Hi friends,
Thanks for taking the time to drop by and check out our website. I keep saying “our”, but it’s really just me. That’s the scary part of this big adventure, there’s no more big corporation signing my pay cheques, there’s no HR team guiding my hiring practices or policies and procedures dictating how I go about my business. It's all just me. But I’m at a point in my life where I’m ready to take a chance. I believe I am worthy, I am capable, I am ready to build something I’m proud of, and that my son can be proud of too.
So first off, who am I? My name is Jerrica, and I am a single Mom to my amazing son Markus. My whole goal with building The Good Wolf is to build something that can allow me to work around my son’s schedule. For years I’ve worked in jobs that have kept me tied to hours that I just don’t want anymore. Driving home sitting in traffic each day on my way to pick him up from after school care my heart would break wishing I could be home with him sooner, and I’m hoping this little cafe will allow me to do just that. In addition to being a mother, I now consider myself a bit of a handy-woman, as I just purchased us a little condo and renovated it myself with the guidance and oversight of my amazing brother-in-law and friend (shout-out to Will and Tyler). I also enjoy playing ice hockey on my inappropriately named ladies team every Sunday night. Prior to my jump into the world of business ownership I worked in law enforcement for ten years. I was a Correctional Officer, then a Supervisor in our local provincial men’s Correctional facilities, then I managed a halfway house through a non-profit organization for the last year and half in Surrey, BC. While working as a Correctional Officer I had an opportunity to teach programs to the inmate population. It was in module 3 of the Substance Use Education program I taught that I first read the legend of two wolves. At the back of the book the story read…
“ONE EVENING, AN ELDERLY
CHEROKEE BRAVE TOLD HIS
GRANDSON ABOUT A BATTLE THAT
GOES ON INSIDE PEOPLE.
HE SAID "MY SON, THE BATTLE IS
BETWEEN TWO 'WOLVES' INSIDE US ALL.
ONE IS EVIL. IT IS ANGER,
ENVY, JEALOUSY, SORROW,
REGRET, GREED, ARROGANCE,
SELF-PITY, GUILT, RESENTMENT,
INFERIORITY, LIES, FALSE PRIDE,
SUPERIORITY, AND EGO.
THE OTHER IS GOOD.
IT IS JOY, PEACE, LOVE, HOPE, SERENITY,
HUMILITY, KINDNESS, BENEVOLENCE,
EMPATHY, GENEROSITY,
TRUTH, COMPASSION AND FAITH."
THE GRANDSON THOUGH ABOUT
IT FOR A MINUTE AND THEN ASKED
HIS GRANDFATHER:
"WHICH WOLF WINS?..."
THE OLD CHEROKEE SIMPLY REPLIED,
"THE ONE THAT YOU FEED”
- this version is from www.nanticokeindians.org
The legend stuck with me. To be clear, I have no native in my lineage. This business is indigenous-inspired, NOT indigenous owned. If you are interested in supporting local indigenous businesses and content creators some of my favourites include:
Spirit Bear Coffee Company (who we’re hoping to carry in our cafe) spiritbearcoffeecompany.com
Tia Wood @tiamiscihk on Instagram (such an amazing voice)
Mr. Bannock (to be clear, I’m not sure if I have had Mr. Bannock specifically, but basically if I see bannock I buy it. Whether that’s at my local Farmer’s Market or on the side of the road. Mmmm, bannock!) mrbannock.com
If you know of other local indigenous businesses please send me a message, I’d love to check more out!
So how did I go from a baton-carrying badass to a tiny cafe owner-to-be? As much I appreciated my career in Corrections, my heart grew beyond the boundaries of the job. I cared more about the humans we called “inmates” than I did about any policy or my pay cheque. That realization was what took me from working within the institution to working in the community. But still, I longed for something more. I dreamed of bringing the good wolf concept into fruition. My plan is to be much more than a cafe. Through social media and this blog, I’d like to share with you all how I choose to “feed my good wolf” each day. I want to share positivity with the world. We will be incorporating donations into our sales structure. We will feature different charities, causes, and non-profit organizations to support every month. In the beginning, it will be only myself and my (amazing, supportive, beautiful) Mom working the cafe, however, in time if we need additional support I would like to focus on hiring people with barriers to employment, as well as youth interested in careers in entrepreneurship.
I want the Good Wolf to become a valued part of the community. Somewhere you can go not only for great coffee and tasty food, but also to feed your good wolf by supporting local business and donating to a worthy cause.
Thanks for reading along friends!
Be kind, take care, and feed your good wolf!
Jerrica