Name: Zelda Gayle Kinniburgh
Title: CEO (Owner and Founder)
Where do you live: Brandon, Manitoba (and Ignace,
Ontario in the summer)
Joined OST: Since it was just an idea in my head
back in December of 2015!
Why did you create OST: I loved my products so much and I
knew that I had to share it with more than just my circle of friends and acquaintances.
I decided to turn my business into a direct sales company so that more people
could enjoy the product and because I had experience with previous direct sales
companies and I wanted to make it easier for the reps to make money. I really
do have the reps’ best interest in mind when I make decisions every day!
Family: I have a wonderful and supportive family. I live with my amazing husband (my Vice President), Patrick Deschamps and our two daughters, Olivia and Victoria who are both jewerly lovers already at their young ages. I also have an adult son, Brady and now I have a brand new grandson named Sterling! (Update: Also a granddaughter named Lucy!)
Pets: No current pets. One day we will
have a dog again!
Favorite product: I have two, Ring Around the Rosy
Bracelet and Three Times as Beautiful. Can’t seem to live without them.
Previous Jobs: Video store owner, graphic designer,
truck driver (yes I drove a semi-truck!)
How long at your job: Graphic design since 1996, truck
driver since 2013. I have always been an entrepreneur of some sort. Even when I
was a kid, my sister and I started our own “library” to rent books out to our
siblings LOL
Hobbies (What do you do in your spare
time): Spare time? Well
once upon a time I used to play a lot of PC games, do a lot of crafts and I
used to love painting and drawing. Nowadays I go fishing at our lake when I
can. I like to go for walks at the lake.
Funniest/most memorable OST moment: SO MANY! One that sticks out in my
mind was the day I was at a market and a young guy bought a ring for a random older
lady who was standing at the table looking at rings at the same time. He bought
a matching pair. This random act of kindness was so amazing to see! I gave him
a deal, of course!
What drives your passion for OST: I love what I do. Thoroughly. I
enjoy the challenges and the work. I don’t mind working every day when it’s
something that I love SO much and it allows me and my husband to stay at home
with our family.
Favorite Quote (Jewelry related?): There is no such thing as TOO MUCH
jewelry!
Favorite Color: Purple
Goal for this year: To be happy and have everyone around me feel happiness as well.
What’s a typical day like for you: I wake up and squint at my phone to
see what I will be facing when I sit down in front of my computer. Then nothing
happens until coffee happens. Check emails, Facebook, take care of any issues
before I begin the day’s tasks. I make my way through things that need to be done
and check them off as they are completed. I plan ahead for tomorrow’s task and
I am always planning for the month (or season) ahead. During the day I take
time for my kids as they need things. After they are in bed I often use that
time to get more detailed work done.
I never sit at the computer while we eat dinner. Phones and business is
off during dinner. Even if it’s a fast meal, that is family time.
I do work all day long. But it’s a really good thing I love what I do
and I take time when it’s needed.
What are your best skills that you
bring to your OST job? I am ambitious, enthusiastic and I genuinely love people! I love going
to markets still and networking and meeting new people every day. I can also
whip up a mean graphic (everything in the business is done by yours truly)!
What would be your personal motto? Everything that happens to you has a
“Stainless Steel Lining”. Sometimes it might be hard to see, but it’s always
there. Which also ties into, “Everything happens for a reason.”
