With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1313659
58 BCBUSINESS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 market at that time was rice and beans. It's good enough—it's calories, it's going to keep your belly full, but it's probably not going to aid in your ath- letic pursuits, whatever those are." Today, Mikhailov ad- mits he's more of a week- end warrior than a full-on climbing fanatic, but he doesn't lack street cred, having taken on ranges in places like Thailand and Sweden. Perhaps surpris- ingly, his favourite place to hike (Squamish), his longest trek (the aforemen- tioned tussle with Mount Spire in the Bugaboos) and his hardest climb (Mrs. Negative in Squamish) are all in B.C. He also has a soft spot for California's Joshua Tree, though. "It's just the energy of the place; I love desert terrain and how inhospitable it is," he says. "And how nature just finds a way to survive the most inhospitable environ- ments. It's a really beauti- ful juxtaposition between life and death, which is kind of an allegory to climbing." It works for the busi- ness world, too. For a short time, it looked like death might be around the cor- ner for Nomad Nutrition. The company lost all of its retail partners over- night when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Canada in March. Mikhailov had to trim his workforce, and uncertainty began to set in for a business that was just over three years old. But the retailers eventually re- opened, and catastrophe turned into opportunity. "The pandemic created a different kind of de- mand—people who could no longer travel abroad," recounts Mikhailov. "They had plans to go to Europe or Hawaii and weren't able to do so. So everybody started to discover [their] own backyard by camp- ing, hiking, climbing, outdoor activities. These people started coming to us directly, going to our website. We had big lineups out of the [virtual] door during the pandemic because people didn't know where to purchase their meals. And they wanted them right away to go on their weekend camping trip." Part of Mikhailov clearly wishes he were one of those people checking out of work early to go spend a few days wrestling with a mountain. But his business is now the No. 1 focus in his life, even if he hasn't forgotten where he came from. "That trip in 2016 was pivotal in my perception of this industry," he says of his tough adventure in the Bugaboos. "And I haven't stopped thinking about dehydrated food ever since then." • A F T E R HO U R S ARIA READY FOR THIS? The songs remain the same, but Vancouver Opera has gone all-digital for its 2020-21 season. Among the productions you can take in from home: Gian Carlo Menotti's holiday classic Amahl and the Night Visitors (premiering December 12); The Music Shop (March 13), a comedy by Richard Wargo; and La Tragédie de Carmen (May 1), by Georges Bizet and Marius Constant. Through June 2021; casting and performances subject to change. Unlimited on-demand access $99 per household; vancouveropera.ca ART BUBBLE Don't let the pandemic stop you from enjoying fine art in a gallery setting. Every Friday and Saturday, the Audain Art Museum in Whistler offers one-hour, private guided tours for up to six people (face coverings mandatory). Held outside of public opening hours and hosted by the museum's docents, Audain Extended gives visitors a close look at what's new with the growing permanent collection. Pre-bookings only; $100 per group plus cost of admission (members only pay the tour price, and guests of members receive 10 percent off admission); for blackout dates and other details, see audainartmuseum.com • FROM TOP: VANCOUVER OPERA; BILL REID, KILLER WHALE, 1984, BRONZE, AUDAIN ART MUSEUM COLLECTION; GIFT OF MICHAEL AUDAIN AND YOSHIKO KARASAWA; PHOTO BY DARBY MAGILL, COURTESY OF THE BILL REID ESTATE IS A BOUTIQUE INVESTMENT FIRM RIGHT FOR YOU? Learn how the needs and interests of our clients remain paramount. ballantynecap.com