Business in Vancouver’s Forty Under 40 Awards Celebration

I’m en route to Vancouver today with my husband to attend Business in Vancouver’s Forty under 40 Awards Celebration. My parents were also supposed to be with us but a quick change to Plan B had to happen this morning with my son getting sick and my parents needing to stay home. As my mum said “life is so unpredictable with young children.”

It sounds like an amazing event; a who’s who of Vancouver business people coming together to recognize BC’s best and brightest in business. Jen Schaeffers recommends that “The 40 Under 40 Awards is one of Vancouver’s premiere networking opportunities.” Good times!

I’m absolutely honoured to be one of the forty being recognized, and in such stellar company as Val Litwin, Erin Chutter, and Andrea Baxter. I am also looking forward to connecting with one of the coolest ‘new kids on the block’ Jillian Walker and hopefully putting a face to the name Jen Schaeffers.

But what’s really on my mind is how one person is very much missing from this event. The one person that should be standing right beside me, who deserves this award just as much as I do.  That person is Shannon Ward, my business partner, my work-spouse, the person who has traveled with me through every single part of the roller-coaster entrepreneurial dream/hell of building a business (three times over)! When thinking it through, in my entrepreneurial career of almost 10 years I’ve always been recognized with Shannon, never as a single entity. I think this is the reason I am a bit uncomfortable with the spotlight only on one of us. With any great business and great business partner, the responsibility is equal and that is something that has been the key to our success from the beginning. We talked about this when we were interviewed by Momcafe on the “Secrets Behind a Successful Business Partnership” and have written about it on our site . Sadly, she can’t make it to the ceremony as she is on a 3 month surf trip to Costa Rica. Darn Pretirement.

Not only does it take a kick-butt partner, it also takes a close network of very trusted and talented people to succeed in today’s business environment and I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by such people. As I stand up to be recognized, I will be thinking of the hard-working, dedicated business people that have inspired me, taught me, mentored me: Judy Brooks, Jill Earthy, Cybele Negris, Brenda Moretto, Michelle Kelsey, Tacey Gosling, and Tara Morris to name just a few. I am a huge believer in the power of mentors in your life. If you don’t have one, please find one!

Then there is my biggest motivation, my family – including my 5 year old son who, when he saw the Okanagan Business paper in our living room that had my picture on the front page, promptly squealed “Mommy, is that you?!” I proudly said, “Yes it is,” thinking it must be very cool to see your mom appear in a newspaper. As I was waited for some profound statement to come from his little one-tooth missing mouth, he pondered. Then he said “Wow, Mommy. Hmmm. Wow. It just doesn’t look anything like you.”

There’s nothing like children to put things in perspective… and to make sure you always have a Plan B.