DA: Yes, that’s my Dad, Tim! His knowledge and expertise has been invaluable to me. I don’t know if I’d of had the guts to become an entrepreneur without his mentorship. I like to make light of how he works for me now! He takes care of any projects we do on the profit side of things. I s there such a thing as a typical client need? DA: It’s an assessment-based business. Every customer has different needs and challenges. A mature business that has perhaps been operating for years, their focus is usually on increasing profits. They’re working really hard, revenues are coming in, but the cash flow is often close- to- short. In these scenarios our overall goal is to help get them back in the black and reinvesting in their business. A newer business usually has one priority: getting custom- ers through the door and generating revenue. To do that they need to build a strong brand and get noticed by their potential customers. If a customer wants to increase sales, they’re usually talking about attracting customers and this is my passion. I love working with people, helping them define their brand, their voice and what it is exactly that they want to achieve. If there was something that your clients have in common, what would it be? DA: The common thread with all of my clients is that they want to work with someone that they can identify with and trust. They’re invested in who you are as person as much as your expertise as a business coach. My Facebook profile, for instance, is a mixture of family, friends, and clients. The divide between private and professional exis- tence is practically a memory. Attracting clients is more about being yourself than ever before.
all through Nova Scotia. What motivated you to help entrepreneurs? Was it the fact that you come from a family of entrepre- neurs? DA: In a way, yes, but I never looked at it that way. All through my childhood, my Dad, Tim Alison, ran an edu- cational software business and afterwards, he moved into consulting, so having that kind of mentorship in my life now is something I’m grateful for every day but that’s not necessarily what motivated me then. Like most teenag- ers who grow up in rural areas, I couldn’t wait to explore the world outside of my community, the municipality of Clare. I went to Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick for my undergraduate degree and I did my masters in political science at MUN [Memorial University] in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Basically, I’m groomed to work in government. I went that route because I’ve always wanted to help people in some way. But after one par- ticular work term, it became clear to me that if I wanted to affect change it would need to come from the ground- up. So, I moved back home to Clare and put my skills to use. I started my first business, a research company, and aftertwo years I came to realize that my favourite custom- ers were entrepreneurs. I heard their stories, I was inspired by their passion and motivation, I saw their struggles, I understood their concerns, and I recognized the need for a socially-savvy business coach. “I don’t do anything the old fashioned way.” Is that your Dad I see you posing with on the Stratigro Facebook page?
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • MARCH 2017
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