Category Archives: BWB Member & Partner Profiles

“Be the composer and conductor of your own life.”

For Serge Mazerand, music itself is life, as our essence is vibration. A pianist, composer, keynote player, and the award-winning author of the delightfully inventive book 7 Keys to Serenity: Creating Harmony Within, Serge knows the magic of music lies in its power to heal us by connecting us to our true selves. It is a journey he knows very well. 

Serge began playing piano as a young boy in France, learning the work of masters such as Schubert and Chopin, but like many of us he went on a detour into the world of practicality and business, which took him through 30 years of corporate life in marketing. In 1996, feeling the call back to his musical roots, he bought a grand piano and became inspired by his other love — nature. 

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Love your life from the inside out and you will discover and maintain your complete wellness. For Judy Holt, owner of JH Health Coaching, this is a way of life, one she has been committed to for 29 years. As a Certified Holistic Life Coach and an Independent Shaklee Distributor, Judy knows the inner journey to well-being starts with what we put in our bodies.  

Shaklee health products are thoroughly tested to be safe, proven, and guaranteed. But it goes even further than the amazing vitamins, supplements, and personalized health plans she offers to her clients. Having met Judy, I can say there is something about her outlook, and her nature, that embodies and harmonizes all four pillars of Balance Well-Being. Her guiding principle is that by living from a heart-centred place, we can do the most good for ourselves and for others.

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“One thing I like to do is walk down the street and pretend I’m an alien who has dropped into my body from outer space and has never seen any of this… And notice how quickly my mind wants to give [everything] a story.” 

These lines perfectly capture the electric clarity and engaging playfulness of psychic life and business coach Bonita Kay Summers. Amusingly, they also illustrate her heightened ability to spot limiting patterns in our beliefs and behaviours. She is remarkably good at discerning both, and quickly. 

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“To be human is to have a limited understanding of what it is I think I see.” This line, from one of Cherie Hanson’s many mind-jolting blog posts, says volumes about the awakening effect she can have on people. I’m going go a little gonzo and put myself in the story, because to know Cherie is to know that she delights in connection and electrifying exchanges that push beyond convention and conformity. She is one of the most challenging, engaging, and prolific individuals I have ever met, not just here in Kelowna but anywhere.
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Give a person a massage and they can reach a state of well-being. Teach a person how to massage and they can reach their potential. For Sharon Strang, instructor and owner of Focus Bodywork, life is about seeing possibilities and literally using your hands to fulfill your dreams. 

Sharon is a 25-year veteran masseuse and gifted instructor who helps her students to learn the art of massage while inspiring them to embrace the art of living well. As the former owner of The Wellness Spa, former massage teacher at Okanagan College, Kelowna, and a lifelong student of spirituality and wellness, she now offers fun, easy-to-learn private courses in healing massage. She also offers workshops in hot stone work, and guides practitioners in launching or expanding their massage businesses. 

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Start creating the life you imagine — one free weekend at a time! For Daleen Qazilbash, time is simply too valuable to spend in ways that keep us from fully enjoying our lives. Daleen and her amazing team at Custom Cleaning Solutions are here to lift the burden of housekeeping so you can live your life more on your terms. 

They begin by asking you the right questions, so that they can clean your home, office, or job site according to your needs — right down to the fan blades! Thorough, skilled, and efficient when it comes to making your world shine, the experts at Custom Cleaning Solutions also know that establishing a customized home care program is  about more than pristine surfaces. Ultimately it is about having a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and sustainable spaces for people, pets, and the planet — including our beautiful valley.

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Cindy Maki once made a rocking chair with the legs on backwards. While this was an amusing mishap on a path to a woodworking career she didn’t pursue, there is nothing accidental about her true work. For Cindy, a trained life coach and energy healer, getting unstuck and moving forward in life requires the clarity and courage that results from focusing inward and learning to love ourselves. The owner of True Vision Coaching & Healing Arts, she has spent 15 years helping dissatisfied people to confront their self-doubts, avoid comparisons, and trust their hearts to guide them toward better lives.

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“Connect to your story, your purpose, your why.” 

Pamela Lynch believes your book matters and encourages you to hone your skills as a unique storyteller. She guides you through the book creation process from concept to celebration. Pamela’s commitment is to help you birth your book and share it with your audience. This is a path she knows well. 

The creator of Alesia Publishing, Pamela married her 31 years in traditional book publishing with her love of Universal Laws and ancient wisdom to launch a niche publishing house. She works with coaches, healers, and change-makers who focus on transformation for themselves or their clients. Pamela also specializes in working with elders to capture their story in the form of a legacy memoir. An intuitive, collaborative leader and “book whisperer,” she sees the highest potential in others. Pamela’s mission is to work with people whose passion is to share their wisdom.  Continue Reading

How do you take charge of a frigging monkey on an emotional rollercoaster? First of all, stop listening to its crap. Secondly, don’t get on the ride just because it wants you to. Thirdly, create a new reality ride for yourself and shift in that direction. If all of this sounds as compelling as it does daunting, then you are ready to meet Kasia Rachfall, an intuitive natural health practitioner, life coach, healer, and artist for women who want to “ditch the midlife funk and live with no regrets, and create the impact they long to be recognized for.”  

Kasia understands how past stories, programming, and belief systems can block and limit the potential for living fully and happily. Not only is she educated/certified in transpersonal psychology, life coaching, Akashic Records reading, neuro-linguistic programming, Specialized Kinesiology, Stress Indicator Point Systems (SIPS™), Time Line Therapy™, Thought Field Therapy (TFT), and Reiki, but she has gone through her own long healing journey and discovered why “ticking all the boxes” of life did not leave her feeling fulfilled.

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You’re at the centre of it all. Your potential influence, that is. For Karen Bowen and her team at ManagerKnowHow (MKH), high leadership effectiveness begins with personal mastery and radiates outward to impact all aspects of life and work. It’s about harnessing self-awareness to maximum effect in all decisions and situations, and Karen has seen many of both. She has over 25 years of combined experience in leading teams, understanding organizations, and helping leaders to transform their cultures and improve their performance. 

Originally from Nova Scotia, Karen has a BA in English from St. Mary’s University, an MA in Leadership from Royal Roads University, and a Certification in Adult Continuing Education (CACE), in addition to myriad certifications in standardized tools for behavioural and workplace assessment. Her own leadership roles encompass many descriptions, including, among others, teacher, planner, designer, and coach. Always striving to live and lead holistically, Karen is also a fitness trainer and yoga instructor, and an outdoor enthusiast. She is a woman who knows the sphere and nature of her influence. 

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