Aliya Amershi

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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: It's VanCoovers Podcast on the Canada's Podcast Network.
[00:26] SPEAKER_00: As an entrepreneur, you started your business to follow your passion and not to spend your evenings doing bookkeeping.
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[01:12] SPEAKER_00: Hello, this is Robert Smile, coming to today with a VanCoovers Podcast, a member of the Canada's Podcast Network,
[01:18] SPEAKER_00: where we talk to the entrepreneurs who are making it happen here in Vancouver, British Columbia.
[01:23] SPEAKER_00: Halea Amershi is a technologist and visionary with over 20 years of international experience.
[01:30] SPEAKER_00: She is currently the CEO and founder of AskAteki.com, a tech talent 2.0 marketplace that intelligently matches companies with vetted top-tier technical talent,
[01:44] SPEAKER_00: best suited for their urgent technology needs so that they can grow their business faster.
[01:50] SPEAKER_00: Since they launched in 2017, AskAteki has bootstrapped their way to six figures and sales,
[01:58] SPEAKER_00: and they were also selected to participate in the Canadian Technology Accelerator in Silicon Valley.
[02:05] SPEAKER_00: Halea is also a director at the Founder Institute in Vancouver.
[02:11] SPEAKER_00: Well, Halea, welcome to the show. Thanks for taking the time today to be here for all our listeners.
[02:16] SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much, Robert, for having me. I'm super excited.
[02:20] SPEAKER_00: Great, okay, I want you to tell us a little bit more about yourself, where you're from,
[02:24] SPEAKER_00: and give us the details on your current business.
[02:28] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely. It's a little bit about my story in originally from Vancouver,
[02:34] SPEAKER_01: but I've been living multiple places my whole life.
[02:39] SPEAKER_01: So, I started, I guess, coding back in the day, when I was a kid,
[02:43] SPEAKER_01: and just like, way before Google and Facebook days.
[02:46] SPEAKER_01: I went on to do my degree in computer science at EBC,
[02:50] SPEAKER_01: and then worked as a software engineer, tech lead, and IT manager.
[02:55] SPEAKER_01: At places like Electronic Arts here in Vancouver,
[02:59] SPEAKER_01: co-demasters in England, and a Vycom Networks in New York.
[03:05] SPEAKER_01: And then, when the last, I guess, mega projects that I worked on in New York
[03:10] SPEAKER_01: was called the Nick App, and we won an Emmy.
[03:14] SPEAKER_01: And then, I made my way back to Vancouver a couple years ago
[03:18] SPEAKER_01: to pursue my passion, this early on, my own business, which is Ask a Techie.
[03:24] SPEAKER_01: And, like you said, we intelligently match companies with VEDITED,
[03:29] SPEAKER_01: top to our technical talent that's best suited for their urgent project needs,
[03:34] SPEAKER_01: so that they can grow faster.
[03:35] SPEAKER_01: So, basically, you could pick up us as a full-service tech concierge
[03:42] SPEAKER_01: that combines IT consulting with matchmaking and recruiting all in one.
[03:48] SPEAKER_01: And right now, we're focused on the premium grade technology services space,
[03:54] SPEAKER_01: specifically blockchain, back-and-development AI, that sort of stuff.
[03:59] SPEAKER_01: And then, we are also introducing technology workshops for non-tech founders
[04:05] SPEAKER_01: as a way to figure out what their technology needs are.
[04:10] SPEAKER_01: And then, that way, we can better match them with the right talent to get their idea off the ground.
[04:17] SPEAKER_00: Okay, now, we know that you bootstrapped this company,
[04:20] SPEAKER_00: but how are you currently making money in your business now?
[04:24] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so our business operates such that much similar to other market-based models out there
[04:32] SPEAKER_01: for all the projects that close.
[04:35] SPEAKER_01: We take anywhere from a 15 to 20% cut of the total project value,
[04:41] SPEAKER_01: so that's pretty standard for marketplace models.
[04:45] SPEAKER_00: Okay, now, what is the long-term vision?
[04:48] SPEAKER_00: And what will your company look like in the future?
[04:50] SPEAKER_00: Do you see the company expanding into other areas
[04:53] SPEAKER_00: and where, beyond Vancouver, BC, or even Canada?
[04:57] SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
[04:58] SPEAKER_01: I've always had a global mindset and a billion dollar started
[05:04] SPEAKER_01: to dream right from the gecko.
[05:07] SPEAKER_01: So I'm a dream big and actually oriented type person.
[05:12] SPEAKER_01: So the grand vision here is not to just build another marketplace or technology marketplace.
[05:20] SPEAKER_01: It's really actually to build an AI-powered marketplace engine
[05:25] SPEAKER_01: that would be used to drive all marketplaces in multiple verticals.
[05:31] SPEAKER_01: So not just tech, but it can legal or accounting or finance, that sort of stuff.
[05:36] SPEAKER_00: Okay, well, we've learned a little bit about you and we've learned a little bit about your company,
[05:40] SPEAKER_00: but we want to talk about Vancouver now.
[05:43] SPEAKER_00: So what are the biggest benefits for you
[05:45] SPEAKER_00: and being an entrepreneur here in Vancouver, BC,
[05:47] SPEAKER_00: I want you to give us some of the good points about starting a company here,
[05:51] SPEAKER_00: but I also want you to give us some of the tough things or challenges for our listeners,
[05:54] SPEAKER_00: so they can keep an eye out for them.
[05:57] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
[05:59] SPEAKER_01: You know, like compared, Vancouver a lot to New York,
[06:02] SPEAKER_01: because that is in New York for almost seven years,
[06:04] SPEAKER_01: and that's like, you know, a mega metropolis.
[06:08] SPEAKER_01: So Vancouver is a great micro-tech startup hub.
[06:12] SPEAKER_01: It's an amazing place to kind of like get your idea and business off the ground
[06:18] SPEAKER_01: at a lower cost compared to New York.
[06:22] SPEAKER_01: And it's a good way to just like test things out, train yourself,
[06:27] SPEAKER_01: train, get the training you need on your business, see what works, what doesn't.
[06:34] SPEAKER_01: And then from here, you know, that's where you can then start maybe taking your business elsewhere.
[06:42] SPEAKER_01: So that's the good thing.
[06:44] SPEAKER_01: And then I guess on the maybe other side of things,
[06:49] SPEAKER_01: again, comparing it to New York and the mentality there,
[06:53] SPEAKER_01: is that people here think small, and I've always thought big,
[06:58] SPEAKER_01: hence why, you know, living there worked really well.
[07:03] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, when I talk about, I want to build a billion-dollar business,
[07:07] SPEAKER_01: I think that kind of shocks a lot of people, but that's okay.
[07:10] SPEAKER_01: It's like to be unconventional anyways.
[07:14] SPEAKER_01: And also, a lot of times people here are in Vancouver quite risk-averse.
[07:19] SPEAKER_01: They want to see like, you know, proof and execution as opposed to just ideas and that sort of stuff.
[07:29] SPEAKER_01: So that's maybe on the downside of things here in Vancouver.
[07:35] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Now we do some of our best workouts side the office.
[07:38] SPEAKER_00: Is there a place in the lower mainland close to where you live or work,
[07:41] SPEAKER_00: where you like to go recharge or get inspired with ideas,
[07:44] SPEAKER_00: or just think about your business,
[07:46] SPEAKER_00: and does it change with the season considering all the rain we get here?
[07:51] SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, it is rain, rain, and Hoover, right?
[07:55] SPEAKER_01: I mean, Bay here is absolutely beautiful as stunning.
[08:00] SPEAKER_01: You know, I really love my apartment, I feel it's a safe,
[08:04] SPEAKER_01: and I specifically, I work out of my apartment in the US,
[08:09] SPEAKER_01: I think the way it looks, I've sort of found this operatorate,
[08:12] SPEAKER_01: but I chose an apartment that had a spectacular view of the whole entire city,
[08:19] SPEAKER_01: and a 360 view, so then that allows me every morning
[08:26] SPEAKER_01: I make sure to appreciate my place and the beauty of Vancouver.
[08:32] SPEAKER_01: And even step out of my balcony to just breathe a fresh air,
[08:36] SPEAKER_01: and start my day as maybe one of my many morning rituals
[08:41] SPEAKER_01: appreciating everything that I have so far.
[08:44] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Now we have a lot of international listeners,
[08:47] SPEAKER_00: so this next question I want you to speak to them.
[08:50] SPEAKER_00: Yeah. Okay. If you were to start all over again,
[08:53] SPEAKER_00: and you just moved here to Vancouver, BC,
[08:55] SPEAKER_00: but this time you don't know anyone, knowing what you know now,
[08:58] SPEAKER_00: what would you do, and how would you go about starting all over again
[09:02] SPEAKER_00: as an entrepreneur?
[09:07] SPEAKER_01: So I think, okay, was there two questions?
[09:14] SPEAKER_01: Sorry, I guess like, I don't know how to do it.
[09:15] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, just imagine, I want you to imagine you're just landed on your airplane,
[09:20] SPEAKER_00: you're just driving down Oak Street, and you want to start a business,
[09:24] SPEAKER_00: where do you think, and what are your focus down right now?
[09:27] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, what I would do,
[09:30] SPEAKER_01: I would have just launched something faster.
[09:35] SPEAKER_01: I think a lot of times people, including myself,
[09:39] SPEAKER_01: spend a lot of time thinking about things,
[09:42] SPEAKER_01: talking to people, learning, all that sort of stuff,
[09:46] SPEAKER_01: and including myself, probably spending too long doing all of that,
[09:52] SPEAKER_01: when I should have, I think, honestly, launched something way faster
[09:56] SPEAKER_01: and just learned from talking to potential customers directly,
[10:02] SPEAKER_01: because as soon as we launched, the business evolved so much,
[10:07] SPEAKER_01: and we learned so much just by like having something out there,
[10:11] SPEAKER_01: even if it wasn't a bit perfect, and so that's kind of what I would do differently.
[10:17] SPEAKER_00: Okay, now let's talk a little bit about your routine.
[10:20] SPEAKER_00: What does the first hour look like for you when you get up in the morning?
[10:23] SPEAKER_00: You already did mention you about the beautiful view,
[10:26] SPEAKER_00: but do you have a specific routine or a ritual that helps you get motivated to start your day?
[10:32] SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, I'm all about morning rituals.
[10:34] SPEAKER_01: I mean, that's something I write about and talk about a lot.
[10:38] SPEAKER_01: I'm actually one of those odd people that actually make sure to spend
[10:42] SPEAKER_01: two to three hours on my morning rituals,
[10:45] SPEAKER_01: and that's why I guess I had to wake up earlier to do that,
[10:48] SPEAKER_01: but one of the most important things beyond appreciation is meditation
[10:55] SPEAKER_01: and meditating for 20 minutes.
[10:58] SPEAKER_01: That is something that's really important to just get into the zone
[11:03] SPEAKER_01: and kind of like, you know, take on the day, whatever made come my way.
[11:09] SPEAKER_01: I call my mornings actually empowerment mornings,
[11:12] SPEAKER_01: and I have like 20 rituals that I got to do.
[11:15] SPEAKER_01: But I'll name the top three or something like that.
[11:19] SPEAKER_01: So I've had the meditation appreciation,
[11:21] SPEAKER_01: a couple other things that I'd love to do is having my bulletproof coffees.
[11:26] SPEAKER_01: I really got into that whole craze.
[11:29] SPEAKER_01: That's a good way to kind of get a lot of like your energy
[11:34] SPEAKER_01: and some nutrients in your first thing in the morning.
[11:37] SPEAKER_01: And then again, it's all about just maximizing your energy right from the morning.
[11:43] SPEAKER_01: So I do some yoga stretches as well.
[11:45] SPEAKER_01: So yeah, all of those things are part of my daily morning rituals.
[11:51] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Do you think entrepreneurs have to be weird or unique
[11:55] SPEAKER_00: in a positive way or are wired differently?
[11:59] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, 100%.
[12:01] SPEAKER_01: You know Steve Jobs always talked about,
[12:03] SPEAKER_01: it's the crazy ones that will change the world,
[12:08] SPEAKER_01: and I guess our entrepreneurs,
[12:09] SPEAKER_01: because to be able to take the really special type of person
[12:15] SPEAKER_01: to be able to handle getting rejected continuously,
[12:21] SPEAKER_01: or maybe even daily,
[12:23] SPEAKER_01: and then to be living in kind of a level of poverty in some ways
[12:28] SPEAKER_01: and living in uncertainty for like,
[12:33] SPEAKER_01: and we're not talking about months,
[12:35] SPEAKER_01: but maybe for like years,
[12:36] SPEAKER_01: and still having the drive and passion and optimism
[12:41] SPEAKER_01: to continue and push through,
[12:46] SPEAKER_01: and having that level of conviction that you're going to make it,
[12:52] SPEAKER_01: not many people can even do that for like a few months.
[12:57] SPEAKER_01: So you see a lot of times like on people who might want to consider entrepreneurship,
[13:02] SPEAKER_01: they quit within like six months or something.
[13:05] SPEAKER_01: And this is something that you've got at least be in the game for a minimum of three years.
[13:11] SPEAKER_00: It's all about persistence, isn't it?
[13:14] SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
[13:15] SPEAKER_00: Okay. What books are you reading now and why,
[13:18] SPEAKER_00: or even audio books,
[13:19] SPEAKER_00: and can you recommend any books for our listeners who are also aspiring entrepreneurs?
[13:24] SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
[13:25] SPEAKER_01: So I really love audio books,
[13:28] SPEAKER_01: having, getting into audio books can completely change my life.
[13:32] SPEAKER_01: I'm able to now get through one book a week.
[13:36] SPEAKER_01: And there's still, and I, and there's so many amazing books out there.
[13:39] SPEAKER_01: I like books that, you know, inspire me to think big and think out of the box.
[13:46] SPEAKER_01: So one of the classics is Thinking Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
[13:51] SPEAKER_01: That's like, I think, a book, every, you know, entrepreneur that thinks big needs to read,
[13:56] SPEAKER_01: along with from zero to one by Peter Diel,
[14:01] SPEAKER_01: that was an awesome book.
[14:04] SPEAKER_01: And then, Davin and the Lions by Malcolm Gladwell.
[14:08] SPEAKER_01: So those are some of my favorite books, for sure.
[14:11] SPEAKER_00: Any online or offline tools that you'd like to use on a daily basis?
[14:16] SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah. I mean, one of my favorite tools that I always rave about,
[14:22] SPEAKER_01: and I did even a blog about what's called the Wonder List.
[14:27] SPEAKER_01: I'm all about, you know, making lists and keeping track of everything.
[14:33] SPEAKER_01: It's such a great tool to just be able to do that and organize your life.
[14:41] SPEAKER_01: And not only kind of like use it as a to-do daily list,
[14:46] SPEAKER_01: but like a list of like, you know, setting up your goals for the month,
[14:51] SPEAKER_01: or like, for the year, or your morning rituals that you got to get through.
[14:55] SPEAKER_01: So there's so many ways to make the most of that.
[14:59] SPEAKER_01: So that's like, that's what my favorite tools for sure.
[15:01] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Now, as you mentioned earlier, Vancouver is a very beautiful place to live and work.
[15:06] SPEAKER_00: And there's so much to do here. We've got the mountains, lakes, rivers, parks.
[15:10] SPEAKER_00: You name it. We've got it.
[15:11] SPEAKER_00: How do you balance work and how do you relax and not even think about work?
[15:14] SPEAKER_00: And what are your favorite activities to do here in BC? Do you ski?
[15:17] SPEAKER_00: Do you bike, kayak, golf?
[15:18] SPEAKER_00: Hike or simply go for a drive?
[15:22] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. So I'm one of them. I'm an odd banker right.
[15:27] SPEAKER_01: I don't really do any of those things except for maybe I will...
[15:34] SPEAKER_01: Actually, I will bike ride along Stanley Park during the summer.
[15:39] SPEAKER_01: So that's definitely a must.
[15:42] SPEAKER_01: But what I like about Vancouver, I explore Vancouver in different ways.
[15:47] SPEAKER_01: It's a less outdoorsy but more about the culture community.
[15:52] SPEAKER_01: And so I love exploring all the different foods and restaurants and cuisines.
[15:58] SPEAKER_01: And Rainforest is actually known for that too. So there's so many, especially living downtown.
[16:03] SPEAKER_01: There's just so much great food out here from all the types of different cultures.
[16:08] SPEAKER_01: And that's one of my favorite past times to do.
[16:11] SPEAKER_00: Okay. If you weren't doing what you do now, what would you like to do for a profession?
[16:19] SPEAKER_00: If I wasn't an entrepreneur or working with Aske Tekki or anything like that, technology based.
[16:28] SPEAKER_01: Well, basically, I'm an entrepreneur at heart.
[16:31] SPEAKER_01: And so if I wasn't asked the techie, I literally had 20 business ideas.
[16:35] SPEAKER_01: And I'd probably come up with a business idea like every week or something.
[16:39] SPEAKER_01: So if I wasn't this idea, there's like, you know, several other ideas that I would be pursuing.
[16:45] SPEAKER_01: And if it's not one of my own ideas, I would be, I would join another tech startup and help them build their idea.
[16:55] SPEAKER_01: Being like, acting as maybe like a product owner and visionary and that sort of stuff for sure.
[17:02] SPEAKER_00: So if you're coming up with a lot of different business ideas, what do you, what do you do with them? Do you pass them on?
[17:08] SPEAKER_00: Or you throw them, put them into the archives? What do you do?
[17:11] SPEAKER_00: Like if you're coming up with so many ideas, what do you do with these?
[17:15] SPEAKER_00: Like obviously you don't want them to get away. So is there?
[17:18] SPEAKER_01: I'll put them on my Wonderlist.
[17:22] SPEAKER_01: And then I go to godaddy.com or about say whatever.
[17:28] SPEAKER_01: And I buy whatever.com for that business because, you know, I do plant once this first business Aske Tekki is super successful.
[17:38] SPEAKER_01: I saw it. I'm going to pursue one of these next businesses. So it is going to like, you know, manifest, senior later.
[17:47] SPEAKER_01: So there's that. And then I guess, you know, post Aske Tekki, me and my goal is to also be a public speaker.
[17:56] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, I guess if there wasn't a business owner entrepreneur, that's another thing I would be doing as well.
[18:02] SPEAKER_01: Kind of being like a 20 robins or something like that.
[18:05] SPEAKER_00: What kind of a job would you not like to do? Couldn't do it.
[18:12] SPEAKER_01: Oh, anything. Well, you know, I worked in the corporate world for so long.
[18:18] SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I don't think I can work a corporate nine to five job at a major enterprise.
[18:26] SPEAKER_01: But so there's that or just any job that doesn't like that doesn't require, you know, brain power to do like I just can't.
[18:37] SPEAKER_01: I need something that is creative and challenges me intellectually and is mind-simulating. So yeah.
[18:47] SPEAKER_00: Okay. In business, what is your favorite word quote or sentence that you like to use?
[18:55] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. So there's a couple. I have so many quotes. I got like my quote list too.
[19:00] SPEAKER_01: But to my favorites is that one. So the first one is painless temporary quitting lasts forever.
[19:10] SPEAKER_01: And then the other one is luck comes at the intersection of hard work and opportunity.
[19:18] SPEAKER_00: Okay. What is your least favorite word or sentence you do not like to hear?
[19:25] SPEAKER_01: I don't know. Let's see. These favorites like people say they'll just let up.
[19:31] SPEAKER_01: I hear what people say like, oh, you know, that's not my job or that's not my fault or, you know, something like that.
[19:40] SPEAKER_01: Like anything that revolves around not taking ownership for something that is my least favorite and playing that victim mentality also was.
[19:50] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. That's what it would be.
[19:52] SPEAKER_00: Okay. If you had to pick one or two words to describe yourself, what would it be and why?
[19:59] SPEAKER_01: Um, so visionary for sure. Um, and um, passionate.
[20:09] SPEAKER_01: Um, it's so visionary. I think maybe just from our conversation is that I just have some of the ideas and dreams that I can't even like continue myself.
[20:22] SPEAKER_01: Um, and so, uh, and I've got, you know, a grand vision for my own business. So there's that. And then, um, passionate.
[20:32] SPEAKER_01: Uh, just because, you know, uh, passion slash positive.
[20:38] SPEAKER_01: Uh, let's put that together. Um, just because, you know, I mean, most people who have gone through the amount of rejection I've gone through with my business.
[20:52] SPEAKER_01: Would not have been able to survive. Um, and so it requires a lot of passion and positivity to continue.
[21:01] SPEAKER_01: And that's what some, that's what that's what people will always say to me all the time as well. So yeah.
[21:07] SPEAKER_00: Okay. So you have a thick skin. You're able to kind of persevere even though you've had the rejection and everything, which is really critical for an entrepreneur.
[21:16] SPEAKER_00: Right? Yes. For sure. Okay. What keeps you up at night if anything?
[21:24] SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I mean, um, let's see. You know, I, I'm one of those like, again, odd folks that I'm actually able to sleep well at night now.
[21:40] SPEAKER_01: Um, I used to worry a lot before, but I think everything that they started meditating, um, and just kind of focusing on having optimal health.
[21:50] SPEAKER_01: I just know that having a good sleep is so important. Um, so if I do, if I am, if I'm not able to sleep, it's only because I'm so excited about maybe a new idea of prospect or some big exciting meeting or event the next day.
[22:08] SPEAKER_01: It would be something positive perhaps that might keep me up because of the sheer excitement of it.
[22:15] SPEAKER_01: But then luckily, because I've got so much adrenaline because of that, I don't get tired the next day. So, uh, so yeah, that's what it would be.
[22:23] SPEAKER_00: Okay. I want you to give us the top three things on your inspired lifeless. This could be if you want to travel more, TEDx talk, philanthropy, write a book, anything like that?
[22:34] SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, for sure. Um, so, um, I guess it's given, but I'll just say it anyways, it's a big commas super successful billionaire startup founder number one.
[22:48] SPEAKER_01: Um, it never too is to be, you know, uh, like an empowerment speakers, slash public speakers, slash thought leader, like Tony Robbins, Oprah, Tim Veras.
[23:02] SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, all of these awesome people out there, um, sharing their advice and inspiring others. Um, and then, um, and then number three would be to also be, um, an angel investor myself.
[23:21] SPEAKER_01: Um, so that, and I was, you know, focused on helping other female tech startup founders, uh, get off the ground and just give them that support.
[23:33] SPEAKER_01: Um, that they definitely need. And so, yeah, those would be the three goals of mine, um, that I wanted to achieve.
[23:41] SPEAKER_00: Okay, now do you have any advice that you may have received that you can pass on to entrepreneurs throughout BC?
[23:51] SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, so some of the advice is that, you know, um, it's a combination of like maybe advice have gone from like mentors, advisors from reading books and from my own experience.
[24:09] SPEAKER_01: So the logistics all from all of you that. Um, so I think a lot of time. So I would say you don't always have to follow the conventional ways of starting a business.
[24:22] SPEAKER_01: Like in my case, I had no funding and, um, no like co-founding team and no, uh, advanced technology to be able to launch my business, get customers, generate six figures and sales, which only like the top 10% of female founders are able to do.
[24:44] SPEAKER_01: So that's pretty unconventional. I think a lot of times people think they need all three of those things to start a business when you necessarily, I mean, you don't necessarily need all that.
[24:55] SPEAKER_01: Um, and then the other thing is just, I feel like it's a lot of thing. A lot of what it takes to be a good entrepreneur is all about having the good entrepreneur mindset.
[25:09] SPEAKER_01: So I like to call it, you know, the three P's and you can play interchange them by the like patients, persistence, positivity, you know, you can interchange with passion, perseverance, all of that sort of stuff.
[25:22] SPEAKER_01: So yeah, that would be some of the advice.
[25:25] SPEAKER_00: Okay, Alia, are you ready to have some fun? Sure.
[25:29] SPEAKER_00: Okay, well, as you know, entrepreneurs are very, very busy people and we're always connected whether it be with clients, staff, you name it, we were always on the go.
[25:37] SPEAKER_00: We're going to take you away from all that. There's a small tropical island just off of Fiji that only has one phone booth there. There is no internet. This place does exist, by the way.
[25:47] SPEAKER_00: We're going to drop you off there. You won't have a computer or smartphone or tablet. You can use the phone booth located there any time to call the boat. We'll come pick you up.
[25:56] SPEAKER_00: How long would you last before you made that call? And what would you do while you were there?
[26:02] SPEAKER_01: I was also interesting and good question. How long could I last?
[26:12] SPEAKER_01: You know, I think I could really just last a day, 24 hours maybe.
[26:23] SPEAKER_01: So that would be good. And I guess what I would do is just all the self-care stuff, because I'm really huge on that.
[26:31] SPEAKER_01: So it's like meditative. I don't know if I have some kind of paper or maybe I write them in the sand. I would do that. I'd do my yoga.
[26:40] SPEAKER_01: I'd appreciate nature and beauty. And just kind of get one with my self and I guess the higher power and nature itself.
[26:53] SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I could do that for about 24 hours.
[26:55] SPEAKER_00: Just to chill out and you be calling the boat after 24 hours. I'm good. Come get me.
[26:59] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[27:01] SPEAKER_00: Okay, we're going to wrap things up here. How can our listeners get whole of you? And is there anything you'd like to add before you leave us today?
[27:09] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so you know, if anybody, you can get a hold of me for multiple things.
[27:17] SPEAKER_01: If you want to get some advice of how to get your business off the ground and maybe get that mentorship.
[27:26] SPEAKER_01: I'm happy to take the call with somebody. Or, you know, of course, if you are looking for some tech talent or are interested in anything.
[27:37] SPEAKER_01: And then you can get your own technology workshops to just get your idea after ground.
[27:41] SPEAKER_01: Then yeah, please contact me by email, which would be Alia, Alie at askotechie.com, which is ASKATECIE.com.
[27:58] SPEAKER_00: Okay. Great. Okay, Alia. Thank you for coming on the show. I've learned a lot about you. And I'm sure our listeners have as well.
[28:05] SPEAKER_01: Yes, thank you so much for having me, Robert.
[28:08] SPEAKER_00: Great. Okay. We'll see you next time.
[28:11] SPEAKER_01: Okay.
[28:14] SPEAKER_00: Hey there. Thanks for taking the time today to listen to Vancouver's podcast on the Canada's podcast network.
[28:19] SPEAKER_00: We hope you enjoyed this show today. Make sure you sign up for our newsletters and write a review for us on iTunes.
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[28:30] SPEAKER_00: You can also check out what other entrepreneurs are doing across the country. See you next time.