13 dollars in her pocket and no place to live. She got through these rough times by seeing amazing women achieve great things, and she stuck to her dream. Amanda pulled herself up and out of that situation. Now she owns her own house, finished her first album last year and is truly chasing down her dreams.

She told me that people call her story inspirational, but she said that it was because of those strong women she witnessed that she strives to succeed. She wanted to share that inspiration with more people, and make an International Women's Day celebration that appeals to all women and men. Since taking on the epic task of planning this week long event she has met more inspirational women than she can count. These amazing women are her "new heroes to look up to".

Alpha Soul Cafe, photos of inspirational women on the wall

When she started to plan the event she began by just wanting to provide a venue for people to recognize that there are amazing women all around...but sometimes we just don't see them. She started to talk with Max, the owner of Alpha Soul Cafe in Hintonburg, about having n photo installation at her restaurant that would show off some of these amazing women. This allowed Amanda to tie the whole celebration together through multiple mediums of art. Amanda wanted it to be an inspiration to others, and really to pass on hope to other women that they, too, can achieve great things.

 
Please come to the closing gala Saturday March 10th 2012, to help us all celebrate the amazing women of Ottawa. Tickets are only 35$. You can also purchase a raffle ticket for an amazing guitar for only 5$; proceeds go the Ottawa Sexual Assault Support Center (SASC).


It is amazing how much saying, "Thank you, we appreciate you" goes; and truly to all women out there, I say thank you for all that you have done. We truly do appreciate you.
 
-Brian

Amanda album