‘My experience at the University of Saskatchewan was pivotal’

It’s been 25 years since University of Saskatchewan (USask) alumna Daria Malin (BComm’00) celebrated her USask graduation—an anniversary milestone that makes her one of this year’s Silver Grads.

“Twenty-five years ago, I never could have imagined where my life would take me,” said Malin, an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and non-profit leader who earned her Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing in 2000.

“Looking back, my experience at the University of Saskatchewan was pivotal,” she said. “The education I received helped me develop the skills, knowledge, and perspective that have shaped my professional journey. While there are countless career paths to choose from today, starting with a solid foundation at USask allows you to launch your career strong and remain part of a valuable, supportive network for your entire life.”

Malin, who was born and raised in Saskatoon, came to USask after attending St. Goretti Ukrainian Bilingual School and then completing high school at Holy Cross High School. She realized that studying business would be the right fit for her after working at her in-laws’ Dairy Queen restaurant across the street from the USask campus during the summer before she began university.

“I was doing some of the bank deposits and other business tasks, and I realized I really liked the operations side of the business,” she said. “It hit me that I would love to go to business school.”

Today, Malin is the founder and lead strategist of Boost Strategic Coaching and the author of the book Hands-On Marketing: The Small Business Owner’s Guide to Advertising & Branding. The Green&White recently asked Malin about her growing business, what inspired her to write her book, and her memories and reflections as one of USask’s Silver Grads. 

It’s been 25 years since you graduated in 2000. What are your thoughts and reflections on this milestone?

In some ways, it feels like forever ago that I was at the university but, in other ways, it seems like time has flown by. My husband, Dr. Greg Malin (BSc’99, MD’04, MEd’08, PhD’15), and I are also celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this year, which feels surreal. I always thought people were much older than us when they hit these milestones! I am thankful for the career that I built, starting at the College of Commerce (now the Edwards School of Business), and so happy to see the amazing accomplishments my fellow alumni have achieved in the last 25 years as well.

What are some of your fondest memories of your time as a USask student?

I always enjoyed being on campus. There was a large group of us from different colleges who studied on the fourth floor of the Murray Library. We’d also study for finals at Upper MUB. We would claim a large table for late-night study sessions, and there were always chaplains and other volunteers there throughout the night to offer coffee, hot chocolate, and a visit whenever we needed a break. They made cramming for exams more bearable. As a marketing student, I had the opportunity to compete with a group of peers in the Manitoba International Marketing Competition in my fourth year. We came away with first place! I also enjoyed parties and events put on by the College of Commerce, including LB5Q, the hockey trip to Edmonton, and the Ukrainian Alternative.

You established Boost Strategic Coaching in 2016. Why did you want to start this business?

I worked at a bank and an insurance company during and right after university, then moved into media advertising sales for 16 years. After selling advertising for so many years, I started to focus on building my own brand as an advertising expert and began to think of going out on my own. The idea for my business really clicked when I was teaching a lunch-and-learn for a group of entrepreneurs. I was there to teach branding and marketing, and everyone was frustrated that their digital marketing efforts weren’t bringing in more business. I realized that what they were truly missing was an understanding of sales. Many people assume social media and other advertising are the only key to business growth because that is the effort that is most visible to the public. However, for many local businesses, direct sales and business development should be the priority. This is a skillset many business owners never get to learn. With my background in both advertising and sales, I saw I was in a unique position to teach both sides of the business growth equation—sales and marketing—to entrepreneurs who were stuck and struggling to grow.

How has your business grown and evolved during the past decade?

I started Boost Coaching offering only one-on-one business coaching, which is still the core of what I do. In early 2020, I launched an online course to allow people to access my teachings in a group setting with the benefit of peer support. The timing was perfect because (the COVID-19 pandemic) lockdown started, and everyone was stuck at home but still needed to connect with prospective clients. Stemming from the course and the unique challenges all professionals were facing at the time, other sales leaders and organizations began to reach out and invite me to train their teams as well. So, we started to put more of our focus into corporate training. Now, half of our business is providing professional development training on the same topics I coach one-on-one: sales strategy, niche marketing, advertising, professional branding, goal setting, and time management. I have a core operations team and a team of facilitators who help deliver my group programming.

You also co-founded the multi-national non-profit organization, Ukrainian Patriot, in 2022. What is the focus of the organization?

The organization operates under five pillars to support civilians, medics, and defenders: humanitarian aid, medicine and medical equipment, PTSD and psychological trauma assistance, protective gear, and rebuilding assistance. Eight co-founders from multiple countries, led by our founder, Lana Niland in Kyiv, came together to lead this effort. Thanks to the support of volunteers from over 14 countries and donations from around the globe, we’ve delivered over $2-million worth of aid to where it’s needed most in Ukraine. And, most importantly, we’ve reinforced to Ukrainians that the world has not forgotten about them.

You are the author of “Hands-On Marketing: The Small Business Owner’s Guide to Advertising & Branding.” Why did you want to write this book?

During my years in advertising, I saw developments that made it more and more difficult for business owners to navigate marketing. I was in advertising when having a website became a necessity and when social media came on the scene—it was truly the Wild West of digital marketing back then. I knew that if people understood some simple principles, it would make all future marketing decisions easier. But those principles were getting lost in the complexity of new platforms and automated schemes. I wanted to write the book to simplify the process of building a brand. This way, no matter what new platform or tactic appears, readers will understand the core building blocks they need in their strategy. Once you understand that, you can apply your strategy to any new tactic and see predictable success. Now, with AI, the same applies. Even though it feels like the Wild West of AI, the basic principles haven’t changed. If you understand your market, speak to their specific needs, and know how to stay top of mind, you’re off to the races. The book was my opportunity to use my expertise to simplify the overwhelming world of marketing for local business owners.

What advice do you have for other USask graduates who may want to follow in your footsteps and become an entrepreneur?

People often think a job is a safety net, but with volatility in the market and global events, a job is never guaranteed. If you learn how to build a business, you’re setting yourself up to protect yourself from that volatility. Even if one business fails, you’ll have the skills to build another. As an entrepreneur, you get to learn about all areas of business—finance, accounting, HR, marketing, sales—no matter what you majored in. Most importantly, you may get to put something into the world that will truly help people, solve a problem, or serve a community that needs you. So, if you have a talent, a product, or a solution that can benefit people, why not share it? Understand that it’s very challenging, but it’s worth it. If you plan to start your own business someday, my No. 1 piece of advice is to take a job in sales at some point. It’s the best skillset you can learn to be successful.