A story about love.. for life, for wellness, and for each other!
Who and what are The Jills? Well, we are The Jills––the modern woman; the curious woman. The Jills are you, too! The Jills are all of us who are looking to empower ourselves by questioning and unmasking all the trends that are filling our heads, our media feeds and our inboxes. From beauty and diet to fitness and style, we have set out to uncover the truth behind why we follow, accept and adopt these trends into our lifestyles, and what can really make a positive difference. Let’s face it:we all want to look and feel great, be great and do great, but ultimately, we want to laugh and have fun! So that’s exactly what we will deliver to you, our fellow Jills. Buckle up—it’s gonna be a thrilling ride!
When our paths crossed..
We met when our eldest children started nursery school together in Toronto. We immediately fell for one another as we bonded over our love of fashion, fitness, feeling (and looking) young, and overall health and lifestyle trends. But most importantly, we loved to laugh, and we love our wine! As the years passed, our families grew closer and we (and our children) have become the best of friends!
One day (like every day),we were fixated on our social media feeds, tracking and trailing every trending topic. And then we realized:so much of these so-called trends are not actually detailing what good they truly do for us. We wondered if people really knew why they were ingesting collagen every morning, or injecting their own blood back into their faces, or using essentials oils in every room of their house. We felt a lot like we did back in high school, when you just followed whatever the popular kids were doing, without question! So, that’s when we decided we needed to smarten up and uncover and share the truth behind all these trends with our lady friends––The Jills. With five degrees and five kids between us, we are excited to bring you real, honest information about health, wellness and style, sprinkled with charm and loads of laughter, too. We, the modern ladies (a.k.a.The Jills), will surely rule the world one day soon.
The Founders explained:
Michelle Ferraro
Born in Brooklyn, Michelle remains true to her “New York State of Mind.” She is witty, confident, smart and edgy. Michelle attended Niagara University, majoring in pre-med science with a minor in the local party scene. After graduation, she went on to study Naturopathic Medicine at The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and practiced as a naturopathic doctor for years before starting a family of her own. While her two girls were growing, Michelle was still treating and caring for others, but rather than patients, they were her family and friends. She helped them with their health concerns, food issues and fashion fixes, too! She still subscribes to (and prescribes) the idea that laughter is the best medicine. In addition to her passion for health, traveling the globe has a special place in her heart. She loves learning about different cultures, foods, styles and health practices, and this zest for life will not go unnoticed here. Her most noteworthy traits are that she finds humour in almost all aspects of life. And although her sense of humour may leave some questioning her sanity, she will undoubtedly make you smile from ear to ear. Michelle has spent years working on ideas for The Jills and hopes she can bring knowledge to not only empower you, but also make you laugh out loud.
Julia Black
An all-around lifestyle junkie, Julia has been in on what’s trending in health and wellness, culture and style for as long as she’s been walking. With a degree from Queen’s University, followed by another from The International Academy of Design and Technology, Julia’s career journeyed to television. She began as the Assistant Designer on HGTV’s Pure Design and went on to become a regular guest expert on CityLine’s “Home Days.”She then ventured into editorial and worked as one of the home editors and prop stylists for Chatelaine magazine. Now, you can see her as a décor and lifestyle expert on CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show and Your Morning. Her passion for people and their “lifestyles” is what fuels her and what she will share with you! She will introduce you to aspiring and accomplished individuals who have inspired her along the way and have likely landed in your popular searches time and time again. Her passion for health and fitness has been burning since she picked up ballet shoes in kindergarten. She has tried every fitness trend, exercise group and workout routine, and will continue to do so until the end of time. She loves sweatin’ it out and will certainly bring you some inspiration on getting you moving too! Julia was born and raised in Toronto; she married her high school sweetheart and she has three young kids.
