Happy International Women’s Day!

Castanet Kamloops spoke with some local female business owners and operators about their experiences starting and running businesses as women.

Oluwatobi Akinwumi opened her West African restaurant, Tobilicious, in October 2020. Even mid-pandemic, Akinwumi acknowledges the support she’s received from Kamloops residents, helping her to drive her business.

“I’m lucky to have been able to establish this kind of thing in Canada. I’ve noticed something about Canadians, they like to learn about other cultures,” Akinwumi told Castanet Kamloops.

“I feel food is a way to introduce people to one's culture. And people in Kamloops are great.”

Akinwumi said she was driven to entrepreneurship after watching her mother run a business in Nigeria.

"Growing up, I always admired my mom," she said. "I always knew that...I would like to have my own business and just be my own boss."

She said for her, the most important thing as a business owner has been cultivating a good support system.

"When starting a business you just need the right people by your side," she said. "That's what I've learned so far. And I'm really grateful."

Dawn MacKenzie has owned Seasons Health Therapies since 2005. MacKenzie and her business partner Hazel Plumbley originally bought the practice from Kelowna and moved it to Kamloops.

MacKenzie said Seasons Health focuses on helping people get past trauma, with a team of 30 employees specializing in counselling, occupational therapy, kinesiology and vocational rehabilitation, among other disciplines.

While there were challenges along the way, MacKenzie said they just kept going.

“We just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and working together very, very closely to align all of our actions and decisions with our beliefs,” explained MacKenzie.

Through all her years of business, MacKenzie is most proud of one accomplishment in particular.

“I think our greatest success was in 2019 when our employees nominated us as Best Employer in the Chamber of Commerce ‘Best Awards’,” MacKenzie said.

Although the business wasn't a finalist for that particular award, MacKenzie said she has always felt grateful for the support and encouragement from her staff.

Ladies Only Fitness has been in Kamloops for 28 years, and is now owned and operated by Delrae Kohnert.

For Kohnert, being a woman and running a ladies-only gym only makes sense.

“There’s no intimidation, no one to impress, just ladies who want to get fit. It’s become a community, and the amount of female business owners in the fitness industry in Kamloops is amazing,” said Kohnert.

“When everything happened in the [pandemic] shutdown, we all really banded together to try and figure out what we can do to help each other.”

Kohnert said she believes women supporting women is key, especially when it comes to business.

Claire McLoughlin and Katie Forsyth took it upon themselves to bring composting to Kamloops with Friendly Composting.

The two pick up food waste, clean composting bins, and even provide food from local vendors through their business as well.

“It’s all encompassing. Our composers subscribe, they get a log-in for the local product delivery. If they choose to place an order, they leave their compost bin outside with a cooler, and on their pickup day we exchange their bin with a clean one and put their food in the cooler,” Forsyth explained.

“During the initial stages of COVID, the farmers' market wasn’t really sure it was going to be running, or there was limited capacity, and people didn’t want to go to grocery stores,” added McLoughlin.

“It was really great for the suppliers and the local businesses.”

Cultivating relationships and helping to promote other local businesses is the cornerstone for Friendly Composting, according to McLoughlin and Forsyth.

Roberta Nechvatal’s experience with running Eat Clean Express & Meal Prep has similar themes.

She said she has been able to collaborate with other businesses, such as a discount she allows Planet Fitness black card members.

Nechvatal said she has grown a consistent group of regulars that continue to support her business.

“I’ve formed some really good partnerships," she said.

“It’s actually been a great experience being a business owner in Kamloops. I always knew that Kamloops was a very close knit community."