Turning Your Hobby Into a Career With Mark Giguère

I was born in Timmins, Ontario, home town of Shania Twain.

I was raised in Toronto and Picton Ontario and used to live a few doors down from Bobby Hall’s farm in Picton, Ontario.

After graduating from Grade 13, I decided to move to Quebec City to study Translation and Business at Laval University. I remained in Quebec City for 7 years, ran my own Translation company and also worked as ESL Instructor and Interpreter at Berlitz Language Institute.

I was eventually pulled into technology sales and moved to Ottawa, Kingston, Vancouver and eventually Victoria where I held numerous leadership roles with Canon and Ricoh before becoming a Financial Advisor and Realtor.

In 2014 following the sudden passing of my Father, I returned to Ottawa and worked as Regional Sales Manager for ADT securities until they restructured and laid off all their top executives and was bought by Telus. I then decided to return to work as a Financial Advisor.

In May 2020, I relocated to Halifax as a Financial Advisor. I had been coming to Halifax to visit a friend every month for over a year.

In December 2020, I retired as a Financial Advisor and incorporated Atlantic Business Solutions Inc so I could provide affordable and cost-effective POS Point Of Sale Systems to businesses in Atlantic Canada and coast to coast. What started as a hobby 12 years ago is now my full time passion.  

I recently expanded and now offer Quick Business Loans in Canada and the US up to $1,000,000 and office equipment in Halifax HRM:

Photocopiers, printers, shredders, mailing equipment, laptops (all installed , set and serviced by qualified Sharp technicians)

Telus Smart Security Systems for businesses and homes through Atlantic Security & Automation Partners (ASAP). 

 When not working and playing, I am a Radio Host for 97.5 CIOE FM where I host Money Matters with Mark Giguère where I discuss a variety of financial topics with my guests to educate our audience and help my guests promote their professions.

 I enjoy golfing, cycling, kayaking, fitness, hiking, playing cribbage, chess, darts and travel. 

 I enjoy helping others and am always available to offer a hand and invite you or anyone you know to a free consultation. 

Thanks for listening!
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Transcript

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Dalene Allen: Good day. Welcome to network equals networks. Deleen Allen, how are you today? I can't wait to introduce you to the most amazing business yet Mark Schger was born in Timmins, Ontario, Hometown, of Shanaya Twain. I think, Mark, you're also a celebrity board in that town. He was raised in Toronto and picked in Ontario, and used to live a few doors down at Bobby Hall's farm in Picton, Ontario. After graduating from Grade thirteen he decided to move to quit

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Dalene Allen: city to study translation and business at Laval University. He remained in Quebec City for seven years, ran his own translation company, and worked as an English second language instructor, an interpreter at the Berlitz Language Institute. He Eventually

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Dalene Allen: I got pulled into technology sales and moved to Ottawa, Kingston, Vancouver, and eventually Victoria, where I held numerous leadership roles with cannon and rico before becoming a financial advisor and a realtor

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Dalene Allen: in two thousand and fourteen. Following the sudden passing of his father. He returned to Ottawa and worked as a regional sales manager for adt securities until they restructured and laid off all their top executives, and was bought by Telus.

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Dalene Allen: He then decided to return to work as a financial advisor, and in May, two thousand and twenty he's got a story to tell of how he relocated to Halifax. So welcome, Mark, we're so glad you're here, and people you're lucky to hear what this man's all about. You're going to learn lots of lessons. So what drew you to Atlantic, Canada?

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Mark Giguere: Well, believe it or not. I was. I was on Facebook, and I was admiring some art, and I noticed some wonderful arts. I commented on it

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Mark Giguere: before. You know what I was on the phone with this person, and we chatted for hours,

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Mark Giguere: and then, before I knew it I was actually flying here for the weekend, and then

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Mark Giguere: we hit it off so well that I would fly here every month for a year and a half, and then eventually I just said, You know what?

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Mark Giguere: Why, don't, I just move here.

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Mark Giguere: So I sold my house in Ottawa during Covid moved here when I was still a financial advisor,

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Mark Giguere: and then uh, the rest is history.

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Dalene Allen: But look at what you've done. You started a new business. You moved in the middle of Covid started a new business. But since for starting that business you've expanded Mark, I love anybody who sees opportunity, and you've seen it. Avenue.

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Mark Giguere: I have, you know I was selling point of sale as a hobby for twelve years when I was living in Victoria, and I kind of did it even when I moved in Ontario, just as a hobby to help with, You know business people and make a little bit of extra cash on the side,

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Mark Giguere: and then in two thousand and twenty, you know, just during Christmas time I realized, you know, I think I need a change. I noticed businesses are struggling. They've been hit financially,

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Mark Giguere: you know. They're probably getting ripped off by whoever they're dealing with, and I have the ability to provide better service better pricing.

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Mark Giguere: So I put my head together, and I thought maybe i'll combine my four previous careers and the one but focus on helping, the you know, small and medium-sized business owner.

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Mark Giguere: So I, partner with some local business owners that I knew, respected and trust, and they were all in the sectors and industries that I had previously worked in, and they decided to found my own company

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Mark Giguere: and provide these products and services to people in Atlantic, Canada, and some of them actually, but across the country, and even all of North America.

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Mark Giguere: So that's what I've done. I I provide office equipment. I I smoke business loans, pointed sale, smart security, the businesses, and even some homes. People need a smart security system for their home.

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Mark Giguere: So that's that's done quite done quite well, and i'm looking at me, being hiring some people to give me a hands. I can't do it on myself anymore.

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Dalene Allen: Exactly. Well, I have to tell everybody that's listening here I love my tell. It's home security from Asp. The camera is amazing.

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Dalene Allen: A. S. A. P. That's right. Sorry. Um. My husband always used to have to get off his chair when I left the house, because I keep my car in the garage, and many times I would leave and forget to put the garage door down. And now, when I leave, that little monitor says rash close, and he doesn't have to get off his butt to do anything about it. It's a really good relationship. So you can. You can share that with other people.

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Mark Giguere: No, exactly. Yeah. So now why not go into a little more depth in the four categories that you can help businesses so quicker. Business loads. That's pretty neat. What's that about?

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Mark Giguere: Well, any business that needs cash. If they're a Canadian company. We can provide them up to five hundred thousand. If it's an American company, we can provide them up to a million as long as They've been in business for at least six months, and they need cash that. We just asked for six monthly statements from their bank,

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Mark Giguere: and we do a credit check, and within a week they'll have money in their bank account, and they can use that for any type of expenses that they want, whether they want to buy, inventory expand,

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Mark Giguere: and we help what people that really can't.

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Mark Giguere: I get bank loans elsewhere because they financially strapped. They just don't qualify so, and the rates will depend on their credit rating and give you anything from four percent, or maybe twelve percent depending on the credit reading.

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Mark Giguere: And we do this a lot more aggressively now, because people have been financially strapped because of Covid. They need money, as they have all their whole livelihood. Most people cash in all their savings to build this business, and we don't want them to lose everyone to help them.

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Mark Giguere: So that's one thing that we do is business loans.

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Dalene Allen: And what about office equipment is that sales or leasing

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Mark Giguere: both? Most people tend to lease it, because when you leave an office equipment like a copy or a printer, you can actually write it off. So, rather than tapping into your own cash flow you just lease it, and any time during your lease, if your needs change. We can always take out the old one, put in a new one.

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Mark Giguere: So during Covid, as you know, a lot of people started to migrate away from the office and moving to home offices, and not everyone's actually returned to the office. So we can actually right-size their office. So a lot of people are stuck with these great big massive photographers on expensive leases. Well, this is a perfect time to contact Mark at nine zero, two, two, two, one, six, four seven. I'll go into your office and i'll streamline your entire operation and right sides. You make sure you have the most

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Mark Giguere: cost-effective solution That'll meet all your needs.

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Mark Giguere: That's easy for me to do, whether it's a copy or printer,

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Mark Giguere: the mailing equipment shredder, or even laptops. We even do laptops. I worked for a sharp, direct as an agent sub agent, and they actually bought a Shiva no pads or notebooks a few years ago. So we have laptops, mailing equipment, one

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Mark Giguere: and copiers and printers.

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Dalene Allen: Wow! And then same thing. So with the Tell us smart security systems that's residential and commercial

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Mark Giguere: absolutely. When I was in Ottawa. I was the regional sales manager of Adt, and I used to hire people to train them, and we did residential commercials small business. So we were laid off because they were sold to tell us so. I'm. Good friends of Don Buttett, who hit was under the same situation. He was a regional manager for Eastern Canada for adt.

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Mark Giguere: He was laid off, so he started Atlantic security and automation partners. So if I met him years ago and I decided to partner with him. So I I provide his products and services. So you get a security system for me. It's actually going to be set up, installed and supported by Telus technicians through Asa.

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Dalene Allen: Wow! And then you still do point of sale

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Mark Giguere: at Filler Point of Sale, right across the country right across North America for that moment,

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Mark Giguere: and being an independent sales organization for a variety of companies, I can actually set the rates for whatever I want. As long as we don't go below cost. So I always make it a point that save people money providing with better service and technology, one hundred and fifty.

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Dalene Allen: Well, and one of the things that I do know about you, Mark, is the fact that your customer service, what What was the thing that you said to me how to get rid of a salesperson before.

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Mark Giguere: Yeah. Well, when I used to train salespeople, we were sitting in front of a client, I would ask the client point like daily. Can I ask you a question? What's the best way to get rid of a salesperson

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Mark Giguere: that shake the bad? I don't know, he said, Why, something from them? You'll never see them ever again. I guarantee you probably don't even know the name of the guy that sold you your car, your copy, or whatever.

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Mark Giguere: I'm the complete opposite, because I want your business for life. I want to grow with your business,

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Mark Giguere: and I want to depend on you for referrals and testimonials, and if I ever change careers, I still want you to be a client. I want you to follow me through on my careers. So I have clients now, but I sold copies to it fifteen years ago. They had my point of sale. I even sold a house to security systems. They're still my clients one.

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Mark Giguere: I want my clients to be clients for life. They actually become part of the family and my friends.

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Mark Giguere: They actually gave me the idea, because once and I was living in Victoria I set someone with a copier the

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Mark Giguere: and then they say, Well, what else do you sell?

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Mark Giguere: I said not thing else right now, but I am talking to a point of Sale Company. I'm not sure if I really want to do it, but

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Mark Giguere: they told me you should do it. So I did, went back to see the client, who was an accountant, sent him up with a point of sale, and then he had a copy, and he says, What else do you do?

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Mark Giguere: So that actually started me and i'm thinking, wow, I didn't really. She could actually do all four. There's really no conflict. It's the same client,

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Mark Giguere: and they only have to deal with one person that they like and trust.

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Mark Giguere: So I thought that was a great idea. So I

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Mark Giguere: During Kovat I was a little skeptical of doing it because of Kovat. You know it's it's new. We had no idea what to expect, but

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Mark Giguere: I decided to take a leap of faith and jump into the ocean with my bathing suit and like jacket, and do it,

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Mark Giguere: though now it's really taken off.

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Dalene Allen: Excellent. Well, it, I think you made a couple of really really good points there in that, if you can service somebody on more than one level. Um. And again, because they know like can trust you because you tell it like it is. But you actually do what you say you're going to do, and then it's a phone number and not a call center that they get that you actually help the client. Um, you know. I hear so many people with point of sale. Yeah, I get a great buy. Then I get a box in the mail, and I don't know what to do,

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Dalene Allen: and I know that you truly care about those customers part, and maybe you can even share a story on how you help somebody out to finish.

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Mark Giguere: Yeah, I have a client of mine that I was dealing with a competitor. I won't Say his name. He called me up in a state of panic. You know I've been eating at his place for years, and he was locked into a long-term commitment with a competitor. He pulled me up and told me his machine was broke, and he couldn't fix it, and they weren't going to help them. So I

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Mark Giguere: based on the same

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Mark Giguere: figure out exactly what he needed,

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Mark Giguere: got the equipment approved, set up, delivered within forty eight hours,

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Mark Giguere: and was able to give it some cash back to help offset his. The penalty that he was going to be charged for canceling his contract a little prematurely,

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Mark Giguere: and he's he's a great friend. I talk to him all the time, and he's quite happy, saying I actually sent me quite a bit of referrals to help them out, and I didn't do it because I wanted to get referrals. I did it because I really felt for the man, and I wanted to help.

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Dalene Allen: Oh, my God! And and same thing like Covid. There were so many people that needed help, and sometimes they even didn't know what they needed. And sometimes it was just a voice of experience to talk,

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Dalene Allen: and certainly marked with a variety of careers that you've had in your life. I think you've lived like five lives; that you have so much experience to share, that you know again. The more you know, the more you can pass on to that client, and the greater the value you are to them. Now, what was I going to say so Now you've been. How long? Two thousand and twenty. So we're now in Atlanta, Canada for two, two and a half years. What are some things you've learned about maritimers.

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Mark Giguere: Well, people are people. Where have you been? I've lived in

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Mark Giguere: Vancouver, British Columbia. I lived in Victoria, Ottawa, Quebec City Montreal people are people. You just be yourself.

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Mark Giguere: It's true. People are out of East a little more laid back, you know. They're They're friendly people. They're good people, and I like them. They're people that you can depend on. And I made a lot of friends, likely very quickly,

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Mark Giguere: and then I

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Mark Giguere: probably never move away. I mean. This is a great place to live.

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Mark Giguere: We've got three thousand lakes. We have, you know, miles of peaches, lots of seafood. It's, you know. Housing is a little bit less expensive in some places across the country, but people are great here. You can talk to them. They don't give you the cold shoulders.

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Mark Giguere: Some people say that these these centers are a little bit clicky, but

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Mark Giguere: hey, I didn't have any trouble fitting in. I joined Local golf club. I obviously I joined B. And I have my own radio station. I have a radio show.

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Mark Giguere: I joined the gym.

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Mark Giguere: I do some other volunteer work, probably going to do more

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Mark Giguere: just. They're just nice, nice people.

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Dalene Allen: Well, and I think everything that you said, though, is what many people that come from away. Don't. Do you really integrated yourself into the community. I mean, It's great to play golf, and certainly that automatically. Anybody else at the golf course you have something in common when you have something in common, conversation flows doesn't it?

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Mark Giguere: Absolutely. Yeah. And I love the fact that you said volunteer, because that is such another way to really not only get to know the community, but to also get to know what the needs are locally, because in each of those other places that you've lived. Um! The The wealth may be a little bit more than Atlanta Canada, but us that our maritimers would say, our lifestyle here is second to none, and for all of the reasons that you just said, but

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Dalene Allen: i'll give me an example that I do find I was born in Nova Scotia, although I spent some time in Quebec because my dad worked for national defense, but Nova Scotia's home. But we grew up on the road to Peggy's Co. My parents and nine children, and after twenty three years on the road to Peggy's Co. At a little place called Glen Margaret, they still refer to us as the family from a way. So I chuckle about that, because no, I am a parent. I know you're from away um, but I don't take that

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Dalene Allen: personally, but Sometimes when people move from away they're always comparing us, Carrot, comparing back to where they came from. You want to go, and if you're going to compare to back home. Why don't you go back

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Dalene Allen: to there? But, maritimers, you know, a game we we have so much going for us. But, Mark, I still have to say. I watch many, many people, and how they interact when they first come to Atlantic, Canada. And you knew the important thing was to listen to people

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Dalene Allen: to value people, the connections that you make, and the business that you do. And, mark you are a straight up guy, and I gotta say, when I look at other people that move likely sooner than you did, and they're not making the same in rooms, you know You get what you look for don't, You

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Mark Giguere: Absolutely. Yeah,

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Dalene Allen: Yeah, that if you're looking to find connections, authentic relationship-based connections they're there, But that is an investment isn't it it takes a little more time doesn't it,

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Mark Giguere: but it's well worth it. Oh, always. But i'm amazed at how many people don't see that value of. Let's take a little extra time. And just listen. Get to know those people

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Dalene Allen: so welcome back, Mark, you really are the king of networking. I got to tell you there are a lot of people would say, I am a great network, but I have learned so much from you, so could you share a few tips like when you go to visit clients. I think the word chocolate came in there, or some of the tips and ideas,

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Mark Giguere: so some people may call it bribery, but I just call it like being pleasantly persistent. There's been many times where I part. An expression closed the deal by coming up with, you know, bringing two boxes of chalk that one would be one hundred.

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Mark Giguere: I'm a little truck that long be dark chocolate, and I say, I wasn't sure what kind of you wanted Moca chocolate, so I brought both. Which one would you prefer? And they say, Get your ass in here. Okay, i'll take your system.

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It's,

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Mark Giguere: you know, or you can do with wine, too. But you know you have to.

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Mark Giguere: You can't just do it off on a call. Call. You have to

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Mark Giguere: build some kind of a relationship with the client, so I I always try to be pleasantly persistent. You know

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Mark Giguere: people aren't going to buy something from you on the very first call. Very Sullivan Doesn't. Happen it does happen, but not very often. So you have to build their like trust. So you just keep going by going. Well get to know them

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Mark Giguere: them on what you do, find out what their what their needs are, and then use humor. Yeah, if you have to use chocolate or a bottle of wine,

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Mark Giguere: the

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Mark Giguere: I know.

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Dalene Allen: But it would, would you say, because, you know, everybody might try once

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Dalene Allen: it goes down how far to try twice, but on average,

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Dalene Allen: do you think it's three, four, five times, and sometimes more

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Mark Giguere: absolutely, and it's never the same? I have. I've been able to.

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Mark Giguere: I'll tell you a little story. Once I was in Canberra River, British Columbia, Vancouver and I was making some sales calls with one of my sales reps. I was the Rico sales manager.

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Mark Giguere: Never been there in my life, and I've always been intuitive. I don't know if i'm psychic or not. But I I told you

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Mark Giguere: the I was with, I said, Look, I've never been here before, but something tells me to go right there. We're going to go to grant signs and everybody here before we have to go there. I'm. At the Amazing Prescom, but I know we have to go there. I went there,

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Mark Giguere: and the woman was on the phone, ordering Toner from her current supplier. Unfortunately, the company that they were dealing with didn't have any corner left.

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Mark Giguere: They were having financial difficulties, and it was a competitor of ours. They were selling Rico as well, and she got off the phone and introduced herself to I said, Look, I understand You just ordered some phone. I'm here to supply your toner.

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Mark Giguere: She goes. That's impossible. I just phoned the Victoria office. We're four hours away. How did you get here so fast? I said. I'll be honest with it. I have no idea I was compelled to come here. I'm cute. I'm here to help you. Actually, i'm a competitive reco dealer. We know they're under financial difficulties. If you're interested,

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Mark Giguere: it's up to you, but I can probably get you a bigger, better, faster, more productive, copier, and give you a free corner for less than what you're paying now?

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Mark Giguere: And she goes. What do we? What do you need to do the deal, so she brought me into the lunch room. I asked her to, you know. Provide me some information.

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Mark Giguere: The the old Benjamin Franklin,

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Mark Giguere: you know, if you guys were lying down the page. This is what you're paying. Now this is what you will be paying. This is a much you'll save. But not only are you going to save money, but you're going to get a way more productive, easier to use system. That's by the way, in full colored with a book of the maker,

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Mark Giguere: and you're going to have

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Mark Giguere: the better local service, and I guarantee you will never, ever ever ever run out of Toner again, because we're going to make sure you have extra boxes that phone your office at all times. I've done that many times. I had no idea where to go. I was just compelled to go somewhere

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Mark Giguere: like a sixth sense, and it's like being at the right place at the right time.

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Mark Giguere: I don't know. Maybe the harder you work, the luckier you get. But it's happened many times.

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Mark Giguere: I can't explain it.

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Mark Giguere: But here here's the thing that I would say, I love the law of attraction. You're always looking for opportunities, Mark, and that's why you find them. There are many people that do not look for opportunities, and they never find them.

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Dalene Allen: You you get what you look for. Energy flows to where your attention goes, and so, just like you do that. Now, Here's here. Here's the thing that I do, but it more often than not. Let's say if I have a few extra minutes between appointments and I'm sitting outside of winners. I go.

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Dalene Allen: No, I don't go in.

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Dalene Allen: Hmm. I should go in nine times out of ten when I go I should go in,

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Dalene Allen: get the best deal ever, and and I think sometimes people are so busy in their head they're not really right kind of open to an opportunity,

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Mark Giguere: and if you never. And if you listen to yourself, something good happens. If you don't listen to yourself. You know you made a mistake. You should have listening.

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Dalene Allen: Well, here's the other part, you know. I say to people, just hand out that business card. Just say, hi to somebody, just start something the minute you wait past six or seven seconds. You're not going to do it

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Mark Giguere: exactly. Just do it just like Nike says just do it. It's like going to the chimney. Wake up in the morning.

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Mark Giguere: You don't really feel like going, but you have a shower. Get your clothes on, Go to the gym, put your shorts on, start moving. You could end up having one of the best work that you've had in years.

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Mark Giguere: Yeah, just got to get there.

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Dalene Allen: Exactly.

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Dalene Allen: Yeah, you can't wait for motivation. You got to make it happen, right?

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Dalene Allen: Yeah. So I think you also told me once about a convent.

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Mark Giguere: Okay, April the nineteenth, eighty, eight. I'm. In Kingston, Ontario. It's lunchtime,

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Mark Giguere: Please don't try this at home. I'm hungry, but something told me. Go and make a Walmart call, so I did. I went to a convent. I don't know I never been there in my life. I didn't even know it was there, but I just drove to a convent.

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Mark Giguere: Luckily I have a good sense of humor. I knocked on the door, and I go. Hello with Sister Mary there.

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Mark Giguere: Figured they'd be at least at Sister Mary. So she invited me, and I said, I know you're gonna find this hard to bleed. But you.

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Mark Giguere: I was driving for lunch, and I had this inner voice telling me that I should come here and and save your convent money because you're spending a lot of money in toner on your old copier.

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Mark Giguere: They were using an old canon Pc. Twenty, five. It was a cartridge based machine. They're like two hundred and fifty bucks for the Pona cartridge, and I

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Mark Giguere: I did say, Well, the Pope sent me here to save your money, but I

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Mark Giguere: they knew how she's killing. I said, you know i'm saying Mark and St. But anyway, I used to bet of humor.

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Mark Giguere: At the end of the day I found out that they were spending a lot of money in the corner, and I was able to lease them a brand new photocopier that was, you know, two-sided stabling color sorting and all that,

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Mark Giguere: and give him free toler and same like sixty bucks a month.

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Mark Giguere: I just used humor, but I was still giving him a good deal,

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Mark Giguere: but I had no idea that that was even there, and it just I swear to God I was driving down Kingston Road

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Mark Giguere: Bath Road. I guess it was, and something said like Don't go for lunch over here. So I did, and I've done that many times,

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Mark Giguere: and it's just seems they will stumble across

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Mark Giguere: an opportunity that turned into a client.

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Mark Giguere: No? Well, here's another.

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Dalene Allen: Well, no, not weird. But again, Mark, you're looking for opportunities. They present themselves, and you said something very important. You drove down that room before, but you never noticed it right. Um! How many of us, especially as a business person, How many of us in the last five or ten minutes of driving home. You see nothing.

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Dalene Allen: It's just automatic, right? Well, I used to. Somebody taught me a long time ago as if I took a map,

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Mark Giguere: and I sort of drew a circle, and where I lived was right in the center of the circle, and then I would create pies out from that, and I would just drive every street, every strong,

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Mark Giguere: every street, and I would go into um, depending upon what you're selling. Um. I would go to apartment buildings, and I buzz the superintendent and say, I have some pre samples for you. I work with Very. Take those medicines, and when I came down it's like, Would you like to earn some, Mary Kay? I'm a superintendent. They're usually couples. They live there twenty, four, seven. They know everything that's going on in that building. I'll tell you I got more business or superintendents, and you can take a step down as well. But the other thing was, I said,

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Dalene Allen: i'm your neighbor. I live in the neighborhood, and it wasn't a fit.

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Dalene Allen: I lived in the neighborhood, and then I would go into every business whether it was a convenient store. I didn't care what it was, and I just went in and said, Hi, you know my name's Deleen Allen. I live in your neighborhood. I figured it, because I was never great at handing up business cards, but I figured whatever store I went into. If I could buy something I would. I would go to the cash and say, Hi, I live in the neighborhood. I want to introduce myself. I'm Deleen Allen. Here's my business part, you know. Is there any way that we can help each other

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Dalene Allen: right. I loved Barter. I used to barter for all kinds of things with small business owners. It was wonderful. Um. Now, if you're not into barter, don't worry, but go in. It's so much easier when you say I live in the neighbor

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Mark Giguere: right? Because I found really nobody was mean to me because it's like, Oh, how she lives in the neighborhood. I better be nice. Okay,

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Dalene Allen: but little things like that can make something a whole lot easier than you think right. But it is thinking outside the box that that's one of the things you do. So Well, right.

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Mark Giguere: I think it happened when I was a little kid. I You know I was about eight, nine years old. I wanted to make some extra money, so in the summer. I would just bad my dad's lawn more, and i'd go down the street. I knew where all the elderly people lived, so I didn't ask them. If they want their lawn cut I would just start cutting it. I just start cutting the grass.

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Mark Giguere: Then somebody would come out. Oh, you're such a nice boy. Thanks for cutting my grass. Here's twenty bucks. Can you do it every week?

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Mark Giguere: Sure,

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Mark Giguere: I would do that, and only backfired Once I spent the whole day cutting the grass again and give me a nickel,

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Mark Giguere: and then the winter I would do the same thing. I'd start shoveling your driveways

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Mark Giguere: without even asking. I just do it most of the time they would pay me, and they would ask me to do it on a regular basis

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Dalene Allen: if it's the same thing if if you want to. Ah get some Ah, things happening, It doesn't hurt the handout samples, and or you know again whether it was a chocolate bar to somebody, or you started mowing the lawn and and out of all those that you did. It was only one person who didn't pay you. I'd say those thoughts were pretty good. What about you?

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Mark Giguere: No, that was pretty good. Yeah,

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Mark Giguere: yeah. So you had to do one for free. But the rest all turned into a business now for your money.

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Mark Giguere: Yeah, go ahead.

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Mark Giguere: Yes, it The reason I probably did it because I was pretty shy in those days, so I was afraid to knock on the door. It

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Mark Giguere: I was intimidated. I'm just a young skinny eight-year-old. So I just thought i'd be able to start cutting his grass, and

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Mark Giguere: and they worked out pretty good,

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Mark Giguere: really good. That was brilliant. What was the other thing that I was gonna say?

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Dalene Allen: Well, I know they'll edit this part out since i'm flubbing my lines

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Dalene Allen: eight or nine. Wow!

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Mark Giguere: Who taught you to be an entrepreneur entrepreneur? Mark you must come from an I I would deliver in papers, and then in the weekends i'd go to the golf course. I find golf balls and sell them fifty cents each. I think it was twenty five cents each, five for a dollar in those days. And remember, one guy said, just

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Mark Giguere: what hold of you? I said, Eight goes Holy Shit, here's twenty bucks, and then he came back. All nice will take some blaws,

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Mark Giguere: but it was good. I can make enough money, make twenty bucks or so on a Saturday I buy a Hamburger French, wise, and a Mokshake still have, you know, eighteen bucks left, and they go back and do it on Sunday, and I I didn't want my dad's allowance. My brothers, I used to give him trouble for asking my dad for allowing this to make your own money, so I

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Mark Giguere: I bought my own bicycle. I got myself to university. I bought my own clothes. My mom actually was so impressed she actually gave me the baby allowance, and said, Look, Mark, you buy your own clothes,

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Mark Giguere: would have nice haircuts, and had hair in those days. Nice clothes on my own bicycle. I cut myself to buy my own car. I put myself to university. I just. I didn't want to have somebody give me money, especially my father, who worked hard for his money.

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Mark Giguere: I thought I I want to earn it myself.

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Mark Giguere: So I did, and

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Dalene Allen: I was going to say Mark. But same thing. You saw what your father did to earn money. Good for you? Wow! Because the same thing I I grew up one of nine children and um making money. That was that that was it. What could I do that I could make some extra money, so I may be sad. Um, I My mom had a handcraft shop, I met fishermen that sweaters and sold them. Yeah, Wonderful thing for a child to be able to realize the value of what it

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Mark Giguere: to make that money right? I mean, those were hot summer days in Ontario when you were cutting grass. But twenty bucks was a lot of money.

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Dalene Allen: Yeah, excellent. So any last-minute advice for those timid networks

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Mark Giguere: people are people, you know. Most people are. Fate of public speaking. I was you know. Just have to.

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Mark Giguere: You just have to go through your your comfort zone and just do it. And you realize that people are people. Just be yourself There's really no reason to be intimidated. You just have to do it once you've done it a couple of times.

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Mark Giguere: You really realize It's It's really no big deal.

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Mark Giguere: Really. You're just talking to people.

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Mark Giguere: You know what they asked. Peter Staffer got me a radio show

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Mark Giguere: was a, I guess, on his radio show once, and then he encouraged me to do my own radio show it.

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Mark Giguere: I was gonna say no, but somebody told me to say yes, even though I was a little bit intimidated in the beginning, because

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Mark Giguere: I've never done a radio, so I don't even know what to do. But

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Mark Giguere: the first couple of shows were pretty bad, I have to, but I've listened to Marianne. She's very good, and I will listen. Other people do it. I go Well, they're just people like me and you. They made out of the same material. There's no reason why I can't do it.

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Mark Giguere: So now. I feel a little more confident. I think the shows are getting better,

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Mark Giguere: but they're just doing,

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Mark Giguere: you know. If you need help. Don't be afraid to ask someone for help

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Dalene Allen: Exactly. Well, or one of the things, because I had a real challenge Doing that was, I'd start to look at that person and say, are they feeling like me, scared to open their mouth? Well, could I be neighborly and go over and say, Hi, how you doing? Okay? You look nervous. And right now, if you look nervous, you're making me feel more confident. So let's have a conversation. Hi, how you doing Make good eye contact smile, you know, if I look at somebody, and they make eye contact with me, and they actually smile

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Dalene Allen: because I smile first. I always say that's the first test that that's a connection, right? And you never know where that connection will go, because if you don't reach out it's going nowhere. You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take, but it could be your new best friend. It could be somebody whose life you can make an impact on, like the Woman and Campbell River, where Joe Allen loves to go fishing.

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Dalene Allen: Nor northern Vancouver Islands. Beautiful spot, you! You just made her whole day, week, month, year, that she gets off the phone and goes. How did Toner get?

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Mark Giguere: She still tells that story. I bet you are the salvation.

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Mark Giguere: But anyway,

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Mark Giguere: and to me, when we're in business

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Dalene Allen: Ah, happy customer! Happy customer to me is better than any lottery right? Because you worked for it, and and you made it happen. But anyway, thank you so much for listening to network equals net worth. You've got a story to tell, and I would love to hear it.