Prince George, B.C.- There was a time the name Alia Pierini  could cause an immediate and often negative reaction in Prince George.

 

Today, she is getting congratulations and well wishes from people across the country.

 

Pierini was the grand prize winner of   Kevin O’Leary’s CBC program “Redemption Inc.”   That means she walked away from the program with $100 thousand dollars of O’Leary’s money to build her business.

 

“Relia Gal” is now on its way as being a snow removal and landscaping company in Prince George.

 

But let’s rewind to how she ended up being qualified to be on a program that offers a second chance to ex-cons.

 

Pierini was convicted, and sentenced to serve 5 years for some brutal assaults on people who owed her money during her days dealing crack.   She was released from prison December 30^th, 2008, and took some time to get her life on track before venturing a return to Prince George. “I was part of the Women Working Wonders program in Vancouver, and became a qualified roofer, but I had to leave that job when I became pregnant” Alia tells Opinion 250.      That work was in the lower mainland, and Alia says she took her time before venturing back to Prince George which remains home to some of her former associates.

 

“I visited a couple of times, but didn’t move back until January of last year” says Alia. 

 

Before landing a place among the ex-cons on Redemption Inc, she says she basically had a business plan in place. “Winning the $100 thousand dollars is going to give me the basics as most of my overhead costs are now covered.  I paid for my truck outright.” But the winter hasn’t provided the kind of business she had hoped for “It’s been a lousy winter” says Alia, but she is already lining up customers for her spring and summer operations which will see her company doing lawn and garden care. 

 

In her pitch to the experts during the 8^th episode of the t.v. show, Alia told the panel she wanted to hire single moms and females who had served time. To date, she says she has been able to hire, on a part time basis, a single mom. She expects to hire two more for the spring and summer.

 

It was that willingness to help other women that scored points with at least one of the people on the panel of experts. The show’s psychologist also gave her high points for being a perfectionist.

 

Alia admits she was concerned the new clients she has lined up for the spring and summer might cancel out once the cat was out of the bag about her past, but that is not the case “They have really been supportive and the show has given my business some free advertising.   Just overnight  50 more people are following me on twitter, and I’ve had lots of activity on my facebook account.”