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Darnelle Moore

What a year of personalities #withTownHall

  By Leeann Froese

Welcome to the #withTownHall #2015recap!

If you are a regular reader, you will know that each week we introduce a person we have encountered #withTownHall!

So as we end the year, let’s re-meet some amazing people:

Featured-in-2015-allDid you miss a post, or are you curious to know more about someone above? Click their posts to read about them:

Ezra Cipes, Summerhill Pyramid Winery

Crystal Kwon, Citizen Relations & Vancity Buzz

John Biehler

Alison Scholefield, Okanagan Crush Pad

Welbert Choi, Forage

James Melendez, James the Wine Guy

Mark Hicken, Vintage Law Group

Bailey Williamson, Blue Grouse Winery

Tyler Harlton, TH Wines

Hootsuite Owl, Hootsuite

Annika Reinhardt, Social Bites

Clement Chan, Torofuku Modern Asian

Degan Walters, SmokySweet

Cristina Brunner, Blue Grouse Winery

Jeff Kralik, Drunken Cyclist

Glen Korstrom, Business in Vancouver

Julie Van Rosendaal, Dinner With Julie

Darnelle Moore, Eastside Fitness

Sam Hauck, My Vancity

Blue Grouse Estate Winery, team

Jim Irving, BC Hospitality Foundation

Jeremy Schacht, Ampersand Distilling

Tori Klassen

Mijune Pak, Follow Me Foodie

Brian Webb Homoculture

Chris Pritchett, UBC Thunderbirds Baseball

Swearing Minion, Despicable Me

Christine Campbell, Girls Go Grape

Kayla Koroush, Barrel Thief

Joshua McVeity, Photographer and Fred Lee, Man About Town

Christa-Lee McWatters Bond, Local Lounge | Grille, Encore Vineyards

Kristina Manning, Monthlyclubs.com

Frank Morgan, Drink What You Like

Courtney Buryta, Vancouver Canucks

Natalie Langston, Freelance Media

Eagranie Yuh, Edible Vancouver and Wine Country

Crystal Henrickson, University of British Columbia

Madeline Puckette, Wine Folly

Steven Spurrier, Decanter Magazine

Jennifer Schell, BC Food and Wine Trails Magazine

Amy Chen, Town Hall Brands

Ann Luu, CTV Morning Live,

Jackie Gidda, Mt Boucherie Estate Winery

William Ho, Fairchild Radio

Skip & Judy Stothert, Coolshanagh

Mary Halpen, Best of Bridge

Ron Wilson, Cheap and Cheerful

Justin Darnes, Drinks Undressed

 

Do you know someone who we should feature #withTownHall? Introduce us. And leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter

 

Meet Darnelle Moore With Town Hall

By Leeann Froese It's Saturday - that means it's time to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall

This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).

We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them. This week #withTownHall we introduce you to Darnelle Moore!

Darnelle Moore

Darnelle is co founder of the popular Vancouver fitness studio Eastside Fitness.

She has been involved in the fitness industry for more than 12 years as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, coach, run leader, indoor cycling instructor and program coordinator. She has been active and passionate about fitness her entire life and has experience participating in many sports.

I like to call her 'small but mighty". She has experience as an elite athlete, competing in road cycling as part of Canada’s National Team. She enjoys trail running, weight training and hiking and she is also proud mom to three active kids.

In addition to keeping herself and those around her fit, she is a little league baseball coach at the South Vancouver Little League and she writes very helpful a biweekly fitness column in the Vancouver Courier.

Whether you already know Darnelle or not, please help us out and say a big hello. Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.

12 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season

By: Amy Chen Holiday Tips From Our Experts

The holiday season is always a time of celebration and reconnection with friends and family, but sometime there’s too much glee and not enough reality.

Whether it is gift buying, hosting dinners, paying the bills, or vacation planning, the holiday hustling and bustling can leave us in layers of mayhem and stress that we often don’t realize until the party’s over. To prepare for a healthy, joyful and stress-free holiday season, our financial, food, wine and health experts have offered tips to help you get a head start before the New Year.

Our Financial Expert - Judy Poole:

What are your tips to control holiday spending?

JudyPooleHeadshot

 

 

 

 

 

 

Judy offers three tips:

1. Do what you have said you're going to do every year! Start early. Okay we're too late for early, start NOW.

2. Work with your family to set parameters. Maybe, like us, you give "consumables". Maybe your gifts could be from the thrift shop. If everybody agrees it can be a lot of fun.

3. Set a budget. Stick to it. That's the beauty of starting early... You actually have a chance of paying with cash.

Our Food Expert - Angie Quaale:

Angie-Quaale-Headshot

 

 

 

 

 

 

We (TH) asked Angie a few questions:

What is a fun, must-have tool for this holiday season?

My favourite seasonal tool is a nutmeg grater (photo below). Perfect for topping the NOG, baking, special coffees etc. There really is NO replacement for freshly ground nutmeg.

Well Seasoned-Nutmeg Grinder

TH: What is the easiest dish that will be a crowd pleaser?

Warm roasted vegetable salad with fresh dates & feta (recipe below).

4 small whole red onions peeled and cut in four

4 carrots sliced thick on the diagonal

6 small beets, peeled & cut into chunks

2 small parsnips, peeled & sliced thick on the diagonal

1 kg butternut squash skinned, seeded and cut into 4cm pieces

¼ cup olive oil

100g feta cheese

salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

8 fresh dates – pitted and cut in four

4 tbsp pomegranate molasses

3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

¼ cup cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put the carrot, onion and squash in a roasting pan.  Add the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat all the vegetables.  Bake 30 minutes until all the veggies are tender.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a large serving bowl.  Sprinkle on the dates and the feta.  Drizzle with the molasses and additional olive oil if wanted – toss to coat.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro – serve at room temperature or warmer.

TH: A tip for the holiday season?

Cook once, eat twice. I call it “Planned-overs”. It is a busy time of the year.  When you are roasting a chicken, roast two – same mess, same fuss only you have a few meals rather than just one. Turn the second chicken into sandwiches, a pot pie, soup, salad… Planning ahead is the ultimate holiday stress reliever!

 

Our Wine Expert - Bailey Williamson at Blue Grouse Winery:

BG-Bailey-Williamson-Pouring-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your top three wine recommendations for…

1. Host/Hostess gift- Pinot Noir to go well with any holiday dinner, especially turkey.

2. Entertain a crowd- Any whites for easy drinking, such as 2012 Quill White.

3. Big meal - Multiple wines with every course, with lots of glassware so I can have different wines on the go at all times. Suffice to say lots of wines and the menu would dictate varietal and style...

 

Our Health Expert- Darnelle Moore at Eastside Fitness:

Eastside Fitness

 

 

 

What are three realistic, simple tips for healthy holidays?

1. Get outside as much as possible. Try for at least once or twice per day! Don't use the cold, rain, snow or icy conditions to keep you indoors. Even a brisk 20 min walk will be enough to get your blood circulating a little more rapidly through your body, bringing fresh oxygen to your brain and extremities. The cool air will wake you up and refresh you. It does get dark early but this is great time of year to check out the Christmas lights around your neighbourhood. Remember, you don't have to make this complicated. Walk to the mailbox, the corner store, the bus stop.

2. Christmas treats don't have to be bad. Cookies and chocolates are part of the season. So are mini oranges, mixed nuts and popcorn! Keep lots of those healthier treats within reach around your home and work place and you will find that you will snack on them too. Also, have lots of cut up veggies and healthy dips (hummus, tzatziki etc) in the fridge ready for when you have the munchies or guests come to visit. Try having a ratio of three healthy (yet tasty) treats on the table to one tray of chocolates and baked goods.

3. Breathe deeply. Set your watch to remind you every 10 mins. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, stop. Raise your hands above your head while breathing in through your nose. Touch your hands together at the top and hold your breath for one second. Lower your arms and breathe out, audibly, through your mouth (like a sigh). Repeat 2 or 3 times. If you have the time and the space, try doing a Sun Salutation at least once per day. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IUyY9Dyr5w  One per day can keep the doctor, physio, chiropractor away!

 

Now that you've read these tips, what are your tips to make it through the holidays?

 

Celebrating Our Women In Business #WithTownHall

  By Amy Chen

Happy Business Women's Day! 

TH Business Women Flashback 65 years today, the American Business Women’s Association was founded by Hilary A. Bufton Junior with a mission to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to support each other personally and professionally. Thirty years later in the 1980s, president Ronald Reagan officially declared September 22nd as a national holiday to recognize gender equality and the contribution that women make in the business world.

Now, why is this important to Town Hall (and maybe you, too)?

According to Canadian Statistics:

  • Number of Canadian women in business is drastically growing
  • Self-employed women grew by 6.4%, accounting for one third of all self-employed persons
  • On average, women in business do not make as much money as men
  • Women perceive more barriers doing business than men
  • Love is what drives majority of women entrepreneurs in their business

With a number of our clients and team members being women, we want to celebrate Business Women’s Day by highlighting the leadership and dedication of our Town Hall women in business. Most of all, we invite you to help us celebrate and recognize these incredible women for their hard work and achievements. They inspire us and allow us to take great pride in the work that we do for them. Thank you ladies for everything that you do! Here’s what ten of our empowering Town Hall Women in Business shared when we asked them their greatest challenge and reward as women in the industry:

 

Angie Quaale Angie Quaale, owner, Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store

Challenges: “I don't think I face specific challenges because I'm a woman. I know plenty of male and female entrepreneurs. Their challenges are unique to the business, and not their gender.”

Rewards: “Meeting food producers that raise or grow food. The passion involved in that process is completely inspiring to me.“  

 

Christine Coletta Christine Coletta, owner, Okanagan Crush Pad

Challenges: “I didn’t really face many as the wine industry is made up of family business with many dynamic women taking lead roles. It was not a male dominated environment and neither was the restaurant industry, which was my previous career. Frankly, the biggest challenge was the confusion over my name, which is when I officially started using “Christine” to avoid receiving calls and mail addressed to Mr. Coletta. The assumption was that I was a male… I quickly set that straight.”

Rewards: “Watching the growth and knowing that I played a vital role in changing the direction of the BC wine industry along with the many people that became my friends. It was hard work, but we shared some wonderful experiences and have great war stories to tell.”

 

Darnelle MooreDarnelle Moore, owner, Eastside Fitness

Challenges: “One of the biggest challenges is to let people know that a female operated fitness business does not mean we are for women only. To let people know that women can and do lift some pretty heavy weights (and they don't "bulk up" when they do so) and that men don't have to lift heavy weights all the time to improve their health/fitness. They could benefit from movement pattern corrections, which might involve some pretty basic "unloaded" body weight exercises. One of my pet peeves in the industry, regardless of the fact that I'm a woman, is that the fitness industry is categorized under "Recreation and Entertainment". To me, that implies fitness is not taken seriously as a preventative health measure! I would love to work towards changing this officially!”

Rewards: “I think seeing people move beyond their original fitness goals, beyond the obvious ones like losing weight or running a 5km to where they realize the real benefits of a full, balanced exercise regime.  Seeing people become stronger (physically and mentally) and in a place where they enjoy working out. I especially love when I see a client make a self-correction in a movement pattern we have been working on. It's a sign to me that they are aware of how their body is connected.”

 

Jenny Garlini Jenny Garlini, office manager, Blue Grouse Winery

Challenges: “My biggest challenge right now is splitting my time between my kids and my work. I have two kids that are four and six years old, and I want to be involved with school/preschool as much as I can. The other big challenge working for a small business is that you have to wear many hats. It has been a big challenge to not only manage a tasting room, but also make sure bills are paid, schedules are done, edit a website, put out a newsletter, start a wine club, make sure the lawns are cut, and the list goes on and on.”

Rewards: “Seeing the whole picture. I love being a part of each aspect of the winery that I listed and more! I get to see and make decisions on things that will make Blue Grouse grow and be successful. I love seeing the sales grow, new wine club members signing up and knowing that we have made a new customer that will love our place in the Cowichan Valley as much as I do.”  

 

Judy Kingston Judy Kingston, owner, Serendipity Winery

Challenges: “Getting the farm started is my biggest challenge as a woman in the winery industry. As most would know, the farm is a really male dominated industry. So, when I first moved from Toronto to start Serendipity, there were a lot of non-believers. I was a Torontonian, a lawyer, and a woman that had no idea how to drive a tractor nor did I know anything about farming.”

Rewards: “Since Serendipity started, my biggest reward is proving everyone wrong. I succeeding at farming and transformed from the Toronto, lawyer woman that everyone doubted to the farmer and owner of Serendipity, 2013 Winery of the Year from New York International Wine Competition.”  

 

Judy Poole Judy Poole, branch manager, Poole and Associates Wealth Management

Challenges: “The biggest challenge working in this industry has been balancing the expectations of the various firms that I worked for, especially in a male dominated industry and with the unique way that I, as a woman, work with clients. My philosophy puts building trust and truly understanding client’s needs first, but the corporations put sales results first. Fortunately, I have found an independent home at Raymond James where my philosophies fit.”

Rewards: “Without question, the biggest reward has been watching my clients’ lives evolve, helping them to navigate the rough waters of life! Children have been born, grown up, educated, marriages, divorces, and widowhood. I've been at this a LONG time!”  

 

Marina Knutson Marina Knutson, owner, SpierHead Winery

Challenges: “I co-own a winery with my husband so my challenges are no different than his. The ongoing challenge I see is balancing roles as husband and wife while owning a small business and continuing to be parents of four children.”

Rewards: “It’s always a success to see my wines do well and win awards. Also, I’m pleased to see more women wine makers as equal partners. This means I have more opportunities to meet new groups of women in the hospitality and wine industry. Prior to the wine industry, I was an occupational therapist, so another reward is being able to learn more than I ever thought.”

 

Pinki Gidda Pinki Gidda, wine shop manager & marketing, Mt. Boucherie Family Estate Winery

Challenges: “As a family-run business, we have to do everything ourselves and wear many hats. While it’s a great learning experience that I am able to get my hands in everything, it is slightly challenging at times because I often wish I have more time to spend with my customers, rather than working behind the scenes.”

Rewards: “One of my biggest reward is meeting people from all over the world and seeing our business grow with everyone’s support.”  

 

Tarrah MacPherson Tarrah MacPherson, vice president of operations, Summerhill Pyramid Winery

Challenges: “I don’t really feel any significant challenge as a women in the industry. The support I have received coming on board here at Summerhill has been tremendous. My environment has been collaborative and inclusive right from the start. And this is the mantra we are passing on to our teams to be successful.”

Rewards: “Well, to start, I love my job. I feel really good about the achievements we are making as a team and as a company. As an organic winery contributing to the sustainability of our planet, we feel we are pioneers among our peers. As the worldwide wine industry continues to trend upwards, we feel we are well positioned to continue as a leader in our industry. A really great place to be.”

 

Leeann Froese We will end with our own Leeann Froese, owner, Town Hall Brands

Challenges: “The biggest challenge is living up to my own pressures – trying to oversee the business, family, volunteer obligations and carve out time for myself. It’s a challenge for me to be a leader in these varying aspects while still trying to look ahead and grow.”

Rewards: “My biggest rewards come when I hear from clients saying what a difference we have made for them, how we are vital to their teams, or from press saying that some of our best practices are their favourites. And I get huge satisfaction from the smiling faces of my team. I push them, hard; to work to output their best and learn and grow, and hope that they are happy with their role and work.”

Do you know any of these women or know a woman in business you would like to recognize? Let us know or give them a big high five and thank you.

Town Hall takes the #ALSIceBucketChallenge

We were nominated by Robert Stelmachuk and his team at Cibo Trattoria to take the #alsicebucketchallenge and we accepted! Here we have our Town Hall team: Sujinder Juneja, Amy Chen, Leeann Froese, Laurisha Bardall and Andrew von Rosen and we are at Scotiabank Field.

We have made a $100 donation on behalf of our team, and we pass the ALS Ice Bucket challenge along to Darnelle Moore at Eastside Fitness, Eric von Krosigk of Summerhill Pyramid Winery and Megan Moyle of Constellation Brands.

 

 

 

ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) is a progressive neuromuscular disease in which nerve cells die and leave voluntary muscles paralyzed. Kind of like how it feels to be doused in ice water? Every day two or three Canadians die of the disease.

Why is it called Lou Gehrig's Disease?

Lou Gehrig was an American baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. He set several major league records during his career, including the most career grand slams (23) (until this record was broken in 2013) Gehrig's streak ended in 1939 after he was stricken with ALS, a disorder now commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease in North America, which forced him to retire at age 36 and claimed his life two years later.

Thank you to Rob Fai for editing this video for us and to our own Felicia Fraser for filming us.

Freshly iced Sujinder, Amy, Leeann, Laurisha and Andrew

Please share this, and remember to make a donation. Learn more here on the ALS Canada site.

#gogetit #wettshirt #donate #alsicebucketchallenge #stopALS