🎙️ I Love Kelowna

Geri Pauls Co-Executive Director & Classroom Facilitator at Karis Support Society, worked in the oil and gas industry in Edmonton for six years and then went on to have five children that have now given her nine grand babies!  Geri is very involved with her church in Kelowna and has also worked within her husband’s business.

Geri began her career at Karis eight years ago as a Client Support Worker (CSW) at one of the homes prior to the consolidation at the new building.  Once operations began in the new space, she became one of the Classroom Facilitators which she continues to teach 3 times/week. 

In her primary role of Co-Executive Director, Geri is responsible for overseeing programing and development of partnerships in the community to offer a wide range of activities and workshops for the women in our recovery program. 

Geri’s inspiration for her work at Karis is described in her own words … “When someone gets an “ah-ha!” - when they come to understand something they haven’t understood before and it gives them the motivation to whole heartedly pursue recovery.”

She goes on to say, “I love human connection. Gaining the ability to really go deep and have real connection. They are amazing human beings that have had incredible experiences that most of us have not. Often their perspective is that their experiences make them ‘bad’ or not worth it, but in my opinion, it’s what makes them unique and incredible. The key is mining out that incredibleness that’s already inside them, because it doesn’t need to be recreated!”

“It’s important to understand the severe trauma that have gone on in these women’s lives that have got them to where they are. At Karis, we embrace the community supports and resources, because it is only through collaboration with other resources and organizations in the community that we, as a collective, can offer our women the essential support they need. We don’t have all the answers, and we truly do need each other!”

As a passionate leader of the Karis team, Geri continues to be motivated to play her part of changing the stigma around addiction!

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Scott Nystrom  The Nourished Chef is passionate about food. The romance of a crisp baguette, the backstory of the ingredients, the taste of the seasons. As a locavore chef, Scott celebrates Okanagan farmers and artisans on his menus, bringing the finest heirloom organic vegetables and ethically raised meats to his dinner parties, taco feasts, and grazing boards.

As a registered holistic nutritionist, Scott is well versed in diverse food styles and crafts personalized menus to please the palates and dietary restrictions of his guests. His contagious passion for food is inspiring and your can taste the love he puts into each mug of bone broth soup, jar of pickles or ferments, or his plant-based cheesecakes.

Scott loves to collaborate with fellow foodies to create culinary magic, share food wisdom, and spread edible wellness. Follow him on instagram @edible.wellness

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Jennelle McGuire thrives on being surrounded by beautiful artwork. She had always dreamed of having her own business, so owning and operating Karmyc Bazaar for the past three years has truly been a dream come true! 

Karmyc Bazaar is a small arts & treasures shop located in Downtown Kelowna. Jennelle collaborates with over 90 Canadian Artists from British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick and Ontario currently. 

You’re likely to find Jennelle hanging out in her gallery spreading her mission to Reconnect ~ Get inspired, reading creepy stories, working on her poetry book, exploring the gorgeous trails by her home, supporting the local businesses in the Okanagan, or snuggling her adorable pug, Chloe. 

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Regina Leung is a Holistic Wellness Practitioner / Metaphysical Energy Healer / Reiki Master Teacher Practitioner / Intuitive Counsellor / Life Purpose Transformation Coach / Psychic Angel Card Reader.

Regina’s passion for healing others and deep appreciation for complimentary and alternative therapies led her to a career in Holistic Energy Healing, Life Coaching and Intuitive Counselling.  She holds a B.A. in Psychology and has extensive training and experience in various forms of counselling.  Her work sees a combination of her insights and intuition, in conjunction with multiple modalities including Usui Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Access Consciousness Bars, Shamanic Healing, Numerology, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction meditation (MBSR), Breath work, and Healing Massage.

Regina honors the unique needs of each individual, she holds a safe space to facilitate their process of self-awareness, personal growth, discovery and transformation.  Equal emphasis is placed on the Mental, Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual aspects of each client.  Regina acts as a vessel to remove energy blockages, re-balance the chakras, and enhance the flow of Life Force Energy to facilitate the person's natural Self-Healing process, to balance and harmonize the Mind-Body-Spirit. 
 
Her clients report Wholistic experiences of deep relaxation, stress reduction, pain relief, accelerated injury recovery and a sense of rejuvenation and general well-being.  Under her guidance, they navigate swiftly through their journey of Self-discovery to Self-Mastery, rediscovering their Life Passion and Soul Purpose, and reconnecting with the magnificence of their True Light and Love within.  

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Nikki Hunter wants to live in a world where people ditch small talk, chocolate appears on demand and black clothing has the power to repel pet hair.

As a beauty coach, Nikki guides women to  discover a holistic lifestyle inclusive of sustainable beauty practices and consciously created products as part of overall wellness. 

After 25 years as an esthetician, award-winning makeup artist, and educator in the luxury beauty industry, Nikki knows a few things about how physical and mental health impact self image and the power and liberation found in proclaiming beauty. Her personal and professional evolution found her questioning the ethics and sustainability practices of the beauty industry. Her passion for facilitating wellness challenged her to open The Green Vanity Holistic Beauty Lounge in 2015. 

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Kevin Kishor has been in Leadership positions for most of his life. Growing organizations and helping people realize their purpose through Coaching has also played a major role in everything he does. Kevin is University Graduate Level Educated yet has a diverse background in both Work and Volunteer Experience. From voluntarily sitting as VP on the Board of an almost 10 million-dollar Housing Project at age 18 to being a Business Owner and a Director in the Non-Profit/Charitable Sector for 15 years, Kevin’s Management skills have been well cultivated in all areas.

Kevin also has a passion for People and his Personal Network is a reflection of this spanning all types of industries and locations. This is due in large part to his passion for serving the Community. Kevin loves to be involved in Local Cultural Movements, Events and has a long history of Coaching Youth Sports wherever he has lived.

Check out Kevin's great book, Chocolate Covered French Fries: A Recipe for Any Relationship

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Brenda Dureault can be found outside most days working on a farm she has built from the ground up called Curly Frog Farm.  With a passion for growing trees, she has been transforming a low lying, flood prone piece of land into an innovative, thriving eco-wonderland.

Curly Frog Farm is an agricultural initiative that supports both farmland and wetland in the beautiful Okanagan Valley flatlands since 2000.

Curly Frog Farm has several species of hardwood trees inter-planted with conifers and fruit trees based on principles and innovative practices such as sustainability and agroforestry. Nut species such as black walnut, English walnut, trazels, and yellow horn are planted for their timber value as well as for biodiversity, food and wildlife. Among the nut trees are Christmas trees, mulberry and paw paw fruit trees, herbs, black raspberries, vegetables and flowers.

In an effort to work with Mother Nature and increased flooding, Curly Frog Farm partnered with BC Wildlife Federation and developed Chinampas, thus creating wetlands by excavating channels in high water table soils and piling into long growing mounds creating more productive farmland. A win/win situation for the farmer and the environment! For more information on preserving and restoring wetlands, click here.

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We had an exciting and lively conversation with Candace Chisolm, CEO and co-Founder of HeChangedIt, a platform for men's mental health. Fitness redefined for the mental, emotional, physical, social and soulful wellbeing of every man.

Candace says, "As a huge proponent of change, bringing HEchangedit to the world is exhilarating and rewarding. Having worked for many years as a CCO in developing  a women’s and children's start up nonprofit, I worked hands on  growing user base, programs, resources and awareness, and saw the positive impact it made. So with that,  I look forward to bringing technology and innovation to men’s health, a deeply underserved market. It’s time we came together and really make change happen!"

HEchangedit is a  judgement free peer to peer exchange platform that men can access personally, or through an anonymous toggle. They can use their story to help someone through a rough time: a job change, family issues, thoughts, loneliness. In return, engage other’s expertise in areas that interest them: Personal development, entrepreneurship, relationships…anything really that can help you advance in life. Bring what they know, take what they need. Gender-based solutions leveraging technology to bring about real change. 

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Ginny Becker is all about Relationships. In a single word this is her true professional passion. Her career to date has been a unique and exciting combination of: professional sales, corporate event management, marketing, leadership and project management. 

The common denominator in all of these opportunities has been Ginny's dedication to building strong professional relationships founded on integrity, trust and commitment to common goals. She prides herself on being an engaged and effective communicator and she believes strongly that big things can come from purposeful collaboration. 

A current priority project is the development of the Child Advocacy Centre of Kelowna

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This was a difficult but I think extremely important conversation on a very uncomfortable topic, that I had with Michelle Bulriss, an advocate and kids' book author from Tempe, AZ. Michelle and I discussed a book called The Slave Across the Street by Teresa Flores, and Michelle's own experience with and recovery from childhood abuse.

Michelle Bulriss is extremely passionate about learning, non-profits, and working with children. During her undergraduate studies, she ran two non-profit organizations: one for fair trade art and one for recycling. She also held five jobs and an internship at a human trafficking protection law firm project while in college. After graduating early, she obtained her master’s degree is in Nonprofit Leadership and Management. It hasn't always been smooth sailing though. Bulriss is a survivor of abuse, rape, and now PTSD. She used these experiences to grow stronger and is now an activist who works hard to create a better future for children everywhere.

Bulriss is an expert in early childhood education, owns a business focused on helping children learn empathy, and does everything she can to help others. Bulriss is a one of a kind children's author/illustrator who teaches elementary school students as well as college students at GCU. Her book, "Sock Lobsters," is critically acclaimed by child therapists, teachers, parents, psychologists, book reviews, and professors alike. Bulriss's current goal is to help children learn empathy in order to grow into kind, mindful, and loving adults. She does this as a teacher, author, and artist by using her life experiences to create meaningful tools that can help children as they grow.

Michelle's goal is to help children learn about empathy through her book, Sock Lobsters. Her book helps children understand and discuss the complex emotions associated with grief. So far she's gotten amazing reviews from child therapists, psychologists, teachers, parents, and kids. If you would share Michelle's book as a learning tool, I think I can help a lot more kids.

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