What sparked The Alternative and how did it all begin?

In 2018, I was expecting our first baby and was searching drug stores for the most natural product I could use on my baby’s skin. I wish I would have known more about taking care of my skin at an earlier age and so this was my chance to have a fresh start. Little did I know, most drug store products deemed “natural” are still full of junk ingredients with a high price tag. I settled, as that’s all I could find in my local area. However, I started to notice that every time I travelled to larger cities I was stumbling across more and more natural and sustainable products. Facial rounds were the first product that sparked the, “Why have I been wasting so much?” conversations in my head. I didn’t understand why Saskatchewan lacked in this area of retail and knew if I was looking for these products that others likely were too and I could help fix that. 

Fast forward to the fall of 2019, we had our son Pierce and 3 months into my maternity leave I decided:
a) I didn’t want to go back to my job of 9 years.
b) I wanted to open a business.
c) I was going to say YES for a change and that a lot of people were likely going to think I was nuts. (I should write a blog about that lol.)

I knew I wanted the business to encompass my love for local and handmade goods as I would often attend craft sales to find unique products. I also knew that sustainability was an area that I was quickly becoming passionate about and could use as a way to make an impact by making these products attainable. 

In January 2020, I registered my business on a whim with no plan in place and too scared to tell anyone that I was going to do this. Shortly after, I connected with Tim and Carla from The Local Market who happened to have space available in their building that I immediately fell in love with. In 2 short months, I whipped together a brand, a plan, purchased inventory, took possession of the space and the rest is history!