Tom and Kathy Harrison - Easy Dozen Cookie Dough Inc.

Tom Harrison
I was raised in the small town of Rockyford, Alberta-population 349. Every since I set up my first Kool-Aid stand on main street at age 10 (and discovered how to wage a price war when my friend Kevin set up shop on the opposite corner); I have been pursuing my dream of owning a successful independent business. Whether I was cutting lawns, inspecting and maintaining properties, or selling handmade soap that I formulated in the kitchen of my apartment (who knew lye could do that to countertops!), I have always been entrepreneurial. My business philosophy today is a direct result of my small town upbringing. In a small town everyone knows who you are and what your reputation is. If you disrespect people and aren't honest when you do business in a small town, everyone knows you're out of business before you do.

Since Kathy, my wife of 15 years, asked me to join her company, I have never looked back. It was Kathy who heard about Meet The Money from our accountant. Meet The Money is such a remarkable event because in my experience, banks usually turn off the open sign when you walk up to the door to ask for small business funding. Having the opportunity to potentially have your business idea funded by an investor AND have mentoring from a group of successful entrepreneurs at the same time, is a dream come true for any entrepreneur who's pressed their face against a locked bank door to see where everyone went. Securing investment funding for our business would allow us to reshape our business model and open up new markets sooner than we thought possible. When I have spare time you can usually find me reading a new business book or relaxing by unleashing a torrent of pounding rock guitar riffs at jet engine volume.

Kathy Harrison
I grew up in West Central Alberta on a mixed farm near the small town of Leslieville. After graduating from Olds College, where I met my husband Tom, we moved around southern and then central Alberta until eventually settling in Calgary. I had been searching for a career I was passionate about for a long time. At the same time I also wanted to do something that would allow me to help others. When my aunt in Saskatchewan told me how she was selling a frozen food product in her small town, I thought I could do the same to make some extra money at Christmas time. As well, I would be helping busy families too. Little did I know that my small idea would become the company that it is today!

Meet The Money is a great idea for Alberta entrepreneurs because we don't all have family or a lot of savings to help us finance our ideas and most banks are very reluctant to offer loans to small businesses. I'm so glad a fellow Powerhouse International Board member told me about this opportunity! This project will not only help us take our business to the next level financially, but will also allow us an unbelievable opportunity to learn from entrepreneurs who have been where we are now.