I was honoured and delighted to be interviewed by Patricia Barnes for the Neighbours of Edgemont magazine for their January Edition. The magazine features iconic neighbours, past and present, who have contributed to the community. I’m proud to say that my father was one of those iconic neighbours.

My Dad operated The Woodbine Inn, a Chinese-Western restaurant in Edgemont Village, from 1977 to 1987. During that time, I worked in his restaurant and learned the value of high-quality customer service from my father. This experience inspired me to follow in his footsteps. I received my Hotel and Restaurant Management diploma from BCIT and then embarked on a career in the hotel business.

When the events of 9/11 decimated the tourism industry in Vancouver,  I left the hotel business. Then, I founded Out of Chaos, a professional organizing company. In fact, the value of high-quality customer service I learned at my Dad’s restaurant is one of the pillars on which I built Out of Chaos. My team uses a client-focused, non-judgmental approach and proven effective systems. It allows us to deliver highly effective, customized organizing solutions.

And while I no longer work in Edgemont Village, I always feel a pang of nostalgia and a rush of warm, happy memories when I pass through the neighbourhood. To this day, when I work on the North Shore and ask clients if they remember The Woodbine Inn, they always exclaim “Harold’s” and recount the precious memories and experiences of dining out at my Dad’s!

Read the full article from the Neighbours of Edgemont magazine (pdf download).

Photo credit: Fariba Mirzaee of Far Photography.