As a Tourism and Hospitality Student my first attraction to NovaScotian Crystal was the obvious interest that travelers and locals alike had in the glassworks and products created there. I also became quickly aware of the pride felt by the community of Halifax to have such a company on their waterfront.

After working in the Showroom for my first summer in 2003 I just couldn’t get away, returning every chance I had until I accepted a full time position after my graduation.

What I love about being a Crystal Maker is the passion involved with the craft, which is shared equally amongst our visitors, with the process and product. It’s very easy to see how special and unique each piece and stage is after learning how it’s made. Visitors who learn about the craft are drawn back time and again and really get an appreciation for everything that’s done here, and that doesn’t happen in every job.

The thing I love most about being a part of NSC is the care and passion that flows throughout the company and out into our visitors. I get to bring beauty into people’s lives everyday, hear about the pleasure they get from using it, and the excitement they pass along through gifts and celebration.

I became “interested” by accident in 2000 when job searching. I was selected to be interviewed for the accounting position at a manufacturing company, I wasn’t told the name of the company until the day of my interview. When I found out it was NovaScotian Crystal I was very excited. I had been to the waterfront many times and watched the crystal being made and was fascinated by the whole process. My interview took place…and the rest, as they say, is history.

I have been around since 2000…with an unwanted break from 2002-2006 when my husband was transferred to Ottawa. I jubilantly returned to my position in 2006 and have no further plans to leave…ever!

My favorite part of being a Crystal Maker is my love for the crystal!! The craftsmen are truly remarkable and their passion for the making of the crystal rubs off on all of us. It is very rewarding to work for an organization where the focus is not the “bottom line”. The goal is to provide an extraordinary experience for our clients, if we do this right we believe the rest will be achieved.

As the accountant I don’t have a very large fan base…though I am always proud to tell people where I work and I’m happy to come to work every day.

I first became involved with NovaScotian Crystal in early 1998 when Denis Ryan chatted with me about the struggles they were having getting established. As the universe unfolded, I left the business in which I was involved, in June of that year. Denis immediately asked if I would consider joining the company as the President. I thought about it for a bit and quickly realized that it would be fun, challenging and the right thing to do. Over time, I have also become the major shareholder.

I have also begun to realize that I have a dream about NovaScotian Crystal. My dream includes:

• NovaScotian Crystal standing at the pinnacle, as an organization that has preserved and enhanced the ancient craft of making crystal by hand
• It has done so through the creation of the extraordinary crystal experience that people want to share because it enhances their lives and makes them feel better, thereby making the world a better place
• As a result, NovaScotian Crystal is a self-sustaining, very profitable (which profit is shared amongst those who create it) organization whose way of being inspires all those involved to grow and be the best that they can be
• And in doing so, NovaScotian Crystal stands as a role model of how organizations can be very profitable, while making the world a better place