Entrepreneurs are optimists by nature. They find opportunities everywhere and want to do it all. But even the most driven entrepreneurs need to have the discipline to prioritize and focus on what will drive their business forward. Fatima Zaidi has always been one to watch. She was born in Oman, with all the cultural norms and expectations of a Middle Eastern woman. Yet, regardless of circumstance, she took the plunge to build her own career and became the CEO and co-founder of Quill Inc.,  an imaginative podcast agency that gives people a credible and compelling voice. They even produced this episode of Chatter that Matters Presented by RBC. Fatima has many passions. She is an advocate for women in tech, a champion to bring more diversity into the workplace, a keynote speaker, and thought leader. But, can she do it all? Elizabeth Hughes, a venture and technology specialist at RBC offers her thoughts on capitalization. Entrepreneurial legend, Bruce Croxon, shares some powerful insights on entrepreneurship before shining his insight on Fatima and the potential of Quill. And for the first time in the series, Tony Chapman moves beyond parting thoughts and offers Fatima his own advice. 

 

Show Notes:

 

1:15 - Getting to know Fatima & Quill

Learn where Fatima grew up, when she came to Canada, how she started her career in sales, and the origin story of Quill. 

10.42 - Interview with Elizabeth Hughes from RBC's technology and venture practice

Elizabeth discusses her advice for Fatima as she continues to grow Quill from a capital markets perspective. Specifically, she touches on podcasting’s potential as a marketing medium and discusses her thoughts on Fatima’s ability to bootstrap Quill through COVID. 

13.38 - Interview with Bruce Croxon from Round13

Bruce chats with Tony about his entrepreneurial advice and comments on Fatima’s business model, mentioning his kudos for creating a service based arm of the business that will fund Quill’s technology products. 

19.09 - Tony's message to Fatima

For the first time, Tony gives his advice to Fatima as she continues to run Quill through the pandemic. 1) Focus on what matters, 2) clients are drawn to energy but buy on process, and 3) find the areas where you are intellectually stimulated and emotionally rewarded. 

 

This episode is brought to you by RBC. To support this show and get specialized support for your business, visit: https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/business/advice/industry-expertise.html

 

You can also check out RBC’s Small Business Navigator here: www.rbc.com/smallbusinessnavigator

 

Learn more about Fatima, Bruce, and Elizabeth below:

 

Fatima, Zaidi, Co-founder and CEO of Quill: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatima-zaidi-6a6b844b/

Quill Inc: quillit.io

 

Bruce Croxon, Managing Partner, Round 13 Capital: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucecroxon/

Elizabeth Hughes, Commercial Account Manager, RBC: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethallenhughes/

 

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