On December 6 2019, SupportMyMac’s Founder and CEO Sam Arseneau was a guest on the Ottawa Entrepreneurs Podcast, hosted by Pat Whalen of Extension Marketing.
Ottawa Entrepreneurs is a podcast for business owners or those that dream of starting their own business. Each episode is an interview with a successful entrepreneur. Listeners discover:
- how the entrepreneur got to where they are today,
- what lessons they learned, and
- how you can benefit from their experience.
In this episode, Sam shares how he started his business right out of university 14 years ago (here’s the SupportMyMac start-up story), and the many valuable lessons he’s learned along the way.
Listen to the podcast here!
Duration: 23:51 | on Apple Podcasts | from Extension Marketing
In this episode of Ottawa Entrepreneurs Podcast, Sam discusses:
- Introduction to Drama-Free Apple IT. (0:00)
- The SupportMyMac story. (1:30)
- Why Sam didn’t finish his Co-Op work term. (3:30)
- Partnering up with PC friend Eric Souza to essentially double the company. (4:45)
- Doing both the technical and the sales. (5:40)
- Sam worked for Apple as a campus rep. (6:23)
- Find where your ideal clients are. (7:15)
- Defend your yes with 1,000 no’s: stay focused to one thing. (9:06)
- When should we say no to work? (11:02)
- Partner up with other companies that do the things you say no to. (11:56)
- Sam describes his entrepreneurial history (grass cutting and Giant Tiger!). (13:30)
- What lessons did Sam learn in the early years? (15:00)
- Get a business coach, and mentor others when you can. (16:21)
- Work on the stuff you’re really really good at (Strengths Finder 2.0). (17:46)
- Sam shares how he uses his strengths. (19:44)
- Sam shares what he doesn’t like, and thus outsources. (21:17)
- The work Sam does in the community. (21:42)
- Contact information and closing remarks. (23:24)
Organizations, people and resources that Sam mentioned:
- Eric Sousa, A+ IT Services
- NutriChem Compounding Pharmacy & Clinic
- Versature
- FibreNoire
- Giant Tiger
- Algonquin College: Business – Management and Entrepreneurship Program
- Strengths Finder 2.0
- Young Professionals Network – Ottawa Mission
- Peter Tilley, The Ottawa Mission
- Kingdom Culture
Quotable quotes:
“You don’t have to pursue things to completion when it’s not a good fit.”
– Sam Arseneau
“Partner up with other companies that do the things you say no to.”
– Sam Arseneau
“Never mind the stuff you’re not good at. Why don’t you work on the stuff you’re really, really good at, and look at the potential you can reach, the increase in capacity you can get.”
– Sam Arseneau
“Make a list of the things you’re not good at, and don’t like doing, and outsource them.”
– Sam Arseneau
“If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
– Unknown, but Sam quotes it often
“Surround yourself with people who have been in the business longer than you.”
– Sam Arseneau
“If you’ve got a dream and you want to at least try, there’s support out there.”
– Pat Whalen
Here’s a short highlight video:
Topics discussed:
- Don’t be Afraid to Say No
- The Value of Partnering Up
- Surround Yourself With The Right People
- Focus on Your Strengths
A big thanks to Extension Marketing for having Sam on the podcast!! To hear more content like this, check out their podcast page.