Kailey Mitchell constantly has her finger on the pulse of what is happening in Cochrane.
Mitchell recently shared her thoughts on the excitement of operating a small business in Cochrane, and using her business as a way to empower other local women and entrepreneurs in the community.
From opening the doors of The Social Spot on 222 First St. West to operating Quirk Social in the same building, Mitchell wears several hats.
“Quirk Social is the business office where we do event management,” Mitchell explained. “We plan a lot of the bug events in Cochrane like the Bow Valley Bootstomp, Cochrane Food Festival, Pet Expo, and other smaller events we bring to the community.
“Downstairs, is the Social Spot Marketplace which is a retail store full of all Alberta-based vendors and makers.”
Between her two operations, Mitchell said it has been fun and challenging to bring her passion to the community that she grew up in.
“To work with people in the community, with Alberta vendors with the store and helping support the local economy in Cochrane, as well as Alberta, all of that just makes my heart so happy,” she said. “It’s been really great to watch that grow over the last few years and all the connections we’ve made in the community, between both businesses.”
With an all-female staff, Mitchell said she is surrounded by a team who are passionate about their work.
“I think it really important to be able to give jobs to everyone who lives locally in the community,” she said.
Last year, Mitchell and her team brought the Bow Valley Bootstomp, Cochrane’s very own country music festival, to the community. Looking back, she said it was nothing short of a good time for everyone involved.
“It was a really fun event,” she said. “I think it’s an important event to continue to support Alberta-based musicians, but also something different for the community. I like the small-town feel, and it’s just an incredible experience and tons of fun.
“That’s the kind of thing that I wanted to bring to Cochrane.”
Michell said that there is a large group of female entrepreneurs in Cochrane, adding that all support one another.
“I think that’s really cool to see and it’s super important for our community and the growth of our local business,” she said. “Businesses in town support locals, the people that work here, and keep the local economy going. There’s so many people who travel to the city for work and don’t spend a lot of time in the community, and there’s a lot of awesome people to support.”
With several events planned in the future, Mitchell said residents can find out more about what’s coming to Cochrane by visiting www.quirksocial.ca.
