2009 Recipient: Rebecca Page, 38

President, Concierge Home Services

Provides household management for busy people who want to outsource a full range of cleaning services.

Education: BA, CarletonUniversity (1995).

Biggest Business Achievement: Establishing the franchises, it was a huge task to prepare for and a big learning curve.

Biggest Business Obstacle: If I wasn’t balancing the responsibilities of raising a family, I’d have more energy and time to build my business.

Biggest Lesson Learned: Daily operational blips have the potential to distract you from the big picture, don’t let them.

Three Words That Describe You: Disciplined, organized, decisive.

Charitable Involvement: Harmony House and Women’s Business Network of Ottawa.

Biggest Influence: Martha Stewart, because she saw a way to take something that existed and package it for mass appeal. She was an independent businesswoman in an era when women were expected to be housewives.

First Job: At age 12, I talked my way into a job at the second hand bookstore my mother frequented - sorting, stacking, and labelling.

Favourite Pasttime: Reading.

Favourite Travel Destination: Any place I haven’t been before.

Favourite Book: Tao Te Ching, by Lao-Tzu.

Favourite Movie: Love Actually.