Entrepreneurship is a journey that teaches you the highs and lows of life. Every entrepreneur has an inspiring story that tells us about the discovery of their passion, the destiny that drove them to it, and the constant hard work that made it look like an effortless deal.
Here are three Canadian entrepreneurs whose inspiring stories narrate their journey to reaching their goals.
Sheena Brady
Sheena Brady’s first job was managing a convenience store and operating a boat gas station in Summerstown, Ontario. Her love for researching, developing, and creating products aligned with her everyday values led her to entrepreneurship. As a passionate problem solver who thrived on change and ambiguity, the unpredictability of business was the perfect place for her.
She started her career in hospitality, where she wanted to build something big. Her ambition demanded long hours, sleepless nights, unwavering self-determination, and much more. Working in a fast-paced and unpredictable environment, she consumed several cups of coffee daily, leading to anxiety, poor sleep, and digestive challenges.
Not going to give up on her dream and wanting to reach her full potential to turn her dream into reality, Sheena decided to bring solutions to how she cared for herself. The decision introduced her to tea and its benefits: rooibos for sleep, maté for energy, botanicals like moringa to calm the nerves, matcha to boost antioxidants to keep colds at bay, etc.
When she found positive results, she shared her experiences and decided to formulate her own blends. Her mixes were created with herbs and other components that further enhanced the effects of the original blend. Her interest in tea production and plant science led her to become a certified tea sommelier. She wanted to share the tools that helped her reach her full potential and offer every woman the support to lead their ultimate life.
Sheena Brady founded Tease, believing that wellness rituals shouldn’t be complicated. The natural teas and botanical-based products complement each other and your objectives without sacrificing convenience, sustainability, or impact. For more information, visit https://teasewellness.com/.
Praise Okwumabua
Praise Okwumabua has been cutting hair for over 20 years and has made a name for herself in the hairdressing industry through her trials and tribulations. She has vast experience as a mother, wife, full-time student, business owner, and so much more.
Praise’s passion for cutting hair began at a young age as she gave haircuts to the barbie doll that her parents bought her. Eventually, when she decided to take it up as a career, her Nigerian parents had negative views of it as they were used to seeing hair braiders in the markets of their native country. But their perception changed when they visited the high-end salon where Praise worked for ten years.
After working in a salon for years, Praise decided to materialize her dream of starting her own place. Hence, she founded Freshair Boutique, an upscale eco-conscious hair salon in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that takes environmental initiatives seriously.
Freshair Boutique is a hair salon with eco-consciousness. Their main objective is to make their clients feel and look their best while causing as little harm to the environment and themselves as possible. They are a certified green business and have collaborated with Green Circle Salons, allowing them to recycle a significant portion of the waste generated during customer service.
Before the pandemic, Okwumabua began online sales so that, even when her brick-and-mortar store shut down, the online platform gave Freshair consistent sales growth, recording $7,000 in digital purchases.
Freshair Boutique also makes efforts to talk about diversity in hair schools and salons worldwide. The team is pursuing ideas on how to break down “normal” industry standards and is working on a new concept of education to create excellent results. To learn more, visit https://www.freshairboutique.ca/.
Kendal Netmaker
Kendal Netmaker hails from the Sweetgrass First Nation, where he and his siblings were raised by their mother. He grew up on the reserve, surrounded by poverty and a life of hardships with few opportunities.
The turning point in his life happened when, in elementary school, his South African friends realized that Kendal was skilled in soccer but did not have the means to pursue his talent. The friend and his family supported Kendal through financial aid that allowed him to be part of many sports teams and continue with his education. In addition, their constant help and support helped Kendal and his sisters become involved in sports that carried them through high school and university.
Today, Kendal Netmaker is an accomplished keynote speaker, author, and award-winning entrepreneur. He is on a mission to inspire and uplift people worldwide with his message that you can bring about change no matter your background or the difficulties you face.
His powerful stories leave an impression on listeners, and he gives professional speeches to thousands of people about leadership, resilience, and the value of telling your story.
Kendal is an established businessman who has founded and invested in five companies. One of these is Neechie Gear, a lifestyle apparel company that donates a portion of their earnings to help underprivileged youth play sports.
He is the author of “Driven to Succeed” and the recipient of more than 25 business honors, such as being named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and runner-up at the YBI Global Entrepreneur of the Year.
Kendal continues to run his business while residing in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with his wife and two children. He delivers keynotes and provides Indigenous Consulting services to organizations. For more information, visit https://kendalnetmaker.com/.
Entrepreneurship is a journey of constant perseverance: learning from all points of success and failure, seizing opportunities to grow your business, and succeeding while giving back to the community. Small businesses must take inspiration from fellow entrepreneurs who have carved a path and place for themselves in the industry to incorporate the principles and values that best suit their business.
Reading about the entrepreneurial journey of business owners gives you the insights you need to go about your own business operations. To read more about these entrepreneurial stories, subscribe to CanadianSME Small Business Magazine https://lnkd.in/dbqmSKN. For the latest updates, visit our Twitter page at @canadian_sme.
