In a labour market as unpredictable and unstable as this winter’s weather, five successful local entrepreneurs shared stories from their life experiences and philosophies behind their success at an event geared toward inspiring entrepreneurially-minded young people (ages 29 and under) held Wednesday.
The group of five included Monique Morrison, Dionne Elgie, Kevin Syrette, Kaitlin Pelletier and Christina Trevisan.
Each of the five encouraged the audience, gathered at Grand Gardens on Dennis Street, packed with young people eager to dodge a life of sitting behind a desk, to start their own businesses by stepping out of the conventional and following their passions.
“Get involved in the community. Whether it be through volunteering, fundraising or joining a committee or board, learn what your community needs. Learn what will help them grow and be vibrant and how your business can help and support them,” said Elgie, who described her outlook as ’hyper local.’
Elgie is Village Electric’s president and project manager who produces video and audio recordings, photography, virtual set design and related services for clients.
Elgie is also editor-in-chief of Sault Ste. Marie content for the website Northern Ontario Travel.
“If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing,” Elgie told SooToday.
“My advice would be to do something that is completely outside of your comfort zone regularly. Make an effort to find something that makes you feel uncomfortable because you’re going to learn something about yourself, which then will hopefully translate into your business.”
“For me, I’d have to say follow your passion,” said Syrette, Stackburger owner/operator.
“Don’t do something that you think you’re going to get rich off or that you see other people getting rich off or succeeding from, follow your passion.”
Syrette told Wednesday’s audience he was, at first, apprehensive about opening another burger restaurant in the Sault, but compared his eatery as a high-quality yet affordable option to more pricey, liquor-licensed local restaurants.
“Did I ever think I’d be flipping burgers for a living? No, but I’m happy,” Syrette told us.
“You need to be happy. You need to find something you’re passionate about because, at the end of the day, you want to make sure you’ve had a good, full, happy life, and for me that’s something I didn’t find until I was almost 40 years old. I sat in an office for 12 years…but now I’m happy,” Syrette said.
“My advice for young entrepreneurs is know what your market is and understand the problem you’re solving and the need you’re fulfilling for customers, so that way when you reach out and start your marketing, it aligns with what emotionally draws your customers in,” Morrison said.
“Digital is the way to go,” emphasized Morrison, a digital media specialist and founder of Jeronamo Solutions, a firm which helps businesses launch physically and digitally.
“If you have something you love to do, follow through with it, if it what makes you happy,” said Trevisan, who, like her business partner Kaitlin Pelletier, is a professional dancer and Elite Dance Force dance school co-founder.
“It’s what you’re going to be doing 12 hours a day. We’ve worked for other people and we’ve worked far less hours and had a lot more time at home than we do now, but we’re happier now because we’re doing what we love to do,” Pelletier said.
“We don’t even call it ‘going to work,’ we call it ‘going to teach.’ I don’t think we’ve ever called it ‘going to work.’”
“You have to know what you’re getting into in terms of how much work it is and the long hours, but the long hours are worth it when it’s something you love to do,” Pelletier said.
Wednesday’s ‘Business Blitz-Entrepreneurial Secrets of Success’ was an informational, networking and skill-building event for business-minded youth held by the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC), YouLaunch Youth Entrepreneurship Program and Sault College’s Public Relations and Event Management (PEM) program.
Youth interested in more information may contact the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre for advice and business start-up funding options by visiting the Centre’s website.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Village Electric, of which Dionne Elgie is president and project manager, is a sister company to Village Media Inc., parent company of SooToday.)