Charmaine Ng developed her Love Me Some line of keto, plant-based, non-gmo crackers using her Masters of Food Science from the University of British Columbia when her growing family drove home how important it is to balance convenience with real nutrition. Her made-in-Vancouver products are based on using the benefits of super seeds to help support our immune systems and natural cycles. These crackers are a delicious snack food with a fantastic nutritional profile designed to fuel humans of all ages—in as much time as it takes to dip your hand into a box! That said, they're also amazing with all kinds of toppings and spreads, and make a beautiful addition to snack and appetizer boards. We’re really grateful to Charmaine for sharing some insight into how her small business developed!

We love a good “side-hustle-to-successful-independent-business” story! Christine Yee’s certified gluten-free dumplings have pretty much achieved cult status in the coastal BC region. Available in four flavours—including two vegan options, Golden Dumplings and Jade Dumplings—her premium product draws on and honours her family culinary tradition. Equally amazing for both a quick, healthy snack or a big, beautiful dinner with friends and family, the care she puts into creating them definitely shows in their quality and deliciousness! We’re really glad Christine was able to find some time to answer our Mini Interview questions so you can get to know her a bit, and get little peek into the life of another awesome local maker in our community.

From making personal deliveries on one local block using a little red wagon, to now having distribution throughout Western Canada, Sabrina and Kristin of Squamish Water Kefir have turned their passion for probiotics into a fabulous and well-loved range of water kefir-based products. We're super happy they found time to chat with us about how it all got started, their daily motivations and breakfast favs, and, as always, some top tips for feeling awesome.

Omega 3 Nutracleanse is brought to you by Sunshine Coast-based entrepreneur sisters, Melanie, Teresa, and Dina. Their “O3NC” blend brings together five simple ingredients: Ground Flaxseed, Psyllium Husk, Fenugreek Seed Powder, Dandelion Root Powder & Burdock Root Powder. This combination provides an awesome amount of fibre and tons of digestion friendly nutrients.

One of the many things we love so much about our community of small local makers, is how their products and their businesses are so truly personal for them. Their motivation for creating something new and wonderful is always clearly driven by a real desire to improve the health and wellness of their family, friends, and community, and to create a product that the people around them will truly love.