Today’s Notable Young Entrepreneur is Diana House, an inspiration for all aspiring businesswomen across Canada. We caught up with her to find out if the first million really is the hardest and what it takes to pursue your passion while achieving a blissful balance of work and personal fulfillment…
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WORK
Describe what you do in less than 140 characters. Go.
I’m a multi-faceted entrepreneur who runs creative @tinydevotions and operations @coleandparker; deal flow, aviation and lending at ADJ Holdings.
2. What was the inspiration for your career route?
This sounds terrible but my inspiration really started because I didn’t want to be a lawyer. Every cell in my body was against going into that profession and I had to come up with another plan. In my mind, entrepreneurship was my only option. I’m so lucky that I had trouble finding a traditional career path because it made the start-up path obvious for me.
3. What is the most memorable milestone in your career so far?
Hitting seven figures in my first business was huge. People always say the first million is by far the hardest. It was – and it felt so good to hit that number. I felt legit.
4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years?
More of the same! (But hopefully on a bigger scale).
I absolutely love the start-up space and have many ideas for future ventures.
The private lending business is something I will do forever because I love the rush of closing a deal (the bigger the better) and love the connection to real estate.
In the next five years I would like to be involved in an exit as well as start a franchise. In 10 years I would like to build a skyscraper, and in the next 20 years be involved in some philanthropic ventures – likely centreed around entrepreneurship.
5. Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
So much advice!
Start as young as you can. It’s hard to be an entrepreneur, and the more you do it the better you get. I started my first business at 25 and I wish I started at 20 (or even 18).
Get a business coach. They will massively accelerate your results.
Hire a team as soon as you can. You will learn how to be a better manager and focus your time on bigger problems. It’s hard to scale without a team.
Spend time by yourself, get to know yourself, and create your vision without letting others create the vision for you.
Never give up: sometimes this is contradictory and might mean closing down a business that isn’t working, firing someone, or switching directions – but never give up on the real dream.
6. Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is it (or they) important to you?
I support many charities (both local and international), but the one I am most dedicated to most is Kiva.org – creating the opportunity for other people to be entrepreneurs through microlending. One of my companies, Cole and Parker, has done over 400 loans to help entrepreneurs in Colombia start and scale up.
What is one major challenge that you’ve had to overcome in your career? How did you overcome it?
After law school I knew I didn’t want to be a lawyer and I applied for over 150 unrelated jobs to try to get some experience in another space. I didn’t get a single interview. After a few months I realized that I was barking up the wrong tree and started my first business, which is now a global leading enterprise in the e-commerce jewelry space.
8. What does the word notable mean to you?
To me, notable means something to pay attention to; something or someone to watch.
PLAY
1. Where is your favourite place to wine/ dine in your city and why?
I’ve had so many interesting meetings/dates/get togethers at One at the Hazelton. Everything from first meetings with top entrepeneurs, to acquisition meetings with potential buyers, to a really funny meeting where I drank $10,000 worth of experimental vials of an anti-aging vitamin drink with a start-up founder (not sure if it worked).
The patio is the best people-watching in Toronto and the food is always epic.
2. What’s the most visited website on your Internet browser? The most played song on your phone?
Hmm… my financial geek is coming out. My most visited website – I’m really big into currency trading and financials – is probably the TD Canada Trust exchange site.
Regarding most played song, Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” as well as anything by Tristan Prettyman!
3. Who’s one person you think everyone should be following on social media?
Canadian author/entrepreneur Danielle Laporte – she is bringing it right now on social media!
4. What’s your favourite country to visit and why? And what’s the next one you plan on travelling to?
That has to be Australia! I lived there for three years during law school and I’m obsessed with the culture, the coffee, and the people. You really can’t beat those accents and the fashion there.
The next country I’m planning on travelling to is Spain – It’s been on my bucket list for a decade.
5. What gives you the greatest FOMO?
Not living in the Valley (San Francisco). I used to think I needed to live there to be a top entrepreneur. I’ve totally come to peace with the fact there there is a lot happening here and that San Fran isn’t the place for me after all.
6. What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Boutique hotels and first-class flights (I’m terrified of flying, so that makes it better).
7. What’s something you wish you didn’t spend so much money on? What’s something you wish you spent more on?
I wish I didn’t spend so much at Michael’s on craft supplies. I’m so obsessed with spray painting things right now: art, doors, rocks, anything.
I wish I spent more money on clothes – I’m a really bad shopper.
8. And finally, what does success look like to you? Work, play, or otherwise…
Success is having financial freedom to live your dreams, 100% confidence and acceptance in yourself, world-class relationships with your family and friends, space to dream/play/create, and the inner feeling of being true to yourself and loving all aspects of your life, even the challenging ones.
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