We had a quick chat with Manjit Minhas, Canadian entrepreneur, Dragon’s Den personality, and most recently, business podcast host. We’re scratching the surface of her take, on progress during a pandemic and invaluable advice for budding tycoons.  

 

You recently launched a new podcast that debuted in Apple’s top 10 list. What inspired you to start it?

I have wanted to start a podcast for a little while now. But I just never found the time until suddenly, the pandemic hit. I had more time to myself and thought it might be the perfect time to do it. Thanks to technology, I could do it at home. I pitched it to my contacts and the idea was to give some advice and hopefully inspire entrepreneurs at all stages. The conversation was then edited out into bite-sized pieces. The nice thing was that I learned a lot about these individuals who in some cases, I’ve known for a while. This year, I’m really trying to listen more than I talk. I think all of us are getting a little more creative as to how we learn and I have found that podcasts are a great way to do that. So I’m happy to be contributing to the podcast environment.

How do you manage to find balance in your life?

I resigned to the fact a long time ago that work-life balance is bullshit and I believe in living in the moment. I like being as productive, and hopefully as happy as I can be, in the moment that I’m in. We have to accept the fact that they all mix together. I believe that I get the most productivity and find balance just by being super organized. I think that everybody’s got to figure out what their own balance is and what works for them. But at the end of the day, it really is just about being happy and bringing the best you to whatever it is you’re doing.

 

What do you think are the most important things for an entrepreneur to focus on when launching their brand to make it stand out?

It’s really about going back to the basics- what makes you stand out and why. It’s really about touching those emotions, describing very simply what your product is, and understanding who your audience is. Recognize your customer and market directly to them. They have to find value in what you are providing and it has to enrich their lives. And so it’s up to you to convey that message creatively. It really is about focus. 

 

How do you think COVID will impact consumer behavior moving forward?

I think that it will definitely change what “normal” is. It also affects how we consume everything. We’ll be more conscious. Now, more than ever, we’ve had the time as consumers to do more research on what we buy, how it’s made, etc. Educated consumers are definitely the new norm. And I think we’ll have an interesting hybrid model of how much we work, go out, and how much we stay in a “safe space”. We’re all still determining what we’re comfortable with and what we can live without. This is a real growth period for a lot of people.

 

When on Dragon’s Den, is there anything specific that you look for when deciding what to invest in?

First and foremost, it really is about the entrepreneur and whether I like a product or not is secondary. I’m investing in whether or not the owner can handle the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur and the challenges and the failures that come with it every day and whether they’ll be able to manage my team’s resources and reputation. I need to believe that the entrepreneur will make it regardless of the product. 

 

What’s one of the most valuable lessons that you’ve learned as an entrepreneur?

I realized that we’re tougher than we think. I think that we all don’t give ourselves enough credit. I’ve learned over the years that you can get through it can do everything that you want. Not everything will be perfect, but I can dream big, and I can accomplish most of those goals.