Growthstory

Marie-Eve learned early on that a startup requires a fine combination of resources, timing, opportunity, and mostly, dedication. See how she used her experience to build her company MissFresh by following her newfound recipe for success. Marie-Eve knew that if she was going to leave her amazing career as an executive in digital media to launch a startup, it would have to be for a golden opportunity. And it’s on the other side of the world that she found it.

Like many others, Arie built his company from the ground, literally, from his basement. In this episode, see how he managed to start a business part-time, while studying and then working, without any particular financial or human resources. Arie saw an opportunity, he grabbed it, and you could do it too. Today, Servomax is a highly successful, multi-million dollar, office coffee service company deserving all Quebec and Ontario, that Arie manages with passion while being a father, an athlete, and a world traveler.

Eric Naaman is a very successful entrepreneur coming from a far-from-traditional background. Having moved to Canada to escape the war in Lebanon, Eric is now president of the amazing company and factory  in Blainville. But Eric never knew he was going to end up leading such a big business, as he was first a professional artist for many years. What happened in between? From his first job as a photographer in New York City to managing his own International business, Eric learned plenty and is now sharing his story.

Lee Wise is president of Arbell, a Canadian high-tech company. Growing up, Lee was heading with confidence towards an exciting career in retail by joining the very successful family business, the Wise department stores. His dreams came crashing down when big corporations like Walmart entered the Canadian market and sent the Wise stores out of business. Lee quickly managed to get back on his feet and find a new direction in electronics, but it sure wasn’t the last time he would have to adapt to survive…

Charles Marleau runs Palos Management since 2001, a very successful investment firm. Today, Palos manages about 400 million in assets. But Charles knows that success is never a given, and that consistency, commitment, and tenacity are what makes the difference.

Brian Rotsztein is an Internet marketer, professional photographer, entrepreneur, in-demand conference speaker, and author of the 5-star rated book “Content Marketing Ideas”. He has founded several startups, including WP Phone Support which offers security-based SEO and WordPress maintenance plans. Years ago, Brian switched 180° from his promising, stable career in psychology to website creation and SEO, as the web was still a very uncertain avenue for most. Not only did he manage to make a living out of his passion, but he succeeded tremendously at it. But throwing yourself into a new field, particularly in a fast-evolving environment like tech, isn’t always easy… When Brian officially decided to pursue a career in SEO, all he had in the world were his belongings that could fit in his little Volkswagen Golf and a few dollars in bank.

Owner of successful lighting company DALS Lighting, Shawn Johal is a great entrepreneur who faced many challenges both in his personal growth and in his entrepreneurial journey. Dedicated to bring happiness into his life and to his employees, he is a firm believer in giving back to the community. Family holds a big place in Shawn’s life, as he joined his in-law’s family business years ago. Entrepreneurship was not his initial plan, and, not being a natural risk-taker, taking a chance on himself to save the company from the economic crash was definitely a big challenge.

Meet the host of the GrowthStory Podcast! Utilizing over two decades of management, sales, and recruitment experience, David Inzlicht is an entrepreneur, a speaker, a community leader and a believer in giving back to our community. Every other week, he will be interviewing entrepreneurs to inspire others with a mix of biography, inspiration, and motivation. He is an enthusiastic leader driven by an extraordinary passion to help people grow—and this is his way of sharing it. But first, let’s hear his story.