Andrea Sesum

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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: It's Toronto's podcast on the Canada's podcast network.
[00:05] SPEAKER_00: Hi everyone, I'm Phil Bliss of Business Visionary and welcome to Toronto's Podcasts.
[00:10] SPEAKER_00: Part of the Canada's Podcast Network, your source of the great insights from entrepreneurs
[00:15] SPEAKER_00: across Canada.
[00:17] SPEAKER_00: Today we are with Andrea Sesson, founder of the Ontario College of Business and Law, co-founder
[00:23] SPEAKER_00: of Technology Factory, dedicated coffee enthusiasts, passionate entrepreneur, board member,
[00:29] SPEAKER_00: author, keynote speaker and a winner of several diversity awards.
[00:34] SPEAKER_00: So Andrea, welcome and we're going to kick off by you just telling us a little bit about
[00:40] SPEAKER_00: yourself, you know what you do, what you're driving at the moment.
[00:45] SPEAKER_01: Sure, I would love to do that Phil.
[00:46] SPEAKER_01: So my name is Andrea Sesson and I came to Canada as a refugee 14 years ago and today I am the founder
[00:56] SPEAKER_01: and president of Ontario College of Business and Law and I'm also founder of the Non-Sophage
[01:04] SPEAKER_01: Association called Women's Thera Legal Association of Ontario for which I have won the prestigious
[01:12] SPEAKER_01: City of Toronto Award called Access Equity and Human Rights Award and I'm really proud of that.
[01:20] SPEAKER_00: That's cool.
[01:21] SPEAKER_00: So you're an entrepreneur, just tell me a little bit about the business you're in, you know, how you've grown it and why you're in it basically.
[01:32] SPEAKER_00: I was talking earlier and I loved what you said, I'll just let everyone know.
[01:36] SPEAKER_00: When you went to school, it wasn't a question of what would you do after it?
[01:42] SPEAKER_00: You always knew you were going to be an entrepreneur.
[01:45] SPEAKER_00: So does that mean you're wired differently than normal people?
[01:49] SPEAKER_01: I love that question and I've heard you ask that previous guest that you have on your podcast and your question actually really made me think.
[02:01] SPEAKER_01: And I try to analyze myself and say, you know, was I actually wired differently or was this something that was acquired?
[02:11] SPEAKER_01: And I thought about it.
[02:14] SPEAKER_01: I think, and I'm speaking only for myself, of course, I think that exposure, my family is an entrepreneurial family.
[02:23] SPEAKER_01: I grew up watching entrepreneurs.
[02:27] SPEAKER_01: My grandfather was an entrepreneur who owned a boutique shop and he used to make handmade ties.
[02:35] SPEAKER_01: So I watched him run his business, run his boutique and for me, my mom's leader took over the family business.
[02:44] SPEAKER_01: So that was something that I always knew as a child and, you know, I felt comfortable with entrepreneurship versus someone I think who might have watched their parents, you know, working a corporate world, go to Monday to Friday job.
[03:04] SPEAKER_01: So I think entrepreneurship is, I think the more exposed you are to entrepreneurs and to entrepreneurship as a concept as a whole and the earlier you're exposed to it, I think that will sort of drive you wanting to become an entrepreneur.
[03:24] SPEAKER_01: So for me was natural.
[03:26] SPEAKER_01: It was never, I always knew, you know, I did corporate jobs while I was completing my school, but I always knew that that was temporary.
[03:35] SPEAKER_01: And I always knew that as soon as I was finished with school, I would be opening my own business.
[03:41] SPEAKER_00: You've been an entrepreneur all of your adult life basically.
[03:44] SPEAKER_00: And childhood.
[03:46] SPEAKER_00: Seven, eight years old. Yes.
[03:48] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Why law and, you know, how did you actually get started? You mean, you know, your refugee, you come to Canada, you know, I put you in somewhat.
[04:00] SPEAKER_00: I'm an immigrant too, a little different, but, but it definitely puts you in a, you know, you're not from Canada, you never grew up here.
[04:07] SPEAKER_00: You've got no, no, no knowledge.
[04:08] SPEAKER_00: You know, how did you get started?
[04:12] SPEAKER_00: I can guess why law, because because you're, you're helping people that, you know, going through the same things that you did when you came here.
[04:22] SPEAKER_00: But, you know, how did you actually get started?
[04:25] SPEAKER_01: So my journey, I saw the hardships that, you know, immigrants have of finding the right resources, that was when we came finding the right resources, knowing the law and sometimes being disadvantaged because they didn't know the law.
[04:46] SPEAKER_01: So having gone through that journey, I decided that I wanted to educate myself and I wanted to know the law. And once I did, I went further and I said, now I want to specialize in immigration, which I did.
[05:01] SPEAKER_01: And that was in fact to help other immigrants come to Canada and help them through their journey.
[05:07] SPEAKER_01: So I opened my own practice. I had a large legal firm that I ran for about 10 years. And I was also teaching part time at public and private colleges.
[05:22] SPEAKER_01: I co-wrote or co-author the book that's being used in colleges as well. And I did a lot of mentorship, which made me realize that I love teaching.
[05:34] SPEAKER_01: So through the teaching at different colleges, I found out that the current system could be more innovative.
[05:47] SPEAKER_01: It could be made a little bit better. And usually you say when the system is broken, make your own system or create your own system.
[05:58] SPEAKER_01: So being the opportunity to innovate education, to innovate the programs, I decided in 2013 to found and I did a private career college.
[06:13] SPEAKER_00: So you found the college and how long have you been in business now?
[06:18] SPEAKER_01: So it was in 2013 and this would be our seventh year.
[06:23] SPEAKER_00: Seventh year? Well, that's pretty solid. You're through that first three years and those are the crazy years. So that's that's that's that's that.
[06:30] SPEAKER_00: So why Toronto, you know, let's move to the now. Why do that in Toronto?
[06:37] SPEAKER_01: I've been living in Toronto ever since I came to Canada. I've been lucky enough to live in the city. I love the city.
[06:45] SPEAKER_01: I also see the the opportunities.
[06:51] SPEAKER_01: People are great networking. A lot of opportunities. Generally in Ontario as well. Not just Toronto, of course.
[07:01] SPEAKER_00: What would make you recommend Toronto to others versus maybe, you know, other cities across the country or in the US?
[07:12] SPEAKER_01: So Toronto has become a hub of, hub of everything, I think, all the events, the big events, all the jobs, I could say, and all the networking and mentoring. It's all happening in Toronto.
[07:30] SPEAKER_01: It's alive.
[07:32] SPEAKER_01: You can really find a lot of opportunities.
[07:37] SPEAKER_00: Okay. So let's move a bit more to you as the entrepreneur and I asked this of lots of people.
[07:44] SPEAKER_00: A lot of our best ideas come, you know, when we least expect them, which usually doesn't mean during the day when we're grinding away, doing the day to day.
[07:55] SPEAKER_00: Now, how do you disconnect? How do you recharge? How do you get inspired, which you got to be, if you're an entrepreneur, you have to have those periods of inspiration that really bring the vision to keep going forward?
[08:09] SPEAKER_01: Well, I listen to your podcast, of course.
[08:12] SPEAKER_01: But it's science from that.
[08:15] SPEAKER_01: I love to travel.
[08:19] SPEAKER_01: I found that I found the traveling really helps me disconnect.
[08:23] SPEAKER_01: And even though it's really hard to disconnect for an entrepreneur, I do ensure that I'm limited in terms of the amount of work that I do while I'm traveling.
[08:37] SPEAKER_01: We also love to spend time outdoors. We love RVing. We also took up sailing this year.
[08:46] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we're very outdoorsy and I think when nature and just being outside helps me disconnect away from technology.
[08:55] SPEAKER_00: So, I don't know what they're asking us because you've always been an entrepreneur.
[09:00] SPEAKER_00: As I've asked to say, what's the best thing about being an entrepreneur? But if you've always been an entrepreneur, you don't forget that question.
[09:09] SPEAKER_01: It's a way of life. It's really, I think entrepreneurship is a less skilled. I call it a less skilled.
[09:16] SPEAKER_00: What's the most exciting about in your business these days?
[09:20] SPEAKER_01: A lot of things to be excited about. We're introducing more and more innovative programs to meet the the skilled demand of the of the future work.
[09:35] SPEAKER_01: We're in the process of opening our second campus, which and I'm, you know, we're doing that to focus more on the demand of the technology education and technology skills.
[09:51] SPEAKER_01: So, that's very exciting. So, that's a big project actually that's taking up a lot of our time these days.
[09:58] SPEAKER_00: So, what are the top three things on your bucket list vision board, whatever you call it right now?
[10:06] SPEAKER_01: So, one of the top things was to be on a podcast. So, that's a check.
[10:13] SPEAKER_01: The other one, it's more of my bucket list is more of a personal things versus accomplishments in the career.
[10:24] SPEAKER_01: And one of the things I mentioned earlier is that we took up sailing and we did all the licenses that go with it.
[10:32] SPEAKER_01: And a plan is to do circumnavigation possibly one day, you know, when we have more time.
[10:41] SPEAKER_01: So, just sail around the world, do a 360 and see all the wonderful places.
[10:46] SPEAKER_00: What's a great objective?
[10:50] SPEAKER_00: What's the greatest challenge you've faced in the business so far?
[10:53] SPEAKER_00: You know, what, seven years? I'm sure you've hit more than one.
[10:56] SPEAKER_00: What's the big one that, you know, that you think my God have had?
[11:00] SPEAKER_00: If it didn't overcome that, I wouldn't be here in the moment.
[11:03] SPEAKER_01: You know, there was a point where you think is, you know, can I actually do this?
[11:11] SPEAKER_01: And I think everyone has that certain points in their journey as an entrepreneur where you sort of say maybe easier if I, you know, exit at this time, you know, will be able to continue on.
[11:26] SPEAKER_01: So, for me, the big challenge came, you know, into a second or a third year of the business.
[11:35] SPEAKER_01: And, you know, there was a point where I thought, you know, maybe I really can do this.
[11:41] SPEAKER_01: I think one of the most important things in being an entrepreneur is the persistence.
[11:48] SPEAKER_01: And that's what I learned.
[11:49] SPEAKER_01: If you are persistent and you're disciplined, no matter how hard things get and they do get hard.
[11:58] SPEAKER_01: You know, you only listen and hear about the success stories and you never hear about how hard it is to get to that point of success.
[12:08] SPEAKER_01: If I can say one, one important thing about being an entrepreneur is to keep at it, be persistent, be disciplined.
[12:17] SPEAKER_01: And if you fail, it's okay to fail as long as you learn from your mistakes and you move on and you do it better.
[12:25] SPEAKER_00: When you hit, you know, a challenge, particularly, is there got a particular process that you kind of step through to overcome them?
[12:37] SPEAKER_00: I mean, some, some don't, some do.
[12:39] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think it's important not to be alone in the process.
[12:43] SPEAKER_01: So, surround yourself with people that can bring value to your thought process.
[12:48] SPEAKER_01: So, if you come across a challenge, and if I see, and I need a second opinion or the challenge is too big for me, or I don't know which way to go, I get people involved.
[13:04] SPEAKER_01: I will ask the second opinion, I will bounce the ideas off, you know, because everyone has a different perspective and everyone comes from a different perspective.
[13:13] SPEAKER_01: So, I like to hear from other people in terms of how they, and I may not choose any, any of their, you know, suggestions or advice, but at least it bothers my perspective on how to better solve the challenge.
[13:29] SPEAKER_00: If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your 20 year old self?
[13:34] SPEAKER_01: Wow, that's a tough one, Philip.
[13:38] SPEAKER_01: I think it would be to be more confident.
[13:42] SPEAKER_01: If you have an idea, be more confident.
[13:46] SPEAKER_01: You know, life is too short.
[13:49] SPEAKER_01: It's okay to fail, it's okay to try.
[13:51] SPEAKER_01: If you don't try, you'll always say, you know, well, I could have done this.
[13:55] SPEAKER_01: I wish I have done this.
[13:57] SPEAKER_01: Just try.
[13:58] SPEAKER_01: If you have a business idea, you know, I say, don't bitch it, just do it.
[14:03] SPEAKER_01: Bring your idea to life.
[14:05] SPEAKER_00: Built the business successfully.
[14:09] SPEAKER_00: What kind of gem of advice would you give somebody that's thinking about it that might help, that you think might help them persistence.
[14:18] SPEAKER_00: You've said not to be scared of things, but there's something less high level than that, maybe a little bit more pragmatic.
[14:28] SPEAKER_01: So, I think, you know, everyone has an idea.
[14:33] SPEAKER_01: Usually people will have 10 great ideas, but if you don't execute any of them, what's good are they?
[14:40] SPEAKER_01: So, if you have an idea and you're wondering if you should start a business, it's better to start earlier the later or never.
[14:47] SPEAKER_01: I say, give it a try, but you also have to remember that it may not work in a year.
[14:53] SPEAKER_01: It may not work in two years.
[14:54] SPEAKER_01: You have to be persistent and it's important to have a network of great people around you, mentors, people who come from different backgrounds and can give you various different perspectives.
[15:07] SPEAKER_01: And, you know, someone you can reach out to and say, hey, you know, now I'm working on this.
[15:13] SPEAKER_01: What are your thoughts on it?
[15:14] SPEAKER_01: But just do it.
[15:15] SPEAKER_01: What's the worst thing that can happen?
[15:18] SPEAKER_00: Okay, the kind of reciprocal that is, what's the best piece of advice that you've ever received?
[15:26] SPEAKER_00: And I love asking this question because it's gotten some fantastic answers.
[15:31] SPEAKER_01: The best piece of advice that I ever received.
[15:35] SPEAKER_01: When I shared my thoughts on, and this was a critical advice.
[15:39] SPEAKER_01: So when I shared my thoughts on wanting to start or open a private career college, I shared this with another individual who was also in the education sector.
[15:56] SPEAKER_01: And I was told not to do it.
[15:58] SPEAKER_01: Don't get it into this business.
[16:01] SPEAKER_01: You know, it's tough.
[16:02] SPEAKER_01: You'll never make it.
[16:03] SPEAKER_01: So that was the critical advice, which formed me into entrepreneur that I am today and a founder of a private career college.
[16:14] SPEAKER_01: I took it on as a challenge.
[16:16] SPEAKER_01: So the critical advice that I received, I took it on as a challenge.
[16:20] SPEAKER_01: And it made me even more determined to open a private career college.
[16:27] SPEAKER_00: That's interesting.
[16:28] SPEAKER_00: So what I would say is bad advice.
[16:31] SPEAKER_00: Just, you know, treat it as bad advice.
[16:34] SPEAKER_00: So that's about it.
[16:35] SPEAKER_00: I could, I could be a little bit more blunt, but that's fine.
[16:39] SPEAKER_00: So we're going to just do some very quick, we'll wrap it for our questions.
[16:43] SPEAKER_00: Don't think too much about them.
[16:45] SPEAKER_00: Sometimes you won't have answers. Sometimes you will.
[16:48] SPEAKER_00: If you weren't doing what you're doing now, what would you be doing?
[16:51] SPEAKER_01: I would probably be working in an on not the profit on a larger scale.
[16:57] SPEAKER_01: Just getting back to people and leaving a footprint on the humanity.
[17:04] SPEAKER_00: That's good statement.
[17:06] SPEAKER_00: What book are you currently reading, listening to?
[17:09] SPEAKER_00: And what would you recommend to the audience?
[17:13] SPEAKER_01: There's not a particular book that I'm reading.
[17:15] SPEAKER_01: I'm more listening.
[17:17] SPEAKER_01: I find it really helpful listening to podcasts.
[17:21] SPEAKER_01: And more of the other entrepreneurial entrepreneurship for journeys.
[17:27] SPEAKER_01: From other people.
[17:30] SPEAKER_01: And I really find value in that.
[17:32] SPEAKER_01: So I've been doing that for the, I could say past year.
[17:36] SPEAKER_01: And I've learned a lot.
[17:38] SPEAKER_01: And it's actually healthy, even though it may not be the same industry as mine.
[17:42] SPEAKER_01: It really helps me in terms of some of my own decisions.
[17:46] SPEAKER_00: You were mourning our night person.
[17:49] SPEAKER_01: I'm a night person.
[17:50] SPEAKER_01: At night, it's like a highway in my head.
[17:53] SPEAKER_01: With flashing lights.
[17:56] SPEAKER_01: You know, everybody, everybody's asleep.
[17:58] SPEAKER_01: And as soon as everybody's asleep and it's 11 o'clock, some of my brightest and best ideas.
[18:07] SPEAKER_01: You know, I have a no sad.
[18:09] SPEAKER_01: And that's the no sad that I use.
[18:11] SPEAKER_01: And I just write the ideas.
[18:13] SPEAKER_01: And in the morning, some of them, you know, may not work.
[18:17] SPEAKER_01: That's majority do.
[18:19] SPEAKER_00: If you had to pick one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
[18:22] SPEAKER_00: And why?
[18:23] SPEAKER_01: For assistance.
[18:25] SPEAKER_01: I don't take a no for an answer.
[18:27] SPEAKER_00: That's a common one.
[18:28] SPEAKER_00: That I think that's part.
[18:29] SPEAKER_00: That's definitely part of the, the chemistry of of entrepreneurship.
[18:34] SPEAKER_00: What's keeping you up at night?
[18:36] Speaker UNKNOWN: 
[18:37] SPEAKER_01: The idea is it's funny.
[18:40] SPEAKER_00: Although you know, that obviously because you work at night.
[18:42] SPEAKER_00: That's why it's right.
[18:43] SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
[18:44] SPEAKER_01: So it's the idea that, you know, keep coming at night.
[18:48] SPEAKER_01: I guess when, when everything is, when I'm relaxed.
[18:51] SPEAKER_01: And, you know, that, that's what keeps me up at night.
[18:55] SPEAKER_01: And not enough time then to execute those ideas overnight.
[19:00] SPEAKER_00: You like to travel.
[19:02] SPEAKER_00: What's your most favorite place in the world?
[19:04] SPEAKER_01: Can I have three?
[19:06] SPEAKER_01: I love them just the same.
[19:08] SPEAKER_01: Last year we visited Barcelona.
[19:11] SPEAKER_01: Barcelona, just, you know, I fell in love with.
[19:15] SPEAKER_01: Because it's so vibrant.
[19:18] SPEAKER_01: People are great.
[19:19] SPEAKER_01: Culture is great.
[19:21] SPEAKER_01: Food is amazing.
[19:22] SPEAKER_01: So Barcelona is something that, you know, I recently fell in love with.
[19:27] SPEAKER_01: Santorini is where we went for a honeymoon.
[19:30] SPEAKER_01: So Santorini is very dear to my heart.
[19:33] SPEAKER_01: And, of course, any city in my former country of Croatia.
[19:40] SPEAKER_01: So, Dubrovnik, any coastal city.
[19:45] SPEAKER_00: What are the three non-negotiables that have to happen in your morning or evening routine?
[19:51] SPEAKER_00: If you have it, some people don't.
[19:53] SPEAKER_01: I don't think I have.
[19:55] SPEAKER_01: I don't think I have them.
[19:56] SPEAKER_00: I don't particularly either.
[19:58] SPEAKER_00: Except for coffee in the morning.
[19:59] SPEAKER_00: It's about it.
[20:00] SPEAKER_01: Well, coffee is a must in the morning.
[20:02] SPEAKER_01: So I guess I have one.
[20:04] SPEAKER_01: Not a lot of people.
[20:05] SPEAKER_01: And I have it here.
[20:06] SPEAKER_00: I can you not come from where you are and not have coffee in the morning.
[20:12] SPEAKER_01: Here we go, coffee.
[20:13] Speaker UNKNOWN: 
[20:14] SPEAKER_00: So the the island question you've heard, but I'll do it again.
[20:20] SPEAKER_00: There's small tropical island in the middle of the ocean with only one phone booth and no internet.
[20:24] SPEAKER_00: We drop you off with no technology.
[20:27] SPEAKER_00: And anytime you can use the phone on the island to call a boat to come and pick you up.
[20:32] SPEAKER_00: How long do you last before making the phone call?
[20:35] SPEAKER_00: And what would you do until then?
[20:38] SPEAKER_01: Oh, I think I mentioned, mentioned earlier when we, when we just began the interview.
[20:44] SPEAKER_01: I love outdoors.
[20:46] SPEAKER_01: I love the ocean.
[20:48] SPEAKER_01: And I like to disconnect.
[20:51] SPEAKER_01: So I think I've lost pretty long.
[20:53] SPEAKER_01: But again, I love to disconnect for a certain period of time because I have to know what's happening.
[21:01] SPEAKER_01: So I say I would last maybe more than an average.
[21:05] SPEAKER_01: So a month.
[21:08] SPEAKER_00: That's pretty, that's it.
[21:09] SPEAKER_00: That's a long time.
[21:10] SPEAKER_00: That's good.
[21:11] SPEAKER_01: But that is if I have a sunscreen.
[21:13] SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
[21:14] SPEAKER_01: I'm seeing and coffee.
[21:17] SPEAKER_00: Okay.
[21:18] SPEAKER_00: You know, that that great interview.
[21:20] SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
[21:21] SPEAKER_00: Thank you for it.
[21:21] SPEAKER_00: You know, our listeners are viewers often want to contact the people that they've heard.
[21:27] SPEAKER_00: How can they get hold of you online?
[21:30] SPEAKER_01: Of course, I love connecting with people networking.
[21:34] SPEAKER_01: I think it's, it's very important to do that, especially for entrepreneurs because we often feel alone.
[21:40] SPEAKER_01: So they can reach out to me directly on LinkedIn.
[21:44] SPEAKER_01: Just send me a message.
[21:45] SPEAKER_01: Let me know who you are and why I would like to connect.
[21:48] SPEAKER_01: We're also on Facebook, Ontario College of Business and Law.
[21:54] SPEAKER_01: So I would be happy to hear some from some other entrepreneurs and, you know, their journeys.
[22:01] SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Andrea.
[22:03] SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
[22:04] SPEAKER_00: Thanks everyone for taking the time today to listen to Toronto's podcast on the Canada's podcast at work.
[22:11] SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed the podcast today.
[22:13] SPEAKER_00: Make sure you sign up for a news service or write a review for us on iTunes.
[22:18] SPEAKER_00: You can connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or at canvasspodcast.com
[22:23] SPEAKER_00: where you can listen, discover and engage.
[22:27] SPEAKER_00: You can also check out what other entrepreneurs are doing across the country.
[22:31] SPEAKER_00: I'll see you next time.