Our monthly Immigrant Entrepreneurship Newsletter features some of the incredible immigrant entrepreneurs in Alberta that we support, like entrepreneur & coach Nolan Bernhardt. We spoke with Nolan about his journey and experience as an immigrant entrepreneur in Alberta.

Q. What is your background?

A. Coming from a large French family, I have my educator diploma and my coaching certificates. I am passionate about sports, more specifically soccer which I played for more than 15 years at a competitive level. I have been a sports coach and soccer coach and more recently a mental trainer for top athletes.

Passionate about travel, I have been to more than fifteen countries. With my partner, we made a long stop in Canada for less than 4 years now. I love this country, the mentality, the opportunities, and the culture. My goal is to become the person I wanted to meet in my life, in order to overcome and guide me in my life challenges.

Q. Tell us about your business and what it does.

A. With a background as a mental performance coach, I am an expert in helping people to reach their next level of success. Guiding individuals to overcome intangible barriers that are stopping them from achieving their goals, I am a life coach who is able to assist his clients through a positive and relatable approach.

Q. What motivated you to start your own business?

A. For more than 10 years, I have always been involved and worked in helping individuals in France and Canada, whether on the aspect of nutrition, sport, employment, career guidance, social counselor for young people, with different audiences and organizations. For 2 years, I have chosen to start my own business to bring my passion to another level, of implication. In order to gain freedom of work, be able to manage my schedule, self-promote my own services and share my vision.

Q. What are you most proud of? What is your biggest success?

A. To find my true passion. My biggest success is getting started and taking action for my business with almost no knowledge of marketing, sales, etc.

Nolan Bernhardt

Q. What has been your biggest challenge as an immigrant entrepreneur in Alberta?

A. Knowing the corporate culture and language (terms and words used in the workplace).

Q. What has the pandemic taught you about you and/or your business?

A. That more and more, we will consume, buy, and consult online.

From now on, it is important to develop various incomes because work is no longer so secure. People will also seek to make their passions a job, and not just work for money.

Q. What advice would you share with other immigrant entrepreneurs in Alberta who want to start or grow their own business?

A. Find support as quickly as possible and be as transparent as possible about what you want to develop. In Alberta, organizations like Business Link really try to understand you in order to get started and develop you.

Q. How has Business Link/our Immigrant Entrepreneur Program helped you?

A. Offering guidance and counseling

Q. What’s coming up next for you?

A. I am in the process of putting my strategy in place with my various collaborators for this year.

Q. Anything else you would like to share?

A. My Ebook, Guide Antifragile (for French speakers)

Connect with Nolan:

facebook  on Facebook
  on Instagram

  on LinkedIn