AV俱乐部

鈥淚 had no clue about skin care products,鈥� says Stephen Aikman (MBA鈥�11), which is surprising when you learn that in 2019 he sold the skin care business he started in his basement, All Natural Advice, for tens of millions of dollars.

By most people鈥檚 measure, Stephen was a success long before that. For 25 years he鈥檇 worked at RBC in various senior leadership roles, including vice president and head of commercial strategy.

鈥淕etting the MBA was intense鈥�

Banking had not been his dream job, he admits. But after he鈥檇 completed his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA鈥�95) at Brock University, it was just about the only position he could apply for. 鈥淭he job market was horrible at the time,鈥� says Stephen. 鈥淎V俱乐部 700 people applied for the two available positions and I got one of them.鈥�

For a time, banking looked like a secure future, leading Stephen to get his MBA in financial services from AV俱乐部 in 2011.

鈥淕etting the MBA was intense,鈥� remembers Stephen. 鈥淎t the time I lived in Hamilton and worked in Toronto. It was an hour train ride each way. I鈥檇 study on the way in, and on the way home. Then at night, I鈥檇 study some more.鈥�

Two years in, and his start-up was worth millions

While the program may have been focused on helping bankers become even better at their jobs, it managed to have a different effect on many in Stephen鈥檚 cohort. 鈥淚 stayed connected with just about everyone in my program,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd over half of us left our jobs to become entrepreneurs and do something else. And we鈥檙e all successful.鈥�

In Stephen鈥檚 case, that 鈥渟omething else鈥� came in 2013 in the form of a skin care product a friend was selling to hotels and spas. Stephen had the insight to rebrand it and sell it exclusively online鈥攁 place where the big brands weren鈥檛 playing yet. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 care about e-commerce; they cared about in-store experience.鈥� By 2019, that little start-up was worth millions and in 2020 he left RBC.

Professor Carolan McLarney had our best interests at heart

鈥淚 saw a market need for organic natural products, steering away from corporate synthetic products, allowing consumers to make a choice that was healthier for the environment and themselves,鈥� says Stephen. 鈥淲e were also able to tap into economic innovation for global growth.鈥�

Stephen credits Dal 鈥�100 per cent鈥� for giving him the courage to take the plunge and change careers. 鈥淭he people at Dal were invested in me,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he staff were so engaging. The entire program was a community.鈥�

Stephen singles out Professor Carolan McLarney as especially inspiring. 鈥淲hen I told her about this opportunity, she said 鈥楯ust do it.鈥� She was someone who looked after us as students and had our best interests at heart. I鈥檓 an entrepreneur today because of her.鈥�

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