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Page 5 of 5
Cathy Raff
President
Jill Raff
Business Development
Lauré Warren
Business Development
Marcia Raff
Creative Consultant
Shari Wright Pilo
Web Producer
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- Web Producer
I was born and raised in a small town in Southern Ontario, Canada. I am the baby girl of a normal “dysfunctional” family. In my youth, I was always involved in some sort of sport in effort to keep up with my jock older brother: softball, figure skating, or swimming. I also participated in various youth and social groups. My summers were always so much fun with one month at summer camp and then every August, my family traveled beyond the borders of our province through Canada and the United States on camping trips. I have amazing memories of us sitting around the Coleman’s lamp playing cards, monopoly or building puzzles along side the box tent trailer. We drove through terrible storms, hurricanes, (stories for another time) and even threats of riots; but my father kept on going, never turning back, always saying, “It will be ok, the weather will change; it is going to be a trip of a lifetime!” This was my first introduction to the power of positive thinking. 
After high school, I attended an international leadership program in Israel. I spent six months in Jerusalem studying with other youth from across the northern hemisphere, and six months working on a kibbutz in the children’s houses and milking cows in the dairy. It was an incredible year meeting so many people from so many different countries. It was also the year I decided I wanted to live my life in Israel. After the program, I returned to Canada to work and plan my big move back. I was employed as the Assistant to one of the largest private lobbies in Canada, and to supplement this, I worked as a waitress in a bagel shop! It only took nine months to get my stuff together and move to Israel.
At 19, I packed my bags and off I was, waving good bye to my supportive parents at the airport. I returned to milking cows on the kibbutz, but realized I wanted more out of life than smelling the fresh scent of manure at 4 am. So I moved to the “old city”, the ancient city of Jerusalem. I knew the city inside-out, studied the history of its ancient walls and passageways, and enjoyed every chance I could to take visitors to the holy places of all three religions. I became an excellent tour guide during this time!
Next, I started my studies at Tel Aviv University in History: World History and the History of the Jewish People. I have always enjoyed learning and reading about history (it is a family thing!). I also learned to enjoy the distinct difference between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the modern ever evolving city. As a student I was always working, trying to find the quickest way to pay for the next vacation to Club Med or some other amazing trip. So, I started a cleaning company – girls only. We cleaned stairwells in northern Tel Aviv and were busy from 5:00-8:00 every morning. Simultaneously, I always worked as a waitress. After school, realizing I had to support myself in the real world, I began working in women’s fashion. I managed Israel’s leading women’s fashion house’s flag ship store.
It was during this time that I met my DH (dear husband). We dated six months before his company decided to relocate him to a new developing area between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. We relocated to this area together. He proposed on the kitchen floor, while unpacking boxes of glassware. Six months later we were married in a beautiful wedding in Israel, together with friends and family from Canada, and around the world. I next turned to selling diamonds. As a broker flying transatlantic every month I realized…hmmm, this is not so good for newlyweds, or for starting a family. So, after almost two years, I decided it was time to have my feet on the ground again and not in various airports across the eastern seaboard. I was asked to join a group of entrepreneurs to work on a new start up in the beauty industry. We were a small group that learned to do everything on our own as we had only received a small angel investment: we all answered phones went to meetings, worked on marketing research, etc. So I learned to search the web for information, to use Photoshop, and to use programs of the times. It was during this time that fell in love with the internet. Unfortunately, this initiative was put into the drawer when the hi – tech bubble burst and I was off looking for an new adventure, this time with a few new skills under my belt.
It was also during this time that DH and I realized we were not getting pregnant and started on our roller coaster ride through fertility (again a story for another time). It took over seven years, over 15 IVFs, a horrific (but thank god we did it) terminated pregnancy, and many other ups and downs until we were blessed with the best gift in the world – MJ. Those years of fertility were very difficult, but I knew I was working towards the best thing in the world – a child. I was never embarrassed or shy about sharing my fertility challenges with anybody who asked. Even today I speak to women who are going through fertility treatments, and I tell them, “Chin up, you are the heroes; you are the ones who are working so hard to bring a child into the world.” A positive outlook is so important while doing this, and having positive people around you is imperative. I was very lucky that DH wanted this to work as much as I. He along with my amazing friends and family, said to me time after time, “Ok this time it didn’t work - next time it will.” They never gave up on me and I never gave up!
While going through all of these treatments I found if I could work close to home with a flexible schedule, I would be much healthier – physically and emotionally. So I worked on various new projects using my computer skills, my English (living in a non-English environment) and watched them grow into successful businesses and ventures, whether it was for the local municipality or with the first pet transportation company in Israel! The challenges of starting something new intrigued me. When I was offered a position at my stone company to work on the friendship stone, I didn’t realize how exciting business could be working with such a group of amazing women.
the friendship stone has now become part of our home and our way of life, my daughter loves her friendship stone and keeps it with her all the time, (see my stone story). I don’t go out of the house without one in my purse, you never know who you will meet or see! I have a busy workday…and it flies by much too fast, and then I am off to spend my late afternoons and evenings with my MJ, my princess. We love to cook and work on art projects, take long walks on the way home from preschool, sit under a tree and “talk”, meet with friends or just tickle each other silly. By eight in the evening – she is sleeping, dinner is finished, DH is home, and the two of us relax by watching a silly sitcom, or drama series, feet up and a bowl of popcorn!
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