SHARP WOMAN FEATURE

TAMMY ANDERSON A Can-do Gal

By Danielle Klooster

We’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.

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

“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.” 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

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

“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

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