02/25/2021
Meet Martyna!
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I currently live, work, and play in beautiful Whistler, British Columbia and have for the last five years. How I got to where I am has been a bit of a journey.
Upon graduating in 2014, I started a full-time job as a project coordinator at a large scale printing company in Mississauga and stayed in that role for a year. I was unhappy at the time and there were many factors that contributed to this. I decided I needed a big change so I applied for a job in Dubai, in a completely different industry. After a long interview process, I was unsuccessful. Regardless of the outcome, I was proud of myself and knew I had what I took to take more risks in order to find something that made me happy. I decided to start focusing on my mental health and a major lifestyle change. I was in my early twenties and my life was open and ahead of me. The only responsibility I had was paying off my student loan and I knew I could do that from anywhere. I also knew sitting in traffic for 2+ hours a day on the 401 was not the life for me. I started focusing on the next move which I had decided would be the west coast. British Columbia had always been a fantasy of mine and the decision felt right. I grew up camping, hiking, and exploring the outdoors as a kid and always had a special connection with nature. One could say I stood out like a sore thumb in Toronto and always felt out of place.
My goal was obtainable but I knew I had to save some money to make it a reality. I found a new job at another printing company in the Niagara Region, which specialized in direct mail marketing. I was coordinating projects again and ended up truly loving the company and people I was working with. It was hard leaving such a great company after a year but I came first. The day finally came, I packed my car, drove across the country and never looked back. I did not have a job lined up, I was truly winging it and it was so exciting.
A little bit about Whistler, it's located two hours north of Vancouver in the Coastal Mountains and is home to North America's largest ski resort, Whistler Blackcomb. It's a happening ski town with a local population of about 12,000. There is no large print production company here, only your local ma and pa one-stop print shop. Finding work in the industry was impossible and I was not interested in living in Vancouver, so I turned to other options in Whistler. I loved coordinating and knew I could do that in another industry. I saw a posting in the local paper for a customer service agent at Scandinave Spa and went for it. I had been to the Scandinave Spa in Blue Mountain, Ontario, in the past and thought it was the most amazing place ever. I had been so focused on my health and happiness I thought working in the health and wellness industry would be a good fit. When I got the job in Whistler I was thrilled. I quickly moved up into a supervisory role and eventually into the role of Sales & Marketing Coordinator, where I am today.
Aside from my current role, I am also an avid snowboarder, mountain biker, forager, and backcountry explorer. Within the last five years, I have submitted numerous peaks, dropped cliffs on the snowboard, and done things I would never have imagined living in Southern Ontario. Instead of a traffic-filled commute, I now ride my bike to work daily (yes, in the winter too). The risk I took when moving out west has been nothing but rewarding. I have accomplished more than I could have imagined all while growing with an amazing company.
My time as a part of the RyePack Exec team was unforgettable. I was the head of fundraising, which is fitting considering I work in sales now. I joined RyePack because I was very interested in print packaging and eventually working in that side of print. Everything comes in a package these days so I figured there would always be a demand for print in the growing packaging industry. My relationship with packaging today is very love-hate. As mentioned earlier, packaging is everywhere but I have grown to be very careful of what I purchase because of the package it comes in. I am for the environment first but also a sucker for good (environmentally-friendly) packaging and print to this day. I don't really work with packaging in my current role but the interest in the subject will always be there.
My part in the organization was crucial in getting funds for our group trip to the Graph Expo in Chicago, which was another amazing experience RyePack offered us. I made many good friends and grew very close with Nikita and Emily who I still am in contact with today. Being a part of RyePack was always a team effort and everyone contributed because they truly cared about the subject. The teamwork skills I developed as a part of RyePack and GCM in general, have been crucial for me. Every place I worked after graduating was in a team environment and I have always thrived despite working with many different personalities and work styles. I will always remain grateful for all the experiences and knowledge RyePack offered me.
