June 2014
Dee Dhaliwal, Publisher, Vancouver Courier and WestEnder
What is success to you?
Success is setting a goal as a team and having fun achieving it. An important by-product needs to be personal growth for everyone on the team.
What is one of your accomplishments that you are most proud of?
One area is my own commitment to give back to the community – I have a variety of causes that I have volunteered with and as clichéd as it sounds – every time I donate my time I feel as though I get more out of the experience that I have given. The other is the people that I have worked with and that have gone on to accomplish great things. It is a real pleasure to watch people grow and accomplish all that they should and to play a part in that – however small.
What do you love about Vancouver?
I love the sense of community pride that exists in each of the different neighbourhoods, and the communities of interest that Vancouver seems to create so easily – just look at the number of meetups that are planned for anything and everything. There is a desire to connect in this city and that creates a wonderful backdrop for establishing new and innovative businesses and I love hearing about those and meeting the founders.
What advice do you have for small business owners?
Have your goals written down. Plan with your team. Help your team outgrow the roles they are in. Give back to the community. Rinse and repeat.
What charities/causes do you support?
There have been hundreds of causes that I have supported through my roles in local media, but I have given a lot of personal time to: Lions Gate Hospital Foundation; Chamber of Commerce boards, and currently am helping with Kitsilano Neighbourhood House and HAVE Society.
What has been your favourite experience with The Vancouver Board of Trade?
I have been really impressed with the Leaders of Tomorrow program. It shows a commitment to improving Vancouver's economy and being prepared to do the tough work of mentoring and preparing young people to take a role in creating opportunities for themselves and others.
Who is your role model and why?
Richard Branson. He has an ability to identify and nurture entrepreneurs on his staff and he has the ability to let them run their own businesses under his brand umbrella. It has allowed Virgin to go from selling albums and CDs to vodka and wedding gowns. His other qualities I admire are his sense of adventure and willingness to try things that he and Virgin could fail at — and his sense of fun.