Access The Episode Webpage here.
On today’s interview, I’m honored to welcome April Mitchell-Boudreau, the Indigenous owner and designer behind Lofttan, a unique jewelry brand rooted in the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples.
April shares her journey from her creative childhood to awakening the inner creator in all of us through her sustainable, handcrafted pieces that blend traditional materials with modern aesthetics.
April delves into the inspiration behind Lofttan, the importance of connecting with our ancestral roots through adornment, and how she uses the teachings of the Medicine Wheel to craft memorable experiences. She highlights the joy found in Indigenous culture, and how this joy influences her creations and interactions.
We talked about:
Follow April:
Connect with Sheila:
PS: Thanks so much for listening. I would love your review! If you enjoy what I share in this episode, rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/connect-with-sheila-botelho/id1527363160 I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
Access The Episode Webpage here.
On today’s interview, I’m honored to welcome April Mitchell-Boudreau, the Indigenous owner and designer behind Lofttan, a unique jewelry brand rooted in the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples.
April shares her journey from her creative childhood to awakening the inner creator in all of us through her sustainable, handcrafted pieces that blend traditional materials with modern aesthetics.
April delves into the inspiration behind Lofttan, the importance of connecting with our ancestral roots through adornment, and how she uses the teachings of the Medicine Wheel to craft memorable experiences. She highlights the joy found in Indigenous culture, and how this joy influences her creations and interactions.
We talked about:
Follow April:
Connect with Sheila:
PS: Thanks so much for listening. I would love your review! If you enjoy what I share in this episode, rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/connect-with-sheila-botelho/id1527363160 I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
So often, I think, especially as women, we rip ourselves off, we take care of everybody else and we have those little nagging things when we go at the door and we think no one knows except us. But yet we are telegraphing that energy. It's not just jewelry, it's texture, it's material, it's how are you dressing, how are you framing yourself? You are this brilliant, beautiful, magnificent work of art.
Sheila:Hi, welcome to the connect with Sheila Botelho podcast. I'm an entrepreneur, self-care strategist and creator of the season self-care app. I'm committed to helping you reconnect to your purpose, elevate your well-being and build your version of a happy, successful life. Today is interview day and I'm really happy to introduce you to my guest. April Mitchell Bedro is the owner and designer of Lofton, an indigenous owned company based in the heart of the beautiful Niagara region and the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee and Inishinaabe people. She's of the Turtle clan, mohawk, with roots of six nations. April's passionate about awakening and engaging the creator that lives inside all of us. Lofton is designed and made in Niagara using textures and traditional materials like shell, sustainably sourced wood and Semi-precious stones. April, thank you so much for being here.
April:Oh, thank you for having me.
Sheila:I'm honored to be asked and it's been really beautiful following your journey on the social media, where I first found you through a mutual friend, asha Frost, and I love the conversation you were having at the time, which I know we will get into in a little bit, but before we do, I would really love for you to share your origin story of what brought you into this type of work that you're currently doing and the connection that you have With the lands, with the textures, to bring your art to life so people can wear it and show it off in their everyday lives.
April:Oh, my gosh, it's, that's such a loaded question because it's been such a journey. And Then you know, you think, oh, maybe the journey started when I began making jewelry. But you know, when I look back, it started a lot earlier than that and it's, it's beautiful to watch the design of your life unfold and you see, oh, that makes sense why I did that. So I started making jewelry when I was expecting our daughter and I had high blood pressure and I was told to put my feet up and do nothing. And Maybe if we had iPads or iPhones at the time, I would have been doom scrolling, but instead I started making.
April:I had been collecting beads and stones for years, and so I had these little caches I was like a crow and these little cash is all over my home and I never had really just settled down enough to listen to the voices of these materials. And so that connection. And then when I think back Sheila, I think back to when I was a kid and how I would collect seeds and make necklaces with them, like chestnuts, stones, so that connecting to the land. I think all children do it. And so fast forward, here I am, I start making and All of a sudden, people started wanting to give me money for what I was making and I'm like, really okay, I mean at first I was just giving away all that, make things, give them away, and Then, as I said, people wanted to buy. So I was like, okay, well, and I go running to the bead store and I would pay retail for all my materials and I would like severely undercharge and, and that's a whole other story. You know the internal job that has to be done in order to be an entrepreneur.
April:But I was, prior to this, I was a professional picture-framer and that is a very highly Specialized kind of work, kind of you know it's design Meeting the practicality of how do you treat a piece of Papyrus paper, how do you treat an oil painting, how do you frame a 3d object. And this was a real picture frame operation. They had a massive room filled with all these bins, with molding and, you know, huge sheets of glass that would come in and we did everything. So it was all you know. All the mats were cut by hand and so, you know, paintings would come in from Wonderful, incredible indigenous artists like Norval Moriso would still be wet. They'd be coming in. It was just a really glorious kind of job and it was family run and it Taught me so much about you have a vision of something and then you make it, yeah.
April:And so what I learned? I did that for 16 years and I was very young when I started by the way, I'm pretty much straight out of high school and it was just like this incredible Apprenticeship that I had. And what I learned as a designer was that and and my instinct was there too was to put the artwork and its very best context so that, no matter where it traveled, it would be itself. And so, fast forward to making jewelry and styling people. And I wanna frame them like a masterpiece, that they look like their best selves, that the jewelry doesn't wear them.
April:And same with framing that, the frame. It wasn't about the frame. You didn't wanna look at the artwork and say, wow, what a beautiful frame. First you wanna receive the artwork and say, oh, my God, this is just astonishing, it's beautiful. And then you might hone in on the detail. Oh, I love the frame, all of that. So creating an atmosphere, creating an environment.
April:And so I didn't know it when I started making jewelry, but that's where the road led, empowering people's creativity, because I also noticed that when I was framing, people were very afraid to make a decision about art or anything creative.
April:So I already felt that little tingle like I was trying to empower people. Like, no, like, let's talk about this and make a decision together. It's a very personal thing framing artwork, framing family pictures, framing artifacts it's very, very personal. So it was pretty easy to just kind of apply what I learned in this very unique environment to what I was doing and making things really well, because these framers were very good at what they did and so I learned that standard of excellence from vision to execution, and so very transferable skills, I guess. But I wasn't thinking that no, of course not In retrospect. I can connect those dots. And while I was in that part of the journey of, you know, working with people and styling them and really wanting to frame them so they look like their best selves, all the same things came into play. So quite fascinating when you look back and say, wow, that all makes so much sense.
Sheila:It is interesting seeing how it's all connected because it's style and it's art. Like what we wear, the way we clothes ourselves, the jewelry, whatever we may wear, it is art. Some people, the cars they drive, they may be like art, right, Like. It's so interesting. I love it. That was your start.
April:But they? Sorry to interrupt you, but they should be the artwork, the cars, the frame. Yeah, in that case, but seeing the car more than them In my world, nope. Yeah, of course I love it if someone appreciates the beautiful jewelry, but I would rather have like wow, you look great and I love you, know. So the pieces aren't wearing you.
Sheila:Yeah, and so it comes out to color and enhancement of what is already there, and skin tone and eye color and all those types of things.
April:Yeah, All those things.
Sheila:Yeah, interesting.
April:But what you're drawn to.
Sheila:Yeah.
April:So you know, over the years, people have always asked me to be prescriptive for them and say, well, I, you know, I struggle with this or I have this situation. What do you recommend? And I'm like I recommend that you just stop and drop into yourself and ask you where you're drawn, like what, in what direction are you being pulled? And that's where you should be. And the craziest thing and really it's not crazy, but the wildest thing for them and for me too would be after they would choose and they say, okay, well, what is what's the, what's the medicine in this material? And I would tell them and say, oh, my God, that just lines up with da, da, da, da da. So we know, yeah, we do.
Sheila:And what kind of guiding questions would you ask them specifically for them to draw? I would just say where are you drawing? Where are you drawn so like? Would you give them examples?
April:No, just tell me where you're pulled. Interesting Yep, pay attention to that. You're like a little compass. You've got a little compass in there Just gonna. You know it will if you're really listening not listening here, but dropped right down into your heart.
Sheila:I find that happens if I'm doing some kind of somatic healing work, like you know, nervous system healing, or something where you're doing a meditation and it's really focused on like focusing on, like dropping into your body and like what do you feel, what do you see, what would you associate with? And often it does connect to nature, imagine, and so it could be trees, it could be water, it could be mountains, it could be like so many different things, and so with that it's like well, what's the energy of that and what's the color? So I see how that would be really connected. And it's something I feel like it is really missing in a lot of the guidance.
Sheila:As people are making choices for their life, in their relationships, in like a business they wanna start or pivot or career or anything, they're thinking very often from well, what's logically the way I should go, based on what I'm seeing around me, Instead of well, what feels good Like? And they can only really access that by getting quiet and often getting out into nature too and really tuning into it. So I love that you're bringing that conversation into something that is maybe more accessible. When it comes to that like style, Okay, what do you enjoy? What adornment do you enjoy? What clothing, what color? It's safer instead of just diving into like something really polarizing, like career or relationship can be triggering in a way right.
April:But also, in order to meet those experiences, those choices, one has to feel fully grounded and authentic for the best experience. And so often we just hand our power over and the salesperson at the place who says you should wear the little black dress, and maybe you're someone who should never wear black, that's me, I can, I look like I'm dead, so and that's all. Part color is a frequency, right? So so often we just we hand it over and say, well, she thinks it looks good on me and I don't know, and I don't know. So I think that once we're empowered, that we are authentically framed from our you know, from our head to our toes, that there's a harmonious frequency that's happening with us, then it's so much easier to meet these experiences. So it's all an inside job. It can seem frivolous because it's jewelry, but really like, it's not about that, it's about what feels right to you.
April:How do you feel when you look in the mirror and you're getting ready to go and do whatever it is that you do? Do you feel like, oh, these pants don't quite fit and oh, this necklace is a little bit too short, or whatever? So often I think, especially as women, we rip ourselves off. We take care of everybody else and we have those little nagging things when we go at the door and we think no one knows except us. But yet we are telegraphing that energy.
April:So, you know, being able to, like, get quiet, slow down and go all the way in it's not just jewelry, it's texture, it's material, it's how are you dressing, how are you framing yourself? You are this brilliant, beautiful, magnificent work of art. And so when you honor that and you show up authentically, people know, you know. And then you feel like good, like the pants fit right and I know I've got something on, I just feel great. And you know people will say, well, how will I know when I'm getting ready if they may have a selection of things? How will I know? So you look in the mirror and you're good, like yep, that's it. But if you don't like it, don't do it Just because someone else thinks you should. And I think really like that's life, isn't it?
Sheila:It really is, and that's really great advice, because once we start practicing that, I think with something like getting ready in the morning because we all got to put some clothes on and go to work, and you know it's kind of an important thing, especially when you're living where we live you need extra clothes in this weather but then we maybe become more attuned to the other decisions and we find we may be more present to them. So I feel like what you're doing is kind of a beautiful gateway literally beautiful gateway into something different. And so how do you choose what you're going to wear each day? Like what kind of look you're going for? Do you go by a feeling? Do you go by you know a sense? Or like literally visually, like I see a sparkle in my eye that's going towards this item, like what's your process?
April:Certainly, I always start with how do I feel and what will I feel like my best self in. That's how I always start there, and then I may have like, obviously I have choices. I can feel good in a lot of things and I, you know, I have many, many options. So even if it's a gala and I think you know you think, oh, it should be this I might feel like it's something else. When I put it on, I'll be like, oh, that's yeah, I feel good in that, even though I could do the other thing. So you know you were talking earlier and I wanted to bring this up.
April:I thought of this at the time and you were saying you know, we're making all these decisions from our head and if you think of the medicine wheel, that's only one part of the wheel and in order to keep that wheel turning, you know all everything needs to be balanced and if it's heavy in one area, then everything else is suffering. Our spirit, our feelings and our body those count too. So it's trying to say you know how am I feeling emotionally right now and how do I want to show up, and you know how do I feel physically. What feels comfortable? Like maybe this necklace is too heavy today. Maybe I want something lighter. And also, what stones, what materials are calling to me right now to support me?
April:Because really, when we put ourselves together, it's not to layer on top of us, it's to enhance who we are but also be supportive. You know, when you have colors and textures and things that frame you in your best way, then that's medicine right there, completely. So much support is built into that. We're just taking yourself by the hand and saying, okay, I'm just going to do this for you and you're going to feel so good. And it's not about being flashy or being, it's just better or whatever.
April:It's not bad. It's like, how am I supporting myself emotionally, spiritually, physically and mentally? We live in a society right now that puts all of the emphasis on living in your head, being on your phone, constantly being disconnected from nature, which is we are nature. So you know, if you took a raccoon out of the wild and put them in a house with all the things, they could manage it, but they really like they got to get out to the woods to be their true self. So it's trying to create harmony, I guess, with all of those things, because I'm obviously not going to go live in the woods.
Sheila:Just for periods of time. Perhaps you know.
April:This raccoon is a city raccoon now, but I'm so bougie.
Sheila:So, anyway, I love that and if we can think about that too, when you know we a lot of our lives are spent indoors and then when you go outside, you just do feel an energetic shift.
Sheila:And I found, like with my kids as well I'm sure you can attest to this too with kiddos Like if there has been a time, any age, that they've been emotionally struggling, and then it's like, okay, let's just go outside, even just to go sit, like on the grass or beside, even not even necessarily on the grass, although that's always best Everything shifts and it's like it's a reminder almost that, hey, maybe getting out into the open, like, oh, this big world I'm in, the sun is shining or the clouds are moving and the wind is blowing and the leaves are blowing, and okay, this thing I'm dealing with, while it's very important and my emotions are very important and need to feel them, there's still a lot happening, you know.
Sheila:So that reminder happens when we go outside. I'm so curious about you were talking about the different stones and the. You know what you're drawn to as well, and I'm curious to know, like, as certain stones particularly well, everything has a frequency, but obviously there's some stones, crystals and things. Do you have a specific one that you really gravitate towards a lot and that has a certain meaning or a certain type of energy that you really love?
April:I like, I love it all, but I'm very drawn to agate. Like I'm wearing an agate bracelet, I feel undressed if I'm not wearing this. It's a very grounding stone, so I always joke that if I could have an agate helmet, it would be really good. And I love wood and we have sustainably sourced wood so I love wearing wood.
April:That just it feels amazing on your body like sort of like wearing linen you know just has a frequency that natural material, and I love pearls, I really love pearls. So there's the water, you know just getting all these elements, but again, not a conscious thing, Right, Right. So, yeah, I probably go that way. I like leather because of the softness of it.
Sheila:Yeah, like that.
April:Yeah, that's where I go. I love it. No one's ever asked me that question before.
Sheila:Well, and I wonder, like does it shift? Is this something that's always been the case, or is it kind of like at this time in your life, or has it always, pretty much, been the case?
April:Always pretty much the same but maybe indifferent configurations.
Sheila:Yeah, well, I love the idea of wood. When you think about that, like you know, because I can't go barefoot on the grass in the winter, I mean I'm some people do, they have, they shovel it out and there they go and I'm like, have fun, I'll lean against a tree, I will hug a tree, I'll lean against a tree. And there is something so incredibly grounding from the time I was tiny, like, as you were saying, kids go out and they play in nature and they're so connected I was. I grew up on a dirt road in the country outside of Ottawa and I had I'd sit in the willow tree as long as I could, reading my books and singing and whatever. And there was a tree on the way to school that on the way and on the way home I would hug it.
Sheila:And then one day there was a massive lightning storm and it fell. It had it got struck. I was so sad. I was so sad. It was like I was inconsolable for a few days because of that. And it was my tree. And I think it's so interesting that we can, if we really think it back, if we let ourselves go back I'm almost getting teary now if we let ourselves, go back to our childhood, we see there's these connections, but we lose those connections sometimes or they get buried under all of the demands of life, all of the comparison, all of the chasing and I'm seeing, and obviously, if your business is growing as it has, and the awareness of wanting more natural, sustainably sourced, like connected to the land type of adornment, I think a lot of other people are starting to realize that this is the case and they're trying to reconnect. And if style can be a way to get people back there, I think it's amazing.
April:Yeah, it's like you said earlier. It's a gateway for much deeper conversations and that's why I run my socials the way that I do, because, first of all, design is a conversation, so we're in conversation, but really it's about relationship. It's about showing up authentically, and I would not be showing up authentically if I was just pushing product at people all day long and saying buy my stuff, you know, oh, it's a special sale, like I just. It's a much deeper conversation and that, to me, like that's the real value of what I'm doing. This communion that can happen, you know, it can be two people, could be me and someone else in the studio, and we're having a conversation that will shift both of us. That's beautiful. That's why we're here. We're not here to sit on stacks of cash. I don't think. Anyway, in my opinion, we're here to increase the love, you know.
Sheila:I'm with you. Oh, yes, more of that, and to tap into as we tap into that and into connecting with each other. That's where true joy can exist in a world where there's a lot of sad things that go on, and that is the way I mean, unfortunately, it's always been. We're just a lot more aware of so much more of the world's happenings now than ever before in history, and I alluded to how I first came to know of you through Asha, and it was when you were having an Instagram live with her, and I loved this idea that you were focused on at the time.
Sheila:I hit start and you were talking about Indigenous joy. So I wonder if there's anything you wanna share about that like that has sparked in you over the years. That really just could be an encouragement to people who aren't tapping into joy in their own lives because they don't feel either like they're worthy to do so or things are so hard out there that is it okay. To actually be joyful Because, like is that? You know what about the people who are hurting in the world? Like, talk to me about all of those. Like, what lands for you around that conversation?
April:No, and it's so hard, it's so hard. I think you know we are all feeling what is going on and, yes, things have been going on forever and we seem to be reaching some kind of tipping point or something. I think we all feel this innately, and sometimes it all feels too much to me as well, and I get you know, I feel guilty and just all of it, and really like the best thing that we can do is bring our focus back to where we are, where we live, the people that we love, that we are in relationship with and we have responsibility to finding that joy in walking out the door and being able to, you know, see a tree, hug a tree, whatever that might be music For me. I sit down with my beads and it's very quiet and then I can just hear the voices of those stones. You know it's like a little hum that I can start to plug into. And there's a frequency, and you know we touched on this earlier that color is a frequency. We are a frequency and the only way that we are going to be able to help raise the vibration on this planet is if we take care of our frequency and we find the things that recharge us, like going for that walk. It behooves us to maintain that frequency level for the people that are suffering. None of us are dancing around going. Woohoo, this is awesome. I'm so happy that you know people are dying. Oh my God, heartbreak. Every time I open my social media I'm just, like you know, having to pause and cry and try and help move some of that energy.
April:And then we have to come back to the medicine of who we are and how creator put us together, what we are here to give and contribute, and remember that we each, if we're all a choir and we're all singing a song together, everybody has their one true note. And so it's remembering that and coming back to that, because that's who we actually are and that's how we don't lose our humanity Finding joy in the moment right in front of you, whatever it might be and that can be hard Sometimes. The joy is in taking a deep breath, just having that oh, I have oxygen right now, you know and starting to shift into gratitude and put your hands on your heart and really come into yourself. That's, you know, taking that deep breath. There's joy, I feel joy in that and then it can grow. It's like a little spark, you start a fire and you feed it more, more little joys that you have in front of you, whatever they might be, and you just take what you can get in that moment.
April:So it may have been a completely different answer that I gave when I was talking to Asha. And we are dynamic and things keep happening and so you know, we remember that we are medicine to one another and the best way that we can support people that are suffering is to vibrate at the highest frequency that we can. It is our responsibility to be the best versions of ourselves and that doesn't mean we're pretending or we're going to oh, everything's unical, corns and rainbows. I don't mean that you know, like we're actually grieving and let's have real conversations in person or like this on a podcast, not typing, you know, anonymously and saying mean things, but getting into more relationship with one another and helping to shift that frequency. Like I always think of this when I'm posting. I'm like God, I'm not trying to be glib, but I want to be a place where people know they can come and have a little giggle and be like, yeah, I remember who I am. You know, when we laugh Sometimes we really remember who we are. It's little kids, little kids.
Sheila:Yeah, well, when I get to your page, I know that the thing is because of you know, the variety of things that you share in the place that you come from. It doesn't come across as glib either. And you are so right, we're dynamic beings, things are shifting all the time, but I agree, like, as we are feeling our feelings and going through the experience of being human, what are the things really that can get us to move into that place of joy, like little children, pets? You know, obviously, nature, just you know being in it. And yeah, laughter I mean honestly laughing at ourselves is sometimes the first, easiest way to go about it. Right, if we can laugh at ourselves, okay, you know we can. We can move through life a little bit more grace on others as well.
Sheila:But I love that you shared that. I think it's such an important message and you know the fact that, that you're able to do the things you love, like your work is what you love to do. You've been drawn to it for so long. You can find joy in the work that you're doing. And I guess this can be an invitation to people who are, like, looking at their life and maybe not finding joy in many areas at all, and that's an invitation to get quiet and say, okay, what does what would bring you joy and kind of start exploring, dipping a toe into that different area.
April:Well, and what's so crazy is that I never intended to start a business. You know, it was never. I didn't have a plan Like and I have my. This is my original bead basket and this would sit on the on the table, on the coffee table, when I was at the end of my pregnancy. And then, you know, as our, we had an infant and I kept making, had my little you know bead basket. And I remember one time sitting in the living room with my husband and the kids were in bed and I I'm sitting with my bead basket in my lap and I'm saying to him I wish there was something I could do from home, because I don't want to leave.
April:I don't want to have a baby and not be here. That's my choice. Everybody's got their journey. My journey was I really wanted that. It was literally in my lap, I and I. So I always tell the story because I and I didn't then connect the dots and say, oh, I know I'll make jewelry Like no, I just but how ironic I sat there with this in my lap.
Sheila:I loved it, the irony of it, and and isn't that what we do? Well, no, I enjoy that too much. That's too easy. It's got to be hard.
April:There's that, but also we have this idea that it has to come from outside, in Right, and it just, like we were saying earlier, you know about being authentic and you know it was literally in my lap. So when people are like, they're saying to me oh, I'm wondering, you know what, what direction, what I'm like it's probably right in front of you already, Like you may not realize it, but it's already right there. You don't have to go looking somewhere for it. You just got to get quiet because you already know, you already know in your soul. Oh yeah, I knew sort of, but it didn't. I didn't have the confidence.
April:Like the first time I did one of these bizarre things. It was a Christmas bizarre. It was like three years later, my daughter's, three, my sister's like you have to do this. What was it? Dreams of Christmas past in Bolton, Ontario. I'm like, oh my God, really, I had a six-foot table set up and whatever. It's the first time that people I didn't know bought my jewelry and I was like, OK, all right, this was good. I'm in conversation with people I don't know and they want to talk and we're talking, and so, yeah, that was so funny though. I was like OK, and she's like see, see, and I'm like I still, it wasn't until our daughter was eight that we did our first juried show. So we call the business our third child.
Sheila:Right, our businesses are our business babies. We put so much into them and we're thinking about them all the time, first thing we think about when we wake up and last thing we think about when we're falling asleep. That is such a beautiful story and really you're bringing so much joy through these pieces that you make as well, and they can kind of have not only the frequency of what their actual frequency is, but then also the frequency of joy from which they've been made to enjoy that process. Like I've heard before that there's like a difference in the frequency of a meal that has been made by someone who's loving making this meal, and then that other frequency of ah got to feed the family, you know it's a different frequency.
April:So have you seen that movie? Like Water for Chocolate? Yes, yeah, that's what happens. Anyway, I don't want to spoil it If you haven't seen it. People see it because it's so good. Yeah, it's great, it's all about that. It's all about energy going into something that people are making and then the people that have the thing that the person is making will then also experience that, whatever it is. Anyway, I don't want to ruin the story.
Sheila:It is so cool though it really is, and I love that, like this whole idea of you having your first real kind of inkling that, oh, this could be a thing at this bizarre like selling to people that you didn't know or them purchasing from you even better, right. And so now you do not only make your pieces and then have them available online and, I'm sure, people buying through Instagram, et cetera you also have these social events. So why don't you tell me a little bit about all the different things you're doing right now, how people can find you, follow you, get into conversation and, yeah, we'll make sure that comes in. Oh my gosh.
April:There is just so much going on right now. We are going to be part of a federal trade commission to Phoenix at the end of March, so we're looking at expanding into the US and our whole point of doing this business aside from all the beautiful things that happened when these wonderful conversations and healing that can happen when you allow creativity into your life our whole thrust is to create work for our community, so I'm excited to do that. This is brand new to us. We've never done something like this before. I certainly have done my share of cold calling stores, but I don't have to do that. We have an introduction. It's like dating for business. It's so great, so I mean, at least that's how it's being presented, not their language, mine, so that's coming up. People obviously can find us on our website and find us in various distributors. It depends on where you live. We are in 30 plus Rexall stores across the country and they're select Rexalls and I'm waiting actually on an updated list because they move us around. So just take a look at your local Rexall and if they don't have us, you should ask them for the three indigenous women businesses women led businesses that are part of that initiative and maybe they'll bring us in. What else can I tell you? As far as where to connect, you can obviously connect on Instagram we have a lot of fun over there and Facebook too, and I will be doing some in-person. I'm doing one in-person market coming up in June. It's called the Handmade Market here in Niagara and it's a beautiful, beautiful juried show, and I'm doing it because it's in my backyard.
April:I also want to tell you about another really special thing that we're doing, and this has been a long time coming. My husband and I were really drawn together. Music was a common thing and he is a professional musician. He's a Juno nominated musician, a very gifted man, and we love to make music together. We write music together and I'm part of we. Together, as DNA, are going to be part of a singer-songwriter circle in April in our Performing Arts Center in our city and at the same time, we are releasing an EP with four original songs on it. So stay tuned for that, because it hasn't been released, but I'll be all the things. It'll have the streams or, if you want, a physical CD. So we're working on that and that's incredible. I'm just.
April:We made the decision when the kids were little. We both can't be gigging. It's just like you can't raise kids and be out late or whatever traveling to do music. So the kids are grown. That little baby that got me beading is 23 and just graduated from U of T and is headed to law school U of T August. I know what a girl. So we can do it and it's scary. When I was asked to do, I mean it's not my first gig. We've done gigs over the years, but not all the time. But it's scary to do it and put your own original pieces out there. But you just have to keep pushing that envelope. And I am going to be celebrating a very big birthday in April. You're going to be a little baby elder I'm turning 60.
Sheila:Oh my God, congratulations yeah.
April:Thank you. So it feels really like the right thing to do. So you're always evolving. It doesn't mean I'm not doing, I'm still doing what I'm doing. And then some business keeps growing and I'm just like, hey, man, it's a short ride If you're going to do it giddy up, giddy up. Oh yes, that's one of our songs, giddy up.
Sheila:Oh, I love it, I love it.
April:You can see that coming, did you?
Sheila:No, but music is my background and I just love it so much, so I'm going to be watching. You've got to tell us, hey girl, what is the group name or the stage name that we can be watching out for.
April:Well, we're DNA and I guess I should be starting an Instagram, but I mean, I don't think about it like again. I don't think about it like I'm starting a business or doing a thing, I'm just organically having my life. Yeah, and I do want to be able to make the music available, because we are going to give a portion of the proceeds from our music to the Mohawk Village Memorial Park, which is an initiative started by residential school survivors in the Mush hole, which is where our family members were, and in fact, my sister made a film called the Nature of Healing and there are seven survivors who talk about their experiences. It's just an excellent film and that's something I'll also keep you posted on when it's streaming widely. It's an award-winning. Many awards were won by this documentary film, anyway.
April:So these elders who are in this film started this initiative, so they turned their very difficult experience into this healing initiative, beautiful place for community to gather and share medicine and all the things, and for everyone, not just indigenous people, but for the wider community, and we want to get this park built. So we are going to give a portion of the proceeds. Whatever we might get, some of our friends might buy and yeah, so anyway, it means something. They're going to be there. It's going to be amazing. Good way to kick off the next decade. Yeah.
Sheila:Yeah, exactly, I love that. I love that. It's like OK, now on to the next chapter. What's happening? Let's do this and, like you say, it's on this ride, this is our ride, let's go Get it up, and so I'm celebrating that.
April:So much Thank you. And you know, life will knock on the door and if you don't say yes, I would have severe regret if I didn't do this. So I just like, yes, I'm going to do it. And in fact, I made myself do this in 2017. I had a year of yes. I had to say yes to all the things that scared the living tar out of me. So I did two musical gigs I was in the vagina, monologues play. I did all this stuff I just to build that muscle right. So here we go again.
Sheila:I love it. I knew there was a reason why we connected. I knew that it was just more than I wanted to hear more about your story. Like there's so much alignment here and you're such an inspiration. I'm going to be watching and I'm going to be following along and maybe getting some of the courage that you exemplify. Can we do it, girl?
April:Do it Come on so great.
Sheila:April. What a pleasure to finally be able to dive into conversation. I know we're trying to make this happen for a while and again, it's just so beautiful what you're doing and how your life, your business, your family, your passions they're all kind of beautifully mixed together and that is really what our lives are. I love that you're living that way. It's just a beautiful example of what is possible for all of us. So I appreciate you. I'm going to link all of those things. So everybody, please go check it all out and be ready, on your Spotify and all of those things, to download some beautiful music.
April:All right, oh my gosh. Well, thank you so much. It's just a tremendous honor and a real pleasure to spend time connecting, and I look forward to meeting you in person one day.
Sheila:Same. I have a friend who lives in Niagara. I'm going to have to see the dates and everything around that beautiful event happening in June. I'm doing a little traveling but I would so love to somehow connect, so we will make sure we do that. I would love that too.
April:All right, awesome, well, thank you. Thank you so much, and we'll see you in the funny papers or Instagram.
Sheila:I love it. The funny papers, oh well, thank you and everyone. Thank you so much for listening to this. I know that you got so many different pieces of wonderful information from this episode and things that I hope you can really take into yourself and embody and kind of maybe look at your day and your life a little differently than you did before. Please find April on Instagram I'm going to have everything linked on the show notes and go over to her website and look at her beautiful pieces. Feel free to shout out this episode to whoever you feel like really could use this message in their own lives, and I look forward to seeing you on another episode. Big blessings these are the new buzz. You.