Big questions requiring big answers.<\/p>\n
Cathie began a process where she went back over her life identifying what she loved. It took 5 years of exploring and questioning before she had clarity.\u00a0 When she was ready to act she founded Wear your\u00a0Wisdom<\/a> a company whose mission marries retail with spirituality and social responsibility.<\/p>\n Cheryl: Let\u2019s start with the spiritual journey that has guided you throughout most of your life \u2026.it started in a most unlikely place.<\/p>\n CATHIE:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0Yes, indeed it did. \u00a0At age 20 I decided to leave my position as a retail manager to become a dental assistant in a forward thinking, leading edge, practice. We spent time on team building and attended seminars on personal growth. Scott Peck, author of The Road Less Traveled was one of the most notable speakers. \u00a0All of this led me on my journey to many inspiring books and mentors.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cheryl: Goes to show we don\u2019t know who our teachers will be and where<\/em> we will meet them! What was the main message you took away from your work in the dental practice?<\/p>\n CATHIE:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>What this experience did for me was it opened my mind to strive to think outside the box, to choose a path of personal growth. To live consciously.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cheryl: How has it guided your life?<\/p>\n CATHIE:\u00a0It has driven me to understand myself better, to think about my goals and expectations. To live purposefully and to give back.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cheryl: You were\u00a0so<\/em>\u00a0proactive asking,\u00a0<\/em>\u201cwhat\u2019s next?\u201d<\/em>\u00a02 years before your youngest son graduated high school! You came up with a simple…but\u00a0oh-so-effective<\/em>\u00a0process for yourself.\u00a0 You went back over your life and asked yourself,\u00a0\u201cWhat<\/em>\u00a0do \u00a0I love?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0What did you discover?<\/p>\n CATHIE: \u00a0I really enjoyed being a stay at home Mom. It was the most fulfilling “job” I ever had. When\u00a0I could see that before long my “position” would become redundant, I started to think about who I was before I got married and had children, what gave me joy in my daily life and what I had liked about my previous roles. My focus had been so much on my family that I had lost touch with who I was. Many of us do this, it is done with the best of intentions, but it leaves us a little lost when the inevitable happens and we become empty nesters.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Back in the day Cathie’s husband George and their 2 young sons Philip and Colin in Polar Babies<\/p><\/div>\n I enjoyed nurturing my family, being my own boss, budgeting, time management, troubleshooting, problem solving. \u00a0I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and back in 1992, when the boys were young, I created an online clothing business for newborns to four year olds called, Polar Babies Clothing Company. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Polar Babies Clothing Company<\/p><\/div>\n I realized that I loved working from home, designing, manufacturing, marketing and all that went along with it. \u00a0If I could create a business that again\u00a0that supported a better quality of life for women and girls and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>encouraged a sense of\u00a0<\/strong>community<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>and offered a product for women that was ethically made (in Canada), environmentally conscious, \u00a0and could be shipped fairly easily, then I would have checked of all of the boxes on my wish list.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cheryl: What happened between identifying what you loved and founding Wear Your Wisdom?\u00a0 Where did the idea come from?<\/p>\n CATHIE:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The idea percolated for 5 years<\/a>.\u00a0Oprah asks “What sparks the light in you?” I love this, and to find a purpose that really touched me I\u00a0asked myself this question.\u00a0I realized that it was the empowerment of women, particularly their economic empowerment. This would mean freedom to women to live the lives they choose. Women are the largest oppressed group in the world. I want to be a part of the solution in a positive\u00a0way<\/em><\/strong>. As for the product, I decided on T-Shirts. They are my go-to choice for their comfort, versatility and ease of care. They have a tradition of being used as a vehicle to make a statement. My biggest challenge was finding a reputable supplier. When I discovered Me to We Style<\/a>\u00a0it was time to get started!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cheryl: There are many meanings in Wear Your Wisdom\u2026and great depth in the concept. Would you share them with us?<\/p>\n CATHIE:\u00a0I like to say there are 4 ways to show your wisdom when you wear one of our T-Shirts:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 1- you are supporting the economic empowerment of women and girls\u00a0\u201c<\/em>Empower women and you will see a decrease in poverty, illiteracy, disease and violence\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n 2- you are making the best choice for your health and the environment by\u00a0choosing 100% organic cotton<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 3-you are supporting ethical manufacturing right here in Canada<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 4-Bonus! By supporting Wear\u00a0Your Wisdom, your are\u00a0also supporting Me to We Style who not only supports Free the Children they also plant a tree for every<\/em> T-Shirt they sell.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n On my site you can read more on each of these points. I also have a page of inspirational <\/a>quotes, a few economic tips and links, links to sites where men are supporting women\u2019s equality, and a blog that I hope will become an interactive online community.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cheryl: What are your hopes\/dreams\/goals for wear your wisdom?<\/p>\n CATHIE:<\/strong>\u00a0I hope that Wear Your\u00a0Wisdom will grow to be a profitable organization that brings women together in a positive way to support and inspire each other and to share their wisdom. As Wear Your Wisdom grows, I plan to print a single, meaningful word<\/a>\u00a0on the T-Shirts like\u00a0<\/strong>\u201c<\/strong>\u00a0kindness<\/strong>\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u201c<\/strong>Balance<\/strong>\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u201c<\/strong>Hope” “Joy” etc… that women will enjoy wearing. Ideally they will go to the online community to share dialogue on these topics and have a say as to what might be a good choice for the next T-Shirt.<\/strong><\/p>\n Cheryl: I love your nod to Men in Men Supporting Women<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just in case you were under the impression Wear Your Wisdom is just for women. Men are enthusiastically invited to wear their wisdom too!<\/p><\/div>\n Wear Your Wisdom on a tee or a tote<\/p><\/div>\n Cheryl: As people we tend to be either process or results oriented. You strike me as being uniquely both. Are You? Where are you in the process of Life Part II and Wear Your Wisdom?<\/p>\n CATHIE:\u00a0I think you are right Cheryl. \u00a0In this case, the process is where the opportunity for creativity lies. I have to love what I’m doing and feel the integrity. After that, yes, results matter in order to stay motivated. This is an exciting time in Life Part ll to have the time and energy to put myself back on the list!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cheryl: Understanding your purpose and answering \u201cwhy am I here\u201d is important to you\u2026can you answer it now or do you have a sense?<\/p>\n CATHIE:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0I don’t have a definitive answer yet! I am\u00a0optimistic that I will figure it out. In the meantime, yes, as I get older and wiser I do have a better sense of who I am and why I<\/em><\/strong>\u2019m here.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>We all need a reason to get up in the morning. I like to be productive, if I can be creative and do good, so much the better!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Cheryl: You have a need to contribute and leave something of value. What do you hope your legacy will be?<\/p>\n CATHIE:\u00a0\u00a0My most precious legacy will be my two sons. The world needs more good men.\u00a0I myself aspire to be an asset to society, a contributor, a positive energy.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Dali Lama inspires me. He is peaceful and ego less. \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Polar](\"https:\/\/ohmywordjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/01\/CATHIEPolar-Babies-Boys-300x205.jpeg\")
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