It’s finally June, which means you get to meet our new featured entrepreneur! A big hello to Penny Light. Penny is truly a jack of all trades, but we know her as the owner of Grit & Grace, a clothing boutique located in Sauble Beach and Guelph. Penny shares how the pandemic caused her to pivot and change her life completely. She talks about trading in her suit and heels for bare feet and dresses (you’re gonna want to read this!). If you want to learn a little more about Penny, what inspired her to open Grit & Grace, and a piece of advice young women should know, then read on.
Without further delay, meet Penny Light.
Name or nickname if you have one:
Penny Light – for some reason people love to say my first, and last name together, always. Yes, it is my real name!
Zodiac sign:
Aquarius, of course 😉
Where do you live and what do you do?
A native of Canada, I have lived in Vermont, spent a year in the African bush in Botswana, and six years in Costa Rica. I now live in Guelph, Ontario with my loving partner Joris Van den Daele. I’m a bonus mom to two beautiful children, Jaya 13, and Jaeden 9. I’m the founder of Grit & Grace Lifestyle Clothing and the owner of Live Life Light Adventures. I own a marketing consulting company and I am a Certified Yoga teacher.
ACCREDITATIONS
- Certified Yoga Instructor (Nepal) Yoga Alliance International & Yoga Alliance USA
- Certified Life Coach Practitioner
- The Science of Happiness Certificate – Berkley University
- Certified Happiness At Work Practitioner
- Certified Hypnolinguistics Practitioner
- Philosophy & Critical Thinking Certificate – Harvard
- Certified Mindful Eating Practitioner
- Certified Personal Trainer
- Existential Well-being Counselling Certificate – Harvard
- Certified Spin Teacher
- Certified SurfSet Instructor
AFFILIATIONS
- Canadian Positive Psychology Association
- The Centre for Mindful Eating
- The Canadian Alliance of life skills coaches
- Life Coach Federation – Canada
- Global Yoga Alliance
Tell us about Grit & Grace and how it came to be?
After 19 years in the corporate world, I moved to Costa Rica (after a previous year spent living in Botswana, Africa) I went on to live in Costa Rica for six years, where I founded a transformative adventure travel company – Live Life Light Adventures and a marketing consulting company working with high-end tourism properties. Whilst there I reconnected with my one true love, a boyfriend I had in my early 20s and we were in a long-distance relationship for about a year. On one of my visits back to Canada, the world came to a rather abrupt halt and shut down, the travel industry came to a screeching halt. I had left behind my home in Costa Rica not knowing that I wouldn’t be returning, my friends there had to pack up my home, and put my things in storage for me. I was forced to pivot hard.
It was while shopping for a new Canadian weather-appropriate wardrobe (all I owned were bathing suits and flip flops) that I became disappointed in the Canadian retail landscape for women, specifically women my age, 47.
Let’s face it, we’re not our mothers, or our grandmother’s version of middle age anymore. We’re more youthful, light, and wish to express ourselves as such. I came home from shopping feeling worse about myself, not better.
So out of frustration, and in the middle of a global pandemic, I launched Grit & Grace, the first location in Sauble Beach, Ontario. I wanted to curate unique, high-quality clothing for women just like me… and to create a space where women would feel welcome and confident in their own skin. I want Grit & Grace to feel less like a store and more like the home of a great friend. It’s why our stores have a cozy, living-room-style seating area – so we can all gather, connect and lift each other up. And sometimes even sip rosé! I also wanted, first and foremost, to create a community, and if in that women found unique and storied pieces (dresses) that they felt great wearing, and self-expressive in, then even better. In our community, we host book clubs, workshops, yoga, dance classes, private shopping parties and more.
What makes you feel Pretty and Smart? What does it mean to you?
All my stories of Grit & Grace. Everything I’ve had to overcome in my life, and how I did it. Standing in my truth makes me feel both beautiful, and smart.
I believe that our most admirable character traits as women are the stories of grit and grace that brought us to where we are today. I think beauty is the smartness with which it is sculpted if you will. Beauty is grace, it’s looking beyond differences to see each other’s hearts. Intelligent, and beautiful are not separate, mutually exclusive categories, though we have often treated them as such and it’s mind-numbing that society still does. Respect and love should never depend on how anyone looks.
I had to overcome a lot from a tumultuous childhood, from an abusive household to living on my own at 16, paying rent, working and attending high school. I went on to obtain a mixed education in the school of hard knocks first, then business, travel and tourism, and psychology. All of this has led me to wear many hats along the way from working with a wildlife film crew in the middle of the African bush to Vice President of marketing and sponsorship with the Women of Influence speaker series, to founding my own marketing and workplace well-being consulting company – Light it UP Marketing and a coaching, yoga, travel adventure company aptly named Live Life Light Adventures. I hosted yoga/personal growth retreats, both private and group — all around the world and I have done elite 1-on-1 coaching.
Now I’m a self-proclaimed Life Adventure Expert. I have travelled most of the world, including living in a dome tent in the middle of the African bush for a year with no electricity, no running water, five hours from the closest village, nowhere near the top of the food chain with the only thing between myself and the dangers of the African outback, my own sensory system. Here, I spent the year feeling the heartbeat of the land, witnessing and syncing in with the natural rhythms of the planet and its most primitive occupants and, more specifically, documenting a pride of lions.
From sailing tall ships up the coast of Brazil during carnival, trekking through the Himalayans to stand above Everest Base Camp at 5, 545 metres and breath in magic, walking the shores of Eleuthera, exploring the raw beauty of Cuba, dancing in the streets of Europe or wondering where the lions are, you can always be sure I will have a story or two to share, better yet I love to hear the stories of others and as such love to connect with characters, with other purists that have a unique zest for life.
I believe that life is one great big adventure, even more so when we say Yes and show up to it honestly and courageously.
My aspiration with Grit & Grace is to bring to others what travel has brought to me — a new way of seeing not just the world, but ourselves as we exist on this planet, to learn the always-inevitable lessons, connect with our roots and all the beautiful connections made in human kindness along the way.
What’s next for you and the brand? New projects? New locations?
I am so very excited to say that we have plans to open two new stores! One, hopefully, this November, in my home away from home, in the stunning coastal town of Las Catalinas in Costa Rica, and another location in the heart of Toronto’s King West, and Toronto’s hottest new build, The Well, in April ‘23
How do you like being an entrepreneur and small business owner?
After 19 years in the corporate world, I can say there is no amount of money, or convincing anyone can do to get me back. Time freedom is more important to me than anything. I need to own my own calendar. I thrived in various different roles for some Fortune 500 companies on major brands such as Coke, Danone, Kellogg and Pepsi/Frito Lay. Other than an appreciation for the things I learned along the way I really don’t care much about any of that corporate stuff.
I traded in my suit, heels and condo in the concrete jungle for bare feet in the sand and falling asleep under a blanket of stars and the orchestra of the Costa Rican jungle. I’ve never looked back.
I love every minute of it. All the hard, scary, fun, creative, free feeling of it. I love the personal touch, the connection with people, not just a brand. We need to work on and support building conscious brands and companies for a better world.
All small business is born from the hearts of the humans behind them. Small business owners know that when you’re building something meaningful, it bands people together. Ideas are more abundant and valuable as they stem from a common goal. Through my work with Grit & Grace, I hope to play a small role in redefining success in business beyond profit. Small businesses bring passion and humanity back into business and brands. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to work with humans/businesses who are willing to deviate from the status quo to create their own path. The best brands, bare their soul.
Are you inspired by something specifically?
Travel. Always. But these days, more and more young women. Daily, I come across these super young, to me LOL, women in their 20’s and 30’s doing extraordinary things. Running businesses, going out on their own, living their dreams.
What is your number one tip for those who might be considering taking the plunge into entrepreneurship?
Start. Start with anything that will get you closer to realizing your dreams. One small step, one small action.
How do you juggle it all and stay motivated?
I don’t know that motivated is the right word, consistent might be more fitting.
What would you tell younger women who haven’t yet taken a risk they might be considering. Is this something you might not have followed yourself?
Don’t stand in the way of your own success. You are capable, you can learn anything. Done, is better than perfect. What people think of you is none of your business. Stand in your truth. Always, trust your intuition, and learn to harness its power. Focus on your vision, and never lose sight of the life you want to live. Choose your vision every time over the fearful mind, it’s ok to be fearful, you’re human, know that you can always readjust your focus as many times as you need to.
Make mistakes, a lot of them, it’s how you’ll learn, and grow.
Forgive yourself, always you’re human too. Ask yourself first, how do you want to feel every day, how do you want to show up in the world, what do you hope to offer the world and how can you help. Then know, you can’t do it alone. Do not try to… ask for help, and take help when it’s offered. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Build your team consciously, and thoughtfully. Collaborate, work as a team and find a loving, and supportive partner who will cheer you on.
The first part of my life was about survival, and blindly doing the things I thought I was supposed to do. My upbringing didn’t provide for the opportunity to get to know myself and so I trudged forward living other people’s ideals of me. Live your truth, stand tall like a cypress tree, shine your light, and follow your dreams, not the money. It sounds very whoo hoo, but money flows, where energy goes. You’ve got this.
What is the best word to describe you and why?
Wildflower.
Because I will never be shaped into someone else’s idea of what they think I should look like, or be. Fierce, and free I’ll grow anywhere, and when the wind blows, which it sometimes will, when it pleases and in whatever direction it chooses, I’ll find a new place to grow.
I’m a creative thinker with a heart of gold, an aversion to apathy and a will to do good with what I have been given and the knowledge I’ve acquired thus far.
Can you share your favourite item in the boutique with us?
This is a hard one! I love everything I pick! Recently, I brought back a collection from a Costa Rican designer, Concepción Miranda to feature in Grit & Grace, and a first for them on the Canadian retail landscape. They have a great story of female success, are sustainable and support women in rural Costa Rica helping to build micro-economies. Here are my top three favourites from them:
What is your guilty pleasure?
Plans. I have a lot of plants. When I realized I was staying in Canada during the pandemic, I built a jungle in my home. Deeply inspired by Justine Blakeney’s, Jungalow.
Number one thing on your bucket list right now?
Taking my new family back to where I spent a year living in Botswana, Africa. We’re going this December, and I can’t wait. Oh, and sailing around the world with my partner, Joirs.
What is your favourite quote?
I have so many…..
If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary-wise; what it is it wouldn’t be, and what it wouldn’t be, it would.” – Alice (in Wonderland)
What is one thing we didn’t ask but you want people to know about you?
I’m an introvert. I love being alone and enjoy my own company a great deal. I have not always been and worked at getting to know myself. Everyone should do this.
Where can people find you online? What is your handle?
www.gritandgraceclothing.com
@gritandgraceclothing
#gritandgraceclothing
@pennylight
#livelifelight
Thank you Penny, for sharing a little bit of yourself with us! If you have any questions for her please feel free to ask her in the comments below or get in touch directly.
