It's not easy to start a听new听career, but听AV俱乐部 has partnered with听 (POE) to听give听members of听the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)听the skills and confidence听to transition to becoming business owners.
Coordinated by Mary听Kilfoil, acting director of the Norman Newman Centre for Entrepreneurship at the Rowe School of Business, the program,听now听in its third year,听brings together听professors,听Halifax business听leaders听and students from 听for an intense听seven-day business boot camp for听CAF听members听and veterans.
Applying skills to help others
Bachelor of Management student听and Enactus Co-President听Jessica Power radiates enthusiasm听for the program.听Power volunteered听in 2016听as a听鈥渘avigator鈥�:听one of the听students from a variety of disciplines听(Computer Science, Business, Social Work, Economics) who are paired with听boot camp听participants听to听review their business plans听and make recommendations.听
The听navigators听work听closely with their matches, and听the听stories that听participants shared with听Power听have stuck with听her.
"We forget听that people are still going to war,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 look at them and I think, 'How do you come back from that and be the person you are today?'听They're so strong."
This听year she听was听the student program coordinator, helping with logistics, organizing the听other navigators听and听being on-call throughout the week.听She's happy to do听the work:听"I feel like as much as I can do, I can't do enough."
Jessica Power (left) with Dr. Mary Kilfoil.
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Despite coming from an entrepreneurial family, she doesn't necessarily want to start a business herself. Instead, she听sees听the听entrepreneurial skills听she's听acquired听through the influence of her father, an inventor, and Enactus, a student society for social enterprise,听as something that she can invest in causes she听believes听in.
"I听feed off听the passion of others," she says. "With business there's so many opportunities:听you can use the skills to help entrepreneurs and help non-profits, to help people get to where they need to be."
Life-long passion to new career
For听Marcus听Brauer,听one of the听boot camp听participants,听that's turning a long-time hobby into a sustainable business with听Under Pressure Antiques.听When he started out, he sold books听door-to-door听and taught himself book repair.听He realized that听most antique听businesses toss the books without looking through them when they听buy the contents of an estate,听and听saw an opportunity.听
He听offered听to take the books听and听pay the dumping fee,听so that he could comb听through them听looking for the few that would be worth saving. It often pays off.
"These treasures are out there but people don't always recognize them," he says.听One of his recent听acquisitions is a collection of Soviet听propaganda听posters, some of which are currently on display at Saint Mary's Art Gallery.听
Though听Brauer听clearly has an enthusiast's appreciation for his finds, it's not just about treasure hunting.听Being in the antique business means he's often听coming听to听people听during a difficult time in their lives, such as the loss of a loved one.
"I see people who are overwhelmed, they can't sell their house until they get rid of everything. We partner with the family听to sell their house over time, and the client gets a lot more money."听In the case of the posters, "they听will probably be worth more than the house," he says.听
Brauer never expected to own a business, and his rapid success means听he's looking to听build a sustainable business plan.听In the military, he worked as a听health听services听officer, managing a hospital. While听many听of his skills are transferrable (managing large budgets, dealing with personnel),听the听POE听boot camp听is helping him fill听the gaps. He's connected with a web designer and an accountant, and will be听expanding听to the international market.听
A clear plan
Gabrielle Breault is also poised to take her business to the next level after completing the听boot听camp.
When听she retired from the military,听she听tried a few different trades, things听she says听were "interests, but not passions."听After taking some time for self-discovery and healing (something she recommends to others transitioning from military life), she's听incorporated听the latter in her new business,听Petite Patrie听Chocolate.
"Chocolate," she states听triumphantly, "makes people happy."听
Breault is the only certified fine chocolate maker in the Atlantic provinces, importing the finest organic cacao beans from countries such as Peru, Honduras and Mexico, then carefully roasting and grinding them.
"Store-bought candy听chocolate is to fine chocolate what grape pop is to wine," she explains.听Choice of beans听can be as听important to chocolate makers as choice of grapes is to winemakers听in听bringing out different听flavours听and qualities.
Sustainable business practices are important to听Breault:听she ensures that听the organic cacao farmers听she buys from听are paid more than fair trade prices听and that they听observe sound environmental practices. She'll be partnering with Nova Scotia听wineries and craft brewers听to make chocolate that complements their听offerings,听using high-quality, locally听sourced ingredients to give her chocolate creations "authentic Atlantic听flavours."听
POE has given her听the business听confidence听she needs to succeed.
"I've got a clear plan now," she says. "You don't know what you need to know until you get here and they go听over details to听make sure听you are well informed on every aspect of being an entrepreneur.听I didn't realize how much my business needed me to be here."