Back in the Shop: A Full-Circle Moment at Holland College

Returning to Holland College this week to speak with the Heritage Retrofit Carpentry class was a powerful reminder of how far Black Cat Woodcraft has come in a very short time. Standing in the wood shop at the Centre for Applied Science and Technology, I found myself reflecting on the reality of building a business from the ground up.

When you’re in the daily grind of sawdust and spreadsheets, it’s easy to feel like you’re just barely keeping up with the chaos. It is rare to stop and realize that your “lessons learned” might actually be someone else’s inspiration. Speaking to a class of fresh students – and meeting a new Trade HERizons cohort on campus was a humbling “full-circle” experience.

To hear from several women that my journey gave them confidence in their own career path was the best feedback I could receive. It turns out that all those challenges I didn’t get right the first time were exactly what made my story worth sharing.