Meg Maclure is brewing the coffee and you’re invited over for a free cup.
Having been in on the ground floor for a number of subsequently successful businesses since her early 20s, Maclure relocated to Squamish from North Vancouver 10 years ago. At the time, Maclure worked as an operations manager for Summit Camps, a high-level national catering company, which then had a contract with the military for the Olympic Games with sites locally and in Whistler. She said the move was an excellent fit for her young family for the duration of the two-year project. The career troubleshooter fell in love with Squamish, and decided to stay.
“I knew it was where I wanted to be,” said Maclure. “The access to outdoors, the community, the size… Squamish had everything I wanted.”
Maclure continues to consult in the remote service sector, gearing her practice toward First Nations communities, community development, economic development, and training within the various nations who employ her, but when we talk about her most recent venture, her face lights up.
Named for the little yellow house she grew up in, Bungalow 968 is a gathering space for creativity and artistry; a conduit for connection and collaboration in the community. The majority of its clients are “female entrepreneurs, artists, and creatives,” according to Maclure.
Bungalow, as it’s come to be know, started out with Maclure painting furniture as a creative outlet in her own backyard which she describes as “a hoarder’s paradise.” More space was required and that evolved into renting a very warm and welcoming warehouse space in the business district. There she started to offer milk paint workshops and use the space as a showcase for her collection of vintage furniture, which she rents out for events — primarily weddings.
“During that time, I found I was being asked fairly frequently to advise and mentor small businesses in the community, mostly start-ups and female entrepreneurs in the creative space that needed help getting up and running,” she explained. “Now, people can come here to take or host a workshop, come to an event like our pop-up that just took place, and meet other like-minded individuals. They support each other and gain value from these relationships,” she said, emphasizing that men are always welcome.
The need for further mentorship and coaching was evident.
“I advise and help them move their business forward. We are all about building collaborative community development,” said Maclure, who, as a former operations manager, is able to coach new business owners by evaluating what is working, what isn’t, and finding efficiencies and systems to help a fledgling business grow in a mindful and strategic way.
“I’m just a really good problem solver,” said Maclure with a broad smile and a bubbly laugh. “I’m highly organized and really good at solving situations that come my way. Start-ups are just what I’ve naturally gravitated to my whole career — in retail and restaurants. It’s where I like to land. I enjoy overseeing businesses, helping build them up, and getting them off on the right track.”
To that end, Maclure and Natasshia Neary of Oh The Sweet Things offer "State + Story Mornings Squamish" at Bungalow 968 on the last Thursday of every month. State + Story is a free coffee meet-up where locals can talk about their ideas, progress, challenges, and triumphs. There, they can network, collaborate and support one and other in a way that doesn’t typically come about organically, said Maclure. “We are just a facilitator in connecting people in that way. I love that aspect of community development.”
Bungalow 968 and life coach Stacey Tucker (The Bodhi Tree and Stacey), also offers a paid monthly accountability series of coaching and mentorship over 12 months. The next intake is in November. For more information on workshops, development opportunities and events visit bungalow968.ca. Find State + Story Mornings Squamish on Facebook.
