A CANADIAN DREAM BLOSSOMS

By SHIPRA CHAUDHURY

Talking to Rashida Tinwala, one can almost hear her echo Thomas Jefferson’s famous quote: I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.

“I believe in making my own luck with whatever I am provided and I work hard with it to make my mission and vision successful,” says the forty-something business owner and CEO at Hana Floral Designs and Company.

Born in Pakistan, she moved to Dubai with her parents at the age of two.

“After high school, I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and got an opportunity to work for Emirates airlines. I got married three years later, had three beautiful children and became a homemaker, taking care of them.

“And we got the fantastic opportunity of immigrating to Canada in 2010.”

Like for almost all new immigrants, Canada was not a bed of roses for the family in the early years – they, too, faced their fair share of hardship.

“My journey from the time we landed to the time I started my own business was a constant struggle to strive for more and to strive for better,” is how Tinwala describes the period. “When you come from a place like Dubai, where you earn and live well, the biggest challenge for anybody is to accept change: be it in terms of climate, work or social status. We experienced a plethora of changes that we needed to adjust to, especially in terms of jobs.”

Although both were professionals and came armed with degrees, Tinwala and her husband took up anything that came their way. This ranged from working at call centres to fast food joints.

She looked for meaningful employment in her field, in information and management services, but lack of Canadian experience was a barrier.

“We came with a mindset to win and build a successful life, therefore we took all the hurdles in our stride,” says Tinwala. “We chose Canada because we knew that this country will be patient and allow us to pursue our dreams at our own pace. My thought process was simple, I wanted to excel,” she says. “Our work schedules and some of the odd jobs I did, especially those that required me to work overnight, are some of the most difficult memories I have of my early years in Canada.”

Her last job as a team lead at a call centre in 2015 was very tedious and boring and she finally decided that this was not her cup of tea. She considered business prospects and had two options based on her interests – either a confectionery or something related to art. In Dubai, she had attended a ceramic and flower arranging course and that gave her the confidence to set up her own business in the floral industry and that was when Hana Floral Designs & Company was born. 

“We believe every occasion should be celebrated with blossoms and blooms – especially love. It should be a continuous expression and our designs are unique and unrepeatable. We encourage our customers to design their own colour palette and style. Our strength is seasonal flowers and we offer customized bouquets, selecting flowers by the stem, as well as classy floral drawings, designs, and individual and unique containers.”

Gourmet baskets, love mash-up, velvet luxury, resin art, sympathy wreaths, casket sprays, they have something for every occasion and milestone.

Tinwala has honed her skills through client interactions and learning their preferences and also keeps on trend by attending seminars in Las Vegas each year.

“Canada’s natural beauty is unparalleled, and the best thing about Canada is its openness in welcoming newcomers and making resources available to help them succeed,” she says. “The freedom it offers to be you is something other countries could learn from!

“Canada is a country where dreams do come true, but you have to work hard, learn to adjust, grab the opportunities that come your way, and above all, leave all the baggage from back home behind.”

• If you’d like to share the story of your arrival in Canada, please write to desinews@rogers.com or call 416-695-4357.