In today’s society, growing up as a “good girl” can all too often leave us less than prepared for the realities of the everyday; Can I change a tire? Roll a joint? Pop an ollie? That’s why Amanda Kao started The Bad Academy, a space for learning all the bad things they don’t teach back home. We spoke with Amanda to hear more about her journey, and learning how to get in touch with your “bad” side.
Where are you from originally? If not from Vancouver, how did it become your home?
Brooklyn, New York! I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and made the move!
What is one thing that you love about Vancouver?
I love the variety of small businesses that exist here – especially the small businesses run by women.
Tell us your story, how was Bad Academy born? Is there an unlearned skill that inspired you to start?
When I first moved to Vancouver, I was interested in making new friends who were women and getting acquainted with the culture and people. I figured one of the best ways was to find workshops that interested me and maybe I’d meet some cool friends who shared similar interests and learn a new skill at the same time! Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot of variety when it came to workshops – most were craft or cooking related and, although I love those things, I wanted to learn things that were more practical and/or weird. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if there were workshops that were taught by women, attended only by self-identifying women, and we could learn together in a safe, judgement-free place?”
Thus, The Bad Academy was born. The first workshop I knew I wanted to organize were Car Maintenance, Skateboarding, and Cannabis – all activities that are male-dominated.
Your workshops are for empowering womxn to “get their hands dirty and develop badass skills” what is your message to the community about The Bad Academy and how to get involved?
As women, we’ve been told our entire lives that we can’t do things. “You can’t wear that. You can’t achieve this. You’re too small. You’re too big.” Well, that’s all bullshit. There’s an intense societal pressure as women to prove ourselves, which has made us afraid to fail or look stupid trying. It’s time to get over that. There’s no time. The Earth is dying – the poor are getting poorer – people are suffering, and I really believe women can invoke so much change if given the opportunity.
If we’re going to take over the world by getting women into places where important decisions are being made, we have to act now and help each other. We want to inspire women to be more self-sufficient and to shift our collective mindset that we CAN do whatever the hell we want and that being “bad” at something is a part of that process. As a community we need to understand how important this is for a better future for everyone.
What has been your most memorable experience been so far with Bad Academy?
Oh wow that’s a tough one – so many amazing experiences! I have to say, running workshops with local the knife store, Knifewear. I wanted to run a Knife Sharpening 101 workshop and searched high and low for a self-identifying woman who could teach it. I finally found Ayumi at Knifewear who is an expert knife sharpener. Her manager encouraged her to teach my women-only workshop and not only did we run the workshop several times, but Ayumi thanked me for pushing her outside her comfort zone to teach and be confident in her craft. In fact, Knifewear decided to start running women-only workshops at all their locations across Canada, inspired by The Bad Academy. When I heard the news, I cried. It’s exactly what I wanted – More women, inspiring other women, doing things that we were never taught.
What is one of your personal favourite workshops you’ve run so far?
The Skateboarding 101 workshop was, in a word, epic. I think we had about 70 womxn come out to learn. The skateboarding community came together to make it happen – donating skateboard to be used, holding hands, and laughing as we all fell and got back up on our boards. It was the perfect Vancouver summer day. That day will forever be one of the best days of my life.
COVID has affected us all in different ways. Can you share with us how this time has affected you and your business? And do you have a message to share with the community?
It’s a real bummer to put it simply. I LOVE running workshops in person – it’s really magical to have everybody in the same room – the energy is indescribable. However, we’re lucky that Zoom exists and we’ve been running everything online! It’s not ideal, but I have been able to save on costs by not paying for venue rental, and I am able to sell tickets for cheaper since there isn’t a limited capacity! I know not all business owners are this lucky and it’s been heartbreaking to see the effects on our local economy.
I hope everyone in the community understands the consequences of local businesses disappearing, and if you’re able, please please please shop local this holiday season!
What advice do you have for someone wanting to start their own business? What is something you wish someone had told you?
Just do it. It’s never going to be perfect. Fear is a liar and you are capable. Plus failing isn’t so bad – you have to learn somehow and, like I said before, it’s all apart of the process!
What’s coming up for you?
We have a few workshop closing out the year that are still open for registration, and apart from our amazing merch (all designed and printed within Vancouver), we just launched gift cards so you can gift a womxn you love an experience rather than things!
Fun Facts!
- I’m an avid rock climber and started the Bad Climbers Club for n00bs and womxn to climb in a safe environment!
- I have ulterior motives for running workshops… it’s all stuff I’m bad at and I’m learning too! It’s actually the main way I come up with my ideas, haha.
- I’m addicted to tattoos and thrift store shopping
- I live on the North Shore with my two dogs, Dash and Oscar.
- The Bad Academy has run over 50 workshop in a year and half of being in business!
WBD’s Lightning Round!
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?
Copenhagen! I love that city – so creative, sustainable, and amazing food!
If I gave you $20 to spend on anything right now, what would it be?
A pizza or two 😉
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise people.
I’m American and grew up in North Carolina!
What would you be doing if you weren’t running Bad Academy?
Most of my work experience is in HR/People and Culture! I’d likely be doing that because I love working with people 🙂
One guilty pleasure you aren’t willing to give up?
Weed. It’s my vice and I’m sticking to it!
Sign up for The Bad Academy’s upcoming workshops:
Livin’ the High Life: Dec 7, 2020
For more info:
Website: www.thebadacademy.com
Instagram: @thebadacademy
Facebook: @badwomxn