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In the first two years, we were unable to sell our idea to the banks," says Henderson. "But CYBF [the Canadian Youth Business Foundation] took our business plan when no one else would look at it, and they awarded us a loan based on the merit of our plan. It was really a boost for us to have an organization as prestigious as the CYBF take a look at what we were planning to do with our careers and with our future, read into it, buy into our dreams, and then invest in us that way."

The CYBF helps young (18 to 34 year-old) entrepreneurs start their businesses with loans of up to $15,000 and attractive terms. While the loan was small by the standards of a helicopter operation, the $10,000 the CYBF provided came as a psychological boost. "It was a real buy into our idea," she says.

Henderson, who's in her 30s, has done more already than many people achieve in a lifetime. She has travelled extensively, touring four continents and 36 countries; photographed celestial objects from an observatory 10,000 feet above sea level in the Andes and shown the photos at the Royal Ontario Museum and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada; operated her own financial planning franchise managing over $7 million; and she's the president of Strategic Partners, which has hosted highly successful "idea forums" for entrepreneurs and executives. She also serves on the board of Yellow Brick House, a Toronto-area shelter and community support program for abused women and children.

And now she's now the president of a successful helicopter tourism operation.

When she was 17, she got a summer job with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in the northern Ontario community of Wawa, and had the opportunity to ride a helicopter one day. She was hooked. After graduating from the University of Western Ontario with a B.A., she took a job with an investment firm, and started a two-year helicopter training program. When she completed her course, she made a clear decision. Instead of continuing work in the high-stress, high-paying world of investing, she took a low-wage job as a helicopter pilot. While there, she met Smith, who had an extensive history of flying, as well as film production work. They became best friends, and it wasn't long before they saw an opportunity to devote their complementary strengths to a business opportunity.

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