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The Reality Behind the Resilience
A Founder’s Reflection on Twelve Years of withinUs®
I never set out to build a business.
In 2012, I came across a high-quality marine collagen peptide that was helping my mom’s osteoarthritis. It wasn’t available in Canada yet, but it made a real difference for her after two hip replacements.
I remember thinking, If this is helping her, maybe it can help others too.
I had no business plan, no grand idea, only a clear belief that this product makes a difference.
I started small, one conversation, one person, one story at a time. And slowly, a community grew. People shared their experiences, their wins, their journey. It all felt genuine and human.
Somewhere along the way, it had become more than educating people about TruMarine Collagen.
I was building withinUs.
Tested in Ways I Never Expected
Entrepreneurship revealed parts of myself I didn’t know I’d have to face. Building something from nothing brings doubt, pressure, and a kind of learning that’s impossible to prepare for. Some relationships faded; others showed up stronger than I ever imagined. You learn who stands with you when things get heavy.
The public version of entrepreneurship leaves out the uncertainty, the setbacks, the quiet work of rebuilding your confidence.
Resilience isn’t perfection. It’s choosing to keep going, even when you don’t feel strong.
And as a woman in a country where only 18% of companies are majority women-owned, the path wasn’t exactly paved for me.
Yet twelve years later, we’re still here. Not because it was easy, but because it mattered.
The Parts No One Sees
People don’t always see the long days, the doubt, or what it means to be responsible for a team. As withinUs grew, similar products appeared, expected, but a reminder of why our standards matter and why staying true to them is non-negotiable.
Women Supporting Women
One of the greatest strengths in my journey has been the women who showed up; founders, advisors, friends. The late-night pep talks, the honesty, the “I’ve been there” moments. Those connections carried me through the hardest chapters and continue to shape what comes next.
Twelve Years Later
Twelve years is more than a milestone.
It’s grit, gratitude, and growth.
It’s rebuilding after setbacks and choosing to keep going anyway. Growth is never linear, but it’s always worth it.
I’m grateful to have built withinUs alongside a team whose strength and heart reflect everything we stand for.
withinUs has always been more than a brand.
It’s community.
It’s integrity.
It’s choosing the right way, even when it’s slower or harder.
And it’s a reminder that when women support women, real change happens, and it matters more than people realize.
This journey belongs to the people who believed early, the team who showed up on the hard days, the customers who trusted us, and the women who taught me that resilience isn’t part of the story....it is the story.
I never set out to build a business,
but I’m grateful every day that this journey found me.
