The One About Flunking Business School and Building Companies with Chris Buttenham
In this episode, Chris Buttenham, co-founder of REINS, shares his entrepreneurial journey from growing up in a blue collar family in small-town Canada to building and exiting successful businesses. Chris dives into the realities of entrepreneurship, the mindset required to succeed, and the massive opportunities emerging as baby boomer business owners prepare to retire. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, business owner, or someone interested in business acquisitions and employee ownership, this conversation is packed with practical insights and hard-earned lessons.
In This Episode:
· Chris shares how his father’s security business influenced his entrepreneurial mindset
· The story behind launching his first company as a teenager and later building a software business
· Lessons learned from selling a company and what came next
· Why Chris believes entrepreneurship is often an innate trait
· The inspiration behind founding REINS and helping business owners implement employee ownership programs
· A discussion on the challenges entrepreneurs face that most people never see
· Insights into the business succession crisis impacting retiring baby boomers
· Real-world examples of how ownership incentives transform employee behavior and company performance
· Why entrepreneurs should focus on solving problems and spotting trends before others do
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction and welcome 02:15 – Chris’s upbringing in a blue-collar family 05:08 – Learning entrepreneurship through his father’s business 08:42 – Starting his first company at age 15 12:16 – Flunking out of business school and finding another path 16:03 – Building and scaling his first software company
20:44 – Selling a business and what’s next 24:18 – The opportunity behind the “Silver Tsunami” 29:37 – Why retiring business owners create opportunities for entrepreneurs 33:54 – Are entrepreneurs born or made? 39:42 – How employee ownership improves retention and profitability 45:10 – Real examples of employees thinking like owners 50:28 – The misconceptions and sacrifices of entrepreneurship 56:17 – Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs 60:34 – Final thoughts and key takeaways
Resources & Links: www.thebluecollarrecruiter.com www.BCRecruits.com
Connect with Chris: REINS: www.myreins.com LinkedIn: Chris Buttenham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myreins Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reinstechnologies