If you’re curious about what it’s like to start your own business, or looking for a unique co-op work term experience, keep reading to take inspiration from Kelsey Keddy, who participated in an Entrepreneurial Work Term with her business Captured Escape Rooms.
Kelsey is an alumna of the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program with a Major in Accounting. Kelsey is currently a full-time staff accountant with Ernst & Young (EY) and still devotes time to managing and running Captured. When asked if Kelsey would recommend an Entrepreneurial Work Term, her answer was, “Absolutely!”. For students interested in pursuing entrepreneurship, Kelsey believes an Entrepreneurial Work Term is the perfect ‘launch pad’, and that one of the best parts of an Entrepreneurial Work Term is, “the secure and supportive environment that sets up students for success”.
Kelsey says her experience working with EY, where she did her first two work terms, has provided her with a set of skills that gave her comfort in starting her own business, and the skills she’s gained through owning her own business has greatly benefitted her current role with EY. She is better able to understand her client’s needs, and entrepreneurship has pushed her to be more business-minded. Creatively, Captured has provided Kelsey with an outlet to balance a full-time job and her desire to create and be artistic.
Kelsey believes, “small businesses are the backbone of the business world”, which is what sparked her interest in pursuing an Entrepreneurial Work Term. Her passion and creativity can be seen throughout every aspect of Captured and being able to devote so much of herself to her business has enabled her business to grow and succeed beyond her Entrepreneurial Work Term.
“Owning my own business has been enormously rewarding. It’s very motivating to look back on all the hard work that was put into this idea and then consider how much it’s grown, and how much I’ve learned through the process.”
One of the biggest lessons Kelsey has learned throughout her entrepreneurial journey is that everything will change, even with good planning. Being adaptive and ready to recognize opportunities where others might not, is what sets successful entrepreneurs apart. Along the way, Kelsey has taken every mistake and missed opportunity as a learning experience and has promised herself to continue to grow and to not make the same mistake again. According to Kelsey, a successful entrepreneur must have passion, drive and the ability to know when to ask for help.
“You can learn all the technical skills required, but you can’t learn enthusiasm. If you’re a person that others want to see succeed, you’ll be amazed at just how many people will help you get there.”
“Young professionals are always told that they need to be prepared to fail, and while there are no participation awards in business, if you’re constantly worried about failure, you’ll be too busy to celebrate success and will miss out on amazing opportunities awaiting you around the corner. Instead of worrying, spend that energy on driving your businesses into a brighter future”.
If you’re still interested in learning more about starting your own business and what to expect, be sure to attend our Entrepreneurial Work Term Information Session and Pizza Lunch on September 24th. Find out more about the event and register now on myCareer.