#10 — Arlene Dickinson: Dragons’ Den, Her Early Career Struggles & The Current Economic Climate

Our guest this episode is none other than Arlene Dickinson—famed businesswoman, investor, author and the longest-serving Dragon on CBC’s "Dragons’ Den."  In this episode, Dave and Arlene reminisce about their time on "Dragons’ Den" together and chat about everything from Arlene’s early career struggles to the potential US tariffs to the current economic climate for Canadian entrepreneurs and much, much more. Don’t miss this fantastic episode!  Show Notes (00:00) Intro & Disclaimer (00:55) Intro to Arlene Dickenson (02:46) Dragons’ Den (04:26)  Handling Online Criticism (08:21) Arlene’s Early Career Struggles (16:13) How Did Arlene Become a Dragon? (19:46) Reflecting on the Impact of Dragons’ Den  (22:14)  Two Lessons Arlene Taught Dave (24:24)  The Time Arlene Accidentally Got Drunk on Dragons' Den (25:53) The Current Economic Climate for Canadian Entrepreneurs (30:03) Potential US Tariffs (33:48) Younger Canadians Are Frustrated (36:08) Taxes & Government Spending in Canada (37:56)  How Do We Build Up the Canadian Entrepreneur Ecosystem? (42:46) The Impact of AI (47:12)  Arlene's Closing Message for the Audience