The power of women is strong in Collingwood.
In honour of International Women’s Day, the Collingwood Downtown Business Improvement Area has undertaken a few initiatives, including putting up Woman Behind the Business posters throughout the downtown which shares the stories of local female entrepreneurs.
About 30 Collingwood business owners participated in the project.
Mother-daughter team Paige Sillcox and Kendall Braunstein founded Pine Boutique Inc. in 2020, and are one of the businesses that opted to participate.
“We think International Women's Day offers an opportunity for people to appreciate the significance of what it means to be a woman, and to tap into a feminine energy that is creation, intuition, and compassion, which is beautiful,” said Braunstein. “Any day focused on expressing gratitude and lifting each other up is a day well-spent”
Pine Boutique Inc. sells eco-friendly and ethical products, with a focus on Canadian-made and refillable items. These include dish soaps, laundry detergents, shampoo, face cream and make-up remover.
“We noticed that we had to go to lots of different places to live more sustainably, so the idea of a store that offered sustainable products and made it easy for anyone to start being more eco-friendly was the inspiration,” said Braunstein.
While the duo says they’ve never felt they experienced any gender-based barriers through their business, dealing with the pandemic has been their main challenge, which they feel has affected everyone.
To aspiring business owners, Braunstein says she has one key piece of advice.
“Go for it,” she said. “As my mum says, do you want to wake up at 60 and not even have tried? If the answer is no, then just go for it. What do you have to lose?”
Another mother-daughter duo, Susan and Nicole Bishop, are co-owners of Bishop Botanicals and are also taking part in this year’s poster project. They opened their store in August 2018.
Nicole says she and her mother decided to start the business after Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time.
“It gave us both pause and put Susan on a mission to change her own lifestyle while also wanting to provide something for other people to benefit from as well,” said Nicole. “She went back to school at 55 and left her corporate career. It feels really special to be able to do all of this together.”
Bishop Botanicals is a line of skin, body and soul care products that are plant-based, certified cruelty-free and are made without toxic or harmful ingredients.
Nicole said she and her mom both experienced gender-based challenges in their previous careers before going into business for themselves.
“We both have so many stories we could share, but ultimately they’ve been lessons that we’ve grown from,” said Nicole. “We really feel a deep connection and kinship with the local community and are constantly inspired by how many female-identifying business owners operate and create in Collingwood. It’s an honour to witness.”
For Nicole, it’s important on International Women’s Day to reflect on privilege.
“We feel like it’s important to have a day that is devoted to reflection on our own experiences, a day that recognizes the histories of those who came before us, a day to make room for marginalized voices and to also take some time to understand the successes and plights of women currently living in other countries,” she said.
If she were to provide some advice to aspiring business owners, it’s to truly feel a passion for what you are trying to create.
“It’s important to love what you do and to also create something that you believe in, that’s really the fuel that will keep you going,” she said.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to opening or growing a business so trust yourself to navigate the road ahead,” said Nicole. “There is no shame in the hard moments – we’ve all been there – and having a community to talk to and learn from has been huge.”
Woman Behind the Business posters will be hung in business windows throughout Collingwood’s downtown from March 4 to 13.
Today (March 8) is International Women’s Day. For more information on how Collingwood is celebrating International Women’s Day, click here.
