New Year's Eve, a Gas Station, and a Very Stubborn Old Man Who Changed Everything

By Lia Holland, Founder — Leo’s Friends Senior Concierge Service

Let me introduce myself, because if you’re going to trust someone with your parent, your grandparent, or the stubborn-but-loveable senior in your life, you probably want to know who you’re dealing with.

My name is Lia Holland. I grew up in Parksville — small town, big heart, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone and Smitty’s is basically a community centre. I moved to Nanaimo when I was 20, had kids, and never left. The Island has a way of keeping you, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m a mom to twin teenage girls — yes, twins, yes, at the same time, yes, I’m tired — and for nearly 17 years I’ve run my own businesses because the concept of a 9-to-5 with someone else calling the shots has never really appealed to me. I like the hustle. I like the flexibility. I like being able to leave in the middle of the day when the school calls, which — with twins — happens more than I’d like to admit.

For years I ran a nail and lash studio, and honestly? I loved it. Not just the work, but the people. The conversations. The way clients would sit down, exhale, and just… talk. About their week, their kids, their worries, their wins. That part — the human connection part — that was always my favourite.

Then COVID happened. Then the economy did its whole thing. And I found myself staring down a crossroads thinking: okay, what’s next?

---

New Year’s Eve. A gas station. A man who absolutely did not need my help. (He needed my help.)

December 31st. I’m stopping for gas on my way to a friend’s place, minding my own business, when I spot an elderly man nearby — bleeding, clearly hurt, clearly having taken a fall. So I did what any normal person would do and went over to check on him.

He was fine, he said.

He was going to drive himself, he said.

He did not need an ambulance, he said — with the energy of a man who has been stubbornly independent his entire life and was not about to let a tumble on New Year’s Eve change that narrative, thank you very much.

You guys, guess what... he was not fine.

Somehow — I still can’t fully explain how — I convinced him to let me drive him to the hospital. I stayed until he was seen. I tracked down his family so someone who loved him knew what was happening. I wasn’t leaving until I knew he was okay. That’s just how I’m wired.

We exchanged numbers before I left. A few days later I showed up with coffee, because of course I did.

He was WAY more beaten up than he’d let on that night — shocking, truly, given how totally fine he had claimed to be — and six months later, he’s still not fully healed. He’s at risk of losing his licence, which for someone fiercely independent is about so much more than just driving. It’s freedom. It’s identity. It’s Tuesday groceries and Wednesday coffee with a friend and the whole quiet infrastructure of a life lived on your own terms.

I’ve been helping him navigate all of that. And somewhere between the coffee visits and the conversations and the laughter, something shifted. His stories warmed my heart in a way I didn’t expect. He’s sharp, funny, full of life — and he made me see, really clearly, how many people out there are just like him. Proud. Independent. And quietly in need of someone in their corner.

His name is Leo.

And here’s the part that still makes me smile: the business was his idea.

We’d talked so many times about what might have happened if I hadn’t been there that night. And one day Leo looked at me and basically said — you should be doing this. You’re good at it. Go help people.

So I did.

The world is funny like that, isn’t it? You stop for gas on New Year’s Eve and somehow end up with a purpose, a business name, and a very opinionated senior advisor who takes full credit for everything.

---

So what is Leo’s Friends, exactly?

Leo’s Friends is a non-medical senior concierge service serving Central Vancouver Island — from Chemainus all the way up to Courtenay. We help seniors live independently, comfortably, and with a little more ease: rides to appointments, companionship visits, errands, household support, and most importantly — a consistent, trustworthy person who actually shows up and actually gives a damn.

We’re not a faceless agency. We’re not a revolving door of strangers with clipboards. We’re the person who knows how Leo takes his coffee.

---

And the dream? Oh, I have a dream.

This is just the beginning. The vision for Leo’s Friends goes well beyond where we are today — care aides, bereavement support, senior nutrition specialists, meal prep services, dedicated cleaning teams. Eventually, franchising across Vancouver Island and beyond, so that what we’re building here can reach seniors in every community that needs it.

Big? Yes. Achievable? Absolutely. Leo didn’t suggest a small idea.

If you’re a senior, a family member, or someone who’s been quietly wondering whether your loved one could use a little more support — I’d love to talk. Start with a free consultation. No pressure, no clipboard, just a conversation.

So if you or someone you love is ‘fine’ — absolutely, definitely, one-hundred-percent fine, doesn’t need any help, going to drive themselves, thank you very much — consider this your sign. Fine is a four-letter word. And Leo’s Friends is here when you’re ready to admit it.

---

Lia Holland is the founder of Leo’s Friends Senior Concierge Service, serving Central Vancouver Island. Learn more at leosfriends.ca or call 250-268-1150.