Food, Flow + Fearless Women: Starting Over and Serving with Love

This episode of The Lincoln Local celebrates International Women’s Day with two women entrepreneurs who are helping shape Lincoln — through food, wellness, and community.

First, we sit down with Sharon, owner of Butcher and Banker, who shares the remarkable story behind one of Lincoln’s favourite local restaurants. Along the way, she shares the philosophy behind her menu — comfort food made with intention. Plus, she gives us a sneak peek at the St. Patrick’s Day lineup that will have your heart (and appetite) ready to celebrate.

Then we slow things down.

Jillian, owner of The Yoga Vine Integrated Health Studio and Chair of the Downtown Bench Beamsville BIA, guides us through a simple box breathing exercise that can calm the mind in just four counts. Her story is one of courage, clarity and intention — building a women-led wellness studio rooted in collaboration and community.

If you love stories of grit, generosity, and the everyday moments that build community, pull up a chair and join the conversation.

Businesses Featured in This Episode

Butcher and Banker
4520 Ontario St, Beamsville
butcherandbanker.ca

The Yoga Vine Integrated Health Studio
4973 King St, Beamsville
Instagram: @theyogavine_niagara
theyogavine.ca

Have a topic you want us to cover?
Know a local business or organization we should feature?

Visit SpeakUp Lincoln at
SpeakUpLincoln.ca/Podcast

Thanks & Credits

With support from:

• Niagara Region Economic Development
• The Watering Can
• Second Chance Decor
• Verhoef Electric

Transcript

Welcome to The Lincoln Local

Stephanie Hicks 0:02

Welcome to the Lincoln Local, a brand new podcast from the town of Lincoln. I'm Stephanie Hicks, the town's economic development officer and co-host. I focus on growth, opportunity, and community, helping people stay connected to what's happening and what's next.

Sara Wilde 0:17

And I'm Sara Wilde, the town's creative design and digital media advisor. Behind the camera, behind the design, and now behind the mic as your podcast co-host.

Stephanie Hicks 0:25

This podcast is about the people, stories, and decisions shaping Lincoln. From how municipal services work to the businesses and organizations driving our local economy.

Sara Wilde 0:35

Today on the Lincoln Local, we're sharing a story that truly captures the heart of our community. We're sitting down with Sharon, the inspiring owner of Butcher and Banker, a restaurant that has quickly become a staple here in Lincoln. Sharon's journey didn't start behind a bar or in a kitchen. It started with just $200, a plane ticket, and the courage to begin again in a new country. This is more than a business story. It's a story about belonging, perseverance, and what's possible when you bet on yourself. So let's get into it. Welcome, Sharon.

Sharon 1:04

Thank you.

Stephanie Hicks 1:05

Welcome, Sharon.

Sharon 1:06

Thanks.

Sara Wilde 1:06

Thanks for coming. So take us back to the moment when you first arrived in Canada and from where? What did it feel like stepping off that plane?

Sharon 1:14

Well, it was um June 3rd, 1985. And I remember it was stifling hot. Stifling. And in 85, it was, you know, the real old-fashioned cars. I had never, they weren't old-fashioned to you guys, but to me, I'd never seen a car like it. So the family picked me up. I came over as a nanny. Uh, the people I came to lived in Hamilton, up in the mountain on Upper Ottawa. So I remember them driving me back from the airport, and all I can remember is the stink going over that Skyway bridge.

Sara Wilde 1:53

So true.

Stephanie Hicks 1:54

I thought you were gonna say, like, you know, driving on the different side of the road.

Sharon 1:58

Well, that were too. Oh, but...

Sara Wilde 2:00

Hamilton stench.

Sharon 2:02

The Hamilton was they were so like, I was like, what is with the stink around? But it was all this steel.

Sara Wilde 2:10

Yeah, the industrial area.

Sharon 2:11

We don't we don't smell it anymore. Yeah. But back then is the first thing that sticks in my head the day I arrived.

Stephanie Hicks 2:18

Wow.

Sharon 2:19

Yeah. And I just thought, oh my god, this place is beautiful. But I was in a townhouse on Upper Ottawa, and it's was similar to the kind of house that I came from. Like I was in a 740 square foot house for nine of us.

Sara Wilde 2:34

Oh wow. For nine of you!

Sharon 2:36

Nine of us. You know, five of us in one bedroom, the two boys in the other, and then mom and dad in another one.

Stephanie Hicks 2:42

Right.

Sara Wilde 2:43

Right.

Sharon 2:43

But yeah, the day I arrived was something else. I was 20 years old, so I thought I was very mature. Although I had been working for seven years because I left school when I was 12. That was grade seven, it was high school. I did one year of high school, and the school decided they didn't want me there anymore. So they expelled me.

Stephanie Hicks 3:03

Oh my gosh.

Sharon 3:04

Yeah. Yeah. So I that was in the June. And then when I turned 13 in December, I worked, I went into a grocery store and I worked there till I was 20. And that was in Ireland. In Ireland, just in a town outside where I'm from.

Stephanie Hicks 3:19

W ow.

Sharon 3:20

Yeah, seven years. My dad had passed away when I was 18. And uh I was very close to my dad. I just thought, ah, yeah, there's I gotta get out of here. So I wrote my own references in the March and got accepted, and I was here on June 3rd.

Sara Wilde 3:38

That takes a lot of courage to do that. Yeah, that's amazing.

Sharon 3:42

Well, I gave myself six months and 40 years later.

From Nanny To Pub Partner

Stephanie Hicks 3:46

Right?

Sara Wilde 3:47

Here you still are. Thriving. How did you get that nanny position?

Stephanie Hicks 3:52

Yes, I was gonna say there was no like there you didn't just go on Indeed, Sharon.

Sharon 3:56

Yeah, exactly. My mom had told me someone she was working with, her daughter was in Canada as a nanny, so she got me the address of the agency to come to. Now, I did only stay with that family for six weeks. I had a lot of pivotal moments in my journey in Canada. So this I'd stop with and talk to this lady. She said to me, Oh, you must be the nanny around the corner. I said to her, What is that in your window? And it was a block parent. Do you know anything about block parents?

Stephanie Hicks 4:28

I used a block parent when I was in grade two because a dog was chasing me.

Sharon 4:33

Okay.

Stephanie Hicks 4:34

So I know exactly what a block was.

Sharon 4:36

So she told me. So she told me what it was, and she says, You know, it's for people if they're in trouble, that uh it's a safe place to come. So six weeks into my journey into Canada, they had a fight. So I left and went to that lady's house. So she kept me in her house for three weeks and took me for another interview with a different agency, and I ended up in Burlington.

Stephanie Hicks 5:00

Okay. So we went Hamilton to Burlington.

Sharon 5:03

To Burlington.

Sara Wilde 5:04

Back over the stenchy Skyway.

Sharon 5:07

Every week for a year, because her husband picked me up every Friday to stay the weekend at their house.

Sara Wilde 5:14

Wow.

Stephanie Hicks 5:15

And so how did you end up in Lincoln?

Sharon 5:18

In Lincoln. So while I was a nanny in Burlington, I worked in a pub. And that was because it was my social life, right? So I was there kind of every night, and the owner said, Why don't you just end up working for me, Sharon? You know everybody here anyway. So, anyway, with that, then you know, after I got married and moved on, I became a partner for the Winchester Arms in Grimsby. So I was there for 12 years. And after that, I went to work in finance. And I didn't like it. You have to be really nice to people. And you kind of couldn't shoot, you know, you couldn't have a laugh with people. They're just very serious about their money. So we opened so so 17 years ago uh in 2008, we got the building. We were kind of a little skeptical because of the crash 2008. So we opened uh March 9th, 2009, and that's how we ended up in Lincoln.

Finding Lincoln & Opening a Restaurant

Loneliness, Resilience & Starting Over

Stephanie Hicks 6:16

Wow. That is that is quite the the traveling. Yeah. And I what was the hardest part about starting over?

Sharon 6:25

In Canada?

Stephanie Hicks 6:26

Yes.

Sharon 6:26

The hardest part was the loneliness, because I'm a social. Like I was out all the time, and I worked in the grocery store, so I knew like I was on the tills in the grocery store, and um, you know, I hung out with all the butchers, and we went out every weekend. So I was out a lot, and for the first year, other than that family in Hamilton, I didn't know anybody. So I'd go to the mall and I'd just sit in the mall and I'd look for people to just say, I have to know somebody. And I didn't know anybody. So it was really lonely. I didn't know if I would stay or not.

Stephanie Hicks 7:01

Wow.

Sharon 7:01

Yeah, it was very, very...

Sara Wilde 7:03

The isolation ...

Sharon 7:04

The isolation and loneliness. Although the family I was with, you know, it was kind of weird. They were a couple when I first went to them, they had one child, Robert, and then two months later they had Laura, then 18 months later they had Christine, and then 18 months later they had Allie. So I had four kids under six that I was their nanny. And their children now call me nanny Granny.

Stephanie Hicks 7:30

Oh, that is that's incredible. And I don't even I mean maybe almost a blessing that you had four children because it kind of filled the void on the loneliness. Yeah.

Sara Wilde 7:44

So beyond the isolation then, what kept you going when things felt uncertain, like being isolated? What kept you going?

Sharon 7:51

The family were were just so so good to me.

Sara Wilde 7:54

Yeah.

Sharon 7:54

You know, they enrolled me back in school. And they took me one time and said, Sharon, we have a new nanny coming tomorrow. And I was like, And they said we've enrolled you back in school full time. You can live here for free and just get your education. Well, I didn't last long in the school because the nanny wasn't very good. So...

Sara Wilde 8:16

They're like, come back to us.

Sharon 8:18

So I fired her.

Sara Wilde 8:19

Oh wow.

Stephanie Hicks 8:20

Oh, you had...

Sara Wilde 8:21

You fired her.

Stephanie Hicks 8:22

Nanny granny.

Sharon 8:24

At one point we had three nannies living in the house at the same time because they wouldn't put them out on the street.

Sara Wilde 8:30

Right.

Stephanie Hicks 8:30

They sound like incredible people though.

Sharon 8:33

They are amazing people. Yeah. Two doctors in Burlington, and now we have five doctors in the family. Because two of the kids are doctors, mom and dad are doctors, and one of the husbands is doctor. So yeah, it's it's...

Stephanie Hicks 8:45

Yeah sometimes it takes like there's a pivotal moment in your life where people step in and kind of put you on that path.

Sharon 8:52

They were just my support through they were my family here and still are.

Stephanie Hicks 9:00

Right. How often did you get to go back to Ireland?

Sharon 9:03

Uh in the beginning I didn't go back a lot because I I didn't have the money. It was very expensive to go back back then. Uh now I get back three times a year.

Stephanie Hicks 9:11

Nice.

Sharon 9:12

Yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 9:12

And is all your Irish family still in Ireland?

Sharon 9:16

Um uh from twenty-two to twenty-four I lost two of my sisters.

Stephanie Hicks 9:21

Oh I'm sorry.

Sharon 9:22

One was fifty-three, one was sixty-three. Um not long after my dad died, um, I lost another sister who was twenty-eight.

Sara Wilde 9:30

Oh my god.

Sharon 9:31

From like a blood transfusion. She got hepatitis from it back in the day. Which was the same thing with my dad, blood transfusion.

Sara Wilde 9:39

That's sad. I'm sorry.

Sharon 9:41

So I don't know, but it's life, right? It is life. It brings it it was what made me who I am.

Sara Wilde 9:47

Yeah.

Sharon 9:48

You know?

Sara Wilde 9:48

That's very true.

Sharon 9:49

Yeah. Yeah.

Becoming a Restaurant Owner

Stephanie Hicks 9:50

Was there a point where you knew that you wanted to own your own restaurant, or did opportunity just arise?

Sharon 9:56

Opportunity, um, when uh after I got married, uh, we moved to Dundas from Burlington.

Stephanie Hicks 10:02

Okay.

Sharon 10:03

And uh Rick Paddock had a pub there called the Winchester Arms. He was just opening it. And then I applied for a job there and um because I had worked at another Winchester in Burlington. So it was handy to have it right where I was living. So two years after that, him and his business partner were thinking of opening one in Grimsby. So I said, you know, I could be a partner and go down there. I always like to know more than the person that I'm working for, computer-wise,

Sara Wilde 10:33

I love that.

Sharon 10:34

business-wise.

Stephanie Hicks 10:35

Very smart woman, you are.

Sharon 10:36

So I like always be ahead ahead of them. So I that's I went in as a 10% owner in the Grimsby one. It was 2008 when we were opening this. So I only had enough money for 20% for the pub here in Lincoln. Yeah.

Food Memories & Irish Roots

Stephanie Hicks 10:56

And was food always a part of growing up?

Sharon 11:00

For us, it was always um, well, it was always meat and potatoes. Yeah, there was everything. Potatoes were.

Stephanie Hicks 11:08

Wee Irish way.

Sharon 11:09

Yeah, exactly. So potatoes and bread was always, you know, part of our life. We'd, you know, when dad would go out if he was going for a drink on a Sunday night, we'd go, Are you bringing anything in? Which meant bring in fish and chips. And even if we were in bed, they'd wake us up and give us a little sauce with a few chips on it. Like they'd literally wake us up. And you know, if we were just snackish, we'd make a pan of French fries, homemade fries, with with like five slices of bread and butter, and you'd make sandwiches. Right. That's what we grew up on pretty much. Food tends to hold memories. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

Sara Wilde 11:48

I think if you ask anybody that, it does. Yeah.

Sharon 11:50

And if Dad didn't have any money to bring in fish and chips, he'd say, stick a chicken in the oven and put some roasties in. Because we always we went through about 70 pounds of potatoes.

Stephanie Hicks 12:01

Right. Right.

Sara Wilde 12:02

Especially with that many kids.

Sharon 12:03

Well, we'd buy them in the sack. Yeah. Right. So we just put like 30 roast potatoes in around the chicken and we'd have that before we went to bed.

The Famous Butcher and Banker Fries

Stephanie Hicks 12:10

So I do have to mention that the fries at Butcher and Banker are so I need to know the back story of these. And I'm asking this I I really am asking this for a reason. And when our director of economic development listens to this, he'll know exactly why I'm asking, because they're his favourite part as well. And whenever you're having a business meeting at Butcher and Banker, it doesn't matter what you're getting because you you can both get a menu item, but there has to be like table fries because you have the best like...

Sharon 12:38

Oh, I know that. There's always a basket in the middle of the table.

Stephanie Hicks 12:41

Right. So...

Sharon 12:42

With their salad.

Stephanie Hicks 12:43

Yeah.

Sara Wilde 12:45

The salad does not get touched.

Stephanie Hicks 12:47

Sharon knows everything.

Sharon 12:50

I know my customers. I know what they like.

Stephanie Hicks 12:52

Right? So the the plea is first, never change the fries.

Sharon 12:55

Yes. No.

Stephanie Hicks 12:57

But is there a story behind specifically why you have that style?

Sharon 13:01

I like that style because um they're crispy. Um they're very floury inside, which is how a French fry should be or a chip should be, right? And they're consistent.

Stephanie Hicks 13:14

Yes.

Sharon 13:15

They're very consistent. Our customers go mad when we're shorted. And we have to go and take a different fry.

Sara Wilde 13:23

Oh no.

Sharon 13:24

Right? Like I opened another pub back in October. No, I didn't open it, I took it over. Um and they had other fries, and I said, No, we gotta have the same fries as what we have at the Butcher and Banker.

Stephanie Hicks 13:36

Yes, I I feel like I side with the customer there where I would also be like, What is this?

Sharon 13:41

Yeah, exactly.

Stephanie Hicks 13:42

I mean, I love a fry in general.

Sharon 13:44

Yes, I know.

Stephanie Hicks 13:45

I haven't yet ...

Sharon 13:46

People say to me, What are your salads like? And I go, Do I look like I eat salads?

Sara Wilde 13:51

You have the same type of humour that I do. Because I would say the same thing.

Sharon 13:55

I say the same thing. I love that. And you know, my problem is with those French fries, is when I'm really hungry, they I say to the guys, just give me 12 fries and three slices of bread. That's my dinner for the day. Three sandwiches.

Stephanie Hicks 14:08

I can see that. I love that.

Sharon 14:09

Yeah, the HP sauce.

Stephanie Hicks 14:10

Oh, I love HP sauce.

Sharon 14:12

Yeah, just a chip sandwich. You've got to have one next time we're at the pub.

Stephanie Hicks 14:14

Oh, I'm going to.

Sara Wilde 14:16

My stomach is like.

Stephanie Hicks 14:19

We are recording this over lunchtime.

Sara Wilde 14:21

Yeah. I do have to rewind a bit. So these fries, I've never been.

Stephanie Hicks 14:25

Oh my god.

Sharon 14:25

You've never been the pub?

Sara Wilde 14:28

I need to go. I know. I'm going to.

Stephanie Hicks 14:30

I just deflated. Did you see that?

Sara Wilde 14:32

I know, you are like... so what type of fries are they? Are they like the wedge cut? Are they...

Sharon 14:35

They are 9-8's.

Sara Wilde 14:38

Oh.

Stephanie Hicks 14:39

Almost like a beef eater.

Sharon 14:40

Yeah, it's a 9-8 cut. The potatoes are from PEI.

Sara Wilde 14:44

Yeah.

Sharon 14:45

Yeah, they're they're they're very, very good.

Stephanie Hicks 14:48

But they are like the crisp on the outside and the fluffy on the inside. The crisp and the fluff, like the ratio and then salt is perfection.

Sharon 14:56

It's perfect.

Sara Wilde 14:57

I get made fun of in my family for this, so I have to ask this question if you're gonna put a topping on your french fries, choice of vinegar, what...

Sharon 15:06

Brown. Malt vinegar.

Sara Wilde 15:08

Yeah, see.

Sharon 15:08

You put white.

Sara Wilde 15:10

And everyone's like, why do you put cleaning supply on your French fries? I know. Yeah, it's...

Sharon 15:19

Well, because I like to clean me glasses.

Sara Wilde 15:22

Exactly. That's the excuse I can give. But yeah, every because everyone else in my family uses malt. And I'm like, I need my cleaning supply.

Sharon 15:31

Yeah, yeah. I haven't heard it used as that, but yeah, it is true.

Sara Wilde 15:35

It is true, right?

Sharon 15:36

Yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 15:36

Well, my list of things I need to introduce you to or change, Sara, is actively growing as we continue to host this podcast together.

Sara Wilde 15:44

Yeah. It really has. Okay, so besides the crash of uh like 2008, right? Uh what was the biggest obstacle from opening your restaurant?

Sharon 15:54

The biggest obstacle with opening any restaurant, I think, is is is staff.

Sara Wilde 16:00

Oh, yes.

Sharon 16:01

Uh the front of the house, you every restaurant tends to have it's an easy transition because to serve people is easy. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Um you although you can't teach personality, that's the only thing. I wish we could teach personality.

Sara Wilde 16:19

Yeah, I agree.

Stephanie Hicks 16:20

I do as well.

Stephanie Hicks 16:21

There is, yeah. Because there's a certain way that people like to be treated.

Sara Wilde 16:27

Definitely.

Sharon 16:28

Right. And I see it everywhere. You know, if you've got children and uh, you know, the the kids think you're like a mind reader. You know, if you're there and someone goes, Mason, tell the lady what you would like, and the child's kind of shy, and he tells you anyway. And when you serve them, you go, There you go, Mason, there's your there's your lunch, and they're like, How does she know my name?

Sara Wilde 16:51

Because you remember that little detail.

Sharon 16:53

Because they're just the little details that a server should always do, but they don't always do that. But the hardest obstacle is your kitchen.

Sara Wilde 17:01

Yeah.

Sharon 17:03

They're a different breed.

Stephanie Hicks 17:06

It's a stressful area.

Sara Wilde 17:08

I would say I've never worked in a kitchen.

Sharon 17:10

I've worked in it. Yeah, I've called the line.

Sara Wilde 17:13

It's yes.

Sharon 17:14

The front of the house don't realize how tough it is. And they're the guys that don't make as much as the ones in the front. But they actually work longer on a table than the server does.

Sara Wilde 17:27

That makes sense, yeah.

Sharon 17:28

It's the creating the meals and yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 17:30

And it's and it's very stressful, but we have a great team of staff and we've had them all from pre-COVID.

Sara Wilde 17:38

Wow.

Stephanie Hicks 17:39

Good for you.

Sharon 17:40

Yeah. We've had them all from pre-COVID. It's it's it's really it's really nice to have them.

Women in Business & Community Impact

Sara Wilde 17:46

Yeah. It's like your own little family there. What does being a women business owner in Lincoln mean to you then?

Sharon 17:53

I I like it. I love it actually. Pre-COVID, it was it was so easy for us to raise money within the pub for community care. That's my that's my go-to. It's just nice in in our business, for me especially, to give back. You know. And the town of Lincoln is is they're just amazing. And just the people of Lincoln are just honestly amazing.

Stephanie Hicks 18:20

We agree.

Sara Wilde 18:21

Yeah.

Sharon 18:21

They honestly are amazing. From the flower growers who have been our bread and butter for since day one. And you know, I've I've watched kids grow up. I had I have one uh girl that comes in occasionally for her birthday over the years, and she likes to come there because when she was born, I I I held her for the whole time as a couple of weeks old baby while her parents were able to eat their dinner.

Stephanie Hicks 18:51

So her parents could have a warm dinner.

Sharon 18:53

So they could have their dinner. Yeah, a warm dinner, exactly.

Sara Wilde 18:56

Okay, but listen to this story right now. You came here as a nanny, and it's like you're a nanny of the Town of Lincoln!

Sharon 19:04

The thing is, people call me the child whisperer. So when kids are crying at the pub, I take them and I can soothe them so that uh the parents can sit and have their food.

Sara Wilde 19:14

Okay, I love that. She's a nanny still at heart.

Stephanie Hicks 19:17

Right?

Sharon 19:18

Oh, yes. Yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 19:21

I can't believe you came here with $200.

Sharon 19:25

Yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 19:25

And the goal is to be a nanny, and you're still a nanny. We've we've determined you are you are the nanny granny of the town of Lincoln.

Sharon 19:32

Yeah, yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 19:32

Uh, and to the diners at your place, to to where you are today.

Sharon 19:36

Yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 19:36

What role do you think that small businesses play in shaping a town like ours?

Sharon 19:40

I think every small business is important to every little town. I really, I really believe that. And I try to support local all the time. This town has been just incredible to the small businesses in this town. And the people that support it is is why we are where we are today.

Stephanie Hicks 20:03

I believe it. Small businesses they are the heartbeat of any town.

Sharon 20:07

Oh, yeah, exactly.

Stephanie Hicks 20:09

It's it's how the community is built for sure.

Sharon 20:12

Yeah.

Quick Fire Round with Sharon

Sara Wilde 20:12

We're doing a this or that question. It's our quick fire round.

Sharon 20:16

Okay.

Sara Wilde 20:16

So the first word that pops in your head when I give you a couple words or a sentence or whatever, you're gonna give it to me. All right. Okay. What is your favorite drink? Hot or cold, alcoholic or not?

Sharon 20:28

Cold, it's water.

Sara Wilde 20:30

That's good. We need to drink more water on each other all the time.

Stephanie Hicks 20:34

With ice?

Sharon 20:35

With if you ever see me at the pub, I will have a jug filled to the brim with ice water.

Stephanie Hicks 20:42

Do you just drink from the jug?

Sharon 20:43

From the jug.

Stephanie Hicks 20:44

You're my hero. You are my hero.

Sara Wilde 20:47

That is amazing. I can I have to do ice. I cannot live without. Yeah.

Sharon 20:52

Love it.

Sara Wilde 20:52

And I love that you drink out of a jug. Really?

Stephanie Hicks 20:54

Yes. I'm a room temp.

Sharon 20:56

Oh no.

Stephanie Hicks 20:56

I do actually drink a lot of water. Yeah, I do.

Sara Wilde 20:59

She's good. I need to drink water.

Sharon 21:01

I absolutely love water.

Sara Wilde 21:03

Yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 21:04

Good. That's great.

Sharon 21:05

Yeah. If I drink alcohol, it's not very often, unless I'm on vacation.

Sara Wilde 21:09

Yeah.

Sharon 21:09

I like Guinness.

Sara Wilde 21:12

Represent.

Stephanie Hicks 21:13

The beer that choose.

Sharon 21:14

Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. It's actually very light. It's not gassy at all. It doesn't fill you up.

Stephanie Hicks 21:19

Interesting.

Sharon 21:20

People have a misconception of Guinness.

Stephanie Hicks 21:22

I am people.

Sara Wilde 21:25

I am also people. Yeah.

Sharon 21:28

It's amazing.

Sara Wilde 21:29

Ice water and Guinness. Okay. A dish you're most proud of.

Sharon 21:33

Our spinach dip. I don't know if you ever have tasted it, but

Stephanie Hicks 21:37

I'm pretty sure I have Sharon.

Sharon 21:39

It's my recipe from way, way back. And it's better than any spinach dip I've had anywhere. And a lot of people say the same thing.

Sara Wilde 21:49

I think I know what I'm doing for dinner today.

Stephanie Hicks 21:50

Right? Like, listen, we're going for some spin dip. We're going some for some butcher and banker fries. We're gonna have a Guinness. This is our dinner.

Sharon 22:00

Jug of water. If you say can have some water, they'll go. They've been around Sharon. Water.

Sara Wilde 22:09

That's how my daughter says it. She does that because she does that all the time. A bottle of water. That's what she says. One ingredient you can't live without.

Sharon 22:18

Garlic.

Sara Wilde 22:19

Oh, I agree with that.

Sharon 22:20

Love, love, love garlic.

Sara Wilde 22:22

Yeah. Favorite dessert?

Sharon 22:24

Apple pie and ice cream. I was on a cruise two weeks ago and I had seven of them.

Sara Wilde 22:30

And how long was the cruise? Wait, it was a seven.

Sharon 22:33

Seven nights.

Sara Wilde 22:33

Okay.

Sharon 22:35

Along with a couple of Crème Brûlée.

Stephanie Hicks 22:37

Oh yeah. Yeah.

Sharon 22:38

Love, love apple piece.

Stephanie Hicks 22:40

I would have too. So are you more of a savory or sweet person in general?

Sharon 22:44

Uh sweet. Although I don't like Canadian chocolate.

Stephanie Hicks 22:49

No, because Irish chocolate is way better.

Sharon 22:52

The best.

Stephanie Hicks 22:53

So when my grandma returns from Ireland, she returns with um like

Sharon 22:58

Does she bring crisps?

Stephanie Hicks 22:59

She brings flakies. Like the...

Sharon 23:01

Flakes.

Stephanie Hicks 23:02

Sorry, flakes in the yellow wrapper and buttons.

Sharon 23:05

Buttons are great.

Stephanie Hicks 23:06

Buttons are great.

Sharon 23:07

They're called buttons.

Stephanie Hicks 23:08

Buttons. She's going to be so proud of me. She's going to listen to this...

Sharon 23:13

No, she'd say buttons.

Stephanie Hicks 23:15

Oh, you're right. She's she's northern, so she'd be buttons. I can't do it. I can't do it. Okay, continue. But it's true. Yeah. Chocolate there is so...

Sharon 23:25

I bring a suitcase back of chocolate, all different crunchies. We've got lots of different chocolate at home. And Tayto. Have you ever had a bag of crisps?

Stephanie Hicks 23:34

No.

Sharon 23:35

You've never had Tayto.

Sara Wilde 23:36

Tayto. Is that like a short form of potato?

Sharon 23:39

No. Tatyo is the name of the Irish crisps.

Sara Wilde 23:42

Okay.

Stephanie Hicks 23:42

Okay.

Sharon 23:43

They're amazing. They're all my grandkids eat. And they're only five and three.

Stephanie Hicks 23:48

That's fantastic.

Sharon 23:49

I went in the cruise. My friend from Ireland came. She brought me four big large bags for the kids.

Stephanie Hicks 23:54

Are you going before Easter at all? I mean, I'm asking for a reason. I saw on social media, and it's not here yet, unless someone can prove me wrong, that they have Cadbury cream eggs full of biscoff.

Sharon 24:07

Uh-huh.

Stephanie Hicks 24:08

Okay, you're like...

Sharon 24:09

I could probably have some sent over.

Stephanie Hicks 24:10

You can confirm.

Sharon 24:11

I know somebody.

Sara Wilde 24:12

Yes. And she's got people.

Stephanie Hicks 24:14

Cream eggs are my number one favourite, but then you fill that with biscoff.

Sharon 24:18

But do you put them in the fridge?

Stephanie Hicks 24:19

Freezer.

Sharon 24:20

All the chocolate has to come from the fridge.

Sara Wilde 24:22

Yes.

Sharon 24:23

Or freezer.

Stephanie Hicks 24:24

Or freezer. Absolutely.

Sharon 24:26

Yeah.

Sara Wilde 24:27

Guys, stop. My mouth's watering. Favourite hidden gem in Lincoln. I'm switching it up because I'm getting too hungry.

Sharon 24:32

It is Fielding. Winery.

Sara Wilde 24:35

Shout out to Heidi and Curtis.

Sharon 24:38

Yes. And they're big supporters of ours too. We sell their wine as well. So...

Stephanie Hicks 24:43

Excellent.

Sharon 24:43

But that is it's it's an amazing place. They've done an amazing job with the domes and everything in the wintertime and stuff. It's just a great place to go. It's great vibe.

Sara Wilde 24:54

Yeah. You'll have to listen to the Valentine's Day segment.

Sharon 24:56

I will.

Sara Wilde 24:57

Yeah.

Sharon 24:57

For sure.

Stephanie Hicks 24:58

Yeah, you will love it.

Sharon 24:59

Yeah. I'm a podcaster all the time. That's all I listen to.

Stephanie Hicks 25:04

Perfect.

Sara Wilde 25:04

Add us, subscribe to us.

Stephanie Hicks 25:06

Put us in your subscription list.

Sara Wilde 25:09

Yeah. But before we wrap up, we're gonna close things off, I think, with Shicks over here.

Stephanie Hicks 25:14

Yeah. So when you look back at the woman who arrived with $200, what would you say to her today?

Sharon 25:20

I would say to take every opportunity that's handed to you and to just to just go for it. You know, every time someone says you can't do something, I like to prove them wrong. Which I've done to most people back home.

Stephanie Hicks 25:46

That's beautiful. It really is. It's such a great reflection. I know. I feel like swallowing the lump in my throat as you're talking.

Talk of the Town Tea: St. Patrick’s Day at Butcher and Banker

Sara Wilde 25:55

Oh now, before we let you go, so this is your moment to what's brewing at the Butcher and Banker. This is our talk of the town tea. And so we want to know what's brewing.

Sharon 26:09

What's brewing is St. Patrick's Day. So during the day, we start off with our lamb stew and tea biscuits. That's one of our specials. Our other one is a Guinness pie. Guinness and mushroom pie.

Stephanie Hicks 26:20

I have had Guinness pie.

Sharon 26:22

Yes, it's it's very good. It's very good. Our Guinness and mushroom pie is um will go come with uh boiled potatoes, because you have to have boiled potatoes, and then we have corned beef and cabbage, which is which was my Thursday dinner every Thursday growing up. Was always corned beef and cabbage.

Sara Wilde 26:41

So is this just happening on St. Patrick's Day? Yeah.

Sharon 26:44

Okay. Yeah. So that'll be our they will be our three specials, our food specials for the day. And then, of course, we have tons of Guinness, tons of Carlsberg, all that we have a DJ, which um is fabulous because he plays all Irish music for the first three hours, and then everyone wants regular music to dance to for the rest of the month. They get a little tired. Yeah. They get a little tired of jumping up and down and cocking their legs up in the air and stuff like that. And then they probably fall down. Right. Yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 27:19

St. Patrick's Day is a week today. Everyone, mark your calendars. And what time do the festivities kind of kick off at the Butcher?

Sharon 27:27

Around six.

Stephanie Hicks 27:28

Around six p.m.

Sara Wilde 27:29

Should we make reservations? Would that be a good idea?

Sharon 27:32

Uh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We don't take many. Just you know, people that are coming in, they relatively stay for the night.

Stephanie Hicks 27:41

Yeah. So you're closing them. Kicking them out. They shut the place down.

Sharon 27:46

When it's weekdays, when St. Patty's Day is weekday, they come out earlier and they're home by 11.

Stephanie Hicks 27:51

Right.

Sara Wilde 27:51

Yeah.

Sharon 27:52

Right.

Stephanie Hicks 27:52

I love that.

Sharon 27:53

Dependent on who it is. I'm not going to say their names.

Sara Wilde 27:56

Anyone at the town?

Stephanie Hicks 27:57

Anything else you want to spill the tea on?

Sara Wilde 28:00

Wait a minute.

Sharon 28:03

I won't be having tea. I've never drinked. I've never tasted tea in my life.

Sara Wilde 28:06

Really?

Sharon 28:07

Being Irish. Yeah. Yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 28:09

That's fair.

Sara Wilde 28:10

Yeah. That's funny. I don't like tea at all.

Sharon 28:12

That's why I love water.

Stephanie Hicks 28:13

Yeah. Is there anything else you want to tell us?

Sharon 28:16

Well, we have the World Cup coming this year. Yes. Oh, that's going to be. I've actually not going on my Camino to Spain until September because World Cup's on. I need to be here for World Cup.

Stephanie Hicks 28:31

Nice.

Sharon 28:32

We're really lucky with the World Cup because of where it's been held.

Sara Wilde 28:36

Yeah.

Sharon 28:37

Right.

Stephanie Hicks 28:37

So that'd be exciting. Do you plan on running running some like?

Sharon 28:41

Oh, yeah, we'll have lots of promotions. Yeah, for the World Cup. We'll have flags and yeah, especially the Dutch and hopefully the Irish get in.

Stephanie Hicks 28:48

Yeah.

Sharon 28:49

We got two games March, two two games in March.

Stephanie Hicks 28:52

Oh, I can't wait to hear.

Sharon 28:54

To qualify. So hopefully.

Stephanie Hicks 28:56

Yeah.

Sharon 28:56

Yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 28:57

Well, thank you so much for joining us.

Sharon 28:59

Thank you very much.

Stephanie Hicks 29:00

One of our sponsors happens to be the Watering Can here in the town of Lincoln. So this beautiful arrangement is for you to take.

Sharon 29:06

Oh, thank you so much. That's lovely. Thank you. That's really beautiful.

Sara Wilde 29:11

It is.

Sharon 29:12

I love the watering can too. Yes. It's another gem in town. That is so good.

Stephanie Hicks 29:16

It is.

Sharon 29:16

Yes.

Stephanie Hicks 29:17

All right, thanks, Sharon.

Sharon 29:18

Thank you guys.

Sara Wilde 29:20

Thanks Sharon.

Meet Jillian Darchy of The Yoga Vine

Stephanie Hicks 29:20

Gillian Darchy is the owner of the Yoga Vine Integrated Health Studio, located right on King Street in downtown Beamsville. What began as a vision rooted in wellness in women, supporting women, has grown into a powerful story of leadership, resilience, and standing firm when the path gets complicated. Beyond the studio walls, Gillian also serves as chair of the Downtown Bench Beansville BIA, helping shape the future of our local business community while continuing to hold space for others in her own. Today we're talking about partnership, empowerment, hard decisions, protecting your energy, and what it really means to lead with integrity. Gillian, welcome to the Lincoln Local.

Jillian 29:56

Thank you so much for having me.

Stephanie Hicks 29:58

So before we dive into your story, we thought it'd be a fun lead teach us moment to lead us in a simple breath work that our listeners can do along with us or do in their free time.

Guided Box Breathing Exercise

Jillian 30:08

Yeah, so I think uh just understanding how breath work works and why breath work is linked to relaxation and sort of calming you down. And it's because it kind of delivers that hit of oxygen to your brain, which is going to naturally make you feel more relaxed, more calm, more focused, and kind of put you into that state of feeling at peace. So the reason that we breathe is to or focus on the breath is to get us into this kind of relaxed state. So let's try it. The breath that I wanted to do with you is a balanced breath. It's a four by four breath, box breathing, we call it. So the way it works is you take an inhale to the count of four, then you pause to the count of four, and then you exhale to four and pause for four. So you've kind of visualized this box pattern. And you're gonna breathe in and out of your nose, which is another way to get you to promote your body's natural sort of state of relaxation is nostril breathing, right? That's the ideal relaxed breath. So you're gonna take it in through the nose and out through the nose and take that pause. So we'll try it together. So close your eyes, drop your shoulders away from your ears. First take an inhale and exhale the breath out. And then we'll begin. Inhale for one, two, three, four, and pause. And exhale for four, three, two, one, and pause. And begin again. One, two, three, four, pause, exhale for four, three, two, one, pause. Control the breath. And we begin again. Inhale for one, two, three, four, pausing at the top. And exhale for three, two, one. Suddenly you feel more at ease, more relaxed.

Sara Wilde 32:25

Do I have to open my eyes?

Jillian 32:28

We can stop here and take a nap or we can proceed.

Stephanie Hicks 32:31

It is a very grounding, relaxing moment.

Jillian 32:34

Like it really is. It really is. Just to take a hold of your breath, which is happening automatically, anyways, and just focus in on a new pattern for it, that in itself gives you that state of, you know, relaxation. Wow, that was great. Thank you so much.

Sara Wilde 32:51

Thank you.

Jillian 32:52

Of course.

The Vision Behind The Yoga Vine

Sara Wilde 32:52

So take us back to the beginning. What was the original vision of the studio?

Jillian 32:58

Well, the studio was born out of sort of just the guts to go for it. And I met my business partner when we were doing our teacher training, our yoga teacher training. So at that time, I sort of had the idea of a studio in the back of my mind, but it wasn't really the reason that I was doing the training. I just wanted to, you know, further my personal development, further my practice. And, you know, I had a great job working at McMaster University in marketing, so I wasn't particularly looking for a huge shift. But I met my business partner. She was in the training, and she also lived in Lincoln. And we just really hit it off. And we both had a fiery energy ready to go, ready big dreams, and we decided to go for it and open up the doors before we had even taught our first yoga class. Yeah, it was really just born out of meeting somebody that you both share a similar energy, a similar passion to do something, and then to just actually take the dream and make it happen.

Sara Wilde 33:57

So why was it important to you then that it be built by women?

Jillian 34:00

I think that just happened because we had a synergy and we had, you know, this again, this energy and this idea that we could build off of each other. And again, it was it was just the idea that maybe we could defy the odds. I think we we understood that we both wanted work-life balance. Together we saw value in collaboration and having to share the responsibilities of a business. There was definitely value in that. And women understanding that balance is important. Balance is important.

Stephanie Hicks 34:31

Balance is incredibly important. What did you learn about yourself in those early partnership days?

Jillian 34:37

You know, in the early partnership days, I learned about how to collaborate and how people manage stress differently, and how uh communication is just really important, and even just how I react and how your business partner reacts, like any relationship, you're there's going to be conflict, but how quickly you're able to sort of like rebound and move on from that conflict, I think is really important. But in those early days, I think we we just were really, and we always were, you know, supportive of each other. And and and in terms of of myself, just the what did I learn? It was it was just the idea of of again having a vision and going for it.

Stephanie Hicks 35:21

Reflecting on strengths and sometimes exposing blind spots, what do people misunderstand about going into business with a friend?

Jillian 35:28

I think people misunderstand that there's going to be conflict and that there's going to be stress and that it's going to be hard to manage, perhaps competition. And then people might deter you from actually starting a partnership. However, I still say, you know, go for it. If you feel like the urge and the idea has been planted in your heart and you feel like there's a synergy with somebody, then go for it. Just be aware that conflict resolution is important, good communication is important, resiliency is important, and just creating a safe space for each other to kind of grow and have your own ideas and clear responsibilities.

Business Partnerships & Conflict

Stephanie Hicks 36:04

So when things started to shift in your business and with your business partner, what did that feel like internally?

Pandemic Turning Point

Jillian 36:11

I mean, you have to look at yourself and you have to see your part in how things are starting to, you know, change in your business relationships. And also at that time, we were going through the pandemic. So it was like a dark, heavy time. And I think for a lot of businesses and a lot of even relationships, that can reveal certain weaknesses or certain things that you might be avoiding. And so the pandemic in itself was heavy. And so you have to just kind of look at how how reactive you are, how you manage conflict, how you manage stress. I think internally, what it felt like internally is just maybe a little bit of disappointment that that we weren't able to uphold this idea of two women, you know, having this business together and supporting each other. And so I had to kind of accept that that that had kind of fallen apart and what that meant to this brand that we had built. So I had to look deep within and say, can you do this alone? And then be willing to adapt and and change and go with the flow and make those tough decisions.

Sara Wilde 37:14

There's a moment in every entrepreneur's journey where decision changes everything. So what was that moment for you?

Jillian 37:21

I think it's during the pandemic that a lot of things again were coming to the head, coming to the surface, and it was hard for everybody in so many ways. And I think it's just stepping into the financial responsibility. And so it was really tough because it's like, what if what if yoga studios never, you know, are able to operate in the same way again?

Stephanie Hicks 37:40

Right.

Jillian 37:40

Where we have to social distance from the right. So I'm like, this is a huge risk, right? So financially, take that, take that leap, take that leap of faith and say, let's go for it.

Sara Wilde 37:51

Yeah, so then what was harder, the financial risk or buying the studio right, or the uh emotional?

Jillian 37:57

I think the emotional part of it is is tough, but but the because it's just the answer is there, and then just accepting the answer is that you have no other choice but to do this. They're both hard, but f money comes and goes, right? So that comes down to the balance. So at the same time that the financial risk was difficult, it's hard emotionally at the same time.

Sara Wilde 38:21

Yeah. Did you ever question whether you should just walk away?

Jillian 38:24

No. It was kind of like that we'll figure out a way that it's gonna be ours or mine.

Stephanie Hicks 38:30

And so how do you help women uh maintain confidence when they're going through turmoil?

Jillian 38:35

Have compassion and understanding. And when you're going through turmoil, just being able to not put all the blame on everybody else, even and just take some like yoga is self-study. And so understanding that you're the only person that you can change, right? And so seeing how your patterns, your behaviours, your routines, you know, your triggers can actually, you know, contribute to to your relationships with other women, I think. And then also just like women don't want judgmental friends, they want to feel safe and supported.

Sara Wilde 39:12

So, how do you now protect your energy as both a business owner and a community spaceholder?

Jillian 39:17

I think it's it's about my practice again. I mean, I'm always gonna come back to that, and it's it's making the time. I think it's still important to take the time to come back to the things that are good for you and to take time for yourself, whether that's at 6 a.m. in the morning before your whole family gets up, or it's 10 minutes to go for a walk after dinner, carve out that time because energy creates energy. So take the time.

Sara Wilde 39:44

It's a vicious circle too, where it's like you get to that point where you're exhausted, but you're exhausted because you're not moving or taking the time to do that self-care. So you gotta make the time. I gotta remind myself that often practice what I preach Sara.

Stephanie Hicks 39:58

Right?

Sara Wilde 39:59

Yeah, yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 40:00

So since opening, empowerment in your life has gone through probably many stages, many levels of empowerment. Has it changed since opening? Like how has your definition through the practice of yoga?

Jillian 40:12

I've learned that sometimes empowerment is really just about softening and vulnerability and um and feeling powerful enough that you can be vulnerable and that you don't have to put up your fronts and um finding balance. And I think it's really just about like holding space and and softening a little bit to to others. And empowerment is also about collaboration and like you feel empowered when you help others. I feel the most powerful when I see other people thriving, maybe even just because of something small that I said or did or or helped them within their body, right? So empowerment has to do with lifting other people up too for me.

Sara Wilde 40:57

If you could speak to the version of yourself, let's say 2020, back in 2020, standing at that crossroads, deciding whether to stay or walk away, what would you tell her?

Supporting Downtown Beamsville

Jillian 41:06

It's listen to your gut. Like for me, that's always been a big thing. So I I feel like it it's it's don't don't turn away, don't ignore what you already know in your heart, and and keep going.

Stephanie Hicks 41:19

So I'm gonna flip the script a little bit. Um, because in addition to owning your yoga studio, you're also the chair of the downtown bench, Beamsville BIA. Uh BIA, for those that don't know, is the business improvement area. What inspired you to step into that leadership role?

Jillian 41:34

Well, I mean, business advocacy, because I have a business downtown, obviously it made sense to sort of understand what's happening with you know all the businesses, in understand what issues businesses are facing.

Stephanie Hicks 41:47

In addition to building your own space, you're actively helping shape downtown to be a destination. How does running your own small business shape the way that you lead at the BIA table?

Jillian 41:58

It's really just about putting your ear to the ground, seeing what people want, understanding what the needs are, what the desires are, what people's issues are. So it's kind of like understanding and having compassion and being like, okay, these are the needs of our organization, but also like what are the needs of the members, right? And so trying to find that balance.

Stephanie Hicks 42:18

So Gillian, you do a lot. Like you are a studio owner, a mom, a wife, the chair of the BIA. How do you manage to still hold space for your own well-being?

Sara Wilde 42:29

You have to make time, you have to make space, you have to carve that out. So I I like to practice in the morning if I can before my household gets up and before my day starts. But I think it's it's just carving out that time because everybody's busy. Sitting five minutes in a meditation or just taking a few breaths, that's yoga, right? Like sitting down to your meal and not letting anybody else at the table be on their phones, right? And just literally eat dinner concentrated as a family. That in itself can be a wellness practice.

Stephanie Hicks 43:05

When you think about the next generation of women business owners, what kind of downtown are you hoping that future women in business will inherit?

Lightning Round with Jillian

Jillian 43:15

Well, I hope for future women in business that the downtown is economically stable and that it's growing and that there's a lot of community support that people want to come downtown and shop local. Do you see a connection between wellness and strong downtown communities? So I think that wellness and strong downtown communities share similar pillars. With wellness, we're always encouraging social interaction. And that's why I like the idea of a yoga studio. I do know people like to practice at home, but coming into like that third space that you can use that is not work, that is not home, that gives you a little bit of social interaction, I think is really important. And same with the downtown. We want people coming. Downtown, having opportunities to interact with each other. And then, of course, with wellness, we want physical activity. You know, a cornerstone of wellness is going to be physical activity. And same with a downtown. We want to have those outdoor spaces that encourage people to come outside and be outside, walking trails, parks. So encouraging physical activity, I think, is important for a downtown. And then also those hubs that enhance mental health.

Sara Wilde 44:26

So we're going to do lightning round, a little bit of this or that, or just open-ended questions. And the first answer that you think of that pops into your head, that's uh the answer you're gonna give us to these questions. So what's your favourite yoga pose and why?

Jillian 44:40

So my favourite yoga pose is uh half moon. It's a full-body balancing posture, and it strengthens your legs, your core, your ankles, and it does take some coordination. So it kind of involves mind, body. It's just challenging enough, um, but you can still take those deep breaths. Pose you secretly still struggle with. Well, I think it's it's probably the common one for a lot of people, and that is Shavasana. It's it's hard to stay still, and that is like the ultimate you know, goal in the practice is to find discipline, find stillness, and have the opportunity to observe within. And so it's hard. Any kind of stillness is hard.

Sara Wilde 45:23

Morning flow or evening unwind, which would you prefer?

Jillian 45:27

I love them, I love a morning practice. I think I think the morning is such a sacred time. Your body, your mind is open, it's vulnerable, it's gonna digest and receive, you know, the movement and and the breath in a different way. But I also like an evening unwind. So I think it's just fit it in. Like what's gonna work for you.

Sara Wilde 45:49

So essential oil you always reach for.

Jillian 45:52

I love essential oils and they they work for different moods and for different ailments in the body. But I love lemongrass just because it reminds me of of Bali, actually. It always brings me there to a meditation training that I did. So for me, there's just a spiritual significance to to lemongrass, which is quite funny because Crystal, my osteopath at the yoga vine, she hates lemongrass. So it's tough for me to use it at the studio. We put it on our scented cloths, so we kind of have this lemongrass wars, but um, for me, it lemongrass is is beautiful. You can use it for so many different things.

Sara Wilde 46:29

Mine's sweet orange. Do you have one?

Stephanie Hicks 46:32

Uh I really like lavender.

Sara Wilde 46:35

Yeah, because you're an old lady.

Stephanie Hicks 46:37

Because I am I am an old lady. I crochet.

Sara Wilde 46:40

Crochet.

Jillian 46:42

It's good for...

Stephanie Hicks 46:43

I do a lot of baking and I use lavender before bed. So yes, and I that's where I use it before bed.

Jillian 46:49

Yeah, for sure.

Sara Wilde 46:50

Yeah. What is your favourite mantra?

Jillian 46:52

My favourite mantra is I am love. And it's it seems so simple, but it can be profound because I think it's so easy to want to name the things that you love. When you say I love, you want to say, Oh, I love my children, I love my job, or I love my husband, whatever it is. And it's like, what if you just let it be I am love? It's an energy that you embody and you don't need to actually label all of the things that you love.

Sara Wilde 47:19

Favourite season to practice yoga.

Jillian 47:21

Well, I I actually think winter, my favourite season is summer. But I think winter is is a beautiful time to practice because that's when we tend to isolate and be at home and feel less energy. And so it seems that there's more need for the practice at that time, you know, to get out of your house, come practice in community, and move your body.

Sara Wilde 47:44

What's the favourite part of owning your own studio?

Jillian 47:47

Well, the opportunity to take it in whatever direction that I want to take it in and to continuously grow and and put my creative energy into something that's sort of like my own vision. Favorite moment that made you think this is why I stayed? I think just the fact that I've always had this inner knowing. It was never like a choice for the studio. It was just an a knowing that everything's gonna work out, everything's gonna be fine, and then see that that it has been, like that there's no need to stress and that everything works out.

Spilling the Tea: Yoga Vine Retreats & Services

Stephanie Hicks 48:22

We are at the point in the podcast where we like to call it we're spilling the tea. It's the part where we turn it over you to you, and you can let us know anything that's upcoming in the studio, any secret you want to share, anything to promote the studio. What do we need to know?

Jillian 48:34

So, well, as we talked about in the podcast, my two loves, you know, aside from my family, are travel and yoga. And so I've combined those in retreats. And um, the yoga vine is doing yoga retreats. We've done a uh one already, and I'm doing a second one actually coming up in April. So I have two spots left that um I would love to fill for that. So yoga retreats at the Vine are um, you know, a unique opportunity to come to Costa Rica, which is where I'm hosting it, and try different styles of yoga, different teachers. So it's kind of like a yoga journey and not just uh, you know, myself, for example, guiding you every single day just in a new location. It's actually immersive. You're experiencing this blue zone, which is where people live the longest and they're the healthiest. And um we go to uh Nosara, Costa Rica. It's an international yoga hub. And uh in all the places I've traveled, I've never seen so many yoga studios close together that we can tour. And so I'm really excited about the yoga retreats. And then I'm also just excited to just continue to grow my core services. And those are, you know, our classes, our memberships, our naturopathic doctor, Dr. Maddie Peters. She's amazing. She does naturopathy and she does acupuncture. And then I've had Crystal, who's our osteopath at the studio, and then our physio yoga program, where we're combining physiotherapy and yoga, which is kind of a unique opportunity for people who might not necessarily have an injury or an acute problem that they're dealing with, but more just like stress management or um chronic pain from how you sit all day or for what you do for a living. And then reflexology and massage, Reiki, red light therapy. So these are all uh complimentary services. So just as much as we're a yoga studio, we're also a health studio.

Sara Wilde 50:30

Um did you hear there's two spots left, Steph?

Jillian 50:32

Two spots.

Stephanie Hicks 50:33

I think we can take this podcast on the road.

Jillian 50:36

I think that would be fun.

Stephanie Hicks 50:37

And where can people learn more about it?

Jillian 50:40

It's all on the website. All on the website, theyogavine.ca.

Stephanie Hicks 50:43

Actually, one more question. How did you come up with the name the yoga vine? I I get the an integrated health part. Like you explained that those are all incredible services under one roof, which people may not realize is all available there. But I've heard it commonly referred to as The Vine,

Jillian 50:58

The Vine, yeah.

Stephanie Hicks 50:58

The studio, things like that. So what brought The Yoga Vine together?

Jillian 51:02

Yoga Vine, we were first influenced by the area that we live in, grape vines, wineries, yoga vine, you know, going with the sort of wine theme. And then also just the growth of a vine, you know, is and it sort of spreads off in different directions and it's always growing. And and that was sort of one of our philosophies, and with our complimentary services, it kind of vines off into different areas of your health. So the symbolism of just growth and you know, that kind of thing is where we got it from.

Stephanie Hicks 51:34

Yeah, it's perfect. Well, that brings us to the end of our show today. Thank you so much for joining us.

Sara Wilde 51:41

Thank you, Jillian.

Jillian 51:42

You're welcome. Thank you for having me.

Amanda 51:44

For over 45 years, Gillian's Place has been providing safe refuge and support programs in an effort to end gender-based violence in North and West Niagara. We are more than safe shelter. Our team provides confidential services such as outreach counselling, legal advice, and transitional housing support for women, children, and gender and sexually diverse individuals. If you need to speak with someone safe, please call or text our 24-7 support line at 905-684-8331. To learn more about Gillian's Place and our work, please visit GilliansPlace.com.

Episode Outro & Sponsors

Stephanie Hicks 52:15

That's all for today's episode of the Lincoln Local. Thank you to our sponsors Niagara Region Economic Development, the Watering Can, Second Chance Decor, and Verhoef Electric.

Sara Wilde 52:25

New episodes drop twice a month and will be shared through the town's social media channels.

Stephanie Hicks 52:29

And if there's a topic or local business you'd like us to feature, visit speakuplincoln.ca / podcast. Don't miss the next Talk of the Town.