He is a member of Anges-Quebec and one of the dragons on the popular TV show “Dans l’oeil du dragon” at Radio-Canada. The meeting between Serge Beauchemin and the couple, proprietors of Strøm, Anne Joyal and Guillaume Lemoine, is seen as a “first-sight” kind of thing. Thanks not only to their common vision of business, but also to their chemistry. Their partnership continues as Serge becomes a real mentor. And a year later, as the proprietors have demonstrated that there is a real demand for a spa surrounded by nature, right next to the urbain Montreal, Serge gets further involved, this time as a financial partner.
INTERVIEW
How do you choose your projects as in investor?
I invest myself in a project considering both the human and business aspects. For a project to catch my attention, I need to feel that I share the same values and the same vision as the people I associate with, so we can go forward. Concerning the business side of things, I evaluate if the project corresponds to an actual need. Ideal investment conditions respect the ‘4Ps’: person, project, potential, price.
Do you have any recommendation for future businessman?
I would recommend that they consider entrepreneurship as an occupation per se. A good idea corresponds to 15% of the work. The other 85% of the work corresponds to the profession. We can’t stop at an idea: we need to look forward, see things objectively and really understand the business. Accounting and management are primordial aspects: which we can’t underestimate. Also, any good businessmen has to cultivate his own thirst for knowledge. Most failures happen when people underestimate the amount of work needed to complete the task. A good businessmen is confident, daring, and is not afraid. He or she is devoted and enjoys working where the action is happening. He knows how to count, he knows how to persuade and how to call up for investors, clients and employees for a unique project; he can unite.
Do you have tips and tricks to perform better and be more motivated at work?
We are constantly attracted by the exterior and the virtual world: it is then essential to focus our energy toward our main objectives to become more efficient.
My global vision of success: the 3-leg stool
For a better performance at work, three elements are fundamental and need to be taken care of:
- The clients: to make sure that the clients are satisfied daily.
- The employees: to be certain of the happiness and level of satisfaction of the team. By collaborating with and understanding our employees rather than trying to control them, we assure a better motivation in our team. By being interested in their passion, we obtain a greater involvement from the team, and the best out of it.
- Money: to make sure that no money is spent uselessly and that the company money is well managed. Money is a measurable consequence of the level of success.
What does money mean to you?
To me, money is the result of a transaction that satisfies both parties; it is not a goal in itself. The businessman looking for money only can succeed, but more in the short-term. Those who are interested in answering to a real necessity succeed in producing wealth in the long term. I would like for Quebec to be a truly wealthy province. For this to happen, everyone should receive, as soon as in their teenage years, a financial education oriented towards an understanding of our economic system, and a way to contribute to it.
Finally, do you have any golden rule for happiness?
It may seem cliché, but to me, happiness comes from the inside and then goes to the outside (and not the other way around !). Our society gives great importance to the environment in which we grow. Indeed, the environment is important; but many examples demonstrate that we can find happiness regardless of the environment. Happiness is not easy to find, but its main source can be found within us. In order to maintain my well being, I remind myself of my list of priorities for 2015. This list hasn’t changed much for some years, as it gathers the essentials for me.
- To take care of myself; to be healthy
- To fulfil myself by taking on challenges that make me grow as a person
- To contribute in improving what surrounds me, while making a positive impact.
- To be present; to spend and invest time in my family.
- To keep on reading and learning everyday. I have an objective of 12 books for every year. 9 of these books have to be related to learning. Of course, in my case, most of these are related to the world of business.
- To produce long-term economic ressources for my loved ones.
- To have fun!
- To think about myself
It is a list that I read whenever I feel overwhelmed. Am I significant? Does my life have value? Am I a human being that has a significant value in relation to the whole of human life? Our priorities are our own: what is important is the feeling of accomplishment.
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