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Businessboot campgives veterans a fresh start

- July 17, 2017

Boot camp participants Marcus Brauer (left) and Gabrielle Breault. (Nick Pearce photos)
Boot camp participants Marcus Brauer (left) and Gabrielle Breault. (Nick Pearce photos)

It's not easy to start anewcareer, butϳԹhas partnered with (POE) togivemembers ofthe Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)the skills and confidenceto transition to becoming business owners.

Coordinated by MaryKilfoil, acting director of the Norman Newman Centre for Entrepreneurship at the Rowe School of Business, the program,nowin its third year,brings togetherprofessors,Halifax businessleadersand students from for an intenseseven-day business boot camp forCAFmembersand veterans.

Applying skills to help others


Bachelor of Management studentand Enactus Co-PresidentJessica Power radiates enthusiasmfor the program.Power volunteeredin 2016as a“navigator”:one of thestudents from a variety of disciplines(Computer Science, Business, Social Work, Economics) who are paired withboot campparticipantstoreview their business plansand make recommendations.

Thenavigatorsworkclosely with their matches, andthestories thatparticipants shared withPowerhave stuck withher.

"We forgetthat people are still going to war,” she says. “I look at them and I think, 'How do you come back from that and be the person you are today?'They're so strong."

Thisyear shewasthe student program coordinator, helping with logistics, organizing theother navigatorsandbeing on-call throughout the week.She's happy to dothe work:"I feel like as much as I can do, I can't do enough."


Jessica Power (left) with Dr. Mary Kilfoil.

Despite coming from an entrepreneurial family, she doesn't necessarily want to start a business herself. Instead, sheseestheentrepreneurial skillsshe'sacquiredthrough the influence of her father, an inventor, and Enactus, a student society for social enterprise,as something that she can invest in causes shebelievesin.

"Ifeed offthe passion of others," she says. "With business there's so many opportunities:you can use the skills to help entrepreneurs and help non-profits, to help people get to where they need to be."

Life-long passion to new career


ForMarcusBrauer,one of theboot campparticipants,that's turning a long-time hobby into a sustainable business withUnder Pressure Antiques.When he started out, he sold booksdoor-to-doorand taught himself book repair.He realized thatmost antiquebusinesses toss the books without looking through them when theybuy the contents of an estate,andsaw an opportunity.

Heofferedto take the booksandpay the dumping fee,so that he could combthrough themlooking for the few that would be worth saving. It often pays off.

"These treasures are out there but people don't always recognize them," he says.One of his recentacquisitions is a collection of Sovietpropagandaposters, some of which are currently on display at Saint Mary's Art Gallery.

ThoughBrauerclearly has an enthusiast's appreciation for his finds, it's not just about treasure hunting.Being in the antique business means he's oftencomingtopeopleduring a difficult time in their lives, such as the loss of a loved one.

"I see people who are overwhelmed, they can't sell their house until they get rid of everything. We partner with the familyto sell their house over time, and the client gets a lot more money."In the case of the posters, "theywill probably be worth more than the house," he says.

Brauer never expected to own a business, and his rapid success meanshe's looking tobuild a sustainable business plan.In the military, he worked as ahealthservicesofficer, managing a hospital. Whilemanyof his skills are transferrable (managing large budgets, dealing with personnel),thePOEboot campis helping him fillthe gaps. He's connected with a web designer and an accountant, and will beexpandingto the international market.

A clear plan


Gabrielle Breault is also poised to take her business to the next level after completing thebootcamp.

Whenshe retired from the military,shetried a few different trades, thingsshe sayswere "interests, but not passions."After taking some time for self-discovery and healing (something she recommends to others transitioning from military life), she'sincorporatedthe latter in her new business,Petite PatrieChocolate.

"Chocolate," she statestriumphantly, "makes people happy."

Breault is the only certified fine chocolate maker in the Atlantic provinces, importing the finest organic cacao beans from countries such as Peru, Honduras and Mexico, then carefully roasting and grinding them.

"Store-bought candychocolate is to fine chocolate what grape pop is to wine," she explains.Choice of beanscan be asimportant to chocolate makers as choice of grapes is to winemakersinbringing out differentflavoursand qualities.

Sustainable business practices are important toBreault:she ensures thatthe organic cacao farmersshe buys fromare paid more than fair trade pricesand that theyobserve sound environmental practices. She'll be partnering with Nova Scotiawineries and craft brewersto make chocolate that complements theirofferings,using high-quality, locallysourced ingredients to give her chocolate creations "authentic Atlanticflavours."

POE has given herthe businessconfidenceshe needs to succeed.

"I've got a clear plan now," she says. "You don't know what you need to know until you get here and they goover details tomake sureyou are well informed on every aspect of being an entrepreneur.I didn't realize how much my business needed me to be here."