Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Arundati Dandapani, founder of Generation1.ca , located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Very clued into the real problems of disconnection, newcomer settlement (specifically foreigners to the country but also by extension foreigners to the/ an industry, and also then foreigners to cannabis, and even to non-profits that lobby for and protect industry professionals towards employment and career advancement outcomes at the least, I am constantly challenged and renewed by innovation journeys that are spawned by all sorts of "culture-shock" as I try to harness substance from the hype, understanding and documenting shifting values, mindsets, aspirations and blind-spots of culturally rich societies constantly shaped by those who move and arrive into a "faraway land" as Canada for various reasons.

Tell us about yourself

The real problem of disconnection, newcomer settlement (both foreigners to the country but also foreigners to the/ an industry, and also then foreigners to cannabis, and then also ailing non-profits that lobbied for and protected industry professionals towards employment and career advancement outcomes.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The cause is pretty unique, distinct, and struck a chord with expected but also unexpected audiences over time. Generation1.ca's social media following and newsletter open rates remain both high and growing, but importantly, an understanding of its aesthetic and purpose will keep coming of age as the country's labour market grows, adapts, and faces new challenges. I have worked with some of the best brands / organizations as clients but also managed to showcase Canada on my industry world stage by being a GreenBook Research Industry Trends GRIT Future List Inaugural Honouree in 2019 (among 16 leaders from the international insights world) and at numerous international conferences since. That felt big, but so did everything after: including and especially the letters of love, intrigue, and support for my work.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Mental health, sufficient quality time alone in the sea of pressing demands, crunched timelines of everyday existence, making livelihoods work, balancing the creative life with the healthful and productive life without compromising on one's goals or ambitions, all while still questing for a community self-built on all the world's love, hope, passion, and grit - all this is hard.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Know your strongest skills-suite, and keep making sure you are known for that at the very least.
  2. Build honest and authentic relationships - this can be hard, given how sometimes it might seem like "you don't always have a choice when it's not reciprocated." But good communication is the best advice here.
  3. Be generous and unconditional where it feels most natural to - it adds years to your life and to the lives of those who rely on your magic to make the world a better place.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I love my evergreen mother (who lives in my country of birth - over ten thousand kilometers away - with my equally precious father) very much. She has honestly always been so brave, self-reliant, independent, and intelligent. She has really shaped my leadership journey and skills in the most profound ways through my growing years - along with my devoted strong father. They've both made me most cognizant (and appreciative/respectful) of the big role of parents in their children's most formative years. I learned how to "teach" from them, and also from my close-knit peers/friends circle.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://generation1.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arundati.dandapani/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/itadnura
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arundati/
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JBpz5H

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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