This is part of a year-long ‘Love for Local’ series calledNB365: portraits of New Brunswick entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations. Huddle is a media partner with Love for Local. Today, we hear from Pier-Luc Gagné of Audacity Wireless in Dieppe.

I DO NOT KNOW FOR CERTAIN WHAT MADE ME WANT TO GO INTO BUSINESS. I WAS ATTRACTED TO FEW IDEAS ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE CREATIVE OUTLET IT PROVIDES. YOU CAN BRING A CONCEPT OR AN IDEA TO LIFE, AND IT’S VERY EXCITING TO ME.

There’s also the people aspect of it. Building a team, surrounding yourself with like-minded people who choose to work with you with passion and grit, it’s all very rewarding. And finally, the customers. Everyone is unique and comes from all sorts of backgrounds and walks of life. Everyone has a story, and it’s an honour as well as a vote of confidence when someone chooses to do business with you.

Being a business owner is about having a sort of large-scale conversation with every customer in order to identify what the community needs and be able to bring it here. All that and knowing that I can grow and succeed as an entrepreneur right here in New Brunswick, at home. That’s why I do it.

This past year fortified my love for NB businesses. They are creative, resilient, and support each other in many, many ways. I have had hundreds of discussions with business owners and customers asking me how we are faring in these times, offering help, protective gear, ideas… people came together and it was a wonderful thing to see. We were really able to show what New Brunswick is made of, and I’m proud of all of us.

We have, at Audacity, a lot of ideas that couldn’t materialize in the past year. We recently joined the communities of Fredericton, St John and Grand Falls and have a lot to do in providing the value Audacity brings to our customers there. We are also excited to continue the unconventional local partnerships that Audacity has created during the past year. If anything, our team is more inspired than ever and motivated to expand and bring new shopping experiences to the people of New Brunswick.

Supporting local businesses has a real impact because they are your friend, your family, your coach. They are the community we live in.