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CLASSROOM ACTIVITY

When the Plan Changes 

A business rarely unfolds exactly as planned. Indigenous entrepreneurs share how they have adapted to setbacks and barriers while continuing to build toward their goals.

This video is divided into four chapters. Below the video, you will find a short introduction of the chapter and a reflection question for each one that can be used to spark conversation in the classroom.

  • Chapter 1: Perseverance – 1:41 

    Geena Jackson compares entrepreneurship to riding a rollercoaster. She considers the perseverance needed to stay with a business through its highs, lows and unexpected turns. 


    Reflection Question
    What does Geena’s rollercoaster comparison help you understand about starting a business? 

  • Chapter 2: Overcoming Challenges – 2:09

    Inez Cook reflects on adapting when circumstances beyond her control disrupted her plans. She draws on her experiences operating a restaurant during the pandemic and opening a café at Vancouver International Airport.  


    Reflection Question
    When can changing the plan be a sign of strength rather than failure?  

  • Chapter 3: Challenges with the Indian Act – 3:01

    Michael Hungerford explains how restrictions on individual land ownership under the Indian Act can affect access to financing. He also describes how some communities use long-term land leases to create other paths to capital.


    Reflection Question
    According to Michael, why can some entrepreneurs in First Nations communities have difficulty accessing traditional loans?  

  • Chapter 4: Searching for Success – 2:22

    Orene Askew encourages new entrepreneurs to prepare a backup financial plan before they need one. She and Brenda Bain also discuss the patience and mental preparation that may be required when success takes time. 


    Reflection Question
    Why is it useful to make a financial backup plan before difficulties arise? 

Perseverance Is Not Standing Still 

Perseverance is often described as refusing to quit. In business, it is more active than that. It means noticing what has changed and deciding what still matters. Sometimes the strongest next step is to revise the plan, ask for help or pause long enough to see another route. 

A SWOT analysis can help an entrepreneur take that pause. It offers a simple way to look at what is happening inside a venture and in the world around it. 

A weakness is not a personal failure. It might be a gap in the plan or a resource the business does not yet have. A threat is not a reason to give up. Seeing it early gives an entrepreneur time to prepare. 

A SWOT analysis cannot predict what will happen. It simply creates a clearer picture of the business today. As circumstances change, the analysis can change too.

Activity – Indigenous Business Spotlight

Explore the House of Ancestors website, then consider: 

  1. What strengths can you see in the way the venture brings its different services together? 
  1. What opportunities might come from welcoming business meetings and community events into the same space? 
  1. What additional information would you need before identifying possible weaknesses or threats? Where could you look for it? 

Explore More Within TREES

TAKE YOUR LEARNING FURTHER

  • Watch A SWOT Analysis of Nike, Inc. for an example of the tool applied to a familiar company. As you watch, notice which factors come from inside the business and which arise from the world around it. Where would you challenge or add to the analysis? 
  • This PDF invites students to read about a young entrepreneur building a business and offers the opportunity to use a SWOT analysis.
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2026 © The Martin Family Initiative. All rights reserved.

The Training & Resources for Early Education & Schools (TREES) Network is a space for delivering and accessing culturally appropriate training, professional development, resources, communities of practice and mentorship opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous early learning professionals working with Indigenous children and families.

By coming together across communities, organizations and cultures, we can impact the bigger picture of Indigenous early education, child assessment and policy in Canada, so that Indigenous children will grow up proud of their culture and knowing that they belong.

The vision of the TREES Network is for early learning professionals to feel supported through training, resources and connections with others. The TREES Network strives to support early learning professionals to ground Indigenous children in their culture, nurturing stronger communities.

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The TREES Network supports access to culturally appropriate training and professional development for early learning professionals through the Understanding the Early Years course and Early Years Toolbox workshops. View upcoming trainings and workshops for your community through the Events Calendar.

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To promote relationship-building and relational learning, the TREES Network provides opportunities for early learning professionals to build connections across the country. You can check out the Events Calendar to find events related to the early years, view the Interactive Map of early years services in different regions, or learn more about Supportive Circles as spaces to come together with others locally or across communities to share thoughts, ideas and support.

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The TREES Network strives to create spaces through which we can collectively impact the bigger picture of Indigenous early learning in Canada. Learn about how Early Years sites are doing this through Early Years approach innovations, and about the important work many other organizations are doing to influence policy, curriculum, access to funding supports and program evaluation.

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