Please give us a brief description of your backstory.
I’d built a career in the non-profit sector over the last 19 years, working as a community support worker, certified education assistant, registered care aide, shelter worker, yoga teacher, intake worker, and programs manager. However, I was burnt out by the red tape and politics I continued encountering, and I felt like I wasn’t able to show up for clients the way they really needed because of this. Last Spring, I was fired without cause by a non-profit I’d worked tirelessly for while advocating against their oppressive workplace. Unsure what my next step would be, I considered going back to school for a year to become a clinical counselor. For years, I’d been helping friends and family organize, declutter, and implement support systems in their lives because I enjoy supporting others and have various skills to offer. A friend asked me why I should not use my natural talents to open a business. I was very hesitant as I did not have a business background, and the termination fairly shook my confidence.
Why did you choose self-employment and want to become a business owner?
I took a huge leap of faith in myself by connecting with WorkBC and Community Futures about their entrepreneurship program. I was so fed up with the systems I kept encountering that I knew the only way I could stay in this field was to carve a new path. Becoming a business owner offers a lot of autonomy in my approach and allows me to show up creatively using my broad skill set, along with flexibility for me to care for my neurodiverse child. It requires unyielding accountability and commitment to your why, self-reflection, and simultaneously choosing to be vulnerable and bold. I wanted the freedom to create a life I loved and offer truly person-centered support.
Tell us about your business.
Radiant Supports continues to evolve and expand the scope of its services every month. I primarily offer in-home services, including organizing, decluttering, downsizing, transitions into care, laundry, meal prep, light cleaning, systems of support, regulation tools, and personalized yoga. I also offer donation and overflow recycling drop-off with each visit. I primarily serve within the city limits of Kamloops. I show up each day for my clients and ask them, “What is stressing you out the most today that you have the least capacity to deal with?”. The problem that I solve is that women and primary caregivers are undersupported and overwhelmed. Their lives aren’t set up sustainably, and they are drowning in tasks. Many of my clients or their families are neurodiverse, and having someone in their home with a background in neurodiversity allows them to unmaskâallowing us to build trust so I can really show up for them where they need it most. Inviting someone into your home can be a vulnerable experience, especially to help you with areas of life you might feel shame about or hide from others. Coming in with a trauma- informed lens and the ability to emotionally support folks through the process of reclaiming their life and spaces is what has the most impact. I am embarking on a life and wellness coaching certification and will start a rebranding this summer to encompass new coaching offerings.
What have been your successes, milestones, and challenges?
My successes have continued to flow amidst life continuing to live. Within three months of launching, I had a waitlist for services; my referral rate and client retention were higher than I could have imagined, and the feedback I get from clients about the positive impact of these services keeps me rooted in my why. Going on the Midday show, successfully pitching co-hosting a retreat for female entrepreneurs to 2 women in business I respect, beginning an internationally accredited life and wellness coaching certification thanks to funding through CF to broaden my services, and being invited to host workshops have been highlights. Local retirement communities, Interior Health, and Interior Community Services all reached out to me, asking me to become a referral for clients in transition who need deeper emotional support along with task-oriented services. I’ve dug into mentorship and have recently been approached by a new entrepreneur in a different field to become their mentor, which is a joy. Becoming an entrepreneur has changed my life for the better in every facet possible. There have been many challenges, steep learning curves, stress, and late nights. Bookkeeping is different from my calling, and learning my pain points and where to outsource was challenging for me as a DIYer. Having a waitlist feels awful for me as by the time people reach out, they typically need support yesterday – choosing not to hire additional staff within the first year of operations is a promise I have kept to myself. I didn’t want to expand before I knew my business inside and out or lose quality of service and accountability. I’ve learned a lot about contract law, leaning into showing up authentically, that I am not for everyone, work-life balance, and how to work smarter, not harder. The last year has seen many extremes on both ends of the spectrum, and it’s all part of my big-picture journey. How lucky am I that I get to do what I love in a way that feels aligned while meeting the significant needs of others?
What did you find most valuable in working with Community Futures Thompson Country?
Literally everything. I kept thinking to myself, “How on earth does someone start a business without ALL this support? No wonder so many new businesses fail!”. I created a solid business plan and was set up for success with Community Futures Thompson Country. The ongoing mentoring by Julie, access to countless impactful workshops and speakers, funding for consulting and continuing education, and having a team of folks reach in and teach you how to guide yourself. How to ask the tough questions and when to move forward.
What advice would you give others wanting to open their own business?
If you have a business idea you are skilled at, passionate about, and willing to lose a lot of sleep over – go BIG. Connect with Community Futures and engage fully in their program to see if it’s a viable business. LISTEN to what they have to say; you’re not there because you’ve mastered entrepreneurship. Check your ego and say YES to the suggestions, ENGAGE as much as you can, and get used to becoming uncomfortable to dive in fully hearted. It’s possible to create the life of your dreams when you get out of your own way, dig into the support available to you, and truly show up.
You can follow Melinda’s journey at @radiant.supports
