While sharing the lessons learned at the Entrepreneurs' Lunch
SUMMERSIDE – October 14, 2023 – To succeed in business, especially as a micro-enterprise, one must learn to step out of their comfort zone, start with little, be adaptable, use the resources around them, and build strong relationships, according to Solange Ake, speaker at the Entrepreneurs« Lunch and cooperators 2026 on October 13 in Summerside. And above all, »one must never forget the human behind the business since people are at the heart of everything."
Ms. Ake, owner of Distinct Magic Decor, Distinct Magic Events, and Fusion Gift Boxes, delivered a beautiful and smiling motivational speech to the twenty people present for this annual dinner of the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI and the Wellington Rural Action Centre.
It was very fitting that she titled her speech «Starting Without Having All the Answers,» which summarizes her entrepreneurial journey well.
Solange was born in France, lived for several years in Côte d'Ivoire in Africa but returned to live in France as an adult. She decided to embark on a great adventure and move to Canada, specifically to Prince Edward Island. She arrived here from France in 2017 with two suitcases and a backpack. Immediately, she faced a major language challenge as she understood very little English and had great difficulty interpreting the Acadian language. She knew no one and had no network. She first took advantage of the community welcome services and found herself a community job.
HER BEGINNINGS
Arriving at the global pandemic of 2020, she decided that she needed a bigger challenge. She began to explore entrepreneurship and determine the field of her business; she wanted to leverage her strengths. She had already planned and decorated weddings, so she recounts, with a laugh, «I started an event planning business... when there were no events.» All of this without money or a plan. But she did have a vision and plenty of courage and a will to succeed. When public activities were finally allowed, she started by offering the services of Distinct Magic Decor for free to friends to get known and to take photos for her social media.
She had to be patient and very careful at the beginning since there was very little money coming in. She often used reclaimed materials. She did not buy large quantities of decor materials all at once either, learning instead that the trends and styles of sought-after decor change very quickly and very often.
She trained and developed her skills, built connections with the right key people, found allies, stepped out of her comfort zone, and moved forward using the resources available to her.
At the same time, in 2021, she founded Fusion Gift Boxes to sell unique «corporate» gifts. Each box contained authentic products, mostly handmade, from Acadia, France, and Africa.
REWARDS
And now in 2023, her business evolves to become Distinct Magic Events, through which Solange decorates, plans, and coordinates events, such as weddings, banquets, and corporate evenings, in Atlantic Canada and even as far as Montreal. Her greatest reward? «To see the happiness in my clients» eyes and to know that I helped create moments that will be etched in their memories."
Over the years, she discovered that the most beautiful adventures are sometimes those that one never imagined. She also learned «that you don't need to know the whole path to dare to take the first step.»
The Midi des entrepreneurs and cooperators was sponsored by CBDC Central PEI and the Solution Repreneuriat project of RDÉE Prince Edward Island.