

A DIFFERENT KIND OF DEVELOPER’S VISION FOR CRANBROOK
Andrea Warkentin isn’t conventional. Upon meeting her, with her easy smile and friendly casual manner, you may not guess that Andrea is one of Canada’s most successful self-made women in real estate development, with a career built on belief in herself and a resolve to not let the fear of making mistakes stand in her way.

From her gentle, welcoming demeanor, you may also not guess Andrea was a member of the Vancouver Police Department before moving to Red Deer, Alberta, in 2006, to focus on parenting from home while educating herself on creative approaches to real estate that would allow her more freedom.
She started buying and renovating distressed properties to help make homeownership achievable for people unable to qualify for traditional mortgages, through a rent-to-own program that allowed 50 renters to become owners, literally opening doors to more secure futures. She’s also built a large portfolio of multi-family rental properties throughout Central Alberta that provide quality, affordable housing in areas with low rental availability.
Andrea has a new local project that she believes will not only bring much needed affordable family housing to the area, but also firmly place the Cranbrook/Kimberley region as a top all-year lifestyle destination.

River Valley Estates is a master planned community nestled between the Shadow Mountain Golf Course and St. Mary River. The project will be multi-phased and created for residents of all stages of life, beginning with townhomes starting from $499,900 in its first neighbourhood, Elk Crossing.


“The benefit of living in Cranbrook is that everything is here: the airport, shopping, schools, the hospital, and of course, incredible recreation,” says Warkentin, “but what’s needed is affordable housing for families and people working in areas like education, health care, and law enforcement. So that’s what we’re addressing with our first neighbourhood, Elk Crossing.”
“The benefit of living in Cranbrook is that everything is here: the airport, shopping, schools, the hospital, and of course, incredible recreation,” says Warkentin, “but what’s needed is affordable housing for families and people working in areas like education, health care, and law enforcement. So that’s what we’re addressing with our first neighbourhood, Elk Crossing.”
Her assessment agrees with the City of Cranbrook’s Housing Needs Report which projected that by 2031, the city will need 1400 new homes to meet demand, with 900 of those units being more affordable options. “To keep attracting the kind of workforce that Cranbrook needs for sustainable growth, affordable and high quality housing needs to be available,” Warkentin comments.
Her assessment agrees with the City of Cranbrook’s Housing Needs Report which projected that by 2031, the city will need 1400 new homes to meet demand, with 900 of those units being more affordable options. “To keep attracting the kind of workforce that Cranbrook needs for sustainable growth, affordable and high quality housing needs to be available,” Warkentin comments.
From Vancouver to Red Deer, to Cranbrook, from police officer to stay-at-home mom, to self-taught real estate investor and in-demand real estate coach, Andrea even found time to tick another box off her bucket list in 2021, competing in her first (of many) ballroom dancing competitions. “When I
From Vancouver to Red Deer, to Cranbrook, from police officer to stay-at-home mom, to self-taught real estate investor and in-demand real estate coach, Andrea even found time to tick another box off her bucket list in 2021, competing in her first (of many) ballroom dancing competitions. “When I believe in something, I just move forward with it,” she says, “If you're afraid to make a mistake, you’ll always be sitting still.”
To learn more about Warkentin’s vision for River Valley Estates, visit rivervalleyestates.ca.



letter from the publisher
Lynn Hiscoe

Welcome to the first edition of Kootenay Women in Business Magazine
I’m Lynn Hiscoe, a registered clinical counsellor and social worker born in Trail and now living in the beautiful Creston Valley.
Driving trucks since I was 16, my 1969 Ford truck symbolizes the Kootenay backroads, rough terrain, and winter storms I navigated to help clients in need. My journey through rocky roads reflects my path through school as a single mom and pursuing a 25-year career in counselling and social work.
On those roads, I discovered the power of community. Whether online or in person, my experience counselling and coaching has shown me that group wisdom can change lives.
Today, shifts in our economy and culture pull us apart. We’re working remotely, doing more with less, and have lost opportunities for connection. Our workloads and motherhood demands leave little margin for connecting with ourselves and others.
But the truth is, we’ve always had what we needed: each other.
Witnessing the power of community inspired me to invest in Kootenay women. Entrepreneurs create value and jobs in the region especially when empowering and supporting one another.
Our first publication introduces you to businesses led by female entrepreneurs in the Kootenay Region. Contact information is provided for networking or a friendly chat. If you have an idea or contribution for Kootenay Women in Business Magazine, contact me at lhiscoe@empoweredlives.ca (add “Article” in your heading).
This fall, we will host our first Kootenay Women in Business Summit on September 19-20, 2024, in Creston, BC. Our goal is to connect, educate, inspire action, and encourage collaboration and mentorship. Expert speakers will discuss issues like emotional health and work/life balance.
Thank you for picking up Kootenay Women in Business Magazine. I look forward to meeting you and hearing your stories of resilience and connection, and listening to your own stories of trucks and dirt roads, resilience and connection.



Established in 2024
Vol. 1, No 1 September 2024
Publisher Lynn Hiscoe, Founder and CEO empoweredlives.ca and kootenaywomen.com
Senior Editor Kerry McArthur
Writers/Contributors
Janina Gough, Laurie Griffin, Kerry McArthur, Kelly Masson, Danette Polzin, Jodi Purdy, Valerie Rossi, Jess Stacey, Ona Stanton, Beth Swalwell, Emma Tait, Alanna Wilson
Marketing Director Ona Stanton
Cover photo Ellierye Moments -Amanda McGregor
Photographers Bobbi Barbarich
Photography, Amanda Mary Creative, Amanda McGregor, Lola Rossi
Creative Director Mishell Raedeke
Graphic Designer Page Matias
Social Media Manager Laura Keeran
Web Master Laura Keeran
Digital Marketing Jon Delcaro
Kootenay Women in Business is a quarterly publication that is distributed by addressed mail to women entrepreneurs throughout the Kootenay region. Each issue is published four times a year, ensuring that our readers receive the latest insights, resources, and stories that are relevant to their business endeavors. Our goal is to support and empower women in business
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are available at kootenaywomen.com
Social @kootenaywomeninbusiness Web kootenaywomen.com Office (250) 878-1634 Email lhiscoe@empoweredlives.ca
Return undeliverable items to:
Kootenay Women in Business 3610 Masuch Road Creston, BC V0B 1G1 Canada
Empoweredlives and Kootenay Women in Business wish to acknowledge that all work for this project was conducted on the unceded traditional territory of the Yaqan Nukiy people within the Ktunaxa Nations.
All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the publisher’s written permission. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Kootenay Women in Business or its affiliates. The publisher is not responsible for advertisement or sponsored content.
37
An interview with Michelle Cubin, Healing Hollow
owner. Discover how Michelle turned adversity into strength, transforming her pain into power.

4 letter from the publisher
Welcome to the first edition of Kootenay Women in Business Magazine
6 acknowledgements from Lynn A thank you to all contributors
8 ideas on brand visibility
8 Marketing Your Business by Kerry McArthur
10 From Seen to Sold by Ona Stanton 13 Growing Community by Valerie Rossi
16 letters to Lynn
Questions from real women with real concerns
17 feature stories:
17 Ending the Supermom Era by Emma Tait
20 Connecting Through Chaos by Laurie Griffin
22 the story behind the business
22 We were born to Create by Beth Swalwell
24 Gemstone Jewelry Inspired by Nature by Janina Gough
26 The Rise of Dance by Alanna Wilson
28 How to Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset by Kelly Masson
32 Building Herbarium by Jess Stacey
34 Playing with Fire by Danette Polzin
35 the book club
Recommendations from a psychotherapist and a business coach
37 finding your way forward Interviews with Kootenay women
40 wellness resources 40 Know Your Worth 42 Tools to support you, leading a healthier and happy life
44 kootenay eats 44 Showcasing Spiced Pumpkin Bread 45 Delight in Jodi's Roasted Squash Soup
46 kootenay women directory
Choose us as a place to market your business!




acknowledgements from Lynn
I realize that a magazine publisher does not generally offer acknowledgments; however, as this is our first edition, I feel strongly that I must give a shout-out to the many professionals who have supported me. First, to Mishell Raedeke: I have known Mishell for over 10 years and this magazine would not be possible without her. Thank you, Mishell, for standing by me and trusting that we could do this together. Without fail, you have been a huge supporter of all my professional work.
Thank you to my editor, Kerry McArthur: for your attention to detail along with guiding me in this process, I am so very grateful. To my resident photographer, Amanda McGregor: you have been so encouraging and easy to work with when I am not! Being in front of a camera is not my comfort zone and I thank you for your patience. To Jo Franklin my Kajabi Strategist who keeps everything running smoothly on our site. To Laura Keeran who is busy building our kootenaywomen.com website. This site will host our digital magazine, articles and upcoming events.
To Page Matias, who has assisted us with designing ads and so many other things: your willingness to take on these tasks and deadlines is so very much appreciated! To Laura Keeran who has stepped up and supported the marketing and website: I am so excited to work with you! To my communication coach, Laurie Griffin! You’re amazing, what more can I say? I am so grateful for you. And finally, to Ona Stanton, my business coach and friend: you have stood by me for a very long time and your support has been unwavering.
To my children, Jacquie and Jesse and my grandbabies: you are my reason for everything.
To all of you who have been by my side in this process, I am forever grateful.
And finally, to those who have submitted articles, paid for ads and trusted me even though you had no idea what this publication would look like, I am honestly in awe of your generosity.
Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart!





Step away from your role in business and focus on your own emotional health. Let's build a system for a wildly successful life!
Create a vision for the life you want. Let's achieve harmony between you and your business.
Here is what you will get
12 weeks of 1.5 hour group coaching sessions
A beautiful 90 Day design for Life Planner mailed directly to your door
Support in the community of women-led businesses
Together, we will address the overwhelm and exhaustion and become your most energetic and productive self!
Hi! I’m Lynn Hiscoe, a Registered Clinical Counsellor and a Registered Social Worker providing group therapy and group coaching to professionals, and businesswomen.
With over 25 years of experience and leadership in the field of mental health, I’ve served as a coach, therapist, clinical supervisor, manager, and team leader supporting clinicians, social workers, educators, workplaces, unions, and paraprofessionals on mental health and complex cases courses.empoweredlives.ca/90-day-design-for-life



MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS:
WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE TO DO IT, AND FOR MANY OF US, IT’S A TRULY JOYFUL AND CREATIVE TASK.

By Kerry McArthur
But at the end of the day, marketing can be one of those things that falls splat— right off the table. After servicing customers, paying bills, generating business leads, answering email, and so on, marketing seems to be the last of our worries.
Yet marketing is key to moving your business forward and keeping it in the minds of your clients. So what’s a smart business founder to do?
Two words: be selective.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA QUAGMIRE
For many business owners, social media appears to be the ideal marketing solution it’s fast, flexible and free, plus literally every one of your customers uses it.
Yet your carefully crafted social posts often evaporate before your clients can see them. X (Twitter) posts have a
lifespan of 15 to 18 minutes; Facebook posts six hours; LinkedIn 24 hours; and Instagram 48 hours. Plus if your clients don’t routinely interact with your social by sharing or liking, your posts are less likely to appear in their feeds.
So how to most efficiently use social media? Here in the Kootenays, your best bet is to post on your preferred social outlet when you’re:
• Offering a new product or service (clients love to know what’s new in your business lineup)
• Offering products/services on sale (customers especially love a sale!)
• Changing your business hours or locations
Such newsy, factual posts are eye-catching and relevant to almost all consumers. Delivered weekly or
even bi-weekly, these newsy tidbits can work extremely well as your primary marketing strategy.
EMAILED NEWSLETTERS ARE A REAL ALTERNATIVE Really?
Emailed newsletters?
Yes: in research done in late 2023 with a small BC-based marketing firm, we discovered via a short survey of clientele that 85 per cent of them preferred to get business information not through social media but by email, specifically in the form of a short, vibrant newsletter.
The solution: we produce a monthly publication through MailChimp that’s short (no more than 1,200 words), newsy, illustrated with a few curated high-resolution images, and delivered in short, lively chunks of information. This publication has a high click-through rate and an invested readership (all of which we learned once the newsletter was late in
ideas on brand visibility
being posted, at which time we received calls asking when it would be reinstated). Obviously, there’s a lot more to it than that— an emailed newsletter has to be designed, mobile-friendly, and aligned to your business’ brand, amongst other things. But once you have a template in place, newsletters can be a one-stop shop for your marketing needs.
BUT THE BEST ‘SOCIAL’ OUT THERE…
…is talking to people. Every time you meet one of your clients or potential clients, you’re marketing your product, your brand, yourself. None of this has to be pushy, either: wait for your opening and introduce yourself like the professional you are. Most people are intrigued to know more about you and your business— what you offer and especially why you offer it. Plus talking to people is one of the best and most relevant forms of research you can ever do. Known in academic circles as qualitative research, this type of fact-finding means that as you talk to clients, you make note of their suggestions and critiques, and consider how these might work to your advantage.
FOR MANY BUSINESS
OWNERS, SOCIAL MEDIA
APPEARS TO BE THE IDEAL MARKETING SOLUTION IT’S FAST, FLEXIBLE AND FREE, PLUS LITERALLY EVERY ONE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS USES IT.
And most of the time, your customers are delighted to offer their feedback. It draws them closer to you as a supplier by telling them you have regard for their advice.
Try developing a Question of the Month for your business, and use it next time you talk to clients. For example:


• Are there any new products or services you’ve heard about that you think I might be able to offer?
• What was your reaction to my product/service the last time you tried it/experienced it?
• How would you prefer me to communicate with you?
Bottom line: select one of these forms of marketing and use it consistently, and to the best of your abilities, for a year. Book your marketing strategy directly into your Calendar: that way there’s no excuse for forgetting it.
At the end of the year, look back to see if you’ve made progress. But do note: even if you don’t see significant results through social media or a major uptick in sales, your efforts will nonetheless have inserted your business into the minds of your clients. That, after all, is the primary goal of business marketing.
Kerry McArthur, PhD, is a communications scholar and filmmaker at Skimmerhorn Productions in Creston, BC. She is a marketing consultant in Victoria, BC. Kerry also filmed the dark drama The Orchard with her partner and is edited her second feature-length film, Exophoria.

FROM SEEN TO SOLD
HOW VISIBILITY AND AUTHENTICITY FUEL BUSINESS SUCCESS
By Ona Stanton
It’s easy to get swept up by the constant noise of social media trends, the constant updates to algorithms, the constant advice about digital strategies, where to post, how to make videos, “must follow” trends, SEO, email marketing…it’s enough to make anyone’s head spin! While these tactics have their place, and I enjoy brainstorming a ‘roadmap’ that works for your individual business, there’s something far more essential that often gets overlooked.
Why are you participating online (intent) and where are you guiding your customers (invitation)?
Customer Journey is a series of prompts or steps that lead to a sale. Mapping this path or reviewing and defining the preferred steps in your business - is one of my first recommendations. If you don’t have clarity about that path I can guarantee you your customers are confused as well…and confused customers don’t convert! One easy way to do this? Google yourself…or ask someone new to your business to search you and follow the trail to your intended goal (sale).
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” — Brené Brown —
The marketing ‘Rule of 7’ states that a prospect needs to be exposed to your business or message at least 7 times before they’ll take action to buy that product or service. With all the noise in the digital space today, this number can be closer to the Rule of 17 or more, but the concept is the
same: capturing attention and engaging customers and prospects is critical. Customer journeys vary in length depending on your business, but every business has a path—and being aware of the steps and touchpoints is step one to increasing connections and conversions with your intended audience.
For example, if you are a product-based business, you have a shorter customer journey with a higher frequency of transactions. You probably have a website or social media page where you post about your products and invite customers to buy. This could be at a storefront, booth, market or online store. If you were to analyze your business as if you were a customer—what touchpoints would you encounter?
Service-based business owners have a longer



Photo by Amanda Mary Creative

THE ESSENCE OF AUTHENTIC CONNECTION—MY
HUSBAND IS MY BEST FRIEND, CHEERLEADER, AND SOMEONE WHO MAKES ME FEEL ‘SEEN’, SO THIS PHOTO CAPTURES THAT RAW EMOTION.

Realtors are a perfect example of a long customer journey; people don’t buy and sell property frequently, but typically purchase more than once in their lifetime, so nurturing leads for long time spans is important.
I love to tell the story of my realtor and how he kept in touch every year, even though we weren’t actively looking for real estate. When my husband and I first moved back to the Kootenays we were in our 30’s and just starting our family. We worked with a local realtor and he found us a family home with four bedrooms and a big yard that met our real estate priorities at the time. Our realtor sent us a Christmas card by mail every year until he retired; that small gesture really stood out to me! Fast forward 15 years (time flies), our kids have grown considerably, pretty soon all three of our kids will be in high school, our oldest
could be moving out in the not so distant future, and our priorities may be changing.
There are many strategies for nurturing your audience of current, past and future clients, but this example illustrates the ‘‘long game’ approach often overlooked today.
Once you have mapped out a clear customer journey how do you go about implementing the plan, increasing awareness and expanding your audience?
The 3 Cs: Community, Connection, Collaboration
I have built my business around the 3 Cs:
1. Community
Building a community fosters loyalty and trust among your audience. Your community will serve as the heartbeat of your business journey; foster a community who lifts you up, stands behind you,
celebrates your wins, confides in you and holds confidence when you need it, and puts your name forward when you are not in the room!
When I was starting my social media agency, I was invited to speak at a local Women in Business group that met monthly and featured a specific topic of interest to the group members. I was nervous, but I ’showed up’ imperfectly, authentically and shared value; I walked out of that meeting with multiple business cards and gained clients and collaborators who I have had the privilege to work with for years. The support and connections I have gained through this group have played a huge role in my success and I am now a co-organizer of the group and have the honour to give other entrepreneurs the same opportunity.
Community is a two-way street, so reciprocate, refer, celebrate, show up, and I
promise you it will be the best ‘investment’ you can make in yourself and your business.
2. Connection
People want to work with someone who they Know, Like & Trust. Making genuine connections with clients, competitors, peers, and industry influencers helps you stand out. Focus on building meaningful relationships based on mutual respect and shared goals. Actively listen to feedback, respond thoughtfully, and demonstrate empathy in your interactions. My clients often appreciate my personalized approach, which shows them that I’m here for them and that I want to understand their unique needs. Personalizing your communication, differentiating your content to update, educate, and celebrate, can deepen connections and differentiate your brand from competitors.
by
Photo
Amanda Mary Creative
I use this photo in my email welcome sequence, taken during a branding session in my kitchen, my husband said something to make me laugh and I feel the photographer captured the moment so authentically. The essence of authentic connection—my husband is my best friend, cheerleader, and someone who makes me feel ‘seen’. This photo captures that raw emotion. I love an image, conversation or post that makes you feel an emotion when you look at it. A great visual or a great hook is what makes someone stop scrolling, or book a call with YOU, in the sea of posts and programs that come across their feed.
3. Collaboration
Collaborating with others amplifies your reach and credibility. Partnering with complementary businesses, influencers, or organizations allows you to tap into new audiences and resources. Collaborative projects leverage each
solutions that benefit everyone involved. For example, joint webinars, coauthored content, or product/service bundles can enhance your visibility, attract new customers, and solidify your position as a collaborative leader in your industry. Collaborations have been instrumental in my journey, allowing me to extend my reach and impact.
I have had the opportunity to collaborate at speaking events, online summits and bundles, large projects where multiple contractors with varying expertise collaborate together for a common goal. Common collabs you will see locally are Instagram contests where multiple businesses will get together to give away a prize and you need to follow all businesses and tag someone to be entered. The contest is shared by all participating businesses thereby sharing audiences and exposing each business to new people.
Look for collaborations that benefit all parties and they will be a very rewarding element of your marketing strategy.

ideas on brand visibility
Conclusion
In a world where social media strategies and algorithms are constantly evolving, connection, community and collaboration remain timeless and powerful tools.
By being yourself, sharing your story, engaging with your audience, showing your personality, and being vulnerable you can build an authentic brand that stands out AND makes sales!
Ona Stanton is a Digital Accountability Coach and Social Media Strategist who founded her digital agency, Business Reach Marketing & Social Media in Rossland in 2018. Ona helps entrepreneurs show up confidently online, serving as a guide and partner. Through coaching, content ‘cafes’, and virtual events, she empowers clients to elevate their marketing and maximize impact. Outside of work, she enjoys cheering on her three kids, enjoying Kootenay life, and volunteering in her community.

by Amanda Mary Creative
SOCIAL MEDIA


Photo
Growing Community:
From the Garden to the Business Ecosystem
WRITER’S BLOCK SOLUTIONS CELEBRATES KOOTENAY COMMUNITY-BUILDING THROUGH THE LENS OF LOCAL MARKETS AND OTHER FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
By Valerie Rossi
Growing up in the ‘80s meant TV dinners were all the rage and restaurants still used styrofoam packaging. Amidst the waste and processed foods, I fondly remember fetching countless cucumbers from my grandmother’s garden and watching her peel them into the daily newspaper, the vessel she used to compost the skins as we munched on sticks of the most delicious fresh treat. When I wasn’t enjoying the produce she grew with love for her six children and many grandchildren, I was lapping up her homemade vegetable soup, devouring fresh-baked pies (I got to choose the variety of the day from her stocked cellar), and, of course, crunching into homemade pickles because I still hadn’t had my fill of cucumbers.
It’s these memories of my Nanny’s garden and cooking that instilled in me a love and appreciation for food and family. Food is deeply rooted in my Italian heritage and at the heart of my home, as I’m married to a former-chef-turnedelectrician who can both fix your stove and cook you dinner!
As I’ve grown from a starry-eyed child into an entrepreneur and writer, I’ve come to understand how that love naturally extends into building community. One of my greatest joys is working with Kootenay businesses and entrepreneurs to help them discover their voice and express it through strategic storytelling. Pairing that with my enthusiasm for

locally grown food, I use my professional skills to celebrate agriculture, local business, and the community impact of nonprofit groups dedicated to food security. I’m in awe of the women who are so often at the helm of these operations.
The IncrEDIBLE Farmers Market is a shining West Kootenay example of an organization nourishing the community. Walking past the stand of fresh heirloom tomatoes on the vine, running my fingers along the stems, and taking in the sound of a lively band that has me bobbing between vendor varieties brings me back to being a kid while revelling in the garden bounty. The farmers market is an inviting place to connect with local makers, bakers, and growers and shop for the beautifully made, high-quality items they create. Through helping facilitate the BC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program and other educational opportunities like the Kootenay Teen Chef Club, co-founded by Food Coach Mandi Lunan and Erika Krest of the Trail & District Chamber of Commerce, the IncrEDIBLE Farmers Market champions affordable access to sustainable food and goods in a welcoming community space. As food costs rise and making genuine connections sees new challenges, the market brings us back to simpler times and gives us the opportunity to contribute to the local economy in a meaningful way.
Meet you at the market! Valerie Rossi, founder of Writer’s Block Solutions, is passionate about supporting and high lighting nonprofit, grassroots organizations that make direct positive impacts in Kootenay communities.
Photo courtesy of Lola Rossi (Val’s daughter)
Local markets are integral to building community for residents, food producers, and small businesses alike, but for me it’s more than being an avid shopper and attendee. In 2022, Gina Ironmonger, the former manager of the Trail IncrEDIBLE Farmers Market, approached me and my team at Writer’s Block Solutions to discuss the amalgamation of the Trail and Fruitvale markets. It just made sense. Why not share the wealth of knowledge, network of vendors and the nitty-gritty operational details from pop-up tents to signs?
But they also needed to consider how best to approach their new branding and communications. Thrilled to put our expertise to use for such an incredible, community-focused organization, we first produced a collaborative communications and social media strategy, helped revamp their website copy, and updated their logos.
Next, we wrote and distributed press releases announcing the merger and promoting the upcoming market season. Both markets continued to operate independently at separate Kootenay locations, but united under the single “IncrEDIBLE” brand with shared marketing and advertising.
Our goal was to communicate the changes clearly to all audiences vendors, shoppers, and volunteers without losing the unique local character of each market. The result was a seamless transition that preserved both markets’ charm while enhancing their reach. And this year, we celebrate the news of the market formerly known as the Rossland Community Farmers Market officially joining the IncrEDIBLE team, further strengthening the community by uniting three markets under one regional title with demonstrated success.
As the cost of living skyrockets, my company is compelled to help small businesses, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits survive and thrive by amplifying the voices of organizations and businesses making a difference. We feel privileged to write stories for the Columbia Basin Trust that showcase incredible businesses and community building initiatives, often in rural areas. Our team always
ONE OF MY GREATEST JOYS IS WORKING WITH KOOTENAY BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS TO HELP THEM DISCOVER THEIR VOICE AND EXPRESS IT THROUGH STRATEGIC STORYTELLING.
seizes the chance to champion the underdog and speak a little louder for those who may be less comfortable yelling from the back. Sharing others’ success through storytelling (the way we know best to contribute) brings us immense joy, and I am inspired daily by the impact small but mighty nonprofits are making in our region.
Healthy Kimberley, a registered nonprofit working to help make healthy choices easier and more accessible in Kimberley and beyond, is an example from the East Kootenay we first featured in our work with the Trust. Then, in 2023/2024, we had the privilege of working directly with Shannon Duncan, Manager of the Healthy Kimberley Food Recovery Depot (FRD).
The FRD not only benefits residents experiencing food insecurity, but also manages food waste by repurposing donated food. They offer the only program in Kimberley that distributes free meals to vulnerable populations by diverting food from the landfill to feed hungry people. Since 2018, the FRD has recovered over 500,000 pounds of food, 84 per cent of which was distributed as groceries or used to create more than 50,000 meals through their Meal Program, which launched in 2020. Their mission made our work easy. We
guided them through a communications strategy to clearly define goals and their target audiences before developing a compelling case for support they will use to engage with their community to share their success, highlight their wins, and raise funds for their operations and important project work.
As cheesy as it might Brie, (sorry, couldn’t resist!) our mission is to make the world a better place, one story at a time, by showing that stories are more than just words they’re agents of change. We support organizations making community impact by amplifying their message and celebrating their work. Whether it’s people facilitating communal gardening, food literacy opportunities, or coupon programs, we are inspired by them and their work. But food security is just one avenue of our many passions.
We’ve also marketed major fundraising events for inclusive community programming, worked with emergency management professionals to improve resilience in rural communities, helped youth mentorship organizations attract volunteers, and assisted small business owners in securing grants and funding.
While the world moves towards automation, often losing touch with artisanal trades and crafts, it’s crucial to choose how and what we consume. How we spend our time and money are votes for the kind of world we want to live in; our choices can support a thriving farming, agriculture, and market community in the Kootenays. I see a little bit of my grandmother in all the incredible individuals spearheading these grassroots efforts, and it’s comforting to know we are in good hands
Valerie Rossi is the Founder of Writer’s Block Solutions, a food lover, mother, and journalist. Her interest in writing was sparked by a deep fascination with people and storytelling. Val began as a reporter/editor for community newspapers and magazines before expanding into other industries and then embracing entrepreneurship. The Rosslander also enjoys hiking, biking, can-can dancing and roller derby.

Bobbi Barbarich Photography


BARLOWROOTS FARMING
BarlowRoots is a family owned business on a small scale medicinal herb farm, specializing in premium garlic—On the unceded territory of the Yaqan Nukiy peoples within the Ktunaxa Nation.
I am a wife, a mother, a grower, a care taker of the land and animals who live on it. I am also the behind the scenes photographer/designer of BarlowRoots. Bruce and I, have introduced chickens, pigs, garlic, vegetable gardens, rotating cover crops and herbs on the farm. It was incredible to see the soil so nourished afterwards.
I quit my job in healthcare to pursue motherhood and continue growing our medicinal herb farm.
I was the sole caretaker of the farm. It held many challenges and lessons as I became more knowledgeable about what it takes to handle difficult situations, alone. Throughout this farm journey, I have had the honour of learning about the wonderful magic of garlic and herbs. A special shout out to Conny Lang at Shady Lane Tree Farm for her herbalism insights as well as Colleen Emery at Emery Herbals for making it easy to learn from a local herbalist while being a mom and a business owner.
As a woman in business who is lucky enough to be apart of these conversations; what I would want other women to know is believe in yourself and to tell your story because you are so worthy of that.
Jacquelyn Barlow, Co-owner of BarlowRoots



letters to Lynn
Please note that these are real clients with real concerns. The publisher has changed their names to protect their anonymity. Permission has been granted to tell their stories.
Beginner Entrepreneur
Dear Lynn,
I have a huge project and I’m feeling overwhelmed — I literally don’t know where to begin. I worry about lack of money, not having help, etc. I seem to spin my wheels doing little things and I know they’ll eventually add up, but I hardly see my progress. Then there are setbacks. I feel embarrassed and hate myself. Thanks, Donna
Dear Donna,
Most of the time when we are really overwhelmed and overworking, we are less productive. What we need is regularly scheduled breaks. My questions to you: What time do you start work? When is your first break? Do you take lunch? When do you finish work? Do you have a transition between work and home? Is there rest or fun time before you go to bed? Be honest and ask yourself if this is working for you right now. If not, then ask yourself every morning, “What are three things that I could accomplish today that would make feel that this was a great day?” This builds your momentum and confidence that you are working in the taking breaks: go for a walk, play with your pet, walk down the street and grab a coffee, sit on a park bench. Seek out nature. Taking breaks makes you more productive, less stressed and overall healthier.
Employee Crisis
Dear Lynn,
Sometimes I am so frustrated with my employees, I just want to do everything myself. I shouldn’t let this feeling affect me the way it does and really need to work on not being so reactive. I think I see an employee performing poorly as untrustworthy, as I hired them because they told me they could do the job. Thanks. Mary
Dear Mary,
Leading a team is not easy, it takes a lot of energy and a good deal of grit and understanding. Hiring the right people is so important, in particular ensuring that their values match those of your business. That’s the first thing. Second. Ensuring that your employees feel safe enough to tell you if they do not know a skill or need extra support to learn a new skill is very important. We call this psychological safety at work. Learning a skill and giving your employees the training and tools they need to do the job builds a good team. Having the right person with the right character who fits with your business is most important to build trustworthiness that we all aim to have. —Lynn


15 clinicians for over 15 years and continues to develop programs and provide clinical supervision, group therapy, training, and retreats.
Photo by Ellierye MomentsAmanda McGregor
Lynn Hiscoe
By Emma Tait
How mompreneurs can lead the business world to better balance Ending the SUPERMOM ERA:
Before sitting down to write this article to support moms who are business owners, or “mompreneurs” as they say, I was running through a list of helpful tips and strategies in my mind, only to shoot them all down for bordering on the side of not addressing the real challenges mompreneurs face.
Ideas like:
“Delegate small tasks.” “Enlist your partner to help with childcare.”
“Make sure you take time for your own hobbies and self-care.”
All came to mind. Are they good tips? Yes. But to be honest, none of them felt entirely genuine because the first thing that came to my mind for advice to give to support moms going into business for themselves was this: Don’t.
Being a mom and having a business of your own is hard. It’s almost so hard that I almost don’t recommend doing it.
What typically comes up when I have a mompreneur client is that she has a plethora of goals, expectations, responsibilities

and frustrations and feelings of burnout. She’s trying to do it all and still be the woman and mom she wants to be.
The reality is that as mompreneurs, we cannot work ourselves to the same expectations and goals as most business strategy and advice would advise.
So to you strong, smart, brilliant, multitasking supermammas, a small part of me does want to say, “Maybe don’t do it right now.” Running a business with little kiddos on the scene is going to be too much and you will be spread too thin and nobody (least of all you) will get all of their needs met.
Do I believe you can do it all, Mamma? Hell, yeah, I know you can.
But do I believe it’s healthy to push the supermom narrative and hustle culture goals onto entrepreneurs with beautiful ideas for their work in the world, when I know that nine times out of 10
approaching it the traditional way will lead to burnout and business failure? No, that is not the narrative I’m here for. But neither am I here to tell you to say no to your dreams.
That would make for a pretty uninspiring piece of writing. And since we’re here because we are already in business, it’s time to talk about what we can do.
Because below the truth is a much more impactful message.
The status quo for how to run a business and succeed is still driven by self-sacrifice, hustle, and stress. This bromide is not just for moms, but it’s a throughline in almost every business I’ve worked in, from international corporations to spiritual health-focused startups.
You know what they say, that when you want something to change, you have to do it yourself? Well, Mamma, who is better at leading the way than us?
So the message that feels most important to share is not that we should quit because we can’t maintain the status quo, but that we need moms to be saying yes to their dreams, now more than
ever. We need to model a new, healthier way of working and living. The world is shaking and waking up. The old ways that perpetuated burnout and stress are washing away and there is a big appetite now for bringing new work/life balance strategies to life. By saying yes and doing it your way, you are directly contributing to solutions that the world needs now.
So here you are. You started your business for a reason and the way to reach your next level in your work and life is to embrace your lifestyle as a mom and an entrepreneur, not fall into the trap of trying to be the perfect supermom and the omnipresent entrepreneur at the same time.
What we need is honesty and compassion about the needs of our lives outside of work and to let go of the narrative that the only way to success is #nodaysoff and if you don’t think big enough you might as well close up shop.
Forget ‘Supermom.’
Supermom culture is everywhere. It’s that silent (and sometimes notso-silent) pressure to be the perfect mother, successful businesswoman, loving partner, and all-around superhero. But honestly, most of what we see of other people’s lives is the highlight reel and the image that we are comparing ourselves to —be it the supermom
or the seven-figure entrepreneur on Instagram —is only the tip of the iceberg. What we don’t see are the trustfunds some people have to fall back on, or the family they have close by who can step in, or the spouse with a salary who takes the pressure of their business success. What we don’t see are the first eight years in someone’s business where they had three jobs and 75 failed offers before their first success. What we don’t see are their support groups or the team behind them and the mentorship they received to keep them going through setback after setback.
Takeaway number 1: Stop comparing your business to everyone else because you have no idea what is behind the picture. The best thing about your business is that it is yours —so go ahead and give yourself permission to do it your own way while giving yourself time to figure it out.
Remember that you don’t have to go it alone. Instead of working to create a business that matches what you see other people doing, work to create a business that makes sense given your bandwidth in this season of your life. Set yourself up for success by building your business one layer at a time. Life with kids and running a business can be complicated, but don’t

WHAT WE NEED IS HONESTY AND COMPASSION ABOUT THE NEEDS OF OUR LIVES OUTSIDE OF WORK AND TO LET GO OF THE NARRATIVE THAT THE ONLY WAY TO SUCCESS IS #NODAYSOFF AND IF YOU DON’T THINK BIG ENOUGH YOU MIGHT AS WELL CLOSE UP SHOP. FORGET
‘SUPERMOM.’
let that leak into your work. What you offer is enough and sometimes (most of the time) keeping it simple is the more effective strategy. We just get so used to having 27 layers of things going on at once that we can unconsciously start making our business harder than it needs to be.
You have to say no to say yes.
There are as many different ways to grow and promote your business as there are businesses in the world.
One of the biggest mistakes I see new entrepreneurs make is spending time promoting and growing their business before they have a solid offer that works.
Figure out the offer in your business that gets results, analyze which channel gives you the best success for your time, and double down in that arena instead of wasting precious time trying to be on all the platforms and in all the places at once.
You need to make sure that the time you spend working is going to move the needle, so don’t skip these foundational steps —and that might mean pressing pause on your next product or launch or saying no to a popular marketing platform. But in doing so, you will free up energy to have more impact in areas of
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your business that are working for you. It’s easy to overcommit, especially when you’re passionate, but saying no can be incredibly empowering and I promise you will feel like a whole new person when you finally give yourself a realistic to-do list instead of one a mile long that you have no hope of completing.
Takeaway number 2 is that you won’t ever ‘arrive’ at a place where you feel comfortable saying no and protecting your peace and sanity if you don’t start practicing it now. The muscles we flex are the ones that get the strongest. Be wary of shiny object syndrome as an entrepreneur and protect your peace now if you want to have peace down the road.
The self-care secret I wish more entrepreneurs knew: solutions, insights, confidence, and energy are all elevated when you make time for self-care in the form of doing things that bring you joy and allow you to tap into flow and creativity.
wanting to do or try that lives on the backburner for “when the business
is doing better and the kids need me less”? Find a way to do it now.
On deep levels, this helps us rewire the programming that we have to be productive and efficient every moment of the day. It helps us gain confidence by providing opportunities to explore our ideas and express a different side of ourselves. It’s also logical that if we want our brains to work for us, we have to give them a break and shake things up. Plus some of the best ideas can come when you aren’t looking for them.
Takeaway number 3 is that life is scheduled enough —give yourself permission to throw that out the window now and again and fuel up on just some good ‘ol Life. Our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls need for us to not be available to the outside world 24/7. This is your permission slip to set those boundaries in your life and on your team and with your clients to help usher in a healthier pace and balance for life.
The world (and the burned-out but passionate mompreneurs) need us to create a new way to do business and

life. One last empowering thought to leave you with: Look at what you have believed you have to do to find success, and then write yourself a new story of what could be possible.
I want to hear from you! My inbox is an open door and if you are looking for one-to-one or group coaching support, please reach out to me at emma@emmarosetait.com to inquire about the next openings.
Emma Tait is a writer, coach, and business strategist based in Procter, BC. Her work has taken her from corporate communications to marketing for online wellness brands that reach millions of lives daily. Now, as a mom of two and entrepreneur in her own business, Emma is driven to heal the narrative that wellness is sacrificed for success and work with clients to bring balance and joy back into the worklife conversation. Connect with Emma online at emmarosetait.com or on Instagram @emmarosetait



Emma is a dedicated burnout coach and business strategist helping her clients rediscover their passion and authenticity for their work, while deeply nurturing the human being beneath all they are doing for true work-life balance.
emmarosetait.com
emmarosetaitemma@emmarosetait.com
Tales are old as time. From cave art and hero epics chanted over the campfire, to the songs and poems of the wandering minstrels … followed by ink and lignin pages fanning their sweet woody aromas and ideas over captivated readers.
The art of storytelling has been evolving for millennia and changing humanity along with it.
Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan recognized how evolving mediums of information rewired humanity. The isolation required for reading transitioned from an era of independent thought to new eras of togetherness. The dulcet tones of radio dramas crackled gripping plotlines over families around sitting rooms. The migration to television introduced the “global village.”
chaos Connecting through
By Laurie Griffin
THE POWER OF STORYTELLING WOMEN TO ADAPT BRANDS TO A CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE.


But on-demand entertainment, like streaming services, re-introduced an era of individuality, turbo-charged by machine-learning algorithms. Now marketers race to keep pace with a new era of micro-targeting audiences, “niche-casting” narratives to those they hope to influence.

Though McLuhan predated these latest shifts, his categorization of mass communication eras was prescient and instructive. From the oral era, to written, to electric, each era of communication dramatically changed our culture and our biology, including how we receive and retain information.
Microblogs blast bullets of news and gossip in rapid fire succession, rewiring brains to quickly consume smaller units of information. Brand and business storytellers adapt by making messages more visual. Infographics, and animations reveal deposits of info-gems in internet streams. Flashes from ads and “Reels” momentarily dazzle the eye in a blur of endless scrolling and dopamine chasing.
Standing out is hard in this strange new world.
But expert brand storytellers know beneath the changing skins of this ancient art, the meat of storytelling is the same. And the heart of the story remains connection.
Cave hieroglyphics, bathroom stall graffiti and GIFS are all memes.

Units of connection. Memes are small packages of culture easily shared. Picture the meaning of a wave from a friend verses a finger in traffic. They’re micro-stories. All of them affect and shape our biology, our culture and our lives.
This is where women come in. Knowing the heartbeat of the human story connection is an often untapped superpower of women in business.
Our ability comes down to cognitive empathy. One recent study out of University of Cambridge showed women are more wired to empathize with others, regardless of any familial or cultural influences.
Cognitive empathy is our ability to identify, understand and predict other peoples’ emotions and thoughts.

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Predicting how a person will behave in response to information (in response to your brand story!) is part of cognitive empathy. And, in a rapidly changing world, the desire for empathy and connection is stronger than ever.
Connection is deeply linked to narrative. Individual realities are understood through worldviews our beliefs about our personal and collective experiences. And we all crave having our personal narratives reflected within the story arc of culture and community.
It’s no wonder social media was an instant hit. In 2006, as YouTube rose to fame, Time Magazine’s Person of the Year was …. drum roll…. “You!” (the everyday civilian). Social platforms gave relief to an aching desire for anyone to participate in shaping the public story.
But this new, global cast of disparate voices introduced new challenges. The decentralization of information and entertainment fuels cultural confusion, information overload and an age of distraction. Mal-information, like misinformation and disinformation run rampant. Although we are more in touch than ever before, we are increasingly atomized.
Finding the human in the machine.
With cognitive empathy as our strength, women are uniquely wired to link connections. We are neurologically positioned to recognize where our customers unite with our brand story and where our own brand story links into the broader human picture.
WITH COGNITIVE EMPATHY AS OUR STRENGTH, WOMEN ARE UNIQUELY WIRED TO RECOGNIZE WHERE OUR CUSTOMERS UNITE WITH OUR BRAND STORY.
It could be that our opposition to the culture is what defines our brand. The culture around us may reveal what we are not, and that’s also a story we can link people into.
Admittedly, skilled storytellers of today have been doing as much to fragment culture as to unite it. And marketers haven’t done themselves any favours by complicating the storytelling landscape. Sales algorithms have fractured us into an infinite number of narratives informing people’s contexts, further destabilizing society. And
by dismantling underlying narratives that once bound our culture together, storytellers have created a freer but more chaotic world. During times of social change, empathy becomes a life raft.
As the world be grows more chaotic, we’re motivated towards overlap.
Our hearts haven’t changed since the cave days. The longing for belonging hasn’t diminished. And the human adventure hasn’t changed. We’re all seeking or moving towards our purpose.
The North star of your Mission and Vision.
In journalism they say a good story starts with the question “Why?”
But business storytelling in the age of hyper-individualism begins with “Who?”
Who do you want to reach? Where are they and how will you reach them?
Your target audience is the human side of your business goals. Who can impact success? What do you want them to think, feel and do in response to your story and information? How will impacted people move your mission forward? How can your storytelling facilitate your audience’s journey from knowledge (beliefs) to feeling (motivation) to action?
Women have an advantage when examining these questions. These questions should lead you to examine what stories matter to your audiences and what communication channels will best draw them into relationship with your brand. Blogs, websites, events, speeches, carrier pigeon, or today’s cave wall, the bulletin board.

It’s never just one channel. A small constellation of communication channels will guide wandering travelers to the campfire where your story is being told. The question is, when they arrive, will your story resonate with them? Will they see themselves in it? Is your story their story too?
We all want to see our goals interlocking with what others need or can offer. Where your business goals, your story and the stories of your village overlap that’s the sweet spot. That’s the unity of community campfire.
That’s the importance of giving voice to the storyteller inside you
Laurie Griffin is a communications consultant and professional storyteller. Capturing the drama, dreams, and essence of brands from clients across diverse industries, Laurie has been ghost-writing books and developing feature articles, websites, media stories and strategic plans for two decades. Parents of three kids (ages 4, 8 and 10), Laurie and her husband Pete (also a communication strategist) recently relocated from Calgary to Creston to live a more intentional life closer to nature. They continue to serve clients across Alberta and BC while trying their hand at new adventures, like starting a gourmet mushroom farm. Visit griffincomms.ca

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We Create were born to
A THERAPEUTIC ESCAPE FROM DAILY STRESS AND ENHANCING EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING THROUGH THE JOY OF CREATING AND APPRECIATING BEAUTY
is and can be so many things, with so many ways to express ourselves creatively. There’s a million different paints and ways to make colour come alive on a substrate, but the act of creating is where you meet the soul. Consider the numerous benefits of art:
• Emotional Expression: Creating or engaging with art allows you to express emotions that might be difficult to articulate, providing a therapeutic release.
• Stress Reduction: Activities like painting, drawing, or sculpting can lower your cortisol levels, helping to reduce stress.
• Mindfulness and Relaxation: Art can encourage mindfulness, promoting a state of focused attention that helps calm your mind and body.
• Improved Mental Health: Regular engagement with art can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression by fostering a sense of accomplishment and purpose.
• Distraction from Stressors: Immersing yourself in creative activities can provide a distraction from stress and negative thoughts, providing you with a mental break.

• Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills: Artistic endeavours can improve problem-solving skills and cognitive flexibility, helping you approach life’s challenges more effectively.
• Increased Self-Esteem: Completing an art project can boost your self-esteem and confidence, fostering a positive self-image.
• Community and Connection: Participating in art classes or group activities can build your sense of community and support, reducing your feelings of isolation.
• Sensory Pleasure: Engaging with various forms of art stimulates the senses, providing a pleasurable experience that can uplift your mood.
• Creative Outlet: Art offers a constructive outlet for channeling your energy and emotions, which can be particularly beneficial during stressful times.
We were born to create and in fact, it’s important and quite easy to nurture creativity. Paint, doodle, sing, dance: there’s a way for all of us to be creative.
Beth Swalwell, an accomplished artist and entrepreneur, was raised in Cariboo. Her childhood was filled with outdoor activities. She studied social service work, lived in England, and worked in Long Term Care. During the pandemic, she developed a mask-measuring method and made over 5,000 masks. Now, she manages her business, balancing life through art, which has provided healing and resilience. Connect with Beth at artbarncreston.com
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It's your turn to be supported. Candi Huscroft is a Certified Life Coach and a Registered Holistic Nutritionist for one of the top health retreats in North America. In her 1:1 work, she guides high-achieving women back to a vibrant, balanced and deeply nourished state of mind and body, through custom nutrition, fitness and mindset programs.







creston valleyWebsites

Creston Valley Websites specializes in creating tailored, user-friendly websites for small businesses, local entrepreneurs, and community organizations. Our focus is on the unique small businesses that make Creston Valley so special.
When you choose to work with Creston Valley Websites, you're not just getting a website. You're investing in the growth and success of our vibrant local economy. Our mission is to support and empower these businesses by providing top-notch, custom website design services, enabling you to make a meaningful impact in our community.
Gemstone Jewelry Inspired by Nature
CREATIVITY FLOWS SO ABUNDANTLY WHEN WE ALLOW FOR IT

By Janina Gough
Janina Gough is no stranger to the Kootenays. She was raised in Creston, and completed both her elementary and high schooling in town. As many do, she left after high school to pursue higher education and various careers.
After being away for 20 years, she has come back to the Creston Valley. “Creston is a beautiful town and there’s nowhere else I would rather be to raise my family and run my business. City life has nothing over the small town vibes Creston has to offer,” she says.
Janina originally pursued careers in Education and Health Care, but wanted to slow down and shift to something that would offer more flexibility. Her small gemstone jewelry business provided exactly that opportunity.
And she is also no stranger to moving. With a husband in the Canadian Armed Forces, frequent relocations came with the territory. While living in Ottawa, she began making her first Malas for herself and as gifts for family. A Mala is a traditional necklace made with 108 beads, often used in yoga and meditation. The beads can be used to help help focus on an intention, or to keep track of breathwork during a mindfulness practice. For many, though, Malas are simply worn as a stunning piece of jewelry.
The hobby slowly grew into a business, and became a way for Janina to meet new people whenever they moved to a new town. “I still remember the first craft fair I ever went to. We were living in Cold Lake, AB at the time and I had to bring my newborn daughter with me. It was quite an experience. I didn’t have a lot of product made at the time, I cringe when I think of what my displays looked like, but people liked the jewelry. I started to receive custom orders, and everyone’s support was very encouraging for me to continue.”
A Mala is a string of beads traditionally used in meditation (many people also wear them as a necklace). A Mala typically consists of 108 beads, which serve as a tactile guide to keep count while reciting mantras, prayers, or affirmations.

A lot has changed in the business since then. The product line has grown to include gemstone earrings, bracelets, hair accessories, and smudging kits, among other things. With a lot of perseverance and hard work, the business slowly evolved to include a presence at brick-and-mortar stores as well as hosting workshops.
But for Janina, it’s not just about selling jewelry. It’s about collaborating with other local business to cultivate a sense of community. She has hosted bracelet making workshops in cafes, yoga studios, wineries, and art studios, and they are always brimming with creative energy. “It’s amazing what happens when a group of people get together and start exploring gemstone designs,” she notes.

IT’S AMAZING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE GET TOGETHER AND START EXPLORING GEMSTONE DESIGNS.
Janina also offers private bookings for events such as wedding showers, corporate team building, or an evening of getting together and staying in with a group of friends.
Creativity often strikes while spending time outdoors in nature. An evening dog walk through a meadow with wildflowers inevitably has a way of turning into a bracelet design. Whenever she stops to take pictures of plants or scenery, her daughter looks at her, knowingly smiles, and says “I know, it’s for Happy Camper Malas!”
And there’s no shortage of inspiration to be found in the Kootenays. “We have it all right here: clean air, mountains, rivers, lakes, hiking trails and more.”
Happy Camper Malas jewelry can be found at various retailers in Creston, Cranbrook and Castlegar.
Janina Gough is an artisan jewelry maker and workshop instructor in the Kootenays. She specializes in gemstone jewelry and her inspiration is derived from the beauty of nature. She believes that gemstones serve as energetic reminders of our personal intentions and can complement our wellness.If you would like to learn more, you can find Janina on Facebook and Instagram @ happycampermalas or her online shop happycampermalas.etsy.com





Janina’s Mala workshops.


DANCE
am not a dancer.” “I have two left feet.” “I am so uncoordinated.”
These are common responses I hear when I tell people about the dance classes I teach. The word dance is often associated with performances on stage, with images of perfectly executed movements, lithe, agile and strong bodies, coordinated in sync with the ensemble on stage, showing grace and expression of the beauty of the human form. Or the ballet dancer, with desirable physical proportions and enviable turnout. Or memories of high school dances or youth jazz and musical theatre classes where comparison was rampant and the ego fragile.
Luckily, the body dysmorphia in the world of dance is changing and a more realistic demographic is in sight, giving all of us, no matter the size, or shape of our bodies, an opportunity to see and perhaps even feel like we can do it too.
DO YOU HAVE A BODY? THEN YOU CAN DANCE! AND EXPLORE EMBODIMENT, MOVE ENERGY, AND CONNECT DEEPLY TO SELF AND OTHERS.
Alana Wilson at her Bali Dance and Wellness Retreat.


How to Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset:
By Kelly Masson
In my work as a Business Advisor for WeBC, a not-for-profit organization that has supported women business owners across BC for nearly three decades, I’ve noticed that many early entrepreneurs fall into a continuum.
Be Cautiously Bold
On one end is the bold entrepreneur. This person signs a business lease before they have the money to pay the rent, shells out $50,000 to manufacture a prototype for a (hopefully) revolutionary product, and shouts about their product from the rooftops (even if it’s not quite ready). This person is in business!
On the other side is the cautious entrepreneur. This person has a business idea and they’ve spent countless hours working on their logo, crafting a perfect business plan, and researching the market. If they can do something sitting comfortably behind their desk, they’ve probably done it. They might tell a few friends about their idea, but they keep it pretty quiet in case it doesn’t work out. And, critically, they often struggle to execute on their idea.
Do either of these sound familiar?
The good news is, there’s no right way or wrong way to be an entrepreneur. With a bit of work, you can adjust your mindset to become a better entrepreneur.
If you’re naturally cautious, how can you become more bold to drive your business forward? And if your boldness is becoming a liability, what tactics can help you become more cautious and balanced?
As a Business Advisor, I’m also a Certified Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile® Practitioner. In this post, I will explore some of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs (based on the EMP framework) and some tips on how to take action.
Balancing Your Entrepreneurial Mindset
Risk Acceptance
Entrepreneurship involves risk — there’s no getting around that. Some people are scared to take any risks, and some people bet the farm to less-than-ideal results. But the good news is, anyone can shift their mindset to become more risk astute. Here are some actions you can take.
Tips for Becoming Bold
• No risk, no business: Think about shifting your mindset to see risk as a necessary part of building a business. You know what they say:
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Women entrepreneurs gather at the WeGrowTogether event in Cranbrook in March 2023. WeGrow events are coming to Nelson and Trail in September 2024, learn more at we-bc.ca
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the story behind the business
No risk, no reward. Many successful entrepreneurs will say that the real risk comes from missed opportunities. So instead of thinking of risk as a potential loss, think about it instead as a potential gain and an unavoidable part of doing business.
• Be logical about your fears: An inability to take risks often comes from a place of fear. Next time you have to make a big decision, think through the worst-case scenario. What is really the worst that could go wrong? How could that be mitigated?
• Practice risk and experimentation: Try taking small risks in your day-today life. Order something new at a restaurant, or (gasp!) let Netflix pick the TV show for you. Then apply this mindset to your business, and start small. Change the colour on your website or try a new promotion. You will see that risk-taking can be beneficial, and not as scary as you thought.
Tips for Becoming Cautious
• Use a Risk Matrix: If you tend to take risks without always thinking it through, then maybe you need some tools in your toolbox. One approach is to use a risk matrix.
To put together a risk matrix, write down all of the risks you could face when starting your business or embarking on a new project. Then, rate each risk based on 1) the probability of it happening, and 2) the level of harm it would result in (there are lots of examples online). You will soon see that some risks are ‘riskier’ than others, which will guide your decision-making.
• Learn about Risk Control: Risk control helps you to treat risk in certain ways to lessen their impact. You can use tactics to avoid the risk, transfer the risk to someone else, mitigate the impact of the risk by taking some pre-emptive action, or accept the risk and

plan for contingency. Using risk control and a risk matrix together is a winning combination.
Action Orientation
Entrepreneurs often have high action orientation, which means they like to take quick and decisive action. This is usually good, but not if you’re acting based on incomplete information. On the other hand, people with low action orientation are more likely to hold back on taking action, usually because they want more information before they make a decision. They may also be procrastinating— driven by perfectionism or a fear of failure.
Tips for Becoming Bold
• Map your decisions: If you’re an analytical person, it can be hard to make decisions. I call this “analysis paralysis.” But, you can also put those skills to good use to become more action-oriented. When you’re getting stuck on a decision, take the time to map things out at a really high level.

Fern Sabo


1. What is the decision you need to make?
2. What is your deadline to make the decision?
3. What information do you need before you can make the decision?
This map can serve as a touchpoint when you find yourself going down rabbit holes (it’s funny what you will spend your time on when avoiding making a decision).
• Practice taking action: Much like risk-taking, it takes practice to develop action orientation. Try breaking down a task into small pieces and set timelines for each piece (e.g., take four hours to price production costs or research potential suppliers).
• Change your mindset: Entrepreneurs must move quickly to adapt to changes in the market that’s just the way it is. Try treating this as a core competency or value that you can work on, rather than a shortcoming.

For example, you could name this in your business strategy as part of your mission or values: “We make thoughtful, expedient decisions to stay ahead of trends and maximize profit.”
Tips for Becoming Cautious
• Build a circle of advisors: Actionoriented people tend to make decisions independently but, as they say, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” So set up a structure that works for you to consult with people you trust, but don’t get bogged down in consensus building or bureaucracy. Be clear about what you need input on. Instead of asking, “What should we do?” try saying, “Here’s what I’d like to do, and here’s why.”
• Back up your gut feelings: You don’t want to get analysis paralysis, but you need more than your gut to make decisions. Use the mapping exercise outlined above under “Becoming Bold.” Allow yourself the time to dig into your question, and don’t
be afraid to delegate the research if it’s not your skill set —just be sure to listen once you get the results.
Self-Confidence
Finally, let’s discuss self-confidence. Many entrepreneurs have high selfconfidence —they believe they have the skills and talents needed to reach their goals. This can help them get others to rally behind their mission, but also can come across as arrogant. What if you lack confidence? Well, this can make it hard to gain trust, and second-guessing yourself is sure to slow down decision-making.
Tips for Becoming Bold
• Remind yourself of your awesomeness: It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and that you don’t have what it takes. No one knows everything about everything. Write down a few things that you recently succeeded at doing. When you’re lacking confidence, look at this list to remind yourself you’re capable of success.
Sabrina Sommer, owner of Sprout Health Market in Kimberley and WeBC loan client.
WeBC Regional Ambassador speaks on a panel with local woman entrepreneur, Dee Conklin, at the WeGrowTogether event in Cranbrook in March 2023.
Fern Sabo, WeBC Regional Ambassador for the Kootenays and CEO of Spring Creative Inc. in Nelson.
Photos contributed
the story behind the business
• Act as if: Sometimes it helps to “act as if” you are already a successful business person, even if you feel like you’re pretending. Ask yourself what a successful business person would do, and then do it. Confidence breeds confidence.
• Connect with a community: Engage with other entrepreneurs to learn about their challenges and successes. You will quickly see that no one knows everything and even the most successful entrepreneurs question their abilities sometimes.
• Be the best: Want to build your confidence? Offer the best product or service you can. Build your skills and knowledge by taking courses, joining industry associations, and keeping up with the latest developments. When your business is successful,
Tips for Becoming Cautious
• Look at the source: Sometimes high self-confidence is actually low self-esteem in disguise. Do you find yourself constantly trying to prove yourself? You might want to adopt the mantra “Show, don’t tell.” Let your actions and results speak for themselves.
• Ask questions: Here’s another saying: “You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.” If you’re prone to talking a lot, make an active effort to listen more and speak less. When you do speak, try asking more questions.
Wherever you sit on the boldcautious continuum, I hope these tips give you some tangible ideas for how to adjust your mindset and get



Build Your Confidence and Networks this September in Nelson and Trail We’re bringing the WeBC community together in Nelson on September 25 and Trail on September 26 to connect and learn about the supports available for women entrepreneurs in the Kootenays. Visit we-bc.ca to learn more and join us for this free event.
Kelly Masson is a Business Advisor for WeBC, which is a not-for-profit organization that has supported women business owners across BC for nearly three decades. WeBC provides sustained support that women business owners can access at every step in their journey, including business loans and expertise, accessible training and resources, plus regionally-based mentors to help their businesses



Bouquet preservation services for wedding florals give customers a pressed arrangement that be cherished for decades to come.


Building Herbarium
COMBINING ART AND HORTICULTURE, HERBARIUM OFFERS FLOWERS, WORKSHOPS, AND BOUQUET PRESERVATION IN A CREATIVE STUDIO SPACE.
People always say that renovations take longer than you expect, but I can’t help feeling impatient to get this creative space up and running. So much anticipation, planning and elbow grease has gone into turning this vision into an actual physical space.
For the past six months, my partner and I have been working on transforming one end of our garage into a pottery studio and storefront where I can host workshops, greet customers, showcase my artwork and very importantly, keep my cut flowers cool. Building this business and creating this studio space has been like pulling on the threads of a dream to weave together a little nest that can act like an incubator for all my creative projects.
‘Herbarium’ is the name of my business: it’s a flower farm offering seasonal cut flowers, bouquet subscriptions, event florals, dye plants, bouquet preservation and garden design services. When our little garageturned-gallery opens up, it will be a place for customers to come pick up
their fresh flowers—but it will also be the space where I create my body of work as a multidisciplinary artist, working mainly with clay but also natural dyes, textiles, painting and printmaking. Herbarium exists at the intersection of art and horticulture and is the meeting place of two of my biggest passions in life: creative design and growing plants.
A huge piece of the motivation that drives this small business is my desire to build community and to share the ways in which art and plants can enrich our lives. From cut flowers brightening up a home or workspace to witnessing the magic of plants changing the colour of cloth through natural dye processes, there are so many opportunities to connect with nature and other people through art and horticulture. Herbarium is the way that I get to share that excitement and passion with my community.
I have a nontraditional approach to floristry in that I have no training as a florist. Instead, I approach floral design through the lens of an artist and gardener. I work exclusively with

By Jess Stacey
locally grown flowers, mainly those I have grown myself, using flowers as a tool to celebrate the beauty of the changing season. However, unlike my other artworks, these floral creations are ephemeral they are alive and changeable and perishable just like nature.
My hope is that my floral designs make people feel connected to seasonality and connected to the gardens and gardeners in their lives. Flowers have this incredible ability to connect us to our memories, to our ancestors and to the places we have been. One of the most rewarding comments for me as a farmer/florist is when someone tells me that my flowers remind them of their mother or aunt or grandmother. It feels like important work, growing these plants, knowing that generations of gardeners and land stewards before me have cared for this place where I farm and the variety of plants that I cultivate. My small part in growing these crops is just a single stitch in a large blanket that stretches over many gardens and generations.
Jess harvesting “Everest” alliums from the Herbarium gardens.
Photos contributed
the story behind the business
Herbarium is an eclectic endeavour, it’s multifaceted and adaptable. To be honest, I’m still figuring out exactly which products and services we will offer in the long run, but of all the services that we currently offer, one really has a particular place of pride for me and that is bouquet preservation. This service feels extra special for a couple of reasons. First, it is often wedding flowers that I am preserving: I feel so honoured when people trust me with the flowers from one of the most important days of their lives. But there is another reason why bouquet preservation is significant to me —and that’s about my process. Writing about my process takes me back to my early days as a gardener. When I was studying horticulture at Red River College in Winnipeg (2007-2010), my graduating work was creating a herbarium for the college. A herbarium is a collection of pressed plants, but also the name for a single pressed plant specimen that has
been mounted and labeled. These specimens are generally used for educational or identification purposes. The technique of pressing plants to preserve them is the same method I now use to preserve bouquets and it is so close to my heart that I chose it as the namesake of my business.

For me, one of the most exciting things about building my home studio is that until now, I have almost always worked in community studios. While that has been formative to my development as an artist and I cherish these experiences tremendously, I am proud to have reached a place in my life where my little family has the space and means to support this home studio dream. It is such an exciting time for me, being at the beginning of this new chapter in my artistic journey: I am about to have more physical and mental space to devote to my creative practice then I have ever had before. The potential
for cross-pollination has never felt more potent and I just can’t wait to see how my work in floral design informs my artwork and how each evolve as I spend more time honing my craft.
I invite you to follow me on social media to stay up to date with what we’re up to at Herbarium and to find out more about the products and services we offer.
Jess Stacey is a Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist and multidisciplinary artist. She has been working as a grower, gardener and landscape designer in parks, garden centres and private estates since 2007, making the most of the off season from gardening by practicing as a painter, potter and printmaker. She was a studio member at The Edge Clay Centre (Winnipeg, MB) from 2010-2016, The Artlington Studios from 2015-2017 (Winnipeg, MB) and graduated from the Studio Textiles Program at The Kootenay School of the Arts (Nelson,BC) in 2018. She currently teaches pottery classes at The Pottery on Canyon in Creston, BC and works out of her home studio nestled in between the gardens on her flower farm, called Herbarium. Visit herbariumstudioandgardens.ca

Playing with Fire
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE IF YOU COULD MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE?
One of the first things we are taught is that “fire burns.” It’s generally accepted as a universal law. But what if that isn’t true? And if that’s not true, what else in our lives and our world might not be true?
I’ve always had a fascination with fire. Having grown up in the backcountry and spent many days camping in the woods, I often felt that I was a steward of fire. There was some sort of relationship there that I could intrinsically feel, but didn’t consciously understand.
My mid-30s brought a complete revolution of my life: health issues, divorce, job loss, and the embarking of a spiritual journey into the field of mystery and unknown. Through this process, I began to examine my own fiery spirit and how it related to the powerful element of fire.
In setting out on this new path, I joined a workshop series called Journey to Ascension. During one of our classes, we got onto the topic of firewalking. I always vaguely knew of firewalking as a tribal ritual or ceremonial practice in far-off lands, but this was different. These were spiritual seekers in the United States practicing the art of firewalking. I had never heard of this before.
Lightning bolt moment: “I must walk on fire,” I thought. And I held that intention close to my heart. I didn’t know where or when or how, but one day, I was going to make it happen. That day came in September 2018.
I had mostly completed my Warrior Goddess Facilitator training with HeatherAsh Amara, but I needed to complete an in-person portion for my certification. Scrolling through the list of options, there it was, in Sedona, Arizona, complete with a firewalk. I booked my ticket, packed my bags, and off I went to the Sedona Mago Retreat Center.
My dream of walking on fire was finally coming to fruition. Leading up to that day, I was full of energy and had grand visions of dancing on that fire and owning it: fire meeting fire. Nut the experience was nothing I expected, and everything that I needed it to be. That fire taught me some big lessons.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that my warrior showed up at that fire-the inner masculine. And that fire ripped right through my warrior and shook up the goddess. It brought a deeper healing of my inner feminine, work I had been committed to since my marriage had come to an end.
By Danette Polzin
The fire plunged me into my heart, my feminine energy, to heal it. I had to see, feel, experience, and believe in my own power, not just as a fierce warrior, but as a magical goddess. That fire wanted me to believe in myself, my gifts, my magic. It was showing me the power that I carry every day in all of my life.
You see, up until 2016 with the dissolution of my marriage, my life, and essentially my entire being, I lived in fight or flight. I was always in warrior/masculine energy, to my detriment. It was survival mode. It was protection. My heart was so soft and broken, my warrior would do whatever was needed to make sure no one touched it. This wasn’t a healthy way to live.
A huge part of my journey was learning how to lean into my softness and vulnerability as a superpower. Embracing my feminine, balancing my masculine, and allowing my tender heart to be open and serve as my guide. I had to allow myself to love and to feel, and to reclaim my energy, my being, all of me, and repair the energy leaks so they could no longer harm and hurt me.
I was initiated on that fire, and also knew that experience was just the beginning. It wasn’t until 2023 that the door reopened. I received an email from HeatherAsh Amara with an invitation to Teotihuacan, Mexico to become a Sundoor Certified Firewalk Instructor and Empowerment Coach.
Everything in my body screamed, “you must go!” So I took the biggest leap of faith I’ve quite possibly ever taken and signed up. In June 2024, I took the trek to Teo, one of the most sacred sites in the world. I was to spend nine days at The Dreaming House walking on fire every night and who knew what else in between.
I went into that space in such a different way than in Sedona. I entered from deep within my feminine, with softness, openness, humility, and deep respect. I approached with caution, knowing that there was no owning or overpowering. There was only surrendering and accepting the invitation to dance with the fire, alchemizing, transforming, empowering, and expanding in whatever way she saw best. It was tender, beautiful, and intense. We had a different fire and walk all eight nights. I walked hundreds of times and I received my messages with ease and grace.
A HUGE PART OF MY JOURNEY WAS LEARNING HOW TO LEAN INTO MY SOFTNESS AND VULNERABILITY AS A SUPERPOWER. EMBRACING MY FEMININE, BALANCING MY MASCULINE, AND ALLOWING MY TENDER HEART TO BE OPEN AND SERVE AS MY GUIDE.

I had the honour and blessing to learn from both Heather Ash Amara and Peggy Dylan, the mother of the western

before flames, embracing healing feminine energy within.
firewalking movement, who will also soon retire from teaching. I learned how to break arrows, bend rebar, and walk barefoot on broken glass. I learned how to make the impossible possible: how to hold my fear and my courage in my heart together with love, and how to guide other seekers to do the same. Fire is the most potent and powerful medicine that anyone
FIRE IS THE MOST POTENT AND POWERFUL MEDICINE THAT ANYONE CAN WORK WITH, AND I DON’T SAY THAT LIGHTLY.
can work with, and I don’t say that lightly. I have yet to meet one single person who has firewalked and not experienced massive shifts and transformations in their lives afterwards. It is magical, illogical, and truly remarkable. People around the world have been carrying out ritual and ceremony with fire for centuries, and we are blessed here in the northwest to be able to welcome the sacred fire into our hearts.
What else might not be true?
I invite you to join me in exploring this question in a deep and meaningful way. I think we are all ready to fully reclaim ourselves, and live wild and well beyond what our minds can currently perceive.
Danette Polzin runs Wild Woods Wellness out of Creston, BC. Book in for massage, energy work, oracle readings, and more, or join a class or workshop. Along with being a Sundoor Firewalk Instructor and Empowerment Coach, Danette is also certified as a Raynor Massage Practitioner, Reiki Master Instructor, Warrior Goddess and Warrior Heart Facilitator, Kundalini Yoga Instructor, and Integrated Breathwork Facilitator. Learn more at wildwoodswellness.ca, and reach Danette via email at danette@ wildwoodswellness.ca or text/phone at (250)464-0321.
BOOK CLUB THE
Handpicked recommendations for personal growth, featuring insightful reviews by Lynn Hiscoe (LH) and Ona Stanton (OS).
Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?
By Ben-Hunt Davis and Harriet Beveridge
The Great Britain’s Men’s Eight Rowing Team lived by a core philosophy when making decisions in their pursuit for Gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000: “Will it make the boat go faster?”. In our business, there are times when there are seemingly endless and priorities competing for our time. A simple mantra or question like “Will it make [insert goal] go faster?” can bring clarity!—OS
The Go-Giver
By Bob Burg and John David Mann
The parable is about a young go-getter who meets a series of mentors who teach him the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success—Value, Compensation, Influence, Authenticity, and Receptivity. I got completely hooked on this booked and I love how simple yet profound its message is: “True success comes from focusing on how much value you can provide to others, and how many people you can serve.”—OS
The Gap and The Gain
By Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy
This book presents a strategy of measuring and celebrating the progress we’ve made - “the gain” rather than “the gap” - or where we think we ‘should’ be. The authors explain the importance of cultivating a gain-oriented mindset. I love how they used real-life examples and research that is clear, actionable, and relatable.—OS
The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience
By Aditi Nerurkar, MD
A reimagined approach to overcoming your stress and burnout using five small but mighty mindset shifts.—LH
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
By Emily Nagoski, Ph.D and Amelia Nagoski, D.M.A
For women who have felt overwhelmed and exhausted by everything they have to do, yet still worried they weren’t doing enough.—LH
The Mindful Body: Thinking our Way to Chronic Health
By Ellen J. Langer
Backed by cutting-edge research it explores how changing our thoughts and perceptions can profoundly impact our physical well-being.—LH






Danette


Celebrate the power of women and community!
We have a lineup of excellent speakers. Oh, and we have wine tours, yoga, and dance too!
Creston Valley, British Columbia
Thursday and Friday September 19-20, 2024



finding your way forward
Healing Hollow Essential Oil Blends, is a cozy, rustic shop with essential oils and natural remedies displayed.

Michelle Cubin
Started blending in 2006 and opened her first store in 2010 and grew to five by 2017. Here is her story.
AN INTERVIEW WITH LYNN HISCOE
Healing Hollow Essential Oil Blends originated in 2006 after owner Michelle Cubin learned how traditional medicines could negatively affect the body when not used in balance. She sought an alternative healing source to work for her injuries and trauma.
Lynn (L): Tell us about your backstory and how you got into your business.
Michelle (M): I was blending (essential oils) at home shortly after my sister was killed. We were going through court, as her ex-boyfriend took her life. It was traumatic and I didn’t have a ton of support. I would come home after work and just sit there and play with oils and blend different things for my son and myself.
A Pilates client then gifted me an essential oil text book, so I started using that and realized that a lot of the intuitive blends that I had made were spot on. That was reassuring and I kept going with it as an almost meditative practice to deal with life. Moving to Kimberley in 2012, I decided to open a Pilates and essential oil store, and keep creating. It was one of my more challenging years, as I had a baby. So I made the hard decision to give up the shop. I kept blending at home while the kids were in bed. That year, I made two or three of my top-selling blends for sleep, teething and insect repellent. These took off and people would message me on Facebook to buy them. I put them in the mailbox for pick-up as I couldn’t afford a website. Moving to Fernie, I continued at home but decided to try a brick-and-mortar space again. I didn’t have a lot of support as I had already closed one store and was basically broke. Against everybody’s advice, I opened the new space in 2013 and by 2017, I had five stores: Kelowna, Cranbrook, Kimberly, Invermere and Fernie.
L: That brings us to where you are now, in 2024. M: I’m down to two stores now. It’s kind of sad. But COVID, the
economy and the real estate market changed everything. The buildings I rented went up for sale and I was unable to find other locations for those stores. Plus it was harder to maintain five stores. I was dealing with personal stress and burning out. Kelowna took a hard hit post-COVID, so I let that one go as well. Managing two stores allowed me to get back to basics and the way I started, which was helping people through the blends and being able to create all the time— being able to post and connect to people. I think I was just run ragged to the point where I’d lost my creativity. So now we just have Kimberly and Cranbrook.
L: I’ve been in your Kimberly, Fernie, Cranbrook and Kelowna stores. They were all beautiful. What has been your biggest struggle?
M: Going through my divorce after dealing with business during COVID as well as with the changes in a lot of my employees. I had long-term employees and I think with the stresses of COVID, everyone decided to look at their life again. Some people moved or couldn’t get daycare. Some people quit and decided to stay home with their kids. Retraining employees and having to deal with the divorce took a lot longer than I anticipated— three years. That took away my creativity and my drive, but I suppose everything happens for a reason. That’s one of the things about businesses, especially small business owners: we bring our whole self into the business. Kids and motherhood and all of that impacts your business. I’ve always been a Nurse’s Aide, good with kids and animals, I’ve always had that empathic side where I intuitively help people, but I can also get easily overwhelmed with too many people.
Photo contributed
Plus I’m not really good with noise. When I started blending these little tiny bottles, I would end up helping so many people create this product that can help them, whether it’s for anxiety or eczema or teething or whatever. People just seem really happy that they found something natural so they don’t have to be taking prescriptions, although prescriptions have their place, obviously.
L: What would you recommend to someone trying to start up a business?
finding your way forward

M: I think if you believe, you can do it. When I started, I had negative $14,000 in the bank, which I rebuilt. It wasn’t easy, but I trusted and believed that I did not deserve to suffer financially, like my parents. My dad was kind of feast or famine. I just decided that I wasn’t going to live like that. I did a lot of meditation, manifestation and energy work on the oils. I used to put every single bottle outside before I sold it— put it beside a tree and did the affirmations. If it’s unique, it’ll work. If it doesn’t feel good in your heart and you’re just doing it because you want to do what someone else is doing, it could fail but if it’s your passion and your creation and it’s unique, it’ll take off. One other thing: don’t involve too many people when you’re seeking advice: just select a few people who are likeminded, who will encourage you and be honest. Find your intuition and follow it— don’t get too far ahead of yourself.
L: Did you get any advice that you wish you would’ve ignored?
M: No. I think maybe in opening five stores I overdid it, but it was fun. I am a bit of an overachiever and possibly hid behind work after so much trauma. But it was fun and I learned so much I can use now that it’s simple. I do think simple is better: more is not better.
L: What is the nonnegotiable for your business and in your life?
M: The quality of products and markup: I just cannot overcharge. I cannot gouge my customers. I can’t be like the big names. I think it’s just being honest and transparent with customers, especially now post-COVID. Being honest, high-quality, treating your staff well. You have to change with the times. I suppose it’s the same as the ‘90s when online shopping came into play.
L: When you feel overwhelmed and unfocused, what do you do to get back on track?
M: I’ll hang out with my dogs or meditate. I’ve gotten a lot better at going home and having a bath, not looking at my phone or just going for a walk with my youngest or taking the dogs for a run. And I’ve really learned a lot about getting off social media…
L: We’re hosting a women’s summit for women and business in September. Do you think it’s important to connect with other women?
M: I think running a business can be discouraging for women. I think we still have that belief that because Mom is at home and always there, she has a ‘Mom’s job,’ while ‘Dad’s job’ on the other hand is commands respect. If Dad’s tired, it’s because Dad worked all day, whereas Mom runs a business yet still does all the household work and child minding. When you own a business, you definitely have to have boundaries: you have to respect yourself and treat it like it’s your job. I think boundaries could help a lot of women not burn out. A lot of women try to do business with their babies or their kids at the same time, which can be done if you have support, but it can drain you. If I’d had the proper help, I could’ve run the business properly, especially throughout my divorce.
L: So what support do you wish you’d had?
M: I honestly think everyone should get a prenuptial (agreement). If you start your own (business), you should have it, no matter how many kids you have. I’ve seen people lose everything in divorce, because people change. Just respect yourself enough that you have something in writing that you split it this way or you split it that way. Have the talk. I definitely would encourage women to get it in writing. Plus I wish I hadn’t involved other people. I wish I’d listened to my intuition the whole time and done it my way by myself. So even if you have to step back and go home and meditate on it, take time to figure out what you really want, and to discover what your intuition says. Stick to what you believe, but also be open to advice— then sit with it. You cannot find your intuition if you are exhausted.
L: Finally, where do you find your resilience? Because you’re still in the game!
M: I don’t know what else I would do. Last year, I worked outside my business, I just put my head down and worked, running the business on my days off. I don’t really know what else to do though, as a single parent with kids in sports. Because I don’t have family support, I don’t think I had a choice. My kids are a big reason for my resilience. I don’t want my kids and my niece, who doesn’t have a mom or dad, to struggle. That was my whole argument through the divorce: that these three kids would always have shares. They can always have a job; we could sell (the business) in 10 years and at least they would have some money.
Michelle Cubin owner of Healing Hollow Essential Oil Blends.
Photo contributed
C r a f t i n g J o y :
A J o u r n e y
f r o m E v e n t
P l a n n i n g t o
C a p t u r i n g M o m e n t s

With a background in recreation management and event planning, I've always loved creating adventures be it a themed party or a spooky haunted house. My love for art began young, turning macaroni into masterpieces and painting with enthusiastic, albeit messy, flair. About a decade ago, I found my true calling with photography.
Though always a passion project, I recently made photography my full-time career. Specializing in family, wedding, and branding photography, I’ve discovered unique joys in each: the warmth and chaos of families, the love and memorable dance moves at weddings, and the challenge of capturing a business’s essence.
Looking back, I wish I had started sooner, but now, every day is about capturing smiles and the beauty of life. I’m incredibly grateful and e it d f th f t



ie Rye Moments
Know Your Worth
By Lynn Hiscoe
Self-knowledge is an honest assessment of who we are without self-judgment. That is the hardest part! Can you assess yourself without judgement?
Socrates could have boiled down the entire wisdom of philosophy to one simple command: Know Yourself. Do you know you? Do you know what really want?
Self-knowledge is important for one central reason: it offers us a route to greater happiness and fulfilment. We pay a high price for not understanding ourselves. When we understand ourselves we make better choices in relationships, manage money better, avoid conflict and we are more successful in life overall!
Building a solid foundation of self-worth is paramount to achieving what we want out of our life. And It starts with you! Do you know the barriers that keep you from being who you want to be.
As the poet Mary Oliver said, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
The relationship with yourself is the most important relationship in your life! Know thyself are the words inscribed above the temple of Appollo at the site of the Sacred Oracle. Socrate’s claim was that it is only in striving to come

to know and understand ourselves do our lives have Meaning or Value. Relationships with others are among the most meaningful and important things in our lives, yet often they can be difficult to navigate. We’re hardwired for connection. We long to be seen, heard, and loved but often don’t know how to get there. Whether it’s a business relationship, friendship, or family relationship, the core elements of deep connection are rooted in our personal emotional wellness.
Worthiness exists in all of us. How you develop and nourish your worth will be your anchor and guiding light throughout your life. This truly is key to caring for ourselves and for others along with living your life with authenticity, creativity, purpose, connection and meaning.
We have been inundated with self-help books, programs and media gurus on self-improvement and finding your passion; yet we have an epidemic in addiction and mental illness.
At the core of suffering and struggle is often what we know and believe about ourselves and circumstances. As a cognitive behavior therapist, I work with individuals in peeling back these layers and exploring our worth.
If we remain in the dark about our core strengths, our struggles, our values, and our hopes for the future, we will find it very hard to live fulfilling lives.
We will lack control: If we do not understand our motivations and fears.
Objective self-observation is therefore crucial for knowing both our cognitive and emotional selves. I truly believe it is possible amid all our experiences to create conditions that will bring about change in ourselves, our relationships, and where we contribute by the knowing of the thyself. Take time to pause, reflect and connect with others in the discovery of personal growth, resilience, and empowerment. I will leave you with a few suggestions to get started:
• Use the tools of visualization, mapping, self-inquiry, selfcompassion, and meditation.
• Nourish your body, mind, heart and spiritual practice, I call these emotional nutrients.
• Explore how your life can be used toward cultivating healthy communities and connection.
• Provide opportunities for reflection, journaling and building a blueprint for your self-worth.
This will begin your path to Knowing Your Worth!
Know Your Worth! Live Your Best Life. A 6 week program to help you tap into your dreams and desires and find a way to go after them. Enroll today empoweredlives.ca/know-your-worth
Know Your
WORTH


Extracted from the pages of Know Your Worth

Today’s Date:
Discovering You
Do you know what you believe in?
When you’re making a decision, ask yourself: Does this support my values? Do you know what your values are? Now’s the time to get in touch with them. Look at the list below. What words stand out to you? Grab a pencial and circle the top five values that you truly connect with in this very moment. Don’t be afraid to choose. Your values can change depending on where you’re at in your life. You can also choose values that aren’t on this list. Once you’ve chosen, write them on the following pages.
ACTIVITY: CIRCLE YOUR VALUES
• Creativity
• Health
• Family
• Courage
• Community
• Power
• Connection
• Relationships
• Financial security
• Balance
• Comfort
• Empathy
• Respect
• Communication
• Adventure
• Fun
• Gratitude
• Intelligence
• Kindness
• Humor
• Education
• Meaning
• Passion
• Love
• Nature
• Peace
• Growth
• Success
• Trust
• Stability
• Wealth
• Romance
• Freedom
• Purpose
• Inspiration
• Integrity
• Compassion
• Abundance
Extracted from 90 Day Design for Life. Take time each day to write in the morning and before you go to bed. Journaling is one the oldest most effective ways to find inspiration and track progress.
Morning Journal
How will I start my day?
Mediation, prayer, writing, reading, exercise, yoga, or stretch?


What needs to happen today in order for me to feel this was a great day?
What intention do I want to set for myself today?
What is one thing I can do today that will bring me joy?
What are three things that will support me?
What kind words can I tell myself? I am

5:00 AM 5:30 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 (nourish and pause for reflection) 12:30 PM



1:00 PM 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 3:30 4:00 4:30 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30
To learn more scan QR code or go to courses.empoweredlives.ca/ 90-day-design-for-life
are 3 things I am grateful for?
Self-Care
Bath, yoga, stretch, tea, quiet, read, & scents
Evening rituals Evening meditation, prayer or poem



Kootenay Eats
Featuring cousin Jodi Purdy

SPICED


PUMPKIN BREAD
Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients
1tsp (5ml) ground cloves
11/2 tsp (7ml) cinnamon
1tsp (5ml) ground nutmeg
11/2 tsp ((7ml) ground ginger
1tsp (5ml) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2ml) baking powder
3 cups (750 ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2ml) salt
1 cup (250ml) butter
2 cups (500 ml) white sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) brown sugar
3 large eggs
11/2 cups (450ml) pumpkin purée
1 cup (250ml) raisins or craisins
1 cup (250ml) walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup (125ml) candied ginger, chopped
1/2 (125ml) raw pumpkin seeds



Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease and flour two 9 x 5“ loaf pans. Or cut parchment paper to fit and lightly spray with cooking spray. Sift together, spices, baking soda, baking powder, flour, and salt into a large mixing bowl. In another mixing bowl, beat together, butter and sugars until well mixed.
Gradually beat in eggs and pumpkin until well blended. Stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture and two parts just blended and fold in raisins and nuts if using. Divide batter between prepared pans. Divide pumpkin, seeds and ginger, if using and sprinkle over top of each loaf. Bake for one hour and 10 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the middle of loaf, comes out, clean. Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and using a knife cut around sides to loosen, Turn out onto rack and cool completely before slicing. Serve with more butter for spreading.

To make a dairy free option replace butter with coconut oil or lard.
Pairs nicely with fortified wines like Oro de Osborne Dark & Sweet Sherry Or Madeira.
Ingredients
2-3 Sugar pumpkins halved and seeded (Or you can use butternut, acorn or delicata squash)
2tbsp avocado oil
1 garden zucchini roughly chopped
1 onion halved or 1/4’d
1 head of garlic in skin
2 tart apples cored peeled and roughly chopped
Optional vegetables
2 ribs celery
2 garden carrots washed, peeled and roughly chopped
1tbsp butter
4 cups good quality chicken stock
1tsp fresh ground ginger
1tblsp fresh minced herbs (thyme and rosemary)
2tbsp apple sister vinegar
1tblsp local honey
1/2tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 cup half and half (Or we you can use either whole cream) For dairy free 1/2 cup of coconut cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.

Using a large, sharp knife, carefully slice the squash in half length wise. Scoop out and discard the seeds.
Brush the cut sides of squash, and with your fingers rub the avocado oil on the flesh of the squash and place cut side up on prepared baking sheet.
In a bowl combine all other vegetables and apples that you are using and drizzle with 1tbsp of oil salt and pepper. Mix until coated and then arrange around squash. Place in oven and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a bit.

JODI'S ROASTED SQUASH SOUP
Makes 5-6 bowls


Scoop out the flesh from the squash and add to soup pot, squish roasted garlic from skins and add all other roasted vegetables to pot. Add chicken stock and let simmer for 10 min.
Alternatively melt butter in a large pot and cook onion zucchini celery carrot, add garlic at the end. And just roast the squash. I prefer all the vegetables to be roasted.

Stir in fresh ginger, vinegar, honey and herbs. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Stir in cream if using or coconut milk for dairy free. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot with fresh sourdough toast on the side.

At a young age, Jodi’s love for cooking was inspired by Grandma Purdy’s farm.




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Art Barn Studio
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Herbarium Studio and Gardens
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137 10th Ave N Creston, BC
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ABOUT US
Herbarium Studio and Gardens is a micro flower farm and studio in Creston, BC, on the unceded territory of the Yaqan Nukiy people. It is owned by Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist and artist, Jess Stacey. Committed to seasonal, locally grown flowers, Herbarium promotes community support and agricultural sustainability. The farm uses low-impact, regenerative, and organic practices, avoiding synthetic pesticides and minimizing fossil fuel use. Native perennials and shrubs are grown to support pollinators and wildlife.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Seasonal Cut Flowers
Dried Florals
Wreaths
Event Florals
DIY Flower Buckets
Bouquet Subscriptions
Bouquet Preservation
Dye Plants
Botanically-Inspired Artwork
Handmade Pottery Workshops


