“We've had a lot of laughs here, and we could probably write a book with all of the funny moments. My all-time favourite is when a bride dropped her phone in the lake. Customer service is our number one priority so Adam jumped in the lake to save the phone! The bride was thrilled, my only regret is that nobody managed to get it on camera!”
“Club Piscine has a partnership with CHEO where we donate money for every swimming pool sold. We also had a CHEO day at our Ottawa locations last summer which was sooo much fun. Our parents taught us how important it is to give back. It's essential for us to be an active corporate citizen in the community. “
“Since starting at Eyemaxx, it’s been a constant process of learning and evolving. I have learned that I am determined and always have room to grow. Dawn has been a great mentor in this regard and continuously guides me to learn more about myself as we grow our business.“
“My dad and my uncle worked as tile-setters since immigrating from Italy. During the summers, me, my brother and my cousin would work for them. As I got older and finished my schooling, I decided to take this on as a career choice and became a tile setter myself. When my dad and uncle retired, I decided to open up my own shop on St. Laurent.”
“I have always gravitated towards and admired products from companies that go above beyond the norm in craftsmanship. Be it clothing, cars or food. The food we eat in our own house, meat, veggies, grains and even supplements are certified organic. This is very important to me and my family.”
“It was a lifetime in the making. I always love to paint and build as a kid. My dad was a correctional officer and would take drywall and painting jobs on the side and I would help him out. So I guess that was my introduction.”
"I love running the business. The banking, corporate stuff, team building, contract reviews, and above all else, the strategy. Along with that, I’ve built a career from scratch and I get to play with fun ideas and create beautiful days all the time."
“The moment came from a personal experience that most people can relate to. Elias was at a restaurant with a group of people, they finished their meal and had to head out for an event. It was a busy night and the waiter was doing their best yet the bill hadn't yet arrived. At the same time a long lineup was at the door waiting for the table to be released. It was a the frustrating thought of "the experience was amazing up until this point; why can't I just pay and leave". That was the moment.”
“Dispensaries typically dispense cannabis only. This is where we differ. We are a pharmacy. We know medicine. All medicine. We know drug interactions, dosing and safety. At Hybrid Pharm, there is professional medical oversight. Cannabis is a medication and should be treated as such. Dispensaries offer cannabis and cannabis related products. Hybrid Pharm offers a 360 degree approach to a healthier lifestyle. Our cannabis certified healthcare team is always available to help patients from strain selection to dosing to route of administration.”
“I love all things coffee, wine, sweets, and new experiences! I’m a huge family guy, and my father-in-law introduced me to artisan roasting which elevated that interest in coffee even more. I fell in love with the art and the business of coffee. “
“Yes, we use a Mushroom kernel which has a larger round circumference than regular popcorn. This allows our cheese and special seasonings to adhere to the kernel which is part of reason it tastes so good!”
“When I grew disenchanted with my career as a lawyer, going into show business just seemed like the right thing to do. I had to take that chance and see if I could turn something I loved into a career. It worked!”
“We were inspired at an early age by our father who was also in the restaurant industry. He owned and ran one of Ottawa’s earliest restaurants - The Gondola. ”
“The support that we’ve seen has been tremendous. The welcoming we received from the area has really been the best part. We have so many regular customers and friendly faces who pop in to say hi, grab a steak or two, or even drop off samples of their delicious creations they've made using our meat. “
“Anything worthwhile takes work. Trusting and leaning on your people, especially those that want to be part of the growth, is crucial because you can't do it all. Being able to adapt to change was always very important for me personally and professionally.”
“ We love to support Elgin street and Ottawa as a whole wherever we can....food, drinks, suppliers, art, music, culinary talent, other businesses...Ottawa is a really great place to be a part of for the variety of things we can tap into.”
“I was born and raised in Toronto and went to school for Radio and TV broadcasting – this was a great path for me at the time, because it allowed me the opportunity to tap into my creative side. I’ve also always been a bit of a DIY’er, which is how I fell into jewellery. I saw a bracelet online that I wanted to get my mom for Mother’s Day and thought, ‘I can make that!’ After one trip to Lee Valley Tools and a local jewellery supply shop, I had made it.”
“While in University I played Junior hockey which is what influenced me to pursue physiotherapy as I had the background in sports and science. I always said “If I couldn’t make it in sports, I can help those who can.”
“The foundation of the creation of The Leading Note and OrKidstra actually began when we bought and renovated our first – and only – home. We did everything together – completely gutted it down to the studs, re-wired, re-plumbed, built an extension +++ We did 95% of the work ourselves and realized we worked well together!”
“Before the restaurant industry I was in retail which is not a far stretch since it is also a service industry. You name it, I probably worked there. A lot of my customer service and sales skills could attribute to those retail years.”
