Being an entrepreneur requires courage and resilience. Danielle French of South Pond Farms is a courageous woman and a resilient entrepreneur. Recently, I participated in a Design Your Escape two day ‘master class’ hosted by Danielle that invites participants to build a value-based business and grow community through hosted events. (Her next offering is in early May – check out the details here).
Danielle is the owner of South Pond Farms, a breathtakingly beautiful 60-acre special event country venue nestled within the Bethany Hills of Southern Ontario. She is also the author of the South Pond book series and host of ‘Taste of the Country’, a series formerly featured on Netflix.com. The centrepiece of her property is an old century barn that plays host to a variety of events including weddings.
I had an opportunity to experience the magic of her offering a year ago when my husband gifted me with a seasonal dinner for my birthday. The food was fresh and delicious, the company fun and overall, it was a memorable experience. We share a love of old barns, so we enjoyed exploring Danielle’s beautiful century barn that has been respectfully renovated with a focus on retaining its charm and artistic appeal.
Like me, Danielle is formerly from Toronto and moved her family of four daughters in 2008 to a farm near Bethany Hills. Her fledgling business started as a small food delivery business. Since then, it has grown to become a culinary destination, offering special events, weddings, workshops and corporate retreats. Danielle has taken the farm to table concept and created an offering that fits her family and her lifestyle.
“My vision has always come from a connection to the land and the food that we grow and prepare in our kitchen. There have been many changes over the years, and we will continue to evolve over the years to come” she shares on her web site. Clearly Danielle is doing her heart work and she loves it.
I find myself increasingly drawn to seek the company of other like-minded women to learn and share experiences as a sole entrepreneur. The journey can be lonely and quite frankly, very personal. I own my failures and I own my successes. So I found comfort in the presence of other like-minded women on a journey of pursuing their own dreams as Danielle shared with honesty and authentically the successes (and struggles) that’s she’s experienced as a “solopreneur.” I found inspiration in her story and I am grateful for the wisdom she shared. Her story is about courage, taking risks and believing in possibility.
Tomorrow I will be attending the 2019 Business & Entrepreneurship Conference hosted by Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development. It will be another great opportunity to learn from industry thought leaders, network with like-minded professionals, while exploring opportunities to grow The Mane Intent.
What I know for sure is that our ability to effectively grow will bring more opportunities for people to connect with the horses to help. This is my heart work and I love it.
About the Author:
Jennifer Garland is the Owner/Program Director of The Mane Intent, offering Health and Wellness Workshops and Individual and Team Effectiveness Coaching. Jennifer’s intent is to bring horses and humans together to explore new possibilities, getting you out of your comfort zone and giving clarity of voice to your leader within. She has over 25 years of leadership experience in communications, cause-related marketing and change management. As a strategist, facilitator and effectiveness coach, Jennifer has provided counsel and support to senior leaders from all walks of life to build productive relationships, facilitate learning and to embrace change. She is a ‘socialpreneur’ who values the art of living life fully with intent.
