Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: You're listening to Faces of Atlantic, a series hosted by Terianne Richards that gets real with the leaders, change makers and everyday doers shaping Atlantic Canada. Each conversation dives beyond titles to uncover the grit, growth and human stories behind the work.
[00:00:24] Speaker B: This is Faces of Atlantic, where we go beyond titles and talk about the real human side of leadership. I'm Terianne Richards and today I am sitting down with Sheena Russell to uncover the story behind the leader. Welcome, Sheena.
[00:00:38] Speaker C: Awesome. Thanks so much for having me.
[00:00:40] Speaker B: No, I'm super stoked to have you on the series. So before we go any further, I want to ask you, when I strip away your titles, everything I can look up on LinkedIn, you know, the success, the strategy, who are you really?
[00:00:58] Speaker C: Who am I? Okay, so I am a person who's super passionate about the planet. I'm very like, nature loving, human. I'm the mom of a couple little humans. And yeah, I'm born and raised in P.E.I. around local food systems and somebody who's grown up to, you know, do something that's pretty aligned with those, you know, those childhood values and experiences and somebody who just really likes to, to try and use my time on this planet as a force for good.
That's awesome.
[00:01:30] Speaker B: So now that we know who you are beyond the title, talk to me a little bit about what you do in your day to day in your business, what your business is and what your role is. Just give us the juicy bits about what you've been up to.
[00:01:45] Speaker C: Yeah, so my role in the business has ever evolved since we started the farmer's market back in 2012. You know, it was like at that stage in the game, you've, you're literally doing everything. You are the business. And we've grown really organically over the last 13 years, I guess, and I feel like right now I'm kind of in this transition from that founder to CEO transition. I think a lot of business owners go through and you've been at it for this long and creating a team around the business. And currently most of my work in the business is really focused on, you know, nurturing our team. We have an amazing team. We're good for teams. People between Dartmouth and our bakery in Windsor, spending a lot of time in, like, the finance side of things and the community engagement side of things. So I love creating new products and coming out with opportunities to work with more Canadian farmers and producers and really trying to spotlight their amazing foods through the things that we put out in the world so that, you know, a mix of all Those things and putting out random fires is what keeps me busy.
[00:02:48] Speaker B: Yes. Also the firefighter. I love that. So when you think about your life and sort of, you know, the trajectory it's been on, what's happened before today, did you ever think then that you were going to be in the role you are today, growing a brand the way you are being a leader? Was that ever in the cards for you back then?
[00:03:09] Speaker C: I actively resisted this or a long time, I think, you know, I went to Dal for a degree in sustainability. Like, I'm not somebody who has an MBA or ever imagined that I would be an entrepreneur. But, you know, things progressed really early in the days of make a focal and I found myself getting really excited about this opportunity to tell the stories of farmers and food producers. And really that's what like drove my excitement. Excitement of growth in the business in the early days. But, you know, for a long time probably slowed the business down because I was. I hadn't convinced myself yet that I was like a real entrepreneur but was able to let that go. I would say a few years in when I unlocked this realization that the more the business grows, the more impact we can have on our local farmers and food producers, on growing a company that creates really wonderful jobs in the community and being able to bring a new kind of snack to Canadian grocery store shelves. So, yeah, I just think that there was definitely lots of disbelief almost every step of the way in the business for those early years, but now I'm all in.
[00:04:23] Speaker B: Isn't it funny how a. Our belief in ourselves and also like our perspective of a title can really either like catapult us towards something or completely like feet rooted in the sand, not willing to take another step just because of a. I don't think I can or I want it. And also it looks like because we have these perspectives of what something is so. And I mean super exciting and also awesome that you were able to get to a point where you recognize that this was the right move. And I love that you kind of tied it to.
It was about the impact. It was about how the work that you were doing, taking on that title, taking on that, like removing that old belief to take on a new belief allowed you to make change for others and that's what sort of tied you to it.
[00:05:12] Speaker C: Yeah. That made it more definitely like that was the motivation. I continue to be a big part of the motivation for me and our team is just like, okay, how much bigger can we make this thing and how can we continue to create. Yeah. This impact and Build these relationships with our farmers and people, producers.
[00:05:28] Speaker B: So not that every human, every leader has this, but I feel that it's rare that I ask this question and someone doesn't have some answer that they can pull from.
Has there been sort of a defining moment or what I call a catalytic moment that has really changed the way you show up and lead today?
[00:05:50] Speaker C: I think when I had that realization that there was a potential in this business for it to be bigger than just what I thought my journey was going to be, right. It kind of transcended my own self doubt and not getting jammed up inside about what the right thing to do is because I really had never done it before. And we definitely came across a lot of. Not naysayers, but people who definitely doubted the ability to scale this business while like staying true to our values over the years. And to a certain extent, yeah, there was like, definitely there has been big challenges for us to overcome and getting the business where we are today. But I think that was like a real unlock for me. And also, you know, building a team around the business who, you know the age old adage saying like, you never want to be the smartest person in the room, right. You surround yourself with brilliant people and people who are really bought into the values of the company. And that's little by little we've built this group that has really just elevated the whole experience. So I think those things have really led to many breakthroughs for myself and the company.
[00:06:54] Speaker B: So I heard from a little birdie that there's something big coming your way in the next few weeks. Are we allowed to talk about that?
[00:07:03] Speaker C: Yeah, sure.
[00:07:04] Speaker B: So I hear that you're being inducted in the J A Hall of Fame. Specific to the work you do. Do you want to share a little bit about what that is and your excitement around it?
[00:07:17] Speaker C: Yeah, that's definitely came as a surprise. They have the sort of emerging leaders section of their recognitions now and that's the part that I'm being acknowledged in alongside some other incredible female founders in the city. And yeah, I think again, it feels kind of surreal knowing that I've come into this never imagining I would be an entrepreneur. I had to have intention of being, you know, environmental scientist working in the field somewhere.
But yeah, it feels just really wonderful knowing that maybe with local and the journey that we've all been on is being recognized in this way.
[00:07:50] Speaker B: Congratulations. That's exciting. And I mean, when I think about the work I'm doing with Faces of Atlantic, like this is the reason, right, is to shine a Light on all of this. A the human behind the leader. Because I think that's where you start to really excite others to do great things within our, you know, our four provinces, but also to kind of like give virtual high fives to folks doing some really cool things that you don't always hear about because you know, the world of social media and the media is loud and there's a lot going on. So you miss it. And so kudos to you. Congratulations to you and your team because that's not a small feat.
[00:08:26] Speaker C: It's been a big surprise and really fun. I'm looking forward to it. I'm actually planning on bringing my two little girls to the event. They're 6 and 11, so maybe really fun. It's the first time I've taken them along to something like this. So my 6 year old keeps referring to it as the fashion show, of course, much more concerned about what she's going to wear than anything else. So anyway, it'll be fun.
[00:08:46] Speaker B: I love that. Has there been anything over the course of your time running your organization both as an entrepreneur and a leader that you feel like you've had to like unlearn? Right. Like sometimes it's old patterns, old stories, just that old rhetoric that's been, you know, passed down through generations. Sometimes that once you get to that moment you're like, that's not working anymore. Has there been anything for you that kind of stands out?
[00:09:13] Speaker C: Yeah, I think definitely, you know, this kind of coming back to what we've already talked about this likely at this point, I can recognize it for what it is, this sort of fear based experience of being scared of sometimes what it would take for me to get a lot bigger in the business. You know, like there was five years ago or so, you know, we were still working with a co packer, so like a kitchen, a manufacturing partner essentially. We weren't doing any of our manufacturing ourselves. And that relationship was wonderful and served us incredibly well. We literally wouldn't be here today without that partnership. But as time went on, we kept realizing that the business was growing and it was really hard for that community kitchen to keep up with demand. And we just kept getting squeezed and squeezed, but it was really hard and scary to consider. The idea of taking manufacturing in house especially. This is kind of like Covid era and the incredible amount of like money and resources and talent you need to build a manufacturer. Like you're essentially changing the entire system and models of the whole company. Right. You're launching a new business essentially. And that was Something that felt, yeah, really intimidating. And I think, you know, absolutely. It all worked out exactly how it's supposed to. You know, we found the perfect building in the perfect location and built the most amazing team. I think had I done it any sooner, you know, we wouldn't be in this position today, maybe. But making that decision back in 2021, to take our manufacturing in house and kind of jumping off a cliff really is how it felt. And landing safely on the ground was a huge liberty.
[00:10:50] Speaker B: So when you've had those moments of stress, uncertainty, you know, just kind of feeling like the walls are sort of coming towards you. Cause I think we've all had those moments.
What is something you do to remedy that? What is the habit, the tactic, the tools, the tricks that you do to allow yourself to weather when life throws you a few curveballs?
[00:11:13] Speaker C: I think I compartmentalized pretty well.
Like, just gonna. You know, we're just gonna put that in a little box and.
Yeah, and I mean, it's a great question. I think that I definitely have room for improvement on, like, healthy modes of releasing stress. But, yeah, I don't know. I think I'm really lucky in many ways that my husbands are also involved in the business. And that's, like, you know, hard in some ways, as I'm sure everybody could imagine. But it's also really amazing that, like, I've got my favorite person to go alongside me on this whole journey. And I think having that running mate who is as deeply bought into this business as I am is, like, feels like a real safety net, like, emotionally, I think where we're, you know, going through all this together. So, yeah, like, we talk things out a lot, and we just try and take care of each other. And again, I'll keep going back to the team as a whole. We just have a really amazing team who's all headed in the right direction and, like, very complimentary personalities, and we've weathered lots of storms together, and I think that really is kind of what keeps tradition strong.
[00:12:20] Speaker B: Like, I see it sounds like the common thread there is, you know, having clear communication, having constant communication, having clarity, ensuring everyone's in the boat, but also rowing in the same direction. Is there any habits or processes that you have put in place, even just by, like, accident, that allow for that to come to fruition?
[00:12:43] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, because our team is kind of located in two locations. Like, you've got an office in downtown Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and then our bakery is in Windsor, nova Scotia, about 45 minutes away, we've had to create Very open and active communication channels because, yeah, because we're not centralized. There's lots of flow back and forth between the two locations always. But that has forced us to be always chat and you know, we make a point to have like very regular. We're big fans of. It doesn't have to be a meeting, it to be a phone call. Like this could have been an email to think or this could have been a team's message. You're trying not to overbook our time, but we're always keeping on track with what's happening in the business through regular, you know, management meetings and meetings with all layers of staff. Like, I know our CEO o', Brien, who runs the manufacturing facility. Every single morning, the whole production team has a big huddle and they talk about like, where are we at with yesterday's daily production? What kind of things could we be improving on? You know, just like all of this kind of very consistent touchpoint, day to day conversations about how were things going yesterday and what can we improve today? He's done an incredible job at setting up systems. That's awesome.
[00:13:55] Speaker B: So a few years ago I started writing and speaking on this concept of sort of the success happiness paradox. Right? Where I and the research sort of shows is that for a lot of us, we've been conditioned to sort of chase this version of success, whatever it is, this external thing out there, when in the reality is, is what we're chasing it for is because we believe it's going to bring us joy, fulfillment and happiness. And what the research is showing and what I speak to is that really what we should be chasing is happiness first, which then leads to that feeling of fulfillment and success.
And so where I think the two sort of overlap, I guess the question I'm asking of you is how do you define that you're successful? How do you define that you're living your best life, you, your family, your team.
And maybe even how has that definition changed over the years?
[00:14:56] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I can only really speak for myself, but. And Andrew and I talk about this often, which is really, you know, success for us is that we feel fulfilled in our careers and that we have the freedom to spend lots of time with our family and, you know, go on a trip every now and then and just try and give our kids like a really amazing childhood, kind of surrounded as much as possible by family and friends. And having the flexibility and the freedom to be able to do those kind of things, I think is like one of the biggest proofs of wealth in this day. And age that I think anybody can have. So I think that's really where that is rooted for me. So. And Andrew and I are aligned on that. So that's something that we're always talking about.
[00:15:38] Speaker B: When you look at Atlantic Canada and obviously making the decision, you know, I think you're born and raised here, am I correct? Yes.
[00:15:44] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:15:44] Speaker B: Yeah. So you're born and raised here. You make a decision to start, you know, putting in firm roots, building your business and now know, massively expanding here in Atlanta, Canada. Are there any opportunities that we have in Atlanta, Canada to do better by our small businesses?
You know, whether we're thinking in terms of minority small businesses or just businesses in general? I mean, you've been around for a bit and gone through the growth stages.
What do you see as our opportunity for growth?
[00:16:14] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I love having built a business and in Nova Scotia, like, again, like you said, I'm a born and raised Atlantic Canadian. And I just like, I think that this is a really special place to build the company. And I like, for example, I grew up on tei. I worked with specific Sobeys and Stratford as a kid and like teenager, I should say. And now at the Sobeys, Stratford is the number one selling Sobeys across in the country. You know what I mean? Because it's just like that community support that we feel for the brand out here on the East Coast. You know, there's many Halifax locations of Sobeys and Superstore that are our best in the country. And just, you know, there's no reason why PEI Sobeys should be one of our best store in the country. But it does make sense that, you know, that's where my roots are and just that sort of amazing buy in from obviously not just family and friends, but like 1 or 2 or 3 degrees separated from the people that. My husband's from Dartmouth. So we really feel that love that ripple through all of Atlantic Canada. And so that's something that feels really positive for us. And I would say, you know, I think it can feel really isolating in my industry to be out here way, way out in the East Coast. The epicenters for consumer packaged goods and especially natural products are very much like Toronto and Vancouver.
So I would say, and this is more of a reflection of myself, but that's something that I know every day that I like, need to kind of pull myself out of my comfort zone to be spending more time like on the ground in those areas and just fostering. I have wonderful, many wonderful friends and Mentors in the industry well outside of Atlantic Canada. But I think that's one thing, if I could give, like, a piece of advice for founders out in this neck of the woods is just like, push yourself to participate in other markets outside of Atlantic Canada. Whether it be from a customer perspective or a mentorship perspective or, you know, industry peers. Those are things that are so rich to be able to grow your business and building that fandom or that pitch community outside of us here in the Atlantic Canada region.
[00:18:14] Speaker B: Yeah, mentorship is huge. Right. When I think back of in my career, you know, I've been an entrepreneur for almost 22 years now, and I am like, you speak to that equivalent of getting to the cliff, jumping off the cliff, and realizing I might need a parachute on my way down. Like, most of the businesses I'd started, I hadn't even had experience in those industries previously. It was like, no, this is a good idea. I did my market research. I'm in. And, you know, sometimes you get in and then you realize it's Mount Everest, and you're like, holy crap, what am I I doing? And it's mentorship. It's people who've been there who've done that, who can see your bottlenecks, your blind spots that can introduce you to other individuals who are, you know, playing where you're playing, that you don't have to feel so alone. So thank you for bringing your shining a light on that, because I think there's a lot to be said for just about anybody. How important finding folks that are playing in your space and finding mentorship can really help to make you not feel alone, but also catapult your career in a multitude of directions. Right. What advice would you give to somebody who might be stepping into leadership roles for the first time? Right. Because you are an entrepreneur, but you're also a leader and don't always feel like they go hand in hand. And I know that sounds funny, because the entrepreneur has this vision, has this dream, and the leader now has to then take that and share it with 1, 2, or however many are on the team and make sure that transcends that communication is clear.
What advice would you give to somebody who's stepping into that kind of a space for the first time?
[00:19:51] Speaker C: Yeah. Something that comes to mind for me is, and this is something like everything I'm talking about here today is stuff that I've had to learn by doing, and sometimes like, by doing and doing again and doing again and making a mistake and then doing it again.
I would say that you shouldn't assume that anybody who's either joining your team or consulting with you or whomever like gets the depth of the vision and values that you have right from the get go. And I know there's, there's always going to be that secret sauce that a founder has, but spending more time than you think, like not just onboarding but like really immersing those potentially early hires of yours into that secret sauce of the business. And sometimes even I am, I forget about. Oh yeah, like so and so actually doesn't know the story behind why we work with that certain supplier or doesn't know about the nuance of like this specific ingredient or I'm not giving great examples, but maybe just not taking for granted that our people don't have that like, you know, decade of experience and this like majorly focused thing that you've been building and just, you know, bringing people into that as thoroughly as you can, I think goes a really long way. So that would be one piece of advice I'd give. And just also, you know, mentorship like we've already touched on. And I think one of the most important things that we've done here at Nave with Local is like building a culture of like transparency and trust and like, you know, no dumb questions is really something that we always come back to. It's just like, you know, building that culture is really important and will serve you really well in the long term.
[00:21:24] Speaker B: And then I guess that kind of ties into that because you're speaking from your own experiences as you look to your future and you start to think what that looks like, what sort of a. I mean there's no better word to use. So I'll just use the word legacy. What sort of a legacy do you hope to leave behind? Or maybe even simply put, how do you hope people remember you and the way that you showed up and the way that you led as a human, as a community member, as a leader, as an entrepreneur.
What's that memory you hope is left?
[00:22:00] Speaker C: Hmm, that's a big question. And another big question. Yeah, I think that's something that would feel important to me would be like generosity is something that's really important to me with. Yeah. And generosity is something that I could feel really happy about being associated with me. What else? I can too. Just like, you know, bringing a sustainability perspective to a world that are into an industry that maybe hadn't experienced that before and being seen as a leader and a thought leader in sustainable foods world. Because I think that's really the way the world is going these days. We need more triple bottom line leadership, which is the people planet and profit now more than ever. It would mean a lot to me to be seen in that way when the time comes.
[00:22:45] Speaker B: Awesome. Listen, thank you so much for joining me here today. Also, I really like your snacks. So long before we met this way, I was eating your food. Yeah. But thank you so much because I think there's a reality to leadership, to being a founder, to being an entrepreneur, especially as it sits in Atlanta, Canada, but also globally, that there's no straight line, that sometimes we start before we're ready and sometimes we need to change, you know, the mindset, the beliefs to get to that next level. And I think you touched on all of those. And I would hope and also believe that anyone listening or watching this will be able to see parts of their own journey and their own story in yours.
So, you know, much appreciation to you for showing up and sharing that today. And I'm wishing you lots of success and congratulations again on the JA hall of Fame.
[00:23:37] Speaker C: Awesome. Thanks, Terianne.
[00:23:40] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:23:41] Speaker A: This has been Faces of Atlantic with host Terianne Richards. Real conversations with the people shaping Atlantic Canada.
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