It Takes a Village to earn a Business Award

Last Saturday night I stood on a stage at the Gabriola Island Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards and heard my name called for 2025 Entrepreneur Under 40.

As I walked toward the stage and heard the applause, my entire body was vibrating.

Not from nerves or the high of winning. From love.

It felt like being held up by a room full of people at once.

Awards look very individual from the outside. You hear one name. See one name on the big screen. One trophy. One person in the spotlight.

But I know, very clearly, that this milestone wasn’t achieved alone.

This business has always been relational. It’s never just been about sets and reps. It’s about trust.

I am extremely grateful to have a supportive family — both blood-related and chosen. The kind of people who remind you who you are when you forget.

And then there are my clients.

Every single person who took a chance on me.
The people who showed up to class even when they were exhausted.
The ones who stuck around for years.
The folks who bought a program when I was still refining my voice (and terrible graphic design).
The ones who trusted me with their post-op recovery.
The ones who recommended me to a friend.
The people who comment, like, share, and interact with my marketing so it reaches someone who needs it.

You are the reason this business exists.

There are also people who quite literally made this possible.

The generous humans who let me build a gym in their garage so I could keep training clients after starting my life over again on the other side of the country.
The ones who helped me slowly collect and upgrade equipment over time.
The people housing me right now.
The community members who welcomed me onto this island and into their lives.

When I say it takes a village, I mean it.

Yes, I work hard. Very hard.
And I’m proud of what I’ve built.

But I’m also deeply aware that I’m in a privileged position to be able to do this work.

Not everyone gets support.
Not everyone gets encouragement.
Not everyone gets space to experiment, grow, and build.

I don’t take that lightly.

This award doesn’t represent “success” to me.

It represents trust, respect, and acknowledgement.

Trust from clients who allow me into their healing and strength journeys.
Respect from colleagues and mentors.
Acknowledgement from a community that believes I’m contributing something meaningful.

That’s the part that moves me.

And I’m just getting started!

I have big ideas about what accessible, inclusive, strength-based spaces can look like — especially for marginalized communities. I want to build programs that reach beyond geography. I want to create resources that outlive me.

This moment isn’t a finish line. It’s confirmation that I’m on the right path.

If you’ve ever trained with me, joined a class, bought a guide, shared a post, or even just quietly cheered me on — thank you.

You are part of this story.

Coach Dibs