We share entrepreneurial stories to inspire great ideas...
Kim Doherty-Smith
I wasn’t always spinning yarns. Before I started my own business by opening Fleece and Harmony, I was neck deep in the corporate world. I found myself living in a large city, commuting 3 hours a day to an office and working 50 hour weeks. Originally from Nova Scotia, I was missing the the ocean, space and a place to find peace and quiet. My husband and I found a farm for sale in rural PEI and made the move 10 years ago. We are surrounded by a beautiful landscape, and are the caretakers of 25 sheep, two horses and 8 angora rabbits.
To learn more, visit: https://www.fleeceandharmony.com Â
Owner Fleece and Harmony Woollen Mill, Kim Doherty-Smith
- Contributed By: Kim Doherty-Smith
Tell us a little something about your business...
Fleece and Harmony is a woollen mill located on my sheep farm in rural Prince Edward Island, Canada. We spin locally sourced wool from our own sheep and sheep from other Island farms. We run a cottage size mill and process the raw fleeces to make beautiful hand dyed yarns for hand knitting and crochet.
Our yarn is sold in our shop in front of the mill, and we have a robust online business. We also import Rowan yarns from the UK. In 2019, we were designated a Rowan Flagship Store.
I support my business by producing a bi-weekly video podcast which is published on the Fleece and Harmony Channel on You Tube. The podcast shares stories from our life on the farm, knitting and crochet projects, and anything else that comes up!
When was your lightbulb moment?
There really wasn’t the click of a light bulb being switched on. It was more of a slow burn – planning an escape from the grind of city living and the stress of managing in a highly competitive business environment where the focus was on every tenth of a % of profit. There had to be more. I decided to find it and take a bet on myself.
What are your three words of advice?
Think – Take time to think and evaluate what is important for your business and for yourself. How do you make sure you are spending your time on what is important.
Plan – How do you get there? There may be one step or, more likely, there may be a series of small steps , but planning properly is always important for success.
Act – Act on your plan. Be courageous and do it. You have done your homework.
Three words of advice...
Never say can’t
I wasn’t always spinning yarns. Before I started my own business by opening Fleece and Harmony, I was neck deep in the corporate world. I found myself living in a large city, commuting 3 hours a day to an office and working 50 hour weeks. Originally from Nova Scotia, I was missing the the ocean, space and a place to find peace and quiet. My husband and I found a farm for sale in rural PEI and made the move 10 years ago. We are surrounded by a beautiful landscape, and are the caretakers of 25 sheep, two horses and 8 angora rabbits.
To learn more, visit: https://www.fleeceandharmony.com Â
“May your legacy create a footprint of success for the next person who steps into your shoes”
