I woke up REALLY hearing the birds this morning. I don’t know what time they start singing, but my clock said 5am. I’m not prone to rise so early but between hearing Lil MacPherson talk at the Halifax Club and the Hub’s Grand Opening tomorrow, I’m a bit stirred up.
Lil spoke about the Wooden Monkey’s start up story during a networking event at the Halifax Club put on by the Halifax Women’s Network. The Wooden Monkey is a great restaurant in downtown Halifax where the menu is based on organic, macrobiotic, and locally grown fresh ingredients.
Lil’s talk was timely for me. The Hub is a ‘new kid’ on the Barrington Street block. Since opening we’ve talked to quite a few people in the area and sometimes the sentiment is quite negative. Business owners who have lost faith in the ability of this town to turn around and change for the better. People who have put a lot of time, energy and dollars into creating businesses that want to be part of a diverse and vibrant downtown.
The Wooden Monkey story was refreshing and inspiring. Lil was honest, funny and openly passionate about her start up story. It was great to learn more about another talented, dedicated and brilliant person living and working in this town. Another person I know who will make change happen regardless of the odds.
Lil is someone who took her passion and care for local organic food, worked hard, stayed committed and made something out of it. But it’s not always easy or rosy. She was honest about it being messy a lot of the time, particularly at the beginning. Regardless, at the end of the day, she was true to herself, had a strong vision and attracted what was needed at the right time, to make her business a success.
At a time when having faith in big aspirations and faith in our ability to carry them through can be hard to find, the success stories remind me that people ARE doing it. Making change for the better.
So, one day before our opening, I’m thinking about Lil’s story and having faith in what we are doing at the Hub. I am believing that we are making a difference and contributing to the many success stories that are part of meaningful change in the city, in the province and in the world.
Thanks Lil and to all of the people that contribute to making our story an inspiring and colourful one.
Have a good day and maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.
Tracy B.
I too was at the HWN event and heard Lil speak and didn’t sleep a wink last night
Tracy you are making a difference – congratulations for having the vision and the guts to follow through. Enjoy the official opening, I plan to drop by.
And maybe we’ll see you at the Halifax Women’s Network in September.
Thanks Eleanor, hope we can continue to engage with the Network. It was good fun.
Tracy