The Entrepreneur Nation? - 2022 ANNUAL GALA was a huge success!!

Speech by? Natalie M. Brezden, BSc. LL.B. Senior Regional Director for London Downtown. This is Natalie's verbatim testimonial indicating her experience as a member and leader in our network for close to 4 years.

Good evening. I’ve been asked to speak briefly about The Entrepreneur Nation? and its founder, Lucy Jeffrey.?

I’ve been a member since August 2019 which puts me into my 4th year with the Nation.?

The Entrepreneur Nation, also referred to as the Nation, or T.E.N was incorporated in 2018 and this year, it received its trademark status trademarking the name ‘The Entrepreneur Nation’.??

The Nation is founded on the principle that genuine, trusting, and prolonged relationships are the source of any business. And the Nation provides the environments for members to build those relationships.?

But it is much more than a business referral group.?

The Nation offers members dedicated Chapters for networking, and a monthly After 5 Business Mingle where members from all Chapter get together. It offers social media training, business development support, marketing support, website design & hosting, graphic design, and discounted printing services. Members can promote their business through Entrepreneur TV and they can advertise in the Entrepreneur Magazine as well as have articles published.?

Currently, the Nation has 30 Chapters across Ontario and Alberta with 9 regional directors and counting.?

The Nation is the brainchild of the CEO and Chief Visionary Officer, Lucy Jeffrey.?

Lucy, a former high school teacher, a senior banker of 16 years, a social media expert & trainer, a graphic & web designer and a business owner, truly understands what it’s like to start a business from the ground up. A single mother who came to Canada to give her son and herself, a new beginning, she understands the challenges entrepreneurs and people with in business face.?

Why did Lucy start The Entrepreneur Nation? When Lucy decided to leave the bank and go out on her own to start a business, she found it challenging to find the right support. There was no one stop shop where a new business owner could get help from leasing a space for business, getting business cards printed, help in marketing her business, or where to network and connect with other business professionals. So she decided to do that.?

What drives Lucy? In the 3 years that I’ve worked with her I’d say it’s her need to help others succeed. Lucy didn’t have the relevant support she needed when she started her business, so she wanted to provide that support and offer a place where business owners and professionals can support one another in their businesses.?

But Lucy didn’t stop there. She wanted to help members promote their businesses d she came up with an innovative way to do that. We all have a story to tell so Lucy provides a platform for members to tell their stories, share their passions for their business, their successes and their challenges, y started Entrepreneur TV and she is the host. In collaboration with Rogers TV, the interviews are broadcast on cable channel 13 daily.?

Most of you have heard me speak about Lucy at the After5 Business Mingles. During the pandemic lockdown, where other similar groups hit the pause button, Lucy ramped up. She ensured that members stayed connected by moving meetings from in-person to virtual within the week of the lockdown, she organized town hall style meetings every month, sometimes every 2 weeks where experts provided members with information about what was happening, how to keep their businesses going, about financial support being offered by the government, what to do about their leased office space, and answer to their human resource questions. Lucy offered virtual training about social media, to teach members in expanding their online presence or taking their businesses online. I know that Lucy acquired various different skills so she could in turn teach them to entrepreneurs.?

The membership continued to grow in 2020 and in 2021 and in 2022. This is a result of Lucy’s hard work, dedication, and not taking no for an answer.??

Lucy continues to come up with new projects to impact more people positively. In 2023, Lucy will be starting;?

1. The Lucy Jeffrey News Network which will feature a more broad spectrum stories of her life as an immigrant in Canada, human rights and other topics that are dear to her.?
2. Through one of her other companies, Bluewater Financial Corporation, Lucy is teaming up with like-minded investors to purchase vacation property for Canadians to stay in when traveling overseas destinations in Kenya and Guyana.?

Operating an enterprise as large as the Nation does not come without its challenges. I have witnessed the challenges Lucy has experienced but these did not stop her from spearheading the mission for T.E.N. Lucy has always ignored the naysayers, and urges members to focus on the positive.??

All in all, without her we would not be here tonight. So I’d like to say thank you Lucy, for bringing together an amazing group of people that make up the Nation, for not throwing in the towel when things and people became too much and in being a great mentor and leader of this organization.?

https://tenation.co

.