In Focus | Marie Martin

Meet Marie Martin. She's from England originally, but has lived in the Channel Islands and Australia as well. She and her family moved to Big White for six years but has recently moved down to Kelowna with her two boys!

Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
My kids, why? They remind me to play.

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
Probably Chapters because I love books, tea and all the inspirational bits and pieces!

Describe yourself in one word.
Blessed.

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
The United Kingdom to see my family and friends.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
Rollerblading with my kids on the lakefront and stopping for ice cream in the summer.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
Joining my kids at a trampoline park, landing a front flip badly with my knee smashing my nose and having to make my way out of a foam pit with a bloody nose surrounded by kids... very embarrassing!

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
Transforming my physical, emotional, mental health from being almost crippled with adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism and obesity to living the life I do now, where I am fit, healthy and happy. My journey became a program called Finding You and Living True!

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
Cycling for hours and hours in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside in the summers and playing in the haystacks. The summer days seemed very long then!

Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
I love the community and people. My door is always open to anyone who would like support and a non-judgemental ear. I am a natural volunteer! I have dropped into the Mission Gospel to help there with meals with my 14-year-old son and he loves it. I would like to help more at Mamas for Mamas because that organization is dear to my heart. I have literally moved into Kelowna in the last three weeks so I will be looking at where I can give back to the community more in the new year.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
If it could be just one thing then I would change is for people to step into their own self-awareness. If just one person from each family made a commitment to become self-aware the world would change dramatically! It takes courage to look within sometimes but once you have peace with the internal then the external also becomes peaceful. Creating a peaceful world.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
Big White Mountain. I love to hike that mountain early in the mornings alone.

Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
Homelessness, because it shouldn't exist.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The weather, the change in seasons is so dramatic, the people, the lakes and mountains.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
Gosh, my bucket list is long, I love new experiences!
Here are 3 from my 2018 list:
1. Explore Kelowna and surrounding areas hiking trails
2. Find a house to renovate
3. Expand my business!

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
I once joined a team diving in a well in a medieval castle in the Jersey Channel Islands. It was very very dark, we had to dive alone as there was only room for one! We brought the money up at the bottom of the well to collect it for charity!

How do people connect with you, personally, through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
Facebook.

What is the name of your business/organization?
InnerSpace Hypnosis.

Why did you get into/start this business?
It started with me. I wanted to learn more about NLP, Hypnosis and Metaphysics and the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn more. I didn't start a business straight away, I spent a few years working on myself first, which I still do every day.

What is the goal of your business?
I would like to expand my business more in 2018 and reach more people in Kelowna because I love working with people.

What has been your biggest struggle either at work or in life?
Overcoming my health issues. I literally had to drag myself out of bed every morning and couldn't lift my head off the sofa after 7:00 pm at night! As an active person, it was a nightmare for me, it was also a catalyst for me to wake up so I am grateful!

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
It's hard to say in hindsight, but probably the same because my life experiences have made me who I am.

What do you always find yourself saying?
'Let's work on that!'

Tell us your best piece of life advice.
To work on yourself every day! Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually! Take care of yourself then you can take care of others.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
One person! Right now probably my mum. I haven't seen her in a couple of years, even though we talk most days but it would be lovely to go for a walk and have a hug with her!

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Apart from my kids, for me running the chairlift challenge with my then 11-year-old at Big White. To the top of every chairlift and at high altitude, its pretty gruelling but I did it in an hour and forty-five minutes!

Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
Dagmara Staszak from Mind & Body Solutions, because the work she does is transformational and she is very unassuming with it.

My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is:
Dagmara Staszak!

Some general comments I would like to share are:
I would like to share my appreciation of the Okanagan, its people, beautiful scenery, and weather of course. I love the diversity and different cultures here. It is so nice to see so many people from different cultures be accepted into one community

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE.

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition of the people, businesses, and organization that help make our city great. Thank you, Kelowna!