A Wild Beginning
It all started right after filming Dragons’ Den in Toronto. I spotted something wild: the Savannah Bananas were going on their world tour, and they were coming to Seattle in September 2025. On my late dad’s birthday.
What are the odds?!
But there was a catch. Tickets weren’t simply for sale—they were a lottery. You had to enter just for a chance to buy them. I marked that weekend off in my calendar more than a year in advance. Just in case.
The Manifestation Moment
Fast forward to building GamePlay™, our toxic-free eye black that doubles as clean sports makeup. The anchor of our SPORT COLOUR COSMETICS™, it’s become our way of showing athletes they deserve high-performance products without harmful ingredients.
Somewhere along the way, I commented on a reel from Riyan Rodriguez of the Party Animals. It was International Women’s Day, and I wrote:
“Manifesting the future face of GamePlay™.”
He replied:
“Let’s do it.”
I was floored.
We shipped him a Grit Kit and some GamePlay Eye Black sticks, not knowing what would come of it — just trusting the moment.
Winning the Lotto
Then came the email:
“You’re one of the lucky lotto winners. Tickets open at 11am.”
I stared at the screen, heart pounding, terrified I’d hit the back button by accident. But we did it. We got five tickets to the sold-out Savannah Bananas game… on my dad’s birthday. Goosebumps.
We road-tripped to Seattle and even grabbed Seahawks tickets for the next day.You know, for market research. My son Evan and I were over the moon.
A Gift from Canoe to BananaLand
I stuffed my pockets with GamePlay Eye Black, our eco-friendly Sports Colour Cosmetics™, and brought along a brand-new Grit Kit with one mission: to gift it to Kelsie Whitmore, the Bananas’ only female player.
We arrived early, geared up in jerseys and hats, carrying Jesse Cole’s book. (I’m a huge fan of how he built the Bananas brand, and honestly, ChatGPT even says we’re building our company with the same energy—I’m just five years behind him 😉).
In the player meet-and-greet chaos, Evan stepped up to Gage (#20) and said:
“I’d like to give this to you. It’s my mom and I’s eye black company.”
Gage asked the name, and Evan proudly said: “GamePlay Eye Black.”
And just as Gage said, “Oh, I think I’ve heard of you guys,” I accidentally stopped recording. Classic mom fail.
I chimed in: “Yes! Riyan from the Party Animals uses us!”
Gage nodded “Yeah, I remember seeing his stories.”
My heart grew three sizes. It was a full-circle moment.
I asked Gage for a huge favour:
“Could you pass this Grit Kit on to Kelsie Whitmore?”
He promised he would.
The Game of Joy
The game itself? Unbelievable! Two and a half hours of pure joy, inclusion, and electric energy. My cheeks hurt from smiling.
And then, one week later, on the final night of the Savannah Bananas world tour in Houston…
The Instagram Story That Changed Everything
I saw Kelsie’s Instagram Story.
She was wearing eye black. Something I’d never seen her wear before. And it wasn’t just any eye black.
It said:
BE. YOU.
Bold. Iconic. Personal.
I sent it to Evan immediately:
“OMG. That might be ours.”
The next day, I posted our story, from Evan gifting the stick to Gage, to seeing Kelsie’s post.
And then it happened.
Gage himself commented:
“I will confirm it for you. It was your eye black! She had the blue glitter on it as well and KJ helped her design it and everything.”
I nearly dropped my phone. Evan and I were freaking out! Happy tears, full-circle chills.
Bigger Than Makeup
Here’s the truth:
We’re a small town company from Canoe, BC, Canada.
We’re proving that Canadian-made, clean, high-performance products deserve to be on the world’s biggest stages. From BananaLand to the Grey Cup.
The Savannah Bananas bring joy to thousands. They deserve the best and safest products on their skin. That’s why we created SPORT COLOUR COSMETICS™—clean, eco-friendly, and powerful enough for the world stage.
But this moment was never just about makeup.
It was about showing my son that anything is possible.
You’re never too small.
Too early.
Too unknown.
Too anything.
If you care deeply and want to change the game, get yourself out there.
Because GamePlay™ sure did.
And we’re just getting started.
