 1. Tell us about yourself/ your business. My name is Jay Rawding and I own and operate Highland Bow & Arrow on the Cabot trail. I co- own the Wreck Cove Wilderness Cabins with my partner, where Highland Bow is now located. I have also been a freelance graphic designer for the last ten years. When I am not working on my businesses I tend to be out in nature photographing, birding, and being active. Highland Bow & Arrow is about making archery accessible and teaching the correct ways to respect and care for the equipment involved. I teach instinctive shooting which means the bows do not have sights and success comes from a combination of good form and consistency. For many this is a teaching of patience and acceptance, or a much needed break from the busyness of life. For most it is new evidence that they are capable of much more than they thought.  2. What was your path to your current position/ business? My path to my current position was formed on the idea that if I wanted a certain lifestyle, I had to become self reliant in terms of making money and living in a more rural place. It started with being a freelancer, which I did for years on top of having a full time job to prepare for a time where I may be living somewhere far outside a city center. That was my dream and I needed plans to fall back on to earn income. I started Highland Bow with a very small budget and built that business to be as rugged as the sport actually is. I worked my way up to refine the experience over time. When I met my partner and we took on the Wreck Cove Wilderness Cabins in October 2019, we purchased the company from his father who operated for 23 years. Highland Bow moved to this site and re-opened in July 2020. Design continues to supplement my income, which means my plan b turned into plans a, b, and c. They all work together. 3. How long has your business been operating in CB? I started Highland Bow & Arrow in 2017 and I am finishing up my 4th season open.  4. What inspired you to operate a business in Cape Breton/ Unama’ki? The nature here is what inspired me to be here. People seeking out adventure in Cape Breton realize we have some of the best of it preserved right here. I was on my journey to figuring out how I was going to finance my next move in life, and in the meantime I was shooting lots of archery. I couldn’t give much advice to people on where to shoot, since at the time most archery clubs were either shut down or barely operational, so lots of people tried my one bow and few arrows. 5. What was your “ah-ha” moment when you knew you had the right idea? Friends of friends would then come by my cabin to try, and I noticed more and more their delight in hearing about how I spend my time with the bow. People clearly wanted to be outside enjoying something simple, and many more wanted activities that take them off of their devices and into the present moment. I acquired a couple more bows and did one shooting event which was all women. Their excitement was brilliant and I saw confidence form in front of my eyes within every participant. After that experience I thought, I have to keep doing this!  6. What did you study in school? How has it helped you in your journey? I studied event management, public relations and graphic design. It has helped me immensely and made it possible for me to be completely self reliant for all my marketing, design work and advertising for business. I have a relationship with my branding that works incredibly closely with the real me, and it shows to my customers. 7. If there was one thing you could have done differently early in your career, what would it be? The one thing I would do differently in my career is realize that I had the power to control my life earlier. Sure, circumstances can make that really hard to see, and especially when you are young and influenced by so much, that can be hard. It is still hard! But I do have choices.  8. What is your advice to a ‘shiny new’ business owner or entrepreneur? To run a business successfully you need to be firm: firm on the price, the policies and the decisions you will have to make. Firm on what you can and cannot handle. If that is difficult for you, practice it. A business owner must protect their time to do work that benefits the customers they serve, while staying healthy and ready to show up for them. It is not an easy balance. 9. What advice would you offer aspiring business owners or entrepreneurs who want to stay on the Island? My advice to anyone aspiring to open a business on the Cabot trail is to do it, and use the community of like-minded entrepreneurs on the island as guides. Reach out to people and create a network. Focus on ideas that promote a healthy use of our natural landscape and help us keep it that way. 
0 Comments
 In 2014, as a fresh graduate from Sydney Academy, I wanted nothing more than to leave Cape Breton. I was yearning for freedom and independence. I think that’s pretty typical for most 18 year-olds. A lot of people thought I wanted to leave to be in a bigger city, but that wasn’t the case. It’s funny because most of my friends headed to Halifax, some stayed here, and I moved to Sackville, New Brunswick, and spent four years at Mount Allison University.
I always had a pretty strong sense of community- one that only got stronger after living in a VERY small town of 5,000 people. It’s such a cliché, but Mount A and the Town of Sackville really helped me find myself and grow into the person I really wanted to be. By 2018, when all my friends were deciding what was next for them, I was really struggling. There was one thing that was clear, I loved community. And there was no better community to learn from than my own. After four years away, I moved back to Cape Breton and began a very exciting new journey pursuing my MBA in Community Economic Development. Once you live away from home for a little bit, you truly appreciate everything about it. The reasons I wanted to leave so badly in high school very quickly became the things that made me fall in love with Cape Breton all over again. I moved back as a completely different person. One that wanted to make other people see the things that make my home such a special place. It helped that I surrounded myself with incredible people. I forced myself to get out and get connected. I’d be silly not to thank my Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation and Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce families for helping me do this. Now, 2 years later, at 24, I’ve started my career dreams and advocating to make my community a better place every single day. I know we have a lot of work to do and I know there are so many of us in Cape Breton with the same goal. I’m a firm believer that in order to get things done, we need to work together and share our ideas. For me, becoming a board member of NextGen Unama’ki means I can do exactly that. I’ve been looking for opportunities to join a board that supported a cause I’m really passionate about and that’s why I am so excited to join the NextGen team as one of the newest board members! The work NextGen has done over the years has proven that they’re truly a catalyst for engagement and use their voice for empowering young leaders to be the change. Great things are happening in Cape Breton/ Unama’ki and I cannot wait to see how we can work together to reach our full potential. I hope that I can play a role in encouraging and inspiring more young Capers to get involved in their community, the same way that so many did for me! 1. Tell us about yourself/ your business. My name is Tasha and I am a super proud Cape Bretoner! When I was in University, I knew I wanted to stay here and contribute to the Island in some way. I love reading, learning, spending time with family and friends, and of course spending lots of time with my boyfriend, our three dogs and cat. Our business is something that we truly love! It has become a part of my identity and brings me so much happiness. Tasha’s Dog Training & More serves a wide variety of dogs. We work with any breed, any size, any age and any training issue. We have a focus on dog behavior and obedience. We offer multiple groups, private training, board and train, virtual training and information sessions for businesses. Our group training is done in a group setting and allows people to work with multiple distractions. Private training is done one on one and is focused on the particular issues the owner wants to work on. Virtual training is our online format and we meet with clients from the comfort of their own home. Board and Train is when a dog stays with us for a period of time and we work with them to overcome any training or behavioural issues. Our info sessions for business have been mainly focused around safety, dog behaviour, dog body language and preventing bites. We have done this for dog daycares and other companies where people go into people’s yards or homes.  2. What was your path to your current position/ business? I went to CBU for an Art degree with a major in Political Science. I chuckle at that now because it has nothing to do with my businesses. However, that time at CBU was so important in helping to develop and create who I am. When I left CBU I was hired at a doctor’s office and eventually moved on from there to work for Canada Revenue Agency. My boyfriend and I got our first dog together 9.5 years ago. Long before we brought Chloe into our lives, we began researching dog training and how we wanted our dog to behave. I am obsessed with learning! This turned into me taking my first certification in dog training. Being someone who likes to learn, that rolled into additional courses, certifications and travelling to meet and learn from other trainers. Even to this day I belong to several networks with a wide variety of trainers, I continue to take courses and with technology it allows me to connect with some amazing trainers and engage in great one on one discussions. You learn something new from every dog that you interact with. This is why it is important to not get complacent in this industry and always be open to more information. 3. How long has your business been operating in CB? We officially launched our business 6 years ago. Prior to that we were offering training, but it was primarily by word of mouth. I really should have launched it earlier, but it was an intimidating thing to put yourself out there like that. I knew that I had the knowledge and the skill to share with people, but it is scary to do it and be unsure if anyone would be interested. However, it clearly worked out and now we are so busy with private, group, board and train, virtual training and even information sessions we offer to other businesses. 4. What inspired you to operate a business in Cape Breton/ Unama’ki? I love this Island! I really mean that and I know that this place is amazing and has so much to offer to people. I really wanted to stay here and offer something to the community. 5. What was your “ah-ha” moment when you knew you had the right idea? When our facebook page went live it was definitely an ah-ha moment. One of my friends had organized a little launch party for me and we counted down, I opened the page to the public and they all shared it. We received so many messages that our first group filled instantly. It really blew me away and I remember being so shocked by it all. 6. What did you study in school? How has it helped you in your journey? I attended CBU for a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Political Science. My minor is in business and I believe that helped, me on my journey. I definitely have the type of mind that is more drawn to arts courses, but those business courses were very interesting and I carried that knowledge with me. Then I suppose my next schooling was when I started with trainer certifications. Speaking with other trainers really allowed me to learn from so many experienced and knowledgeable people. That has been so valuable in helping me to develop my business. 7. If there was one thing you could have done differently early in your career, what would it be? I would have launched my business sooner. I had the knowledge and the skill, but I was hesitant to do it.  8. What is your advice to a ‘shiny new’ business owner or entrepreneur? Put yourself out there! Everyone has something they can offer or teach someone else. There are people who will want what you have to offer. 9. What advice would you offer aspiring business owners or entrepreneurs who want to stay on the Island? I say do it! This Island is filled with talent and you are exactly what this island needs. I would suggest getting out there and talking to other business owners and engaging with different people. My biggest mentor was my godfather Dannie Hanson and he didn’t know anything about dog training. He did know about Cape Breton and about business. Find those people that you can engage with and who will offer you support. Even reach out to someone you admire and ask them if they would mentor you. 10. Where do you see the future of your business headed? I have so many ideas for my business. We have grown so much and are doing so many things that I feel blessed for the growth we have had. I think the pet industry is definitely one that still has so much potential growth. I would like to explore more opportunities with our board and train and virtual training. We have reached a place with our board and train that we are more comfortable expanding this and increasing the number of clients we take in. With virtual training I really like that we can connect with people from anywhere in the world. Visit Tasha's Dog Training
We do much of our training outdoors and in real life situations. Many of our sessions happen in front of the municipal building on the Esplanade in Sydney. 320 Esplanade Sydney, NS B1P 7B9 Our board and train takes place in our home. Contact Tasha Website Phone Connect on Social Instagram: @tashas_dog_training Facebook: @tashasdogtraining TicTok: @tashasdogtraining YouTube: Tasha's Dog Training & More_  Hello! My name is Reilly Graham from Judique and I am the owner of Ceilidh Tent & Event Rentals. We are your full-service wedding & event rental company supplying everything you need from start to finish. Whether you are planning a quiet outdoor wedding or a black-tie event, we take great pride in providing people with the highest quality rentals and dependable service. Making every event our top priority!
After high school I graduated from Power Engineering-Process Operations at NSCC, Marconi Campus. However, soon after graduation from Marconi I found myself purchasing Ceilidh Tent & Event Rentals - a business in which I worked my way up through the ranks. In 2018 I went back to school to further my education in business and started the Business Administration program at NSCC, Strait Area Campus. Halfway through my second year of the Business Administration Program I accepted a job with the East Coast Credit Union as an Assistant Manager for the Port Hawkesbury branch. Being an entrepreneur at such a young age and experiencing the ups and downs of starting a small business with limited help and experience made me want to help recognize and support other individuals doing, or aspiring to do, the same. It is not an easy task and I think the NextGen/ Unama’ki board will be a great way for me to help recognize and help individuals looking to create their own careers here in Cape Breton/ Unama'ki. Through Ceilidh Tent & Event Rentals I look forward to continuing to make peoples' dream events become reality all over Nova Scotia and possibly even the Atlantic provinces in the future. Living here in Cape Breton, is living at home. It is where your neighbours are your family and friends. And no matter what community you are visiting it feels like home. The opportunities are endless! 1. Tell us about yourself/ your business. My name is Valerie Walsh and I am co owner of Doktor Luke’s - a respectable coffee house with my husband James Walsh. James is the person you see all the time. He runs the show, I fill in the little bits and pieces mostly behind the scenes. I work as a full time optician and James manages the cafe.  2. What was your path to your business? Doktor Luke’s was started by two women from Moncton in 2014. They opened up in an adorable little place on Kings Road that they quickly grew out of. About a year and half later they moved to our current location on Prince Street. James has been working for them for a few years when Missy and Julie (past owners) decided they were moving to Ontario. So we were given the opportunity to buy the business. We’ve owned it for two years now and we couldn’t have been happier about our terrifying purchase. We knew James could run the daily barista lifestyle, but we had never owned a business before. It was always kind of something James thought about but starting a business was terrifying. Buying a pre existing business that we both loved and beloved in was a much easier plunge. 3. What inspired you to operate a business in Cape Breton/ Unama’ki? Like many Cape Bretoners, James and I left the island right after high school, attending St FX and then lived and worked in Halifax for a short time. James took a year and travelled to Dublin with his brother and friend. But we always came back to Cape Breton/ Unama’ki. We’ve never been without work, doing whatever we could to make it work here. We are both pretty close to our family and have a real great group of supportive “Cape Breton first” friends. We’ve surrounded ourselves with like minded people who appreciate what we have here and work hard to make it the best place to live and work. Operating a business here means we can help in revitalizing our downtown core. We can stop complaining about what we don’t have and appreciate what we do have.  4. What was your “ah-ha” moment when you knew you had the right idea? Well, it wasn’t our idea. But when we made it through our first year as the owners and realized that our bills were paid, people enjoy coming to the cafe, they love our product, plus we were employing four people, that was a pretty big “ah-ha” moment. It was also a pretty big “we didn’t mess this up yet!” moment. 5. What did you study in school? How has it helped you in your journey? Neither of us excelled at school or studying. We both graduates high school and continued on to take bachelor level courses at St FX and then CBU but neither of us completed our degrees. I have since gone back and have an optical science diploma for my other job. But we have learned about running a business from our hard working friends and family, from trial and error, and from never giving up.  6. If there was one thing you could have done differently early in your career, what would it be? I don’t generally like to think about what I could have or should have done. I prefer to look forward and plan for how we can grow Doktor Luke’s. 7. What is your advice to a ‘shiny new’ business owner or entrepreneur? Cape Breton is too small a place for competition. Support other small businesses and they will support you. Make friends with your neighbours in business like you would your neighbours at home. Find some really great employees that you can trust and will show pride in their work, not only because they want to do a good job, but because they believe in your business and love where they work.  Contact Valerie
Business Address: 54 Prince Street on the corner of Prince and Bentinck Street inside the Prince Street Market. (What we have been calling Sydney’s New Action Corner) Connect on Social Instagram: @doktorlukes Facebook: Doktor Luke’s Twitter: @doktorlukes  My name is Nina Kent, I am an Anishinaabe woman from a small First Nation community in Northern Ontario known as Washagamis Bay. I came to this beautiful Island to attend Cape Breton University and received my Master’s in Business Administration, specializing in Community Economic Development in the fall of 2017.
During my stay in Unama’ki, I met my life partner in Eskasoni First Nation who is Mi’kmaq, we purchased our first home in Sydney, NS, and had our first child in 2018. Safe to say, I am a lifer in Cape Breton. Often when I share my story with local people in Cape Breton, they joke, ‘you did things backwards’ citing it’s the common experience that people move away from Cape Breton to get an education and set a foundation for their life. I believe it was suggested I apply for this role because of my position at In.Business: A Mentorship Program for Indigenous Youth, a program facilitated by Cape Breton University’s, Unama’ki College. I have been in this role for over 4 years; working with youth has always been a passion of mine and I strongly believe that investing in youth is the best possible way to make change for the future of communities. The In.Business program vision is to inspire Indigenous youth to a become business leaders in their communities, by completing a business education and understanding the synergies that exist between business and other disciplines. Historically, enrolment levels of Indigenous youth have been well below non-Indigenous levels and even more so in the area of business. We operate at the high school level, engaging, educating and mentoring Indigenous youth to make the transition to post-secondary studying business. I personally believe it’s important to show youth that there are sustainable, socially responsible ways to run a successful business and invest in a life in Unama’ki. Indigenous youth are the fastest growing demographic in Canada, setting them up with the confidence to become leaders in their community is so important and critical for the future of communities. Investing in Indigenous youth and providing the opportunity to pursue their educational dreams will change lives and the overall impact it will have is the economic growth and future sustainability of Indigenous communities in Unama’ki. I was first introduced by NextGen in 2017, and excitedly await the presentation of the Vital awards each year. I have seen young people receive these awards and thought, ‘what an amazing way to recognize the successes of youth’. It is so important to provide youth with diverse role models, who are finding success here in Unama’ki, and to recognize that there are young people working to make Cape Breton an amazing place to live AND that it doesn’t necessarily require moving away to another larger city center as often the narrative plays out. I look forward to my role on this board, and working with the team to promote the vision and mission of NextGen. 1. Tell us about yourself/ your business. My name is Keven Taylor; I am currently 34 years old. I was born and raised in Sydney, Nova Scotia and currently reside in the area. I graduated from Sydney Academy in 2004 and have a Bachelor of Community Studies Degree from Cape Breton University. I have worked in the Food & Beverage industry for most of my adult life and have many passions outside of work such as sports and volunteering in the community. Some of the volunteer work I have done in the community includes being the Head Coach of the Sydney Academy JV Boys Basketball team for several years as well as a mentor through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I am currently the Founder and President of Island Sauce Company Limited otherwise known as Island Sauce Co.  2. What was your path to your current position/ business? As I previously mentioned, I worked in the Food & Beverage industry for most of my adult life, so it was only natural to continue on that path as an entrepreneur. It was always a dream of mine to run my own business, and after helping establish professional basketball in the community while working with the Cape Breton Highlanders Pro Basketball Team, I felt it was time to try and make my entrepreneur dreams come true. I was always intrigued by some other local businesses that came before me such as East Coast Lifestyle, Breton Brewing, and Nova Scotia Spirit Co. I knew I wanted to do something like that, and after doing some market research and identifying an opportunity in the sauce and food condiment industry, I started my journey with Island Sauce Co.  3. How long has your business been operating in CB? How long has my business been operating in Cape Breton is a tricky question. I originally registered Island Sauce Co. in May 2017 and followed that up by incorporating the business in October 2017. My journey from then to now was extremely hard, and took a tremendous amount of hard work, determination and more than anything, belief in myself and my vision for Island Sauce Company. It is impossible to properly articulate everything I have been through over the last 3 years to be in the position we are in now, but I will do my best to summarize the journey to this point. From May to October of 2017 was spent developing our products, securing some funding and finding a facility to produce our products. I was able to secure a small business loan through CBDC and secured a co-packing facility just outside of Halifax. In October 2017, we launched our products and began generating revue. To be honest, we never had close to enough funding to properly launch the business, nor did I have the proper structure to succeed long term. By early 2018 we were almost out of money, but to make matters worse, the company that was manufacturing our products decided to get out of the co-packing business. For the time being, this was the end of Island Sauce Co, but my journey was just getting started. What followed was two years of trials and tribulations. The biggest hurdle I had to overcome was that there were no other facilities in our region that could properly manufacture our products, the second hurdle was securing funding to somehow keep the dream alive. I continued to work full-time while also working to bring the company back to life. In the Spring of 2019, I was fortunate enough to secure the lease for the concessions building at Open Hearth Park in Sydney and proceeded to open our seasonal take-out food shop, The Island Sauce Co. Snack Shack. This allowed me to finally generate some revenue in the company again. Finally, in early 2020 we were able to secure a facility that was able to manufacture our products right here in Nova Scotia. Once we had our facility in place, we were then able to secure funding through Futureprenuer, BDC, and the Sydney Credit Union. Finally, we were back in business. Our products are currently sold in grocery stores through Cape Breton and Mainland Nova Scotia, and we also run the Island Sauce Co. Snack Shack and Island Sauce Co. Catering.  4. What inspired you to operate a business in Cape Breton/ Unama’ki? There were several things that inspired me to build a successful business in Cape Breton / Unama’ki. First and foremost, I wanted to build a better life for myself and my family, but secondly, I wanted to inspire and be a leader for others in the community. I’m just a regular guy from a lower/middle income family that was born and raised here in Cape Breton. If I am able to start and grow a successful business right here in Cape Breton, it will only go to show that anyone can do it. I hope to give back as much as I can to our community, be a good corporate citizen, and hopefully be a role model for younger generations of Cape Breton entrepreneurs. 5. What was your “ah-ha” moment when you knew you had the right idea? The ah-ha moment when I knew I had the right idea came not long after my first meeting with our now Company Chef, Nathan Susin. Nathan is one of the best young chefs in Canada and I knew he was the final piece to bring this dream to reality. I had previously identified an opportunity in the sauce and food condiment industry and knew there were being needs unfulfilled in that market. Once Nathan agreed to come on as a minority shareholder and help develop the products as the company chef, I knew we had the right recipe and team for success. 6. What did you study in school? How has it helped you in your journey? I studied community studies at Cape Breton University and that experience has helped in many ways while shaping my career. The overall depth and diversity of my education, as well as my work experience in many different fields as a young adult helped prepare me for my journey as an entrepreneur.  7. If there was one thing you could have done differently early in your career, what would it be?
If I could have done one thing differently, I would have started my journey as an entrepreneur sooner. 8. What is your advice to a ‘shiny new’ business owner or entrepreneur? To be successful, you must be willing to do things today that others won’t do, in order to have things tomorrow others won’t have. 9. What advice would you offer aspiring business owners or entrepreneurs who want to stay on the Island? My advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs who want to stay in Cape Breton is that everything can be done and it can be done right here in Cape Breton. We are as smart and as great as any other people, from any other place. It starts with belief and the will to follow your dreams. After that, anything is possible. 10. Where do you see the future of your business headed? I believe this is just the beginning for Island Sauce Company. We believe we will continue to grow our sauce and food condiment business throughout Nova Scotia as well as establish our food service and catering business throughout Cape Breton. Furthermore, we believe we are going to continue to grow and become one of the top sauce and food condiment companies in all of Canada. The sky is the limit for our business and we are just getting started. This series is designed to introduce you to our current, future, and even some past board members. We have new members joining the board, and wanted you to have an opportunity to get to know them, as well as the folks who are currently serving. Meet Stephanie Dupuis, one of our new board members and find out why she was inspired to join NextGen. ***  After working in the contemporary Canadian art scene for several years, I relocated from Montreal to Cape Breton/Unama’ki to pursue an opportunity as the Craft Business Development Coordinator at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design in September 2019. Cape Breton held a special place in my heart since travelling to the island for a family trip in 2014. I was so excited to witness the growth of the island and the international community first hand, and grateful for the chance to connect with local relatives.
What I have been most impressed by since my arrival is the sense of community, keen interest in entrepreneurship, and the thirst for new ideas to revitalize this beautiful island. It gave me a similar feeling to the first time I tried my hand at ceramics and was welcomed with open arms by the craft community! I became keenly interested in rural and remote arts development while working with Inuit, First Nations and Canadian craft artists in the non-profit sector. My personal mission was to act as a connector between rural/remote artists and opportunities in the national art market - something that I now do for a living on behalf of Cape Breton craft artists. I became involved with the Lumiere Arts Festival Association board of directors following a rewarding stint of cultural volunteering in Northeastern Ontario, where I am originally from. Having previously collaborated with the Cape Breton Partnership in various capacities, I was eager to see an opportunity to get involved with the NextGen team to give back (and get connected) to the community and to participate in proactive initiatives targeted at making Unama’ki a desirable place for people my own age. As a french native language speaker, I hope to connect with like-minded Cape Bretoners dedicated to meaningful representation and inclusion of the diverse cultural interests across the island. I am grateful for the opportunity to collectively inspire the next generation to move beyond their comfort zone and be a part of a team that encourages and stimulates innovative ideas. Drawing on my experience in community development, arts management, youth work and business development, I hope to contribute to the NextGen leadership by facilitating connections and opportunities that traverse sectoral boundaries and increase our competitiveness on the global stage. My hope is to encourage and engage with the emergence of creative community based projects that reflect the local diversity of the island as we collectively progress towards a more inclusive, socially conscious and sustainable future. 1. Tell us about yourself/ your business. Live Life In Tents is a Cape Breton adventure brand based in Margaree Forks providing clients unique island experiences through accommodation, tours and activities. LLIT is owned by my brother Liam and myself (Lee Fraser) who both grew up and live in Margaree after years of being away.  2. What was your path to your current position/ business? The path to LLIT was a long one but necessary to give us the proper building blocks and lessons on what not to do when operating this business. It wasn’t the first business I started but one of the few successes among many failures. 3. How long has your business been operating in CB? The current form of LLIT started in late 2016 as an idea to become a sort of “travel agent for adventure tourism” while I was taking a year off work to renovate a property I purchased, and where we currently operate our business, in Margaree Forks. There were a few things happening back then that were the catalyst to us launching, there was a major push with tourism NS to boost tourism revenues, the ‘Cape Breton If Trump Wins’ website getting international attention and, a lack of tourism operators taking advantage of the rapidly growing social media space. There was also another trend happening that I saw first hand from being in the music and event scene; people were wanting tangible experiences rather than a night out clubbing. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to sell events and it was around the same time apps like Instagram were just permeating the Maritimes. The trend was moving into adventures and travel so it seemed like a good time to start this business. 4. What inspired you to operate a business in Cape Breton/ Unama’ki? The fact that we grew up here and wanted to live here and do something fun. That’s what it was all about. There was no business plan or plan at all. We both worked full time jobs so for the first couple years it was trial and error until we figured out what was going to work. Now this is full time for me (Lee) and we have 7 full time employees throughout the summer months. 5. What was your “ah-ha” moment when you knew you had the right idea? I don’t think there is ever a true ah’ha moment because great ideas come from a series of ah-ha moments that lead you to the next and the next. It’s just about believing in your journey and moving forward in whatever direction that takes you. Like I previously said, we set out to be a travel agent for adventure tourism but we now are the operators and an accommodations business. Part of the fun is seeing where a seed of an idea will take you and it’s taken us on some pretty wild journeys and helped us meet some amazing people. 6. What did you study in school? How has it helped you in your journey? I studied metal fab and commercial diving/saturation diving in school but nothing business related and my brother did education degree from STFX and his forestry tech years later. The diving industry can be a very volatile and high stress industry to be in. You either make it or you don’t. Whether you last in that industry or not will be decided very quickly and one wrong decision can end your career. That taught me how to handle high stress situations in life threatening environments. It also gave me financial security to invest in different business ventures that both failed and succeeded which is where I really learned valuable lessons. I’m here doing this interview because of all the failures I’ve been through but no one cares about those, all people want to hear is about the success. The failures are what help anyone in their journey. 7. If there was one thing you could have done differently early in your career, what would it be? Nothing. If I didn’t do everything I did I probably wouldn’t be doing this interview.  8. What is your advice to a ‘shiny new’ business owner or entrepreneur?
Don’t worry about failing, that’s part of the game. Just keep playing. Believe in what you’re doing and don’t let anyone throw you off that path. 9. What advice would you offer aspiring business owners or entrepreneurs who want to stay on the Island? You literally have the world at your fingertips within every cell phone. Reaching your market has never been easier than it is today. You can live anywhere you want and run a business online. It’s boils down to how bad do you want to do the thing you want to do? Ask yourself that, because no one is going to help you but you. If there are financial hold backs, do a personal audit and look at where you’re spending your money. How much are you spending at the coffee shop? Do you really need the newest iPhone? Will you live in a closet, get rid of that expensive vehicle to bike to the grocery store and do what needs to be done to save every dollar to be able to invest in yourself? Again, anything is possible if you have the drive to get it. 10. Where do you see the future of your business/ industry/ Cape Breton headed? That is a loaded question but the answer is that I truly think the tourism and adventure tourism, to be specific, will be bigger than ever in the years to come. This will be both a positive and a negative if we do not start discussions on the negatives and put a plan in place to manage it. Just in the last few years we’ve seen a major increase in travellers to CB which has meant more people sharing unmanaged and ecologically sensitive locations on social media. The increase in traffic because of this has left many of these places not only littered with garbage but has seen the land/property greatly disrespected, some of which is privately owned. A lot of this has to do with people being uneducated on proper outdoor etiquette which is compounded by places having no management plan for increased traffic. We see this everyday on the Margaree River and have been forced to put our own management plan in place. It has also led us to develop a new initiative we are hoping to get off the ground very shortly to help manage the influx of visitors and stress on the Island. This series is designed to introduce you to our current, future, and even some past board members. We have new members joining the board, and wanted you to have an opportunity to get to know them, as well as the folks who are currently serving. Meet Justine Williamson, one of our new board member and find out why she was inspired to join NextGen. ***  I chose to join the NextGen Unama’Ki board because I think raising up our youth and celebrating amazing people within our community is crucial to our future sustainability.
I chose to challenge the thinking that in order to find work, moving to another province was inevitable. In 2014, my comedic partner and I started the Cape Breton duo, Tracy and Martina. In 2017, we started producing content for CBC Comedy, went on to write for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and are currently working with Swearnet to produce a Tracy and Martina Christmas Special, all while living in Cape Breton. I know this is not possible for everybody, however, we seem to be cultivating a vibrant community of artists, creators, and entrepreneurs. As a Vital Award winner, I know that empowering and recognizing people through such programs can make a huge difference. Cape Breton has given me so much, which is why I want to reinvest my time and energy into generating positive change. We’re living in a time where the mindset of many is shifting. People are realizing that complacency is no longer acceptable, and if you want change you’ve got to take action. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of an organization that raises people up and inspires others. |
