What is your current job title? What are your key responsibilities?
I am Founder & CEO of MyLawBid. MyLawBid is an online Canadian lawyer referral service where users can quickly and easily find a lawyer that best suits their legal and financial needs. At the moment, we are able to help our users find Ontario lawyers and lawyers in British Columbia. As the business grows, MyLawBid aims to expand its services to other provinces across Canada. Our website launched in July 2011 and has seen significant growth over the past six months, having been featured in The Globe and Mail and the Law Times (see page 3).
I remember reading somewhere that “CEO” really stood for “Chief Everything Officer” and, after six months of running MyLawBid, I definitely agree. Although I mainly focus on developing the strategy and vision for MyLawBid, I am also our customer service representative, social media marketer, publicist, accountant and salesperson. It has been a great experience learning about all of these different areas and being the “Chief Everything Officer” has helped me become a better business person.
Where are you from originally? What motivated you to work in Toronto?
I am originally from Markham, which is just north of Toronto. Although I really enjoyed living in Vancouver, I always planned to move back to Ontario for law school. After graduating from Sauder, I studied at the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. After completing law school, I worked at McMillan LLP, a corporate law firm based in Toronto, before starting MyLawBid.
Starting a business and leaving my job as a Toronto lawyer for the past two years was a difficult decision but I had always wanted to be my own boss and to build a company. With the support of my wife, family and friends, I am fortunate to have this opportunity to apply the skills that I learned in both business and law school to a company that I believe can bridge the gap between the legal community and the general public.
How do you enjoy living in Toronto? What are your interests outside of work?
Toronto is a wonderful place to live. We currently live at King and Bathurst and love how we are so close to great restaurants, grocery stores and boutique stores. Being a little further removed from the skyscrapers, we enjoy being close to parks and enjoy experiencing the liveliness of King Street West. For downtown travel, the TTC can be very convenient (although unpredictable!), which allows us to get around without a car.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, trying out the different restaurants around town and squeezing in some Ashtonga yoga. I am also the Vice President Fundraising of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers and am actively involved in raising funds to finance our events and building relationships with potential donors and sponsors.
What do you think is Toronto’s best kept secret?
Szechuan Gardens at First Markham Place in Markham. After coming back from China in 2009, my wife and I had developed an appreciation for Sichuan food and didn’t know where to find an authentic Sichuanese restaurant. In Markham, we found it at Szechuan Gardens. The lazi jiding (spicy chicken) is extremely spicy and the shui zhu yu (spicy fish) is immersed in chili oil and whole chilies. You’ve been warned!
What inspires you most at work and in your personal life?
At work, the three things that inspire me and motivate me to continue even when the motivation levels are low are:
- being able to connect people in their time of need with those who can assist them;
- knowing that I am building something tangible and useful; and
- having the freedom to be my own boss and make the hard decisions.
In life, I am inspired by the sacrifice and perseverance of my parents and, on a larger scale, all immigrants who have come to Canada to build a better life for their children. Through their sacrifices, we as first-generation Canadians have been able to get first-class educations and pursue opportunities we otherwise would never have been able to.
What book have you read recently that you find compelling?
I recently read Life of Pi and, like many other people, I found it intriguing. I couldn’t put the book down! The message that I got from the book is that no matter how impossible it may seem to survive or succeed, survival and success can be achieved if you put all your energy into it, if you thoroughly plan and execute and if you are able to adjust to the changing circumstances – important lessons for any entrepreneur.
What’s your daily “must-visit” blog or website?
For entrepreneurial advice, I usually see what Under30CEO.com has to say. Most of the time, however, I usually read the interesting posts from my Twitter feed.
How would you describe your experience as a Sauder grad?
Studying at Sauder was a great experience. The school has wonderful professors who are very generous with their time and who are leaders in their field. Sauder also has wonderful programs to help you find your career path such as Trek Toronto and the CUS’ Ignite Conference. But, most important of all, I had wonderful classmates who were smart, driven and nice.
Do you have any advice for recent Sauder graduates?
Prepare and position yourself to achieve your dreams. If you dream of starting your own business, get some experience in the area and connect with leaders in the industry. If you would like to be a partner at an accounting firm, do the best quality work possible and meet as many people in the accounting industry as possible inside and outside of your firm. Build your network and expand it by leveraging your current network – you will be surprised to discover how many people can (and are willing) to help you.
