A few weeks back we had the opportunity to be interviewed by Katrina Cava, Owner + Founder of Sisters Of The Moon.
Here it is, enjoy!
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I have had the pleasure of getting to know Dominique and I am excited for you all to learn more about her and her fabulous business.
Her store is seriously the cutest.
I always love interviewing business women that are also mothers because each interview teaches me so much about myself and how to manage my time better.
Take a look into the life of this zen momma and business owner and give her store a follow!
What is your name and where do you live?
My name is Dominique Cadeau, I reside in Haileybury Ontario.
What do you do? How long have you been doing it? And why did you start doing it?
I am currently self-employed as a curator in an artisan boutique supporting other small businesses + entrepreneurs. I have been working in community development for a number of years now and really seen the need for this when I was coordinating and running farmer's markets. The trend of having very talented artisans + makers that could not commit to one day a week inspired me to open a boutique-style market that would allow for them to have their products available to the public without them having to stand in a booth all day (our Fall weather gets quite chilly here in Northern Ontario). The community developer side of me told me to open my storefront in the historical mining town, Cobalt Ontario in a historical bank. Through this, I hope to continue to incubate and support other small businesses and start ups and be a part of the re-development of our little town.
How did we meet and Is there something I taught you?
I believe we found each other through the magical world of Instagram. I foresee you teaching me the coolest local spots in California with the best vegetarian + vegan dishes!
What is your favorite spell/ritual/practice?
Since as long as I can remember my sister and I would get together on the phone every new moon and write cheques of abundance. We only see each other once every few years but every time a new moon is coming I know I will receive a call from her wherever we are.
What do you do for self-love?
Nature walks, forest baths, yoga + meditation
What stresses you out? How do you cope with that stress?
Time, deadlines for anything. Meditation, Lavender essential oils, and CBD. I can’t wait to try, “Calm the Witch”!!
What songs (or music) gets you out of your funk and uplifts you?
I listen to almost everything.
I love all genres of music but right now I am loving Mallrat, Hold on by Alabama Shakes. Maggie Rogers’ Alaska and always, Of Monsters and Men. I honestly couldn’t even tell you if these songs and bands are new or old I just love the vibe!
Who or what is your support system?
My family.
What makes (when do) you feel like you have it all together?
Definitely my hair, it can make or break my day!
What are some goals you want to achieve?
I would love to see The Crystal Vault go international, and it will! I would love to travel and find artisans all over the world to join our collaborative, helping to incubate new businesses in rural communities all over the world, giving small towns new breath + hope.
What are you doing to achieve those goals?
My team is currently working with my web designer to launch our new drop-shipping program which will connect artisans with like-minded customers all over the globe.
What are some struggles/challenges you have? And how do you overcome them?
Anxiety has been a major struggle throughout my adult years. Through all the years of parenting and being a business owner I have found that simple breath work and meditating in the moments of anxiety and panic attacks can be all you need to ground yourself.
If you could tell your 15-year-old self something what would it be?
You are beautiful! Believe compliments. ;)
Share your opinions about sex. (I believe women have made feel like they are not allowed to talk about sex and that virginity is made to be some “gift” to a man when in my opinion it isn’t. I also feel like more women need to share their experiences and make sex an open topic amongst mature women)
I believe that sex talk should start at home from an early age. It should be a natural topic of conversation for kids and youth to feel comfortable to open up about with their parents when necessary. If we teach young children that topics around sex are wrong or shameful, they will not want to come to us when they need help because they will fear being judged or punished. When I was a child we did not talk about sex in the home, it was one of those taboo subjects that we just didn’t mention. So growing up I “assumed” anything relating to sex, bodies, puberty was wrong and shameful. I remember hiding the fact that I got my period for almost a month until I got caught stealing tampons from my mom's friend's purse. I had such a sweet mother that when she finally found out from my friend's mom, she had gotten the local florist to deliver me my first bouquet of flowers that had a note that said, “to a very special ‘young lady’. Love mommy xo. “I still have that vase and will give it to my daughter on her special day. I don’t think that what she did or did not teach me was wrong, but I do think that we are in a generation now that is so easily misinformed on topics because of access to social media, the internet or just any other misinformed child or adolescent. I am definitely not against the internet, it really is amazing! But our youth are so vulnerable to what they absorb and don’t quite know yet what is fact or fiction so it is our job as parents to teach them the facts.
What’s next for you?
Gosh!! So much! I know this boutique is only the beginning of my journey with The Crystal Vault. Right now my fabulous team (and myself) are working on launching our new site that will connect local makers to customers all over the globe.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to our sisterhood?
Dream big, then dream bigger than that!
What is the best advice you have ever received?
The universe always conspires in your favor.
How do manage working/owning your own business with children?
I do it because I love it. Some days are definitely a struggle. Many people assume that being a business owner is easy and that you get flexible hours and can take time off whenever you want but the reality is we rarely get to leave our work at work and we are constantly on call one way or another. Because we don’t have anyone but ourselves to rely on for that pay-cheque, we have to show up every single day and work our butts off to make sure the bills are paid.
What has motherhood taught you?
Motherhood has been the best gift yet the hardest assignment of all.
What has been challenging?
Making school lunches.
How do you manage your screen-time (work-related and non-work related)?
Ahhhhh, it's tough because my job entails me connecting online so much. Being an entrepreneur and working from your laptop or smartphone makes it easy to get sucked up into the world of web and work from literally anywhere (which is obviously amazing too). But when I am with my kids, I do make a point to put my phone out of sight so they can have my full attention and I can connect with them.
What’s your parenting style?
Intuitive parenting. Putting away the guide books, how to’s and advice from others and just really tapping into what our children are trying to tell us what they need and crave through their emotions and behaviors.
What are the top 3 things you want your children to learn from you?
Love, affection, respect + boundaries.
What is your favorite non-kid thing to do?
Hike mountains and dangerous places I wouldn’t bring my kids.
Best parenting advice you have ever received?
The dishes can wait.
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