To celebrate International Women's Day we are showcasing a few of the fantastic women-owned businesses in our community. Each business owner has shared how long they have been in business, why they started, and what has been one of the most rewarding wins in their business journey.
Michelle Roy, Two Feathers Mi'kmaq Designs
I've been in business for one year.
However I've been making and creating for 10 years now. As a Mi’kmaw woman I wanted my own business so I could offer more to our communities in regalia making and workshops for cultural arts.
Its rewarding to register and have an official business now.
Dr. Sarah Dobbin, DC, South Shore Chiropractic
I have been in business since August 2024.
I wanted to start my own business because I am passionate about helping members of my community to achieve long-term wellness and pain relief through natural, non-invasive methods. I wanted to create a space where my patients would feel cared for on a personal level, where they can receive tailored treatments that not only address their symptoms but also empower them to live healthier, more active lives. My goal is to provide an evidence-based holistic approach to healthcare, helping individuals reach their full potential in both body and mind. South Shore Chiropractic is a family-oriented practice that welcomes patients of all ages and demographics, including children and expecting mothers. I am always looking for new ways to get involved within my community and build connections with other local businesses, as I hope to create a strong local presence through my own business.
In my field of work, I am rewarded everyday by seeing my patients reaching their health goals. In such a short period of time, I have established a thriving and well-respected Chiropractic practice, delivering exceptional care and making a positive impact on my community's health. I love to see so many new and returning faces coming into the clinic every day.
Livia Davis, PLAYWEAR
I registered Playwear in December of 2019.
For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a designer, but I never felt it was a viable career path. After burning out multiple times while pursuing my career in Marine Navigation, I admitted to myself that a life at sea wasn’t right for me long-term. PLAYWEAR was born from a mix of "nothing to lose," the courage to fail as an entrepreneur, and a lifelong love of creating art with fabric and a sewing machine.
I could say my biggest win so far was Halifax Fashion Week or Paris Fashion Week, but honestly? Making it to five years in business is the real milestone for me. The stats on small businesses making it to year five aren’t great—it truly takes a village of support and encouragement, and a lot of determination.
Shelley McDermott, TwinAitch Food for Thought
We purchased this farm June 2019, business prep started right away with new breeding stock (Berkshire pigs, katahdin sheep, licensed chickens and turkeys and the odd cow). I attended my first farmers market 3 weeks before Covid hit on February 29, 2020…that was fun!
I’ve always, mostly anyway, been self employed, the business as it is today wasn’t what we started out planning but the charcuterie concept wasn’t going to pay these massive bills.
Feeding people free range meats, sausages, over to table, soups and broths makes me happy. I especially like the appreciation from those who have various food allergies such as dairy and gluten free though I also do gluten full products.
Mary MacInnis, CPA
I have been in business since 1990. My first office was in my basement but in 1998 I opened an office in downtown Chester, which has been a great place to practice.
Starting my own business was not in my plans, but finding a job that used my skills close to Chester was a challenge. Also, I wanted to avoid commuting and be flexible in my working hours.
One of the most rewarding things about my practice is working with great clients and helping them to improve their reporting. It is rewarding to watch businesses grow and succeed and have different types of businesses and entrepreneurs to work for. I am always interested in learning about new technology and working with new software tools that automate bookkeeping and save time for owners.
Valerie Hatt, Valerie's Hair Studio
I opened my business in June 1998, so it will be 27 years in June.
I started my own business because I wanted more flexibility. I had a 4-year-old at the time and I wanted to be able to take time off to do class trips, attend parent/teacher meetings, to go to Christmas concerts etc. etc. I didn't have any flexibility with my previous jobs and that was important to me.
One of the most rewarding wins I've had in my journey is having my appointment book full. I started my business with zero clients, and throughout the years I've worked hard, gave good customer service, and now I'm rewarded with a full appointment book, weeks ahead.
In 2017, Adrienne Houghton came to work with me, and is now a self-employed stylist, renting a chair from me, fully booked every day!!
We appreciate everyone that has supported us. It's a really nice feeling knowing people want to come to see us and trust us with their appearance.
Jaime Landry, Black Harbour Distillers Inc.
Black Harbour Distillers, located in Fox Point near Hubbards, Nova Scotia, was established in 2018 by founder Jaime Landry during her first year at Dalhousie University.
Jaime's inspiration to start her own distillery stemmed from a high school humanitarian trip to the Dominican Republic, where she worked in sugar cane fields and visited a rum distillery. This experience ignited her fascination with the distillation process. Coupled with her family's legacy—her grandfather was known for making moonshine, great grandfather was a rum runner out of Lunenburg —Jaime's passion for crafting spirits grew. She further developed this interest during a business management course at Dalhousie University, where she created a business plan that eventually became Black Harbour Distillers.
One of the most rewarding achievements in Jaime's business journey has been the positive reception from the community and the growth of her team. Seeing the passion her staff has for crafting unique, high-quality spirits and delivering outstanding service has been immensely gratifying for her. Additionally, the loyalty and support from customers and the local community have been significant highlights in her entrepreneurial experience.
Angela Kitching, The Village Emporium
The shop originally opened with Pat McNamee and me as partners which remained until the end of 2022. We (I) wanted a flexible job with an enjoyable environment. We (I) enjoyed the whole process of working in the previous gift shop together and thought..yeah..we can do this!
One of the most rewarding wins has really been finding myself in this business environment and knowing I AM winning at it! Finding the confidence and using it to own a business and people really do like what I am doing! It is not something I ever imagined prior to 2006 and here it is over 18yrs later and I am still loving it.
Jacqui Hiltz, Gray Gables B&B
I reopened Gray Gables Bed & Breakfast in Chester because It was a business established in 1994 and when I purchased the property in 2010 I had been a personal business owner for most of my life. This was a fantastic opportunity to take what was built and try and make it my own and better. I’ve enjoyed working with the community and making the B&B not only a place for visitors to relax and experience Chester but continuing my personal growth as an entrepreneur and a woman in business.
In the fourteen years of owning and running my Bed & Breakfast, the most rewarding things have been watching the business grow, improving the guests experience but most of all just meeting such wonderful people from so many countries all around the world. I learn so much everyday from my guests and all their fantastic stories and life experiences from their home country are not only rewarding to hear but something I look forward to everyday.
Patricia Thomas, The Book Shed & WindyWood Publishing
The bookstore was a childhood dream.
After a 30-year career in educational literacy and special needs, and several editing courses, I chose to edit professionally and eventually to publish books by local authors. WindyWood Publishing was opened in 2006 and has been a full-time job for me since.
I work at home as an editor and publisher and wanted a bookstore, right beside my home. I’d been selling books at several local summer markets and travelled extensively throughout NS to distribute WWP books as far away as Sydney, NS. I was finding the miles long and looked for better use of my time.
Through the bookstore, I sell most genres of book, as well as those published by WWP, and the tiny space is also a comfortable place to write and edit and do book layout when business is quiet.
My wins:
The culmination: Seeing my tiny bookstore (10 x 18 feet), filled to the brim with more than 700 NS titles.
Working in my own community. Doing what I love close to home.
Chatting with people – locals and tourists – who drop by to browse, along with Nova Scotia authors who drop off their books. Interesting people who drop in to chat or browse or suggest NS titles or resources.
Seeing the tremendous community support: AHT and other locals stepped up to offer technical, logistical, and marketing support/ideas.
Publication of my own book Raven: Get a Grip and awards received for writing and publishing it.
Pam Stevenson, Pam Stevenson Jewellery & Collectables
Small businesses are the backbone of any economy. It was important for me to add my creative voice to Nova Scotia's already thriving artistic community, but making jewellery is a solitary process so opening my shop in Martins Point as well as attending markets throughout NS provides a balance for my creative process.
Opening my shop in 2020 allowed me to engage with new friends and colleagues in my new "forever" home.
There are many rewards associated with owning a business - and challenges too. Overcoming those challenges is, perhaps, the most rewarding part of my life. It is also extremely uplifting to see my jewellery being enjoyed by a wide variety of friends - new and old - all over the world.
Jacqueline & Kim, Coastal Charcuterie
My grandmother and I started Coastal Charcuterie in November 2022.
My grandmother and I have been working together for as long as I can remember, always creating and crafting. I joined her working at a local spot in Chester. There, we spent a lot of time cooking and catering, specifically, grazing tables. We loved creating them so much that we thought—why not take this and turn it into something of our own? After years of working together in different ways, starting Coastal Charcuterie just made sense.
The most rewarding part of this journey has been the connections we’ve built within our community. Catering is about more than just food—we’re lucky to be a small part of some of the biggest moments in people’s lives. Whether it’s weddings and graduations or more difficult times like funerals, we’ve had the opportunity to support and connect with people in our community in such a meaningful way. My grandmother and I have always made it a priority to bring a little joy and positivity to our customers—whether that’s through in-person interactions or our lighthearted social media posts.
Deneen Belliveau, Something Wild Strategy
After spending 10 years leading Chambers of Commerce in Alberta and the Northwest Territories, I moved back home to pursue entrepreneurship. I launched my association management business so I could work with non-profit organizations across Canada to strengthen their operations, governance, and strategic planning.
My win, I received the Canadian Society of Association Executives’ 2024 Young Leader Award.
Megan Archer, Aflame Creations Jewelry Inc
I've always been creative, taking music and art classes in my youth. After many adventurous years of world travels, I moved back to Halifax in 2009. I took evening jewelry classes for fun and to meet other creative folks. In 2011 I tried some local markets, and the rest is history! Well not quite, it was a lot of hard work but I realized I was much happier and healthier working for myself. I adore learning and I never lasted long in traditional workplaces. The responsibilities of running my own business keep me engaged, and there are always new challenges!
Lynda Flinn, The Kiwi Cafe
The cafe has been open since 2004. Prior to that I had a catering business here in Chester. The cafe , so close to my home was for sale so it seemed like a good progression to expand.
The most rewarding part is to see how the cafe has become an integral part of the community, a place where we provide employment for many and also have such a wonderful relationship with our customers.
Janet Larder, All Is New Again Frenchy's
I was born and raised in New Ross and attended New Ross Consolidated school, then on to Kingstec, where I graduated with a diploma as a lab tech. After receiving my Kingstec diploma, I was hired by National Sea Products as a quality control technician at their Lunenburg facility. I stayed on my career path with National Sea for 11 years. Yet, despite having job security, benefits, and a solid future with the company, I wanted something more. This idea stemmed from my desire to contribute more to the community and be part of something more meaningful.
In 1989, I took a leap of faith and purchased the Highwayman Restaurant in New Ross. In my high school years, I worked for the business during summer breaks, but I had no real business experience—only a desire to do more. The restaurant industry demands long hours, operates on small margins, and requires hard work and determination. I was fortunate to have a great staff and a loyal customer base, along with my own personal drive to maintain high standards. Some of the most impactful standards were the simplest ones, like being efficient, paying attention to detail, offering friendly service, and showing appreciation for the customers who chose to come.
My restaurant saga ended with the birth of my two children, and while the restaurant business is demanding, it takes second place to motherhood. Yet, I never lost the desire to contribute. Over the last 35 years, I have been involved in several businesses and still look forward to the challenges that come with them. Currently, I own and operate All is New Again – Frenchy's, a women's used clothing boutique. We carefully curate the clothing and accessories we display, and I’m proud to say that, by running this business, I have been able to support my community through fundraisers, fashion shows, and clothing donations to those in need.
Although being self-employed requires a huge amount of time and energy, doing something you love brings its own rewards. Self-employment has allowed me to immerse myself in my community and freely give my time to volunteer groups and projects that have brought positive change. This volunteer work not only brought joy to me but also supported local businesses by drawing attention to our charming community.
For business owners, education continues throughout our careers, and mine certainly didn’t end with my diploma from Kingstec. I have always sought to further my knowledge in the fields I was involved in, obtaining a diploma in tourism and hospitality, completing numerous accounting courses, studying social media marketing, and even earning my esthetician certificate. I cannot overstate the importance of creating a workplace culture that makes your staff want to thrive and contribute. I would never have been successful without the support of the wonderful people who worked by my side throughout my career.
I hope my story conveys the message that owning a business can be a powerful path to self-discovery and personal growth. Don’t be afraid to chase your dreams, listen to your heart, and turn your vision into reality.
Elaine Lourdes, Wild Salt Architecture
Nancy Rhodenizer, Seaweed Soap Co
I started making soap for my own health (thyroid) issues and fell in love with the way it made my skin feel. I gave it to others and they loved it as well and told me I should be selling it, lol.
My most rewarding win is talking to people and hearing how my soaps help them.
Alisha Savary & April Gratto, The Savary Plate/Smoke and Slate Catering /The Gratto
We have always wanted to share our passion for food and community, while volunteering was a great way to do so, we also needed a way to make ends meet and this was a perfect way.
One of the most rewarding wins has been the connections we have been able to make with people.
In particular our local senior patrons. We have built a safe and welcoming environment for them.
It is a dependable place for patrons to meet, dine and socialize, where they are respected and heard.