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