It’s Not Business as Usual: Surviving the Dark Side of Running a Startup
Be obsessed or be average seems to be the motto embraced by most startup entrepreneurs when launching their business. While this drive to stand out from the crowd and always over deliver can lead to success, it can also become the element that eventually destroys both the company and its founders. If hard work is all that is required to win at the startup game, why are so many entrepreneurs still struggling despite their unwavering dedication to their organizations? The answer lies on the other side of the equation, the dark side nobody wants to talk about, the side that is less business and more personal. The human side.
Stress, catastrophic events, defeat, difficult partnerships, work-life balance, and health are all issues that are rarely addressed openly but can be the biggest contributors to the downfall of a startup if not managed properly.
Join us on Thursday, July 21st at 3:00 pm for an open and honest panel discussion that will break down the emotional walls surrounding the difficult days of operating a new business. Learn from key Montreal startup founders of various backgrounds who will share their own experiences and discuss how they overcame the darkest times of their entrepreneurial journey.
You will have an opportunity to submit your questions ahead of time when you register, as well as to ask them in an open mic forum at the event. Following the discussion, there will be a cocktail where you will have the chance to mingle with fellow entrepreneurs, taking away from the event a fresh perspective on how to conquer the physical and emotional difficulties you may face throughout your entrepreneurial journey.
Join us. We are all human after all.
About The Speakers
Joe Poulin, Founder and CEO of Luxury Retreats
Designing websites from his parents’ basement in a small town near Montréal, 17-year-old Joe Poulin is approached by a Barbados villa owner interested in a website for his rental. Joe invested in a plane ticket and flew to Barbados, sparking the idea of creating a global villa rental platform. The same year Joe founds CaribbeanWay, connecting Caribbean villa rentals with luxury travelers around the world.
Michael Mire, Co-Founder and CRO of SweetIQ
With over 10 years experience of successful online ventures under his belt. Michael has worn many different hats as; consultant, marketer, business owner, entrepreneur and SEM agency co-founder. sweetiQ helps Fortune 5000 retailers to increase their online findability and drive that traffic into their stores. Our local-marketing platform enables brands to manage and optimize their stores' online business listings, search engine rankings and brand reputation across search engines, social networks and mobile apps.
Ari Ramdial, Co-Founder of WearHacks and Osmos Academy
WearHacks Hackathons bring together developers, designers, project managers, students, and engineers with an entrepreneurial and creative mindset. For an intensive 48-hrs they will learn new tools, meet industry experts, collaborate with other talented students and young professionals and build new wearable and connected technology.
Philip Cutler, President and CEO of GradeSlam
Philip A. Cutler is the founder and CEO of GradeSlam (f. 2014), a chat-based tutoring platform that provides unlimited instant help for $15 per month. GradeSlam, dubbed the "Netflix of Tutoring", has been heralded as the transformative service democratizing the tutoring industry.