Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Marcela Quintero Aguirre, founder and CEO of Probity Marketing Inc., located in Montreal, QC, Canada.

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

Probity Marketing is a Montreal-based marketing agency that specializes in companies with a purpose beyond profitability. I strongly believe that it is possible to be for profit and for good, I'm inspired every day to help impact-driven organizations connect with their audiences in a meaningful way... and if they haven't figured out their purpose, I work with them to find it and bring it to life.

Tell us about yourself

I was born in Colombia and moved to Canada when I was 17 years old to pursue a business degree at McGill University. I was lucky enough to find my dream job right out of university at Mattel, the #1 toy company in the world. After ten years of extensive experience in marketing communications, product development, brand management, and so much more, I decided to take some time off to figure out what truly made my heart sing. It was during this self-discovery journey I realized the need for sustainable and honest business practices to become the norm. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work every day with incredible organizations ran by inspiring humans that are making a positive impact in the world, and fuelling their movements.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Funding a company with an inspiring mission that aligns with my personal values. Being able to connect deeply with the work I do and seeing everyone's instant positive reaction when I introduce them to Probity reassures me that I'm doing something right.

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

Boundaries. You'll hear this constantly, but you won't realize how hard it is until you are in the midst of it. A big part of Probity's success is building genuine connections. This applies to the connection between the organizations we represent and their audiences, it also relates to the relationships we build directly with our clients. The companies we work for are led by extraordinary, caring human beings whose passion is contagious. While this makes every working day a joy, it also makes it really hard to say no.

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

  1. Find a community. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey. Surrounding yourself with a supportive group of humans that are going through similar paths will make it much more enjoyable, in addition to creating lots of knowledge-sharing opportunities.
  2. Know your weaknesses. I saw somewhere a sign that read, "you can do it all, but you can't do everything," and it really stuck with me. The reality is that time is finite, and it's important to be aware of where your talents are best used. Getting help is self-care; hiring accounting help and outsourcing some of my graphic needs grants me peace of mind and allows me to better serve my clients by focusing on my strengths. If you aren't able to delegate, you'll never be able to scale up your business.
  3. Establish healthy habits from the get-go. As an entrepreneur, you can easily spend every waking minute working, whether it's for your clients or promoting your company. While it is true that the workload is much greater, and there are more incentives to put the time in since the business is yours, I strive every day for balance. I don't always succeed, but I truly believe that if you don't develop healthy working habits from the beginning, it'll be much harder down the road.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I'm passionate about mentoring, and I'm always happy to chat! LinkedIn Messages is probably the best way to reach me ;)

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://probitymarketing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProbityMarketing/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/probitymarketing/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProbityMktg
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mqa/

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.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.