Alissa Assu’s Story as an Inclusive Employer
We are delighted to work with West Coast Wildflowers to spotlight Alissa Assu’s story leading the small business she owns and operates. She is both an inclusive employer and someone who is Indigenous and has an invisible disability.
Watch the video with ASL and Captions:
Watch the Described Video with Captions:
About the ‘Spotlight on Indigenous Disability in the Workplace’ Series:
Accessible Employers and Tetra Films have created a series of sort films promoting accessible employment in Indigenous led businesses in British Columbia (BC). Restating the case for inclusive employment, the video series is an awareness campaign about accessibility and inclusion in the workplace.
Transcript For This Video:
(Narrator) A storefront sign reads: West Coast Wildflowers. Words Appear: Presented by Accessible Employers, a Presidents Group Initiative.
Inside a brightly lit ground floor retail store there are staff of different ethnicities smiling and interacting with customers. A handcrafted display sign reads RavenSong Handcrafted Artisan Soap. Words appear: Owner – West Coast Wildflowers, Ravensong Soap and Candle, Bear Essential Oils, Alissa Assu.
(Alissa Assu) Dini ze’ Tsa’ke Ze’ Skiy’ ze. Hadih sowitzen.
My name is Alissa Assu. I’m from the Wet’suwet’en First Nations as well as the Nisga Nation. I currently live, play and work in the We Wai Kai Wei Wai Kum and the Kwiakah territory also known as Campbell River on Vancouver Island.
(Narrator) Alissa is discussing the RavenSong Soaps table display with Tommylia. There are description cards in front of each group of multicolored artisan soaps.
(Alissa Assu) I am the founder and owner of West Coast Wildflowers. We are the largest curated Indigenous boutique in British Columbia. My store is really about supporting local, shopping local, and accessibility at the heart of what we do in community work.
(Narrator) There are shots of Turtle Island Coffee with colorful Indigenous designs. In the clothing area of the store, Alissa hangs up a black cotton jacket.
(Alissa Assu) I really believe that all Indigenous people, both with disabilities, invisible disabilities, Indigenous artists and makers deserve to be in competitive retail spaces.
(Narrator) Alissa carefully organizes bars of RavenSong Soap in a wall display. Words on screen: Manager, West Coast Wildflowers, Gabby Mergart. A young woman with brown hair and glasses wearing a black shirt and jeans begins to speak.
(Gabby Mergaert) Being the manager of an accessible workplace means that anybody can work here, no matter what you’re dealing with. Wildflowers is a very warm and welcoming place.
(Narrator) Behind the customer service counter, Alissa is flipping through a book titled “Orange Shirt Day” and discussing it with Tommylia.
(Gabby Mergaert) It’s just so inspiring to see there’s a lot going on. And yet still, we all act like family.
(Narrator) Alissa playfully swims a toy fish towards Gabby.
(Alissa Assu) As an Indigenous business, our core values are really important to us. Between West Coast and RavenSong and Bear, we kind of have these overlapping values of community, connection, culture, family.
(Narrator) Exterior of Alissa’s other store – RavenSong Soap and Candle. The camera shows the store’s Indigenous bird logo as it follows Alissa into the store. There are various displays of artisan soaps, bath and wellness products. In the rear of the RavenSong store is the soap crafting operation. There are shots of people with gloves cutting large blocks of colourful soap with intricate designs into smaller blocks.
(Alissa Assu) When I think disabilities, whether, you know, physical, invisible, I also consider movement, customers in wheelchairs and making sure I pick spaces that can accommodate everyone.
And so making accommodations for the staff, you know, that we have fatigue mats, that we’re adjusting lighting where appropriate. We have a quiet space for the staff to go. You know, we have some staff who have PTSD and we’ve curated a space for them to go and take a phone call and still get paid.
(Narrator) Back in the West Coast Wildflowers store, Alissa is smelling a bar of soap labeled “Deadly Uncle.” Gabby is adjusting brightly colored hot sauces in a wall display. Words on screen: West Coast Wildflowers, RavenSong Soap and Candle, Tommylia Dunbar.
(Tommylia Dunbar) I was actually working at Staples, and Ali came in to buy office supplies. I was asking about her business, and so she gave me her business card
(Alissa Assu) and I said, if you ever go to university and you come back and you want a different job, reach out to me. Funny enough, she kept my card for two years and she reached out to me. Unfortunately, she came back to town because she tore her ACL and she’s going through some rehab right now. And she currently works at West Coast Wildflowers and RavenSong Soap and Candle.
(Tommylia Dunbar) Even in my interview that I had, they were very like, we can work around you. Ali really looks out for you. And just make sure that, like, whatever she can do for you, she’ll help you.
(Narrator) Back in the RavenSong Soap and Candle store, Alissa is wheeling out uncut slabs of soap with Valerie. The slab is an artistic kaleidoscope of colours.
(Alissa Assu) During my pregnancy, unfortunately, I experienced significant hearing loss in my right ear. So when I speak to people, I really focus on their faces, their lips.
(Narrator) Alissa uses a wire press machine to cut the large slab of soap into smaller rectangular bars.
(Alissa Assu) I also have a kidney transplant. It’s not something that people often talk about as an invisible disability, but you know, you’re often tired more. There’s subsequent things that can happen, such as ongoing blood transfusions to make sure that I’m functioning well and alive.
(Narrator) Back at the West Coast Wildflowers store, in front of the Bear Essential Oils table display, a woman is dabbing a sample oil on her inner wrist.
(Alissa Assu) You could never look at me and know that I was sick when I had 5% renal function. Extreme fatigue is very much a thing.
(Narrator) Alissa and Gabby hang up a black shirt, high five each other and smile.
(Gabby Mergaert) I just like that she treats everyone like family, and so we understand when she can’t be in the store. Or we tell her if she’s been working too many days or something, she needs to take a step back just to focus on herself.
(Alissa Assu) Really, it’s suspending my ego and letting my team take on a more leadership role and asking for help.
(Narrator) Alissa is playing with a black labrador dog as a family walks into the store.
(Tommylia Dunbar) I think with her kidney donation, I think that was definitely a life changing thing. A lot of people helped her out, and so she wants to do that for others. And kind of pay it forward, I think that’s what she’s incorporating in her businesses now too, is just making sure that, she meets everybody’s needs.
(Narrator) Back in the RavenSong Soap crafting area, Valerie is organizing the soap after Alissa’s partner Cody cuts them into smaller bars.
(Alissa Assu) Mentorship pieces are really important to us. Some things that we have implemented that has been active for a lot of our Indigenous staff is making sure we have an Elder in residence available so that, you know, some of our younger Indigenous staff, have access to her number, to zoom, to email, to reach her while they are at West Coast Wildflowers, as well as while they’re at university. They have full access.
(Narrator) The sun is shining as Alissa, Cody, and their son walk along the Campbell River beach.
(Alissa Assu) My husband and I are currently undergoing a really meaningful opportunity in our life. We are doing a two year mentorship pathway with a Haida Elder named Valerie LaMorandi. She was the founder and CEO of RavenSong Soap and Candle.
We focus on our storytelling, with every cent telling a story and making sure that we are keeping our culture, our history, alive and well.
(Narrator) At the Ravensong store, different soaps are labeled “Chef Delight,” “Harvest Woman,” “Double Double Coffee,” “Lemon Cream Poppy.” Valerie, Alissa and Cody stand in front of their RavenSong sign.
(Tommylia Dunbar) She’s very chill and calm and not uptight. I think that’s one reason why I chose to work here. I wanted to be in an environment where I could be myself. I wake up in the morning and I’m happy to be here.
(Narrator) Gabby arranges Wabanaki Maple Syrup in a wall display. In her office, Alissa posts a new picture of soap containers on her vision board.
(Alissa Assu) We’re all at our different journeys. There’s a lot of PTSD, there’s a lot of trauma, there’s a lot of very heavy things across and within and that continue to live in our communities. Think of physical, invisible, disabilities as you would as making sure your team is culturally represented.
We’re still going to make mistakes, but at least we are having these dialogue in these conversations and these considerations.
And I think that’s where other business owners can start, is not setting the bar so high that you can’t take bite-sized pieces and make this manageable for you or your team or your business.
(Narrator) Logos appear: Accessible Employers, a Presidents Group Initiative. Government of Canada and Government of BC. Funding provided by the Government of Canada through the Canada-British Columbia Workforce Development Agreement.