In our latest episode of Wildflowers and Whisky Podcast, Jolene savored a comforting cup of Vanilla Mint Chai while engaging in a heartfelt conversation with Meghan J. Ward, a prominent writer from Banff, and delving into the captivating life of Mary Schäffer Warren, a significant figure in the history of the Rockies during the early 20th century. As Meghan produces her documentary film project, "Wildflowers," she embarks on a journey to retrace the remarkable life story of Mary Schaeffer. However, this adventure goes beyond simply exploring Mary's achievements in the mountains; it also delves into the essence of identity transformation and the art of reinventing oneself in the midst of midlife. 

Correction: Mollie Adams was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut. And it was on a trip to the Kootenay Plains, not Ptarmigan Valley, that she and Schäffer found kindred spirits in each other.

Links:

meghanjoyward.com | @meghanjward

wildflowersfilm.ca | @wildflowers.film  

Enjoy this insightful  conversation with Karina Birch a long time resident of the Canadian Rockies, mother of three, and co-founder and CEO of Rocky Mountain Soap Co. 

Karina shares her perspective on a work/life/parenting balance.

 As a leader in the natural beauty industry, Karina masterfully leads us through her approach to reach peak balance and happiness. 

Through her years of experience, she shares stories about how to manage expectations and build a stable bridge between family and work. 

Her Motto: ''Look for the patterns that have built informal expectations and take the time to unwind them and rebuild.'’ In her quiet moments outside the office, Karina enjoys animal tracking, a fascinating way to stay both grounded and present. 

"Self-care is not about burning yourself out and taking a day to recover… it needs to happen in small moments every day.”⁠ 

Enjoy this candid conversation between Jolene and Karina and be sure to tell us what you've learned and will adopt into your daily rituals in comments. 

 Wildflowers & Whisky is the stories of inspiring women from Banff National Park. Erin craves depth in all things. She loves rigorous asana, deep belly laughs and good conversations. She is a yogi, mother, a writer and investigator of what makes people tick. After succeeding her business degree, her heart yearns for Yoga with intention. Erin offers us a great lesson of how to find our purpose and strike for it, also meaning facing fears and judgments. We end up with a strong woman, free, awake and successful. 

 Wildflowers & Whisky is the stories of inspiring women from Banff National Park. Marie-Eve Marchand is one of these rare and special humans who simply makes the world a better place. 
We are so lucky to have this lady in Banff bringing culture, conservation sciences, communications and policy together for nature. Among many projects, Marie-Eve successfully bought the plains bison back in Banff National Park. She is a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN-WPCA) and received the national Golden Leaf Award for her work on protecting the last undammed river in Southern Quebec. 

Marie-Eve is from Lac-St-Jean, Quebec and lived, studied or worked in Jamaica, United Kingdom, Italy, Cameroon and Colorado, USA. She has a business degree, a Masters in Environmental Sciences. 

rIn the summer of 1976, Lorraine landed her first Banff job as a chamber maid, then as a waitress. She even found a place to live and that felt very lucky. Between 1980 and 2017, she worked for Parks Canada, The Whyte Museum, The Friends of Banff National Park, The Banff Centre, and most recently, as Executive Director at the Banff Canmore Community Foundation. 

Through this loving mother-to-mother conversation, Lorraine enlightens us on how to stay grounded and connected in a busy world, with a busy family, and endless demands around us.

As a big fan of Earl Grey, Loraine steps out of her comfort zone to enjoy our floral Lavender Earl Grey.

In our second Wildflower & Whisky episode, we are honoured to introduce Aurora Claire Borin.

Aurora is a fierce advocate for LGBTQ2S+ folks, regularly speaking with health care providers, businesses, NGOs, and municipal governments about the struggles we face and how to create more inclusive, equitable, and diverse spaces. She is a successful career musician and is acclaimed throughout Calgary and Banff for her abilities as a collaborative pianist and educator.

Aurora lives in Banff, Alberta with her dog Cassie, who is never anything less than perfect. Aurora herself is bi/pansexual and is trans-identifying, though she prefers the label queer. In this episode, Aurora shares with us her secret recipe to discover who you are or who you want to become. 

Aurora and Jolene decide this is a whisky morning which goes wonderfully with their cups of Creamy Earl Grey.  

Enjoy this conversation through video or podcast. 

Friday Mornings at the Tea House.
Jolene Brewster founder of Jolene’s Tea House started her business here in Banff almost 20 years ago.  This hard working local lady found her way to success in this tough mountain town following the path of can-do women who are community leaders, business leaders, artists,  advocates, and mothers always willing to lend a helping hand or share a thread of wisdom.

Originally from the Northwest Territories, Reneltta now calls Banff home. Reneltta shares her view of living in different landscapes, and how they change you.  How living in the mountains forces us to see a reflection of ourselves. Reneltta found her calling as an artist, but her life’s purpose has evolved to supporting Indigenous artists.  She works to creates space,  forging a path forward, and ensuring it is wide enough, warm enough,  for others to follow.