Andrea’s entrepreneurial journey began at the young age of 20 while she was a university student working at a chocolate store. The opportunity to venture into business ownership presented itself when the store’s owner decided to sell, and Andrea, with remarkable audacity, made an offer to purchase the store. Her offer was accepted, marking the beginning of her passion for business.
A year after acquiring the chocolate store, Andrea expanded her entrepreneurial ventures by opening a second retail location where she sold teddy bears and gift baskets. This period in her life firmly set her on the path of lifelong entrepreneurship.
Upon graduating from the university with a degree in Education, majoring in French with a minor in German, Andrea followed the conventional path most graduates do—she took a full-time job as a teacher. After dedicating four years to her university education, securing stable and guaranteed employment seemed like the responsible choice. However, within a year, Andrea found herself missing the freedom and lifestyle that came with being an entrepreneur.
The opportunity to return to the entrepreneurial world presented itself when a colleague introduced her to direct sales. Andrea dove in without hesitation, starting her direct sales venture with Weekenders Ladies Wear. She quickly ascended the ranks, becoming a Sales Manager and building a team. This new role not only increased her income but also allowed her to leverage the efforts of others and reduce her teaching schedule to part-time.
Although Weekenders provided her with valuable lessons in sales, team building, and the importance of incentives, Andrea noticed signs of the company’s struggles. Trusting her business instincts, she decided to leave, and within three years, the company ceased operations.
In 2008, Andrea ventured back into direct sales with a jewelry company named Silpada, where she built a team of 450 people and became one of only four Directors in Canada. During this time, she and her husband also purchased their first Jiffy Lube Franchise in Calgary, eventually owning up to five stores.
By 2010, after significantly increasing her salary with Silpada and doubling the sales of their Jiffy Lube stores, Andrea resigned from teaching to fully commit to their businesses. However, foreseeing changes in Silpada that would not favor their distributors, she pursued an MBA. Her predictions came true when Silpada shut down its direct sales operations and sold its assets.
She spent some time recently with the Black Business Women Entrepreneurs over at theFEI.ca
