Stats:

Name: Cheryl Gillott

Company: Halo Metrics Inc.

Title: President/Owner

Location: Vancouver, BC

Years In The Industry: 14

Hobbies: Wishing I had hobbies

Q&A

They say that consumer technology is a man's world. Agree or disagree?

It is a man's world in terms of bringing technology to the market. As for the consumption of technology, absolutely not. Most women I know today are very clear about their preferences in technology and happily make their own purchases.

What brought you to the industry?

Necessity, and my father! He had a small business and always wanted me to get involved. It took a few years of convincing, and some time to follow my own interests before I was ready to commit. I was at a crossroads; I knew my "original" life plan was not for me and my father, Bill, was really keen to have me see what he was doing. The business was nine years old already, but still small and all in his hands. He was such a great guy, and salesman, as many of our customers would attest. He was also pretty persistent, so he basically wore me down. Taking over a company with business that was 90 per cent dependent on sales to CE retailers meant a steep learning curve for me on all things tech. My first lesson was from Bob Ellis, then LP Director at The Bay in downtown Vancouver. He pulled me aside during a lunch (with my father) and told me how hard my dad had worked to build a good business and that I should be careful not to blow it! Listening to your customer has been priority one ever since.

Have gadgets, technology and electronics always been a passion for you or has that evolved over the years?

It has definitely been an evolution for me and I still can't say "passion" is the term I'd use as much as perhaps "necessary evil." When I met my husband, I owned a 26" tube TV and had a boombox for a stereo (and I was fulfilled). Yet today there is nothing smaller than a 50" flat screen in any given room, and 1080p is a must. How did we live before PVRs? I like the theory of an integrated home, but have yet to see it live up to its promise (don't ask me about my home AV set up). Great use of technology to me now is getting a text message in the middle of the day with a photo of my kids, or being able to use FaceTime on our iPhone to call home from Vietnam so our 4-year old son can see his best friend's face while they speak. Now THAT is life-improving technology that I am passionate about!

Cheryl with the Halo Metrics team in Banff, AB, celebrating the company's 20th anniversary in 2008.

A higher percentage of women are accountable for the day-to-day operations of the family and home, how do you balance home and career?

I don't really. I do one and then the other. I do both generally well, but usually not at the same time. Something always takes a back seat at any given moment. I have learned not to feel guilty and to really focus on where I am at the moment. I am lucky to have a huge support network. Our "village" includes grandparents, friends and a nanny. Plus, the team at Halo is a stellar group of individuals whose dedication and teamwork have allowed me the gift of time with my kids.

Career-wise, what are you most proud of? What has been your greatest achievement? (Don't be modest).

Growing the business from a small entrepreneurial venture to a mid-size company certainly didn't happen overnight. For a long time, we were a small distributor carrying basically one line of products and heavily reliant on one major customer. We took on a second major product line and in one year, doubled our top line revenues. While that was terrific, of course, it was also the year that almost killed us. We were salesperson-heavy, and support-lean, so quickly building that infrastructure of customer service and finance was crucial. Bill used to hold everything he needed to know about the business in one drawer. He could quote his inventory level to the nearest hundred dollars and did A/R calls himself. Letting go of "doing it like him" so that we could grow was difficult but necessary. Making the investment in people and the necessary technology (which is harder for me) has always been key. Additionally, creating interesting and rewarding employment opportunities in an organization with clear values, and working with a team of dedicated and loyal people, is also something I am quite proud of.

If we asked your co-workers, what would they say are your strengths?

Probably relationships. I have been told I was "linked in" before there was LinkedIn. A childhood neighbour told me our moms had two modes, "talk and waiting to talk," and I have always remembered that. I hope I am a good listener, and I know that the small things matter, and everyone has different "small things." In the early days of dating my (now) husband, he would phone me daily and check in. He travelled a lot then. He wasn't even asking me to go out necessarily, just calling to say hi. I found this irritating and thought he was stringing me along. It was a married friend who pointed out that he was just making a connection and that this was in fact a good thing! Keeping connections going is crucial to relationships, as is clear and honest communication. This is a theme we come back to often at Halo, and it is what has helped us grow our business steadily over the years.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

I don't think there is a "perfect" anything. Some days, it is just playing at home with my kids. Other days, it is the thought of getting on a plane to go somewhere tropical without my kids.

Have you had a mentor?

I have been fortunate to have had several great mentors over the years. My first employer was probably the best example I have ever seen of someone who valued family, never let his work run his life, and carved out his own plan. I have intentionally tried to live the way I saw him live. At the end of the day, though, you don't learn from the mistakes of others, you learn from your own. So when I mentor young women in business, I encourage them to take risks. I do think men are bigger risk-takers than women. I just haven't decided if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

How do you deal with stress?

White wine.

Describe your idea for a perfect holiday?

That changes every year, depending on life. I used to say I would never go on an all-inclusive vacation because I thought it would be too boring and unadventurous. That was before I had toddlers. Our best vacation was probably a biking trip in Spain, with a few meals in Tuscany thrown in.

Are you feeling positive about the future?

I am much more positive about the past. Hindsight is another of my top strengths. But, that is just me being facetious.

Cheryl on vacation in Tuscany.

What is one thing about you that many people may not know?

I can speak Japanese. I lived in Japan from 1989 to 1992 and studied while I was there teaching English. I haven't used the language in any meaningful way since then, but it is still fun to surprise a Japanese tourist on Robson Street by answering a question for directions! And the process of learning another language teaches one a lot about the culture and people. When I questioned my Japanese teacher about why there were different words for cooked rice and grains of rice, she asked me why bread goes into a toaster, and toast comes out.