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‘I lost everything:’ determined Nanaimo woman makes Dragons’ Den pitch

Feb 15, 2018 | 5:22 PM

NANAIMO — She was riding high then hit rock-bottom.

Nanaimo’s Lisa Hayward, 34, made one of 14 presentations to producers of the popular CBC show Dragons’ Den at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre Thursday afternoon.

Hayward owns Culture Craze, a body jewelry and accessories retailer which operates primarily from mall kiosks in 14 Western Canada locations, including Nanaimo. Hayward told NanaimoNewsNOW most of her 11-year tenure heading the company has seen strong sales of $44-million and as many as 24 stores at one time.

That all changed three years ago when the Alberta economy crashed and the company’s losses mounted to the tune of $700,000 over two years. The company was slammed by money-losing stores in Alberta and the cost of expensive retail space, she said. Ten locations were shut down and inventory liquidated.

She has since steadied the ship and said through painful restructuring a modest profit will be turned this fiscal year.

Hayward didn’t shy away from sharing her fall from grace to the show’s producers.

“I let them know that we were on fire for quite some time and then I had to risk basically everything. I sold my house and rental condo, I cashed in all of my RRSPs,” Hayward said.

Even her wedding ring was pawned, which Hayward called “the lowest point in my life.”

Now she’s hoping to get on the 13th season of the Dragons’ Den, where entrepreneurs push for financial support in front of a panel of business moguls.

It’s Hayward’s hope to lean on the Dragons to boost the company’s inventory and help it grow again.

Dragons’ Den producer Stephanie Quilligan said Hayward’s presentation was impressive and she effectively showed how passionate she is.

“Through her story, through everything that she had risked, through the way that she spoke about how much she loves her business and how she would do anything to make it work. That’s something that strikes you immediately,” Quilligan said.

 

ian@NanaimoNewsNow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes