“This is a perfect escape because we are surrounded by nature, we have trails you can go on, the landscape is breathtaking in so many ways,” she said.

Utilizing her prior knowledge of strategy, business development, financial management, operations, and working with developers, she was able to put all of the puzzle pieces together exquisitely. Her all-round resume with diverse skills, business acumen, and turning an idea into reality, are precisely what she’s using to bring Nomi to success.

“I saw an opportunity for wellness, and having a whole condo community that would allow people to go to a unique destination, have great food, rejuvenating amenities, and be able to invest in it if they are a buyer. They can use it a couple times a year, and then it gets rented for short or long stays,” she said.

“It’s also a great investment for the buyers who don’t really want the maintenance of a cottage. They want a turn-key product that is revenue-driven real estate.”

As things have progressed, she investigated how to intuitively serve her customers in the best way possible. “I had to learn what the hospitality industry does today. And I spent a lot of time thinking about what I thought the hospitality industry would look like in the future. I put a lot of time into researching, and analyzing the platforms that hospitality industries use,” she said.

As such, the expansion of the existing wellness centre will include Peloton bikes, a steam room, an espresso lounge, and a clubhouse. But the resort of the future is also digitized, and she’s got that covered too: each suite has an iPad on a cradle, readied with all the information for the guest, including restaurant menus, what to know about the spa, what’s available to rent, and everything the guest might want to ask about their stay.

“It’s a premier spot to rest, relax, and give yourself the opportunity where you can be in a position to enjoy life, be with friends and family, take care of yourself, through all the amenities we have to offer, including hot tub and sauna, full spa, steam rooms, trails, and more,” she said.

But the one thing she is especially excited about is the cuisine clients will enjoy.

“I would say the biggest ‘wow’ is our food service,” she said, referring to the culinary experience with Lands 8Fifty restaurant and lounge. “We have a top executive chef, Hugo Saenz, and sous chef, that have worked together for 12 years. Saenz has a global reputation. He’s a culinary artist of distinction.”

LANDS 8Fifty Culinary Experience

She boasts that all dishes are unique Saenz creations. “He puts his heart and soul into every dish, and he’s really turned everything around to tie in not only with the destination, but the experience of what people expect, or want to see, when they go out on a journey or escape. We have a tapas menu, fine dining, and a chef's table. It’s all part of our plan to make this place a great destination.”

LANDS 8Fifty Restaurant

Second to that, she says, is the ‘wow’ of the development of the overall property. “People are intrigued by Trevor McKiver’s work, an amazing architect. I waited two years for Trevor. It’s just unbelievable. He’s worked at different resorts. He has a vast amount of experience. Who wouldn’t want to have a great stay, being able to access the lake, go to an espresso lounge, have great food?”

With the elite chef, and the elite architect, it all comes together to forge the unforgettable memories of Nomi. Of course, she concedes that the road to the final product requires trial and error – or often, many errors – but that is the nature of the entrepreneurial beast. Her advice to others taking on projects great or small, is to soldier on, and to be confident that there are valuable lessons along the way.

“As an entrepreneur, you have to understand, and know, that you are going to face challenges. You are going to face setbacks. You have to be prepared to know how to deal with those challenges. You can’t shy away from them or be scared of them. You have to be able to face things dead on in order to cut forward,” she said.

“It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. It’s a lot of time. You have to be passionate. You have to be the kind of person who is tenacious and doesn’t give up. You have to want something bad enough to make a difference.”

That neatly sums up Blouin’s work ethos, as well as the keys to her awe-inspiring journey – one where she climbed the rungs of Fortune 500 companies, leaving them with much more than she came with.

And no doubt, in much the same way, visitors to Nomi are sure to gain a fulfilling, life changing experience that could only be produced by such a high-calibre visionary.

For more visit the official Nomi Resort and LANDS 8Fifty website. www.nomiresort.com or www.8fifty.ca