Supporting Staff for Success

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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Canada's Podcast.
[00:05] SPEAKER_00: Hello, this is Cynthia Lockery with Canada's podcast,
[00:10] SPEAKER_00: where we talk to entrepreneurs who are making things happen right here in British Columbia.
[00:16] SPEAKER_00: Today, our guest is Tammy Hunter.
[00:20] SPEAKER_00: Tammy was raised on Vancouver Island and lives in the NIMO.
[00:24] SPEAKER_00: After exploring a few careers,
[00:26] SPEAKER_00: she discovered later in life that being an entrepreneur was most rewarding and engaging.
[00:34] SPEAKER_00: Tammy started legart of the capital in 2014.
[00:38] SPEAKER_00: The company has grown from the original box of a hundred pairs of leggings
[00:43] SPEAKER_00: in the basement to over 4,000 pieces of inventory
[00:48] SPEAKER_00: in a large warehouse and storefront in NIMO.
[00:52] SPEAKER_00: Welcome Tammy to Canada's Podcast.
[00:55] SPEAKER_00: I so appreciate you taking the time to share your entrepreneur journey with our listeners.
[01:02] SPEAKER_00: So why don't you tell us a little bit more about yourself and your current business?
[01:08] SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Cynthia. It's nice to see you.
[01:10] SPEAKER_01: It's a beautiful sunny day here in NIMO and that's always a bonus for us.
[01:16] SPEAKER_01: Well, my journey into business.
[01:19] SPEAKER_01: I did have a budding art career before I took on
[01:24] SPEAKER_01: the legart.
[01:26] SPEAKER_01: So I knew a little bit about business and entrepreneurship.
[01:30] SPEAKER_01: It's something I say now.
[01:32] SPEAKER_01: It's like, wish I had been an entrepreneur when I was younger.
[01:34] SPEAKER_01: I just love where I'm at and I love the journey that has gotten me here.
[01:40] SPEAKER_01: And now we just started with a hundred pairs of leggings in the basement.
[01:44] SPEAKER_01: Myself, my daughter and mom, my daughter and the business grew.
[01:48] SPEAKER_01: And I eventually took over the business and put my job that I had currently.
[01:53] SPEAKER_01: With the financial government.
[01:55] SPEAKER_01: And just drove into a head first and got into the meat and bones of business.
[02:01] SPEAKER_01: And it's been lots of ups and downs.
[02:05] SPEAKER_01: But yeah, it's all been good though.
[02:07] SPEAKER_01: It's been a really interesting, good time.
[02:11] SPEAKER_00: I just find that so fascinating that introduction of went from a hundred pairs in your basement
[02:17] SPEAKER_00: to four thousand pieces.
[02:21] SPEAKER_01: More than that actually, we've got four thousand skews.
[02:25] SPEAKER_01: So we've got, yeah, a bit more than four thousand.
[02:29] SPEAKER_01: But yeah.
[02:31] SPEAKER_00: So what inspired you to make this shift this new journey?
[02:39] SPEAKER_01: I think traditionally I've been in careers where I'm working for somebody else.
[02:46] SPEAKER_01: And there's a certain order to the way things need to be done.
[02:50] SPEAKER_01: Of course, because to run a good business, it needs to be done.
[02:54] SPEAKER_01: But I found the challenge of being a business person,
[02:58] SPEAKER_01: really picked my interest in terms of how to be a good business person.
[03:04] SPEAKER_01: How to set up a website, how to set up inventory and everything else.
[03:10] SPEAKER_01: And the whole process of that journey started early on in the business
[03:18] SPEAKER_01: with myself building the website.
[03:22] SPEAKER_01: So which I'd never done before, rather than refine a little art website.
[03:26] SPEAKER_01: So I think it just really picked my interest.
[03:32] SPEAKER_01: And I found it really exciting and rewarding.
[03:38] SPEAKER_01: With all the things that come with the business, all the good things that come with the business,
[03:43] SPEAKER_01: really made me feel great.
[03:47] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[03:48] SPEAKER_00: And I just love how you created this yourself.
[03:52] SPEAKER_00: And in terms of starting your company,
[03:55] SPEAKER_00: did you need financing at the beginning?
[03:58] SPEAKER_00: How did you evolve?
[04:01] SPEAKER_01: Well, we started with like I said, a few personal leggings.
[04:05] SPEAKER_01: And we went to home parties.
[04:08] SPEAKER_01: We attended events like exhibitions or abstract shows,
[04:13] SPEAKER_01: past fairs, anything that would allow us to get out into the community to show off our leggings
[04:19] SPEAKER_01: and our other products.
[04:21] SPEAKER_01: But predominantly in the beginning, it was just leggings.
[04:26] SPEAKER_01: And we just kept reinvesting every penny we got back into the business.
[04:31] SPEAKER_01: And through expanded our inventory every month, we were ordering new products.
[04:37] SPEAKER_01: And then we started online.
[04:42] SPEAKER_01: And just kept reinvesting everything we had into the business, paying ourselves a little bit,
[04:47] SPEAKER_01: but not much.
[04:48] SPEAKER_01: Mm-hmm.
[04:49] SPEAKER_01: We were pretty proud in the beginning.
[04:52] SPEAKER_00: And so is there a piece of knowledge or information about your industry that would be of interest
[04:59] SPEAKER_00: or benefit our listeners?
[05:03] SPEAKER_01: Oh.
[05:06] SPEAKER_01: Well, I would have to say to do your research.
[05:10] SPEAKER_01: Find out where you can source your products to big-den with.
[05:17] SPEAKER_01: And yeah, get your ducks in a row before you start.
[05:20] SPEAKER_01: We didn't have ducks in a row, so we were good at our math in the beginning.
[05:25] SPEAKER_01: But, um, and how about plan?
[05:27] SPEAKER_01: You really need to have a plan to execute, to make sure everything goes right.
[05:34] SPEAKER_00: So what are you most proud of in terms of the work that you do?
[05:38] SPEAKER_01: I think that's the people.
[05:42] SPEAKER_01: We have at any given time up to eight employees working for the business.
[05:50] SPEAKER_01: And over 200 independent distributors across the country, that sell our products.
[05:57] SPEAKER_01: And we also have retail locations that sell our products.
[06:01] SPEAKER_01: So we do, we have a wholesale.
[06:03] SPEAKER_01: But I think that communicating with people and seeing how their business is
[06:08] SPEAKER_01: are evolving because essentially when they purchase from us,
[06:11] SPEAKER_01: they're distributed, they're starting their own business.
[06:15] SPEAKER_01: They're using our program and all the benefits.
[06:23] SPEAKER_01: Everything that goes along with it.
[06:25] SPEAKER_01: So it's really cool to see how they've grown.
[06:28] SPEAKER_00: And I suspect you're supporting a lot of women.
[06:31] SPEAKER_01: Oh, yes, all women.
[06:35] SPEAKER_01: The only, the only man in the organization is my husband who's
[06:39] SPEAKER_01: shareholder and not say up.
[06:40] SPEAKER_01: And he has really no input.
[06:42] SPEAKER_01: He just tells me to go to work and mix my breakfast, slur me and off.
[06:45] SPEAKER_01: I go and practice a lot.
[06:47] SPEAKER_00: I love it.
[06:49] SPEAKER_00: And in terms of being based in BC, what do you see is the biggest benefit of being an entrepreneur
[06:56] SPEAKER_00: in BC?
[07:01] SPEAKER_01: Oh, I think there's just a fairly relaxed environment to live in,
[07:09] SPEAKER_01: especially in Onvank River Island in the Nimo where I'm not.
[07:13] SPEAKER_01: Everything is, you know, runs at a really cool pace.
[07:18] SPEAKER_01: And it doesn't seem like anybody's really crunched for time to do anything.
[07:23] SPEAKER_01: Of course, we've all got our schedules.
[07:24] SPEAKER_01: We have to keep.
[07:25] SPEAKER_01: And I'm sure there are some businesses.
[07:26] SPEAKER_01: But don't feel that way.
[07:28] SPEAKER_01: But, um, I don't know.
[07:32] SPEAKER_01: It's just, it seems like there's a lot of support in terms of community groups from
[07:38] SPEAKER_01: organizations to help entrepreneurs in British Columbia.
[07:44] SPEAKER_00: And for your business, what would you see is the biggest challenge for you and as an
[07:49] SPEAKER_00: entrepreneur being a BC?
[07:52] SPEAKER_01: Oh,
[07:54] SPEAKER_01: the population.
[07:55] SPEAKER_01: We just don't have the population for just support the kind of sales that we need to grow our
[08:03] SPEAKER_01: business in the way that we want to grow.
[08:06] SPEAKER_01: I mean, if we want to sell steady growth and sticking to new marketing and BC, it's great.
[08:12] SPEAKER_01: But we saw a fastest growth when we opened up in Ontario and Quebec.
[08:19] SPEAKER_01: And one of the biggest challenges has been shipping logistics,
[08:24] SPEAKER_01: getting our orders out to our customers in a tiny manner at the least,
[08:31] SPEAKER_01: or the most economic way to do that.
[08:34] SPEAKER_01: And then of course, the challenges are the weather.
[08:39] SPEAKER_01: Being on Vancouver Island, of course, they've been
[08:41] SPEAKER_01: in different culture times because of their very schedules or flight schedules and
[08:46] SPEAKER_01: kind of the post, you know, sometimes some issues with getting around.
[08:53] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that could be a very challenge.
[08:56] SPEAKER_00: Now, in terms of your successes, how do you first define success and then more importantly,
[09:02] SPEAKER_00: how do you celebrate it?
[09:05] SPEAKER_01: Well, I think one of the big things that makes me feel successful is when I can pay my work,
[09:13] SPEAKER_01: that I pay my employees well above minimum wage. We don't have any minimum wage employees.
[09:20] SPEAKER_01: We have a higher than average start rate when it comes to hiring people, but still,
[09:27] SPEAKER_01: our paid are a really good wage above the living wage as well. We pay benefits.
[09:34] SPEAKER_01: And one of my successes is when I can see my employees enjoying the troops of their neighbors
[09:42] SPEAKER_01: with like, it's not always easy, I admit, but they enjoyed bonuses. And they're able to go out
[09:50] SPEAKER_01: by any part they want without having to combine, combine household incomes or buy a house or
[09:58] SPEAKER_01: know that to me is successful. They're satisfied and they're happy to be there and that's what
[10:04] SPEAKER_00: makes me feel good. I love that your success is about other people
[10:13] SPEAKER_00: and caring about your team. And so being an entrepreneur, there's some fear and doubt that
[10:22] SPEAKER_00: speaks into the day. How do you deal with that?
[10:30] SPEAKER_01: Well, I don't know. Through discussion, we hold often hold round table discussions with
[10:37] SPEAKER_01: the staff to see how we can move on if there's something that's causing me some fear or their fear.
[10:46] SPEAKER_01: Lately, it's been about economics, but we've all talked about it, how we can double down on
[10:52] SPEAKER_01: saving money within the organization, in a less wastage, whether you accept time and that's
[10:59] SPEAKER_01: anything. But basically, I don't know, I talked my way through my fears and my brain, and then
[11:09] SPEAKER_01: present them to my husband or the team to work it out for that chance, less of the anxiety and
[11:16] SPEAKER_00: business. And so where do you see your business in five years? Oh, well, I have a plan. I'm hoping
[11:25] SPEAKER_01: to retire within the next few years. I'm hoping to take my business to the next level so that
[11:32] SPEAKER_01: we can house more employees, have more people working, be out in the community more, but also
[11:43] SPEAKER_01: my exit fund is put into place so that I can pass off the business to someone else who's
[11:50] SPEAKER_01: willing to take over the day-to-day workings and running the business.
[11:59] SPEAKER_01: Of course, we've grown every year, so that's another part of the plan.
[12:06] SPEAKER_01: And can you throw in?
[12:08] SPEAKER_01: Always a good thing.
[12:10] SPEAKER_00: So, tell us about any routines that you have in place. So how do you start your day? Is there any
[12:19] SPEAKER_00: routines that really help you stay motivated and stay focused that you've put in place?
[12:26] SPEAKER_01: Well, my business motivates me. I wake up every morning looking forward to going into the office.
[12:33] SPEAKER_01: You know, start my day. Nothing extraordinary. I get up and I do my journaling and I have a
[12:39] SPEAKER_01: gratitude journal that I work on every day. Kind of look at what's going to go on during the day
[12:45] SPEAKER_01: while I have my coffee and get into it and get to the office and sit down and look at my journal and
[12:54] SPEAKER_01: see what needs to be done for the day and carry on and go for your own. Check out for a little
[12:59] SPEAKER_01: task that needs to be done for a big task. My philosophy is I stole this from somebody else,
[13:08] SPEAKER_01: but the Luxembourg's have it is if you have to eat frogs for a living, eat the big one first.
[13:14] SPEAKER_01: So I like to come into the office soon and get the largest task for my list before I
[13:21] SPEAKER_01: do the little things that need to be done. And that's it to be too many before.
[13:29] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I really like that. And also we talk about work life balance, but sometimes it gets out
[13:38] SPEAKER_00: of balance with the demands. How do you find time to relax or how do you make sure that you
[13:46] SPEAKER_00: don't lose sight of that work life balance? Well, I'm the proud grandmother of three lovely
[13:55] SPEAKER_01: granddaughters, so I hope to see them whenever I can. Sometimes not for a couple of weeks, but
[14:03] SPEAKER_01: they're always something that grounds me, brings me back down to earth. And but I'm also
[14:09] SPEAKER_01: integrating and not like garden, indoor plants, I've been a plant for now to exist.
[14:16] SPEAKER_01: Like I said, journaling and writing, but I'm also an artist, so I like to get my paintbrush in
[14:23] SPEAKER_01: hand and get into the studio. I haven't had a lot of time to do that lately, but it's on my list
[14:28] SPEAKER_01: of things to get up. Is that just behind you? Yeah, that's some of my artwork.
[14:38] SPEAKER_01: Now, I used to have my work in several galleries and had a thriving art career, went to
[14:45] SPEAKER_01: a lot of art shows and had galleries representing me, but that kind of all fell off in the
[14:52] SPEAKER_01: as the business grew, you know, and required more of my attention, my art career kind of went down,
[15:00] SPEAKER_01: but that's all my my bucket list get back into when I retired. Great. So if you were to start new
[15:10] SPEAKER_00: in your community and you didn't know anybody and you were thinking, I wanted to be an entrepreneur,
[15:16] SPEAKER_00: what advice would you give to somebody new and how do you even start? What would you do differently
[15:23] SPEAKER_01: or do you get established? I would look for people who were in my business in the same sort of
[15:29] SPEAKER_01: business, I want to get into and talk to them, ask them, you know, if they're willing to talk to
[15:35] SPEAKER_01: me about their business and the opportunities that are there in the community. I would also join
[15:40] SPEAKER_01: groups, fitness groups, you know, whatever, client groups, gardening groups, anything you can to
[15:49] SPEAKER_01: get to know people in the community and other business members in the community as well,
[15:54] SPEAKER_01: and say, so wealth of knowledge out there to help you if you do want to start a business in a new
[15:57] SPEAKER_01: community. And is there anything that keeps you up at night?
[16:09] SPEAKER_01: Oh, um, hmm, not lately, I've been sleeping quite well, but, well, what would keep me up?
[16:22] SPEAKER_01: Probably just a little tiny detail in my business that I forgot about and forgot to attend to
[16:27] SPEAKER_01: during the day, um, unless the appointment which happens once you're out now, don't forget to
[16:34] SPEAKER_01: chat. I don't know, family's happy and healthy and that's all good. That's good.
[16:42] SPEAKER_00: That's good. I'm getting things off my mind.
[16:46] SPEAKER_00: Now, is there any advice that you've received in your career that you'd like to pass on to
[16:52] SPEAKER_00: entrepreneurs in Canada or that's helped you in your journey?
[17:01] SPEAKER_01: Oh, I would say, um, get back to the planning part of it. It would be to plan your business,
[17:12] SPEAKER_01: plan your growth, set goals about where you want to be at a certain time, you know, in the day,
[17:18] SPEAKER_01: the month in year, um, and set guidelines as far as what you're able to do and what you're not
[17:25] SPEAKER_01: able to do. You can't manage financing, hire a book, or manage social media, hire an expert to do that.
[17:34] SPEAKER_01: It's really difficult to have your hands in somebody's butt, but try that and it's difficult to do.
[17:40] SPEAKER_01: Right. Finding, um, having a good strategy and uh, making sure that your growth goals are
[17:48] SPEAKER_01: get out of hand. It's not good at much, it's just so.
[17:53] SPEAKER_00: And I think that's a point that we all need to surround ourselves with people who have a genius
[18:00] SPEAKER_00: or expertise that we don't have so that we can focus on what we're best at.
[18:06] SPEAKER_01: You think? Okay. They're sure. Yeah. That helped.
[18:11] SPEAKER_01: We have to try to afford it. Find someone who is willing to give you some free advice because
[18:16] SPEAKER_00: lots of people out there who do that. Mm-hmm. And your art career, um, and that art journey,
[18:24] SPEAKER_00: did that really help you as well with the transition to being the entrepreneur?
[18:30] SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah. I think it was maybe perhaps a catalyst because I was really enjoying my art career in the
[18:36] SPEAKER_01: business. The whole, the whole thing in terms of running the business, financing, setting up
[18:44] SPEAKER_01: events and selling my art. The big thing, hard to do. But um, it comes with experience.
[18:54] SPEAKER_01: Give it to the dev house. But um, yeah, my art career really allowed me a big way of
[19:04] SPEAKER_01: the freedom to say, hey, you know, I don't have to work for anybody else. I can work for myself.
[19:11] SPEAKER_00: And I can do well. Yeah. So is there, um, if our listeners today want to get a whole
[19:23] SPEAKER_00: view, how would they reach out? How would they learn more about your business?
[19:29] SPEAKER_01: Well, they could check me out on LinkedIn. That's Tammy Hunter at LinkedIn. And um, if they need
[19:35] SPEAKER_01: to email they can email me through the website or um, to our support line on our website.
[19:42] SPEAKER_00: Great. So, and is there anything else you'd like to add before you leave us today? Any final thoughts
[19:48] SPEAKER_00: you want to share? Oh boy. That's a big question. Thanks Cynthia. I would just like to send it out
[19:58] SPEAKER_01: to the universe, but um, even though time's going up top in business, we're going through a bit of a
[20:04] SPEAKER_01: hard time right now because of the economy. Um, but you know, we've come across problems before.
[20:10] SPEAKER_01: There was the, you know, the difficulties with shipping and, and logistics, you know, from,
[20:19] SPEAKER_01: from, from, from, from the whole, the whole thing was just really difficult for this.
[20:23] SPEAKER_01: It's as small as this is especially. Um, just, just work through those issues and, and keep your head
[20:31] SPEAKER_01: straight and keep your head on straight and don't let your emotions get in the way, although that's
[20:37] SPEAKER_01: that time. Just keep focused and do what you know. I love that. Do you?
[20:46] SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you for coming to this show. I really have learned a lot about you and I look forward
[20:53] SPEAKER_00: to chatting again. Well, thanks Cynthia. It's been fun and it's so nice to see you again. It is
[20:59] SPEAKER_00: a Spank Uber Island Residence. Yeah. Oh, thank you. Thanks again.