The Importance of Being on the Right Path

Posted 17 May 2017

As I enter my third year in business, I really feel like an entrepreneur for the first time. I was well aware that the first few months would be hard, but I’ve come to understand how critical these months are in the life of an entrepreneur. In fact, they were part of the years that made the difference between “being self-employed” and “being in business”. Since I was sailing my ship alone, I took on all the various roles that most of us who are self-employed tend to take on.

But I wasn’t happy

I realized that my true path was being an entrepreneur. I didn’t just want to earn an independent living. I wanted to create a business to fit in with my image and my values. I’m really something of an idealist and have a definite vision of a company built on the foundations of authenticity, respect and valuing people.

I come from a family of entrepreneurs and have uncles, aunts and cousins who are all in business. My father is a retired entrepreneur. I started my professional career as a human resources manager in the family business. I then finished my master’s degree in business administration and worked as a human resources manager for SME’s in the new technology sector.

But I wasn’t happy

One day, I decided to consult a business coach to take stock of my career path. That’s when I first realised that I’d been swimming against the tide of my own personality for years. I underwent many tests, which highlighted my three strongest personality traits: idealism, curiosity and creativity.

As I’ve been passionate about writing since I was a child, I decided to turn the of focus my career to journalism. This introduced me to Desjardins Group, where I worked for nearly 10 years as an editor and content manager for both their paper and online magazines. Here, I discovered my passion for brand journalism and content marketing.

However, my desire to be creative was stronger than anything else. So, I made a giant leap of faith and left not only my job, but also my extraordinary colleagues there, who I still miss every day. I left to started my own business.

But I still wasn’t happy

Unless you buy an existing business, starting your own business is a little like cutting yourself off from the world. I spent the first two years alone, working from home, creating, administering and completing all the various projects.

Now, this year, thanks to a combination of my own efforts, some new customers and, above all, the loyalty of those who’ve trusted me since the start, I can finally see the emergence of that special something I’ve always wanted to create. What’s more, this business isn’t just mine. It belongs to all the people who help to make it work.

My head’s full of ideas, dreams, and ambitions. I’m well aware that I’ll never be able to achieve the things I want to achieve on my own. I need others, whether employees, suppliers or customers – they’re all my partners, the ones I can count on to help me make my dreams come true. And among all these aspirations I want to them to see me as a person, a company, a colleague, a customer, and a subcontractor – someone who they can also rely on to help make their dreams come true.

That’s what being an idealist in business is all about. Finally, I’m on the right track.