Sponsored by CFIB, How to Quit Your Job is a series that features six people who quit their jobs to start their own businesses. They share their dramatic and emotional stories of how and why they left with host, Derek Miller. And then the practical stuff: Where did they get the idea? How did they find the cash? And how did they attract customers? How to Quit Your Job shows aspiring entrepreneurs what it takes to go out on their own, complete with the perilous pitfalls and sweet rewards.
CFIB member Donna Benson loves animals. A lot. She often prefers them to humans. So it’s no wonder she chose pet grooming as a career. But eventually she couldn’t handle working for someone else... so, she quit. Now she runs Touch of a Paw Spa in Oshawa. Donna shares how scary it can be to quit and the impressive way she researched whether there were enough customers to make her business viable.
When most people get downsized in their prime, they lick their wounds and start looking for another job. Not CFIB member Ray Vezeau. When he was laid off, he immediately quit looking for a job and made his hobby his livelihood: making wine. He owns Chateau Vezeau Wines in Whitby. Find out how Ray creates award-winning wine, liquor-tax-free and why Downward Dog might make for a perfect name for a bottle of Shiraz.
Melissa was a real estate agent, working all the time: nights, weekends, family time. A tough gig when you have three kids. So, she quit. And now she and husband Greg run Durham Custom Wood Décor in Oshawa, which creates beautiful signs, trays, tables – you name it. They can hardly keep up with the demand. Wait until you find out where they got the idea and why quitting for one of them was so traumatic.
Alison, Noel, Phoebe and James are a family who put it all on the line. They sold everything to live a dream of owning a restaurant and an art gallery. What’s interesting is that they combined the two dreams into one place. Now they own the Food and Art Café in Whitby, which is affectionately known as the FART Café. They live close by. Maybe too close by. You’ll see… and find out how Alison learned to read the fine print, the hard way.
It’s a gym! No, it’s a family play maze! No, it’s an arcade! Well, it’s all of those things and more. You can literally work out, play video games and throw hoops, while your kids celebrate a birthday and you lead a team-building event. The GRID in Whitby is owned by Geoff Eisfeld. Find out why Geoff wins the award for most creative way to convince a bank to give him a business loan!
Marion likes to take care of people and she’s very good at it. She’s been an esthetician her whole life – but mostly working for someone else. Until she needed to be her own boss. So, she quit. Now she’s the owner of Whitby’s Pinups and Pompadours, which does everything from haircuts to manicures and permanent makeup. Marion is fun and funny and shares a surprising memory that inoculates her from ever giving up.
