January 2021’s Centre Stage with Courtney Sweeney
Courtney Sweeney is a wife, mother of three small children (and a very large Boxer), and loves to go to the gym. She’s also a self-confessed entrepreneur and bead-aholic.
“It started with beaded bracelets,” says Sweeney. “I’d seen so many on Pinterest and I thought, ‘Hey I could do this.’ So I started by making a few bracelets for family and friends, and it took off from there.”
Now she is wrapping up the third year of owning her business, Mind, Body, Soul Beads & Beyond, and despite everything that’s happened in 2020, it’s been one of her best years.
She moved from Calgary to Fort McMurray with her family when she was two years old, and has lived in the region ever since.
“I have always been into the artistic side of things,” says Courtney. “I loved to paint, draw, and write in my younger years. As I became older, my hobbies turned more to fitness, and I really started to go that route. Then my family took precedence and everything else took a back seat.”
Later, the entrepreneurial side of Courtney started to grow and she experimented with different business ideas. “They weren’t for me. There was nothing creative about them, and nothing I could 100% say was my own. So, I started beading bracelets.”
“I have always loved fossils and gemstones, but I never fully understood or appreciated them until recently,” said Sweeney. “I started creating gemstone jewelry for friends and family with the intention of trying to tune my energies into that specific person’s needs and wants. The ability of gemstones to bring intention and awareness into peoples’ lives and help them along their journey gave me goosebumps.”
Sweeney is business savvy and has been partnering with various local businesses to get her products out into the community. You can find her work at Life Force Herbal Healing Centre, Chocolates & Candlelight, and Exhale Yoga & Barre. She’s also been building her product line to include necklaces, key chains, and her newest popular creation is bands for smart watches.
“My love and knowledge is expanding with each piece I make, tuning into frequencies, healing, and meanings for each one.”
Her latest venture includes joining Arts Council’s new online Marketplace. “I was approached by Arts Council to try Marketplace, and to me it seemed like a win-win opportunity. With Marketplace, I get the opportunity to get myself out there more.”
Learn more about Courtney Sweeney and her made-to-order, completely customizable jewelry on Facebook (@mindbodysoulbeadsandbeyond), Instagram (@mind_body_soul_beads), or on her website: www.mbsbeads.com.
Visit artscouncilwb.ca/marketplace to learn more about Marketplace, buy local arts and craft, or even open your own virtual shop. Marketplace is a free benefit for Arts Council members.
