When everyone asks you what you want to be when you grow up, nobody says, “I want to be an entrepreneur!”  But here I am, all grown up and an entrepreneur, or serial entrepreneur as I like to say.  I stumbled into the world of entrepreneurship, starting my first business at 23 years old by accident.  I don’t think there was anything special about the moment, I did what any daring 20-something with risk in her blood would do.  An opportunity presented itself, and instead of counting all the reasons why I couldn’t, I tossed out the rule book and said why not?  That was the beginning of Noble Services Inc., my first business. The thought of creating something new that I could call my own was exhilarating.  I remember trying to come up with the name, opting to go with one that would hopefully be mine one day too (I was still a Washer back then, a few years away from being Noble).  I used to joke about having a “Noble Empire,” not realizing how powerful words truly are!

 

For a couple years, I worked full time Monday through Friday as a Senior Paralegal at a local law firm, while answering emails, calls and doing work over the lunch hour and on evenings and weekends for my business.  I was a one woman show and thought I was so busy back then.  Eventually, my need for curiosity seeped through my veins and it was time for a change.  While pursuing my real estate licence, I quit my full-time job, ran my business full time, and freelanced for a local community publication that I would later call my second baby.  In no time, I became a licensed REALTOR® and didn’t waste any time taking on my Broker’s license.​​

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While honeymooning in Europe, finally as a Noble, I got an email from the owner of the publication I freelanced for, wanting to go for lunch.  I remember thinking to myself “I wonder what he wants – me to serve someone with legal documents, or help him with real estate?” Never in a million years would I have guessed he wanted to chat about me buying snapd Wood Buffalo.  As a journalism drop out, this was a dream come true and almost seemed too good to be true.  After months of due diligence, Noble Media Corporation o/a snapd Wood Buffalo was born in 2014.

 

True story – after I bought the paper, my husband looked at me and said something along the lines of, “this is it right, you're done taking on businesses?” to which I replied “what more could I possibly do?”  I guess I underestimated my passion and potential at the time, because it was barely over a year later that I did get my Broker’s license and purchased another franchise, my third baby Noble Realty Ltd. o/a Seller Direct Fort McMurray in 2015 which re-branded to Seller Direct Northern Homes Realty in 2020 as I expanded the Brokerage to Edmonton.

 

My path has been anything but linear.  I have succeeded, and I have failed.  I have taken some great risks, and made good and bad decisions along the way.  The one constant though is my passion for business and helping others – leading me to my next business Noble Choice Coaching Ltd.

 

As a business owner, I have seen many businesses come and go throughout the years.  When I think back to the fact that I have beat out the statistics of business-failure while surviving a recession and wildfire, I am reminded of all I have learned in that time.  Throughout the years I have brought entrepreneurs together through a number of initiatives, have worked extensively with business owners on their marketing, and coached many of my own staff on skills development and training.  I have led a number of workshops on marketing, branding, and entrepreneurship and have been a guest speaker for a few panels.  The time has now come to give back in a more meaningful way to the business community that I love so much.