{"id":168311,"date":"2024-09-05T10:50:42","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T14:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/?post_type=content&p=168311"},"modified":"2025-05-30T16:39:56","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T20:39:56","slug":"how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy","status":"publish","type":"content","link":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/","title":{"rendered":"How Vinny Welsby transforms Adversity into Advocacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article was developed in collaboration with  <\/em>Canada\u2019s 2SLGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce<\/em><\/a> and is part of Interac Pride Season initiatives where we celebrate, recognize, and bring visibility to queer small businesses from across Canada.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a challenging upbringing in the UK to becoming a positive voice in size inclusion, Vinny Welsby\u2019s journey exemplifies resilience, transformation, and advocacy. Through their business, Weight Inclusive Consulting, Vinny has made significant strides in creating a more inclusive world for people of all body sizes, particularly within the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Canada and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Overcoming Personal Struggles to Building Fierce Fatty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the age of 17, Vinny encountered poverty and houselessness. Amidst societal pressures and personal struggles, they believed that achieving a smaller body size would bring them happiness and success. However, Vinny quickly realized that being thinner did not lead to a more fulfilling life.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dramatic shift in perspective occurred when a blog conveying the message \u201cit\u2019s okay to be fat\u201d was discovered. This revelation led Vinny to embrace their body and sparked the inspiration to spread this message of self-acceptance, culminating in the creation of Weight Inclusive Consulting<\/a>, a consulting business that educates individuals and businesses on creating more inclusive environments for people of all sizes. Weight Inclusive Consulting\u00a0goes beyond surface-level consulting by providing clients with live trainings, masterclasses, 1:1 coaching, and webinars, all designed to help unlearn weight bias and foster self-love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embracing Community and Pride<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vinny Welsby is actively involved with the Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ community, particularly through the CGLCC<\/a>, which connects them with other queer businesses across the country. In Vancouver, Vinny is part of a local fat\u00a0queer community that provides mutual support. They are also involved with QMUNITY<\/a> an organization supporting the queer community in Vancouver, which provided Vinny with crucial therapy when they needed it most. Now, Vinny gives back by offering weight-inclusive consulting services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPride is everything to my business because the opposite of Pride is shame, which is something I lived with most of my life due to my body,\u201d Vinny explains. Embracing identity, including their gender, queerness, and body size, has been a transformative journey. Vinny emphasizes the importance of being loud and proud, countering the shame that has historically silenced the queer community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Overcoming Challenges While Staying True to Values<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running Weight Inclusive Consulting\u00a0presents its own set of challenges. Vinny, who is neurodivergent, finds traditional 9-to-5 work structures limiting but thrives on the flexibility of being their own boss. This autonomy allows Vinny to adapt their work environment to suit personal needs while advancing their mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One major challenge is the lack of legal protections for body size in Canada. Since being in a larger body\u00a0isn’t a protected category, discrimination based on body size remains legally permissible. This gap in protection underscores the urgency of Weight Inclusive Consulting’s mission. Vinny’s core values: authenticity, bravery, curiosity, and diversity, are crucial in navigating these obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Vinny, authenticity means standing firm in identity despite societal pressures. Bravery is essential in confronting backlash and hate, motivating the drive to push forward. Curiosity fuels a dedication to understanding diverse experiences, ensuring Weight Inclusive Consulting\u00a0remains inclusive. While diversity is a cornerstone, Vinny is committed to ensuring representation in panels, speaking engagements, and other opportunities they participate in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leveraging Interac Payment Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vinny Welsby utilizes Interac payment solutions to streamline business operations. They appreciate how Interac e-Transfer is a low-cost, safe, and secure payments method for their clients. \u201cOn other payment processing platforms, I pay a noticeable amount for using the service, which makes me think I need to encourage my Canadian clients to use Interac e-Transfer to send me funds,\u201d Vinny notes. Additionally, they use Interac to pay Canadian contractors seamlessly, further integrating these solutions into their business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Envisioning a Future of Inclusive Equity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vinny envisions a future where being fat\u00a0is a fundamental part of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by the 2SLGBTQ+ community regarding anti-fat bias, they believe that integrating body size into DEI efforts will benefit everyone. \u201cThe more we embrace those who deviate from societal norms, the better it is for all of us,\u201d Vinny asserts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their dedication to fighting weight bias and fostering inclusivity extends well beyond their business. Vinny emphasizes that acknowledging diverse body types is crucial for supporting marginalized groups. \u201cThis movement cannot be driven by whiteness, thinness, or heteronormativity; it must center the most marginalized voices,\u201d they say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Central to Vinny\u2019s message is the belief in inherent worth. \u201cYou are worthy \u2013 you always were, and always will be,\u201d they affirm, stressing that value is intrinsic and not tied to appearance or achievements. Through Weight Inclusive Consulting, Vinny Welsby not only challenges societal norms but also promotes community solidarity and advocates for a more inclusive world, deeply impacting both the 2SLGBTQ+ community and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in learning more about how Interac supports small businesses? Click here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article was developed in collaboration with  Canada\u2019s 2SLGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and is part of Interac Pride Season initiatives where we celebrate, recognize, and bring visibility to queer small businesses from across Canada. From a challenging upbringing in the UK to becoming a positive voice in size inclusion, Vinny Welsby\u2019s journey exemplifies resilience, transformation, and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":168528,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"content-tags":[958,300],"content-category":[189],"spokespeople":[],"in_the_know_post_format":[169],"class_list":["post-168311","content","type-content","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","content-tags-culture-community","content-tags-small-business","content-category-business","in_the_know_post_format-article"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Vinny Welsby transforms Adversity into Advocacy - Interac<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vinny Welsby journey exemplifies resilience, transformation, and advocacy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Vinny Welsby transforms Adversity into Advocacy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This article was developed in collaboration with  Canada\u2019s 2SLGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and is part of Interac Pride Season initiatives where we\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Interac\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/interac\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-30T20:39:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.52.37\u202fAM.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"904\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@interac\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/\",\"name\":\"How Vinny Welsby transforms Adversity into Advocacy - Interac\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.52.37\u202fAM.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-05T14:50:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-30T20:39:56+00:00\",\"description\":\"Vinny Welsby journey exemplifies resilience, transformation, and advocacy.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.52.37\u202fAM.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.52.37\u202fAM.png\",\"width\":904,\"height\":480},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Accueil\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Vinny Welsby transforms Adversity into Advocacy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Interac\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Interac Corp.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Interac_Two-Colour_RGB.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Interac_Two-Colour_RGB.png\",\"width\":2210,\"height\":2210,\"caption\":\"Interac Corp.\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/interac\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/interac\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/interac\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/interac-corp\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/InteracBrand\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Vinny Welsby transforms Adversity into Advocacy - Interac","description":"Vinny Welsby journey exemplifies resilience, transformation, and advocacy.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Vinny Welsby transforms Adversity into Advocacy","og_description":"This article was developed in collaboration with  Canada\u2019s 2SLGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and is part of Interac Pride Season initiatives where we","og_url":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/","og_site_name":"Interac","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/interac","article_modified_time":"2025-05-30T20:39:56+00:00","og_image":[{"width":904,"height":480,"url":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.52.37\u202fAM.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@interac","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/","url":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/","name":"How Vinny Welsby transforms Adversity into Advocacy - Interac","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.52.37\u202fAM.png","datePublished":"2024-09-05T14:50:42+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-30T20:39:56+00:00","description":"Vinny Welsby journey exemplifies resilience, transformation, and advocacy.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.52.37\u202fAM.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-10.52.37\u202fAM.png","width":904,"height":480},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/business\/how-vinny-welsby-transforms-adversity-into-advocacy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Accueil","item":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Vinny Welsby transforms Adversity into Advocacy"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/","name":"Interac","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#organization","name":"Interac Corp.","url":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Interac_Two-Colour_RGB.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Interac_Two-Colour_RGB.png","width":2210,"height":2210,"caption":"Interac Corp."},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/interac","https:\/\/x.com\/interac","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/interac\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/interac-corp\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/InteracBrand"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content\/168311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/content"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content\/168311\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"content-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-tags?post=168311"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=168311"},{"taxonomy":"spokespeople","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/spokespeople?post=168311"},{"taxonomy":"in_the_know_post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/in_the_know_post_format?post=168311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}