About

The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.

Babe Ruth

Building a relationship and supporting you is really big for us. We are invested in you, and want to see your brand succeed and your business thrive. Our team, (who are based out of Burlington, Ontario), will dive deep into your brand and really get to know you and what your brand’s message is. 

Combined, we have started, managed, and successfully run multiple businesses, from product-based businesses to influential personal brands, to this service-based business. We love to use our experience and knowledge to build brands, teach others and bring communities together. 

We can make your dream a reality and help your business not just survive, but thrive in this unpredictable world we are living in.

Welcome to The Water Cooler.

Joanna Fowler

Co-Founder & CEO

Dream big and then go for it. That’s Joanna’s motto in life and it’s worked for her so far. After switching her Interior Design Business, Nesting Story to a personal blog after having surprise twins, (that makes four kids), she wanted to take her blogging hobby and monetize it. After some research she found out that 7,000 views a month would do the trick, so she set her mind to it and was able to destroy that goal with a whopping 2 million views in a few hours. From that point on Nesting Story gained worldwide recognition and a community was born. Since then Joanna expanded Nesting Story into a large YouTube channel and it became her full time career. Now Joanna is taking what she knows about online storytelling, branding and digital marketing and is helping other businesses realize their dream and support their journey by Co-Founding The Water Cooler.

Benjamin Johnston

Co-Founder & President

You know that person you meet, and you think to yourself, “if I believed in past lives then for sure this person has had a few.” That’s Ben. He is wise and wildly organized yet knows how to be adventurous and young at heart. Ben is a dad and has a pup sidekick named Jackson and when he’s not tending to his garden and many plants or cooking, he’s probably running, playing baseball, watching baseball or reading a book with Jackson by his side. Ben has extensive experience in management and operations and he’s the steady rock that quietly keeps The Water Cooler running smoothly from behind the scenes.

Jess Rickus

Creative Director

Jess is a busy mom of two, and the owner of Tandem Apparel Co. Her younger years were spent in Etobicoke and Oakville, and she now lives, right here, in The Water Cooler’s hometown, Burlington. Jess studied Kinesiology at McMaster, and worked in the field until becoming a mom, when a creative fire was lit beneath her, and her creative career was born. Her eye for design, and mind full of ideas are what make her a valuable part of the team. Jess brings a passion for graphic design, social media marketing, branding, and helping bring other businesses to life, be it, literally, or esthetically. If Jess isn’t busy creating clothing or content, you will find her soaking up quality time with her family, staying up way too late, travelling where the sun shines bright, and binge watching Netflix, all with either a cup of hot coffee, a pina colada, or a glass of red wine in hand.

Grace Hunt

Video Editor, YouTube Specialist and Junior Social Media Manager

Grace is passionate about all things social media and film. She grew up in Burlington Ontario. Grace studied Video Production at Toronto Film School. Grace spends a lot of time creating content for Instagram and TikTok. She has a creative eye for video editing. Grace is also very passionate about fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. In her free time, you will find her at the gym lifting weights, hiking, travelling, watching Netflix or out with friends.

Nicole Sofia

Video Editor

Nicole grew up in Burlington, Ontario and currently resides in Hamilton. She studied Film & Television at Sheridan College. Nicole has written and directed two films, having a passionate eye for directing and editing. If she’s not editing, Nicole spends her time embroidering, hanging out with friends, or visiting her local coffee shop.