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Comox Valley

GrowWise Health in the Comox Valley. A LIFT business profile

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The business of medical cannabis is growing – fast – and has many facets. One of these is patient and physician education about the science and the therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis. Toronto-based GrowWise Health provides this service. In 2017 Denise Ropp partnered with GrowWise Health to bring medical cannabis education to the Comox Valley and Vancouver Island.

LIFT: What is the business of GrowWise Health?

Denise: Medical cannabis is a new and exciting area, and there are a lot of unknowns, and lots of new research. Our role is to provide education and support – for both patients seeking help, and physicians who want to learn more.

Your first step, when you visit our centre, is to meet with a physician who actually listens to you about what you are trying to accomplish with regards to your health. GrowWise Nurse Educators then provide education about medicinal cannabis: licensed producers, safety, dosing, strains, compounds – that kind of thing. After that, we’re here to give you ongoing support to reach your own, personalized goals.

LIFT: What makes your business “special” or different from what others are doing with regard to medical cannabis?

Denise: Let me be clear, because there is often confusion around this, we are NOT a medical cannabis dispensary. Our business is supporting patients in their healing journey, without charging extra fees.

GrowWise started about three years ago. The founders recognized that more and more physicians were authorizing medical cannabis, but patients were being left on their own to fulfill their prescription. With an ordinary script, a patient would be able to walk into a pharmacy and ask for help – the pharmacist will tell you what time of day to take your medication, what side effects to be aware, and will fulfill the prescription for you. That doesn’t exist for cannabis patients.

So GrowWise partnered with a half dozen Licensed Producers – companies authorized by Health Canada to legally producer cannabis for medical purposes – to help connect patients with the support they need to be successful with their treatment. GrowWise nurses are embedded in clinics where there are physicians authorizing cannabis – they work in pain clinics, fibromyalgia centres, family practices, and cannabis clinics like White Cedar here in the Comox Valley. The physicians bill MSP like any other clinic, and the education service is provided free-of-charge to patients.

LIFT: Who are the people that will most benefit from what GrowWise Health is offering?

Denise: Most of our patients are in their 50s and 60s. Active adults highly motivated to improve their health. But really, our target market is anyone who seeking an alternative to traditional pharmaceutical solutions. And so we have patients of all ages, from all walks of life.

LIFT: What inspired you to start the Comox Valley office?

Denise: I saw an opportunity to provide access to a natural health solution to the community. There are a lot of people for whom traditional pharmaceuticals have failed. This is a choice in healthcare, an alternative to traditional solutions. I must say, this is not about getting “high.” Most of our patients have not been recreational cannabis users. Many are unfamiliar with any type of cannabis. They’re people looking for a solution to health issues, a solution that’s eluded them in the traditional healthcare system to date.

We have a lot of patients that have been curious about this medication. There are also those who have tried using medicinal cannabis and are not aware of finer details about strains or components, or even how to properly dose themselves. They need proper education and support. I saw this opportunity as a way to support people on their healing journey.

LIFT: What / who have been the biggest factors in the growth/ success of your business?

Denise: Number one is our patients! GrowWise has worked with over 6000 patients across Canada to date. Hearing their success stories is incredibly motivating for us as a company, as well as for the greater community. These patients go on to tell their family and friends about their success, they share their story with their family physician, their colleagues, and so on, and the message spreads from there.

Another key piece that has been incredibly helpful is the expansion in research. It feels like every day there is a new study released about how cannabis might help – about how it is displacing opioid prescriptions, or how it is improving quality of life for our veterans. We have so much anecdotal evidence that points to cannabis be a valuable treatment options, but in order for healthcare practitioners to fully embrace cannabis, rigorous, academic research is needed.

Finally, the federal government’s decision to legalize cannabis for adult-use this summer has really helped to break down the stigma around cannabis for medical patients. All of a sudden, cannabis is everywhere. It’s on every newspaper cover, on the radio, in magazines – it has become far less taboo, and that has encouraged patients to take the first step and talk to their doctor about it.

LIFT: If you had one piece of advice for someone starting a business on Vancouver Island / in the Comox Valley today, what would it be?

Denise: Get out and network!

CONTACT
For more information about GrowWise Health in the Comox Valley:

Telephone: 250-941-4999
Facebook Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/Comox.3322
GrowWise Health in the Comox Valley is a LIFT member business (aka LIFT VIP). If you are a LIFT member ask Denise and the team at GrowWise Health about the 10% discount on hemp-based products like Bully Bites (doggie snacks), Canna-9, lip balm, body cream, and facial serum.

For more information about LIFT and how we help grow Vancouver Island businesses, please see https://liftstartups.ca or call Founder & CEO Hans Peter Meyer (HPM) at 250-792-1408.

Making economic shift happen in the Comox Valley

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Two dates. November 22, 2014. Ian McKay, Vancouver’s economic development commissioner, talks to me about the city’s emerging “talent economy.”

May 31-June 3. Downtown Courtenay hosts the 6th annual Elevate Arts Festival. The absolute best time to experience the Comox Valley’s emerging talent economy.

Context

In 2015 I interviewed Susan Mowbray, Senior Economist with MNP, at Vancouver Island Summit. Susan is the  author of VISummit’s annual “state of the Island” snapshot of economic trends. In 2015 Susan was telling me about the growing importance of the “knowledge sector” to the Island’s economy, including the Comox Valley.

I interviewed Susan again in 2016. The trends had shifted. Infrastructure spending was now the driver of whatever growth was going to happen in our region. Uncertainty about the softwood lumber agreement is going to have an impact on our economy, even though many of us don’t acknowledge forestry as a local economic fact of life. Interestingly, she made no comment about the knowledge sector.

Resources

When Ian McKay said, “talent economy,” I had an idea about what he was talking about. I’ve seen five decades of talent attracted to my community. Not for jobs. But because we’ve got something that talented people are attracted to.

I believe talent is our biggest resource. McKay’s words inspired me to follow WeAreYVR’s lead to create and promote #WeAreYQQ as the Comox Valley’s own talent tag and brand. It inspired me to launch a speaker series that’s become something much bigger. As at the beginning, we’re still focused on talent (the LIFT acronym stands for “Leading, Inspiring, and Fuelling Talent”).

Mowbray may be right. By measurable indicators, the “knowledge sector” may not be as significant in 2016-17 as it was in 2015. But our “talent economy” is more important than ever.

That’s because talent is what moves us to take our knowledge and create things. Solve problems. Safety gear for kids. Niche marketing services. Art. Books. Videos. Etcetera.

With regard to our “traditional” natural resources, it’s our talent with forests, fisheries, food that’s inspiring creatives and entrepreneurs to create new kinds of businesses and jobs. Fuelling that talent should be our primary concern when it comes to growing the economy.

Commitment

I’ll argue that a talent economy is synonymous with a “startup community.” It’s a place where experimentation is encouraged. Shift happens. New experiences – music, art work, businesses – are created.

The research on successful startup communities says that they require a generation of commitment. Very few people make that kind of commitment. Politicians, bureaucrats, and agencies? Sorry. Their interests wax and wane with economic trends – ag tourism, tech, innovation, local booze.

On May 31 we gave Meaghan Cursons our #MakingShiftHappen Award, in part because she’s put over 20 years service into making shift happen with local talent. That includes six years plus as one of the prime movers with Elevate.

At LIFT, we support committed, long-term shift disturbers. Like Meaghan Cursons. She is one of the leaders in creating the vibrant talent economy we need to thrive. May she inspire many others. Because talent, more than chasing trends, is the solution.

by hanspetermeyer
founder, LIFT
@hanspetermeyer on Twitter and Instagram

CVFM: Growing farmers – and the local economy – for 25 years

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LIFT (as hanspetermeyer.com) sponsored social media marketing at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market from 2012-2016. Why? Because I’d been writing about food since 2004. Writing about the Farmers’ Market was a “feel good” thing to do. I thought that writing about farmers would me more interesting and wholesome than writing about restaurants.
I did a lot of farmers’ profiles. (You can watch them here.) And, over those 40+ interviews it sank in: the Market isn’t just about local and fresh and “local food” cool. The Market is about the economy.
I’d interviewed Vickey Brown, CVFM Executive Director, a number of times over the years. We’d had a great time, helping tell the story about farms and food in the Comox Valley. But I recently interviewed about something different: the bigger picture. I asked her about the role of the Market in the local economy, a role that many of us take for granted or don’t understand.
INTERVIEW (April 2, 2017)
HPM: You’ve described the Market to me as a “business incubator.” What does the Market do that helps grow food businesses?
Vickey Brown (VB): We were started in 1992 by farmers, for farmers, so this is our 25th anniversary year of doing what I call “growing farmers,” and helping farmers sell their food. Even with our processors and concessions, are required to use locally grown ingredients as much as possible.
At the most basic level, the Market recruits customers with our marketing. We provide farmers with an opportunity to introduce products, test flavours, and hear directly from customers. We also provide a number of opportunities for farmers to meet a variety of customers, in a variety of locations. For example, during the peak season, we have three weekly Markets: Wednesday in downtown Courtenay, Saturday at the Exhibition Grounds, and Sunday in Cumberland.
The Market also connects farmers with organisations like the North Vancouver Island Chefs’ Association, local restaurants, Lush Valley, to name a few.
At another level, the Market provides an educational service. People need to know who our producers are, and why they do what they do. And, importantly, we’re here to educate people about the realities of local food economics. It’s difficult to make a living farming. The Market plays a role telling the story about the value of local food, beyond simple price.
Most farmers work in isolation, not only from customers, but from each other. So l, the Market is also a place where farmers learn from and support each other. It gives them a place to talk about farm and business issues, like how they’re doing irrigation, pest control, etc. It’s a learning place.
HPM: How many businesses are currently active in the market?
VB: Just under a 100. Vendors come and go, but that’s number’s been fairly steady since I started working here in 2010. Of course, the number of vendors actually at the Market changes with the season. We have a maximum of between 70-75 during peak season.
HPM: What are some examples of businesses that have “graduated” from the market?
VB: Some of the more visible success of the Market-as-incubator are Tannadice Farm, DKT Ranch, Tree Island Yogurt, Green Acres Pies – to name a few. Others, like Prontissima Pasta, Natural Pastures, Healing Bliss, and Big D’s Honey have grown into storefronts, but are still active at the Market. Recently local wineries and distillers have added to what the Market offers. Wayward Distillation House won the People’s Choice for their vodka at BC Distilled in 2016, but they’re still at every Saturday Market. Stone’s Throw Winery, 40 Knots Winery, Hornby Island Estate Winery, and Blue Moon Winery are other high profile businesses that are active at the Market even as they grow their own storefront businesses.
HPM: What are some of the biggest obstacles to growth for local food businesses, and how does the Market help address these?
VB: The biggest obstacle is early stage revenue. Like many startups, farmers struggle to generate enough cash flow to keep going. So food producers are juggling multiple jobs to get their business growing. For example, Cottage Farm was at the Market for several years before they were able to give up their “day jobs.” It’s a bit of a catch-22: you’re not putting enough time into the farm to grow it, but you need the other job to to invest in the farm. We’ve created the New Farmer Bursary to help with some of this early stage difficulty. But we could do much more.
Weather is a factor that we have no control over. But we can play a role in telling the story. For example, the reason your local food sometimes costs more is because the weather has been hard on farmers. A long, cold winter this year has meant that many early season crops weren’t ready for sale, and that the spring season will be later. That puts a squeeze on cash flow. A couple of years ago we had a long, dry summer. That reduced yields, and has even had an impact on livestock and meat in years following. We’re used to the industrial food model, where we, as consumers are somewhat insulated from the real world of what farmers deal with. That’s not the case with the Market. Because farmers sell direct to customers, we get both the freshest and tastiest produce, and the real cost of that produce.
Another issue facing our local food producers is capital investment, whether it’s production space or cold-storage and distribution. Some farmers’ markets are creating production and testing spaces. These could also include co-operative cold storage and distribution. All of this could spin-off of an enhanced farmers’ market function.
HPM: What’s stopping the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market from addressing these issues?
VB: We don’t have the capacity. There is a significant need for infrastructure in our local food economy, and we don’t have the money or the staff to do what we could be doing. Even though we were voted Best Large Market in BC in 2015, we know we could do more.
HPM: How is the Market currently funded?
VB: The majority of funding to run the Market comes from the farmers, from vendors’ table fees and member fees. Local government contributes close to 4% of our current operating budget, and we pay local government about 10% of that budget in venue rental costs. Occasionally we are eligible for grants for special projects, like promotion and advertising. We also are seeking sponsorship support.
HPM: What are the priorities if there were better funding?
VB: We would definitely like to do more for our vendors. Priorities would include office space accessible to the public and vendors, more staff support for education and promotion for farmers and local food. We also see a great need for more direct supports for farmers. For example, the New Farmer Bursaries are helping people get started, but we could also help farmers replace weather damaged greenhouses, help them set up irrigation. I’d really like to see us expand the nutrition coupon program to go year-round, not just summer-only. We’d also love to do workshops for our vendors, to help them grow their business.
HPM: How can we – the public, other businesses – support the Market?
VB: Sponsorships are a big help. A sponsorship from Hinterland Studio is helping with the Cumberland market. Jace Pierson has helped with New Farmer Bursary. Courtenay KIA is providing a tow-vehicle for our Market stage and gear. We’re also looking for sponsorship of our music program, for a kids’ area, and for specific markets – eg downtown, Winter, Cumberland – and for special events at the market, like Farmer Appreciation Week, and our Food Fests. That kind of thing.
HPM: Have you considered a non-vendor Market membership as a way for the public to support the work you’re doing?
VB: We are looking at a “Friends of the Market” type program. We’re hoping to have this in place in 2017. We’re also working on a “donate” button for the website, for people who want to help in that way. And, we always welcome cash or cheque donations at the Market table.
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At LIFT we’ve recently created a Young Entrepreneur Fund that will enable food entrepreneurs – in local food, business, the arts, and more – to participate in business development workshops. We’re also re-engaging as social media sponsors to help tell the story of the Comox Valley’s food entrepreneurs at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market. Watch for profiles on our social media channels on the blog, on our Facebook page notes, Instagram, and Twitter.
hpm for LIFT
@hanspetermeyer on Twitter & Instagram
liftcomoxvalley.ca: Growing the economy, one entrepreneur at a time.
ps. Our local economic development body is doing some good work to promote our local food sector. Hat’s off to them. That’s a very good way to spend the almost $1M they get from local taxpayers. I just wish that the CVFM would get some help doing its work at the grassroots. That’s why I support individual giving and business sponsorships. That’s why LIFT is doing what it can to support the Market. Without you and me making sure that good food is grown locally, it won’t happen.

The #WeAreYQQ brand: From the Comox Valley and proud of it!

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Where is here? Here is the Comox Valley. Who is here? Talent.

On July 20-22, 2016 the Comox Valley Art Gallery hosted the Where is Here? symposium. The symposium focussed on the issue of defining where we are, and who “we” are in this place. CVAG’s Sharon Karsten says this is an important part of community economic development. I agree. That’s why branding our emerging talent economy is so important: because our individual talents (in business, the arts, and more) are the building blocks for the emerging economy that will take us beyond our current economic challenges.

Branding talent economies

How do we brand talent economies? Here’s an example from Vancouver. WeAreYVR was launched several years ago to brand and map Vancouver’s emerging tech talent sector. I like the WeAreYVR example. It’s strong. It provokes curiosity. It’s inclusive. It’s geo-locatable, and distinct.

Following suit, I created #WeAreYQQ to brand our Comox Valley talent economy. #WeAreYQQ  tells the world, “From the Comox Valley and proud of it!” It’s a tool, generated to serve our talent economy. Here’s how it works.

Provocative / clickable

Love them or hate them, hashtags are provocative. They make people stop and think. Using a hashtag also means the brand is searchable (clickable) on most social networks, making it easy to see who’s doing what. #WeAreYQQ also raises questions like: Who is “we?” What is “YQQ?”

Inclusive

As a search term, #WeAreYQQ can’t belong to any one person, business, or agency. It belongs to everyone who uses it. The “we” of #WeAreYQQ is anyone who wants to use the brand to attach to their work – or to the work of people and organizations who are doing good stuff in our region. I routinely tag people doing good stuff with the phrase “#WeAreYQQ ★.” It’s my way of saying “heroes of the Comox Valley” – but in a concise, branded, and collaborative way that works well on social media.

Geo-locatable and distinct

#WeAreYQQ uses the IATA code for Comox Airport (YQQ). IATA codes are often used by businesses and organizations in other locales because they’re short, distinct markers that cannot be confused with other locales. (For example, the “CV” brand is great for locals. For the rest of the world, the people we’re branding for, it most often means “curriculum vitae” – or more close to home, Cowichan Valley.) IATA codes only point to distinct locales. Just as WeAreYVR = Vancouver and WeAreYEG = Edmonton, WeAreYQQ = Comox Valley.

Is it working?

Search via Google, Twitter, Facebook – and especially Instagram. #WeAreYQQ is being used by all manner of creatives and entrepreneurs – painters, musicians, fish charter operators, bakeries, blacksmiths, and more. They’re using #WeAreYQQ to brand what they’re doing in and beyond the Comox Valley. By using it, they’re inviting others to click through to discover a community of creatives and entrepreneurs in the Comox Valley.

Collaboration and competition

Generating a talent economy is about collaboration. It’s also about competition. We compete with other regions endowed with natural and cultural amenities, relatively “affordable” housing, etc. Having a brand helps differentiate us. It also shows that we’re serious about supporting our talent economy.

How we provide support is by growing and sustaining trust and grassroots collaboration. This is already part of the culture of some organizations and businesses in the Comox Valley. Elevate the Arts Festival is one of my favourite examples. Having an inclusive brand like #WeAreYQQ makes collaboration easier. Here’s what I mean:

Whenever anyone uses the #WeAreYQQ tag they are identifying with and amplifying our talent economy. By following, retweeting, commenting on, and reposting #WeAreYQQ stories – in any media – people are extending the impact of the brand, and the reach or visibility of our Comox Valley talent economy. When we support businesses, organizations, and artists that are self-identifying with our Comox Valley talent economy, we are directly helping to grow the local talent economy.

Growing our talent economy

Macro level support from agencies and institutions is a positive when it comes to growing a talent economy, and it’s great to see movement after the pot got stirred a couple of summers back. Our small tech talent pool now is on the radar. But our talent pool is much larger than our tech sector, and the evidence of decades of community economic development, and more recent examples of “startup communities,” is that what’s most important is an abundance of diverse grassroots, micro-level activities – across all sectors. For the Comox Valley, that means we need to grow our capacity to support entrepreneurs in the arts and in food, big time.

At LIFT Comox Valley (formerly the #WeAreYQQ Project) we launched the #WeAreYQQ brand as a tool for grassroots creatives and entrepreneurs to use. It’s your brand, not ours. You are the people creating the home-grown economy reflecting the values and aspirations of the people who live here. By using the brand you’re making this place – this “here” – visible as an emerging talent-driven economy. Let us know how we can help. That’s what LIFT Comox Valley is all about: Leading, Inspiring, and Fuelling Talent to grow a new economy in the Comox Valley.

Let’s make this shift happen!

hpm
for LIFT Comox Valley

@WeAreYQQ on Twitter

Why “Where is Here” matters to business in the Comox Valley

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On July 20-22, 2016 the Comox Valley Art Gallery, with Vancouver Island University, hosts the Where Is Here Symposium in downtown Courtenay. What’s it about? That’s what I asked Sharon Karsten of the Comox Valley Art Gallery (CVAG).

Sponsoring innovative thinking

The #WeAreYQQ LIFT Project is on board as a social media sponsor for the event. Why? Because we’re focused on leading, inspiring, and fueling talent in the Comox Valley.

Why are we interested in a symposium on “cultural mapping?” Because we’re interested in “talent.” Our premise is that our economic future isn’t going to be imported. Like other startup communities that are growing themselves out of economic dead ends, we think the Comox Valley is going to grow a “talent-driven” economic future. That means talent – entrepreneurs in business, the arts, food, etc – who live here, people who are already connected to the values of our community, are going to be the ones who’ll be creating the businesses, careers, and jobs that make the difference.

Every business needs to do things like taking an inventory of supplies, assets, etc before it starts. Cultural mapping is one way to start figuring out what kinds of talent assets we’ve got. It’s a step towards figuring out how we can bring them together to really make shift happen. That’s why we’re in.

What’s the economic future of the Comox Valley?

As I’ve already said, my bet is our economic future is being built by local talent. If you’re interested in how this might be accelerated, you’ll be interested in what Sharon and her crew have put together for July 20-22. Tickets available online here.

By the way, this isn’t new stuff. The Village of Qualicum Beach did a cultural inventory project several years ago. That’s led to a few things. Including an emerging tech sector community, an entrepreneur co-working hub, and a determination to attract more talent to grow their knowledge industry. Where is Here is cut from the same cloth. I’m personally thrilled that Sharon and her crew are doing this. It’s time we took our cultural assets seriously.

Supporting the project on social

You’ll start to see posts with the event tag – #whereishereCV – on social media channels like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, and more. Even if you can’t attend the event on July 20-22, you can help raise the profile of our emerging Comox Valley talent-driven economy by commenting on, liking, and reposting. You are part of the solution. Lend a hand – or a like or a retweet – us as we’re making shift happen!

hpm
for Team #WeAreYQQ and the LIFT Project
@WeAreYQQ on Twitter

LIFT Comox Valley: Leading, Inspiring, and Fueling Talent in business, the arts, and more!
We’re building an entrepreneurial culture in the Comox Valley. Join us. Be a #WeAreYQQ Champion for local business and community economic development – and get perks that’ll grow your business too!