Faces of Entrepreneurship FT. Geneviève Séguin
Geneviève Séguin is a seasoned events coordinator with over 10 years of experience in event and project management. She has a true passion for everything that goes into event planning: organization, attention to detail, concept design, communication, and marketing.
As the co-founder of the Ottawa Coffee Fest, her responsibilities include — but are not limited to — coordinating the logistics with the venue, communicating with vendors, and building strong relationships with partners and sponsors. She also works as an Events and Special Projects Coordinator for the Telfer School of Management.
In her spare time, Gen can be found traveling, riding her bike, going on long walks or jogs with her dog Buster, or enjoying a pint with her husband at a local brewery.
What does entrepreneurship mean to you?
“It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” — Scott Belsky. Anyone can come up with a great idea; but to me, what sets an entrepreneur apart from the rest is their ability to follow through with that idea/passion by putting in the work.
How are you entrepreneurial?
I suppose I’m not an entrepreneur in the traditional sense of the word, however, I do think I possess a lot of entrepreneurial characteristics. Building a festival from the ground up requires a lot of work, research and creative ideas, all of which my partner and I develop on a daily basis.
Being entrepreneurial also means creating a lot of connections, which is done through relationship building with vendors, sponsors and other various stakeholders.
Lastly, I believe “living the entrepreneurial spirit” means not being afraid to take a risk. When my partner and I started the planning the festival, we did not have any money, nor were we well connected yet to the festival and coffee worlds, but that didn’t stop us from diving right in. Any project starts with a solid plan and a sound budget!
How does an entrepreneurial mindset contribute to your life?
I think it provides me with a can-do attitude and encourages me to take on new projects and ideas. Creating clear goals and deadlines for myself is very important and I apply it to many aspects of my life. I’ve also noticed that I’ve become more confident in my decisions, which has definitely contributed positively to my well-being.
*This feature was published as a part of the Faces of Entrepreneurship Campaign, 2020.
