In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.
What is your name?
Shalyn Syrjanen-Ross
What do you always find yourself saying?
If your eyes are open, you can see beauty everywhere.
If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
Cesar Milan. I think he has an peaceful spirit and energy that would be amazing to be surrounded by and learn from.
If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Hmmmm, I am horrible with stuff like this. I guess some kind of humanitarian award. I think that we often forget that there is a reason people need help and I think if we are lucky enough to be in a position to help someone out, we should.
If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
Queen Elizabeth, strong women are often not celebrated, they are looked upon negatively. I think her strength is inspiring.
Who inspires you?
My children as I enjoy watching their innocence and how they look at life. But I love their honesty, a trait that is often lost as we age.
What are three things on your bucket list?
Travel Europe, skydive and obtain my motorcycle licence.
If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
Perheaikaa translated Family Time in Finnish. I don’t speak Finnish but it is part of my heritage, it’s a fascinatingly hard language to learn.
If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
Is it morbid if I say my death? Not because I want to see when or how I die, but to make sure that the people in my life know how much I love them and that I would be nothing without their love and support.
What are you passionate about?
I don’t know if there is one thing. It sounds lame but probably my family. I strive everyday to make them proud, to show my parents that I remember the lessons they taught me and I hope that my children learn that anything is possible if you are strong and determined. That you can still be successful when you put your family first and that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your ethics in the process.
What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
My wedding day. There was so many things that went wrong! Our dog got sprayed by a skunk, our wedding cake fell over, my niece got stuck in a swamp and lost her shoes. It was a complete sitcom, but I will never forget my dad’s face before he walked me down the aisle or how David’s voice shook while he said his vows. I was perfect.
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Taking the plunge moving to Kelowna and starting Wine Your Way Tours.
Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
Bouchons – The food is amazing and the service is the best in town.
What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
Hiking. It’s hard to hike the same route twice, but even if you do, you will notice something new. This neck of the woods is truly amazing.
What is the name of your business/organization?
Wine Your Way Tours
What does your business/organization do?
Wine Your Way Tours is the premier all inclusive wine tour company based in Kelowna. We want to showcase the unique, interesting and delicious wines of the Okanagan; we focus on small education based tours, with hints of humour. We want our guests to experience the wines and wineries on their own terms. There is not a cookie cutter tour, every day is different.
Where can people find you or your business online?
www.wineyourway.ca
Where can people find your business on Facebook?
WineYourWayTours
What is your Twitter account?
@wineyourway
What is your mission?
To take the snob out of wine and show the world how amazing and unique Canadian wines are.
If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
Eventually I would like to become a Master Sommelier or Master of Wine, but that is far in the future, right now I really want to enjoy watching my children grow up and choose their paths.
Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
I would like to have a couple more vehicles on the road and maybe someone in the office. It’s hard though, it took me three years to find my first employee. I don’t want just anyone, they need to have the right personality to handle me, and the right level of knowledge to benefit our guests.
Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
DJ Kearney, she is amazing. Her palate is phenomenal and the way she describes wine is very elegant.
What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
Customer service – I have had a lot of negative experiences over the years, it has shown me what not to do.
Knowledge – Being educated in wine allows us to customize our tours, we want our guests to have the option of learning, or just enjoying the day or a little of both.
Passion – when you love what you do, it’s easy to pass along that to our guests.
What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
Thank you! Without you I would have missed my son’s fun day at school, and my daughter’s grade six graduation. Thank you for your patience while I figure out how to be a boss. Thank you for taking care of our guests. This summer would not have been as much fun without you.
How does your business/organization impact the community?
I really try to always support the smaller businesses. From the food we use for our picnics, to the restaurants we recommend for dinner. I look at our business as an ambassador for the Okanagan, trying to showcase the valley is what we do every day. I think our guests appreciate when we can recommend another business that they may not have found on their own.
If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
That is probably the toughest question. I am not the finance guru, that is my partner in life and this business David, if he wasn’t at work I would ask him!
If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
The traffic, the lights are infuriating at times, there really needs to be more left turn arrows on 97.
What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The people, the scenery, the endless entertainment, the lake, the wine and the lack of mosquitoes!
My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Christina Ferreria
Some general comments I would like to share are:
Reading through my answers to the rest of the questions, I sound really lame, but I am okay with that. When I was a snot nosed teenager I quit my job so I could go camping with my parents. Family has always been my number one priority, success….money…..admiration, mean nothing if there isn’t love and respect by those most important. I live my life with humour, understanding and a stubbornness that I am know infuriates my husband. But we never know how long we are going to be here, so we might as well enjoy every minute and not stress too much about traffic.
We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!
