Harley Finkelstein

They would make me these cards and they would validate this idea that if you want to do something, go create it yourself. And in this case, it was go create your own DJ company and hire yourself. And I ended up DJing about 500 bar mitzvahs and parties between the ages of 13 and probably around 19 or 20 years old. And I loved it. I loved every minute of it. I loved making money.

They would make me these cards and they would validate this idea that if you want to do something, go create it yourself. And in this case, it was go create your own DJ company and hire yourself. And I ended up DJing about 500 bar mitzvahs and parties between the ages of 13 and probably around 19 or 20 years old. And I loved it. I loved every minute of it. I loved making money.

I loved the logistics of it. I loved the performance of it. But ultimately, when I zoom out from those moments, what I then realized was that entrepreneurship was my life's work. It was how I want to spend my time. It's my craft. And you mentioned in the opening that Shopify has grown. We're now a $100 billion company. The entire mission of even Shopify is entrepreneurship.

I loved the logistics of it. I loved the performance of it. But ultimately, when I zoom out from those moments, what I then realized was that entrepreneurship was my life's work. It was how I want to spend my time. It's my craft. And you mentioned in the opening that Shopify has grown. We're now a $100 billion company. The entire mission of even Shopify is entrepreneurship.

How do you invite more people into this thing called entrepreneurship who otherwise may not have done so? Either they were scared or they didn't have the know-how or they thought it'd be very expensive. All of those things are no longer the case. Today, if you have an idea in the shower, you can take that idea and turn it into a small business.

How do you invite more people into this thing called entrepreneurship who otherwise may not have done so? Either they were scared or they didn't have the know-how or they thought it'd be very expensive. All of those things are no longer the case. Today, if you have an idea in the shower, you can take that idea and turn it into a small business.

And if you're lucky and you're good and you're adding value, that may turn into a multi-billion dollar company. And so that's my roots in entrepreneurship and why it's so meaningful to me.

And if you're lucky and you're good and you're adding value, that may turn into a multi-billion dollar company. And so that's my roots in entrepreneurship and why it's so meaningful to me.

There wasn't any of those easy-to-use websites. In fact, there weren't really any e-commerce then. But the card itself is less about the card. It's more about what it meant to me. It meant that they believed... I could do this. They gave me the audacity to believe I can do it. And again, the card's not very fancy and it just says Fresh Vibe Entertainment.

There wasn't any of those easy-to-use websites. In fact, there weren't really any e-commerce then. But the card itself is less about the card. It's more about what it meant to me. It meant that they believed... I could do this. They gave me the audacity to believe I can do it. And again, the card's not very fancy and it just says Fresh Vibe Entertainment.

It says my name and my best friend's name on there who is my business partner. But this was the beginnings of this. It made it real.

It says my name and my best friend's name on there who is my business partner. But this was the beginnings of this. It made it real.

So as I mentioned, I moved to Montreal when I was 17 to go to McGill University. Mom and dad needed help financially. Dad was not around anymore. I started selling t-shirts because I needed a way to make money. And I didn't necessarily want to do a reduced course load. I wanted to make money concurrently when I was in school.

So as I mentioned, I moved to Montreal when I was 17 to go to McGill University. Mom and dad needed help financially. Dad was not around anymore. I started selling t-shirts because I needed a way to make money. And I didn't necessarily want to do a reduced course load. I wanted to make money concurrently when I was in school.

And so there weren't a lot of jobs out there that would allow a student to take a full course load. But the cool part of entrepreneurship is you as the entrepreneur, as you're building your business, you get to mold the business around your particular needs, your particular schedule, your particular set of circumstances.

And so there weren't a lot of jobs out there that would allow a student to take a full course load. But the cool part of entrepreneurship is you as the entrepreneur, as you're building your business, you get to mold the business around your particular needs, your particular schedule, your particular set of circumstances.

And so a friend of mine was on student council at McGill University and told me that McGill Thank you. I knew that Montreal historically had a very prominent schmata business, clothing industry. You have companies like American Apparel and Buffalo Jeans and Parasuco and Aldo and Brown. A lot of big companies that are now global companies were built.

And so a friend of mine was on student council at McGill University and told me that McGill Thank you. I knew that Montreal historically had a very prominent schmata business, clothing industry. You have companies like American Apparel and Buffalo Jeans and Parasuco and Aldo and Brown. A lot of big companies that are now global companies were built.

Gildan, for example, were all built here in Montreal. And so... I knew that not knowing anything about the t-shirt business that I probably would be able to find people here in town who would either help me with screen printing or who I can buy blank t-shirts from. And it wasn't this big, passionate, I need to be in the t-shirt industry. It wasn't about t-shirts at all. It was...

Gildan, for example, were all built here in Montreal. And so... I knew that not knowing anything about the t-shirt business that I probably would be able to find people here in town who would either help me with screen printing or who I can buy blank t-shirts from. And it wasn't this big, passionate, I need to be in the t-shirt industry. It wasn't about t-shirts at all. It was...