Whether it’s backpacking through a new country or venturing into a new business, Chelsea Risling is an adventure-seeker. The 24-year-old opened Meraki Supply Co. last year. The shop offers up mostly handcrafted outdoor supplies and attire for Calgary’s mountain-lovers.
With a tendency to take the occasional surprise left turn, Risling finds her inspiration in unexpected places. Here are 10 things that inspire her.
Road Trips
It’s kind of my thing; I could drive forever. I love getting on the road and getting away somewhere new.
Michael Benz’s Photography
He’s done a lot of work for Meraki. His style is really unique; it’s crisp, clean and not too busy or trying to capture too much. That simplicity and that crisp, clean look is a huge inspiration for me.
The People of Kensington
There’s an open-mindedness in the people who come to Kensington. If you wanted to go to the mall, you could go and know exactly what you’d find there, whereas with Kensington, there are way more surprises.
Field Notes Notebooks
Sometimes you have to write things down to bring them to life. Once you start delving into business, you have a lot of sleepless nights because you’re so motivated and inspired all the time – that’s my life lately.
Coffee from The Roasterie
They roast their beans every day, so every afternoon the whole neighbourhood smells like freshly roasted coffee. Before I had this space, I spent a lot of time making my business plans there. I had no idea I was going to end up across the street.
Taylor Swift’s 1989
It sounds super-cheesy and clich, but I don’t care – I want to be her best friend. I could listen to only that CD forever and I’d be happy.
Fishing Trips in Northern Saskatchewan
I love going back home and fishing in the summer. It’s the cleanest water, the coldest water and the deepest lakes, so the pickerel is just delicious and uncontaminated.
Taylor Guitar
My grandpa played guitar and he taught me by ear, so I’ve been playing music for most of my life. It’s a huge passion of mine. Any time we’re going out, I always have my guitar with me.
Velvet Fog
There’s no other beer quite like it. And it’s local, which is a really important thing for me.
A Good-Quality Flannel Shirt
A good, woolen flannel is timeless. I like things that are handmade, things with quality, things with a purpose and things that last. Topo Designs and Sitka are some of the best brands out there.
Meraki Supply Co., 305 10 St. N.W., 306-717-0981, merakisupplyco.com, @merakisupplyco on Twitter and Instagram