For the finale episode of Season 3, host Vanessa Smith interviews Toshia Noye, owner of Toshco Home Store. Toshia shares her background growing up in Ontario as a high school dropout, experiencing a dark period, then moving to Fredericton where she met her Islander husband and became a mom of three. At 27 she returned to complete her Grade 12 diploma and began decorating for friends, launching Tosh Interiors on Facebook, which grew into five years of full-time work and key community connections. During COVID in 2021, encouragement from retail-owner friends helped her secure a location and open the store in February 2022, later expanding from 1,200 to 3,000 square feet and buying out partners. She discusses differentiating from big-box competitors through service and quality, designer trade relationships, social-media-led sales, seasonal retail cycles, and the importance of rest.

Connect with the Toshia here:

https://www.instagram.com/toshcohomestore/

https://www.toshco.ca/

This episode was audio-produced by Adam Ramsay.

A big thanks to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Learn more about them here:

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Consolidated Credit Union

Want to support the show? Click follow wherever you are listening and leave us a review! And lastly, head on over to our Instagram so we can connect https://www.instagram.com/business.openpod/.

Host Vanessa Smith interviews Julia Campbell, co-owner of PEI's family-run North Shore Group, which includes the Anne of Green Gables Museum (connected to author Lucy Maud Montgomery), multiple Anne of Green Gables retail stores, Kindred Spirits Wholesalers, JEMS Boutique, and PEI Fashion Weekend. Julia shares her unexpected path from classical piano studies to teaching English in Korea, working six years in the motor yacht industry, then returning home to join the family business, build community, and raise a family. She discusses balancing authenticity and commercialization of the Anne legacy, JEMS' focus on inclusivity and confidence through fashion, and the multi-day PEI Fashion Weekend featuring a 19+ show and free Fashion City Day programming. Julia also describes retail pressures and revitalizing JEMS by sharing space with another business, emphasizing mutual support for local businesses.

Connect with the Julia here:

https://www.instagram.com/oneandonlyjewls/

https://www.instagram.com/jemsboutiquestyle/

https://www.instagram.com/theannestore/

https://www.instagram.com/peifw/

https://www.instagram.com/monarkthebrand

This episode was audio-produced by Adam Ramsay.

A big thanks to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Learn more about them here:

Fiddling Fisherman Lookout

Consolidated Credit Union

Want to support the show? Click follow wherever you are listening and leave us a review! And lastly, head on over to our Instagram so we can connect https://www.instagram.com/business.openpod/.

Host Vanessa Smith interviews Moyna Matheson, former owner of Samuel's Coffee House in Summerside. She discusses starting the business at 40 in 2011 after years in hospitality and self-employment, focusing first on specialty coffee and baked goods before adding food. Moyna shares how Samuel's grew from a 900-square-foot shop with six staff to a 4,000-square-foot operation, expanding into catering, wholesale, a tea line, and additional locations including Cavendish and a COVID-driven drive-thru. She explains the brand's timeless design and Samuel Holland family-history tie, then details deciding to sell, using a brokerage, and transitioning ownership on October 4, 2024 to Receiver Coffee Company. Moyna discusses her next chapter as a life coach/mentor through The Authentic Change Project, helping people navigate change authentically, and shares lessons on listening to customers and teams, curiosity, and hopes for Summerside's continued revitalization.

Connect with the Moyna here:

https://www.instagram.com/moynamatheson/

https://www.instagram.com/theauthenticchangeproject/

This episode was audio-produced by Adam Ramsay.

A big thanks to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Learn more about them here:

Fiddling Fisherman Lookout

Consolidated Credit Union

Want to support the show? Click follow wherever you are listening and leave us a review! And lastly, head on over to our Instagram so we can connect https://www.instagram.com/business.openpod/.