AccelerateOTT 2017: Sean Sheppard

Posted in Blog
Mar 30, 2017

When the days get longer and the temperature gets warmer, everyone gets excited. Not only does this mean retiring the winter clothes, but it’s also an opportunity to freshen up your business strategies.  Looking to give your biz a good spring cleaning? You need some fresh ideas. You need AccelerateOTT. We’re back on Thursday, May 11th, for our fifth annual entrepreneurial conference, and this year we’re all about growth hacking.

Four years of heavy hitting lineups is hard to beat, but we’re not ones to disappoint. We can confidently say that this year’s event will be loaded with top experts in the industry. In anticipation of year five, we decided to get a head start on introducing you to the awesome speakers helping us fuel Ottawa’s entrepreneurial fire.

Meet Sean Sheppard!

Sean is the co-founder of Seed-Stage Fund and Market Development Accelerator GrowthX and GrowthX Academy, a company that trains individuals who want to transition into a career in Sales and Business Development, Growth Marketing or UX Design.

Sean is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully grown dozens of early-stage companies across a wide variety of products and markets. He was recently named a Top 20 Inside Sales Influencer. Now he is committed to training and equipping the next generation of sales leaders and entrepreneurs.

Check out our chat with Sean and learn more about the man behind the successful growth of multiple start-ups:

How did you “pay your dues” to get to where you are today?

I’ve started five companies, sold three and had two extremely valuable “learning experiences”. Someone (much smarter than me) once said experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want—and I have TONS of experience.

The busy life of an entrepreneur cannot be an easy one. What is your favourite “life hack” to help manage it all?

I have two hacks. The first is to have an amazing “Co-Founder” in life to provide the right amount of love and support when things get hard…and they will get hard!  The second is to recognize what you’re not good at or don’t like to do and surround yourself with amazing people who can.

What is one staple growth hack every start-up should know about?

They should know that there is always an answer if you do not refuse to give up on the problem.  Einstein said “It’s not that I’m smarter, I just spend more time on the problem”.


What businesses are currently doing growth hacking well?

AirBnB hacked its way to growth by scraping craigslist and they continue to promote a hacking culture. AutoPilot is a young up and comer in the hacking culture as well!

Why did you want to speak at AccelerateOTT?

Because I don’t believe entrepreneurs should have to leave their hometown to realize their dreams.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I played golf professionally in my early twenties.

AccelerateOTT cover

Check Sean out at AccelerateOTT 2017: Growth Hacking on May 11! Get your tickets here.

For more information and a full list of speakers head to accelerateott.ca.

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