Open vistas. Back roads. Dusty boots. Homemade and handmade.
A few phrases that describe the sometimes mistaken for sisters, Jan and Erin – mother and daughter business partners of 20 years. As entrepreneurs they’ve hit every bump and taken every back road and detour a business can take to stake a claim for itself. Let’s just say – they’ve been tested as they’ve pioneered their path to build Prairie Girl Outpost. Their business is truly a culmination of the skills, talents and passions they most want to keep active in their work and home lives.

Here are a few of their accomplishments: two-time authors of The Field Guide for Trailblazing Women & The Createbook Process, Idea Strategists, speakers, facilitators, inventors of Createbooking (an idea-development strategy), founders of Prairie Girl Outpost and Prairie Girl Classroom, and co-creators of Trailblazer on Fire (an international woman’s leadership program). Facilitators of numerous creative, skills development and self-discovery events and workshops, Jan & Erin have also delivered ground breaking workshops in collaboration with other trailblazing women.

Loved for their candid style, honesty and realness, Jan & Erin have a special way of connecting with their community and audiences online and in person. Authentic, approachable, and inspiring, they are able to speak straight to the hearts of women destined for something more in their lives and livelihoods. Jan & Erin believe every woman has the opportunity for self-actualization – to bring their skills, natural talents, passions and wisdom together to claim their ‘Big Idea’ in an enterprising way. 

Their company, Prairie Girl Outpost strives everyday to provide practical and visionary tools to help women claim their place in the world. They do this through their Online Courses, Goods & Gatherings, Media and Community, all designed to awaken the trailblazer within. They believe there’s never been a more opportune time for women to approach their lives and livelihood in a wholehearted way and to pioneer a path to their dreams and big ideas. 

“The spirit of adventure” No four words could better describe the way Erin approaches her life and business… A fiery Aries, her passion, head strong nature and resourcefulness have helped her create a full life. With creativity running through her veins, coupled with a quiet courage, fear has never stopped her from going for it. From spending 3 months in the Amazon jungle at 18 years old, to working on a remote gold mine in the the Yukon as a young teenager, to selling all of her worldly possessions and moving to Denmark with her furry family – she has never shied from experiences that she knew would grow her into a balanced woman who could contribute to the world around her. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This year has been the sweetest year yet, as Erin and her partner/hubby Jean welcomed a beautiful baby boy, Luca, into the world on Valentines Day! Erin has to resist filling this entire feed with photos of him, but you will see Luca scattered throughout our feed as he is the light of all of our lives, a sweet angel boy, our little bubs. You can follow along @lapetitefarmco

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Erin’s mind is a constant flurry of creativity and ideas. She looks around her and sees a blank canvas ready to transform into something unique whether it be graphic design, painting, leatherwork, antiquing, cooking etc – there is no limit to the materials she loves to work with!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Being in business with Jan, her mom and best friend is a dream come true, albeit not always an easy road, but worth every moment. Forever appreciative of the people and experiences she has in her life, Erin is grateful for everyday she gets to spend living her dream in Alberta!

Jan’s love of the prairies began as a young child when she was impressionable and curious to explore and experience nature around her. The herds of antelope, the rolling tumbleweeds, the horse ranches, the loud, crackling thunder storms – all captured her imagination and her heart in a way she could never explain, but always yearned to return to. Something about prairie life was more enticing and real than any other place.

Jan has lived her life in a way that many would say ‘goes against the grain’. Having an entrepreneurial workstyle while also raising her son, Jesse and daughter, Erin, on her own as a single parent was one such example. The call to explore her skills and talents and create a life that was meaningful to her was too big to ignore or put on the back burner until some day.

Unhappy with conventional ‘career pathing’, Jan has always felt passionate about on-going learning and finding ways to bring her ideas and insights into tangible offerings. She sees her life as a way to create… to discover new ways to inspire or awaken new thinking, and she sees no endpoint such as a retirement age or the things that go with it. Jan’s joy in partnering with Erin, who she absolutely loves working and creating with, is to grow Prairie Girl Outpost into a far-reaching brand – a business & lifestyle model of how women can take on life.

Three things Jan loves that keep her grounded – playing with her three beautiful grand kids, cooking great food, and spending time with horses… the simpler things in life have always held the most value to her. And she would say that the perfect ending to any day would be watching a prairie sunset and the smell of horse grit on her hands.

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