Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Colby Delorme, President of Imagination Group of Companies, located in Calgary, AB, Canada.

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

The Imagination Group of Companies is 100% Indigenous-owned and operated, proudly serving Canadians for over twenty-one years. Imagination is committed to providing the highest quality products and services to our customers. We blend culture and tradition with technology in the production of our Imagination Ceremonial Tobacco and Imagination Inspired line of products. And we are committed not only to authenticity, tradition, and ceremony but also to the environment and community. The Seven Sacred Teachings are the guiding principles in everything we do: honesty, bravery, respect, love, wisdom, trust, and humility. We currently service the Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Manitoba markets for ceremonial tobacco. All other products are sold nationally.

Our Vision: A Canada that embraces and is inspired by Indigenous art and culture. Our Mission: Imagination exists to promote Indigenous art, traditions, and culture through innovative, contemporary, and collaborative relationships. Imagination products and services are sold to Indigenous people and organizations, all levels of government, and all sectors of business.

Tell us about yourself

I have been a Métis entrepreneur since the age of 18 and joined the Imagination Group of Companies in 2002. Staying true to my entrepreneurial roots, in 2016, I launched the Ceremonial Tobacco line. As President of Imagination, I have been instrumental in building the company into the dynamic operation it has become today. My latest venture has been co-founding Influence Mentoring Society; a non-profit focused on creating mentoring relationships for post-secondary Indigenous students. Having served on numerous boards and as an active volunteer, I hold an Institute of Corporate Directors Designation from the Rotman School of Management and am passionate about creating new and sustainable opportunities in business and making a positive impact on the Indigenous community.

In 1999 I was a general contractor working in Alberta and BC. My mother, Dr. Marie Delorme, was just leaving her executive role at Telus to create Imagination. I spent a fair bit of time mentoring Marie on starting a small business and many of the elements that needed to be created and established. I was just one of her many information sources. Two years later, I joined Imagination as President and started work on building and growing the business.

I am motivated by the desire to create new opportunities and cultivate innovation in business. As an entrepreneur, I have a perfect vehicle to fulfill those passions of mine. It feels like you are creating a new business, even if it is within a current business. The never-ending pursuit to improve and inspire. Our tobacco business has fulfilled and challenged me in so many positive ways.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

That's an interesting question. I think constantly choosing to create opportunities in areas of business that I had never worked in before or knew anything about and finding ways to make the ventures successful. The greatest part of what I have accomplished in business is doing it in an ethical and equitable way where all stakeholders involved mutually benefit in the process.

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

Sometimes you feel alone in your pursuits. I don't think you ever truly are, but it feels like you are the only one going through or have ever experienced this before. It is at these points in our professional lives where our "personal board of directors," your support network, plays the most significant role in navigating the challenges and finding the opportunity in those challenges.

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

  1. You can't spend enough time or money planning out your new venture before you have committed yourself and your resources. A business plan, marketing plan, and strategic plan are all paramount in that development phase.
  2. Reach out to individuals (ones you know and don't know) who have done what you are venturing to do, ask them for advice, listen and learn from their mistakes, and ask them to be your mentor. This unique group of people should cover all aspects of your business needs.
  3. Make sure you're capitalized well. The most stressful element of being a business owner is not having enough money. Drowning in unmanageable debt not only can make a business insolvent but also distracts your most valuable asset, your mind. You need a clear and positive mindset in order to be the person leading your organization.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We are navigating very interesting and uncertain times in both society and our professional lives. These challenges are exposing all of the cracks in our business practices and leaving organizations more vulnerable than ever before. This is the time when all businesses, large or small, should be putting significant effort into developing and analyzing formal budgeting, cash flow projections, and forecasting models. These will be the guiding light to all of the decisions you will have to make.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://imaginationgroup.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationimagination/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imaginationgroupca/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aboriginalgifts
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colby-delorme-icd-d-71212315/

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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