Welcome

You've heard the saying the "Jack" of all trades... and I like to say I'm the Jo of all trades. If I could sum up all of my life experiences and career opportunities that I've created for myself into a sentence, it's: I LOVE to challenge myself, learn new things, and inspire others. 

My best friends are the ones who have this same drive or passion to do whatever it is they love. I knew in my early 20s that I would not be living a full, satisfied life doing one job for the rest of my life. And that was back when people still 'usually' were in one career forever! Each time I told friends and family members that I was trying a new job or new career or new hobby, I got comments from the nay-sayers like "can't you just be satisfied with one thing?"

Uh, no. No I can't. Life would be so boring. And life isn't meant to be boring! 

I have created products and sold them online and at markets. I have imported products from overseas and sold them online and at huge trade shows. I worked 15 years in government from clerk positions to management. I have been a dog & cat groomer and owned my own very busy, successful grooming shop in Victoria BC. I have professionally photographed weddings, babies, pets, and high-speed sporting events. I have been on Boards of Directors in organizations that moved me. I have worked in banking as a mortgage specialist, in veterinary care as a vet assistant, done bookkeeping when my friend needed more hands on deck with her thriving bookkeeping business and I wanted some extra income. I have worked in dog kennels, and worked in retail stores. I have also been a rental property owner/landlord (and strongly believed in renting to tenants with pets! They are the best tenants, IMO!) 

Early on, I developed a strong belief system in intentional financial independence, as well as promoting how working at home could be a huge blessing to have a flexible schedule and family time. Even when I was in government, when I worked at home my productivity was well above 'normal' compared to my office productivity, and my co-workers said the same thing about themselves when they worked from home.

Through my life I have come to realize intentional health and wellness strategies are just as critical (for mental and physical well-being). It was hard to be motivated and successful in meeting my goals when my health was failing (Lupus slowed me down for a bit, but didn't stop me). 

Looking back to when I was first diagnosed, my priorities were unbalanced. I was focused heavily on financial independence and was ignoring my health and mental wellness. It took a lot of work to get that ship righted - including separating from a very unhealthy marital relationship - and now that I've turned my health around I also love to help others truly balance their lives with finance, health, and truly living life by intentional design.

Some of my favourite, home-based side businesses have been ones I've been doing the longest: web design (to help small businesses get up and running), resume-writing (to help people - usually women - who feel stuck find a more exciting job/career), and helping people see their potential and their business's potential. 

Some of my most rewarding moments in providing personal & business coaching to women in particular have been when I have worked with a job-seeker, written her resume for her based on things she has done in her life, and when she reads her new resume she sees herself differently for the first time. "Wow, I sound so great!" is what I hear a lot. Yes, this has happened more than once, and notably with women (who are often passed over for promotions/career moves/loans/business ownership opportunities.)

Just having a new outlook about themselves has given so many of my clients new confidence, and they've called me later saying they aced their interview and got the job, or that they've realized they really can start the business they've been dreaming about for so long! 

It's so heart-warming to me to be able to play some small part in  women getting further ahead, towards where they really want to be. They suddenly see themselves as worthy, and having value (to their family, to their organization, to themselves). They re-claim their power. This gives me goosebumps. If you'd like a worksheet on goal-setting and ideas on how to mind your money more intentionally, I've got a downloadable PDF below.

3.5 years ago Mike and I started building a vacation home that we've named "Drifter's Claim." It's on a small island in the Caribbean, off the east coast of Nicaragua. Our goal is to build one at a time and eventually have a small private vacation resort with a few rentals. It's tucked away in a jungle setting, and only about a 7-10 minute walk to a gorgeous sandy beach.

When we went down to Nicaragua in 2016 to begin building on our 2 acre plot we had purchased, it was beyond exciting. We had every intention of building quickly, staying forever, and having a thriving little resort. As our expenses grew and our modest bank account drained, it became clear we needed to come back to Canada to start earning some more money before we could finish the first house.

We returned to Canada the following year, owing money to Mike's dad for our flights home, and with literally only a suitcase. We asked a traveler friend we had met to move into our Corn Island house for free, to look after the property and our 2 dogs. 

I talk about having had rental properties and being a landlord so you may be wondering where those went - there was some equity but the properties were also mortgaged. We sold the properties, and took the relatively small amount of equity to fund our big dream in Central America.

We literally came back to Canada homeless and penniless, with zero money in the bank. In fact just before we left Corn Island we had to sell things to be able to afford our hotel room in the capital city Managua for a few few nights so that Mike could get his passport papers sorted out to fly internationally. When we got home, my mum took us in (she has a small 2 bedroom apartment) for a few months until we started getting back on our feet, with Mike driving septic trucks and me starting another self employment venture as a mortgage specialist (commission based).

Fast forward to summer 2020 and despite some trials and tribulations with more than one house-sitter, our little vacation house build is almost done, we have an amazing family living in our Caribbean home making sure projects get completed, we purchased a duplex in Ontario with my dad and step mom so that we can help each other out in all aspects of home ownership, and we have even bigger plans than we ever have before! 

We didn't win the lottery to be able to do all of this. This has been a process of step-by-step, frugal financial decision making, and spending with intention on what matters most to us. Our house in Ontario cost us less than a down payment would be in British Columbia. We didn't end up in northwestern Ontario by accident! 

I am proud that Mike and I have achieved a lot, despite dealing with day to day activities, work, major life events, and my autoimmune illness. Has it been easy? Hell, no! Will it be worth it? With conviction, absolutely yes it will be. 

The adventures we have had in this journey to build our Caribbean dream, all the things we have learned, and the people we have met, have been life changing. A few things that have happened along the way have been heartbreaking. Most have been rewarding, and all of them have made us better people. This project has made our lives so much more enriched and we can't wait to be able to say we completed it, to enjoy the fruits of our labour, and to invite friends and family to come have an aMAIZing Corn Island vacation!

My university degree program that I did was an "all-encompassing" variety of subject matter. It suits me perfectly. I took a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Royal Roads University on Vancouver Island, BC, and I loved every single course, covering topics like: business and personal marketing, human resources, finance, corporate sustainability, communication, business plan writing, business start-ups, business expansions, and project management. 

Because I also love to learn through 'formal' education as well as life experiences, I have also gone on to complete my:

• Financial Management Certificate Program (BC Comptroller General)
• Equine Science Certificate (University of Guelph, Equine Science Department)
• Aromatherapy Certification (Centre of Excellence, 150 hours)
• TEFL Certification (to teach English as a second language)