Erica Ryan-Gagne: How Dancing at the 2010 Olympics Catalyzed Entrepreneurial Vision

“Made on Haida Gwaii” Series, Part 9

July 17, 2012
By April Diamond Dutheil

The Made on Haida Gwaii series tells the stories of fifty talented young people who call Haida Gwaii home. In this vast country, our major urban centres tend to soak up most of the attention. This collection of success stories, about young people living on these beautiful but remote islands off the Pacific coast, aims to disrupt the dominant myths of what it means to grow up in Canada’s North.

Skidegate, British Columbia- Erica Ryan-Gagne displays Eri-Cut & Nailed signage outside of her new salon location. Photo credit: Evil Patrick Shannon.

Winning double gold medals in hockey was a prominent memory from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. But Erica Ryan-Gagne remembers the Olympics differently than most Canadians. For her the 2010 Olympics catalyzed an entrepreneurial vision, one that she has turned into reality and continues to iterate upon.

Erica, who is of Haida heritage, was invited to perform along with over 300 Indigenous Canadians at the 2010 Olympic ceremonies in Vancouver. In addition to performing, Erica was introduced to a series of workshops and speakers organized for Indigenous performers. One topic was on entrepreneurship.

For Erica this introduction to entrepreneurship was timely, “I was finally ready to hear it,” she says, “It just sunk in and planted the seed.” Equipped with inspiration, Erica returned home and took the next step. “I asked myself, what are some of the demands in my community and how can I fill that demand,” she says.

In October 2010 Erica launched her first enterprise, Eri-Cut & Nailed, a one stop salon providing manicure, pedicure, and hair cutting services to the residents of Haida Gwaii.

Filling a niche, Erica provides a much-needed service to people of Haida Gwaii who prior to Eri-Cut & Nailed despaired over dry cuticles and disproportionate nails until their bi-annual trip to Vancouver. She also provides scissor and clipper haircut services for men.

Not limited to cosmetic incentives, Erica notes the therapeutic benefits of her services, “Eri-cut & Nailed provides a get away for people to relax, if only for an hour,” she says.

From a purely economic analysis, the northwest is depressed and unemployment and underemployment is high. Providing low cost and healthy ways for people to feel good about themselves makes good business and social sense.

Nearly two years from the launch of Eri-Cut & Nailed, Erica and her husband, Joshua Gagne, are finishing renovations on a new space. With plans for a grand opening in the near future, Erica describes her new salon as “clean, relaxed, funky and professional.”

This is exactly how Erica pictured her vision, “The business was a way for me to live my life the way I saw it, I wanted to have kids and I wanted to be mom but I didn’t want to entirely give up working I just didn’t see it that way,” she says, “It’s great that I can do both and make that happen.”

However, the road to where Erica is today, as for most, was not a path of linearity or planned prescriptiveness, “I kind of wandered and did a lot of random jobs, worked really hard for a lot of other people,” she says.

Erica hopes that the story of her journey can be conveyed to young people facing similar questions about what to do next, “When I get my hands on young people I just encourage them to look to that same route that I took.” It’s possible to discover what you love, be happy and to make money doing it she says.

Erica was named Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year by the BC Achievement Foundation and is a recipient of the New Relationship Trust’s Young Entrepreneurs Symposium travel scholarship, the Hollyhock Social Venture Institute scholarship, Haida Gwaii Community Futures small business loan, and the Northern Savings Credit Union Be Remarkable Micro-Loan.

She is a graduate of the Aboriginal BEST program and the Marvel College Cosmetology School and Hair Salon.

Matching personal with professional growth, Erica and her husband recently welcomed a new baby girl into the world.

Age 28
Location: Skidegate
Philosophy: When you do what you love it doesn’t really feel like work in the end.

Hear more stories by joining Project Gwaii at ProjectGwaii.ca
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Joseph Lavoie: Investing in Social Good

“Made on Haida Gwaii” Series, Part 4

May 3, 2012

By April Dutheil

Co-launching his first social enterprise in elementary school- a local bottle recycling venture- Joseph Lavoie is motivated to use business for creating positive social change. A recent double major graduate in Finance and Business Management from the University of Northern British Columbia, Joseph recounts his role as co-founder of Joe’s Bottle Depot as a catalyzing factor in his entrepreneurial journey. Over 15 years later, Joe’s Bottle Depot continues to foster sustainability and cleaner streets on Haida Gwaii.

Recognized as an emerging leader and social change-maker, Joseph was honoured as one of Canada’s Top 20 Under Twenty by Youth in Motion in 2005. A budding entrepreneur, Joseph has worked on a number of non-profit and for-profit ventures including serving as President of Volunteer Prince George, an organization which supports volunteers and the growth of local community service initiatives.

Although some regard formal education as unnecessary for entrepreneurism, Joseph views graduating university as a worthwhile experience, “I think everyone should have the opportunity to attend- it gives you a different perspective on life,” he says. Striving to maintain a balanced lifestyle, Joseph has excelled in varsity and indoor soccer, even playing a memorable game against the Vancouver Whitecaps!

“I was lucky to grow up in an environment where individuals could really shine- I had quite a bit of opportunity to do things that most kids didn’t,” says Joseph when reflecting on his Haida Gwaii upbringing. “I was pretty blessed to be sheltered from the mainstream negativity of the outside world,” he says. Although many individuals from the islands have excelled, Joseph points out what was missing for youth, “I would’ve liked more opportunities for youth leadership while growing up,” he says.  

Joseph acknowledges his father as a central role model and mentor in his life. “With only a grade nine education, my Dad is self-taught in all aspects. When I bring him [business] topics he can explain them to me because he understands,” Joseph says.

Strategy-focused, Joseph is mindful of the tools that young entrepreneurs need to develop, “Building a foundation now will help me to make less mistakes and improve my future work,” he says. To strengthen his toolbox of business skills Joseph works as a Business Advisor for TD Canada Trust, “I see statements from start-ups to large companies and deal with social enterprises to business accounts,” says Joseph.   

Although eager to make his way in the entrepreneurial world Joseph says that working as a Business Advisor has offered a valuable glance into corporate life, “It’s been tough because you’re not your own boss- implementing change is a much slower process.”

For Joseph the bigger picture includes getting back into business, “The North has so many different opportunities- eventually I want to get to a point where I’m back in business and investing in innovative and interesting things,” he says – noting the importance of environmental and green energy projects. Another future goal, Joseph hopes to become politically engaged, “You never know what role you can come into - I could see myself giving back in a political or board membership role,” he says.

Age: 26

Current location: Fort St. John

Philosophy: Use the money you make to give back to society, that is the real role of a business person.

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lavoiejoseph

Twitter: @lavoie101

The Made on Haida Gwaii series tells the stories of fifty talented young people who call Haida Gwaii home. In this vast country, our major urban centres tend to soak up most of the attention. This collection of success stories, about young people living on these beautiful but remote islands off the Pacific coast, aims to disrupt the dominant myths of what it means to grow up in Canada’s North.

(Source: J.Lavoie)