Women On Top

Colleen Anderson - EcoBling.ca

My name is Colleen Anderson; I run a small, forward-thinking Canadian Company that was designed around a few very simple concepts: Do Good; Have Fun; and Stay Balanced.  Earn honest and fair profits and be the best at something.

Born into a 3rd Generation Canadian farming family, I naturally learned about honest hard work, and something all farmers and kids of farmers understand: “to make hay while the sun shines”.  My husband, an equally hardworking person and very capable family man, recognized approximately a year and a half ago, while I was pregnant with our 3rd son, that my sun was shining, and even though our timing may not have been the best to start a Company, he encouraged me to explore what has now become my entrepreneurial journey called EcoBling.

EcoBling was the natural evolution of our family’s interest in nature, fair business practices and design.   We have long ago embraced the notion that we can make a difference in our world, and have invested in EcoBling so that our children may some day realize that possibility, and to provide many things for our family, along the way.

EcoBling is both a flagship Brand and the name of my Company.  We produce a wide variety of value-priced earth-friendly, unique novelty, jewelry and accessory items sold into both retail and promotional channels. We source products from remote regions of the world where as a natural bi-product, we positively impact local economies and specifically the opportunities for women.

My Company has evolved from a closet dream that started a year and a half ago and like many ideas, this “idea” evolved quickly, when I started to write concepts down on paper and communicated them to people close to me; people who I could trust to be both honest and non-judgmental.  My early ideas were not the same ones I later developed, so I learned very quickly it is very important to work through problems, looking for solutions and to stay the course.  In addition, flexibility and adaptability have been key traits I have learned to develop as I launched a company from the ground up.

In preparation for this article submission, I reviewed my early “conceptual scribblings”, that described in very rough detail what my Products were, and what Target Markets they might appeal to; I sketched out what we call the DNA of my Company, which helped me to really understand what my Company was made of, so that I could translate that into a product line and eventually, now, Divisions of a Company.

If I could pass along any advice for women who are striving for the top, I would encourage you to be very clear on your goals, (which are really just dreams with a deadline).  Break your goals down into Big Picture; Short-term and Long Term. Be realistic and be very honest about your resource availability of: Time, Energy and Money.

Women who have children or manage the household, tend to fall into the “moonlight businesswoman” category.  This may work for some women; however to really yield our true potential in anything we must invest a high amount of dedicated and focused time on whatever it is we are striving for. Beware, there are several “costs” to reaching success. In our case, we literally moved our family back to the community where I was raised, to slow things down while my business ramped up; and to tap into the infrastructure that our small town provides. Lower cost of living; lower wage base; skilled and hard working labourers; smiling, friendly people who are watching and supporting my success.  If you are a mom, be certain to investigate good day care that meets your standards and budget. Un-interrupted time may be the key to your success, for without it, as we moms all know, you may never be able to produce, create or even think at times. With time, the possibility of the possibilities is endless.

Colleen Anderson
EcoBling: earth-inspired style
For more information, or to check out our products online, please visit: ecobling.ca