Mulberry Lane Gift Studio

Sharon Anderson has lived in Williams Lake her whole life, and her shop has been in the community for more than 20 years. She's seen many changes in the community over those years, but always appreciates the fact that Williams Lake is a farming and ranching community at its roots. The town has managed to retain its unique ranching heritage and flavour in spite of all those changes, and she is proud to be a part of that heritage, both as a citizen and as a local business owner.

One thing that has changed significantly over the years, says Sharon, is consumer awareness of where the products that they buy originated. "Shoppers are tired of made-in-China goods and they are looking for something locally or Canadian-made," says Sharon. "They want a better experience when they shop and they want customer service," and this is something that Sharon strives to provide every day in her store. Her biggest reward is the smiles and thank-you's that she gets from her customers. "People are always happy in here and always give a smile!" she says.

Sharon is a creative soul who originally started out designing one-of-a-kind, hand-painted, wearable art cruise wear. Eventually her business morphed into her gift shop, and she still exercises her creativity every day with the products that she brings in and the displays that she creates. When it comes to business, she adds, "you get out what you put in," so she never rests, although she does try to squeeze in down time (including visits with her grandkids) when she's not at the shop.