She arrives at the Crabapple Caf茅 in Brackendale bursting with energy, Michelle Neilson style.
It鈥檚 3 p.m. on a Friday, so she doesn鈥檛 order coffee; she orders a light beer. Neilson, 47, has figured out how to live life fully. With the work day done, she is starting the leisure part with gusto. She will go sailing with her wife and friends all weekend, as soon as she finishes answering my questions. She does not waste time.
Neilson already knows what she wants to tell me, and it鈥檚 not about McLean Meats, the successful business she owns with her best friend, Garth McLean. Neilson says that story has been told in the past, so I should write about other aspects of her life. But she is proud of her achievements, so she tells me anyway, sharing the story of how she became one of the most successful businesswomen in the region and now a community leader in the arts.
She grew up in Edmonton, the daughter of a father who was a lawyer and a mother who stayed home to raise the children and do volunteer work. She woke early and full of energy as a child, ready to accompany her father when he rose early to do chores at their hobby farm and go into town.
In Grade 3, Neilson enrolled in a strict French immersion program 鈥� 鈥渘o speaking English 鈥� you were punished for it,鈥� she recalls 鈥� and quickly became fluent.
At home, it was always understood that she would go to university.
Her parents did not complain when she chose to study fine arts, majoring in sculpture and minoring in painting at University of Alberta. And they did not complain when she took a year off to live and study in Paris.
鈥淚 had a passion at a young age for art,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚 was lucky I had a family that said, 鈥楩ollow your passion first and the money will flow; the money will come from that.鈥欌��
They were right, but it took time, and there were twists along the way.聽
Neilson鈥檚 final project at university was a series of sculptures 鈥� 鈥渧ery raw and sinewy with bodies climbing on each other,鈥� she recalls 鈥� then she was approached by a gallery to exhibit her work.
But she did not want to commit to becoming an artist in Alberta. 鈥淚 wanted to travel the world鈥�. I was a gypsy and there was no way I was going to stay in Edmonton the rest of my life.鈥�
She flew to Japan, where she taught English, and later ended up in the tourism industry, leading cultural bicycle tours for Butterfield and Robinson in France, Ireland and Switzerland.
Her journey led her into management, as she became a regional director for the West Coast and Rockies for the tour company. 鈥淚t was exciting for me. I was dealing with budgets and staffing鈥�. I discovered through serendipity that I really liked business.鈥�
Entrepreneurship, she says, is much like art; she puts things together. In her new role, Neilson developed tours and managed a team.
Then the terrorism in the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001 devastated the travel industry. People stayed home, where they felt safe. Layoffs in tourism were widespread, and Neilson found herself out of work.
She didn鈥檛 sit still for long, however. Her best friend, Garth McLean, had a hobby business producing clean meat products supporting natural, sustainable farming.
鈥淚 asked him, 鈥榃hat are you going to do with this company?鈥欌�� She said if he would give her half the company, she would 鈥渉elp take it to the next level.鈥� They wrote their deal on a napkin, 49 per cent for Neilson, 51 per cent for McLean, then got to work putting together a team that made the company a success. The two are still best friends and business partners. 鈥淗e is my work husband and I am his work wife,鈥� Neilson laughs, noting both are gay and married to others. The two couples share adventures together and are soon heading to Desolation Sound to go 鈥渙ff grid鈥� and savour life. 鈥淚t will force us as friends and business partners to get connected.鈥�
When she returns, Neilson will pursue her volunteer passion as chair of the Squamish Arts Council, bringing her early experience in arts into her next phase of life, in which she plans to focus on giving back as a volunteer.
聽鈥淚 see this town as desperately needing arts,鈥� she remarks, then speaks excitedly about the need for an arts centre in Squamish.
With her enthusiasm and energy, there鈥檚 no doubt that Neilson will put together a talented team who will help her make it happen.
