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Dr. Marlene Bryenton is a retired Employment and Insurance Officer who had a 36-year career with Service Canada. In 2003, she received an Honourary Doctor of Laws Degree from University of Prince Edward Island. She also received the Order of PEI in 1998. Following her retirement, she discovered the joys of writing for young audiences, with her third book set to be released this May.

We asked her to share the story of this newest adventure with us.

(photo caption: Dr. Marlene Bryenton with grandchildren Anna and James and illustrator Leanne Bowlan)

Tell us about your new career as a children’s author.

I have written three children's storybooks namely, Anna's Pink and Purple Glasses, Jaya's Magic Wheelchair and The Magic Toothbrush. Anna's and Jaya's storybooks were distributed to 3000 children in kindergarten and grade two all across the Island. We hope to launch The Magic Toothbrush in May 2021. This is thanks to businesses and charities that sponsor the storybooks. Our goal is to once again distribute the storybooks all across PEI. We have won awards including The Public Schools Branch Inspire Award, and three Purple Dragonfly Awards for Best Cover, Best Illustrations and Best Interior Design. Anna's and Jaya's storybooks also won Canada Book Awards.

What inspired you to start your business?

We started in October 2019.  I noticed Leanne Bowlan posting doodles on Facebook. I contacted her and asked if she would like to illustrate a children's storybook. I was laid up at the time requiring a hip replacement but I was able to use the computer to write.

Have you experienced any unexpected surprises since starting your business?

My biggest surprise is that I was able to write not one but three storybooks. They feature my four grandchildren: Jaya, Brynn, Anna, and James.

What have your successes been?

Writing the three storybooks and winning awards; and the fact that 3000 children have received each of my storybooks!

How has COVID-19 affected your business? Has it changed the way you operate? Taught you any important lessons?

My team includes an illustrator, an editor and a formatter. We could not meet as a team during the COVID-19 lockdown so we depended on our computers. We could not sell our books at local stores and we could not do book signings. This greatly limited our ability to sell storybooks. It is also difficult to obtain sponsors for the storybooks during COVID-19.

Other than COVID-19, what challenges has your business faced and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was securing sponsors. I gave myself more time to do this function.

Is there anything else we should know about your business?

I hope to have my storybooks in all provinces across Canada. I found a sponsor for Jaya's Magic Wheelchair in Surrey, B.C. where Jaya lives. Surrey Firefighters and B.C. Physiotherapy both sponsored storybooks for children in Jaya's school. I also found a sponsor for Katzie Elementary, Surrey, B.C. The Jays Care Foundation affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays has also sponsored my storybooks and are including Jaya’s storybook in a pilot of their Challenger Baseball Program. If it’s a success, they’ll  sponsor more storybooks.

For more information about Marlene’s books or to contact her, visit her website or her Facebook page.

If you are a current PEIBWA member and would like to submit your profile for future consideration, please fill out this simple online form!

Part-time Office Administrator

PEI Business Women’s Association is seeking a professional and qualified team player as its part-time Office Administrator to conduct day-to-day office administrative duties, assist other PEIBWA staff members, and support special projects. This position is based at the PEIBWA  Charlottetown office, 20 hours per week. Salary dependent on skills & experience.

Reporting to the Executive Director, these are the responsibilities of this position:

• Provide administrative support as needed to the Executive Director, including assistance with regular reporting to funders and to the PEIBWA Board of Directors.

• Support the accounting process as acting as a liaison between the organization and accounting services. Prepare and make all bank deposits.

• Provide financial information to the PEIBWA team accurately and in a timely fashion.

• Organize and participate in in-person or online team meetings.

• Answer phones and check email, providing information in a professional manner and/or directing inquiries to the appropriate staff members.

• Maintain and manage G Suite and other software programs as the organization’s Administrator.

• Track upcoming community events and maintain a shared community events calendar to be referenced by all PEIBWA staff.

• Maintain an effective, confidential, and accountable filing system for PEIBWA documents and records..

• Assist all staff in the planning and execution of PEIBWA events, communication, and other tasks as directed by the Executive Director..

• Assist the Business Development and Membership Officer in maintaining good communication with members using the Wild Apricot customer relationship management system. 

• Maintain the PEIBWA online lending library of resource materials and oversee the lending process to members.

• Manage the booking & use of PEIBWA rental spaces.

• Order office supplies, maintain inventory, and ensure a professional office environment.  

• Other duties as required by the Executive Director.

Formal Education/Training Required:

Office Administration training or equivalent work experience (minimum 3-5 years). Experience working with non-profit organizations, bookkeeping, and/or accounting experience would be considered an asset.

A keen interest in supporting the needs of women in business. Motivated and eager to build upon their own knowledge through continuous learning.

Excellent troubleshooting skills. A self-starter who can prioritize tasks and juggle multiple projects while meeting deadlines. Self-directed and comfortable working with minimal supervision.

Intermediate to advanced skills in MS Office, particularly Word and Excel. Able to navigate online and utilize Dropbox and GSuite. Experience with or willingness to learn and use online team collaboration tools such as Slack, Google Teams, Sharepoint, etc.

Knowledge of customer relationship management system; experience using Wild Apricot, in particular, would be an asset.

Excellent oral and written communication skills with an eye for detail. 

Get along with supervisors and co-workers; respect the leadership of the organization; work collaboratively and harmoniously as part of a team; and deal effectively with situations that involve attitudes, opinions and feelings of others.

Reliable and client-focused. 

Qualified applicants should forward an electronic resume and cover letter to PEI Business Women’s Association at office@peibwa.org with “Part-Time Office Administrator” in the subject line.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS MONDAY, MARCH 22ND, AT 5:00 P.M.

Thank you to all that apply; however, only those that are selected for an interview will be contacted.

Join us Monday, March 8th from 11:00 am - 12:00 Noon for a unique online event in celebration of International Women’s Day 2021.

Choosing to Challenge will feature guests Senator Diane Griffin and Sweta Daboo, two prominent PEI figures who have pursued careers in groundbreaking public service, each one in a different stage of her professional journey.   

These women, representing two different generations of change-makers, will discuss the similarities and disparities of their professional paths and share insights on how they believe women have succeeded or continue to struggle to obtain equality in public service.

Everyone is welcome to join this free online event, which will be moderated by PEIBWA Executive Director Margaret Magner. 

CLICK HERE to register and we look forward to seeing you there!

Respecting the modified Red-level Alert COVID-19 restrictions announced by the PEI Office of Public Health, the PEIBWA office in Charlottetown and Rural Women's Business Centre in Central Bedeque (including our co-working and Work and Study Hub space) will be closed from Monday, March 1st to Wednesday, March 3rd.

Our team will be working remotely and may be reached via email. Please refer to our website (peibwa.org/Staff) for our individual email addresses. You may also leave a voicemail message for us at 902-892-6040 (Charlottetown) and 902-887-3171 (Bedeque) and we'll return your call as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Like her name, Faith LeClair is a believer in taking chances when it comes to pursing her business goals.

When the fabric shop where she had worked for eight years closed, she was “devasted”, not only at the loss of a job she loved, but also at the prospect of being 57 and starting a new job search.

Not wanting to give up her passion for sewing and quilting and knowing from experience there was a demand for product and expertise in central and western PEI, she took the leap into self-employment, establishing Sew Blessed Quilters in the renovated garage of her home.  The business was such a success, by 2019 it had expanded into the sewing room of her house as well as the basement of the Senior Centre in Kensington, where she held sewing classes.

Up until that time, Faith had primarily used Facebook to promote her business, which sold quilting fabric and supplies, Island made quilts, quilt kits, and small textile home décor items like table runners and pillows. 

MAPS Program Helps Treetop Haven Branch Out

A seasoned traveller who's visited over forty countries across six continents, Sheila Arsenault took inspiration from those adventures to create Treetop Haven, a unique all-season wellness destination.  The Haven is open year-round. Guests stay in a collection of various-sized TreePODS, five fully-equipped geodesic domes that are built on raised decks, nestled within fifty acres of woodland in Mount Tryon, PEI.

In operation since 2017, the business had been enjoying steady growth with a particular focus as a wedding destination.  The initial COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent Public Health restrictions throughout 2020 resulted in the cancellation of many of the wedding bookings in place for the 2020 tourism season.  Realizing the impact this pattern could have on the sustainability of the business, Sheila, a solopreneur, took the opportunity to apply to the Momentum Advisory Professional Services (MAPS) program.  The program was a collaboration between PEIBWA and the Women's Entrepreneurship Strategy Fund (WES) and was supported by the Government of Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).   It was designed to provide customized and necessary supports to help participating companies pivot and adapt and to develop new ways to succeed through services, mentoring, tools, and training.

Sheila's MAPS program goals were to obtain professional help to restructure and develop the content and functionality of her website in order to pivot away from weddings and toward an expanded clientele of couples and families. 

Working with the staff at PEIBWA and TechnoMedia PEI (the company that designed the original Treetop Haven website), Sheila was able to upgrade the site with booking and payment functionality it hadn't previously offered.  The site was also updated with new photographs and content specifically targeted to attract families and couples, with a new emphasis on the cabins, trails and amenities available on-site and in the area.

Now completed, Sheila believes these rebranding and marketing efforts will have a "huge impact" on the sustainability and future success of her business. With her continued determination and focus and these new tools to strengthen the roots of her business, we look forward to hearing more about the growth of Treetop Haven in the coming year.

For more information about Treetop Haven visit: treetophaven.ca, email info@treetophaven.ca or call 902-439-0267. 

For more information about programs and services offered by PEIBWA email: office@peibwa.org or call 902-892-6040.

(photo credits: Heather Ogg)

Register to attend this panel discussion at this link.

We hope you enjoy this video greeting card on behalf of the entire PEIBWA team.

Our offices will be closed from Wednesday, December 23rd to Friday, January 1st (inclusive) and will reopen on Monday, January 4th. 

All the best for a safe and happy holiday season.  

 

As a reminder, masking and hand sanitizing is required when entering, using, and leaving PEIBWA offices in Charlottetown and Central Bedeque, including public washrooms. Masks are available for those who need them, physical distancing is required, and all visitors must sign in.

Hours of Operation

The Rural Women's Business Centre in Central Bedeque is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, operating with strict protocols regarding the wearing of masks, hand sanitization and social distancing. Workshops and events will only be taking place online, but the co-working space will be available for those needing internet access and business support. If you'd like to learn more about the Centre, its programs and services, please contact Shelley Jessop, Manager of our Rural Women's Business Centre at shelley@peibwa.org or 902-213-7902.  

PEIBWA staff in the Charlottetown Office are currently working remotely and/or by appointment in the office on a rotating basis, operating with strict protocols regarding the wearing of masks, hand sanitization and social distancing. We invite you to email us at:office@peibwa.org or to call us at 902-892-6040, and we will contact you as soon as possible to assist you.

1. What product/services does your business provide?

RESET:breathe provides online fitness classes, wellness coaching and community support via membership.

2. How long have you owned your business?

I started my business in September 2017.

3. What inspired you to start your own business?

After I had my fourth child in 2016, I knew I had to make a change in my life to accommodate my family. I joke that to make my life easier I decided to start my own business. Hahaha!  I never thought I would be a business owner until this time in my life when all of a sudden I just knew that it was time to write the next chapter of my life the way that I wanted to. I also lost a close friend to cancer several years ago and this has given me a whole new appreciation for making life count.

4. Have you experienced any unexpected surprises since starting your business?

I think the biggest thing was how emotionally connected I have become to my business. When it's your own you just care so much and sometimes it can be really difficult to separate yourself from it; it becomes a big part of your identity in a way. I never imagined that it would feel like this but I also never imagined I could love it so much.

5. How has COVID-19 affected your business? How has it changed the way you do business? What has it taught you?

Since my business was already online, I didn't need to change how I operated. I found it very challenging to work when my kids were home from school for six months so that was a different kind of challenge and I had to really try and be easy on myself. There is no guidebook for pandemics!!!! It also definitely has taught me how vulnerable we can be as entrepreneurs and no matter how strong our businesses may seem, there are things that can happen that are just not within our control.

6. What have your challenges been? How did you overcome them?

One of my biggest challenges has been that I live in rural PEI and we have very poor internet. I live-stream my classes from home every morning at 5:30 am and sometimes as I was about to start, my internet would just stop working. I joke that I'm the crazy lady that drives around with a tripod in the dark trying to find good internet connections. There was even a day I did my class in a lobby of a church!! Haha! It's been hard, but we are weeks away from getting fibre op and I could not be more excited about it. Honestly, the biggest hurdle any entrepreneur can ever face is their own mind. If you can figure that out, you can figure out any obstacle.

7. What have your successes been?

I'm really the most proud of the community I have created. They are amazing people and I feel like they are a part of my family. Four years ago I was an incredibly stressed out mom that was overwhelmed beyond imagine. I was dreaming about how I could make a living from home. Now I am, I'm really proud of that. I think as women we need to be less afraid to say what we are proud of.

8. How can people contact you?

They can visit my website at resetbreathe.com or find me on Instagram - @resetbreathe or on Facebook at RESET:breathe Fitness.