Kristi Bieber is named one of Vernon's Top 20 Over 40

The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce has released its Top 20 Over 40 list for 2020, and Castanet will be featuring all of the honourees.

You don't want to cross Kristi Bieber.

She is the owner of the Vernon branch of 30 Minute Hit, and she empowers other women by teaching them kickboxing. Not only is it a good workout, it also serves as a way to teach women proper self-defense techniques.

"We find a lot of value in what we're teaching, it's practical things for all levels and ages," says Bieber. "It also instills a lot of confidence – when you know you can throw a punch, you hold yourself differently."

Bieber was a stay at home mom back in Surrey, and she originally owned the Kelowna branch of 30 Minute Hit before coming to Vernon. She believes that success is stemmed from taking risks and being confident in yourself.

"It was a very big risk to uproot my family, move to a new city and becoming a business owner," Bieber says. "Even with no previous business experience I have achieved great success and have climbed the ranks within the franchise."

The Chamber's Top 20 Over 40 is sponsored by KPMG, the Regional District of North Okanagan and Castanet.