The alluring beauty that nature offers often is captivated by the lens of many photographers. That's usually how all of us get a view of the serene and breathtaking views of nature and wildlife. Not many of us think of giving back to nature though; instead, and in many cases, we are guilty of harming it rather than preserving it.
Few special people, however, like Keltie and Stan Masters, co-founders of “Back to Nature Apparel” not only love nature but have also dedicated their lives and careers to passionately preserving nature and its wildlife for future generations. “Sadly, more and more people are needing some of nature's therapy so we hope to be able to offer a bit of that by bringing it into their homes, so they too can be surrounded by its beauty and therapeutic benefits.” states Keltie passionately. What started as a gift trip for their anniversary turned into their biggest life changing event. This dynamic-duo husband and wife are passionate wildlife explorers, and when Stan decided to surprise Keltie with an anniversary nature exploration trip to Churchill-Manitoba to watch the majestic Canadian polar bear in its natural habitat in 2013, and then there was no stopping them, and their new lifelong mission of giving back to nature was born. Their passion for exploring nature continued, and so did their wildlife photography. As much as the Masters enjoyed the wildlife beauty and polar bears in their natural habitat, they were extremely saddened to learn that these magnificent creatures are starving because of the changing environment. That is when they pledged to make giving back to nature through their camera’s lens their full-time business. The genesis of the business was not to earn a fortune, rather to donate a significant portion of the revenues to wildlife rehab organizations to help preserve wildlife. “We realized that every little bit helps, and we thought we need to do something to help make a difference.” As Stan puts it succinctly. They say, ‘when you invest in nature, nature returns even more’. This is what happened to this dynamic-due. Soon enough, they were approached by organizations to do wildlife photography for them. When they launched their own apparel line imprinted with awe-inspiring pictures of wildlife, it became an instant success. Customers felt connected to nature and wildlife, through the “Unique Wearable Works of Art” which are stunning and therapeutic at the same time. When COVID-19 slumped the economy and wholesalers cancelled orders, this resilient couple opened their own Shopify e-commerce store to sell their gorgeous apparel. When customers started requesting face masks imprinted with the beautiful photos, they obliged, despite their initial skepticism. To their surprise, the wildlife imprinted masks become hostellers in no time. True to their mission, their significant business success, was paralleled with a significant increase in their donations to wildlife rehab centers. They even started a fundraiser for wildlife with their hot-selling masks, and their sales exploded. Their goal is to reach $10,000 per year in donations to wildlife rehab centers, and with the universe by their side, surely they can achieve this goal soon enough. The Masters are always looking for more organizations to help raise money for through their various nature inspired fundraisers, therefore, if you know of such an organization that could benefit from their help, please contact them. Mother nature will thank you dearly for it. The Back to Nature Apparel line sells various “Unique Wearable Works of Art” such as leggings, kimono robes, scarves, handbags, accessories, and wall décors. All imprinted with stunning wildlife photos taken by the Masters’ cameras. Their advice to budding businesses: “When business grows large enough, hire outside help. Don't do everything yourself, because you'll just burn yourself out. If you can't afford it, look for options to help supplement those expenses. There is lending options, grants, etc.”
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Archives
September 2022
Courtesy of Alberta Chambers of Commerce
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