Playing a Bold Pandemic Long Game
When I first started “I’m a Millionaire. So Now What?” my goal was to meet other incredible entrepreneurs and business leaders, and hopefully provide advice, critical insights and the strategies you need to manage your life, your money, and your business.
I never imagined I’d be adding “surviving a global pandemic” into that mix, but here we are.
Lately, as here in Canada we cycle through various re-opening phases (and of course, the advent of summer helps as well!) it’s almost deceptive – that feeling that maybe we dodged a bullet and the worst is over. Of course, deep down, we all know that’s not the case. Case counts could begin to surge again, and there might even be future lockdowns when the fall flu season starts.
I’m not trying to be Debbie downer here – I’m being a realist. And as business owners and entrepreneurs, we have to keep learning from others. What were their experiences? How did they shift gears or up-end a business model to survive these last months? What have they learned through this whole ordeal? Where are they finding motivation and inspiration? And perhaps most importantly – where are they doubling down in their businesses?
And that’s why, a few months ago, I started thinking about past guests I’d featured on the podcast, and I wondered how they were making out during all this chaos and economic uncertainty.
I knew they would have fantastic stories to tell about it all, and since the podcast is all about inspirational stories, practical strategies, and fun frank advice, well, who best to share that with than your peers, right?
Meet Serge and Mireille Bellavance
Serge and Mireille Bellavance are a dynamic brother/sister team of next generation business leaders.
They are co-owners of Urban Quarry, an Ottawa-based, a privately-owned, family-operated company that specializes in customizing, fabricating, and installing Cambria Quartz Surfaces. Mireille, Vice President of Operations, oversees the company’s efficiency. She’s also responsible for ensuring the right technology and products are in place, in addition to handling a team of managers and leaders.
Serge is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing and manages a team of eight people. He ensures quality products and customer service. He also oversees the inside sales reps and is tasked with cultivating new business.
In their previous appearance on “I’m a Millionaire. So Now What?” we talked about how they expanded the business from 12 employees in 2001 to more than 50 employees today, the importance of maintaining boundaries as a family business and how they do it, and they shared some of the biggest hurdles they have faced and how they overcame business challenges. Take a break, if you have the time, and have a listen.
On this “catch up” episode (132), we chat inspiration, motivation and mindset, opportunities to double down in their business, and much more.
Let’s let them do the talking!
How Are You After Months of Chaos?
“I think we're doing pretty good. You know…I did. [laughs] It's been it's been challenging times, to say the least. We definitely have our ups and downs on a weekly basis, but overall, things have been pretty good. But throughout this process, I would think ‘today we’re failing a lot!’ But now, with how everything is moving forward, we’re in a pretty good place at this time.”
How Has Your Mindset Changed, From Lockdown to Now?
“When everything happened, there was definitely fear. Fear is usually a natural response to crisis. And then it's what we decide to do with that, right? It can either be a bit of a barrier to success, or it can help propel us towards a more successful outcome. We took that very difficult decision to shut down our operations at the beginning. But that also allowed us to really reflect on our business. Because at the time, we didn't know how it was going to affect our staff? How is it going to affect us as leaders or our business moving forward? So, there was a lot of communication on a daily basis with our leadership group here. We reached out to some friends and other industry leaders to help us identify options, develop a plan, and ultimately communicate our vision moving forward. Then through implementation of new safety and security protocols, we were able to return fairly quick - within two weeks - and that allowed us to empower our staff members. We had a lot of a lot of meetings with them, just to listen to them, what fears that they're going through, the challenges that they're going through, personally or even around returning to work. And then we had a better appreciation for our whole staff, knowing that they were very compassionate. And we were able to push through this together. At the end of the day, it's about playing the long game. I know that society is usually in a rush to look at leaders to be successful. And then during a crisis, leaders can be challenged on a daily basis to just put fires out or tell people what to do. But again, I think, by asking questions, and having a better understanding of our team, we were able to take the steps to put together a strategic plan to be more successful in the long term.”
Are You Doubling Down for Future Growth?
“When we're looking at doubling down, we look at it in three different ways. We can look at it on the business side, on our team, and then our community. I think the biggest one for us would be to invest in people. With our team, we're doing appreciation lunches, gift cards, offering flexible hours, staggering shifts, work from home options, anything that can help and support them to come to work. We're doubling down on digital solutions to make us more effective or efficient, and doubling down on the marketing side of things as well, to create more brand awareness. For our community, we're offering curbside pickup for our products. Our showroom is not open to the general public at the current time, but we offer by appointment visits. And there's again, by doubling down on the digital side of things we do offer virtual tours as well, and our account managers are able to help with while working from home as well. And then the big thing with our community is, is we're looking at making a charitable donation this month, a pretty significant one, I think. We're going to be helping an area that needs our support and that’s mental health. Especially in a crisis like today, mental health plays a big role in everybody's day to day and we're looking forward to giving back and help support mental health programs as well.”
Any Advice for Fellow Business Owners?
“I think, in the depths of a crisis like this, there's always time to reflect and to be thankful. I think if you feel more positive, you relish good experiences, and improve overall wellbeing. You'll be able to deal with adversity and then build on stronger relationships. At the same time, don't be afraid to reach out to your peers, to your family, to your friends, to other leaders in the industry for advice. We're all in it together. I feel even out in the community, people are more patient and are willing to help one another. So, don't be afraid to reach out. Again, I think it also comes back to the three big things I mentioned earlier today. Be bold. Play the long game. And make time for gratitude.”
I’ve really enjoyed doing this little mini-series, and reconnecting with past guests. What a wealth of experience we all have to share!
I hope you can have a listen to the entire EP 132. And whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to exit, or perhaps a business or start-up owner who has already exited, or an entrepreneur at the helm of a thriving business, I would love to talk with you about your stories! You can drop me a line here.
Plus, if you are craving like-minded conversation with growth-oriented business owners, consider joining me and eight other business owners, investors and entrepreneurs for our next two editions of Elevated Conversations are coming up in September – watch this space for more details!
“I’m a Millionaire. So Now What?” is brought to you by Double to Sell - Canada's Premier Invitation-ONLY workshop for business owners wanting a cash-rich exit in 10 years or less. For more information, or to register, please visit the “Double to Sell” website.