At the heart of every successful business is a story and a personal passion. Three new entrepreneurs officially launched their businesses at the Gibsons Chamber of Commerce office on May 15.
Jody Franklin, Magali Gauthier, and Violette Clark are the latest graduates of the WorkBC Self-Employment Program, delivered by the YMCA of Greater Vancouver in partnership with Open Door Group.
Driven by their passion for mental health awareness, sustainability and well-being, and bringing more magic into the world, these proud business owners have created enterprises as thoughtful as they are unique.
Franklin’s social enterprise, Borderline Action Media (BAM), is dedicated to using new media tools to educate people about mental health issues, particularly Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
Gauthier is bringing eco-landscaping to the Sunshine Coast with The Silent Green, which provides a full range of gardening services with a zero carbon footprint.
Clark’s Magical Garden Caravans offers patrons a space to dream in their own custom-built, custom-designed backyard sanctuary – no permits required.
“I want to help smash the stigma around mental illness by sharing my lived experience of Borderline Personality Disorder and my journey of recovery,” said Franklin, a Gibsons-based multimedia artist. Last year, following a successful recovery, the BAM founder decided he wanted to start working on a feature documentary film telling the story of his struggles with BPD. This form of direct engagement led Franklin to envisioning a mental health education enterprise that uses a variety of methods – video, speaking, workshops, blogs, articles, public events and publications – to share the lived experience of mental illness. Franklin is launching BAM by giving a public talk, “Borderline Personality Disorder: Smashing The Stigma,” at the Vancouver Public Library Conference Centre on Saturday, May 26 at 2 p.m.
Gauthier’s eco-landscaping business emerged out of her commitment to preserving the health of the planet and the health of her community. “The Silent Green is my way to be part of the change so we don’t end up in the world depicted in Soylent Green,” she says, referencing a 1973 sci-fi cult classic with a dystopian vision of global warming taken to its extreme. The Silent Green uses electric equipment so that customers will benefit from low noise, no fumes, and a lower carbon footprint. Gauthier’s goal is to be a zero carbon emitter and she wants to motivate clients to consider the option. “I hope I can inspire other gardeners to move on and to start eco-gardening. [The Silent Green] is my quiet revolution.”
Violette Clark firmly believes that “the world needs more magic,” and she has created the Magical Garden Caravans to bring more magic into the world starting with the Sunshine Coast. A self-confessed hippie, Clark has been an artist and creative spirit all her life. Now, she is channeling her expertise into an enterprise that provides spaces for Coast residents to “experience their passion” in purpose-built caravans on their property. Each commission will be no more than 100 square feet to meet zoning regulations, and designed to fit the customer’s hobbies, passions, or vocations. Clark says that possibilities for construction design range from “the potter’s wheelhouse, to the magical tearoom, to the musician’s studio, to whatever the imagination can conjure.”
The WorkBC Self Employment Program is part of Employment Program of British Columbia, delivered by YMCA of Greater Vancouver in partnership with Open Door Group. The 48-week program offers 75 hours of business plan development over 10 weeks. It continues with monthly support for another 38 weeks during the implementation of the business plan.
If you have a solid business idea, secure your spot today. The Self-Employment program benefits anyone who has a viable business idea and meets the eligibility criteria. The next start date is Sept. 11.
For more information, contact the WorkBC office in Gibsons (604-865-7729) or Sechelt (604-885-3351), or see www.gv.ymca.ca or www.opendoorgroup.org.
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