Their goal is to continue to make designs and products that resonate with the people in their community, and recently, the work of Melanie and Gabby Mason has been recognized throughout the province.
The owners of West Coast Karma strive to create unique, comfortable clothing with hand-drawn, nature-inspired designs, and as a result of their work, they were recently recognized for The People's Choice Award through Small Business BC.
The pair were first nominated in 2023 for the same award but nearly didn't submit the second time around.
"For months we anticipated the big event in Vancouver. We had never been nominated for anything like this before and really got our hopes up that this was our big chance; we attended the gala in Vancouver, but unfortunately, we did not win in 2023. We did come in second place. We understood that coming in second was a huge achievement, but would be lying if we said we didn't feel disappointed. It was a great personal learning experience," noted Melanie.
This year, once they learned they were a finalist in their category, they reached out to Small Business BC to see if the pair could bring their three children to the gala in Vancouver.
"We really had no expectation of winning. Little did we know, it would be the most exciting event we have ever experienced as a family."
The criteria for the award was to accumulate the most amount of votes, and the the duo said receiving the award meant a lot for their family. With their kids present, Melanie explained they were able to demonstrate to them that anything is possible with hard work and a growth mindset.
When Melanie and Gabby reflected on their move to the Comox Valley 10 years ago, they noted how far they've come and the challenges they faced growing their business.
"We really had nothing. We had three children born in one year who were just babies. Life felt really challenging and we had no idea how we would figure out our financial or personal situation," said Melanie.
"We were of course very happy to get the recognition for our business, but mostly we were happy to share this experience with our kids and hopefully show them and others that no matter how challenging the path feels, you can take steps and work yourself out of a tough spot. That is the message we feel is most important to share with our community and kids."
She adds the win feels communal, as though they were representing Vancouver Island and the Comox Valley.
"(It) is a very surreal feeling and very humbling to know that friends, family, and even strangers were rooting for us to win."
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Small Business BC was a non-profit organization that helped British Columbians start their own small business prior to declaring bankruptcy on Dec. 5, 2024. The organization received support from the province, as well as the federal government.
Official records show that B.C.'s provincial government could be out about $2.51 million following the bankruptcy of Small Business BC.
