Two Country Girls, One Bronco, and a Dream: Our Pharmasave Conference Recap

We didn't mean to talk the whole drive there.

We had intentions. Content to film, posts to go live, Stories to shoot. But somewhere between the first Tim's exit and hitting the highway with Bronco loaded ceiling-to-floor  metal shelf bars clanking, not one more thing fitting anywhere, we just… started talking. About our dreams. About what this weekend could mean. About how excited we were and how we genuinely didn't know what to expect.

There were also quiet stretches. The kind of quiet that only happens when you've been going non-stop for weeks and suddenly you have nowhere to be except a passenger seat. The rebrand had wrung us out. Completely. There were moments it tore us down to the studs, emotionally, physically, creatively. But here's the thing about that kind of exhausted: it lives right next to something that feels like a rebirth. And somewhere on that highway, we could feel both.

We were tired. We're not going to pretend otherwise. But we were also so, so excited.

The MTCC Loading Dock: A First for Us

Pull up to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre loading dock. Drive in. Watch the elevator take you down. Try not to completely lose it.

Two country girls from St. Thomas, y'all. This was a FIRST. We have never felt more like wide-eyed tourists in our lives, and we were absolutely here for it.

Then came the unload. Wagons. Dollies. Multiple trips. If you're skipping the gym lately, may we suggest a trade show? Because by the time we wheeled everything into the venue, we had absolutely earned that evening's meal. Phew.

But then we walked in and we went full giddy.

There's something about seeing your booth space for the first time that makes everything click. We started setting up, looking around, and slowly realizing who our neighbours were: Coca-Cola. Pepsi. Nestlé. Nellies. K-Tape. These brands. And here we were, VEÇAI, right alongside them.

We may have had a small moment.

(Okay it wasn't small lol)

Setup wrapped right at 7PM, not a minute to spare, and we headed back to the hotel to unpack, eat, and actually think through tomorrow.

Sunday: The Power of the Tutu (and a Marshall's Miracle)

Full disclosure: our packing strategy was... optimistic. Two tutus. Some t-shirts. PJs. Shoes. That's it. We packed light, let's just say that and leave it there.

So after finishing the booth Sunday morning, we hiked 20 minutes to Marshalls and found something to wear to the wine and cheese that night. Clutch. Absolutely clutch.

The wine and cheese was where the magic happened. Within the first hour it felt like we'd known every vendor and store owner in that room for years. The energy was electric. Warm. Genuinely fun. And our photo booth? Bumping. People were lining up, laughing, grabbing samples, and falling head over heels for VEÇAI because honestly, how can you not?

We handed out hundreds of samples. So many that by the time the night wrapped at 9PM, we were completely out.

Which meant back at the hotel, we had a decision: rest like the zombies we were, or restock for the next day.

We ran into some of our new Pharmasave friends at the hotel restaurant, grabbed a quick bite, and then spent the rest of the night packing samples until 1AM. Way, way past our bedtime.

Monday: Big Fluffy Tutus, Sales Day, and Zero Zombies (Mostly)

Sales day. The real one. Where we pitch, we connect, we talk orders.

So naturally, we put on our big fluffy tutus.

After checking out, getting the car, finding parking, and attempting to look like functioning humans after approximately four hours of sleep, we were back in the venue by 8:30AM and ready to go.

The day was fantastic. The photo booth kept going. The conversations kept flowing. The connections we made with Pharmasave store owners and staff were the kind you actually look forward to continuing. These are good people building good businesses, and we are so proud to be working alongside such an incredible Canadian company, with other Canadian-made products that actually stand for something.

And then we had to pack it all up. So we loaded wagon by wagon, elevator by elevator, through the MTCC and down to the car park. An hour and 45 minutes later, Bronco was full to the brim again, pointed home.

The Ride Home

We didn't film content on the way home either.

We talked about everything ahead of us. The stores. The growth. The people we met. What VEÇAI is becoming and what it still gets to be.

The rebrand wiped us out and rebuilt us into something better. This weekend showed us that. To walk into a room with Coca-Cola and Pepsi and hold our own, to watch people fall in love with our product, to feel so genuinely welcomed into the Pharmasave family, that's not small. That's everything.

We can't wait to be on shelves. We can't wait for you to find us.

I spy VEÇAI. 👀 In Pharmasave stores, in your bathroom, in your gym bag. We're coming for all of it.

— Amanda + Jaclyn 🤍