Prior to law school, Schalles worked as an advocate for assisting homeless people in housing search, and she believes the experience will still inform her legal practices—she loves helping the average person solve daily problems. She herself married two children and loves spending as much time outdoors as possible.
Who is your money/financial/investment hero?
I love Rob Carrick’s column Earth and Mail and A wealthy barber. I learned a lot from Canadian sofa potatoes about managing my own investments. Mr. Money Hupache has taught me a lot about managing budgets, priorities and what I really want to spend.
One of my business heroes is Arlene Dickinson. I have a lot of respect for her being homemade and she has established herself as a single mother. She is a great example of a person who has not sacrificed her values to succeed. She is committed to supporting other entrepreneurs and using her influence to express her beliefs.
How do you want to spend your free time?
I spent most of my free time with my two little kids. Their age is so interesting and it’s so cool to watch them find the wonders of everyday life. I also like to ski and climb remotely when I have the opportunity. I’m lucky to be able to do these two things in my backyard in Refstock, BC
If money was not the object, what would you do now?
Honestly, it might be mainly what I’m doing now. I found that I work with – to let people understand family law and to empower them to make their own pre-marriage, post-marriage and cohabitation agreements to achieve incredible fulfillment. We are also lucky to live in a beautiful and inclusive community, which is exactly the kind of place I want to raise a family. If money is not the object, I might hire more employees and take more holidays, but I am lucky to be this professional and personal satisfaction.
What was your earliest memory of money?
I grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan, so my first job was to help the farm work. Every summer, my siblings and I take care of 600 chickens and 100 turkeys on the farm. It’s stink, but we know we’re contributing to the family business. To teach us how to manage money, our parents want us to use what we earn to buy clothes, school supplies and whatever fun we want to buy. Looking back, I’m really happy to learn funding skills so early and I think they’re ready for entrepreneurship and financial discipline.
What is the first thing you remember to buy with your own money?
Nintendo 3 with Super Mario Brothers 3. My brother and I merged our funds and bought it together. I’m not sure it’s my idea…
What was your first job? What did you do with your first salary?
My first job outside of the family business was to work as a camp consultant in the cadet program. It’s a real job, a real responsibility. I was there from the summer of 17, and by the time I was 18, I was promoted and had 25 counselors report to me. We are responsible for the program together with over 150 adolescence. Having this experience at such a young age taught me the importance of caring for people as leaders.
