Week 32: Business, big lessons, and a BIG announcement!

Wow, this week was truly one for the books - the last week of our E-Ship Quest and the excitement in the air was palpable! After completing their daily core skills work, these young entrepreneurs dug deep and worked on the finishing touches of their businesses. Signage was made, pitches were practiced, and we did trial runs making change for our customers.

Our afternoons were spent exploring the neighbourhood and discovering a new bank of our riverfront - now overgrown with 4 foot tall grass, perfect for carving trails and setting up secret hideaways and fortresses.

Water skeeters were caught and released, ladybugs were discovered, and some of our youngest heroes spent time gathering wild mint from the shore to contribute to the ice tea and fruit salad their peers spontaneously prepared for their studiomates. Having this beautiful river in our backyard has been such a gift!

Thursday morning came and it was time to prepare the studio for our E-Ship Mini-Market! We began our day with a mindful meditation, calming our bodies and minds so we could focus on the important work at hand. The studio then kicked into high gear, with helpers volunteering to decorate the lobby, move furniture, sweep the floors, bring in tables and assist with the market layout. These heroes excitedly ran from table to table, checking out each other's businesses, offering up encouragement and enthusiastically requesting "holds" on their favourite items :) Before we knew it, it was 2:45 and our customers were arriving. They were ready.

Our doors opened at 3:00 and the customers began to pour in. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbours, close family friends....all here to celebrate and support these young entrepreneurs.

One comment I heard over and over again was "I cannot believe the quality of the products these children made!" People were blown away. We had homemade vegan brownies and cookies, eggs and honey gathered from the family farm, artisanal soaps, whole-food popsicles, freshly squeezed lemonade, healthy dog treats, vegetable stamped canvas totes, cotton candy and popcorn, healthy gummies and homemade lip balm, greeting cards, tie dyed tea towels and handmade necklaces, and an apothecary complete with homemade tinctures, honey, potted plants and teas. It was truly incredible and a testament to what we believe so deeply at Acton; children are capable of extraordinary things. Seeing each one of them apply that secret forumla of successful entrepreneurs: "something you love" + "a problem or opportunity you see in the world" = "your calling" was inspiring.

By 4:30pm, many of our booths had sold out and the market was beginning to wind down. We were all abuzz with the excitement of the day (and maybe a bit of sugar too!). A big heartfelt thank you to all who came to support these young heroes, and to Matt (Noah's Dad) for the beautiful photographs of the event!

The next morning, as has become tradition after an exhibition, we arrived in pajamas and got right into work putting our studio back together. Once again floors were swept, tables were disassembled and brought outside to be stored, and studio furniture was put back in its regular place. After a quick snack we gathered on our circle rug to reflect on our journey through entrepreneurship. I asked whether anyone would like to share the best part of owning their own business? One hero spoke up, "My grandma taught me how to make soaps, and seeing the smile on her face when she came in and saw my booth was the best part." Another said, "One customer told me her dog doesn't like treats so she didn't buy from me. But then she came back and bought one bag, and later she wrote to tell me her dog loved my treats!" Everyone had a chance to share and afterwards I asked what the hardest thing was? One hero shared that although she'd made $280 in revenue, her costs were very high so she only realized $40 in profit. So knowing that now, would that change anything for you if you could do it all over again? No. Why? Because I really love making "x", I love the smells and it makes me feel happy and calm, so I would do it again. So for you, joy in the process is more important than profit? Yes. One hero then quietly spoke up and shared that he hadn't made as much profit as he'd hoped and that really upset him. So profit is really important to you? I replied. He nodded, yes. That's a really good thing to learn about yourself! There's no right or wrong answer to what motivates you, but knowing what it is will help inform your decision next time. He was visibly upset and it was heartwarming to see friends reach across the carpet to rub his arm and offer words of support. Some other challenges we discussed were knowing how much product to make for the market, difficulty parting with your creations, and resisting the urge to leave the booth to go shopping :)

Lastly, I asked if anyone wanted to share their biggest lessons learned. One shared that she observed that it seemed like you could choose to make a lot of small things and sell them for less money, or you could make fewer things that took more time and sell them for more money. When asked if knowing that would change the choice she made (a labour intensive business), she said no, she enjoyed making her product. Another commented that she had made a surplus of product because she was anxious about not having enough for her customers. She didn't sell out at the market, but she would choose to do that again as she'd rather hold inventory than miss out on sales, and thanks to the business cards she had prepared for the market, she has some customers lined up already :) Yet another shared that he would make sure to save some of his product for himself next time, because he missed out on his egg breakfast the next morning!

We ended our discussion with a question, "Would you like to do this quest again?" It was met with a resounding YES! Our group was over the moon to learn that the E-Ship Quest is unique in that it is scheduled every year at Acton Academy. The reason for this is not because we think every person should become an entrepreneur, but rather because so much of the journey of an entrepreneur mirrors that of the Hero's Journey; the character traits of an entrepreneur mirror those we aim to nurture in these young heroes at Acton Academy and in their life beyond. An entrepreneur must show great courage, putting themself and their product/idea out into the world to be met by acceptance or rejection. They must show resilience when met with criticism, rejection, or the many obstacles on their path, and the ability to get back up when knocked down. They must have grit to persevere and work hard to bring their vision to reality. They must be creative in thought and problem-solving. They must sacrifice their place of comfort in the ordinary to experience something truly extraordinary.

What we experienced as a studio over the course of this quest and in the grand finale that was our mini-market, was truly extraordinary.

After our powerful circle discussion we settled into core skills and then spent our afternoon celebrating our mothers, who give their whole heart and soul to their children each and every day. We painted pouches for them to store treasures and wrote heartfelt notes to each. To the moms of all of these young people, thank you for all you do!

As our week came to a close, the great success of the mini-market wasn't the only thing I was celebrating. We also received truly wonderful news, something I know will help bring our vision of Acton Academy Nanaimo to new heights. I am so incredibly thrilled to announce that we have welcomed to our team, Miss Erin Mazzei!

Miss Erin brings 22 years of experience in the Montessori setting, including 18 years co-owning and operating a Montessori childcare centre here in Nanaimo. I'm overjoyed to share that Erin will be our lead Spark Guide beginning in September 2025, supporting children from Kindergarten to Grade 2 during this important stage of their development. I'll be taking on a support role, acting as Erin's shadow and lending a hand where needed, and revelling in learning from her wisdom every step of the way! Thank you Erin, for taking a chance on us, putting your trust in us, and helping us to build this dream that is Acton Academy Nanaimo. It takes a village, and we're so excited to welcome you to ours!

With Morgan - who has shown such extraordinary passion, commitment, creativity, and ability - at the helm of our Discovery Studio, and Erin - with her decades of experience and the stellar reputation that precedes her - leading our Sparks program, I know each and every one of these heroes will be so well supported on their Hero's Journey.

Just when I think my cup cannot get any more full, once again, it runneth over.

Thank you all, here's to keeping our eyes on the horizon, and Happy Mother's Day to all of the incredible mamas out there!

“We are born of love; love is our mother.” —Rumi