3 Insights I Learned from Barb Stefanyshyn-Coté

Barb Stefanyshyn-Coté is the co-founder, co-owner and CEO of Black Fox Farm and Distillery located on Valley Road south of Saskatoon.  She and her husband are professional agrologists and were named Saskatchewan winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer’s Program in 2001.  Two years later, Barb was named the 2003 recipient of the Nuffield Scholarship and studied rural depopulation.

The only thing I knew about the name Barb Stefanyshyn-Coté before last night,  was that she was an owner of the Black Fox Farm and Distillery and they made gin and whiskey.  Now, it’s a name I’ll never forget. 

I was at the WESK Connect event last night and she was the guest speaker.  She shared a bit about her roots, her journey of entrepreneurship and inspiration for their brand.  As soon as the interview was done, I just had to meet her. 

As we got talking, I asked her if I could share some of the insights I had taken away from the evening and she simply said, “If you don’t do it, someone else will!  So why not?” 

With that, here are 3 of my favourite things I learned.  By sharing, I hope it gives all the other entrepreneurs out there a little inspiration too!

1.    Making Decisions.  After Barb and her husband graduated, they got married and went to live on John’s parents’ farm near Leask.  Two years later, they bought the farm when John’s parents retired.  She said, “The good thing?  We got to make the decisions.  The bad thing?  We got to make the decisions!”  It’s sure easy to have an opinion about things when somebody else is making the decisions.  But when it if falls on you, it’s not always so easy as it looks.  We all have to give ourselves and others a little grace.  We are all doing the best we can with the information, resources and energy we have at the time.  

2.    Embrace Achievements.  So many of us dismiss compliments.  We make a joke, change the subject or even deny that it’s even a big deal.  Barb said that’s ok to a point because some people really don’t like the spotlight.  But she followed it up with this … “When you have achieved something great, be damn proud of it!  If you’ve been nominated for an award, somebody thought you were worthy of it.  And if you won that award, a lot more people thought you were worthy too.  So, the next time somebody nominates you, embrace it.” She went on to share a story about Niecy Nash who got up to the podium to accept the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 2023 Emmys.  In her speech, she thanked herself.  She acknowledged her supporters along the way, but ultimately, it was Nancy that put the effort in and did the work.  She earned it.  Embrace your achievements and be damn proud of your talents, skills and strength to do it better. 

3.    Will this matter in 10 years?  Working with your husband wouldn’t work for everyone, but Barb said, “John doesn’t fight”.  Joking aside, she said that if tension gets high or as she put it, “when I get a little cranky”, she asks herself, “Will this matter in 10 years?”  She said when they started out, what they envisioned was very different from where they are today.  “When we started out building our business, I didn’t realize we were building a brand”.  They were making something that people would recognize, it would be unique, and it would be coveted and respected around the world.  They were building something that would put Saskatchewan on the map … a prestigious whiskey fit for a king, in an authentic and sustainable way.  They focus on the things that matter and have built an incredible brand. 

Thank you to WESK for an enjoyable evening, to Kimberly Joy Evans for asking all the right questions and to Barb Stefanyshyn-Coté for sharing her profound words of wisdom. 

If you know a fellow entrepreneur that needs to hear these tips, please feel free to share!