This week we have the pleasure of featuring Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau, CEO and Co-Founder of Welbi! Welbi was founded in 2016 and is transforming the way that those in retirement communities are cared for through the use of their platform. Welbi makes it possible for those in retirement communities to experience reduced social isolation, something that is even more important now than ever! Elizabeth has also interestingly founded a company named Camp Pulsion that offers services to ringette goalkeepers across Canada! Make sure to check out Welbi in the links found at the bottom of the page, and we hope you enjoy reading what Elizabeth had to say!
1. Tell us about Welbi and how it came to be.
An in-depth view of the moving story that is behind the founding of Welbi can be found here!
2. How did you overcome the difficulties of starting a business, and what advice would you give to others in this position?
Overcoming the difficulties: Surrounding yourself with the right people to accomplish your objectives. There are tons of people who are ready to help and give back to the community, make sure to learn from their experience, and build your own story.
Advice:
- There will never be a better time to start a new project, stop pushing to tomorrow, and start now!
- Work on something you are passionate about. It will keep you going in the ups and downs!
3. How did Welbi gain credibility with senior living communities, and do you see room for growth in this area?
We joined the Revera Innovators in Aging program. This allowed us to work with the largest senior living group in Canada, second largest in North America! We have a lot of partnerships that will be happening and announced in the upcoming months, and we are very excited!
4. What were the changes you made to Welbi after the initial consumer feedback?
We had initially taken the approach of providing our service to the residents directly to reduce social isolation, but once we started visiting senior living communities, we realized the people that needed the most support were the staff members. By automating their administrative tasks, we were going to allow them to reduce their time in their office, increase their time with the residents, therefore increase social interactions!
5. Describe to us the most exciting time of your entrepreneurial journey.
Building Welbi's team. I am very excited to have the team that we have! Everybody works extremely hard to have an impact in the lives of our seniors' community, but at the same time, we know how to have fun together.
6. In your opinion, what is the hardest part of being an entrepreneur?
When you are working on something that you are passionate about, sometimes it becomes difficult to take time for yourself. It becomes hard to do the difference between work and your personal time. I don't see work as 'work', so it is difficult to establish limits. It is important to identify other projects or activities outside of your main work and add it to your calendar.
7. How does being an entrepreneur affect your relationships with your friends and family?
I am a big believer in surrounding yourself with people that can continuously challenge and support you. Therefore, if you have the right people around you, being an entrepreneur should not affect your relationships negatively. Your circle of friends and family will be crucial throughout your entrepreneurial journey, so it is important to take care of them and be there for them.
8. What entrepreneurial hacks have you developed to stay focused and productive in your day-to-day?
To-do lists. I have a main to-do list for everything I need to accomplish during the week, then every morning I will identify what absolutely needs to be done during the day and the other tasks that would be great to also finish. I make sure to at least finish what is on my 'must do today' list every day before finishing my day. Yes, sometimes it makes my days pretty long, but at least I know that once I am done, I won't be stressed or pre-occupied and will be enjoying my time.