Meet Author and Musician Angela van Breemen

“Success is following your dreams – not just financial, but also following pursuits that will give your soul satisfaction.”

– Angela van Breemen

My name is Angela van Breemen, and I have owned several businesses over the last forty years. After selling our dental supply company eleven years ago, it was not my intention to go back into business, but as my husband, Peter Thomas Pontsa, and I are both published authors, we decided to form a new publishing company. Established this year, Iconic Scribes Press Inc. is the publishing company for our indie books.

Over the last decade, I have come full circle, and have returned to my artistic interests with the pursuit of writing and music. 

Another deep passion of mine is wildlife rehabilitation. I was introduced to Procyon Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre in 2016. Procyon is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and safe release of injured and orphaned wildlife. In 2021 I was invited to become a Director, and I work with four other wonderful people on the Board.

Life is very full between my writing, music, and the work I do for Procyon – it’s busy but rewarding and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Can you start by introducing yourself and telling us in your words, about your inspiring story?

In the mid nineteen-sixties, my parents sold their place in Rexdale and moved to a rural setting north of Toronto. The closest kid my age lived six miles away, so heading out to play with other children just didn’t happen unless we were driven there. 

Living in isolation made me very self-reliant and encouraged a rich imagination. Early pursuits were oil painting and writing poetry. Singing was an interest but due to an unfortunate incident when a schoolteacher told me I couldn’t “sing,” I became self-conscious and would only sing on my own in the forest. I did not share the passion for singing with others until my early twenties, and it was not until much later, after a rigorous business career, that I took formal vocal lessons from opera coaches.

As a country kid, I was always bringing orphaned and lost animals home, such as baby raccoons that had lost their mom and a one-eyed chicken that walked in circles. Sadly, my parents drew the line at the baby skunks. This interest in animals had me enrolled at the University of Guelph, with the intention of becoming a vet, however, organic chemistry and calculus got the better of me. 

The following year I switched to a business program – management economics and I loved the courses. I soon realized that those business courses were much more suited to my personality and were great preparation for the businesswoman I was to become.

I find it interesting though, that after four decades I have come full circle, back to my writing, to music, and as a volunteer with Procyon Wildlife.

We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.

After graduating from university in the early eighties, finding work was difficult. The economy was rough with double-digit interest rates; my student loans were 19% and 22% respectively. My father, one of the most positive influencers in my life, was also out of work. In 1984, we came across an opportunity to start a dental supply business together. Unfortunately, my dad passed away just six months into the business. My mom was concerned about the monetary strain a new business placed on our limited family resources, so we made the difficult decision to shut Pamala Dental Supplies down. 

I learned a valuable lesson from this – starting a business requires not only the commitment of hard work, time, and effort but sufficient funds to run the business until it becomes profitable. In this case, time was not on our side, as the funds were just not available to support the business until it became self-sufficient.

What made you decide to go into business for yourself?

In the early nineties, my husband, Peter Pontsa, and I treated my mother to a family trip to Holland, from where my family originates. Peter, being a registered dental technologist, noticed a dental laboratory and decided to visit while my mom and I were at the tourist office to get directions to see Kasteel den Haar, a famous castle in Utrecht. That visit to the dental lab changed our lives. 

Knowing these products were great and not available in Canada, we saw an opportunity. We wrote to the manufacturer in Germany and after much persistence and persuasion we obtained the distributorship for the Canadian marketplace and formed Dent-Line of Canada Inc. We ran that business for twenty-two years and the knowledge I obtained from my management economics degree and the experience as a seasoned sales and marketing professional plus my husband’s technical knowledge about the products proved invaluable to our business growth and success.

How did you market your business when it was brand new?

The launch of the business focussed heavily on marketing.  Peter sold his partnership off with a dental lab and worked full-time for our fledgling company, without pay. Knowing we needed seed money, and with the banks doubtful of our success and unwilling to provide a loan, my husband cashed in his retirement savings plan. 

I continued my sales position in the automotive industry so that we would have my salary to support us. I would get home at six every night, with dinner already prepared by Peter. After a quick bite to eat, I would work till midnight on invoicing, marketing, creating ads, and whatever needed to be done on an organizational and administrative level. Every single penny the company made was funneled back into the business – a very high percentage of that went into advertisements in dental industry magazines and journals, and of course into inventory. 

After several years, Peter began to take a modest salary, however, I continued to work for the automotive manufacturer. It was a great experience since I worked with different levels of distribution – from wholesalers to distributors to jobbers and retailers and it gave me a strong understanding of distribution networks. 

In 2000, the business was successful enough that I resigned from my automotive position and was able to work full-time. From there we continued to grow, hiring additional staff as needed. In 2012, we entered negotiations with another dental supply company that was coveting some of our lines. In May of 2013, the company was sold and we officially retired from the dental industry. 

This was the opportunity we both wanted to pursue interests outside of business, however, for roughly ten years, I provided marketing and business consulting services, to select clients only, through my company, Close to the Sky Consulting. 

“I learned a valuable lesson – starting a business requires not only the commitment of hard work, time and effort, but sufficient funds to run the business until it becomes profitable.” – Angela van Breemen

What is a typical day like for you?

My day is divided into several segments; working on administration, marketing, and fundraising efforts for Procyon Wildlife, a nonprofit organization. In many ways, a non-profit should be run in the same way that one would operate a business. My expertise from having been in business has helped streamline our administrative efforts so that things run more efficiently.

I devote time to singing, writing, and to our new publishing company Iconic Scribes Press Inc. Having property in the country also means there are gardens to tend and maintenance to do.

If you had advice for someone just starting out, what would it be?

Before you even consider starting a business, do your research. Potential entrepreneurs may assume a business is doing well when they are looking from “the outside in” and as a result, they overlook their MARKET RESEARCH! Consider the following:

1. Do the demographics want/need a product or service you are providing?
2. If a retail location, is the business accessible from the highway with adequate parking?
3. Be willing to put in the hours. But use every bit of technology you can to make your work efficient.
4. Join networking groups.
5. Make sure you are well funded – it takes time for people to realize you are there and to trust you will be there for the long term. 
6. Last, ADVERTISE but make sure that your efforts are MEASURABLE, keeping in mind that it takes time for advertising efforts to yield rewards.

Does your company help the community where it is located?

Yes, we support Procyon Wildlife. Sadly, wildlife centers in Canada receive no government funding so we rely heavily on donations from the public and the private sector as well as from grants to keep the center operational.

What would you consider your biggest accomplishment and why?

My recently published book, Past Life’s Revenge, and my new album In The Breeze are significant accomplishments for me. Both are a result of dreams I had when I was younger but was too embroiled in business to pursue those goals. There was a time when my younger self used to joke and say, “I am artistically bankrupt.” Having the time to pursue my interests is part of that coming full circle I referred to earlier. To be successful is not just about making money but ensuring that the soul and body are nurtured too, through family and friends, self-care which encompasses downtime, such as meditation, and exercise.

What challenges have you faced in the workplace, especially your experience in male-dominated environments?

Getting a job initially, let alone obtaining an interview proved difficult. I soon learned that whenever I placed my full name, Angela van Breemen on my resume, I wouldn’t get any interviews. For an experiment, I decided to put A. van Breemen on the resume only and I started getting interviews! I was chastised by potential employers (all male) more than once for not being transparent about my female gender. Thank goodness we are more open-minded today and recognize all gender choices. 

The manager who finally hired me also remarked on my not having used my full name on the resume, and later confided in me, after I became the top salesperson in just three months, in fact outselling my male counterparts, that he was glad he had. He told me it was because of my persistence. When my first and second interviews with this company, Durakon Canada yielded no “You’re hired,” I started calling every few days. “Had they made a decision yet?” I wanted to know. He decided to hire me, figuring someone that persistent is going to do well in sales. 

What advice would you give to a new business owner? Or to your younger self?

Believe in yourself. Never give up. Take time to relax.

What are the three most important habits to be a successful high performer or leader?

1. Time Management
2. Healthy interaction with employees – once a week lunch hour
3. Listening to employees’ needs and concerns.

Which female leader do you admire, and why?

Jane Goodall, is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots program which encourages young people ranging from preschoolers to university students to work on environmental, conservation, and humanitarian issues. I also admire that at the age of ninety, she continues her work as an advocate for chimpanzees and the environment.

Do you have a favorite quote or motto that inspires you?

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” ― Napoleon Hill.

Conclusion

Success in 2024 does not mean the same thing to me as it did when I was younger. Success to me now, means following my lifelong passions. That means, writing, singing, and supporting a worthwhile cause like Procyon Wildlife. Success is following your dreams – not just financial, but also following pursuits that will give your soul satisfaction. 

Nothing in life is promised to us, we may live to be thirty, fifty, or ninety. Never take a moment of your life for granted – sing that song, write that book, sign up for that university course, learn a new hobby or skill, or volunteer in the community. There is more to life than work, embrace your passions!

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