Our next Woman of Oilersnation’s Twitter bio asks “Would you believe they used to pay me to write about hockey”? And now hockey sites are writing about her and her success as an Edmonton business owner.

Kady Hobbins (known as @KadyDane in the social media world) is an Oilers fan, co-founder of a female-owned social media agency in Edmonton, and an advocate for making hockey more inclusive for everyone.

KADY: I am the co-founder of Kaden Ave Communications, a boutique social media marketing agency in Edmonton. We have clients across Canada (and a few in the US!) and we help them elevate their social media game.

My life outside of that is mostly consumed by my animals — a horse that I compete in showjumping, my dog Scout and cat Oliver, and my fiancé, Braden.

KADY: I’ve been interested in the game since a young age and was raised to love the Oilers and the Yankees — my dad is a lifelong fan of both.

KADY: Competitive sports have given me goals and purpose for most of my life. I’m a naturally competitive person, so I think once I had a taste of both victory and loss, it made me strive for more and taught me lessons that I’ve carried over into my professional and personal life.

KADY: Probably my very first in-person game at Skyreach Centre in Edmonton — a 3-3 tie.

KADY: I told you a little bit up there, but being a business owner is a wild adventure. Most days I feel like I’m just learning as I go, but we’ve had some big wins in 2020 despite everything going on around us, which I’m grateful for. I feel that I can be my authentic self as a business owner here — I don’t have to cave to anyone else’s ideals or preconceived notions about how a business should function or how fast I need to grow or who I need to work with or not work with. It’s freeing and I’m grateful to the Edmonton community for supporting us.

KADY: Don’t wait. Don’t try to save a safety net, don’t wait until there’s virtually zero risk, because that will never happen. You just have to do it. If you have a good idea/if you’re good at something and willing to work hard, that’s all you need. Be really good to your first few clients/customers and watch your business grow.

KADY: I’m grateful for all of the people I’ve met along the way on the internet and in real life — even the ones that taught me lessons. In my “old age”, I’m addressing some of the harmful aspects of hockey culture including misogyny, sexual violence, toxic masculinity, inequities between the men’s and women’s game at all levels, and other less pretty things that have been left in the shadows for too long.

I still have immense love for the game, for the camaraderie and what it means to be a hockey fan in our city. Together, I think we can continue to work towards making hockey more inclusive and repairing some of the toxic narratives.