By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: May 5, 2012
There are dreamers and doers in Nova Scotia, and one of that land’s successful doers came to Squamish on Wed, May 2.
Social Entrepreneur and best-selling author Barb Stegeman joined Vancouver Economic Commission CAO Lee Malleau at the Brackendale Art Gallery to discuss entrepreneurship and what communities can do to promote it.
Barb Stegeman’s life is a slide-show illustration on overcoming adversity and achieving seemingly impossible dreams.
Barb was raised by a single mom on welfare in rural Nova Scotia and she was born with a hearing impairment.
She worked her way out of poverty through education, getting a degree in sociology and journalism.
She has had tremendous success since she launched in 2010 the 7 Virtues Beauty Inc., a company that produces perfumes.
But 7 Virtues Beauty isn’t just any perfume manufacturer.
One of the components in the perfume is the oil sourced from Afghanistan. Stegeman visited the war-torn country when her close friend was wounded there.
There she met Abdullah Arsala, owner of a distillery in Jalalabad who was trying to create legal crops of orange blossom and rose instead of the poppy crop that accounts for 90 per cent of the world’s heroin supply.
Stegeman made a $2,000 purchase of orange oil and used it to make a small run of fragrance to sell in a few stores.
Her successful pitch on Dragon’s Den helped her won a $75,000 deal.
The company has now invested over $70 000 in purchases of essential oils in Afghanistan, giving farmers the chance to choose orange oil over poppies.
“Not everyone is going to like it, but if you have a crazy idea, just do it,” she told the captive audience at the Brackendale Art Gallery on Wednesday.
She also regaled and inspired the audience of 40 people with stories of cold calling national chains like the Bay, and sending her perfume to President Hamid Karzai.
“I think we need to have more trade with other people and we need to help and do good in the world,” she said.
Lee Malleau, who also worked for Squamish as EDO, said the community and the local governments must support entrepreneurs, who are the backbone of the provincial economy.
BC Economy is made up of small businesses with an average of four people working at any one business, she added.
She also said economic development is a ‘practical discipline’, and it can’t be carried out from the mayor’s office.
She highlighted some of the innovative ideas Vancouver has implemented to attract talent to the city.
The evening was anchored by Patricia Heintzman and Susan Chapelle.
Don Patrick says
Sure be helpful to hear some news regarding the cost free Adventure Centre…. what was the reason for the disappearance of those major sponsors when it came to payday ? or were the Squamish folks just led down the garden path by another dreamer with entrepreneureal ideas’, but lacking real world experience ?
Larry Murray says
It must have been a great evening at the BAG and I missed it! Lee continues to generate excellence in her approach to Economic Development which she sure demonstrated that in the early excitement at SODC. We miss her energy, insights and humour! Good on Patricia and Susan for hosting this event – Squamish needs more of this type of motivation.