2 mins | 450 words
By: Avah Taylor
Creating or finding an environment that’s conducive to your growth and sets you up for success is hard. And, so is developing good habits and implementing effective practices, especially when you’re on your own.
What’s the best solution? We suggest turning to the experts.
That’s why, to wrap up our Black History Month blog series, Invest Ottawa is highlighting two Black entrepreneurs changing the face of the professional services industry.
Eric McRae
After noticing that Ottawa needed a community space for creative professionals, Eric McRae decided to open My Byward Office, located in the iconic Byward Market.
Established in 2014 and designed by Eric himself, the co-working space offers modern open-concept workspaces, meeting rooms, private offices, and event spaces where companies and entrepreneurs can get work done and promote creativity.
Earlier in his career, Eric built and designed service desks and service operations for large companies. He is an expert in work habits, workspaces, function and space design. His spaces incorporate woods, metal, glass and fabrics in a way that allows people to feel comfortable and productive.
“I created My Byward Office to be a series of beautiful spaces where creative people can come to work smarter and succeed faster,” said the founder and CEO. “I believe the right space can inspire growth, collaboration and foster some of the most amazing creative ideas.
Eric is also a coach and mentor for startup entrepreneurs, who has helped to develop over 40 businesses. With over 16 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, he specializes in guiding startups from concept to reality.
Jesmine Onyeukwu
Jesmine Onyeukwu is a certified productivity, performance and leadership coach recognized as a thought leader in the industry.
Her companies, JessyIsCharm and The Organizing Academy, provide organizing and productivity solutions for business leaders, teams, and organizations using The Life Harmony System – the world’s first sustainable and peak performance program.
She created the program which helps clients to improve their performance by up to 45 percent and better manage their resources to find a healthy work-life balance.
Through her Life Harmony frameworks, Jesmine educates business leaders on how to avoid burnout and achieve sustainable success. A highly sought-after business strategist, she has personally coached and trained executives from around the world while her work has received internal media coverage.
She holds a BSc in Economics with a minor in Education and has authored two books titled Organizing Business Guide and The Organizing Commandments.
The mom-of-three believes you can “have it all” if you prioritize effectively. She says her mission is to change the world one organized person at a time.
This article is the fourth in a special Black History Month series by Invest Ottawa.
To learn more about the Digital Main Street program and how businesses can apply, visit our webpage.
A special thank you to the Government of Canada and specifically FedDev Ontario for making this program possible and enabling the team at Invest Ottawa to provide critical support to main street businesses when it is needed most.