Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Geoffrey Cann, Principal at MadCann Alberta Inc., located in Sechelt, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I teach digital awareness to the international oil and gas industry. My customers are oil and gas industry workers, professionals, and executives.
Tell us about yourself
While living in Brisbane, Australia, and working in the nascent liquefied natural gas export industry, I noticed how the wave of digital innovation that I was embracing in my personal life (online banking, Uber, Airbnb, airline self-service) was not impacting the energy industry. I set out to understand why and when digital innovation would impact the energy industry, who would win and who would lose, what the winners are doing to accelerate their adoption, and how those working in the industry would be impacted. The pressures on the industry (decarbonization, energy transition, the shortage of talent, the shortage of capital) are not solved by digital, but digital innovation is now key to reducing the impacts of incumbent energies on our planet while we engineer a just and accelerated transition.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I have built an integrated and self-reinforcing business model for generating and monetizing intellectual property.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Identifying distractions and saying no to their siren call of attention.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Think long-term. Do things today that will position you for the next thing you do.
- Be flexible. If what you’re doing is not working, change it.
- Collaborate. It’s a big world and full of collaborators willing to work with you.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://geoffreycann.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digitaloilandgas/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canngeoffrey/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/geoffreycann
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/training-digital-oil-gas/
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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