Entrepreneur detox, courtesy Deb Weinstein
What do you get when you put 60 women in a room with a speaker whose career has earned her more awards than most women have shoes? You get a whole lot of brains filled with powerful and empowering ideas rubbing up against each other. Thanks to Deb Weinstein, our Idea Factory generated a firestorm of energy for all who attended.
Deb Weinstein, co-founder and owner of Strategic Objectives PR, took the stage in the Chevrolet Canada showroom at the Canadian International Auto Show to share her challenges, frustrations and many wins being an entrepreneur in Canada. Her firm has weathered 4 recessions and the growing pains have shaped both the company and its employees’ lives.
“When you run a business you’re responsible not only for the brick and mortar bills but for the financial and social well-being of every person who works for you,” said Deb Weinstein. “It’s a responsibility I take seriously when deciding how and where to grow our business next.”
An accidental entrepreneurial success?
Deb admits that she and her sister never set out to build a business that would eventually become the leading PR firm in Toronto and win awards from the UN or the Queen. But she was happy to share what’s worked to help attendees chart their course with “pistol sharp precision.”
Be an excelaholic – Deliver excellence in everything you do. It seems like a simple idea, but striving for excellence can get lost in the drudgery of day to day. Keep your best effort top of mind and at the top of the priority list. Leave mediocrity for your competition.
Make time to develop leaders – Employees that go from good to great to remarkable need a strong leadership team to set the pace and maintain a healthy company culture. And they need those leaders to get out of the way once in a while too.
Be mindful of “ageism” – Deb takes the Madonna approach and surrounds herself with young, enterprising employees with big ideas. And she never reminds them how young they are because she knows that kind of attitude stifles creativity and creates a gap between herself and them.
Be mindful of “ah-ha” moments – A veteran journalist and traditional PR specialist, Deb watched the growing trend toward social media with interest. Unlike many in her field, she was ready and waiting to learn how to use it for business. She’s a social media freak and not afraid to admit it.
Stay humble – No matter how big or how successful you grow, remember your roots and always be human – leave the diva stuff to the Kardashians. Honesty and integrity have remained core values of Strategic Objectives and Deb credits much of their success to that simple philosophy.
While we had a full house for our Idea Factory, the conversations on Twitter were equally as stimulating. Were you part of the conversation?
· Best advice from @DebWeinstein: Be humble and human. Stay forever young in your mind set. #womenbiznetwork via @InfoSara & @AgathaStawicki
· Leadership is a critical skill for entrepreneur – leave your ego at the door via @faithannbutcher
· I’m so inspired by @DebWeinstein – such a brilliant women with so much to share. #WomenBizNetwork via @_annietran
· Wow @DebWeinstein is a go-getter unparalleled. We could all learn a lot from her. How many hours do we have? #womenbiznetwork via @ChickyMara
· @DebWeinstein says entrepreneurs: Watch your earnings and expenditures like a hawk. #womenbiznetwork via @JulieCole
· Says @DebWeinstein: You’re only as good as your NEXT story. #womenbiznetwork via @AdriaMackenzie & @neilhedley
Special thanks to our sponsor for the evening, Chevrolet Canada. They provided all our attendees with a beautiful cocktail reception in a private room and a big beautiful stage for the main event. We could not have done it without you Adria and Natalie!
Also thanks to our sponsors who donated prizes to lucky attendees:
Kobo Reader – Courtesy of Jennifer Shannon of Kobo with E Book from Random House – Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
2 books – Courtesy of Randy Chan of Random House Canada
10 sets of tickets to the National Home Show
Looking forward to continuing the conversation on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn (whichever one works best for you) or leave a comment below.
