Heidi Bergeron | Passion, Creativity, Drive & Motherhood

Hi!

Welcome to OUR FIRST Real Mom's feature interview. I've started this section of my page as a way to showcase some of the amazing things that Moms in Kingston (and surrounding area) are up to. What better week to launch this series than Mother's Day week?!

Today, my first feature is with Heidi Bergeron - lawyer, business owner and Mom.

As I write this and think about how to introduce this "interview" to you all - the one word that keeps coming to my mind is "WOW". The few exchanges that I have had with Heidi for this post leave me smiling, inspired and in awe. I think if Kingston had local "celebrities" .... she'd be the first one. There is something about her. A warmth in her emails. A humour in her responses (talking about wine being the answer to all of my question .... a girl after my own heart!). A sense of curiosity and interest in how she does it "all". An admiration in her words and wisdom. And she and her family are STUNNING! It may be true that beauty comes from the inside out because I was stunned by her through our email-only exchanges before I even saw a photo of her.

It is evident that Heidi likes to surround herself with excellence. From the people she employs, to the lessons she tries to instil in her children and the products that she sells at her boutique. It all screams extraordinary.

I hope you enjoy reading my conversation with Heidi and that it leaves you inspired. Happy Mother's Day Mama's.

The #YGK Mom: Can you tell us a little bit about each of your three businesses?

Heidi: I've been practicing law for 21 years at my own practice. We represent people who have been injured, and help them get fair compensation, usually from insurance companies. Our business is client-centered - meaning we listen to, care about and communicate with our clients, resulting in happy clients who refer other business to us. I work with a great team of intelligent women, who also happen to be a lot of fun to spend time with every day. I also have the benefit of working closely with my husband, who is an experienced trial lawyer. As we can't both take on trial work with a young family that needs at least one parent to be available - he does the trials for my firm as well as running his practice with a business partner and junior lawyers. I'm fortunate to be able to craft a practice that works for our family.

Fête Events is a spectacular events venue in downtown Kingston in the Smith Robinson building. We regularly host corporate events, private events, weddings, workshops, cooking classes, photography/video productions, fashion shows, product launches - anything you can think of. Our space is stunning and features limestone walls, huge windows throughout with great downtown views, lots of white-washed surfaces, rustic wood and iron tables, Restoration Hardware furnishings and tumbled silver serving pieces. We plan and execute events with precision - so that our clients can just enjoy. It's a formula that has resulted in a lot of business and repeat clients - which we are proud of. We have recently hired a dynamic young Manager, Claire, who has taken the bulk of the events workload from my plate. It's been a treat to nurture this business, as its grown from an idea into a success.

Fête Beach is a retail operation that includes an online boutique, and a 'bricks and mortar' boutique located in Bloomfield, Ontario. We sell luxury resortwear. We feature La Bottega di Brunella linen clothing, which is made by hand by a family in Positano, Italy, who have access to a very old loom in Naples, which they use to weave carefully selected fibres into the most beautiful linen fabrics found anywhere in the world. We introduced this clothing line to Kingston and Prince Edward County through Pop-Up shops and social media marketing. As the clothing is unique and very special, it appeals to discriminating buyers. Our 'Brunella' clothing is also available wholesale through Fête Beach to fine boutiques throughout Ontario, Quebec and the eastern provinces. We also sell authentic Panama hats and bags hand-woven in Equador. We sell bespoke leather sandals made by hand by one of the best shoemakers in Italy, using old-world techniques. Our sandals are made-to-measure and custom monogrammed with your initials in the sole. We collaborated with Kingston's Whitney Haynes Designs, on a line of exclusive jewelry made with tumbled precious stones selected to match our Brunella pieces. We're also collaborating with a local artist to make some incredible mandela beach blankets. Each item we sell at Fête Beach is artisan-made, sculptural, and a work of art. We cater to buyers who want the best - the most unique, timeless pieces available in the world, in limited supply - and who value authentic, slow-fashion processes over mass production.

The #YGK Mom: What is your favourite thing about Kingston (#YGK)?

Heidi: My favourite thing about Kingston - besides its gorgeous Lake Ontario waterfront location and lovely historic buildings - is the generous support that small business owners give to each other and the community. What a great place to live and work.

The #YGK Mom: It seems that you have a lot of interests and passions - what drives you?

Heidi: As far as what 'drives' me - I'd say a pressing need to express self through my 'endeavours'. I've been a lawyer and Mom and a wife, and those things are amazing, and a very big part of who I am. But I'm also a creative person, and someone who can see beauty in just about everything. I love to share that, through the creation of beautiful spaces, lovely events, my paintings (when I can find the time). I like to write, and post silly bits on Facebook frequently. I like to take and post pretty pictures. I like Brunella clothing and the way I feel when I'm in it. The creation of Fête is probably me realizing that my time here is limited, and I'd like to dedicate some of it to pursuing and sharing some of the other the things that I love with the universe. If you're going to have a mid-life crisis, it should be fabulous.

The #YGK Mom: You have daughters, and you are a very successful woman, what's one thing you hope to instil in your daughters for later in life?

Heidi: I have two strong, delightful daughters. I have no idea what their futures hold, but they both have tremendous natural skills. I hope I've taught them to be kind, humble, determined, hardworking, adaptable to change, generous and passionate. To always do their best. I hope the rest will fall into place for them without too many bumps along the way.

The #YGK Mom: How do you find time to balance your work and family life?

Heidi: As to balancing work and family - I do my best. I'm sure its not perfect. I squawk at my kids every morning to get dressed and fed and ferry them to their schools. Sometimes they get a healthy lunch, and sometimes its a desperate Tim Horton's drive-through experience. I work from 8:30 - 4:30 as a lawyer. I leave work when I have to, to look after my kids needs. My son has weekly therapy appointments. My daughter routinely forgets her camera or her lunch or her climbing clothes. My other daughter had a tough time adapting to University and wanted to work on her assignments close by her Mom - so spent many days positioned across from me at my office desk - until she gained confidence to work independently at the library. They have doctor's appointments. They have dramas. That's life. I'm very lucky to be in a position to up and leave work or otherwise accommodate my kids when I need to. If I can't leave the office, then one of my team will do the running for me. My team is part of my family now - and I for sure could not do any of what I do without them. My husband helps out whenever he can - but his large trial practice is incredibly demanding. From 4:30 pm onward and every weekend - I'm mostly a wife and mother. Admittedly, the Fête stuff does creep into that time - but for me, that's also 'fun' stuff. My oldest kids are frequently busy doing their own thing - and my son and my husband don't hesitate to let me know when its time to turn my attention back to them. When I can fit it in, I paint.

The #YGK Mom: What's your favourite part about being a mom?

Heidi: My favourite part about being a Mom is the incredible love my kids and I all have for each other. Its literally tangible - you can feel it in the air. Its magic.

The #YGK Mom: Mom guilt seems to be something that all moms deal with at multiple points in their life. Can you remember a time when mom guilt influenced your decisions? If so, tell us about it.

Heidi: Mom guilt - yuh. I have a son with Aspergers. Gabe is gifted, gentle and an incredibly beautiful human being in every sense. Every morning, he looks up at me with his giant blue eyes and his tousled blonde hair, and asks me if he can please stay home with me and be 'home schooled'. He has a hundred intelligent arguments for why home schooling is superior to a class room education. And every morning, I agree with him. He and I could do amazing things together and learn about the world in a hands-on way. But I also explain that the work I do as a lawyer helps a lot of people who are badly hurt - and really need my help. It also helps pay for our home and his cool toys, and our cottage at the beach that he loves. We don't want to give up those things, and so I have to work. But do I have guilt? You bet. Similarly, my kids didn't participate in all the activities that other kids did after school. When my husband's kids lived with us growing up, we had 5 kids at home. There were activities every night - and at one time we had 3 kids with soccer games on different fields at the same time. It was nuts. The activities eventually had to go. That gave us more time to spend doing things as a family. My daughter still complains that she can't do a cartwheel because she didn't get to go to gymnastics. Do I feel guilty about that? Nope. Go practice on the yard. I'm selective about my Mom guilt.

The #YGK Mom: If you have one piece of advice for new moms who may read this, what would it be?

Heidi: Advice for new Mom's? Be gentle with yourself. This is hard and worrisome stuff, full of hurts and hazards big and small. You won't always get it right. But in the end, its all fleeting, and so precious. Just love them and yourself as best you can.

Thank you Heidi! You are incredible!

xo

The #YGK Mom

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