top of page

My Day Series

BAY OF QUINTE YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

My Day Series: Luhana Littlejohn

Date: February 17, 2018 Author: Rachael Tracey

Earlier this month, I announced the launch of the “My Day” series and invited entrepreneurs from across Canada to participate in an email interview where I sent them questions about what it’s like to be an entrepreneur, how they make themselves stand out, and what an (a)typical day looks like for them.

The very first entrepreneur is Luhana Littlejohn, who reached out to me through the CountyFEM (County Female Entrepreneur Mastermind) Facebook page. When I read her answers, I just knew Luhana was the perfect person to feature in the premiere article in the “My Day” series. I invite you to read on and see why!

Question 1: Describe yourself in 3 words only.

  • Courageous

  • Communicative

  • Dynamic

Question 2: Tell me more about your business(es)? What kind are they?

  • Littlejohn Farm is a Tourism Company located in the heart of Prince Edward County. This multiple phase project is a Unique Farm Stay Experience with an Educational facility and event space soon to come. Our goal is to showcase the best of what Farm to table living has to offer in PEC. Our packages include a series of farming and cooking based workshops, local wine tours and personal development sessions.

  • I was born and raised in Brazil and have always had a passion for increasing people’s quality of life. I learned at a very young age that one must be the best version of themselves in order to give back to others. This wisdom inspired me to develop myself… I started working on many social projects around the world that were focused on sustainability and creating a greener future for tomorrow. These projects also guided me to the opportunity of getting a full scholarship to complete my Masters in Finance in Belgium.

  • After completing school, I worked for several global companies in both the advertising and technology, market sectors. I have now set my sights on Neurolinguistics Programming and Access Bars Therapy. These personal development practices have taught me that if you can dream it, it can be built. Put your goals on paper, visualize them and make them happen. My goal is to create a learning environment that will offer an amazing guest experience that will feed the minds, bodies and souls of our guests.

Question 3: Where does your entrepreneurial drive come from? What are your sources of inspiration?

  • My entrepreneurial drive comes from wanting to be my own boss! Having worked with and for many global organizations I have had a chance to see how great leadership can help develop a project. I find it very inspiring to see what a team can accomplish with great leadership. Attitude is everything and it is proven that people work better and are happier in team-based environments. When you see a great leader culture this environment it really shows you that the sky is the limit. One team-one dream helps in sustainable growth and furthering the innovation of a company. It inspires me to see a dream becoming a reality after a period of planning and team work.

Question 4: Considering how fierce competition is among your industry, what are your business(es) competitive advantages? What makes you stand out in the crowd?

  • The business’s competitive advantages are where we are located, the service that we offer and our marketing plan! It definitely sounds cliché but there is no doubt in the proven track record that location, location, location is everything. I feel that we have given our business the greatest opportunity to succeed by choosing a great location to operate in Prince Edward County.

  • Our team is specialized in their various fields of work and our business is designed to cater to fewer guests at a time. This allows for more personalized guest experience. It has also helped having a well-travelled chef and sommelier with a background in sustainable farming as both my husband and business partner.

  • I have also found that my business and digital marketing experience are very helpful in helping us stand out in the crowd.

Question 5: No two days are often the same for an entrepreneur, but what does a typical day look like for you?

  • A typical day is always a different day with many challenges… My day starts with exercise and meditation, followed by a couple of minutes checking how far I’ve been progressing towards the goals that I’ve established for myself and the company. I try to have quality time with family and friends every other day and I end my day planning tomorrow — tonight.

Question 6: What do you do daily to grow as a person?

  • I invest in my mental and physical health. I practice yoga and meditation every morning followed by a healthy farm to table eating routine (as much as possible). I keep myself up-to-date about what is going on in the world and I love reading a good book! Also, I am always doing a new course in order to refresh and keep learning!

Question 7: What tricks have you discovered to keep you focused, productive and achieve a decent work/life balance?

  • I am a planner! The main thing for me is to be organized with what dates, tasks, goals, and “me time” I need to succeed. I plan the yearly projects, monthly events, weekly activities and daily actions … That way everything works in harmony!

Question 8: What popular entrepreneurial advice do you agree/disagree with?

  • I really like the advice once given to me that everything starts with a dream. Dreams are what inspire people. Find something that you love doing and then wake up everyday and do something to contribute to what you love. Also, if it wasn’t for our past failures, we would never know what great success actually feels like.

Question 9: What’s your favourite metaphor to describe entrepreneurship?

  • Being successful is not an accident. It takes hard work, perseverance, learning, studying and most of all, love what you are doing!

Question 10: What was the toughest moment you have experienced in your business practice? How did you succeed to get over it and move forward?

  • The toughest moment in my business practice has been learning to apply the knowledge and skills that I learned in University to my everyday work life. The education system is designed to teach students about how the business and financial world works in a utopia. A picture is painted of perfect people practicing textbook scenarios that are always designed to work. The hardest part is entering the workforce after being in the comfortable confines of a university environment and realizing that neither the system nor the people running the system are anything close to perfect. To over come this, one must always be continuing their education and always have a willingness to adapt. Just because you studied one thing, doesn’t mean that you won’t be required to learn another. Never stop growing yourself, times are changing at such a rapid pace that it has become easier than ever to become obsolete.

Lastly, if someone wants more information, what is the best way to contact you?

.

.

. .

BAY OF QUINTE YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

The online resource for young entrepreneurs.

bottom of page