I introduce to you Naomi Nice, Realtor at day DJ at night!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I started this blog I immediately thought of writing about the cool people I have met so far, who own a business or offer a service in the island, so I thought I should give Naomi a call and ask her if she wanted to be featured in Going Local and she said yes! and why Naomi? well, because she is what I like to call a super woman with an alter ego, she is Naomi Nice DFH realtor at day and DJ Naomi Nice at night, how cool is that?

She first fell in love with music at the age of 11, and her DJ adventure started one new years eve, when her dad fell asleep when he was supposed to be changing records at their party, so Naomi took over until there was nobody else awake. Then she discovered how much she loved music and after some years went by, she met people in the music business that opened her eyes to the idea of becoming a DJ, and so she did! Vinyl was her first choice and started playing lounge music for about 8 years, and then ventured into the club scene.

Her most memorable experience was when she played at El Molino in Spain, the town where they were hosting the running of the bulls. She also worked as a DJ in London and then came back to Canada. In 2010 she decided to start working as a realtor in Victoria, and she is now a fully licensed real estate agent, and she loves what she does!

What is great about her is that she is passionate about both her jobs and she always has a smile to share with you. This past weekend she was the DJ at a 47th wedding anniversary and played only music from the 70’s and The Beatles, even though that’s not what she usually plays, she was happy to do something different. To be a good DJ you have to be able to be flexible and play the music the client wants, Naomi said, she also mentioned that her favorite DJ gigs are the outdoor festivals.

If you are trying to figure out if there is a possible connection between her two jobs, there is actually one, she is usually the DJ at her clients’ house warming parties!

She is a regular DJ every Saturday at the Station House Pub in Langford, in case you want to have a great time and dance the night away to her fabulous music.

For more on Naomi Nice check out her website:

http://www.naominice.com/

Speedy Gopher, the best way to get a job done

Kim and Tyler started this business so they are able to have the freedom they want doing what they love, which sounds to me like the perfect way to work and have a happy life. Tyler has his own renovation business, and after a while he noticed how there are many little jobs that come with the trades and there are so many people that want the freedom to do those odd jobs, so Speedy Gopher came along to connected them with great opportunities. Kim became a part of this idea as well wanting a change from her previous job, and now she is devoted full time to this project, working on public relations, marketing and administration.

Speedy gopher is a great option to consider whenever we have any job to do that we can’t manage or just to give a hand every now and then.You can find anything from editors, cooks, party planners and more, it is a fun way to connect with great people and get jobs done. Kim has done many jobs like be the bartender for a wedding, walk dogs, house sitter and even go pick up a pie and deliver it from Victoria to Duncan and back.

After meeting Kim I knew that she had to be involved in something else and I was right, besides of being a proud business owner she is a talented artist, also she is a part of the board of directors for the Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria and she is involved in Toastmasters for practice public speaking

Make sure to check out both websites, Kim’s and speedy gopher’s and have the info close by, so anytime you are wondering who to call to come paint your room, bake you a cake or even pick up some groceries, they can do it all.

https://speedygopher.com/

http://www.kimnewns.ca/Kim_Newns/WELCOME_1.html

Migration boutique, the must stop at the Bay Centre

During one of my visits to the Bay Centre I saw this sign outside a store that said “local designers/artisans/fair trade”,  naturally I went inside and even bought a little something for one of my good friends for her birthday. This Boutique is such a special place, because they have one-of-a-kind, handcrafted pieces from local artists in Victoria and Vancouver, and also Fair trade products from places like Thailand and Africa.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Sara, the owner and the one in charge of the fair trade aspect of the boutique, and she told me a few interesting things about how this all started. It all became true when she combined her passion for design and travel, and created this unique pop up boutique.  All the items at Migration, originally called Lotus,  are made by local designers Sara has met over the years,  as well as artists she had met during her trips abroad,  wanting to incorporate them in the Canadian market.

In the near future the boutique is going to have a new look and Sara is also looking into bringing more designers to Migration,  also she might expand to Vancouver, where she will continue to sell fantastic pieces from local designers and fair trade.

I was pleased to learn that Migration goes above and beyond when it comes to customer service, they can attend specific needs like a custom or special orders and when you visit the store, Sara and her team are very involved in the lines they carry.  For them it is all about having these one-of-a-kind pieces and being involved in the designers’ success.

The next time you go to the Bay Centre in downtown Victoria, stop by and check out this amazing boutique. Right now they have a promotion on Facebook, by clicking “like” on their page you can participate to win a $50 gift card, so what are you waiting for? share this with your friends to get a chance to own something unique!

https://www.facebook.com/migrationboutique

http://www.migrationboutique.com/

My new favourite breakfast, Peace Lovin’ Granola

Last Thursday I went to the Sidney street market, where I met a nice group of local business owners, and amongst them were Trevor and Ryan Lainchbury, the founders of Peace Lovin’ Granola. I got a package of their Maple Pecan granola so I could write this post with some knowledge and satisfy my taste buds. It felt right to try it on a Sunday morning and also the same day I chatted with them, so I could give them some feedback about their product. My feedback…well it was delicious!

To honor the purpose of this blog, I am going to tell you some interesting information that Trevor and Ryan kindly shared with me. We talked about how it all started, their forecast for the business, and of course their excellent product.

Inspiration can come from different places, but for them it came from a trip to New Zealand, where they said they eat granola regularly, and after some time being back home,  while having dinner with their family, they talked about starting their own granola making company, which according to them came out kind of as a joke, but look where that took them.  Their magic trick comes from their grandma, who gave them the recipe to experiment in the process.

At first they started selling the product in the summer,keeping them busy during their school brake, then started going door by door into stores offering their product. Ryan said they got picked up fast and that stores were really supportive. For them this has been a trial and error learning process, learning how to price out the granola, package it, and the invoicing. Their first year they call it their “Pilot year” and now they are on to the launching year, selling in street markets, retail stores and online.

For the future, Trevor and Ryan want to explore the option of selling their product in some of the local festivals, they are looking into that for next year. They are also looking into selling in Salt Spring Island and even the lower mainland, but for the near future we will be able to buy Peace Lovin’ Granola at the Red Barns in the island and hopefully other supermarkets.

What makes this granola unique? well as Trevor mentioned in a few simple words, it is fresh! they don’t have a mass production of the product and they bake it three times a week, to guarantee a fresh product. This granola has only natural ingredients and it is really important for them to pick the best ingredients, spending sometimes 3 or 4 months sourcing them, so the final product can be excellent. The flavours are a product of their own experiments and their customers suggestions.

I can’t wait to try a different kind and get more of the maple pecan I loved so much, it is one of those things in your pantry that you don’t want to run out of. For more information about this fantastic granola and where to get it, visit their website:

http://www.peacelovingranola.ca/

Photos courtesy of Ryan and Tyler

                                 

Better late than never, my first visit to The Roost

After passing by it many times for over a year, I finally went inside this cute farm bakery and bistro and met with the general manager John DesBiens, who gave me a full tour and told me a lot about this corky place, as he calls it.

As soon as I walked in and met John, I knew this was going to be a great start of my day, I got a complementary coffee and pastry on the house, which I really enjoyed.  We sat down with our coffees and he started to tell me all the ins and outs of The Roost, from what happens on a daily basis,  to interesting experiences and exciting projects.

The Roost is the kind of place where they can host any event you want to throw. They can cater birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. They have 10 acres of land where you can  find,  a winery,  the bakery, bistro, farm and even a secret garden. They are proud to be a sustainable farm that grows non GMO produce and is also involved in the community. It is located approximately 5 minutes away from the Victoria International Airport (YYJ) and 15 minutes from the ferry terminal.

John is very knowledgeable of what goes on at The Roost and hands on pretty much in everything, he takes care of the training staff, cooking, planning weddings and supervising the bookkeeping. He mentioned that it is very important to them to have a staff that cares about the farm and loves what they do, it is the kind of place where experience can be triumphed by excitement and positive attitude towards their daily tasks. He told me that he makes sure he gets to know his customers on a more personal level and has a great time doing it.

I asked John about a crazy or interesting experience so far, and he said that wedding planning always comes with its challenges, like dealing with brides and mothers of the bride.  He is currently planning a wedding where he is dealing mostly with the groom, which is a bit odd.  Also, he mentioned about this time he was planning a bat mitzvah and the client was from Russia, which made it interesting in terms of communication.

As for any big project in the future, The Roost is on the pre-production stage of building a castle on the property. This castle will be around 14.000 square feet, with 65 seat indoor restaurant and an outdoor area for 65 seats as well, offering an additional space to host special events.

There are many other great things to tell about  this place, but it would probably be better for you guys to discover them on your own. I hope you go visit John soon and tell them you read this story on Going Local!

A Passionate Farm Experience