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Women of Distinction

Living Heart Peru her purpose in life was, like so many

of us, she pondered this age-old
question. “I didn't really understand

CHANGING MINDS & LIVES purpose anymore, but I did start to
realize that the more I kept thinking
about myself, the further I fell into
Photos Courtesy of Beatrice Pitocco this depression. So, what I realized
was that I needed to stop thinking
about myself. I was almost angry
When you meet a woman with doing really, really, well but I was with myself for being this self-indul-
a passion and a mission it is truly miserable.” gent. I started to do some research
humbling. Beatrice Pitocco is one What Beatrice quickly learned to find charities that would give me
of these women. Born and raised in was that her original theory did not a purpose. I looked at tons of local
Toronto, Canada, Beatrice caught pan out. “I just made these assump- charities but found that there were
the travel bug early on and had a tions, which I think is a part of so many hoops that you had to jump
driving desire to see the world. “I youth, believing that if I had money, through, and I needed to find this
was always an inquisitive kid; some I would have freedom. And I did, but purpose immediately.”
might say a little weird. I wasn't the I didn't because, once you have it, As her search continued Beatrice
typical kid who had a ton of friends you have to maintain it and you have found this non-government funded
in school. I was kind of set apart to manage it. And so, this freedom organization in Peru called “Living
Heart Peru,” “I just picked up the
phone and called them and I said, I
want to help, can I? And they were
like, yeah, you can help for sure, and
that's where it started.”
Beatrice jumped on a plane
headed to Peru. She connected
with another business based out of
the States, and she orchestrated a
donation of over 500 rain boots to
the kids in Peru. After her trip to
Peru she decided that she wanted to
do more.
Beatrice pitched a couple of
newspaper news outlets, and ended
up on two different news channels,
one in Montreal, and one in Winni-
peg talking about the charity. “I came
up with this concept for a website.
The website in and of itself is obvi-
and just didn't really interact much that you think you're going to have, it ously where we sell products, but it's
with people. I loved the fantasy land doesn't really exist.” the story behind it that is really the
I lived in my head and as soon as I The company that Beatrice had key. The goal was to basically try to
was old enough, I started living out been working for was being taken create a way to eradicate the mindset
the fantasies traveling the world.” over. A lot of people were either of poverty. Because when you are
As an adult Beatrice ventured quitting or being fired. “At this point born into, a poor place, like these
into corporate sales and then be- in my life I felt as if I was having children are in Peru, poverty is the
came a real estate mortgage broker some sort of breakdown. I just didn't mindset, they hold the belief that this
for many years. “I always assumed know who I was anymore. I didn't is their life, and this is all it's going to
that if I made a lot of money, I know what I was doing. I had built be because that's what their parents'
would be happy. if I owned this up this wealth, not massive wealth, life was. So, it just goes on and on,
much, I'd be happy. And interest- but having come from pretty humble and poverty will never change unless
ingly enough, I did it, I was able beginnings it was a lot. I was literally the mindset changes.”
to achieve all these really incred- completely lost and falling into a bit Beatrice had a unique approach.
ible milestones in my life, buying of a depression.” She asked these children to help
properties, having a little real estate It took a lot of soul searching themselves out of this mindset. The
portfolio, and I was financially for Beatrice. She didn’t know what first step was to have the children

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