Sharp Women Magazine | September 2020

Issue 4, September 2020

The Happy Body:

Fall Edition

Cultivating your Village What I Learned from Failure Wealth is Never an Accident recipe

Fall Treats: Robin’s Butter Tarts Business Development: You Can’t Get There from Here |1

WELCOME

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

SEPTEMBER 2020

M

ost of us have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with September, am I right? Or is that just me?

Now that my kids are grown and I no longer experience that sense of rapid acceleration associated with back to school, registrations for extra-curricular activities, and trying to get back into the swing of lunches and buses and schedules, I mostly love September. It is warm, mostly, and dry, mostly, and the leaves start to turn colour and I excitedly dig out all my awesome fall clothing and cute booties. It’s suddenly okay to make gumbos and soups again. My lawn no longer needs to be mowed every 4 days. I don’t feel silly taking a warm blanket to a backyard bonfire (perhaps passé in summer, but I still do it!).

our annual goals, check our progress and renew our commitment to crushing it. Meetings

are set, plans are made, new ideas are born. Feels good.

This year, of course, everything is a bit weird and different. There’s still so much unknown.

Will things be locked own again? How do we plan in the face of uncertainty? How do we crush it?

In this issue, you will find the stories of people who embraced failure, celebrated simple pleasures, found unique ways to take care of their bodies and spirits, and found and followed their bliss. May you find hope and inspiration in the indomitable feminine spirit contained in these pages.

Stay Sharp!

From our hearts to yours, enjoy!

September also has a charged atmosphere of new beginnings and big plans. Even though it’s not January and not the start of a new year, it somehow has that feeling. Headed into the last quarter of the year, we dust off

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IN THIS ISSUE

Table of

CONTENTS Click Section Title to go directly to that page

4 RANCHELLE IN THE RAW 6 LIVIN' THE DREAM 10 BUSINESS 12 PROFESSIONAL GROWTH 14 PERSONAL GROWTH 16 SHARP WOMAN FEATURE 20 RELATIONSHIPS 22 HEALTH & WELLNESS 24 SPIRITUALITY 26 YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR FEATURE 30 FINANCES 32 FOOD FEATURE 36 CANDID CONVERSATIONS 38 BUSINESS DIRECTORY 40 PRINTABLES

Exploring More of My Dark Side For the Love of Horses Punt, Pivot or Proceed: What Failure has Taught Me Surrender Tammy Anderson - A Can-do Gal Cultivating Your Village The Happy Body: Fall Edition The Problem is not the problem Joelle Bourque: ~ Wild Thing Wealth is Never an Accident!

Robin's Butter Tarts Life Takes Some Serious Courage Doesn’t It?

THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS OUR TEAM

GUEST CONTRIBUTORS Sonja Skage, Sonja Skage Consulting Finance Column Robin Armitage, Partylite Food Column Michaela Ludwig, Word Nerd

Danielle Klooster Editor-in-Chief

Ranchelle Van Bryce Chief Executive Officer

Rachelle Scrase Kelsey Evans Administrative Director of Coordinator Photography

Relationship Column Kendra Irvine,Living Light Ayurveda Health and Wellness Kathy Masters, Ponoka Health Foods Livin’ the Dream Column Shelly Buckland, Paint of Interest Red Deer Professional Growth Column

Candice Smiley Director, Sales and Marketing

Elizabeth Smith Sales Coordinator

Lindsay Beaulieu Sales Coordinator

Ryschell Dragunov Director of Design

Brenda Grosenick, Edwards & Holloway Health & Wellness Personal Growth Column

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FROM THE CEO

RANCHELLE IN THE RAW Exploring More of My Dark Side

by Ranchelle Van Bryce

There is a challenge for me in writing this article and that is making sure that I share my story (stand ON it) and not stand IN it. There is a difference between the two. In one, I live in the story and feel what I felt, and in the other, I share with you with the purpose of living my purpose which is to talk about the shit no one talks about.

The dark side or shadow self is one of those topics that we don’t like to chat about. All of us are both light and dark. We have redeeming qualities and Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay not. The challenge I think we have is that we have been taught to put our “The Dark Side best foot forward, to fake it ‘til Is In Our Blood.” we make it, to have a business face and a personal face. These Kylo Ren to Rey in aren’t wrong, mind you, but they do certainly play into the theory “The Last Jedi” that we should just pretend to be okay when we aren’t, to not hen you go through recognize our dark side and how most of your life it is affecting us.

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with the belief that you aren’t enough and you spend that same life pretending you are, you tend to avoid the inevitable ‘dark side’ or ‘shadow self’.

Today, Ranchelle in the Raw is not only about facing my dark side but embracing it.

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My dark side felt really dark.

Secrets from childhood that I felt couldn’t be expressed. A deep feeling of not being enough. Not smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough, ambitious enough, lovable enough. Simply JUST NOT ENOUGH. It led me to behave in ways that did not support my dreams and goals -- procrastination, not following through on commitments, fear

of intimacy, working too many hours and more.

I considered each perceived ‘failure’ was proof that I wasn’t enough. Two ex-husbands, an extremely successful business that over the years swung to an almost bankrupt Ranchelle, loss of friends because I failed to follow through on a collaboration are just a few examples of the proof that I had that I just couldn’t cut it. This proof led to the shadow self of me take over.

This belief, this feeling, was insidious as hell. I would take steps to overcome it, come out of hiding, do some sort of activity that I thought would move me forward, be scared, feel fear, not perform at my greatest potential, see the proof that I sucked and retreat. Rinse and repeat.

In 2019, I started a deep dive into my beliefs, and consequently, my shadow side.

I literally made a list of beliefs that were stopping me from living the life I desired. The first three were easy to write down as they were very apparent. Not feeling good enough, fear of being judged and feeling like I was living a lie. These all led to behaviours that were not supporting me, procrastination, lack of motivation and an inability to follow through on my commitments.

At first, I felt sick to my stomach.

I got caught up in all the people I had disappointed, especially myself. Then I started on the work of forgiveness. I started to, on a daily basis, study The Universal Laws. I started to journal, meditate, visualize, and have a renewed relationship with Divine. These weren’t new activities to me, but the consistency, the dedication, the commitment, were.

I started to embrace all parts of me: my past and my present. I had a deeper understanding of one Universal Law that made all of the difference to me - The Law of Polarity - simply stated that everything is created as a whole. If I am experiencing poverty, abundance is there. If there is a left, there is a right, an up and a down. Love and hate.

Procrastination and anticipation or dedication. It is not JUST one side.

This gave me hope. If I was experiencing ‘not enough’, then,

by The Law, ‘enough’ was also available to me. I just couldn’t see it. I started to connect to Divine at a deeper level. Ask for guidance to show me the way.

I realized that my dark side was a gift. It was showing me what else was and is possible.

I also realized that my hiding myself was my attempt to show the world that I was perfect, which is a lie and that what people wanted was ME, all of me - the good, the bad, the ugly.

I also started to realize that by denying myself of this part was denying the opportunity of growth.

And, most importantly, I started to own my own shit. I started to tell people when I dropped the ball, “Damn - I totally dropped the ball on that, let me pick it up and run with it now.”

yodaquote.com

What's most important about our dark side? It’s the opportunity to see where our most growth can happen. The more deeply I understand the three that I shared with you, the more opportunity that I have to dive deeper into the other parts of myself that I don’t like; passive aggressive and manipulation are two that have emerged recently.

When I feel threatened, these deeper shadow selves emerge.

They can’t be ignored. This part of me is demanding attention! No longer can I stuff her down.

I say this with so much gratitude. Grateful that I have an opportunity to unpack this part of my personality and give ‘her’ what she needs to heal. We aren’t meant to ignore our dark side. We are meant to embrace and heal, to overcome that side of ourselves so that the Divine in us can shine even brighter.

“In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness

must be present.”

- Francis Bacon

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LIVIN' THE DREAM

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For the Love of Horses

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hat can I say about my horses… they have given me so many life lessons!

Here are just a few of the things I have learned from my horses: • • • • • • • • •

Connection Independence Teamwork Trust Patience Kindness Communication Leadership To be teachable.

I have a life-long love for them, or I should say, I just don’t know what it would be like to not have them in my life. My dad, who is my hero and just passed this summer, was the one who gave me the gift of horses and a connection to them on a soul level. From the first time I was on a horse, when I was just a few months old, I fell in love and it has been an ongoing love all my life.

Growing up with Horses Horses have always been there for me in every aspect of my life. They were my friends, my companions and a chance to spend time with my Dad as a wee little one. When I got into my more independent years, horses provided a way to venture off on my own, giving me confidence and chance to explore what the countryside had to offer. And, as a bonus, the freedom I felt from chores and

By Kathy Masters school was a blessed time out.

Horses taught me that hard work can be very rewarding. When I struggled to fit in with friends, they gave me the friendship that no human could give me. They listened unconditionally and were a channel I could share my life’s ups and downs with zero judgement.

Their ability to teach me patience was one of the most amazing things they have taught me; this was a long lesson, but I have finally gotten it. See, they are big animals and you can’t actually force them to do something that they don’t want to do. So, you have a plan and utilize some skills to get the horse to do what you want them to do. Give them structure and consistency to allow them to do what you want, along with rewards for doing the right thing.

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Connection and Communication Tom Dorrance is one of the best horsemen that I have ever followed. This quote from him really resonates with me:

“You can get a horse to do something if you’re tough enough, just like you can with a human.

But a willing communication is a different matter.

You fix it so the horse can try, then you allow him to work it out. You have to give the horse that dignity. You make your idea become his idea.”

My horses have taught me connection, to connect with them on a deep level. It is amazing what you have them achieve and the feeling you get from them.

I have done pretty much every discipline with them from driving them, jumping, showing, trail riding in the mountains, packing, barrel racing, roping, rodeo and my latest love: showing them inreined working cow horse.

Believe the Best - Get the Best I believe if you allow the best, the best just keeps on coming. The

art of the reined cow horse is so precise; it’s amazing that these large animals work so close to perfection. In the cow horse, they are to do a pattern called a reining pattern where we as a team have to have an amazing connection and teamwork. My cues have to be so on point at the exact time I need the horse to move over, circle, spin or do a sliding stop that my horse and I get to a point where I am sure he can read my mind or my cues are so soft and he responds. In the cow work, we have to have a solid foundation of training so that I can trust my horse to do what he needs to do to work the cow to the positions that I want that cow to be in.

Soul Food I spend as much time with my horses as I can. I own a busy business, and sometimes I can get caught up in the day-to-day details and forget my spirit.

When I go out and connect with my horses, I also reconnect |8

with my spirit. Though I love them, feed them, and exercise them, they truly give me more than I could ever give them. In every season of my life, horses are there and they feed my soul.

Kathy Masters lives on an acreage northwest of Ponoka with her partner Wayne, 2 dogs, a cat and 3 horses. She is an entrepreneur and owns the Ponoka Health Foods store. She has training in several modalities for both horses and people and currently offers body balancing sessions for people and horses.

“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.”

“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. The potential for greatness lives within each of us.”

– Wilma Rudolph

– Anne Sweeney

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BUSINESS

PUNT, PIVOT OR PROCEED:

Winning at Business in 2020

These Days, it’s All About Contingency Planning in Business.

By Danielle Klooster

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ith Covid-19 numbers on the rise again, no one knows whether or not there will be another shutdown, whether or not increased restrictions will come back into play, whether or not it is safe to assume that we can carry on with business as usual.

So many unknowns.

Nonetheless, we still need to set our goals, make our action plans and move, with faith and commitment, toward those ends.

But how?

Flexible and Adaptable If you are positive, visionary and forward-thinking, you are well-positioned to withstand economic storms, because your perspective and mindset are | 10

to always be on the lookout for opportunities, and you have faith in your ability to punt and pivot when necessary. You trust your instincts and believe that you will always land on your feet.

These are good qualities to have or cultivate during this time of challenge and uncertainty.

Flexibility and adaptability are staple approaches for you.

the pandemic struck Alberta, many, many businesses had to suddenly kick into “punt” mode, finding new ways to sell and distribute. In football terms, instead of running the ball or passing the ball, you feel you can reach the goal by punting. The goal is in the same place it always is – you just get across the goal line a different way.

Punt Being flexible means that you are open to taking on business – and delivering your business - from more than one path. You have solid processes and systems, but you’re not locked into only one way of doing things. You have enough breathing room in your systems to deliver your product or services in new or alternate ways – like virtually, for example. When

Thanks to Jeffrey F Lin for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Clothing boutiques are a good example of the punt concept. These stores staked their success on providing relational, in-person, customized 1:1 service to clients in an intimate setting. Their legs were really kicked out from under them when the shutdown hit. Punting meant that the goal – selling people clothing – remained the same, but the manner of sales had to change. It’s been really encouraging to see good boutiques find creative ways to deliver good service and maintain their brand promise even while selling online or with curbside options.

Pivot Continuing with the football analogy, if things have changed significantly in your industry and it becomes apparent that those changes are permanent, it may be time to change the goal. There are always new opportunities that emerge in challenge and crisis. Many innovative entrepreneurs have carefully scanned the horizon for emerging opportunities and have changed their business model, products, or services. A pivot can be mild, moderate, or dramatic. What’s important is that you survive and thrive by seizing new opportunities. Being adaptable in this way markedly improves the probabilities of success.

Proceed Maybe your business was not impacted, or not significantly, by the pandemic. If you experienced a fairly mild impact and have already recovered that ground (or are well on your way), staying the course may have been the wise approach for you.

It’s always important to have contingency plans and undertake solid sustainability strategy, and, of course, prudent fiscal management. If you’ve weathered the storm without punting or pivoting and your business prospects remain strong, congratulations!

A Diverse Economic Approach While it’s unusual to have an occurrence where almost every business is affected, which, in this case, happened not only in local economic ecosystems but also globally, the fact is that there are typically industry-by-industry ups-anddowns happening all the time. Commodities prices, international trade, geopolitical forces, and all sorts of more regional obstacles can impact a local economy. In Alberta, we know this fact well, since our oil and gas industries have been beleaguered for the last number of years.

Thanks to Jeffrey F Lin for sharing their work on Unsplash.

province puts us in strong stead to overcome and even thrive. Some of us have punted, some have pivoted, and some have proceeded. We’re using our best wisdom and judgment to go forward, implementing diverse approaches and mechanisms to stay in the game and win.

With this outlook and our strong community support well in hand, whatever Covid-19 decides to do this fall and winter, we’re going to be okay.

“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.”

— Melinda Gates

Our enterprising and resilient nature here in our | 11

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

Failure is nothing more than life’s way of nudging you and letting you know you’re off course.

— Sarah Blakely, Founder and President of Spanx

Thanks to s2 art for sharing their work on Unsplash

By Shelly Buckland

WHAT FAILURE HAS TAUGHT ME

I

don’t think it is much of a secret that I am an entrepreneur, but what I don’t think most people know is that I am | 12

a serial entrepreneur.

Yup, I LOVE starting businesses, or buying them, or just having them!

Over the past 26 years, I have owned and operated over 10 businesses.

Now, that sounds like a lot, and it is. With that many businesses, you might assume that I have been very successful at them, or at least most of them. But here’s the thing, I have failed at more businesses than I have been successful at, and honestly, it is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Honouring Failure Yes, you read that correctly: I honour every failure I have ever

had. Don’t think for one second that any failure didn’t hurt - in fact, they all bruised my ego, tarnished my pride and caused me great embarrassment! But that’s okay, because what I gained from all those failures far outweighed all of that.

My first business was an auto trader, and although we were somewhat successful (we could pay the bills and ourselves), when we sold it, I was on top of world. I felt like a real entrepreneur, you know, one who could do anything, and that overnight success was in my grasp. I immediately started a real estate magazine and then proceeded to fall flat on my face.

I published one magazine and that was it. I was crushed, and very embarrassed. I thought, “I guess I don’t know as much as I thought I did about business!

Now what will I do?” There was one thing that business did give me, which was skills I didn’t have

before. Shortly after that failure, I went to work at a newspaper, with my newly acquired graphic artist skills.

was embarrassing, but I also felt a small win. It was good to not try to force something I didn’t like.

and succeed, because after all, I am an entrepreneur.

Successful Failure

Over the next few years, I had a couple of different businesses that I really enjoyed doing. I was growing and getting better at them, things were coming together better and faster.

Paint of Interest Red Deer as well as

One day I read an article about how Albert Einstein had successfully failed to find how to make a lightbulb. That really resonated with me, and I wondered: if he can successfully fail, who else has done this? I did some research and found that everyone who is really successful has failed at some point, and I mean everyone.

Wow! Ok, if they can come back from this, I should be able to as well.

It wasn’t very long before I was enticed with a new opportunity and started an oilfield business.

That took some time to build, but after 8 years I sold it for an amazing price. Again, I was riding high on a huge win, seeing that the hard work had paid off.

Feeling confident, I started a video and photo book company, and again, fell flat on my face!

You think I would be used to this, but it hurt, and I was so embarrassed. Back to work I went, but it really didn’t last and before long I was buying an existing business to run.

This time I was going to make it work, I promised myself. And I did do things a bit differently I worked on myself as well as my business. But it wasn’t working, and I just didn’t understand why.

Then one day I was taking a walk listening to an audio book, The Outliers by Malcom Gladwell, and he said that for almost any one to be truly successful you need to be willing to put in 10,000 hours. I stopped dead in my tracks! That’s it! That’s what I was missing. I wasn’t doing something that I WANTED to put 10,000 hours into so I could become successful at it; in fact, I HATED what I was doing. I had to stop and force a fail! Now THAT

A New Venture Last September I started Paint of Interest, an art café. All those lessons I learned from my past businesses, from their successes and failures, I am using in this business. And you know what? It’s getting a lot easier. I know more, I understand what to do, and what not to do. The value from those past failures is immeasurable.

And I’ll keep taking the bruises, and the hurt pride and embarrassment knowing that I will continue to improve, grow

Shelly Buckland is the co-founder of co-owner of Scotty’s Convenience and Liquor Store. She has been married to Neil for 31 years and she has 3 grown children, Quinn, Trent and Kaitlyn.

Shelly and Neil are currently residing in Innisfail while renovating their flip house. She enjoys camping, fishing, hiking and of course working on businesses!

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

– Anais Nin

TOP 5 LESSONS IN FAILURE 1. Accept that it is normal to fail! Every successful entrepreneur has failed, and they understand its part of the process. They don’t let failure stop them.

2. Use the failure as a learning tool. There is always something to gain from understanding why you failed.

3. Appreciate that you will gain knowledge and experience.

No matter if you succeed or fail, you will always come away with that.

4. You can change your direction. A failure is just an opportunity to change directions to a better one.

5. Embrace the entrepreneur learning experience! You will become a better, stronger and more experienced entrepreneur – and no school can ever give you that.

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PERSONAL GROWTH

SURRENDER

“TENSION IS WHO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE.

RELAXATION IS WHO YOU ARE”

- Chinese Proverb for the day ahead, is often my source of strength.

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By Brenda Grosenick

aking up with a heart of gratitude from the grace of yesterday is always my gift to myself. Spending a few minutes in the sacred space between the worlds of subconscious and conscious awakening, invoking blessings | 14

It’s truly a magical place…. but then, my feet hit the floor, and all the left-over things written on my yellow sticky note from the day before start filling my mind. Fear creeps in and I am reminded of the reality that the world is in chaos. There is an unprecedented level of anxiety, families are in despair, people avoid each others touch, businesses struggle to survive…

I’m sifting through conflicting

information that’s constantly tugging on my brain and my heart.

Surely, I am not alone – surely, you’ve felt it, too - a dreadful and unwelcomed presence. One that triggers shadow pieces.

One that always brings us to a pause point. A choice point. A canvas to paint our day on. It’s here, in this sacred space that I remember who you and I justly are: innocent and free, alive and awake in the moment, eloquent creations of Divinity, powerfully

co-creating our reality, expressing our truth.

In the Presence of my Feelings It’s all too easy to fall into panic and hopelessness, allowing myself to feel overwhelmed by the literal heaviness of helplessness, uncertainty and vulnerability…. this is not the experience with which I choose to shape my day.

I understand how vital it is to accept the presence of all my feelings, without censorship, even the uncomfortable ones. Denying them only puts me in a perpetual state of inner conflict.

Bypassing my emotions is akin to imprisoning them, like stuffing a genie in a bottle. This has only ever taken me to a deeper sense of disempowerment and disengagement from my true self. My “undesirable” emotions are not optional experiences, but I can be a genius at avoiding them. Emotions that I deny a voice or a playground, become embodied, truly captured in my tissues. Over time, they demand their release, creating the perfect pressure required to pop the cork…liberating the genie….only… it’s not here to do my bidding, it’s here to create some pandemonium to get my attention, often showing up as reoccurring, unexplained aches and pains.

The Language of the Body The language of the body is beautifully symbolic. The lower back is a common place for pain to appear if we have been “sitting on resentment” and storing repressed anger. Pain in the chest area can arise from deep sorrow, loss, or a broken heart. A headache can manifest to warn us of burn out, reminding

us to let go of the illusion of control, and tension in the neck and shoulders can be telling us that we are shouldering too many responsibilities.

“The cure for the pain is in the pain.” ~Rumi The Cure for Pain We’ve got to feel it to heal it! So, after I accept and feel what’s showing up in my emotional landscape and my body, and practicing a few of my clearing rituals, receiving a relaxation massage is my favorite way to usher out the residual energy of emotional debris.

“In every culture and in every medical tradition before ours, healing was accomplished by moving energy.” Albert SzentGyorgyi My body and yours keep a physical memory of all our experiences. They never forget, but given permission, they can graciously heal and thankfully release.

Falling onto the massage table, we surrender. Tension, resistance to letting go - we get out of our own way, allowing the energy of all that no longer serves our highest well being.

To release. An inner state of peace and calm begins the transformation, from the inside out.

As a practicing massage therapist, I surrender my ego, and bringing a deep experiential wisdom to the table. I lead with intuition, aware that I can facilitate the clearing of emotions for my clients. My own

lifepath has brought me to a richer knowing of the language of the body and the spirit. My hands see through flesh and tissue. The power of human touch is at the heart of mending, and our world needs it now, perhaps more than ever.

Brenda Grosenick is a co-founder and co-owner of Edwards & Holloway Health & Wellness and the Alberta Institute of Massage, both established in Red Deer for over 26 years. She is a visionary and considers herself to be a healing artist, bringing different modalities together to best serve her clientele.

Release is Daily Work How can we bring ourselves back to that place of sweet “surrender” when we are not on the massage table?

• Meditate to become more present and conscious of muscle tension as it arises, soften around your pain, investigate it.

• REALLY feel it, surrender, honor it and release it • Draw a bath, add some Epsom salts and essential oils, such as, lavender, bergamot, frankincense, or eucalyptus.

• Light some candles to create a calming, sensory experience and wait 5 minutes to allow the salts to dissolve and the oils to release their magic • State Affirmations, with feeling… signaling your body that it is safe to surrender.

I ALLOW MY BODY TO BECOME AN ENVIRONMENT FOR PEACE AND HEALING. I AM ABLE TO PROCESS, METABOLIZE, AND RELEASE ALL EMOTIONS THAT NO LONGER SERVE MY HIGHEST WELL BEING. • Kneel at the altar of not knowing, surrender, and let the universe handle the details.

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SHARP WOMAN FEATURE

TAMMY ANDERSON A Can-do Gal

By Danielle Klooster

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e ’d all like to think of ourselves as “can-do” people.

Or at least we’d like to become one of those people. Maybe all the talk about being human BEings instead of human DOings stops us from thinking we should even want to be a “can—do”er.

Meet Tammy, the epitome of a can-do gal. Last year, Tammy | 16

started a business called Clove Pink. It’s a boutique subscription box for women, proudly filled quarterly with Canadian products – everything from skin care and jewelry to handbags and wallets.

She fully entered the market this year and is really making things happen. A mother of two teenagers with active lives, wife to a high school teacher, where does Tammy find the time, energy, and intestinal fortitude to build a new business?

A Strong Foundation Tammy credits much of her internal strength and resilience to her upbringing. Raised in the Calgary area, she says she always had “lots of love and good food.” Having the foundation of feeling secure in the love of her family, she was able to blossom in her character and personality. Even when her parents divorced at age 12, and many things in her home life changed as a result, she never

doubted that she was cared for and worthy of love.

“Yes, there were times of adversity,” she shares, “but knowing I was loved, even through the tough times, gave me a granite foundation. That has served me well all my life.”

She started working at age 14, out of necessity, and did a variety of jobs throughout her teen years. “I didn’t necessarily enjoy all of it at the time,” she recalls, “but looking back now, I can see how those different jobs gave me a broad base of experience and really taught me the value of a good work ethic.”

Her work ethic and determination are evidenced by the fact that she worked and paid her own way through university. Tammy takes pride in, and gets satisfaction from, all her accomplishments and that she has earned everything she has.

Stepping-Stones of Progress Tammy started her professional career in Human Resources, which she enjoyed. However, after having kids, she struggled with balancing work and home life and knew she wanted more freedom. She quit her job, and just a few days later, her mother passed away. Not having a job to rush back to, she took the time to be at home with her kids, grieve, and assess what she wanted for her life.

“I always had a million business ideas running through my head,” she says. “Some people thought I was just a dreamer. I knew I wanted more independence and freedom, but I also like structure.

I knew I wanted the freedom and flexibility of being self-employed, but I didn’t really know what direction to take.”

She settled on the idea of becoming a mortgage broker,

which she did for the next 7 years. “I really liked the work,” she explains, “and working from home with a flexible schedule was great. But I became frustrated with putting in a lot of work that sometimes didn’t materialize into compensation.

I always want everything I do to feel productive, to bear fruit.

Even though I enjoyed it, I still felt there was more for me.”

Coming into Her Own Then, it happened. In 2018, she heard about a business incubator, called Catapult Entrepreneurs, and decided to bring in a business idea she’d had simmering for a while and see where it would take her.

Though that particular idea didn’t come into being, Tammy realized in the process that she is a true entrepreneur.

In her words: “I don’t want to live with regret. I want everything I do to give me a sense of ‘fullness’ – contentment, pride in my accomplishments, satisfaction with a job well done, and knowing I have made an impact. I want to feel like I have control over my own destiny, and I want freedom. I realized, during my time in the business incubator, that I really am an entrepreneur. I’m really a free spirit. I have the ideas, the drive, the need for flexibility and freedom and control, and it dawned on me that my life, with the variety of influence and jobs and professional pursuits, had prepared me for this. I was hooked.”

Sometimes, as we live or lives and do different things, we don’t see the weaving of the tapestry, the glorious painting that is coming into being.

Tammy sees her life painting emerging, and she loves it. Yes, she

is still working hard – maybe harder than ever, in her first year of business. But she believes that every ounce of effort she puts in bears fruit. She named her subscription box company Clove Pink, which is another name for Carnation, her mother’s favourite flower. “It really resonates with me,” she says.

“It’s about growth, beauty, and spirit. It’s a hardy flower with lasting beauty. It’s in honour of my mother, yes, but it’s also, I think, representative of me.”

The Can-do Gal Blooms Tammy has bloomed. Yes, she is a doer – a can-doer – but it comes out of her being. She is not trying to find out who she is or what she wants.

She

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knows. She has nothing to prove and only wants two things:

To live “full”, feeling satisfied in herself To make an impact and inspire others to feel great and live “full”, too.

Adaptability, resilience and being willing to continuously evolve has put Tammy in full bloom.

Tammy Anderson owns and operates Clove Pink, a boutique beauty & lifestyle subscription box for women looking to support Canadian small business. Her passion is helping women discover products and information that lead to a healthier life. She lives in Red Deer with her husband, two children and labradoodle, Bella. Visit http:// clovepink.ca

LEARN TO LEAD THROUGH CHANGE “If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more.

If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.”

– Oprah Winfrey | 18

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Focusing on the art and science of communication

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Leadership workshops

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Personalized coaching

Kari Lotzien Leadership Coach 403-506-9636 | www.betheanchor.ca

Looking for a great place to paint, relax and have fun?

Paint of Interest Art Cafe offers a huge selection of pottery, glass, canvas, wood, stoneware and more! With our bright open creative area, specialty cafÊ and licensed bar, we’ll become your favorite place to create.

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4946 53rd Avenue, Red Deer paintofinterestreddeer.com create@paintofinterestreddeer.com

| 19

RELATIONSHIPS

Cultivating Your Village

By Michaela Ludwig

I

n today’s fast-paced environment, we are so busy making a living – climbing the corporate ladder, checking off boxes for the next project, always looking ahead – that we often forget to make a life.

eight different cities, advanced in my journalism career, adopted a dog, got married, had a son, and all the while I struggled to find a place where I fit in.

Nowhere really felt like home, and any place that did didn’t last long because job prospects took me to new cities. I lacked a true and proper village.

Finding my Village

It takes a surprising amount of effort to make friends as an adult – life, work and other commitments get in the way.

During what I’ll call my first stint in central Alberta, I worked as a newspaper reporter and then editor, and I developed many wonderful relationships in these roles. From there, I worked in communications for a local company and was fortunate enough to form a few close friendships during that time.

Of course, as careers and life go, my next job saw me pack

They say, “It takes a village,” and that’s usually in reference to raising children. But your village – the supportive family and friends that you surround yourself with – is important during all aspects of your life, not just the dirty diaper and formula days.

I originally hail from Ontario, and that’s where all of my family still lives. When I was 18, I moved west to pursue my journalism career. Since then, I have lived in | 20

up my belongings and move to Edmonton.

Going Home Now, it can be hard enough to maintain friendships when you all live in the same town, never mind when you’ve moved over an hour away. But don’t get me wrong – I loved my job in Edmonton, and the advancement in my career was exactly what I had been hoping for. I joined clubs and made acquaintances.

So, I wasn’t bored. But I wasn’t home, either.

When I was a kid, we lived within a stone’s throw of most of my family and I have beautiful memories of all the time I have spent with them. But now as an adult, with a child of my own, I was keenly aware that my son

didn’t have any of those family connections that I had, and loved, as a child. And I wanted that for him!

To say that Michaela wears many hats would be an understatement.

In her personal life, she is a mother,

I started my writing and editing business soon after my son was born. Working from home definitely has its perks – namely, you can live almost anywhere and do it. But it wasn’t until my husband took a job outside of Edmonton when I really started to ask myself why we were staying in the city. Although we liked living in the city and there was a lot to do there, was this home?

Home is with my Village The friendships I had formed while living in central Alberta carried on through my move to Edmonton, and now those friends had children of their own.

I wanted that village more than anything, everything I saw and experienced with my family when I was a kid. Now, with my own family so far away, that meant creating my own extended family here. So, that’s what we did. We moved from Edmonton back to central Alberta in pursuit of our village, in pursuit of a place to call home.

wife, daughter, sister and friend. In her professional life, she works as an editor, writer and social media coordinator, operating under the umbrella of her company, Word Nerd.

“One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go.”

– Sheila Murray Bethel

“Healing From Within ...Unlock Your Potential ”    

Live & Dry Blood Analysis Personalized Health Assessments Customized Meal Plans Step-by-Step Coaching Packages

Janice Hrushka, C.H.N. www.balancedterrain.com 403-952-1920 Thanks to Priscilla Du Preez for sharing their work on Unsplash.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

The Happy Body: Fall Edition 3 AYURVEDIC EATING TIPS FOR A CALMER AND HAPPIER YOU!

By Kendra Irvine Thanks to Zahrin Lukman for sharing their work on Unsplash.

N

ow that the summer party is over, the camper has been winterized from a few months of flirting with the mountains, the pool floaties have been shrunken from laying on the water with ice-cold, minty mojitos, and the firewood has been stacked in the shed from those starry nights of sitting by the fire pondering the weird and wonderful world we all share, it’s time for fragrant and colourful fall!

Speaking of winterizing, it’s what our bodies do, too. Did you know that as the seasons change, so does your body? It ebbs and flows with the winter, spring, summer, and now, autumn. As we move into fall, it shows us its true colours indeed.

Introducing Ayurveda Now is a good time to introduce you to Ayurveda!

According to Ayurveda - the world’s original health system and sister science to yoga - eating the | 22

right foods for your body type and for the season is as essential to your health as changing your summer tires to winter tires is for your car.

The qualities of fall are light, dry, and mobile. To balance out those qualities, we naturally search for foods that are opposite those qualities. Heavy, moist, and stable foods are what you need to keep an eye out for.

Dial In Mother nature is speaking - let’s slow down and listen to her quiet and gentle voice. When we do this, we dial in. When we dial in, we are listening to ourselves. When we listen to ourselves better, we find out what we really need to become fully realized, powerful, and sharp women. One way we can do this is through our food.

Let’s dive into the main course, shall we?

Here are 3 things you can do to shift your eating as this season changes: 1. Switch up your greens for roots. As frostier weather is among us, it’s nature’s cue telling us to move closer to the ground for our veggies. Root vegetables are heavier and more grounding for our systems thereby bringing more calm and comfort to our souls. We no longer need the cool and light qualities that our summer salads

offer. Instead, we can keep our bodies calm, happy and dialed in with mama nature by bringing in the support crew of root vegetables. It’s open season on nourishing plants like potatoes, ginger, garlic, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, squash, and zucchini. Check out the last outdoor food markets or even chat up your local farmer for resources.

2. Eat more cooked foods. This is especially important if you have digestive issues already. Cooking your food helps your body metabolize the nutrition much more effectively than eating it in its raw form.

The latter requires more fire power in your belly which means more difficulty breaking down the food and getting the nutrition into your cells where it is needed. Meal ideas include sweet potato and sweet pea curry with basmati rice; oven-roasted carrots, beets, garlic, and turnips; or dust off your slow cooker for a pot of hearty plant-based chili paired with corn muffins. Mmm.

A warm and happy fall to you!

Kendra Irvine is an Ayurvedic Health Counsellor Intern with the California College of Ayurveda, a Certified Wellness Coach, Professional Kinesiologist, and founder of Living Light Ayurveda. She teaches high-performing women how to create the best possible health using their unique body types to prevent dis-ease and solve common wellness challenges like poor sleep, low energy, and gut issues using her proven, signature system. Kendra offers Diet & Lifestyle Assessments and Programs, educational webinars, and experiential Ayurveda courses. She also works with corporate clients seeking wellness incentives for their teams.

You are beautiful. Your beauty, just like your capacity for life, happiness, and success, is immeasurable. ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

3. Make supper your smallest meal. If you aren’t already doing this, now is a great time to start this habit. Ideally, you do this all the year through as it is much kinder to your digestive system which begins to slow down quite a bit after 6pm. The idea here is to think what you might typically have for lunch you would now have for supper such as a hearty soup and homemade bun with a bit of ghee (clarified butter) on it. Make the switch- your body will thank you!

In order to really come into our higher selves, we must adapt to change. The food we eat is one way to adapt throughout each of the 4 seasons. Ayurveda is well known for its sustainable, gentle, and non-judgmental approach to help us significantly shift our diets and lifestyles through small, incremental change. The result is a happier, healthier, and lighter body.

Check it out when you get a chance!

*As a gift, here is a downloadable “Healthy Daily Routine Checklist” to help kick-start your wellness.

Image by Bruno /Germany from Pixabay

| 23

SPIRITUALITY

THE PROBLEM is Not the Problem

Thanks to Abigail Lynn for sharing their work on Unsplash

By Ranchelle Van Bryce Here are some great examples:

I

have always prided myself on being a ‘problem solver’. You see, I have a skill, a knack for seeing what isn’t working, whether it be in business or in my personal life.

But the challenge with this way of thinking is that I am trying to fix the problem by fixing the problem and the problem with that is: The problem isn’t the problem! Yup, you read that correctly. The problem is NOT the problem.

So, you may be asking then; what IS the problem?

The Problem Is What You Are Trying To Avoid.

Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray? The theme of the movie is that the main character repeats the same day over and over again throughout the movie until he learns the lessons he needs to learn. I don’t know about you, but I have certainly experienced that in my lifetime. The reason why is that I was trying to solve the problem by fixing the problem.

| 24

You can’t ‘attract’ more clients into your business by trying to attract more clients.

You can’t release weight by focusing on losing weight.

Why? You may be asking yourself? Let me share.

Dr. Thurman Fleet did a great job of explaining the difference between the Conscious Mind (top part of the hemisphere) and our Subconscious mind (the bottom part). The Conscious Mind is where our logic is, where the five senses are.

The Subconscious Mind is where our beliefs and emotions lie. Up until the age of 7, our conscious mind cannot discern if what we are ‘learning’ (being programmed with) is good or bad, right or wrong. We are literally a sponge. So, all of our beliefs are there, and we spend the rest of our lives ensuring that we ‘prove’ those beliefs to be correct.

So, when you decide that you want to change something, you have a belief that needs to be programmed, a habit that needs to be let go of, and a new strategy to behave in a different way.

So, if you focus on the problem that you want to be changed, you keep on focusing on the problem.

Thoughts Become Things Other reasons why we have our Groundhog Day moments is that when you focus on what you don’t want, you create more of what you don’t want.

What we focus our attention on, we manifest more of (The Universal Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy). If you find yourself thinking that it’s hard to find new customers or clients, or that your business is still being affected by the economic situation Alberta is in, then you will continue experiencing that. If you tell yourself that you can’t make time to exercise, this too shall be your reality.

From a scientific point of view, our habits become our reality, and this becomes our personality.

There is much scientific evidence to support the truth that, in order for us to create a new habit, we have to create new neural pathways. We are habitual creatures in everything: how we get out of bed, how we brush our teeth, exercise, respond, react, how we BE is all habit.

7. Then ask yourself what strategies you need to put in place so that when you face judgement, procrastination, fear, anxiety or worry, you know your next steps.

The pre-step to number one is being AWARE; Aware of what is working and what is not working in your life. This is a chance for you to be radically honest with yourself, there is no judgement, it just IS. If you are struggling with your very own Groundhog Day, don’t stay there; reach out to Danielle or myself.

Ask yourself: who do you need to BE

What’s a Girl to Do? 1. State the problem, obstacle, or challenge you are facing.

2. Write down the opposite of that challenge.

3. Ask yourself: what is stopping you from BEING the person who manifests this?

4. Ask yourself: who do you need to BE to create the above?

5. Ask yourself: what do you need to DO in order to create the above?

6. Ask yourself: what do you need to let go of in order to make room for what you desire?

Thanks to Sheldon Sommerfeldt for sharing this picture of Groundhog Day at Woodstock, IL where the movie “Groundhog Day” was filmed | 25

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR FEATURE

JOELLE BOURQUE Wild Thing

J

oelle Bourque knows she doesn’t fit the conventional mold of what a young woman, in business or life, is “supposed to be”. Sometimes she second guesses herself, overthinks, or compares herself to others.

“Even though my Dad was always in business for himself, and my brother and sister also have businesses, I still thought that what a person was supposed to do was get a job and live a normal life,” she says.

So, right out of high school, she took an oilfield job and stayed in it for eight years. “The whole time I worked at that job, my | 26

She is Creative.

She is Passionate.

She is Wild. best friend and I spent all our time dreaming up business ideas!” She laughs.

A Life Changing Year Then, she and her husband took a year and moved to Australia.

She knew, upon return, that she couldn’t go back to living a conventional life. She recognized that her creativity was – is - a core part of who she is, and she knew she wanted to do things to make money borne out of creative expression.

She took a course in film, fashion and theatre, entered and won some competitions and began freelancing in makeup, under Wild Earth Artistry, which

is the overarching banner under which she operates all her business ventures to this day.

After winning a makeup competition, a salon owner asked her to take a lash extensions course and come to work for her. She began doing lash extensions and esthetics as her primary business, and, within a few years, opened Salon Wild with a partner, Nancy Vaughan.

“It seems that no matter what I’m doing, I am always seeing new business opportunities,” she says. “I get all these ideas and see them as ways to make money.”

Unconventional and Ever Evolving

Even though she started taking steps toward living her passion after coming back from down under, her battle with herself continued, with self-doubts and comparisons to others conflicting with her drive to live free from constraint and convention. There was always the nagging belief that she’s supposed to find something and stick with it, if it makes good money and is “steady”. And, although she’s had a tendency to take on too many things and try to it all herself, her natural talent and drive has brought results. Salon Wild won the 2019 Young Entrepreneur Award through the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year. More recently, the Red Deer Advocate’s Best of Red Deer

lash clients for her marketing.

Suddenly, she realized her spirit came alive when she got behind the camera. In an instant, Wild Earth Photography was born.

The Gift of COVID Riding on a wave that was part finding her muse and part entrepreneurial Chief-ofEverything drivenness, suddenly Joelle found herself plunged into a complete stop in March of 2020, when government health restrictions mandated the closure of salons and spas due to the pandemic. Though it was abrupt, it didn’t take long for Joelle to find her spirit being rejuvenated in the quiet.

She reflects: “Even though my spirit has

Awards has named Salon Wild in the top three in their category.

She is good at whatever she does.

Being good at things and wanting to live authentically caused her to stumble into her dream. A few years ago, Joelle bought a digital camera to start taking photos of her

always been there, guiding me, whether softly or loudly, I kept sort of drowning it out by taking on too many things, and then being too busy or exhausted to give it space.

During the shutdown, it was like I fully woke up. I don’t want to go back to fighting with myself and stifling my spirit.

Now, I’m more aware of when I am letting busywork swallow me. I don’t want to go back to that.”

Naked in Nature Joelle and Nancy are still running their business and doing well. However, Joelle is now also actively pursuing a full-time career in photography.

Specializing in boudoir photography, Joelle’s love of wilderness and outdoors led her to put a unique spin on her business – boudoir photos in the wild.

“I just love the feeling of offering people the chance to see themselves in this raw, earthy, wild state where everything is stripped away and they’re one with the wilderness, the earth.”

This past summer, when she and her husband took a couple out to the mountains near Nordegg to do their elopement photos, she felt like she was utterly complete, like this is was she was born to do. “Sheer happiness,” she beams.

She’ll grow her lash business and mentor others into it so she can step back to pursue her photography without overextending herself.

This also gives her more time to dig into some of her other passions, like “bringing awareness to the destruction of our planet,” she says. She and her best friend create art and | 27

use it to save the earth, raising money for planet conservation.

They have sold handmade bracelets, donating $5 from each sale to saving the turtles.

They are outspokenly against shark finning, do work on coral restoration and have adopted a sea.

Stepping into The Wild Recognizing how she was working against her spirit and taking meaningful steps toward steeping into her authentic self has been huge for Joelle. She’s learning that her desire for wildness and creative expression and her penchant for moneymaking ideas aren’t necessarily at odds with each other; they’re all part of the same package that makes her who she is. She is

finding out that she doesn’t have to grab onto and do something with every idea – that ideas flow out of her as a creative.

And she is finding that she can live a spirit-driven life, embracing her wildness and creativity, and make a career of it.

Joelle Bourque says creating art, protecting our planet and spending time with the people she loves are three of the most important things in her life. She is a creative soul with a passion for turning people into art with her camera and make up skills. She coowns Salon Wild, an eco-friendly, green, award-winning salon in Red Deer’s downtown core.

Photo Manipulation by ZeSaiphio Marketing

“Do Not Tame The Wolf Inside You Just Because You’ve Met Someone Who Doesn’t Have The Courage To Handle You.” – Belle Estreller

| 28

Ranchelle Van Bryce and Danielle Klooster, Sharp Women Co-founders

| 29

FINANCES

Wealth is Never an Accident!

DO YOU WANT TO BE WEALTHY? pursuing the achievement of whatever I say I want? This is a far more important thing to consider. And there’s nothing wrong with admitting that it’s not important for you. Everyone chooses what is important in their own life. Choosing consciously can be liberating.

A

By Sonja Skage

lthough no one I know would actually say no to this question, the truth is that this is not the real question.

The real key question is if you are allocating any portion of your time, your energy and your money to becoming wealthy. Have you devoted yourself to developing a wealth mindset? Are you as wealthy as you want to be? And, more importantly, are you doing anything about changing or creating this for yourself?

Where’s the proof?

Asking if you want to be wealthy is like asking if you want a healthy body or if you want a really great relationship. Duh!! Who would say ever say no? Of course, the answer is yes. Instead, ask yourself this: is there evidence that I’m actively | 30

Unless you’ve been born into wealth, married a wealthy partner, invented something particularly valuable, built a company with a huge exit, or won the lottery, chances are that if you ARE going to become wealthy, it’s going to be up to you.

While it is true that we can be rich in many ways, in many areas of our life, for the purpose of this conversation, let’s talk about financial wealth. For the purpose of this conversation, let’s define wealth as money, assets, investments, businesses, opportunities, knowledge, etc.

know your risk tolerance, you’ve got thoughts and feelings and beliefs about money and wealth that mostly empower you to continually increase your net worth, you have financial goals and you’re doing both the inner work to develop yourself in this area and you are also taking action relative to accomplishing your goals.

Take a Self-inventory Knowing where I am now is important. What’s my starting place? Without making yourself wrong, ask yourself these questions and notice what comes up for you as you do:

Create a Wealth Mindset Wealth is both a mindset and a financial statement. Our thoughts determine our lives in countless ways, and this is also very true when it comes to our finances. Without telling any stories about this, consider whether you would answer yes or no to this question: Do I believe I have a wealth mindset? If you have it, you know it. You’re knowledgeable about earning opportunities, different assets and how they are performing, you’ve got investment rules, you

1. Is becoming wealthy truly important to me?

2. Am I willing to devote my time and energy to develop my own wealth mindset?

3. Do I want to become knowledgeable about building wealth?

4. In the past year, how much time have I spent on this area of my life?

5. Do I know what to do in order to develop myself financially?

6. Am I willing to admit I’ve got work to do if I want a different result in my future?

7. Am I willing to learn a completely different way of thinking about money in order to become wealthy?

8. Am I willing to learn new ways of earning money and building wealth for myself?

The Path Starts Here Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to make a conscious decision, assess where you are now, decide on your next steps and take the action needed.

The path to the future always begins with now.

Sonja Skage has a diverse background. After a corporate career in HR, she started a consulting business which encompassed executive coaching, HR and Project Management consulting, real estate investing, raising capital for startups, investing in crypto-currencies, and trading stocks. She is currently focused on trading and investments, and is dedicated to her own self-improvement and very focused on using her life and her goals as the pathway to develop herself.

“And one day she discovered that she was fierce and strong, and full of fire and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.”

– Mark Anthony

9. Am I currently on a path that will lead to wealth?

10. A m I willing to look at my own thoughts and beliefs and feelings about money and do the inner work required to shift myself into a wealth mindset The one thing always true is that we are definitely capable of changing ourselves. No matter where we find ourselves, a new story is always possible.

Where am I now financially?

What do I see as my strengths that give me something to build on? Do I have good teachers, good advisors, and/or anyone in my life who serves as a good model for me? Do I know anyone personally with a wealth mindset that would be willing to talk to me about their journey? Is there someone further along than me from whom I can learn or is there perhaps someone with a good coaching program I could join? | 31

FOOD FEATURE

Fall Treats W

hen summer starts to cool off and the smell of fall and spiced pumpkin permeate the air, my heart turns to autumn aromas and hockey, Thanksgiving and Christmas menus. I love to cook for family and friends whom I love!

It Starts with Mom Was your mother a wonderful cook who taught you everything she knew? You are lucky!

My mom was a wonderful seamstress who taught me everything she knew about sewing. It got me in trouble at school because she also taught me shortcuts that we weren’t invited to use! Mom’s strength wasn’t in cooking because, let’s face it, when you have neither | 32

By Robin Armitage time (with six kids) nor money (she was a single mom most of the time), it’s difficult. I used to joke that I learned to eat fast because if there were six kids and seven pork chops, I always wanted the extra one. I was only partly joking. We were never allowed to invite a friend for supper because there wouldn’t be enough.

Enough to Share I think that it was my dream as a child to always have enough to share and I vowed to learn to be a good cook and baker!

Luckily, we’ve almost always had more than enough groceries to gladly encourage my boys’ friends to join us (sans hats at the table.) We’ve been privileged to share an extra room for lost boys, then foreign students, and now we billet Red Deer Rebels hockey

players. We love having guests for dinner and it’s common at Thanksgiving to have 40 people or more gathered around the fully extended, hundred-yearold kitchen table, along with the large dining

room table and several other fold-up tables. Each is festively decorated for the season with real china and cutlery on the fabric tablecloth with matching napkins and floral and candle table centers. I love to make guests feel special - because they are to me! We (Murray, my husband, is a huge help) always have a turkey (with two dressings) and a ham, and several kinds of potatoes and vegetables and a few salads.

On the side table is a plethora of pies (usually a couple of pumpkin, an apple, a pecan, bumbleberry, banana cream and whatever I’m in the mood for), a Skor bar trifle, a cheesecake or two (usually pumpkin or pistachio) and most everyone’s favourite, butter tarts! We all gather round first, and each says why they are thankful.

This is my favourite part because sometimes it is very heartwarming, but sometimes, there are surprises and laughter.

I think God (or to whomever we pray because some of our friends share other beliefs) thinks we are a little crazy. His fault, right?

Breaking Bread and Sharing Stories I love some of the stories from our dinners.

One of the Rebels who came to our house for

Thanksgiving, because his billets were away, filled his plate to heaping

but all was brown and white. I asked him where his vegetables were, to which he replied, “I’ll get them next time.” Soon, he returned with yet another plate with boring colours. I told him, “Buddy, I don’t know if you know this but at my house pumpkin pie does not constitute a vegetable.”

At this point he confessed that he really wasn’t crazy about vegetables. My only slightly taller musician son leaned over and advised, “You know you’ll never make the NHL if you don’t eat your vegetables.” Years later we went to a game with this Rebel, now playing in the NHL against the Flames in Calgary and while we were chatting he told us, “And, by the way, I’ve learned to like vegetables.”

I enjoy sending home-care package and having leftovers for my hockey players to snack on (although they aren’t to eat too much pie). My brother’s favourite was always pumpkin pie and on the rare occasion he got a break from dog shows and could make it, he always went home with one. This always seemed odd to me because I remember mom leaving the table when he was about four and him saying about the pie, “This looks like sh.. and it tastes like sh..!”

Mom heard him and he was in so much trouble for swearing!

the pie?” All his apologizing that he was just teasing didn’t make me any less determined to get extra good at baking pies! I learned from the cooks at Kresge’s, where my mom worked, to make an incredible strawberry pie from Mrs. Waldo. I got a recipe from a lovely lady named Rachel in Big River Saskatchewan and I learned to roll out pastry while working at Woodward’s on the lunch counter as an 18- yearold newlywed.

I am ever grateful to have learned from some amazing cooks and continue to educate myself because there are many new tastes and scents to conquer. I hope you enjoy my (in)famous butter tart recipe.

Happy Cooking and Happy Fall!

It Takes a Village It is my belief that learning to cook takes a village. My first pie that I made for my husband was a chocolate pie with whipped cream and chocolate chips on top. I was a very young bride and my heart was crushed when he looked at it and said, “Who put the rabbit sh.. on | 33

Robin’s Butter Tarts Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit

Butter Tart Filling Whip • 4 tbsp butter with • 1 packed cup brown sugar • Add one egg and beat in then add • 1 tsp vanilla • 2 tbsp cream, mix in and add • ¾ cup of soaked drained raisins Whip together, you will need about 1 tbsp for each tart shell

Pastry for Tart Shells • 5 cups of flour • 1 tsp. salt Mix together with fork Cut in 1 lb (500gm) of Tenderflake and two blobs (about 1 tbsp) of butter into the flour mixture till fairly fine with some bigger chunks

Flour the rolling surface and make round discs with the pastry mix and put on the surface. Flour and roll with rolling pin in quick short strokes in every direction.

Cut circles to fit tart pans and place in carefully and fill to about 2/3 full with tart filling.

Beat one xlarge egg in bottom of 1 cup measuring cup ,

Bake for about 12 minutes.

Let cool a few minutes and remove from pans carefully with a fork or thin sturdy spatula.

Add 1 tbsp of vinegar and fill the cup with very cold water to about a cup.

(I use the Pampered Chef pans because they clean up so easily!!

Then

Mix the liquid with the flour/ lard mixture till all damp. | 34

(I use my hands and DO NOT overmix)

WHO DO YOU WANT HANDLING YOUR INSURANCE? The one who is the most passionate about helping female entrepreneurs, that’s who!

C

hristine knows the grit and determination it takes to run a successful business.

When she took over the Clearview Market Square Cooperators agency, it was a small agency with less than 600 clients, however in less than 5 years, she more than doubled the size of the agency!

Christine also knows the time constraints of a solopreneur and tailors insurance solutions to you and your business. Swift Insurance & Financial Solutions Inc. is the One Place for Business - to save time and effort by focusing on the essential insurance products and financial services.

Christine started her career over 15 years ago and with the Co-operators for over 10 years. She has recently achieved her QAFP designation, Qualified Associate Financial Planner designation with FP Canada. In 2017 and 2018 Christine, achieved the prestigious Co-operators Region Builder Club and in 2018 also earned the “top home producer” for the Co-operators in Western Canada.

“Insurance and financial services really go hand in hand. You need to protect your assets whether that be

your home, your car, your business, your life or your ability to earn a income. If something where to happen to any one of those things it could affect your ability to save for your children’s education, your dream vacation or your retirement. That’s where we come in, we protect your today while planning for your future.” – Christine Swift It’s Christine’s goal to educate and empower women entrepreneurs with their insurance and financial planning needs. “I fell in love with helping people. There is no better feeling than making sure that someone is properly covered and if you can Save them Money while you’re at it, even better!”

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CANDID CONVERSATIONS

By Candice Smiley

Candid Conversations with Candice

By Candice Smiley

Life Takes Some Serious Courage Doesn’t It? me plenty of opportunities to act bravely or have courage.

What about you? Take a quick scroll through your social media feed or *heaven forbid* turn on your T.V. and it becomes very easy to find something to fear a bit of fear about.

Fear usually leads me to think about heroes - super heroes too - maybe a little Wonder Woman! What ho!

V

o cabulary.com defines “bravery” as the admirable quality of being able to confront frightening things… Firefighters are often acknowledged for their bravery, but everyday people also act with bravery if they confront their fears.” Courage is defined as the ability to do something that frightens one.

I’ve been thinking a lot about courage lately. 2020 has given

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Lately, though, my thoughts are turning to the real heroes… the ones who are stepping up and stepping out, going to rallies, speaking

against injustice or daring to have a different voice than that of mass media or social opinion.

What a difference one life makes…

Did you know that we create our world with our word? Everything around us is made up of vibration, movement and motion.

Even things that seem to be still.

Is it time to find the courage to have a conversation that matters?

No, we still can’t go out for coffee; and true, Facebook can

be a scary echo chamber… but maybe that's all the more reason for you to start the conversation.

A conversation… a conversation that matters.

Maybe it's not about the current health crisis or wildfires or politics. That’s actually not what I am hinting at at all, but rather, what lights you up? What are you reading? What are you thinking? How has 2020 changed you? What changes demanded the best of you?

What showed you where you might still need to heal?

It's been my experience in the social media realm that the best received posts are never about a product or an offer or a sale. But, rather, the ones that are written from a place of authenticity, love or truth. The social media space seems to

demand more of the rawness in communication than other spaces because we lack the ability to “read” tone or body language, inflection or passion in the sounds and sights of you speaking - so we must discern it from your words.

Side note ---

If you are feeling really brave?

Check back to my last month’s article for great tips on HOW to set yourself up for a video chat So, if we create the world with to share your our words, I think it begs the courageous question. What world are we, are conversations. you? Am I? Looking to create?

Here. Now.

What a difference one life makes… Let’s have a conversation that matters.

Click Here for My August Article

“You are more powerful than you know; you are beautiful just as you are.” ~ Melissa Etheridge

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY

JOIN THE A LIST! Get your business noticed with the Sharp Women Magazine Business Directory.

Contact advertising@sharpwomen.ca to find out more and get your spot!

Thanks to Brooke Cagle for sharing their work on Unsplash

There are Sharp Women-led businesses and female professionals all across the region. Here’s a handy list so you can find what you need and reach them with ease.

Sara Barnes

Century 21 All Stars Realty Ltd

Cynthia Harris

Create The Ripple

Candice Smiley

Danikloo Consulting

Danielle Klooster

Heuer Design

Kerstin Heuer (403).896-.5071

www.centralalbertasecurity.ca

cynthia-harris.c21.ca

https://www.youtube.com/CandiceSmiley https://bit.ly/PodcastwithMe

http://danikloo.com/

heuerdesign.ca

Ignite Your Success Coaching https://RanchelleVanBryce.com | 38

Central Alberta Security & Automation

(403) 820 0448

(587) 926-7196

(780) 554-7436 createtheripple@gmail.com

(403) 391-8443

Ranchelle Van Bryce (780) 679- 7275

Infinity Brand Photography

https://infinitybrandphotography.com/

Keto Jen Lifestyle Coach

Rachelle Scrase (403) 352-8471

Jen Bigney (403) 872-0905

Keto Jen Lifestyle Coach

Marg's Nail Beauty Bar

https://margaretpragnell.gelmoment.com

Marg Pragnell (403) 505-2682

Natural Solutions Health Store

Dawn Wickenberg

NuSkin Anti-Aging Specialist

Elizabeth Welsh

Paint of Interest Red Deer

Shelley Buckland

https://www.facebook.com/NaturalSolutionsSylvanLake/

https://lizshealthandwealth.mynuskin. com"

https://www.paintofinterestreddeer.com/

(403) 887-5655

(780) 483-8727

(403) 588-8808

Pine Box Funerals

Bonnie Hoff man

Sehn BookKeeping

Jennifer Sehn

Tanya Rogalczyk - Simply Mortgages - DLC Maximal

Tanya Rogalczyk

The Spice Cabinet Traditions

Jodi Bergeron

http://www.pineboxfunerals.ca

https://www.sehnbookkeeping.com/bookkeeping-services

(780) 910-6432

(403) 877-0962

403.506.3106

https://simply-mortgages.ca/

http://www.thespicecabinet.com

Swift Insurance & Financial Solutions Inc https://www.cooperators.ca/local/ swift-insurance-financial

(403) 391-3659

Christine Swift (403) 340-4495

Contact advertising@sharpwomen.ca to find out more and get your spot! | 39

PRINTABLES

Transilient 2020 Are you ready to be vaulted into your brightest future?

At Sharp Women, we are always talking about living your life on point. Maybe you feel you are already there – Woohoo! Celebrate! – or maybe you wonder what steps to take to get there, or how far off this notion of living on point really is. Good news! There are steps you can take today and in the days to come to rock the rest of 2020 and set yourself up to achieve not only next year’s goals, but all your Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals (BHAGs).

Transilience is leaping from one thing or state to another. Some may refer to it as a “quantum leap”. You can have a transilient 2020 and put yourself on a path to your ultimate success.

Take this self-assessment quiz to see how ready you are for a transilient leap.

TRANSILIENCE TRAIT 1. I have a personal “being” statement (a statement, based on my values and positive attributes, that I read daily that affirms to me who I am and how I show up).

2. I have a personal vision statement.

3. I have BHAG goals and 2021 goals for my business/career, time, health, and relationships.

4. I have a strategic plan that maps out how I will achieve my goals.

5. I regularly review and tweak my goals, dreaming about them and envisioning success.

6. I regularly listen to podcasts or read books that help me learn and improve.

7. I have a coach, mentor, and/or professional support circle that challenges me and helps me move forward.

8. I am doing ongoing, intensive personal development work to overcome my mindset obstacles and position myself for success.

9. I spend most of my time each day on activities that move me toward my goals.

10. I have healthy boundaries that I maintain well.

11. I regularly take personal and professional development courses to keep me on the road to constant improvement.

12. I regularly practice gratitude.

13. I invest in, foster, and maintain healthy, vibrant relationships that fill my cup.

14. I practice good self-care.

15. I am clear about where I am headed with my life and business/career and firmly believe I will achieve my goals. | 40

Yes

No

PRINTABLES

SCORING 15: If you said yes to all of these questions, you are a Rockstar! You are creating quantum leaps for yourself and are no doubt seeing amazing results in your life. Congratulations!

10 – 14: You are well on your way! You have positioned yourself well to live your life on point. Keep going!

5 – 9: You have put some things in place to move you in the right direction. Commit some time to sitting down with yourself and creating a plan to get you where you want to go.

1 – 4: Don’t fret. This list of questions is a great guideline for how to get started. You can do this!

WHERE TO FROM HERE? However you scored yourself, you should know that this list of questions provides you with a great roadmap of how to structure your personal strategic plan, set goals and start heading – or keep going – in the direction of your dreams. It is most emphatically NOT a measuring stick for you to use to see how far short you fall!

You need o know that you cannot do this by yourself. Every high achiever has mentors and instructors and a support system. These people are committed to lifelong learning and growth. They are excited about the future. You can be, too! Get a coach, take a course, write down your goals and dreams, and start taking daily steps to make it happen. Those steps will soon become transilient leaps!

If you want to talk more about this, contact danielle@sharpwomen.ca or ranchelle@sharpwomen.ca

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The Next 30 Days Whenever we gain nuggets of revelation, we typically think: “Ooooh! I am going to start doing those things!”. Usually, though, within a few days, we’ve forgotten what we heard, read or watched, and life goes on.

This worksheet is a printable resource for you to use each month, to collect out the treasures of insight and wisdom you find each month in Sharp Women Magazine (or anywhere else!) and create action steps. Written goals are eight times more likely to be achieved, so this is a great practice! You can make small (or big!) changes by writing things down and holding yourself accountable.

INSIGHTS I HAVE GAINED:

NEW WAYS I WILL THINK:

NEW THINGS I WILL DO:

NEW RESULTS I WILL SEE:

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