achieve & succeed Sage has been working in the meeting and event industry for over 20 years, having started in the golf industry as a tournament coordinator and wedding planner. Her most recent role was as program manager at Creative Group (formerly Strategic Meetings + Incentives), where she had been working for nine years. Her COVID Story: In the spring, like so many in the meeting and business events industry, Sage was furloughed. Her side hustle: In September 2018, Sage had gone back to school at the University of Toronto and received a certification as a mindfulness meditation coach. She is now a certified restorative, and kids’ yoga instructor. Sage has turned her passion into a viable business as the founder of Sage Health & Wellness. She teaches online yoga and meditation classes, has been an instructor and speaker at conferences Margo Sage What she’s learned: “Unless the business you launch is built on your strongest skills—the things you find easiest to do, and tasks that light you up—a side hustle will quickly turn to drudgery. It’s hard enough to begin from scratch, but if you’re not keen to get to work each morning, you’ll regret your choice. A new initiative should be energizing, not draining.” Her advice: “Have a solid understanding of what you’re offering that you can describe in one sentence (mine is “I serve independent professionals by taking administration off their hands, so they can spend more time with their clients and increase their revenues.”), a rate, an email address and a phone number, then tell everyone you know. You can’t have clients if no one knows about you. It’s tempting to think you need a business plan, a fancy website, an Instagram presence, a subscriber list, a brand identity, a business card, a prestigious address, and any of a hundred other things before you can tell the world what you’re doing. I call BS! Whatever you think it takes to be ‘ready’ is probably more than you need to get started. Don’t get caught in the ready, aim, aim, aim, aim thing, and never fire!” helenvandongen.com Helen Van Dongen and has been hired by corporations to take employees through meditation/ visualization or breathing exercises via Zoom. In January she was featured on Breakfast Television. What she’s learned: “If you asked me 10 months ago what I would be doing now, it certainly wouldn’t have been running my own business! Put it out to the universe and it’s amazing what comes back. We are all resilient in our own way.” Her advice: “Turn your passion into a viable business by believing in yourself and what you can do. Count on the people you know to help promote you.” margosagehealthandwellness.com Van Dongen has held senior event management positions, working with, and for, Canadian and global brands for 30 years. She and her teams have delivered events across Canada and around the world. COVID consequence: Helen lost her corporate position in March when COVID-19 locked down much of Canada and forced the cancellation of events of all kinds. Her side hustle: Van Dongen was an accidental planner, having started her professional life as an executive assistant. Repackaging her skills (organization, scheduling, project management), in May, she launched a virtual administration service called admintelligence. Working remotely, she serves independent professionals and entrepreneurs by taking administration off their hands, so they can spend more time with their clients and increase their revenues. February 2021 | Ignitemag.ca | 29
