2 minute read
Q & A with Chad Kowalchuk
Spice Addicts
Interview by: Jennifer Angers Daerendinger
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST SACRIFICE YOU’VE MADE STARTING OR RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS?
When you are a business owner having to make sacrifices is one thing you most likely will have to do. I have made several sacrifices along my business journey however the biggest one has been my social life. Before starting my business, I was always hanging out and doing things with my friends all the time. There was almost no weekend spent with not doing something fun with others. As I began to slowly grow my business I started to have less and less time to hang out. Sometimes I just wanted to quit and go back to having fun with my friends but then I snap out of it and remember that all my hard work and dedication to my business will eventually pay off. Once my business is grounded and operating to its full potential, I will then have lots of time to spend with my friends again. Some friends are angry with me and think that I’m just ignoring them, but they aren’t my friends. My true friends understand that I am 100% focused on my business succeeding and support me no matter what, and they know that we will eventually be spending more time together.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU LEARNED FROM FAILURE?
Many people, when they hear the word “failure” get upset and think that they can’t do anything right. When I hear the word “failure”, I hear “learning opportunity”. Failure is not a bad thing; you just have to change the way you look at it. Failure gives you a chance to determine the cause of the failure and from there you can create an action plan to correct the process you used, which will in turn give you a different and more positive outcome the next time. Every time you learn from a failure it makes you that much more aware and knowledgeable in every aspect of your business. Learning makes you stronger and there should not be a day that you don’t learn anything new. The biggest lesson which I have learned from failure is to never give up and keep pushing forward.
WHO HELPED YOU GET WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
There are always many people who help you get to where you are at today. There are 2 main individuals who have helped me in so many ways. My dad, being one of them. Most of time my dad and I don’t see eye to eye and argue majority of the time. He has owned numerous companies for many years and has a lot of knowledge when come to business. I believe that he truly doesn’t know how much I have learned from him, and how much he has influenced me in the way I conduct my business. The second individual who if it wasn’t for her, I would not be here or where I am at today. That person is my mom. She is the rock that keeps me grounded and focused on becoming the best I can be. She has always been there, supported and believed in everything I have done and what I am currently doing. When I need help, she is there to assist and guide me. She is full of wisdom, love, and kindness. Both my parents help me and my business both financially and are 2 of my number best customers. I truly appreciate all they have done and what they continue to do for me, and when they read this, I want them to know how much I love them.
