The Wish Group Alumni Series kicks off again today with MC (Marie-Claude) Hérbert, the leader of one of the Wish Group Companies, and evolution of Enunciate Conferencing – Evolve Collaboration. Evolve Collaboration offers a wide range of conferencing and collaboration services to provide corporate Canada with the tools to communicate actively with their customers and flourish as a business.
1) How did your relationship with Frank and the Wish Group influence or inspire you to get into business for yourself?
I have seen the evolution of Frank from his freshman years after completing his University Degree. Frank had a vision, a dream, and he did not let anyone get in his way in reaching his goals and ambitions. Even if at the time he was working for the largest Telecommunication Company in the country, nothing would have stopped him. Moreover, this had motivated him! Fast forward 5 years later, the company he then founded – Enunciate Conferencing – became the second largest Conferencing Company in Canada and the best success story in history; a success that has never been duplicated by any organizations to this day. Through it all, I have observed Frank using his outstanding negotiation skills in raising the capital he needed while getting the immediate support of extremely prominent businessmen and businesswomen across a variety of business segments. They all saw the ROI in investing in Frank. Those who did not, well, they are still banging their heads on the wall I am sure. When you see someone so passionate, so dedicated, so energized, so inspirational, so successful and when you value these traits and carry them yourself, this can only inspire you to do the same – alone or alongside Frank. I choose the latter.
2) Which entrepreneur (past or present) do you admire most and why?
Frank of course. You cannot NOT admire someone who continues to be so very much involved in all of his business units and always with the very same intensity he has had when he first became a Serial Entrepreneur. Frank could take it easy and work a lot less and enjoy a very comfortable life style but he is young, healthy and has gazillion ideas to continue to improve, grow, diverse, innovate and contribute in growing his businesses and develop new ones and believe me, we are all very lucky to have such a dedicated leader with us every day as his inspiration and work ethics continuously contribute to the overall discipline and strong desire of all his Business Leaders/Presidents to succeed and help their teams succeed. There is nothing more gratifying I am sure for a person like Frank to see people enriching their lives with a work passion that can only translates into success (overall).
3) What is your company and what was the motivation to start it?
Evolve Collaboration is the Evolution of Enunciate Conferencing. Frank and I worked together a few years back and then Frank followed his dream while I chose another, only the difference was that Frank was working for himself and I was working for a Corporation. Fast forward to 2011, when Frank asked me if I wanted to co-found Evolve Collaboration, I jumped head first. This was the best day of my life and it continues to be every day. I come in early and leave late every day and I only do it because I am living my dream. Conferencing is in my DNA. That is all I have done all my life and this is what I want to do – successfully so – for the rest of my business life.
4) What is the vision for the company in 5 years?
$1,000,000 in revenue per month! Frank did this in 18 months before. Not to sell myself short, the market has changed a lot since but the opportunities are still endless and with the proper mindset – and a team of top talents – it is definitely possible!
5) How did you raise the capital to start the business?
Ask Frank…..My Capital is all Human Capital…..
6) What is the most successful sales / marketing strategy you’ve ever used?
I am the creator of the “one-stop-shop” service that was introduced in 1996 and has since been used by all Wire Businesses and Stock Exchanges across North America. When I noticed that an IRO had to contact me to get their Conferencing Numbers and Webcasting URLs before calling their Wire Company to add these details on their Press Releases, I quickly realized how cumbersome this was for the client (especially when release dates are ever changing), so I went knocking at Canada’s largest Wire Company at the time and presented my idea to their Sr. VP of Sales. Not only had this allowed – and continues to – Wire Companies to generate revenues in the excess of $5,000,000 – $10,000,000 per year (for what is considered non-core business for them) but this has allowed me to create the largest and most successful Channel Partner ever duplicated since by anyone else. In addition, the Sr. VP who believed in my idea has since been a mentor of mine for over 17 years now.
7) What other lessons have you learned that other entrepreneurs could benefit from?
Young Entrepreneurs:
Working Hard as never killed anyone! NEVER!!!!!
INTERGRITY comes from core values:
- Hard Work
- Honest Work
- Passion (if you do not have the passion, find something else. Do yourself and your employer a favor)
- Lead by Example (Social Medias allow your clients to see your every move now-a-days)
- Discipline (without this, you will never going to be the best at your trade)
- Self-Respect – Respect of Others
- Sense of Humor (in business, a good and proper sense of humor keeps you sane and healthy)
- Balance (Work Hard – Play Harder (Family, Friends))
- Believe in yourself and in your dreams and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise or get in your way
- Surround yourself with positive and successful people (does not mean the successful people are all rich monetary wise, but rich in their values, knowledge, mindset and life perspective)
Veteran Entrepreneurs:
Winning requires passion. We must want to win more than our competitors with a drive that comes from the heart. Some of us are driven by recognition or ambition; others feel spurred by loyalty or pride. For some it is competition with colleagues or simply the will to win. As a leader, we need to get to know our team members and find the spark that lights the fire within each of them. Inspiring and engaging employees is the key to success in seeing them rise with great passion. THAT is NUMBER ONE in my book of business to build success from a solid and life-lasting foundation.