How Nature’s Harmony was born? – the early years!
Jen & Tzach are the owners of Nature’s Harmony and the proud parents of three children: Ella, Maya and Ethan and two beautiful Siberian Huskies, Sasha and Riley. Tzach is originally from Israel and Jen is a native Canadian, born and raised in North Bay, ON.
In 2002, we both left our home countries as independent travelers to travel the world for a year. Fate had our paths cross on foreign sands. We met in a small seaside village in Cambodia and shared an immediate connection. This led to a long process of good byes, not knowing whether we would meet again, and the shuffling of travel plans to re-unite. At the end of our travels, we both spent time in each of our home countries. Despite the obstacles of independence, distance, cultures and religions – we crossed every hurdle and we got married in Israel in 2006.
For both of us, the entire travel experience was a life changing one. We first left our home countries with nothing more than a backpack and an open mind. As individuals, we allowed the experience to guide us – with no restrictions and no time constraints. We experienced different cultures, religions, foods and learned about the history of each country. In these lesser developed countries, we often sensed an inner peace that we rarely encounter back home. The experience taught us both to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life. This travel journey will always remain one of the greatest memories. However, what followed were some of the most challenging years to come. The experience changed us more than we would have ever imagined. We now wanted so much more out of life. We felt a need to make a difference in the world and to live a life that would inspire others.
We spent two hard years struggling to find our purpose and meaning. In 2004, we came up with our business vision. The idea itself encompassed everything for us. We wanted to live a green lifestyle. We wanted to create and share the type of environment that we enjoyed most while traveling. We wanted to continue to meet new people. We wanted to be close to nature. And most importantly, we wanted to make a difference – whether it is sharing an eco-philosophy or inspiring others to follow their dreams. We were both excited and full of inspiration and the first place that came to mind was Mattawa because it is one of the most beautiful, yet undiscovered places in Northern Ontario. However, it didn’t take long for fear to overshadow our dream. Slowly, the dream slipped away – it never left us, but it was buried deep inside.
In 2006, after a number of remarkable coincidences, the dream resurfaced. Tzach was starting to study Reiki and I decided to have my first session to learn more about Reiki myself. During this session, our vision was brought back to life. This time it was clear and all the fear was removed. That very same day, when we were about to close the deal on a rental property, the listing for our current property and home came out of no where. We knew it was one of those rare opportunities that only comes once in a life time. My life philosophy has been to live a life with ‘No Regrets’. We both knew this was one of those moments that had to be seized – that we would regret later if we didn’t go for it.
The next day, we went to see the place and as we slowed down to turn on to the dirt road leading to the property, there was a huge wooden sign with red block letters that read, ‘No Regrets’. The message was a little too powerful to ignore and from the first moment we stepped through the front doors, we both knew this was the place to call home. The next mountain to climb was a steep one. Again, we were surrounded by the fears and doubts by all those who cared most about us. Yet, this time there was a calmness that came with knowing and believing that we were on the right path. With strength, persistence, determination and patience we finally managed to close the deal! And so the journey of Nature’s Harmony begins….
Where we are now – the later years!
It’s now been 16-years and we have learned a lot on this journey. From the outside, we often hear that we are “living the dream”. In many ways, we are…but, it hasn’t always been easy. There is a lot of hard work that goes into starting a business, striving for financial independence and raising a family at the same time.
It’s been a roller coaster ride – highs and lows and everything in between. We’ve always believed that we were meant to be here and we kept pushing forward, even in the most challenging of times. And now we are ready for the next phase of Nature’s Harmony. In December 2018, we took that next leap of faith and Jennifer left her corporate job so we could both be home to focus on the business together. Nature’s Harmony has been ready for expansion – but, it required our combined efforts. We are now planning for the next part of that journey!
