File: TTInterview10222014
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Q: After you graduated from the Ryerson

School of Journalism, you worked in

television broadcast for a while.

So what led you to stop that, and start

your own organization? Was it

something that hit you during your

broadcast career? Was

something that you always wanted to do?

A: When I was 19, I was reading books like

Awaken the Giant Within and things like

that, and my mind was so hungry. And I

always wanted

something that was like a Ted meets

Oprah meets

MTV but there was nothing like that out

there. So at a young age I would always

draw in

journals and like, this dream that I had

in my heart.

I ended up building a career in

television

and eight years later I was on set as a

producer for

a large series. And I kind of had an

outer body experience where

I saw myself and I said is what you know

I asked myself...

is what I'm doing with my only life

worth

the only life that I have and when the

answer to that question was no

I knew that I had to take a jump and

begin to do

something that embodied not only what I

love but what I was passionate about and

so that led me to a path of

entrepreneurship. But I think in

hindsight I've always been an

entrepreneur

but I just never knew that that's what

entrepreneurship was.

Q: So tell me a bit about the process

that you went through to start on this

conference.

A:  Yeah, socialite

I basically started it, and I didn't

know that

a conference takes or costs six figures.

So I wanted you know, I sold

my first property as to be the angel in

in the company.

And it just was,  I'm all chips in kind

of person and

and really did that out of my commitment

for my dream.

Q: So besides having to sell your condo

what was the most difficult

difficult obstacle that you came across

when having to start this?

A: I think it was really learning all,

two things. Learning to have the mindset

the heart set

and the habits that is required to be an

extraordinary entrepreneur.

And secondly, was learning a lot of the

financial stuff on the back end

and really learning what it takes to

be profitable as a startup.

Q: So what do you aim to accomplish with

social aid, so what's your like ultimate

goal.

A: Ultimate goal, considering that we're

just turning three.

Our five year is to have a Social

Light in Disney World with

as many awesome people as you could

think of. From Elon Musk, to Drake, to

you know, go big or go home. But really

is to impact one million lives.

Q: So you did the Ryerson Journalism

program. So

how would you apply that background in

journalism to

this like whole business perspective?

A: Well,

Social Light stands for the triple bottom

line - people, planet, profit

and business as a force of good.

The leadership and the skills that I

learned in Ryerson Journalism

was incredible and it really was the

background to me.

Understanding media and leadership

overall.

I hope to apply that because, right now

Social Light's first offering is a

conference, but where we're headed

is media content. So going out in the

world and shooting extraordinary people

doing great things

and we're very excited about the future

of online

content monetization, content development,

in alignment with conferences.

Q: So you've accomplished a lot in your

career. You have events, annual events in

Toronto and Vancouver,

that host over a thousand entrepreneurs.

You've also started up a few

international organized

organize international campaigns. A: Yes.

Q: So

you have definitely a lot that you've

done. So what do you think

your most memorable milestone has been?

A: That's such a good question.

I think my most memorable

milestone was the very first Social Light.

I think when you stand before yourself

and the world, knowing that you gave

something, everything you have

and it is an expression of your heart.

That in itself is is a beautiful

revelation of your highest,most best

self.

So that was a huge milestone. Q: What advice

can you give students who are about to

graduate, and are interested in starting

up their own business or organization?

A: The advice I would have is do it.

Jump. Being an entrepreneur is an

extraordinary opportunity.

We're so alive and

you're expressing everything that's

inside your heart for the world and

you're creating it every moment.

I would definitely learn the lean

methodologies.

I would definitely learn the business

model canvas.

And I would begin to have conversations

with people. Most people's ideas

entrepreneurship begins with an

idea in your head, and an idea in your

heart.

If you can get it out of yourself so

it's not existing just within yourself

and you begin to talk to people about

this dream or this idea,

eventually that conversation will lead

to action, which then will lead to it

becoming a reality.

So I would take those little baby steps

and I would also

study other people who have done what

you want to do successfully

and really understand that

entrepreneurship

is a continuous thing. It's you're

always growing, you're always learning

and it's not an easy thing but it is

very gratifying and worth it if that's

your real calling.

Thank you Teresa