Building a Business on Island Time
When I first began my career, working in the world of Corporate IT in Calgary, I dreamed about moving to Vancouver Island one day. It would have to be after the kids moved out though, after I “retired” and no longer needed an income, because business on the Island wasn’t really a thing back then. Maybe I could open a little farm stand and make homemade preserves to bring in a bit of extra income – but certainly not enough to support our family. A stretch goal at best.
At the time, I couldn’t even imagine giving up my 6-figure salary to be an entrepreneur. It would be like having a newborn again after your kids were in high school! Why would anyone do that?
And yet, here I am! My husband Les and I have a bit of a mantra we share: no limits, no boundaries. It’s guided every big decision we’ve made — including the one to leave Calgary, buy the golf course in Medicine Hat, build businesses on Vancouver Island, and bet on ourselves. It reminds us to play a bit bigger.
Many people do retire to this little corner of paradise, and some business owners love the idea of operating on their own schedule, closing a few days a week to ski, surf or explore the Island. And it’s the perfect place to slow down and enjoy the beauty which surrounds us.
But then there are the rest of us. I work every day with intelligent, ambitious, forward-focused entrepreneurs. People building aqua- and agriculture operations that will reshape how we think about food. Tech companies solving real problems. Tourism operators redefining what “sustainable” actually means. Our region is producing some of the most innovative ideas in the country.
These business owners are fighting the stereotype that you need to live in a big city to build a successful business. They’re doing it on their own terms, and are thriving.
This is exactly why I’m excited to be a Chair with TEC Canada, and to bring these business owners together. We’ve all heard the African proverb: “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. But do we live it? Do we take the time to have discussions with other like-minded business owners who have the same values and beliefs?
Les and I accepting one of the awards for our golf business.
When we owned our golf course, it was unique. The busiest par3 course in Western Canada, maybe even all of Canada. A successful business model which was well ahead of the “growing the game of golf” phase which hit during Covid-19. I thought about replicating the model and building other locations across the country — growing a brand. I even wrote business plans and fancy slide-decks. But I’d talk myself down and continue to play small. I didn’t have connections in the venture capital world. I wasn’t sure I wanted to work that hard. I didn’t have enough experience in the golf industry, and wasn’t sure that it was really my dream anyway. All excuses. And I believed every one of them.
But imagine if I was sitting at a table with a group of like-minded peers. Business owners themselves who had similar thoughts and ideas, who were focused on personal and business growth and were forward-thinking. Leaders who had different perspectives and could challenge my assumptions, support my ideas, help me take the next step. Someone to ask the hard questions I was avoiding. That’s what I didn’t have. And it’s exactly what I am build through TEC.
It’s is why I do what I do. I am committed to serving other business owners in a way that I didn’t have access to. In a way I didn’t even know existed! Would I have been ready to commit the time, energy, and resources necessary to take the leap? Would I have been open to the feedback and insights of others? Honestly, I don’t know. But I think the better question is: would I have been willing to find out?
No limits. No boundaries. And that’s the question I pose back to you. Are you ready?