Sharp Women Heartland | May 2021 by SharpWomen

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SHARPWOMEN

RANCHELLE VAN BRYCE co-founder

DANIELLE KLOOSTER co-founder

TEAM

CARLA HOWATT editor in chief

KELSEY EVANS administrative coordinator

RACHELLE SCRASE director of photography

THIS MONTH’S

GUEST CONTRIBUTORS

JUSTINE COOPER business

WANDA ROGERS finance

SHARON MCMULLEN health & wellness

JENNIE WARD personal growth

ERICA THOMAS leadership

JACQUELINE BIOLO spirituality

MEGAN HARRIS relationship

KATHERINE LORANGER professional development

MONIQUE MACDONALD food

DESIREE STEWART livin’ your best life

letter from the editor

A SEASON TO RISE UP May 2021

I’m sitting here on an overcast and rainy day, thinking about spring and how this time of year is so hopeful and encouraging. Even as the rain comes down, it cleans the sidewalks, freshens the grass and causes new shoots of green to appear. Every year, we cycle through the seasons and even though sometimes it feels like the weather is unpredictable, each season brings with it its own unique attributes. This spring is no exception, and I am revelling in the newness of it all. It reminds me that as much as things may appear to be dormant or even dead, a new awakening and a rising up is always possible and maybe even inevitable. The topics covered in this issue reflect this sense of optimism and a belief in our ability to rise up from the ashes and soar. Wanda Rogers talks about her difficult road to a healthy relationship with her finances and how she overcame her struggles. In this open and transparent article, she shares a story that is all too familiar to many women; having to begin again after a failed marriage. Along the same topic of finances, Justine Cooper gives advice on how to have the best chance at obtaining the best mortgage. Our feature article is on Lisette Brule who also went through the need to re-define herself after a relationship breakdown and how she not only succeeded but has gone on to help other women rise up. Strathcona County resident Robin Cisek is an inspiring and vivacious young musician who, at a very young age, has already had a great deal of success. She opens up and shares not only about her life and her challenges as a Metis woman, but she also sings for us. There are so many articles in this issue that speak to the resiliency and strength of women, that it reminds me once again how lucky I am to be surrounded by such incredible people. So read these words of wisdom and believe that you too can rise up!

This Month’s Articles 6 FROM THE CEO RANCHELLE IN THE RAW 8 A DATE WITH DANIELLE HOW TO DEAL WITH A-HOLES 10 FINANCE PICKING UP THE PIECES 12 BUSINESS GETTING APPROVED FOR A MORTGAGE 14 FEATURE RISE UP 18 PERSONAL GROWTH STRIVING FOR NOW 20 LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE EVERYTHING IS AWESOME 24 YOUNG ENTREPENUER ROBIN CISEK 26 RELATIONSHIPS LONG DISTANCE I DO’S 30 SPIRITUALITY LEARNING FROM ANIMALS 32 LEADERSHIP IMPOSTER SYNDROME 34 GREAT RESOURCES 36 PROFFESIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOLDING SPACE FOR LIFE 38 NON PROFIT 40 HEALTH & WELLNESS SPRING CLEANING 42 FOOD FLOWER POWER... THE EDIBLE KIND 46 BUSINESS FEATURE YOU CRACK ME UP DOC

from the CEO

RANCHELLE IN THE RAW

BEING VS. DOING

b y Ra n c h e l l e Va n B r yc e I’ve always been a doer. I was raised with the belief that success came to those who worked hard and sacrificed. I watched my parents, who own a hotel, do just that. My Mom often worked 12 hour days and my Dad, who also owned the hotel, had a full-time job selling advertising. I started working at their hotel at 14 years old. At a time when my friends had sleepovers and played sports on the weekends, I was working. It was important to my parents that I developed “a strong work ethic”. Although I was a doer, and I eventually owned eight “successful” franchises, success always felt like an illusion to me; something I would chase that was inches away from my fingertips. Like when I was a kid who played tag, I felt like I was running as fast as I could, doing the best that I could, but not quite good enough to catch someone. Success also felt bittersweet. I sacrificed a lot to achieve it (my health and relationships being two things). And again, I never felt successful. I now know why success felt elusive: because I was constantly comparing myself to others. And the sacrifice of my health and relationships was because I had a core belief that I wasn’t enough. As a result, I was constantly trying to please others by doing more, overextending myself, and more often than not taking on more tasks and responsibilities than I could possibly do. This led to missed deadlines, disappointed business partners and a feeling of constant exhaustion. In 2018, when I started to work with an international coaching company, my beliefs about not being good

enough quickly started to surface. Thank goodness that, as part of my job, I had access to amazing coaches each and every day. I would find myself being coached through my limiting beliefs. Not being good enough, smart enough, thin enough…. You name it, I had the ‘I am not enough’ belief. Part of what we coached was The Universal Laws, based on Raymond Holliwell’s book, so I was immersed in how the Laws worked, even if I didn’t know what they were. Some of these laws areThe Law of Thinking, Law of NonResistance, the Law of Increase, and the Law of Attraction. What really stood out for me was how my beliefs affected

my ability to understand the Laws and that, with my lack of under standing of how important my beliefs are to these laws, my thoughts affected the direction of those Laws. One of those beliefs that was being challenged was my tendency to go into overdrive and work hard. These tendencies would show up when I was feeling a lack of self-confidence.

Often, I was challenged to stop asking myself “What more can I do, or how can I do this?” to: “Who do I need to be?” This was so difficult for me at first because I would immediately go into ‘task’ mode. This shift in question changed my life. Let me share with you my example: When it became apparent in 2019 that it was time to really focus on my very own coaching business, my first thought of course was “How do I do this?” This was a hard question because even though I had built many businesses in my past - eight franchises, a sales and marketing agency, a wellness company, and consulted in many more - I lacked confidence that I could ‘do’ it. Part of that was because each time I would make a list of the tasks that I needed to do in order to create a successful business. Each time I started something, I would start ‘doing’ those tasks, but success remained elusive. Not

just the feeling of success, but actual success. I would start and then stop. It was like I knew ‘what to do’ but I would self-sabotage. But this time, I knew it had to be different, because obviously what I did in my past was not serving me, not allowing me to be where I want to be in my life. So this time, rather than asking “What do I need to do? What strategy do I need?” I asked myself something different. I asked myself, “What is possible with my coaching business?”. And more importantly, “Who do I need to be in order to have a successful coaching business?”. This shift in focus changed my life. Here’s why: my being-state is connected to my divine self. My doing-state is connected to the physical me, the ego me, my conscious / thinking mind. Because I asked myself “Who do I need to be”, I was faced with the beliefs that were serving me and the beliefs that were not. So the ‘doing’ part that I had to first take on was to change the beliefs that were self-sabotaging. Then I could focus on the tasks that would aid me to get me to who I needed to be.

Both BEING and DOING are important. However, if I just focus on doing, I start to feel disconnected from my higher self. I start to move into overdrive, and into thinking that if I just do more, then I must be important. If I do more, I will get more. If I do more, I will achieve more. But what I’ve learned is this state of doing puts me into a lack mindset. When I asked myself who I need to be, I shift my focus into an abundance mindset. When I’m in an abundance mindset, I attract more into my life. More resources, more people, more ideas. When I become a doer, I slide into comparison. I slide into taking on more than what’s physically possible. And I start to feel less. If you are struggling in any area of your life, I encourage you to stop what you’re doing. It’s not working, by the way, or you wouldn’t be struggling. So now it’s time to ask yourself: Who do I need to be in order for this to happen? And also ask yourself: What else is possible? If you’ll ask these questions, you’ll be guided as to what action steps you should take. Doing comes from being.

a date with danielle

HOW TO DEAL WITH A-HOLES IN ONE EASY LESSON by Danielle Klooster The Dismissive A-Hole (DAH) Dismissive A-Holes refuse to hear you, disregard your ideas, opinions, and feelings. They can put up mental blocks against any perspective or person that is either disagreeable to them or, in their view, not important enough. I have had DAHs literally turn and walk away while I’m in the middle of a sentence. Not cool. The Manipulative A-Hole (MAH) A-holes. We all know them. We might even love some of them. We’re trying not to be one of them. Because we want to live our lives on point as Sharp Women, and because dealing with A-holes can really mess with our Zen, this month, I present, for your consideration, some thoughts on how to deal with A-holes. You’re welcome. Some ANALysis (Dad joke!) There are a variety of specific types of A-Holes, though some may cross over into more than one category. The Aggressive A-Hole (AAH) This A-Hole is a bully. Their energy is intimidation and domination. They intend to impose their will and have their way at all times.

This A-Hole might be more difficult to spot, especially if you’re the forthright sort that doesn’t clue in when you’re being manipulated. MAHs use whatever tactic works so that they can get their way. They might butter you up, or gaslight you, or become an AAH or even a DAH. This is a very special class of A-Hole.

It’s a Pain in the… There are likely more types of A-Holes, but these three are the main ones that I have experienced. What I do know is that it can be royal pain to try and deal with these folks, whether in a personal or familial relationship, or professional. So, here’s the real question: why is it a pain? Why does someone else’s A-Holiness hurt, anger and/or upset me? It’s not all that interesting, or even important to my life, if someone is showing up in assishess (a new word, my creation). What’s interesting is how I respond or react. Because, at the end of the day, I am only in charge of my own thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviour. The behaviour of others is no reflection on me, but my response to it is. If I am triggered, that’s a clue – I am in what is called a “pain body” or my “shadow self” or, as Ranchelle and I call it, I have stepped into one of my very own piles of poo.

Happy Poo It sounds very weird to say this, but I am actually learning to become happy when someone pokes or shines a spotlight on one of my piles of poo. I am so grateful! Why? Because it offers me an opportunity to heal, to learn, and to grow. The more I face and deal with my piles of poo – my primal reaction that perceives a threat – the freer I become. It’s like doing a cleanse! I do have some strategies for dealing with and responding to A-Holes when they cross my path. I must provide the disclaimer that I am practicing this stuff, soooooo I definitely don’t claim to have it all together at this point! Here is what I am learning to practice when dealing with A-Holes: 1. Notice and observe the behaviour, and let the other person own all their thoughts and feelings. Their A-Hole ways are theirs to deal with and don’t belong to me.

3. Say this phrase inside yourself: “I am safe.” Honestly, when we are confronted by A-Holes, if we feel reactionary, we’re also in fear. We feel threatened. By telling myself, “I am safe”, I am reminding myself that there is nothing to fear. I can then step out of my own primal brain and choose a higher, more beautiful response. 4. Step into compassion. Once I understand that they are just afraid, I can be compassionate. I ask myself, “What does this person need from me at this moment?” See beyond the presenting behaviour to their fear. A compassionate response often diffuses that fear – or, at the very least, it confuses the heck out of it! Okay, so I may have lied in the title of this column… maybe it’s not an easy lesson. But I know this: the more I practice, the easier dealing with A-Holes gets!

2. Understand that they are afraid. Yup, it’s true. People don’t behave in primal ways unless they are stuck in primal thinking. They have chosen the A-Hole life because they think it will keep them safe.

finance

PICKING UP THE PIECES by Wanda Rogers

One of the biggest financial impacts to a woman’s financial security is a sudden change in circumstances, often a divorce or separation. This article is not going to talk about the legal ramifications or rights, I am no lawyer. No. I am one of those women who lost it all because of a sudden change of circumstances. What I want to walk you through in this piece is how to pick up the crumbled bits of yourself and to build yourself up again.

I had small children at the time, and they were used to having lots of activities and fun events in their life, I did not want them impacted. So, I made a game out of it. We had $25 a month for fun, and we had to do something one day a week. I scoured Facebook events for free family events, we went to the library, we chased rainbows one day all over the countryside. We went to the river swimming. It was one of the most fun years we have ever had.

Day One: Shock, pain, fear. I remember day one. I took a selfie of myself in that most immensely painful moment so I would NEVER forget it. I looked around at my life and made a promise to myself that I would never be in this position again.

What did not go well?

What I did that worked I sat down and wrote out ALL my financial obligations, no matter how minute. I cancelled everything that was not necessary. I called ALL my lenders and told them I needed some grace. I wrote down all the money I had, savings, checking accounts, retirement. I kept notes of everything I did, I knew my mind was not working clearly. I then did something that was incredibly hard, I asked for help. I connected with some people in my support network of friends and family, and I was put in touch with a program through our local church called Faith In Deed. They helped me with an urgent financial need of paying some utility bills and then provided me and my children with food for the next 9 months while I got my feet under me. This is something that many churches have available.

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Well big banks do not purport to have much flexibility. I was a longtime client of one of the big banks and held multiple products with them. I had connected with them to ask for grace, to ask for relief. They gave me a small amount initially; they skipped one mortgage payment. What they do not tell you is that they have many more stronger programs available for people that cannot make their bills. Keep pushing and asking for what you need, tell them when it will not work. I had a longer-term problem though. I had gone from a double income in multiple six figures to my single income which was still good but not enough to pay all the bills. What happened was the bank did not take care of me like a valued customer. I was treated as an inconvenience and not helped. I ultimately made the incredibly hard decision to file for consumer protection and filed a consumer proposal. At the time it was one of the most painful, pride destroying decisions of my life. Today I am so grateful for the relief it offered me.

How is life now? I am in my own place that I rent, a lovely 3-bedroom home, I have a good job, I have savings, my kids have education savings accounts, I donate money every month to Faith in Deed and I do NOT worry about money anymore. Every single dollar I earn has a job and I am so proud of them. I am still paying the credit proposal; I have a couple of years left unless I come into some money to pay it off. My credit has increased 200 points while in the proposal. Life is smoother than it was before. I worked through some emotional baggage I had around money and using it as well. Money is a tool for me now. It does not scare me anymore; I have a plan. I am proud of myself.

How to get here? Once the proposal was granted my situation got much easier. My next step was to increase my income as much as possible. I held garage sales, sold on Facebook marketplace, and picked up side gigs inspecting gas stations and doing mystery shopping. I set up goals to challenge myself to earn additional income to build up an emergency savings account. I charted out miscellaneous expenses I would have to pay during the year and set up sinking accounts for them. I budgeted down to zero every single month.

Make the hard decisions. Grieve them. Work on yourself every day. Ask for help. Take steps to become self-sufficient and proud of yourself. It is always an equation, make more money or reduce expenses. If you cannot get the expenses off, you will need to use whatever method there is even if it is hard, ie. bankruptcy. It will not magically get any better unfortunately. I heard this somewhere once “Embrace the suck.” It will not always suck. But it will at the start. Dream up that magical new life and what it will be like. Then make it happen.

Quite honestly the biggest thing I did for myself was I told myself how proud of myself I was as I crawled out of that place. I filled myself with positive affirmations of how good it felt to have money in savings, I reminded myself that I did it, no one else, it was me. I worked so hard during that time, somedays I did not know what end was up.

My take away? Document everything, have a conversation with the bank? Write it down. Agreed to certain terms; get it in writing. Tell your bank that if they do not help you that you will go bankrupt. If they do not listen, do it if it is right for your situation. Do not hesitate. The faster you start rebuilding the faster it will get better. Make the tough decisions and do the hard work to make it better. Get $1000 into a savings account and do not touch it unless the world blows up again. Downsize as much as you can, it will be painful but that will pass. Find ways to cut costs in your budget, buy from discount places for your food, meal prep, take care of your own esthetic needs. I was chicken to make some of the hard decisions because of the immense grief I was experiencing. Now I regret not doing some things sooner.

Wanda Rogers has spent 11 years in Human Resources Management and now calls Airdrie home after many years in Northern Alberta. She lives with her two sons, crazy cat, Siberian Husky and ex husband with whom she co-habitats to raise their children and they all give her all she needs to write about.

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business

GETTING APPROVED FOR A MORTGAGE by Justine Cooper

Buying a home is often one of the most expensive and emotional purchases we make in our lifetimes. Our homes are our sanctuaries and there is nothing better when going through this process than hearing the words “you’re approved!” Here are a few easy steps to help you get there faster, and to make certain the process is as smooth as possible!

Approval as a Professional Establish stable work history This doesn’t have to mean staying with one employer if there are better opportunities that come your way, but growing within the same industry and utilizing your specialized expertise can help show the bank you have good tenure and will have a steady income, long into the future Manage your existing credit Pay your current obligations on time, keep credit card balances as low as possible and definitely make sure nothing gets missed. A good way to make sure you never miss a payment is to take advantage of automatic

repayment plans. Mark the payment due dates in your calendar so you can be prepared for the withdrawals and then let the accounts pay themselves to save you the hassle. Meet your mortgage professional prepared If you bring in your photo ID , most recent pay stub and job letter, this can often speed up the process significantly and get you on your way to your approval in no time

Approval When Self-Employed If you are self-employed, the same steps above should be considered, oftentimes with even more intention and commitment. The bank wants to approve you, but they also have a due diligence to make sure there are no foreseeable threats or risks for you to maintain your ability to earn yourself a living. They also need to make sure you are earning enough to comfortably afford the mortgage you want. When you are your own employer, paying close attention to these extra steps can ensure you have no trouble, and both you and the bank are comfortable:

Income history Most lenders will likely ask to see a full two years of income from your business, however, if this is lacking (and even if it is not), they will also look into your overall industry experience, managerial experience as well as how business savvy you are. Running your own business requires a separate set of skills in addition to the ones you may already have as a hard-working employee. Savings Having a “safety net” or cushion in place can help instill confidence in your lender for those “what if’’ situations and can help you with your down-payment. Business can be unpredictable at times, so being able to show you have savings to weather the stormy periods can make a world of difference. Furthermore, being able to show that you have the ability to set savings aside, strengthens your application as a whole as this is a good indication of your overall character and credit worthiness. Use and trust the experts It can be extremely helpful to engage with a mortgage professional and also an accountant for helpful tax advice and tax document preparation, as well as a business lawyer in some cases. They can help make you look as strong as possible and make sure your hardearned income is helping you get into the home of your dreams. They can also advise you on how to protect yourself financially as a self-employed individual, which has a whole new meaning when working for yourself.

Consider the 5 “Cs” of Credit: • Character- Lenders will be reviewing your integrity here. How willing are you when honouring your commitments? • Capacity - Do you have the ability to repay? (not to be confused with willingness). Your lender will need to make sure they are not approving you for a situation you cannot maintain or afford. • Capital -What is the equity you have at risk for the specific transaction, as well as your net worth. Your down payment is an essential piece of this and will be reviewed for its source and history. • Collateral - Is there an asset that can be pledged? In this case, the bank or lender will be holding your home as security • Conditions - economic conditions, business climate, etc. These can be out of your control at times, but are something the lender will definitely have to review and mitigate if necessary

When it all boils down, whether you work for yourself or you work for an employer, remember, the bank wants to approve you, and it is in their best interest to do so, as long as you can show you are a stable and committed borrower who will not have difficulty meeting your monthly mortgage payment. They want this, and you want this, and with these steps you will be on your way to home ownership in no time! Justine Cooper is a Mortgage Specialist with ATB Financial. She has done mortgages with the bank for seven years and is extremely passionate about providing homeownership solutions for all types of clients.

feature

RISE UP by Wanda Rogers

“Never give up. Don’t define yourself by the people that put you down. Rise up.” There’s no doubt about it, these words from Lisette Brule, owner of Custom Blinds for Design show she knows a little about rising up. Nine years ago, her husband left suddenly, leaving her and her young daughter. She knew she didn’t want to live in poverty, and that she had skills but also didn’t want to give up the most important job to her, being a Mom to her daughter.

Stay-At-Home Mom Lisette had been a stay-at-home Mom, able to do the volunteering at school and all those things that kept her involved in her daughter’s life. Suddenly, she needed to support them also. Since she had not worked in a while, she pondered things she could do. She thought about working in a school so she would be there with her daughter. She wanted more than that though. She had been an apprentice electrician earlier in life so knew she could work in a higher paying field. So, she did what is natural to her, she prayed, and she prayed. She says one day a light bulb went off and she went after it.

A Blind is Born The light bulb? That she would install blinds for people. The village of people around her gave her that idea. She had previously helped a friend with installations in her business and recognized that other people likely needed that too. Brule Blinds Installation was incorporated right away, and she got to work. She worked hard building relationships; she went to design firms and

blind companies to get her name out there. It worked, and very soon she found herself with contracts for 24 companies. She knew if she was going to be successful, she needed a village around her. Lisette’s family helped her, but she also reached out to a demographic she understood; stay-at-home Moms. She hired many stay-at-home Moms over the years to help her with jobs. “It gave them a little income and got them out of the house” she recounted. She herself knew how helpful that had been to her before she started her business. She wants to help stay-at-home Moms and she knows that “It’s nice to get away and do something out of the normal day.” She knows their hard work ethic as she feels that they are some of the hardest working people.

Mentor

Lisette, Bryce Adams and family.

Lisette herself didn’t have a mentor. She walked into the blind business knowing absolutely nothing. In fact, on her first job, she unpackaged all the blinds in her own home first, laid them out and figured out the install before she stepped foot on the job site. She didn’t want to appear like she didn’t know what she was doing so

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she prepared in advance. As she grew more experienced, she had an impressive list of clients that sought her out to do their blind installs. Did she have negative self-talk? “I don’t allow negative thoughts, I push forward. Do it and pray to God it works out.” That has worked out for Lisette. Her business was born out of hardship. In her life she has relied upon her connection to her spirituality to keep her grounded and confident while she makes decisions. Prayer is a part of each decision she takes but once she’s been able to spend time in prayer, she goes all in. The best things in life have happened through that process, they always seem like they are meant to be.

Heart of Resiliency Resiliency is at the heart of this determined woman. Lisette has had many hardships to overcome in the last nine years while running her business. A pregnancy three years ago was exceedingly difficult on her personally and on her business. She even lost clients over it. So, she pivoted, and she went back to where it all started, with her friend at Custom Blinds by Design. Her friend was ready to leave the business and Lisette was looking for something to ignite hers. So, she bought Custom Blinds by Design from her friend just over a year ago. She still had Brule Blinds Installation and had so many things on the go between the two businesses.

One day while at the grocery store one day she ran into one of the stay-at-home Moms she had previously hired. It all came out…how stressed she was, how hard it was being a new Mom again with two businesses. The conversation led to Lisette hiring her friend again. “She needs me, I need her” Lisette told me. Her friend was newly divorced and had been a stay-at-home Mom while her kids grew up. The kids are on their own now and she was ready to find a place in the workforce. She has been such an amazing help to Lisette, it has helped Lisette push forward and for her new employee to gain her independence.

Building Boundaries During these last three years, Lisette has learned a lot about boundaries as well. Boundaries are so hard to make and even harder to enforce. A long-term relationship benefited from such boundaries. While they were tough for Lisette to lay out it has resulted in a

Fav Food: Lasagna

Travel: Fiji – it’s always been a dream of her Grandma’s

Relaxing time: Baths, listening to inspirational podcasts, sleep.

more supportive environment at home. She is realizing she can’t do everything and some help from home is appreciated. There was a part of this interview where Lisette swung the tables and started interviewing me…I didn’t even realize what had happened until I was knee deep in a story about how I came to write for Sharp Women Heartland Magazine. That’s when Lisette’s superpower hit me; she is a relationship builder. For all the years she has had her successful business, the secret has been how she has been able to form relationships around herself, her village, as we would say. Her village has been stay-at-home Moms, family members, blind companies, designers. She has lifted women up, and given them meaning and a purpose by giving them jobs in her business. The most beautiful part? Lisette does not realize the impact she has surely had on those women. In her humble heart she is grateful for how they have helped her over the years, and probably doesn’t realize what she has done for them. What does Lisette have for advice for women starting out after divorce? “Never give up. Don’t define yourself by the people that put you down. Rise up.” Lisette has been an example of that in her own life. She rose to all the challenges put forward to her with resiliency, her inclusiveness of stay-at-home Moms, and her positive outlook.

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personal growth

STRIVING FOR NOW b y D r. J e n n i e W a r d

“Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood carry water.” ~Zen koan.

A Zen koan is a riddle or puzzle that Buddhists use to reflect and provoke thought about the truth of the universe. Chop wood, carry water is one of these koans and it’s a favorite of mine, as it has a multitude of meanings that reflect the path to living an extraordinary life. So what does chop wood, carry water mean? Well it’s up for interpretation, but here’s what I think. It shows that the key to true enlightenment has to do with how we’re BEING in the world, not what we’re DOING. What we’re being has to do with the inner spirit that we have when we engage in any activity. Ask yourself, who do I want to be in this life?

What You Want to Be For example, you might decide that you want to be loving, honest and connected. These three things can guide you in every choice you make. Should you make that comment? Should you take on that project? Should you decide to spend time with that friend who is struggling? The question is always, is it loving? Is it honest? Does it lead you to feel more connected with others in your life? What are the three ways you want to BE in the world? Write them down and start living them today.

Chop wood, carry water also has to do with being in a state of mindfulness- present in the moment, not thinking about the past or the future. Have you ever spent time with your partner when you were truly in the moment paying attention to what they were saying? Deeply listening to them. Compare that to a time when you were in a distracted state - only partly there and the rest of your attention was on your phone or what you’re going to say next or what you need to get done later. It makes a huge difference, right? In this situation, the actual activity is the same (conversation with your partner), but the spirit behind it was very different. Mindful listening is a manifestation of enlightenment. It’s one way to chop wood, carry water. This koan has to do with feeling gratitude for your life, in all its imperfections. An enlightened life is not a perfect life. But we can find contentment in every day, if we look for it. We can pursue enlightenment while doing the dishes, checking our email, going to the gym and driving to work. This koan has to do with letting go of the belief that getting to a certain outcome will mean happiness. It’s recognizing that the magic is in the process, not the arrival.

Chop wood, carry water also demonstrates that we don’t have to be in a special position or in a special place to live the purpose of our life. Too often, I see women feeling frustrated and blocked when it comes to identifying their purpose.

Happy When Reflect on your beliefs and ask yourself if you are waiting to be happy when you get to ___________ (fill in the blank). Perhaps it’s retirement, going on a holiday, getting that perfect job or losing that last 10 lbs. And about that last 10 lbs. If you want to lose weight, that is of course entirely up to you, but please remember... you are perfect as you are. Truly and completely. I can tell you that life is no better there than here. Absolutely still go for those goals, as that’s an important part of a wonderful life. But know that it’s your internal life that really matters. And your internal life does not depend on those external circumstances. Hear it again: life is no better there than here.

Here is my suggestion when it comes to purpose: If you desire to be a teacher, teach. You don’t have to go get your education degree and become an “official” teacher (but of course you can if you want to). Impart your knowledge when the feeling strikes and the time is right. That’s teaching. If you desire to be an artist, make art. Schedule in time to foster your artistic creativity and see what happens. Do it right now, where your life is at the moment. You don’t have to make a big change. Just chop wood, carry water.

Chop wood, carry water encourages us to find the extraordinary in the everyday experiences of life. It’s interesting to me that we often think that the experiences that will make us happy are those big things, like an annual family vacation. Yet, all we want to do on that holiday is go for walks and relax outdoors with our family. Things we could do regularly here at home, if we chose to. It can be a powerful practice to ask yourself, “how can I make this day extraordinary?” Usually, it’s as simple as some special time with a loved one, some time in nature or spending a bit of time doing an activity that brings you joy.

Dr. Jennie Ward is a clinical psychologist and owner of Ward & Associates Psychological Services, a psychology clinic in Sherwood Park.

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living your best life

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME by Desiree Stewart

Have you ever run into a friend and when they asked, “How are you doing?” you answered, “I’m doing great!” despite your heart feeling like it is being squeezed by an outside entity? Now, I am not advising that you tell every Tom, Dick, and Harry how you are feeling. Vulnerability is not meant for every person that crosses your path. What I am asking, though, is if you feel you are stuck in this world of false positivity. False positivity, otherwise known as toxic positivity, according to The Psychology Group, is defined to be “the excessive and ineffective overgeneralization of a happy, optimistic state across all situations. The process of toxic positivity results in the denial, minimization, and invalidation of the authentic human emotional experience.” We seem to have entered a period in time where it is believed that we must always be positive in order to be deemed healthy. That somehow, if we continually choose to be positive, the negative will just go away. But, in actuality, this is not true and can be extremely damaging in the long run.

Rigid Positivity “We are caught up in a rigid culture that values relentless positivity over emotional agility, true resilience, and thriving,” says Susan David, Ph.D., a psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and author of the book Emotional Agility. “And when we push aside difficult emotions in order to embrace false positivity, we lose our capacity to develop deep skills to help us deal with the world as it is, not as we wish it to be.” The truth is, our emotions are neither positive or negative, rather, how we use or present those emotions are when they become a problem. If our anger causes us to yell at a loved one or throw items and destroy property, we are using those emotions in a negative manner. But having anger is not a bad emotion nor does it make you a bad person. Susan David, Ph.D. goes on to say “The conventional view of emotions as good or bad, positive or negative, is rigid. And rigidity in the face of complexity is toxic. We need greater levels of emotional agility for true resilience and thriving.”

“We have entered a period where it is believed that somehow, if we continually choose to be positive, the negative will just go away.

A Hard Year Let’s be honest, the last year has been emotionally taxiing on almost everyone. The constant level of change, stress, unknown, has put almost everyone on edge. To say that we have all been positive and everything is grand would be a bold-faced lie for most people. Having hope for the future is different than feeling positive in the moment. So how do we ensure we are feeling our emotions and being resilient as we travel through the difficulties?

conflict, and there is healthy, necessary, forward-moving conflict. The distinction lies in our intentions. Anger is a sacred force, when it is honored authentically, without destruction. In fact, I am certain that we will not create the world of divine possibility that many spiritual beings long for unless we get angry about the injustices that many of us face. The world improves when people express legitimate anger because it communicates a message that certain things that are happening are not acceptable. As we move towards a healthier collective vibration, appropriate anger shows us injustices that would not have even been noticed at earlier times. If we fully condemn healthy anger, we condemn ourselves to endure realities that don’t serve us. There is a place for healthy anger in an evolving world...” One of the things I personally love about the Bible is that there are many examples of people lamenting to God. One of my favourites is King David, who writes in the Psalms about his despair and frustrations. And yet in the next psalm he is writing about his hope in God and his hope for his people. Isn’t this the true reflection of life? That there are times that we can feel so hopeful and there are times that life knocks us to our knees. Through all of that we can feel joy and happiness, but we must acknowledge all of the feelings that come.

Perhaps sharing a bit about me would be helpful. I am a full range of emotion person. I’ve tried to not be. I’ve been told many times I’m too emotional, too sensitive. Over time I have tried to hold back my emotions. Definitely not to show them and on occasion not to feel them. I can speak for myself and say that has never worked well for me. At some point the emotions have become overwhelming and have ended up in a depressive episode or an explosion of feelings. Neither of those results have worked in my favour. There are ways we can deal with the full realm of emotions, however. Talk therapy, journaling, art and music therapy, sports, and fitness, all of these can be ways to provide an emotional outlet in a positive way.

A World of Injustice Canadian author Jeff Brown talks about anger and its requirement in a world of injustice. “It’s time we raised healthy anger back to the rafters of acceptability and work together to clarify a way of expressing it that both holds everyone safe AND allows us to honor its inherent wisdom. There is needless, regressive

The importance, once again, is to learn how to manage those emotions that show up and not let those emotions manage us. When we see injustice, we should feel anger! How can that anger be used to promote positive change? When we feel sadness, we can learn how to be more empathetic towards others. According to Susan David, Ph.D., “The most agile, resilient individuals, teams, organizations, families, communities are built on an openness to the normal human emotions... emotional agility is the ability to be with your emotions with curiosity, compassion, and especially the courage to take values-connected steps.” And really, if we pretend that everything is positive, everything is great, everything is awesome, are we denying ourselves the opportunity to truly learn from our emotions? Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, states that, “Everything worthwhile in life is won through surmounting the associated negative experience. Any attempt to escape the negative, to avoid it or quash it or silence it, only backfires. The avoidance of suffering is a form of suffering. The avoidance of struggle is a struggle. The denial of failure is a failure. Hiding what is shameful is itself a form of shame.”

Desiree Stewart is an HR professional with many years of experience within a diverse portfolio of employers and industries. Desiree completed a Master of Organizational Psychology in 2017, and is currently working on her Masters of Counselling Psychology. When not working full time and doing her schooling she is a mom to three wonderful teenage boys.

young entrepreneur

ROBIN CISEK

She’s Only Just Begun by Carla Howatt

Resilience is a word that comes to mind when you meet Robin Cisek and hear her story. Born in Regina, Saskatchewan but raised in Sherwood Park, Robin has faced challenges in her life that would have sidelined many other women. It was only with the support, love and encouragement of her family and an inner drive that helped her rise above her situation. Robin was born with a genetic condition called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The way it manifested for her was through two extra ribs that grew from her back, towards the front and fused to her collar bone. Entangling nerves and causing a lot of pain, this condition also caused epilepsy. When she was 16, Robin underwent major corrective surgery that helped her function.

Turning to Music Being a high school student who was unable to participate in the usual extra-curricular activities like sports caused Robin to join the music program at Bev Facey. It was an outlet for her creative energy and a place where she could belong. Music was such a part of her life that the year she had her surgery, she asked her parents for a violin as a birthday present so she could use it as a form of physical therapy. “I still can’t play the violin, but it helped me heal,” Robin says with a chuckle.

While in high school, she shared her music online and caught the eye of a New York City producer Alex Houton. Under his mentorship, she wrote Silver and Waiting on You and recorded them at Quad Recording Studio in Times Square. This recording studio was where Beyonce recorded Lemonade and Jay-Z The Blueprint.

Hitting the Charts Before long, Waiting on You was in the top 40 on the Indigenous Music Countdown. It remained in the top 40 for 24 weeks and even claimed the coveted #1 spot. Because of her success, she was invited to attend the Indigenous Music Conference (IMC) which is for accomplished indigenous musicians in North America. Attending the IMC introduced her to many people in the business, including Melody McArthur an indigenous Deb Sabiston (Mother) and Robin

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struggles with these feelings, she says that when she does, she reminds herself about the things she’s accomplished and all the possibilities. Part of her confidence also comes from re-discovering her heritage. As a descendent of “road allowance” Metis, Robin only received her Metis card while she was in high school. Her mother told her about how her family had decided to ‘pass’ as white in order to get ahead. They moved from the road allowance into town, and slowly their culture faded away. Today, after becoming reacquainted with her roots, Robin is proud of her culture. “Metis are resilient, and we are all about lifting each other up,” she explains. Bradley Simon, Robin and Brandon Unis

hip hop artist. Together, they collaborated on a fun song called Glow Up which is currently on the charts as well. In spite of her success, Robin knew she needed to have a backup plan in case she wasn’t able to get to the point where she could make music her full-time career. She enrolled in the University of Alberta’s bachelor of education program and, with the help of scholarships and bursaries such as the Belcourt Brosseau Metis Awards, she will graduate this year. Between writing and recording songs and working on her degree, where does she find time in her day for everything? Robin talks about the time the lyrics for her song Concentric came to her as she rode the 414 bus from the University of Alberta home to Sherwood Park. “I got home and showed my Mom the lyrics I had written so far and she loved it,” Robin says. “So we said, okay let’s get this recorded.”

Imposter Syndrome It is easy to think that this confident, resilient young woman who has experienced so much success already, wouldn’t have any inner doubts or negative self-talk, but even she talks about struggling. For Robin, she felt like an imposter. Because she is mainly a vocalist, she felt like she couldn’t really call herself a musician and her success made her wonder if it was all coming so easy, maybe she didn’t really deserve it. While she still

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Giving Advice When asked what advice she would give to someone wanting to pursue a music career, Robin is quick to say that they should stay genuine, not be afraid to take risks, and be themselves. She laughs and talks about how when she first began singing, she would focus on singing the song and getting through her fear. Now, she approaches her work with a sense of fun and enjoyment in her music; she isn’t afraid to get into her song or even dance. These days, Robin is busy preparing for her next album which is being released on June 18, 2021. She learned a lot from her first recordings and this time she is making sure to spend the time making sure she has the proper rights in place, photos taken and contacting various media sources. With her first single releasing on May 21, 2021, Robin is excited to see where this will take her.

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To keep apprised on what Robin is up to, visit her website. Instagram: @robin.cisek Twitter: @RobincisekRobin

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relationships

LONG DISTANCE I DO’S b y D r. M e g a n H a r r i s

My husband Trevor and I have a unique relationship in that he lives and works in Ottawa and I live and work in Edmonton. We have been together for 23 years and married for 13. Our relationship hasn’t been easy all the time, but somehow, we have been resilient and found ways to enjoy the best of “both worlds”.

After graduating as a chiropractor, I moved back to Edmonton to be establish a home base for us here in Alberta. We had accepted that I would be unable to pick up my practice and move every two years when postings came up and that Trevor would be unable to remain stationary.

What We Do

Trevor and I originally met while we were in university. He was a Royal Military College Officer Cadet, and • I was university of Guelph science student visiting a friend who was attending Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. We weren’t a couple during our university time but developed a solid friendship •

In the Beginning When Trevor graduated from RMC, he was posted to the army base in Western Canada. When I finished my undergraduate degree, I decided to move to Alberta to participate in some spinal research at university of Calgary. I knew I wanted to be a chiropractor and I wanted to ensure that my application stood out. The only person I knew in Alberta was Trevor, but he was in Edmonton and I was in Calgary. I spent the 1998 fall semester enrolled in a few extra courses at the University of Calgary while volunteering in a spinal research lab. We visited each other back and forth when I first moved to Alberta and started seeing each other right away.

We try to see each other once per month. During the pandemic this hasn’t often been possible, but we do our best to schedule regular visits. We aim to speak every day; whether it’s sending a quick text or having a short evening phone call.

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We make an effort to show genuine interest in each other’s careers. I have learned the military rank structure and he now loves getting “adjusted”.

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We provide each other with a ton of independence and space. We know we must openly trust and have made a deal that if one of us is no longer invested in staying in our marriage, that we will be upfront and honest with each other about our intentions.

We talk often about what our future together will look like – especially after our life of dedication to our individual careers. We have both been extremely focused on our professional careers but we both are interested in making the transition back to enjoying After four months of long distance, I decided to more time together. move to Edmonton to be closer to Trevor. The minute I arrived in Edmonton, Trevor unexpectedly received notice that he’d be leaving as soon as possible on a three-month army course in Gagetown, New Brunswick. It appeared that being in the same place just wasn’t meant to be for us.

Making a Decision Trevor returned to Edmonton in May 1999, just in time for the announcement of his next military posting to an army unit in Vancouver. At the same time, I received exciting news that I had been accepted to Chiropractic College in Toronto. Just like that, Trevor would be heading West for his next military posting and I would be heading East to start my chiropractic education. We talked about the potential impact that the years of distance could have on the success of our relationship but because we were young and in love, we decided we were going to give long distance a serious shot.

An Edmonton chiropractor since graduating in 2003 from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2003, Dr. Megan Harris is the founder of the Chiropractic Wellness Studio which opened in 2008.

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spirituality

LEARNING FROM ANIMALS by Jacqueline Biollo

As a result of COVID-19 stay-at-home health and safety recommendations, I’ve had many opportunities to observe people and animals for extended periods of time, and to contemplate and make assumptions about their behaviour. Prior to the global pandemic, I went to church on Sundays. Now, before those sentiments shut down the interest of readers, allow me to expand on what that really meant, and how my story quickly pivots from the image you may have already conjured up in your mind, to one that supports the ‘spirit’ of this article: Spirituality, and more importantly, how it pivots to complement a story about what you can learn about spirituality by watching animals interact.

Church on Sundays So back to me ‘going to church on Sundays’. I’ve been attending church, with my family, for as long as I can remember. Regardless of your religious or spiritual upbringing, the most important factor of this declaration, for me, was that I was with family. I was fortunate to grow up in a loving and supportive family, where interests and ideas were encouraged. This supportive upbringing contributed to my exploratory journey of religion and spirituality.

In my elementary days, there was the lure of a treat at the local donut shop after church. In my junior high school days, there was the draw of a social network, a ‘youth group’ and summer camps, as it were. In high school, I started to explore what organized religion meant to me, started contemplating my faith, and found myself leaning towards a greater understanding and appreciation of what spirituality had to offer. Finally, as I settled into married life, and started to introduce religion and spirituality into my own family unit, I realized that the definition of both has such a varied definition for so many. And so, rather than turn to the dictionary for a definition, or somehow try and articulate what religion and spirituality means to me, I’ll pivot to the observations I’ve made after watching animals interact and hypothesize or suggest how you can apply their interpretation of what I can only surmise as spirituality into your life.

Animal Communication Let’s begin. What do fish, cats, and birds have in common? I’m sure they have something more earth shattering than what I’m going to impart, but for the purposes of this article, their commonality is simply that these are the animals I observed to draw conclusions. Other than that, I’d say they have little else of consequence in common.

Fish communicate with one another through sound, motion, and smell. Cats meow, hiss, and purr. Birds have mutualist relationship with the environment around them, meaning, both benefit from interacting. The concept of spirituality is the combination of interacting with something as if it were tangible, and the important connections a physical connection provides. When presented with hope or when despair hits, people turn to mechanisms that help them deal with or be in the moment. Spirituality takes intention and effort, although the benefits can be somewhat elusive. Like the animals I observed, perhaps there are ways you can incorporate spirituality into your life and experience more meaning and motivation to your goals and aspirations. For example, focus on experiencing compassion, awe, or gratitude through sound, motion, and smell just like fish. Be intentional about showing your appreciation, inspiration, or admiration like a cat when they meow, hiss, and purr. And be open to elevating the intentions of others and embracing love that have mutualist benefits like birds do. The concept of spirituality depends on one’s personal view of the world around them and the possibility they have to influence the potential of today and every day thereafter. The benefits of embracing the practice of spirituality are far reaching. I invite you to embrace the limitlessness of this opportunity.

Jacqueline Biollo is a leading authority on innovative business solutions, philanthropy, and community engagement, and is the Edmonton mayoral candidate Gabrielle Battiste.

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leadership

IMPOSTER SYNDROME by Erica Thomas

When we think about a leader, we think about someone we look up to. Someone you want to follow and learn from. Someone you feel comfortable guiding the way for you and your colleagues. We think about someone who is confident and well spoken and someone who would go to bat for you and your colleagues if push came to shove. What we don’t consider is the fact that leaders don’t always have all the answers. We aren’t always confident in our approach and in the path that we are paving. As an owner and operator of Transitional Solutions Inc. (TSI), a consulting firm with over 35 associate consultants, I often feel overwhelmed with decisions and I wonder if I’m guiding the company in the right direction. Why are all of these intelligent, experienced experts following me? Why are they entrusting their reputation and their careers in my hands? Believe me, it doesn’t take much for those feelings of inadequacy to creep in and if you don’t watch, they’ll bury you fast. This is called Imposter Syndrome and it doesn’t matter how accomplished I become; it creeps in when I least expect it.

Women, Men & Imposter Syndrome I also think Imposter Syndrome impacts women far more than it impacts men. There have been studies done on this and it is proven that women question themselves and their adequacy for the job, the value of their opinions and their expertise exponentially more than men. In Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, she says “Ask a man to explain his success and he will typically credit his own innate qualities and skills. Ask a woman the same question and she will attribute her success to external factors, insisting she did well because she “worked really hard,” or “got lucky,” or “had help from others.” Men and Women also differ when it comes to explaining failure. When a man fails, he points to factors like “didn’t study enough” or “not interested in the subject matter.” When a woman fails, she is more likely to believe it is due to an “inherent lack of ability.”

Holding You Back Imposter syndrome can impact your ability to launch a new product or service line. You may wonder why anyone would want to buy your products or services. I’ve been there. Imposter Syndrome might stop you from attending a big event, speaking to a potential customer or even from posting on social media like LinkedIn. But here is where the true leaders come through. True leaders take the risks, and they ignore that nagging feeling in the pit of their stomachs that they aren’t good enough. This takes practice and it takes surrounding yourself with people who believe in you even more than you believe in yourself. It requires you to tell yourself daily, “you’re good enough, you’re smart enough and doggone it, people like you.” - Al Franken. One would think that after spending the last six years taking a consulting company from a three-person firm to over 35-person firm, that I would feel confident in the decisions I make.

experiences. I surround myself with other successful women, and we share in each other’s struggles and we celebrate each other’s successes. I constantly tell that nagging voice that says ‘I’m not good enough or smart enough’ to go away, and when it feels stronger than I can handle, I go back to a saying that I have used for years, “Fake it until you make it,” and I fake my way through until it feels like I belong. Even in writing this article, it took me weeks to get something on paper, as I kept questioning my qualifications to write on leadership. So here it is. Embrace your successes, learn from your failures and own it all. Change “our” statements when speaking of your success and start to use “I” statements. There is no harm in sharing the success, but you should own it first. While leaders always compliment the team and share in the victory, they have to believe in themselves and show that confidence for others to follow. You are not an imposter.

I Question Too When people ask me about our success, (notice how I used “our” instead of “my”) I often tell them that I am constantly astounded by the calibre of people who continue to choose my firm as a place to work. Our experts are renowned in their field and our clients come to TSI looking for our consultants. While I know that this is true, I also deep down know that “I” have built a place where these people want to land. “I” have networked, searched and recruited the best and brightest and created a space where they can continue to grow and mentor each other through the challenges of our projects. “I” built this. And this is the first time I have put that on paper. I am incredibly proud of what I have built. And I still question myself and my adequacy EVERY DAY!

Ideas to Help So how do we get past this innate need to question and play down our skills and expertise? Not that it is the right tactic, but I feel comfort in continuous learning. I feel when I am learning, I am growing, and it helps me to feel adequate among my team. I have also begun coaching and mentoring entrepreneurs in their ventures. While I sometimes can’t see the solutions in my own company, I find it easy to see the solutions and gaps in other companies. I have begun starting my day with at least half an hour of reading and usually something inspirational, like Lean In, or another book that I recently enjoyed was All In by Arlene Dickinson. I typically choose female authors and find comfort and strength in their words and

Erica Thomas is the owner of Transitional Solutions Inc. a management consulting firm focused mainly on the public sector. Erica also owns Pocket Strategist where she coaches entrepreneurs through their growth strategies

great resources Crisis Contact Information Strathcona County - Are you stressed out by life? COVID? Your relationship? Unsure where to start? City of Fort Saskatchewan – Mental health and well-being are an important part of overall health. Mental health affects how we feel, think, and interact with the world around us. Everyone has mental health! FCSS offers short term, preventative mental health services that help to support individuals build resiliency and connect to community services. Crisis Association of Vegreville – Provides crisis intervention through 24 hour help line. Provides short term, safe and supportive environment for abused women and their children, women in crisis or other women needing accommodation. Provides clients with information about services available.

Taxes Strathcona County - Looking for some help with your taxes this year? You may qualify if you are a resident of Strathcona County.

COVID Business Supports Fort Saskatchewan – Resources such as how to calculate maximum occupancy, links to supports etc. Strathcona County – Links to grants, resources and COVID status Vegreville – download a business sign, find the latest updates and information. If you know of any resources available in your community that you think would benefit others, please drop us a line at carla@sharpwomen.ca.

professional development

HOLDING SPACE FOR LIFE

3 STEPS TO NAVIGATE LIFE’S COMPLEXITIES

by Katherine Loranger

On top of the latest rounds of lockdowns, life is bringing some pretty heavy content right now to a lot of people I know. Either they, or someone they know is navigating a life-threatening health diagnosis and ensuing treatment. Some of them have suddenly and unexpectedly lost someone close to them through death or divorce. Some are navigating the uncertainty of running a business during a global pandemic and the potentially devastating financial implications for them and their family. Some are coming face to face with the reality of the quality, or lack thereof, of their most important relationships now that they can’t avoid each other in the day-to-day busyness of running their lives. And some are choosing to dig deep and consciously excavate, unearth and repattern long ago planted seeds of unworthiness, comparison, or other limiting beliefs. Choosing to lean into this time of “the great pause” and to take time to design their next becoming. Choosing to dream and to create and to do the corresponding work.

An Opportunity What this brings to mind for me, is that all of this provides us with an opportunity. An opportunity to hold space for life. In therapeutic terms holding space for someone means being physically, mentally and emotionally present

for them. Giving them your unconditional presence and positive regard. Suspending judgement and the desire to ‘fix’ anything and allowing them to fully feel whatever emotion or experience they’re in, knowing that they are far more than their experience in that moment. Holding space for yourself is how you do that for yourself. Treating yourself with kindness, care, selfcompassion, and non-judgement. Allowing yourself to be present for whatever you’re going through, giving yourself an opportunity to lean in and reflect on what’s going on and to develop a deeper understanding of yourself. Holding the truth that you are more than this experience. More than this circumstance.

Holding Space for Life Holding space for life though, what does that mean? This is something that came to me in a recent coaching call with a client. Sometimes life brings heavy content. Content that’s part of the human experience that we’ll all have at some point in time. Holding space for life means that in those challenging experiences we hold space for life to show up exactly as it is. Without judgement, without trying to fix it, without trying to run from or avoid it. We just allow life to show up. Messy, and imperfect, and sometimes devastating and shitty. And in holding space, we allow it to be all that, and more. In holding space for life, we choose to come from a

both / and energy rather than an either / or energy. Life can be both messy and beautiful, joyful and devastating, vibrant and full of decay. In holding space for life, we can soften into knowing that this too shall pass, and we open to the beauty that still exists. I’m reminded of the Taoist story of the farmer and the stallion that is attributed to Alan Watts. ~ Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.” The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening, everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.” The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.” The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again, all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.” ~ Alan Watts

Expanding your focus helps to bring balance to the experience and opens your mind to the possibility that there may be some good here for you. 3. Allow yourself to feel the feelings and emotions but don’t set up camp there. Too often we can get stuck in the feelings and while it is so important to honor and hold space for our feelings and emotions to emerge, we don’t want to get caught in a downward spiral. So, try an experiment of giving yourself a set time to honor your feelings and emotions, feel them and then when you’ve finished your appointment consciously shift your focus and your state. You can always schedule multiple times to express and release those emotions and by putting boundaries around them it can help to keep you from living in a state of overwhelm and allow you to keep moving forward with your life. As you hold space for your life and the lives of those around you, remember that everyone, including you, is doing the best they can in any moment. Sometimes we are more resourced than others and so my invitation to you is to lean into compassion for yourself and for those around you. You’ve got this and I believe in you.

Life is complicated and messy and it’s very difficult to ultimately know what the outcome of any situation will be because we still don’t have the full story. Holding space for life allows us to hold the knowing of the fullness, the complexity, and that what we are currently experiencing may have an unexpected positive outcome.

Three Ways So, if life is bringing you challenging content here are three steps you can use right now to hold space for life. 1. Notice what you’re noticing. Pay attention to where you’re focusing. Just like the farmer and the stallion we don’t know if it’s going to be a good thing or a bad thing. Granted, things can feel pretty bad in the moment and this is not to dismiss that sometimes it really does suck. But what you focus on you will find more of, and it will actually start to direct your reticular activating system (the part of the brain whose job it is to mediate our overall levels of consciousness) to find more of what you don’t want and more of what’s not working. 2. Shift or expand your focus. This is really about expanding your awareness and knowing that life is much more than what you’re going through right now. This is not dismissing the challenging condition but its shifting to that both/and perspective.

Katherine Loranger specializes in helping heart-centered entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, business owners and dreamers build their dreams, accelerate their results and create richer, more fulfilling lives. She holds an M.Ed in Counselling, and is an NLP practitioner, and is certified as a life mastery consultant.

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non - profit

Mission: Through improving the lives of our children, youth and families today, we help create a resilient, healthy community for tomorrow.

At Fort Saskatchewan Families First Society, we believe we are all part of a village - all connected to and caring for one another, and we each have unique gifts to contribute. We are so grateful to be part of the Fort Saskatchewan and Sturgeon Region communities where our village members are so committed and generous in creating a village where we can all thrive and live healthy, meaningful lives. 2020 has proven to be a tough year and 2021 is not a huge improvement so far! But we have been buoyed by hope due to the compassion our community members have shown to one another. When so many of us have struggled, we still see our village digging deep to give and share even when times are difficult.

Coming In the Door When you come to Families First, you will find yourself greeted with open arms (for now, during Covid times, maybe more like exuberant elbow bumps). Any person who walks through our doors, calls, or messages us, we will spend the time to hear you, to really hear you, and find the right support, whether it’s from our team or one of our amazing community partners. We welcome families of any shape and size, even if this means you live alone. Every person is part of some kind of family and it’s up to each person to define what family means to them. We have many supports available to our village members and we have continued to provide support

safely throughout the pandemic. At this time our supports include: Family Violence Prevention Program (FVP), Steadfast Connector, Community Kitchens, WECAN, Parent Child Mother Goose (PCMG), Adult Learning Programs, and our Family Resource Network programs (Information and Referral Support Services, Parent Education, Early Childhood Development Play Programs and Home Visitation). Our FVP Coordinator, Jodi, is committed to supporting any individual who is or has experienced family violence. We are fortunate to have her role and program supported by the City of Fort Saskatchewan and the United Way. Jodi provides one on one support and facilitates empowerment groups aimed to build healthy self concepts and an understanding of how to engage in healthy relationships. Jodi also connects with partners in the community [e.g. RCMP, Victims Services, Family and Community Support Services, Salons Against Domestic Abuse (SADA)] to work on family violence awareness and prevention strategies in our community.

Connecting and Facilitating Aylisa (Steadfast Connector) lives up to her title; she is steadfast. Her role is also supported by the City of Fort Saskatchewan and United Way. Aylisa supports village members to navigate systems that can feel cumbersome, complex, or bureaucratic in order to ensure that needs are met, whatever those needs may

be. She helps break down some of the confusion that comes with complicated systems like health or income supports. She is also connected to other collaborative groups like The Bridge in Fort Saskatchewan, Building Bridges, and Poverty Awareness Fort Saskatchewan. She is an advocate for community members who are experiencing poverty and/or require support or empowerment to have their voices heard. We have so many amazing facilitators facilitating PCMG (supporting the development of language for children and relationship between child and caregiver), Community Kitchens (supporting access to healthy foods and building cooking and life skills), and Adult Learning Programs (focused on building foundation life skills such as self esteem and anger management), all of which are funded by Community Adult Learning Programs. Collectively, we make an effort to ensure we provide programming that will support the development of a healthy and resilient community for tomorrow. The nature of our Family Resource Network (FRN) is funded by the Government of Alberta. We have been fortunate enough to be partnered with BGC Fort Saskatchewan and Creating Hope Society (an Edmonton based Indigenous serving organization). Collectively, we serve families with children aged 0 – 18 years old. When you call in to Families First, you will likely speak to Jacqueline or Patti, our Community Connectors through the FRN. They will make sure that, as a caregiver, you will be supported to get the right support for you and your family.

Mental Health Through the generosity of many community and industry partners, we have also been able to continue to support village members to access mental health support through the Mental Health Fund when employee benefits or other community supports have not been viable options. The mental wellbeing of our community is a priority for us and many of our partners. If you’re wanting a place where you can feel comfortable and safe to figure out what your next steps might be, Families First is here to walk alongside you. We invite you to reach out! Jacqueline Dagneau is Executive Director for Fort Saskatchewan Families First. She is a registered social worker and a passionate advocate for contributing to environments that support healthy families and communities.

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health & wellness

SPRING CLEANING by Sharon McMullan

Spring cleaning is an age-old tradition. During the first few weeks of the Covid 19 lockdowns many people purged drawers, cupboards and closets. Some were simply bored and for others it was a way to regain control over one’s immediate environment. No matter, the catharsis was profound and widespread. I declined to do that as I was aware how the mental stress of the pandemic impacted me. Instead, I cheered as others shed what no longer served them. Besides, the clutter was quiet.

Motivation Counts I knew decluttering based on fear would not result in optimal decision making. This wisdom has served me well. Pausing to assess if a decision is hope or fear based has been a guiding principle for me. Sometimes we arrive at the same result. Are we exercising to thrive or from a desperation to survive? The treadmill doesn’t care, and the result is improved physical and mental health. It is the intention we bring to any action that matters.

Readers will recall other contributors have discussed the value of intention. Acting intentionally is key. Choosing to see the positive aspects of life is an intentional act. As is choosing health-full actions. Spring 2021 is different than last year. The worldwide efforts of medical research scientists have produced several vaccine options for us to combat this new illness. It is wonderful to see people post their “Going To Be Vaccinated Outfits” onto their social media. We are eager to celebrate the wins as we turn our gazes forward to a new normal. There is a breeze of optimism this year despite the third wave of Covid-19. Even the robins’ songs sound brighter.

Technology Tells a Story Saturday morning, I cleaned out a few cardboard boxes from the basement. It was time for a round of spring cleaning and organizing. My shiny training bike has been in an awkward place in the basement since its arrival last March. The domino effect of one thing led to another and a wee dusty box revealed a cherry red Blackberry and its faux alligator case nestled under a Trivial Pursuit game.

In the gardens, tulip leaves spear upward as the birches’ black branch tips nudge tender buds out to the sun. They are quiet as the sunrise and just as reliable. Oh, the inspiration we can draw from nature as we shed our heavy layers of winter clothing, sweep winter’s grit from our sidewalks and turn our faces toward the warm sun’s caress. Spring cleaning makes room for the new, the now and the next. May your Spring season be one of refreshed, renewed joys. Stay safe, stay strong, stay well.

The game will be fun on our next Friday Zoom gathering. Since March 2020, a group of us hang out online. We share stories of deaths, new puppies, new romances, and how soon babies will arrive. Like so many others, the screen has been our tool for connection. The term “Zoom fatigue” describes the languishing burnt out sensation many of us feel. If you are tired of the pandemic, you are not alone. The Blackberry will settle into my techno-treasures box. It can lie beside my shiny pink flip phone, floppy discs, and a document printed on a dot matrix printer. Each item will have a story attached. I want future generations to understand how technologies evolved but our need for human connection remains. Chats, telephone calls and screen times still bring us together until we truly can safely reunite. I am hopeful that once we finish “surfing these pandemic waves” our community will reconnect in a deeper way. A few years ago, I learned to surf. Yogis know it is basically Virabhadrasana 2 or Warrior 2 pose on a board skimming the ocean waves. I have a few scars to remind me of the magnitude of that challenge. It is a subtle but simple skill. Each time, I dunked and climbed back up on my surfboard to ride those predictably unpredictable waves, the thrill was worth the effort.

Sharon McMullan-Baron is an educator, yoga instructor, cancer survivor, literary and textile artist, leader and reader, wanderer and wonderer who loves to volunteer building community. She is a daughter, sister, wife, mother, nana, and friend.

Appreciation is Everywhere Yes, I miss my travels due to Covid 19, but I have grown a deeper appreciation of my homeland. As a prairie girl, I have always been fascinated by the movement of the tides. My home is Alberta with no ocean to play with, commune with, or relax beside. Instead, I direct my attention to the natural shifts, here. There is much to observe. Alberta’s wide skies and the weather they bring have a different rhythm as each season arrives. Spring’s light and the shift toward Mother Earth’s greening renews us.

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food

FLOWER POWER… THE EDIBLE KIND by

Monique MacDonald

When I was a young student attending the University of Alberta, I could barely afford to go out for dinner. My then boyfriend - now husband - took me out for a fancy meal at a little restaurant in an old house on 124 Street in Edmonton to celebrate our dating anniversary. Not wanting to order anything too expensive, I chose a summer salad. It came with a pretty pansy placed right in the middle. I took it out and left it on the side of my bread plate and proceeded to enjoy my meal. When the very proper waiter came to take our plates, he asked me if I wanted to eat my pansy. Surprised, I said that I wasn’t aware that they were edible. He informed us that in Alberta, restaurants cannot put anything that isn’t edible on your plate. Pansies, he said, are not just edible but are quite tasty. My curiosity having been piqued, I plucked out a petal and gingerly chewed it. To my great surprise, it tasted like mint! I wish I could remember the name of that long-gone restaurant and the waiter that worked there. I would have so liked to thank them for sparking my fascination with edible flowers.

Nothing Was Ever Too Pretty to Eat Flowers have been used in recipes going as far back as the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Both boiled or steamed rose petals to create rosewater drinks or to add flavour to dishes. To this day you can find rosewater used as an ingredient in many Greek and Egyptian desserts. Fast-forward a few centuries to the Victorian era. It is said that Queen Victoria’s favourite thing to nibble on were candied violets. Personally, I love anything violet flavoured but to be honest, I have tried candied violets and find that they taste like wilted grass that has been coated with crystalized sugar. Taste aside, they do look pretty on sweet confections. According to Erin Nudi, French Monks in the 1600’s used carnation petals as a main ingredient when making Chartreuse liqueur. Chartreuse is very potent. If you are thinking about giving it a taste, be forwarned, it hits hard once you stand up. I have sworn to never, ever, touch it again.

Remember the Boston Tea Party of 1773? Something had to replace all that tea they dumped in the Boston harbour. That something was Bee Balm. In some Asian countries, such as China and Japan, Chrysanthemum petals are added to soup and tea. There is nothing prettier than a “Blooming tea”. You can purchase these from any tea shop. Place them in a clear glass teapot and add some hot water. Watch as the Chrysanthemum flower slowly “blooms” in the pot. (erinnudi.com May 29, 2014)

You Can Tiptoe Through the Tulips But You Can’t Eat Them The jury is still out on whether tulips are edible or not. Some say the petals are edible but quite bland, tasting more like cucumbers or peas. The bulb can be poisonous if not prepared properly. Apparently, only certain parts of the bulb are edible while the center is not. I do not recommend trying to figure that one out on your own. I did some research on this subject and found out that in Holland during WWII, many Dutch were advised to

eat tulip bulbs and some fell ill because they ate the center. The government told every to stop eating them. In 1944, they changed their minds once more. The Office of Food Supply advised people to eat them but gave out pamphlets explaining how to cook them.

Before you decide to go ahead and eat some beautiful flowers, please be sure that they are pesticide free. Do not pick flowers on the side of the road or anywhere you are not certain that they were not sprayed with any chemicals. This could be very harmful to your health.

Nasturtiums are another edible flower that grows very Here is a list of some more edible flowers that you can well in the backyards of Alberta homes. They have a grow in your own Alberta backyard: peppery taste that pops in your mouth when you bite on the flower. The leaves and seeds are edible too. Both are Allium Chamomile a lovely addition to any salad or appetizer. You can also Garlic Honeysuckle make some tasty Nasturtium infused vinegar. Lavender Marigold Mint Roses Calendula or “poor man’s saffron,” is another peppery Sage Scarlet Runner Beans tasting flower. It gives food a saffron tint and even tastes Squash Blossoms Violas a bit like its pricier cousin. White Begonias Chive is often grown for its stems, but did you know that An alternative to growing your own edible flowers, you the flowers are edible too? Crumble the flower into a can find them organically grown and pesticide-free at salad or dip for an extra pop of colour and chive flavour. your local farmers markets.

Flowers Make Health “Scents”

Have a delicious Spring!

Edible flowers in a non-wild environment were first grown Bee Balm Tea For One ( Food.com ) in medicinal gardens. Before laboratory made pills and syrups were invented, their ancestors were elixirs and Ingredients infusions created by medicine men and women who grew tired of foraging in woods and plains for medicinal 1 Cup of water 1 tablespoon bee balm fresh edible flower (you may use plants. leaves too) Here are a few examples of blooms that we still use Honey or sugar to taste (optional) today for their health benefits. Directions In warmer climates, the Hibiscus plant is still cultivated for its gorgeous blooms. These flowers’ petals contain Bring water to a boil. Place Bee Balm in a cup (or a tea antioxidants and are used in a tea that is believed to ball and then in a cup). Pour boiling water over bee help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels. balm. Closer to home, Chamomile and Lavender infusions’ benefits have been proven. They are recommended for indigestion, stress relief and sleep aids. Lavender is also a good source of vitamin A. Violets are a super powerhouse flower containing rutin which is a bioflavodoid with Monique MacDonald is a local strong antioxidant properties. Rutin assists the body culinary events organizer and in the production of collagen and use of vitamin C. It is food afficionado. She was one of an anti-inflammatory and boosts blood vessel health. the organizers of the Gluten Free Violets also help treat respiratory ailments. They are rich Cravings Festival in Strathcona County, as well as Northern Bites in potassium, and aid heart and muscle functions. Roses Culinary Tours in Edmonton. not only smell wonderful, an infusion of rose petals or She is presently the Culinary rosehips help treat digestive and menstrual issues. Events Coordinator for Silver

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Edible Garden Grow? If you fancy growing your own edible flowers this summer, check out Salisbury Greenhouse’s website. Rob Sproule has a page dedicated to this subject. There is even a video on how to grow them in your backyard.

Skate Festival and curator of its Celebrate Edmonton bags.

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Business Feature

You Crack me up Doc! BY MONIQUE MACDONALD We each are assigned a single body to travel in for the length of our lifetime. We are told it is a temple to be cherished and tended. Mine’s pretty beaten up. It’s been neglected and put through the wringer: Pregnancies, thinking that I was fit enough for certain sports and physical activities, lifting heavy boxes and kids IN boxes, and lately, just turning over in bed. Long ago, I realized the only way to keep my body more like a “temple” and less like a backyard shed, was to include in my health program massage therapists, physiotherapists and chiropractors. They keep this Tin Man body of mine nicely oiled and running. 18 years ago, after trying to find a chiropractor that “got me”, I met Dr. Megan Harris. She had just moved to Alberta and joined a clinic in Sherwood Park. The chiropractor I had was unavailable and I was booked with Doctor Megan. I was delighted with this new doctor who listened to me attentively, and asked questions about my lifestyle and routine. She wanted to make sure that I was comfortable with her treatment plan and understood what she was going to do. She explained things step by step. Never had I met a chiropractor whose approach was centered around me and my comfort level. I was so impressed with the results of her treatments that I soon brought my young children and husband to her.

Patient-Centered Vision Come True A few years later, Dr. Megan opened up a small two room clinic in North East Edmonton. I followed her. Partnering with two other doctors to meet the growing demand of patients who were looking for a wholistic and caring approach, she created a warm and welcoming chiropractic office. Fast-forward to today, Dr. Megan’s The Chiropractic Wellness Studio has grown into a renowned practice with a team of 32 staff members. With her two partners, Dr. Sheena Clifton and Dr. Dawn Burt, they moved the clinic to a larger and brighter location to meet the needs of their patients, once again, creating a warm and welcoming space. The first time I walked in the new studio, I was struck by how much it reminded me of a spa. There are fireplaces, comfortable couches, snacks and warm drink stations. I could feel the tension leave my body and start to relax just by walking in.

Comfort – Trust – Collaboration A clinic’s atmosphere is important, but it isn’t enough. What really makes The Chiropractic Wellness Studio a great facility is its staff and their approach to patient care. They practice a collaborative team approach centered on the patient and their needs, finding the best doctor for each patient. Patients are welcome to try different doctors to see which one clicks with them. When your doctor is away, there is always someone there who can fit you in. The chiropractic team is made up of eight Doctors of Chiropractic. Their unique set of skills and personalities complement each other. They recognize that health and healing come from understanding the complex relationships between body and mind. They aim to provide the patient with an array of therapeutic services to help us feel better fast. If you are not sure about chiropractic treatment, you can request a complimentary consult appointment. Let the receptionists know what your concerns are and they will book you with someone who can best address those needs. The clinic is open seven days a week, with some early mornings and evening slots to accommodate today’s busy lifestyle.

How Does it Work? I will let Dr. Megan explain: “The Chiropractic adjustment is the most common way Doctors of Chiropractic treat painful and dysfunctional areas of the spine. Bodies are complex and respond to a variety of external stressors each day. Physical and emotional stress both play a role in decreasing how bodies function.”

Safety First! What impresses me about The Chiropractic Wellness Studio is how they have managed to keep such a relaxing environment clean and sanitized without it looking clinical and cold. They follow strict Covid sanitizing protocols and each doctor cleans their own rooms to reduce staff contact and they use Health Canada approved supplies. Staff and patient contact is also limited as they coordinate all entry and exit from the studio via texts and phone calls. All staff wear PPE

100% of the time and the reception area is separated by plexiglass. Patient safety always comes first!

What a Pain in the Neck! The first time I went to see a Chiropractor was for horrible migraines that wouldn’t go away. I suffer from Fibromyalgia and had tried a medicine cabinet full of prescriptions and over the counter ointments to get rid of them and many body aches with very limited success. A support group I belonged to recommended that I see a chiropractor. Since then, I haven’t looked back. Not only do I see Dr. Megan for my migraines, but she also treats my neck pains, TMJ (jaw and ear joint pain), back pains, feet issues, hip joints, etc. As I mentioned earlier, my body is pretty beaten up, and my chiropractor gets it back in running order. Why not try a chiropractor for your aches and pains? You’ve got nothing to lose but those same aches and pains! This business feature is paid for by the business covered in the article. For more information on having your business featured, please contact the editor at carla@sharpwomen.ca

Chiropractors have identified five key components which contribute to pain and dysfunction in our spines: 1. Abnormal movement or position of bones and joints 2. Nerve dysfunction due to pressure or irritation to surrounding nerves 3. Muscle changes such as spasm or atrophy 4. Cellular changes in the body through release of inflammatory hormones 5. Altered receptor function due to abnormal input

DR. HANNAH BRACE

DR. DAWN BURT

DR. SHEENA CLIFTON

DR. MEGAN HARRIS

DR. ANDREW LESOWAY

DR. JESSICA MARTIN

DR. JAMES RILEY

DR. KARLEE TYMCHUK

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHIROPRACTIC WELLNESS STUDIO: HTTPS://FEELBETTEREDMONTON.

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Carla Howatt carla@sharpwomen.ca

ATHLETIC APPAREL Keylime Athletic Wear Kristi Wozniak (780) 416-4662 www.keylimeathleticwear.com

COMPUTER & MOBILE REPAIR Apex Computer and Mobile Repairs Grace Wong 780-885-2333 https://apexrepairs.ca

BLINDS AND DRAPERY Custom Blinds by Design Lisette Brule 780-998-4646 www.customblindsbydesign.ca

FINANCIAL ADVISOR Sun Life Financial Glenda Smith 780-884-5203 www.sunlife.ca/glenda.smith

BUSINESS COACH Katalyst Coaching Katherine Loranger 780-720-4679 www.katalystcoaching.com

FUNERAL DIRECTOR Pine Box Funerals Inc. Bonnie Hoffman 780-910-6432 www.pineboxfunerals.ca

BUSINESS & PERSONAL SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE Jebez Assurance Angel Paton 780-691-6563 https://jabezassurance.com/

HOME INSPECTOR – RESIDENTIAL A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections Judy Schueler 780-220-3798 https://abuyerschoice.com/ftsask-sherwoodpk

CHANGE LEADERSHIP Melnyk Consultancy Ltd. Pauline Melnyk 780-417-2915 https://melnykconsultancy.com CHIROPRACTOR The Chiropractic Wellness Studio Dr. Megan Harris 587-760-2552 www.feelbetteredmonton.com COMMERCIAL CLEANING Angel’s Unique Assistance Inc (AUA Canada) Angel Paton 780-691-6563 https://auacanada.com

HOME ORGANIZING PRODUCTS Lynsay’s Totes and Bags Lynsay Atchison 780-719-0554 CHECK US OUT ONLINE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MNP Angela Sparshu 780-667-2644 www.mnp.ca LIFE, HEALTH & DISABILITY ABC Life and Living Benefits Consulting Devi McDonald 780-803-3384 devi72@telus.net

MAKEUP ARTIST Seint Beauty Laura Pryatel 780-910-4535 CHECK US OUT ONLINE

PUBLISHING By the Book Publishing Carla Howatt 780-729-3935 www.bythebookpublishing.com

MASSAGE THERAPY Academy of Reflexology & Massage Debra Cookson 780-235-3720 www.reflexacademy.ca

RESIDENTIAL REALTOR Now Real Estate Group Jodie Allen 780-906-0993 www.jodieallen.com

NON PROFIT Volunteer Strathcona Mary McGuire 780.464-4242 www.volunteerstrathcona.ca PERSONAL COACH Katalyst Coaching Katherine Loranger 780-720-4679 www.katalystcoaching.com PHARMACIST Aspen Pharmacy Janet Truong 780-400-9802 www.aspenpharmacy.org POTTERY Engaged in Hearts Deborrah Hughes-Gahr 780-410-9522 www.facebook.com/engagedinthearts PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER The Art of Declutter Fiona Beland-Quest 780-940-9366 theartofdeclutter@gmail.com PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER Glenda Sheard 780-907-9424 www.glendasheard.com PSYCHOLOGIST Evolution Psychology Brandi Gruninger 780-570-5709 www.evolutionpsychology.ca

SENIOR’S RETIREMENT RESIDENCE Chartwell Emerald Hills Therese Sheen 587-599-4623 Jennifer Hillmer 780-819-3833 www.chartwell.com SKIN CARE Tracey’s Beautycounter Tracey Hansen 780-266-5336 https://linktr.ee/TraceyHansen VIRTUAL ASSISTANT Remote ‘n Ready - Virtual Assistant Solutions Melany Branco 780-267-8612 www.remotenready.com VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS Mannatech Tanya Mullakady 403-350-6276 https://transformwithtanya.com WELLNESS SPA Namaste Wellness & Day Spa Inc. 780-467-9809 www.namastespa.ca WOMENS CLOTHING Bee Fabulous Fashions by Fashion Fushion 780-887-5592 www.beefabulousfashions.com

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