Chana Trudel’s Approach to Simple Marketing and Stronger Indigenous Women in Business
The founder, CEO, and marketing specialist of Truly Creative Marketing is Chana Trudel, a proud Métis businesswoman from Slave Lake, Alberta. She is assisting women and Indigenous-owned businesses in increasing their visibility through her “done-for-you” digital marketing service and her work in community economic development. She is also organizing creative financial literacy seminars for Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people.
From Small‑Town Roots to Marketing Specialist
Chana has built her career in the small-business ecosystem of northern Alberta, with over 14 years of practical marketing expertise, helping Alberta businesses, organizations, and even municipalities with branding, social media, and digital strategy. She is known in the community as the “go-to” person for straightforward, transparent, and useful marketing assistance.
Chana, a proud Indigenous Métis entrepreneur, frequently acknowledges that culture and community are the foundation of her career. Her social media accounts and client testimonials demonstrate a strong dedication to assisting women in “gaining the time and flexibility they need to grow their businesses” by relieving them of the burden of marketing and transforming concepts into well-thought-out campaigns.This year, TCM will be unveiling a year-long project for the local municipality to increase both tourism in its community and investments from business and industry.
Building Truly Creative Marketing
Designed specifically for women entrepreneurs and small businesses, Truly Creative Marketing (TCM) is a Canadian, Indigenous-owned digital marketing company that provides done-for-you marketing services, including social media management, content development, branding, websites, email marketing, digital ads, and digital strategy.
Chana presents herself as CEO and Marketing Specialist, highlighting three fundamental brand values:
- ‘Your time is valuable.’ TCM is designed to help clients save time by handling day-to-day marketing tasks, so they can focus on managing their staff and providing customer service.
- The organization is committed to assisting local, rural, and Indigenous economies nationwide and is ‘proud to be Canadian.’
- ‘Let’s make the most of it,’ by prioritizing deliberate, results-driven marketing over sporadic updates or “busy work.” TCM will always give all marketing options with transparency and ROI in mind.
Strategy calls, monthly management packages, and the creation of unique content that reflects each customer’s voice and values are among the services offered by TCM.
As a digital expert, Chana provides free consultations through the TCM website, where business owners can schedule a conversation and receive customized suggestions to improve their brand online—even on a tight budget.
Recognition as an Indigenous Entrepreneur and Community Leader
Chana’s influence extends beyond her list of clients. She has been recognized for her leadership as a company owner and community builder in northern Alberta, having been selected as a finalist for the Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Indigenous Entrepreneur Award last year. Chana has also been a finalist for the POW WOW PITCH Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and is currently a final nominee of the Excellence in Indigenous Business Award 2026 at the Excellence on the Lake Business Awards Gala! She has been highlighted by local media, such as The Lakeside Leader, as a remarkable Slave Lake businesswoman who strikes a balance between agency leadership, community involvement, and family life.
Chana volunteers her time to facilitate Métis traditional art classes and events with the local Lesser Slave Lake Métis District (LSLMD), such as traditional beadwork, dot art painting, and modern art projects like seniors’ door wreaths, ornament painting, meditation sand gardens, and more.
Last year, Chana was the secretary of the Slave Lake Métis Local #19 and an interim LSLMD Board Member. In addition, Truly Creative Marketing serves as the LSLMD’s digital marketing team, handling all social media management, content creation, art creation, promotional materials, and email newsletters. Last year, TCM collaborated on layout and artwork for the new Truth & Reconciliation monument named “Petohte Niikinahk – Coming Home,” created by the Lesser Slave Lake Métis District, which now lives at the Town of Slave Lake office.
Indigenous-SME has highlighted her work, characterizing Truly Creative Marketing as “inspiring conceptualization to fruition in the most Indigenous way”—grounded in clarity, trust, and a sincere concern for clients’ success.
LIFT: Learning Indigenous Financial Teachings
In addition, Chana is the Program Manager for LIFT: Learning Indigenous Financial Teachings, a Community Futures Lesser Slave Lake Region project that aims to improve the financial literacy of Two-Spirit and Indigenous women in the area. LIFT provides workshops, circles, and traditional cultural teachings woven in with modern financial education on subjects including decolonizing your money mindset, credit, paying off debt, entrepreneurship, budgeting, and wealth-building for future generations from an Indigenous perspective. This is the third year of the successful LIFT Program, and its impact is making large ripples in the northern Alberta communities it serves.
In her role as Program Manager, Chana works closely with northern rural communities to organize LIFT Workshops, facilitates them, guides participants through their educational journeys, and assists them in finding further business support and funding options.
Her dual roles as manager of a financial literacy program and marketing specialist put her in a unique position to help Indigenous women increase their income and practice sound money management, both of which are essential to the long-term viability of their businesses.
Educating and Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs
In addition, Chana teaches and speaks. Over the last two years, Chana has become both an Indigenous and Marketing session and Keynote Speaker at Indigenous and business conferences in Alberta, sharing her experiences and digital marketing skills with entrepreneurs looking to improve their business’s digital reach. Since the creation of TCM in 2020, Chana has also facilitated lessons on entrepreneurship, branding, and marketing for students of all ages, including programs such as IndigiTAL, IndigiTECH, Business on the Lake, the Indigenous Entrepreneur Conference, the Hyperdrive Women In Business Conference, and the local high school’s Entrepreneur classes each year. She offers advice, behind-the-scenes photos, and support for women who feel overburdened by marketing on her Instagram account, @truly_creative_marketing. Her story as an Indigenous woman in business is further amplified by her personal account, @chana_belle, which emphasizes her selection as one of five community members featured in a CBC Gem documentary about the recovery works that took place after the disastrous fire that destroyed 45% of their community in 2011.
Chana Trudel is assisting women and Indigenous company owners in northern Alberta—and throughout Canada—with telling their stories, connecting with clients, and creating financially stable enterprises, whether through Truly Creative Marketing or the LIFT financial education program. Her work embodies the essence of Indigenous SME’s Business Woman of the Year: impact-driven, deeply rooted in the community, and dedicated to uplifting others as she develops.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information intended only for informational purposes. Indigenous-SME Business Magazine does not endorse or guarantee any products or services mentioned. Readers are advised to conduct their research and due diligence before making business decisions.
