Quebec Post

Being a Trep #2 --> stress

2012-05-01T13:24:00.000-04:00

Nowadays, I don't know a single person who does not face stress. The stress can be your best friend and also your worst enemy. It always depends on how well you can handle that and for how much time you can.

Entrepreneur faces a lot more stress than the usual worker, thus as an entrepreneur you have to be able to manage your stress if you want to succeed.

When you start a business, there is many factors that makes you stressed and more stressed everyday.

You don't sleep
You work for two every week
You often find yourself in a precarious financial situation
Nothing goes as you expected
Etc.

When you've been doing business for a while, some factors will change and some will remain the same.

You still don't sleep
You still work like a son of a b*****
You usually makes money which means that you have the pressure to push your company further
You now have a team who rely on you
And things still don't go as you expected.

Stress management is probably one of the most important thing in today's fast-paced world. The stress can prevent you from doing things that need to be done and done quickly. Sometimes you can take a bad decision or worst be paralyze by the situation because you are too stressed.

Stress can be a major obstacle to your success, it can be a barrier to your career and it can prevent you to do wonderful things. Everyone who has a difficulty with the management of their stress should start working on this ASAP. This is approximately 25 years of your life, this is your career on the line, your ability to handle the stress will determine whether yes or no you will be one of the best in what you do.

Top 5 things to do to reduce stress.

Do exercises and push yourself to the maximum. The pain you feel while exercising will help you forget all the stress.
Think positively. Easier to say than to do? You don't have the choice on that one if your goal is to succeed. You have to think that it will be alright, you have to think that it is possible. Don't expect somebody else to do it for you.
Breath. When you are stressed your body respond by increasing your heart rate which generate other actions in your body. By breathing slowly and deeply, you will help bring back to normal your heart rate and it will calm your mind.
Organize your schedule. When you are organized, you spend a smaller amount of time worrying about forgetting something or not having the time to do one specific task.
Enjoy life! Take at least 20 minutes of your day to do something you enjoy.

The only reason why I am doing this everyday can be resumed in one simple word; PASSION!

PASSION DRIVES SUCCESS!

Being a Trep #1

2012-04-03T01:37:00.000-04:00

Being an entrepreneur is not a lot about going to school. If you want to be a good entrepreneur you have to be in the crowd, you have to touch things. It is called experiential learning. Only a small amount of the population understand what it means to be an entrepreneur because only a small amount of the population are considered one. Even though a lot of things have been written about Entrepreneurship, this is a misunderstood concept of life.

People trends to be scared when they don't know somethings - misunderstood concept - and sometimes they think it is stupid which is even worst. Your family, friends, colleagues and acquaintance will tell you not do it and that you will fail. I am not going to lie, odds are against entrepreneurs especially in the field of technology. But Hey, Who cares? Failing is not that big of a deal, as long as you learn from it. I think it is one of the greatest quality of a trep because obviously you cannot always be right.

We do it for passion, we do it because we think that at some point we can change the world. We can change how our community and the world behave. If you don't do it by passion, then I am telling you and I am begging you, don't do it.

When I dropped out of school, everyone told me it was crazy but I thought that I had to do it. A year and a half later, I can tell you that I've learnt so much more about who I am, about what I can do and about where I want to go than any other CEGEP graduates. Everyday it was harder than going to school but everyday was also more satisfying than if I had gone to school all day.

My point is that it will be hard, it ain't no walk in the park. Just to get support from people around you might be hard at the beginning, but as soon as they will realize that you love what you do and that you are passionate about it you will get more support. You need to work real hard and you also need a lot of passion. Passion drives success, without it you fail.

Make them feel safe in the incertitude of entrepreneurship!

Being an Entrepreneur

2012-04-02T18:47:00.000-04:00

Being an entrepreneur is a mysterious thing for some people and for those people who would like to be an entrepreneur there is maybe a few thing they'd like to know.This is why I am about to launch a series of articles called '' Being an entrepreneur''. This series will treat of a specific topic every week or maybe twice a week and it will help you understand probably couple of things.

Positive mindset, Is it powerful?

2012-03-30T13:17:00.002-04:00

What do we describe as a positive mindset? It is as simple as thinking positively even in the worst case situation. When the numbers says that you won't meet your Q3 forecast, you have to keep thinking that you can do it and then take the necessary action to achieve it. It is obviously about being positive but it is also about never giving up and having the ability to turn on a dime.

Back in the days, I was defeatist. As the time flew, I changed my mindset to be more positive when facing tough situation. It helped me when I was stressed, when I was sad, when I was mad and when my world was falling apart. It helped me when I did my first triathlon and when I went through my first real business deal. I've been able to do all this because my mind was positively set.

''He who says he can and he who says he can't are both usually right'' - Confucius -

This is a quotes I often use in my everyday life. You can set your mind to do everything you want and it is important that you do it. If you want to do a back-flip for the first time and you don't believe you can do it, then you will fail at doing it or worst you won't do it. On the counter part, if your mind believe that you can do it, you are more likely to succeed. It is not an exact science but in most case it works.

You have to understand the limit of what you can do and endure, if you don't understand yourself and your own limit you might push yourself to far.

I truly believe that if I keep a positive mindset day after day I am more destined to achieve whatever I want to do. You can't work your way to the top by thinking that you will never do it. This is two ideas that don't fit together, they can't both be in the same sentence.

My conclusion would be that having a positive mindset is as powerful as you want it to be.

Be positive!

@WLKNSTORE

2012-02-21T18:57:00.000-05:00

The W that looks just like any other popular W.
- Wikipedia - It is actually not the usual W, WLKN Quebec is probably the most trendy concept developed in Quebec as a boutique. Of course there is a lot of cool store all around the city, but there is nothing like stepping in the Boutique W. If you are looking for dope clothes, this is the place to go - no diggity - From Entree Lifestyle to Crooks&Castles, stopping by Society and Civil clothing and of course don't forget the WLKN Brand, those are only a few of the amazing brands. By the time I made my first step in the store, I was already astonished by the trendy and classy look. You can't miss the bay window - the huge bay window with poster inside - located at the corner of De l'Eglise and Quatre-Bourgeois. They worked really hard on the branding and it pays off, after a little more than a year they already have almost 20 000 followers on their facebook page. - You can also follow them on Twitter - The word has been spread from Quebec to Montreal in less than a year or so. This is probably one of the most successful branding all around the Province. The bad thing is they probably won't open in Montreal, the only option is to order online.

http://wlkn.ca/

CrowdFunding

2012-02-21T12:46:00.002-05:00

LET'S RAISE MONEY ALL TOGETHER!

For the people who don't know this trend, it is simply a website where people post a project with a goal of funding. The crowd come on the website and fund the project they are interested in. If the project reach the goal of funding, they are gonna have the money. So far it helped thousands of SMEs, especially in USA. - where it all began - The most popular is definitely Kickstarter, they receive about 2000 projects every week. In 2009, the overall money raised by the crowdfunding equal to 1.13 billions and they expect it to be almost 6 times more in 2013. It is usually illegal to use this method unless you have been registered by the authority but you all know that with the Internet.. a lot of things are different. Again they will have a lot of work to do to write all the laws that will regulate all this process of crowdfunding. In my opinion, it is just amazing for any would-be entrepreneur to have the opportunity to raise money like that. We all know how it is hard to lend money to a bank when it is your first venture. Give it a try, it helps young entrepreneur to get things done.

Check out also -->Kiva, a not-for-profit organisation

The biggest platform for crowdfunding -->Kickstarter

Apps and Privacy

2012-02-20T12:23:00.001-05:00

Did you know that there is some of the most popular apps on mobile phone that keeps information in their server for up to 18 months? Thing is most of the users didn't know that. There is more apps everyday on the market and there is no real regulation, there is no law to restrict and to standardize. You've probably already noticed that when you download an application they ask you if they can access your contacts and other personal information. Well, that is the kind of information they can keep in their servers. One of the application is twitter and apple had approved the application.- It doesn't reassure me - Now, everyone is trying to change their policy and want to protect the user more than anything. Can we trust what they say? Most of the time the information is written in small, where you can't see it. All applications should give us the choice. We should have the ability to decide what we wanna share or not. It starts with a privacy statement that we can understand and read.

Urban Bike

2012-02-18T23:26:00.000-05:00

This is definitely the best way to move yourself in downtown. We have seen a lot of people riding these bikes in the last year. Why? It is not expensive. It is faster. It keeps you in shape. Hey what else do you want?

You can take pretty much any old or new bicycle and then turn it into a single-speed bike. The single-speed is single gear bike, so only one speed. Usually, they use the 3:1 ratio which gives you power but you still have the possibility to climb up hill. The mechanic is simple so everyone or almost can repair those bikes. It is also faster than driving a car or taking the public transit because you cannot get stuck in the traffic and it obviously keeps you in shape.

Some company took the opportunity to sell high-performance single-speed bike with carbon wheel and you can also customize your bike. Check out the website -->single-speed bike

Do you like hiking?

2012-02-18T10:06:00.002-05:00

I've been looking for some hiking boot for a while. It is hard to find something that looks cool. What about those Timberland? Hike your favorite mountain with all the swag you deserve!

Find a name

2012-02-18T09:59:00.002-05:00

Not as hard as finding a name for your baby but definitely more complicated than that. About your baby you only need to like the name, for your startup you need something quick, unique and catchy. - First hit, good hit - It's all about the first impression, you have to hit hard so people remember the name.

Quick: We recommend less than three syllables. Most of the successful startup don't have more than three syllables in their name. Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Twitter, Linkedin, etc.

Unique: It has to be different

Catchy: If people hear the name and forget it or make mistake because it is confusing, that is not good. You need something easy to remember, it has to stay in the head.

Once you found that - after a period of brainstorming -, you have to make sure that no else used it before you. You have to Google it first (G.I.A.= Google it already). Then, ask people around you what is the first thing that comes to mind when they hear it. It might tell you a lot just to hear their thoughts. The next step is to check if the domain name is available. If you can't have the domain name you better start over. - I don't think you won't find a domain name though -. The last and final step.. Make it official. Developed countries usually have a patent and trademark office database or something that looks like that. This is where you have to go to register your name.

Now you should be good to go!

Nike Sportswear Air Sauble

2012-02-16T18:28:00.000-05:00

This pair of shoe is amazing. This is the first time I see this type of shoes from nike. I truly like the sneaker silouhette and the suede fabric. Nike is always making progress!

Empty Street --> classic photography

2012-02-16T16:08:00.000-05:00

This is a classic!

Entree Lifestyle

2012-02-14T20:30:00.004-05:00

When we talk about street wear, my first thought goes to my favorite company in the matter, Entree Lifestyle. I couldn't explain why but i just feel comfortable in their clothes. They are just unique, unique in what they do and the way they do it. I would even say that the brand is rare, I've never seen anyone wearing a crew neck like mine and that is so cool. I hate wearing what everybody else wears and with Entree I am served. The misunderstood teddy bear of the late 90's and early 21st century took a while to get on the map but now they are not giving up an inch. Their innovative clothes keep them on top of their game. Imported from Brooklyn.

I would be curious to know where they took the idea for the name. It might be that they skipped too much meal all along this ''everlasting journey''. Clothing industry is just like restaurant, it is very competitive. This is why it is so hard but once people remember the name your good.

check out their website -->http://www.entreelifestyle.com/home.html#2

Mobile Art

2012-02-14T19:32:00.002-05:00

- Photography with smartphone as only tool. -

It is quite simple, you use your smartphone to take a shot and then you edit the picture on your phone.

The Big F

2012-02-13T23:46:00.001-05:00

The F of failure. Entrepreneurs know the stats about them. We are more likely to fail than succeed. They say that about 85% of them will fail within the first couple of years. Knowing that, we should not stop ourselves there and say it is too risky. We gotta be prepare for failure but we have to focus on succeeding. It is a hard and sometimes everlasting path but this is the price to pay to do what you really love. If the stat stops you then you are not made to be an entrepreneur.

- If you don't risk the unusual, you will have to set up for the ordinary.-

This is why some people decide to become an entrepreneur, because they want more then other people. They are willing to take risk that no one else would.

Houses Within houses

2012-02-13T23:28:00.001-05:00

When we are young, we are so happy to build house in our house. Who says houses within houses were only for kids. Here is an interesting concept of it. They built an house to create a separate bedroom inside a loft. It might look a little infantile to some people but I actually think that it is a pretty cool way to create intimacy in an open living space. It is the kind of thing that you like or you don't. But that is nice anyways. Plywood and 2x4 is all you need to build it.

New York x Design x Apartment

2012-02-13T23:10:00.003-05:00

It is worth looking at this wonderful loft located in New York City not far from the popular Meatpacking District. A modern apartment from which you have an astonishing view. A very spacious apartment -Seriously very spacious- , a modern style, a lot of sunlight, What else do you want? The loft to dream about! - I want one NOW -

More pictures here --> Loft

Startup Weekend

2012-02-13T17:21:00.003-05:00

Here is the latest book I have read. A book that explains the whole startup weekend things, from the story to the multiple steps of a weekend. It is a very interesting book that teaches you a part of the process of launching a business in 54 hours. It almost gets you in the mood of the startup weekend with all the anecdote from veterans and rookies. After reading that, you really wanna assist to one of those weekend. Startup Weekend debut in Montreal was two weeks ago ( first weekend of February), it is a great place to meet people who are in the startup community.

buy it here

Ryan Gosling

2012-02-13T15:59:00.006-05:00

THIS GUY = SWAG

That's it!

Kal Gajoum

2012-02-13T15:07:00.005-05:00

Kal Gajoum is a west coast artist born in Tripoli, Libya. He moved here in 2003 and since he concentrates himself on cityscape. The only tool he uses is a palette knife - he doesn't use brush.- When he starts painting he doesn't stop before it is completely done. That explains the thickness of the painting, if you pay close attention you will notice all the paint used to make a canvas. The result is incredibly beautiful and when I look at his paintings I understand why he is so in demand right now.

Cityscape

Kal Gajoum

Car x Dad

2012-02-13T15:06:00.008-05:00

A car you can drive fast, a car that can handle every 90 degrees curve, a car that sounds like hell and mainly a car that looks so cool that everyone turns their heads when you pass. An all wheel drive for the winter, a 6 speeds transmission for the fuel efficiency, a V8 4.2 liters for the power... And an avant model which allows you to bring your kids to the soccer Sunday morning - That's what we need - The perfect car for dad who needs to bring their kids to school every morning. A reliable and safe car with which you won't be late to work or to your meeting. - except when you have a public danger in front of you, But hey.. That's life! - AUDI RS4 Station-Wagon.

Tie bar!

2012-02-13T13:27:00.003-05:00

Do you know how to wear your tie bar? Some people wear it too low and other too high. This picture will help you figure this out.

Don't have a wardrobe!

2012-02-12T17:20:00.003-05:00

You don't have a wardrobe? - Listen bud, not everyone can afford one! - I have an easy option for which you don't need power tool or superpower.

Materials

a pole
a rope
a hook (screw)

Look at the picture to know how to deal with this. Quite simple!