Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in advertising but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tony Lyons, Owner and President of Alphabet®, located in Ottawa, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Alphabet is a brand integration consulting firm working with large national associations, not-for-profits, non-government organizations, and destination marketing organizations. In the member associations sector, our customers are typically large national organizations with a focus on delivering value back to their stakeholders by advocating for the government on their behalf, delivering high-value services such as professional education, e-learning, and white-label technology solutions, and by positioning their industry favourably to government and to the public with highly resonant advertising and PR campaigns.
On the destination marketing side, we have helped clients large and small develop their brand story and deliver that story with well-executed and highly targeted ad campaigns and long-term content marketing programs. We still maintain a foothold with some long-term private sector clients in the new home construction industry, but the majority of our clients are in the third sector.
Tell us about yourself
I was always fascinated with the storytelling aspect of advertising as a child. I would eagerly await the commercial breaks to see what brands were telling what story! So, it was a very natural choice for me to enter the ad industry as a young professional. I loved it; it was exciting and dynamic and just really cool! While my friends were either working in professional services companies like banks or accounting firms, I was writing and designing ad campaigns!
Nowadays, I still get a huge rush out of solving complex brand challenges for our clients by looking at how smart storytelling and superb execution using the latest digital channels can really drive behaviour change. But the thing that I'm currently most passionate about is encouraging and nurturing creativity in our team here. We have an amazing group of people, and I'm delighted and inspired to work with them and help them grow every day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Getting through Covid while not having to lay anybody off and keep the business viable was an enormous challenge. I know that's probably the answer you'd get from most business owners in our industry. We even managed to grow the company and continue to build our client base.
But apart from the business success, my proudest accomplishment was helping to kick-start the destigmatization of mental illness here in Canada through our original work with the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health. The organization was at the leading edge of changing how we think about mental illness, and I believe that work has helped a lot of people and families in their struggles.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Being a business owner is an incredibly lonely place. Sure, you get the accolades and the rewards, but you also get downsides like the long hours, working through financial troubles, or HR issues. The buck literally stops at you. It can be hugely rewarding, but it comes at a price. Having said all that – I wouldn't change a thing!!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Expect to fail sometimes, but just remember that failure does not define you. It just means you're trying hard enough. Both success and failure are temporary states – never forget that.
- Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. You can't do everything, so don't even try. Figure out the things you love in your business and lean into those things. Everything else, get smart people to do.
- Enjoy it and love it! Your business will consume you, so you better really love what you're doing. There is no such thing as work-life balance as an entrepreneur. Your work is your life; just accept that, get on with it, be honest with yourself and those around you, and have a good time.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.alphabetcreative.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlphabetCreative
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alphabetcreative/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alphabet_Agency
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alphabet/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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