We recently connected with Lindsay Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Lindsay, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Well… to begin Maple Hub was truly never a business idea in the sense of seeing it going as far as it has – it was a feeling. I am all about gut instinct and intuition.

It all started while I was curating my very first summer market. I remember sitting on the couch with my notes open and scouring Instagram for local vendors and thinking… Why is it SO hard to find these incredible small businesses in one place? Why have I never heard of this business.

After that market was a wonderful success and I had time to sit with it – that moment lit a spark. I saw firsthand just how many insanely talented makers and entrepreneurs were out there – totally under the radar and I knew I had to do something about it.

So… Maple Hub was born! A homegrown small business directory designed to hype up Canadian makers, dreamers and doers. I wanted to make it easy for people to shop small and local without spending hours digging online.

The logic was simple. These businesses deserved more visibility and people WANTED AND WANT to support local – they just didn’t always know where to look. Maple Hub bridges that gap. It’s more than advertising for these amazing businesses – it’s a community.

And just when I thought I couldn’t love this business more – enter year two which again – keep in mind I didn’t think it would take off like it had. One July morning – a friend and fellow business owner approached me with something that had me speechless. She asked if I wanted to take over her boutique and bring it to the next level. At first, it felt wild. It felt like a funny joke and something you truly only ever dream of. But also… there was this knowing.

A gut feeling I couldn’t shake. I sat with it for six long months and let Rylee suffer through whether or not I would take it over. One afternoon I walked into the boutique and she was sitting at the front and I said – I DO!

Fast forward to February 2025 and I flipped the entire space in a weekend (zero stars, don’t recommend that timeline). But it’s been the most beautiful adventure. Full of equal parts chaos, joy, growth and grit.

Now, Maple Hub is not only an online community but a physical one too. The boutique became a place where members of Maple Hub could showcase their products, where the community could experience small business in real life and where magic continues to unfold every day.

What excited me the most? Honestly, the potential. The vision of building a collective where small businesses didn’t have to scream into the void to be seen and where the community could come and feel like they have entered their new fav place and feel warm, welcomed and feel the magic around them.

I didn’t wait until everything was perfect – I started with what I had. And in closing – I also want to share that it is not without the amazing community that surrounds me that I am here today. I am so incredibly honoured to serve my community and surrounding communities.

Lindsay, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

If you’re wondering how I got here… well, let’s just say being an Enneagram 8, an Aries and the queen of the tiny details. I’m the passionate cheerleader behind Maple Hub and Maple Hub Boutique.

Before Maple Hub was even a though. I was working in healthcare (still do) and was also a lash technician on the side. I loved both for different reasons but when COVID hit – everything changed. I had to stop lashing and like so many others – I found myself rethinking everything. That pause led me to start another small business that took off and gave me my first real taste of entrepreneurship. From there, I started planning markets and that’s where everything clicked.

While curating my very first summer market – I noticed how hard it was to discover small businesses. I’d scroll for hours on Instagram – looking for vendors and thinking to myself – why are these amazing businesses not more in the forefront?! Like everyone needs to hear about them and their stunning products and services. That lightbulb moment became Maple Hub – a small business directory focused on showcasing Canadian makers and doers in a way that felt fresh, beautiful and community driven.

Maple Hub is a platform that helps small businesses get the exposure they deserve. From social media features and newsletter shoutouts to seasonal gift guides and curated events. Our membership tiers offer advertising support, community connection and opportunities to get seen and celebrated.

In year two, a whole new chapter opened up when a friend and fellow business owner offered me the chance to take over her boutique. It was one of those I just know moments. I sat with it for six months, said yes and flipped the entire space in a weekend (zero stars for the timeline, but 5 stars for the adventure). That’s how Maple Hub Boutique was born: a physical space to showcase Canadian products and host events that bring people together.

What sets Maple Hub apart? It’s the heart behind it. I’m in this with everything I’ve got. It is my heart and soul.
What I’m most proud of? The community. Watching makers thrive, watching the community connect with new businesses and watching small businesses feel like they finally have someone in their corner! Watching all the small businesses succeed literally fills my heart with SO MUCH joy!

At the end of the day, I want people to know: if you love supporting local, discovering new Canadian small businesses and being part of something built on passion and purpose – this is for you and we welcome you!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of the most defining moments of resilience in my journey was the weekend I took over and flipped the boutique.
At the time, I was working part time at the hospital, managing Maple Hub, planning events for the year ahead and trying to maintain some sense of balance in my home life.

When the opportunity to take over the boutique came up, I said yes with my whole heart. I KNEW deep down this was it – it was meant to be and after searching for the red flags I took a deep dive but it was far from easy.

That weekend, I fully transformed the space. Physically flipping the boutique in just a couple days. Every extra hour I had was spent in that building, rearranging, filling holes, sanding, painting, merchandising and creating something new from the ground up. I did not hire anyone to do it – I did it myself with the help of my amazing friends who without – I know for a fact I wouldn’t have been able to get it done words will never be enough to share my gratitude.

What people didn’t see was the back end. This isn’t a regular retail store – it’s a consignment based boutique, which means there’s an entirely different level of management involved. I was entering hundreds of products into a brand new inventory software system, doing stock counts, checking tags, following up with consignees and making sure every single item had the right information tied to the right business. It wasn’t just visual. It was detailed, admin heavy work that required focus and stamina I didn’t know I had left.

And through all of that, I was still maintaining Maple Hub’s online presence, responding to messages, posting for members and organizing upcoming events. Even with the amazing support of my angel of friends – it was intense. Physically, emotionally, mentally – I was stretched thin. I honestly felt like I was on auto pilot. And yet, I never once let go of the bigger picture.

That experience taught me that resilience isn’t about doing it all alone or pretending you’re not struggling. It’s about showing up anyway. It’s about asking for help (which my goodness – was the most uncomfortable thing and out of my comfort zone thing to do), trusting yourself and pushing through the overwhelm because your vision matters.

That boutique was built with love, grit, spreadsheets (which we LOVE) and a whole lot of dry shampoo, adam sandler outfits and door dash. And every time someone walks in, discovers a new small business and leaves feeling inspired, happy, joyful – any emotion – I know it was worth every single second.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell completely changed the way I think about business, boundaries and how I spend my energy.

When you’re a passionate entrepreneur, especially someone who built something from the ground up, it’s hard to let go. Maple Hub and the boutique are my babies – they’re me.

Every display, every social post, every message that goes out… it’s all personal and I wouldn’t want it any other way – I don’t want automated, generic, or impersonal. I value all my members and my community.

I like things done a certain way because I’ve poured my whole heart into this. So the idea of trusting someone else to help me with my business, do anything within the business or better yet be the face of my business – even a little bit felt absolutely terrifying and like something I should just avoid at all costs. No one can do it like I can.

But reading Buy Back Your Time gave me permission to reframe the way I saw help. Not as losing control but as creating space. Space to grow, space to rest, space to focus on the parts of the business that only I can do. It taught me that I wasn’t meant to do it all, even if I could.

And truthfully, while it’s still a work in progress (because my inner perfectionist lives for control) I did take a big step – I hired a casual staff member for the boutique. And she’s been incredible. She treats the space like it’s her own. She wanted to learn about every single consignee on her first day. Their names, where they’re from, what they make. She gets it. She gets me. And because of that, I’ve been able to delegate and breathe a little easier, knowing the heart of Maple Hub is still being honoured – even when it’s not me doing every single thing.

I’m so incredibly grateful for Ellie – she is such a beautiful addition to Maple Hub. I am also grateful for the clarity that book gave me. It helped me realize that building a business isn’t about holding on so tightly you burn out. It’s about creating something that can thrive with the right people beside you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maplehubcommunity.ca/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maplehubcommunity/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550688849882
• Other: boutique website – https://maple-hub-community.square.site/

Image Credits

@nova.creative.co