On one of the last nice days of summer (ok it was September), I met chef-entrepreneurs Cam Smith and Dana Ewart, who run a little outfit in the Okanagan called Joy Road Catering. We were at a dinner held al fresco outside Township 7 winery before a special screening of Tablelands, a documentary that profiles the passionate and often young food producers who populate the hills around Penticton, Kelowna and Naramata. (What draws 20- and 30-somethings out of the city and into areas that were formerly thought of as retirement communities is another story.) Dana, who is in her early 30s, stopped some of her prep work on our meal to explain her ethos about food. What struck me was her passion, earnestness — not to mention her energy.
The energy bit is important. Like many small businesses, Cam and Dana work very long hours. Unlike many small businesses, their company is dictated by growing seasons — no Cisco trucks back up to their house and unload a seasonless supply of food. Which means that Cam and Dana rely only on what they can get from local farmers. They often work 12 to 16 hour days, with their staff of four and a few part-timers, up to seven days a week for six months straight. At that winery dinner, they were in the home stretch of a brutal work schedule… and Dana still had a bit of energy left. (In a day or two, I would see her wandering the farmers’ market where the pair have a booth, stocking up on cupcakes. She had spent the previous Friday night baking and couldn’t have had more than a few hours sleep.)
This passion seems to define, for me, a more realistic approach to work. For a cyncical crowd, work-life balance might seem like an easy excuse to kick off work at 4:30 on a Friday and simply call it in. But Cam and Dana and the other people we profile in Unlimited are more likely to find some personal work-life balance, to give their life’s work a passion that represents our generation. To see Dana excited about her work, even after five months of unrelentless work, was inspiring, which is why we spoke with Cam and Dana for this month’s Officeland.
Some other stories in this issue:
+ Crowdsourcing’s Second Coming: From Dell to Netflix, how six companies are making money off your great ideas
+ Money for Sale: Payday loan stores are the pawn shops of the pay loan industry – and they’re doing big business among 18- to 35-year-olds. The risks and rewards of cashing in.
+ Dresscode: Warm winter accessories that don’t sacrifice professionalism for style.
+ Your Own Personal Stimulus Plan: in this month’s Rich by Thirty podcast, Lesley Scorgie gives the low-down on how Canada’s new Economic Action Plan affects you
+ Deskercise: Jesse Lipscombe’s energy boosters to get your through the fall blahs.
+ The Benefits of Night School: The benefits of a little after-hours learnin’.
There’s more. Check it out.
– Craille Maguire Gillies, editor
