Arlene
This “Dragon” Breathes Life Not Fire
Dickinson
rlene Dickinson is living the entrepreneurial dream with her net worth estimated at more than $80 million dollars.
No one can accuse her of being given a silver spoon. Her current wealth and popularity as a successful businesswoman, venture capitalist, public speaker, bestselling author and well known TV personality was a result of fierce determination, tenacious work ethic and an unwavering will to survive and provide for her four children.
Born in Germiston, South Africa, Dickinson and her parents and two siblings moved to Canada when she was three years old. They arrived in Edmonton and in an old jalopy car made their way to Calgary. Life was lean and sometimes mean. Unlike today where travel is a weekly activity her parents could never afford to travel.
By Chris Ryall
In her childhood there were no dreams of running companies or sitting in boardrooms. She wanted to be an actress or a social worker. Fast forward to today and Dickinson laughs, “I am kind of doing both now.”
In her early 30’s, penniless, divorced and mother of four kids, Dickinson began her long journey to personal and financial success. She began working for Calgary based Venture Communications and worked her way up until she bought the company in 1998. She has never looked back building the company and earning both the company and herself various awards and accolades.
Then along came CBC TV’s Dragons’ Den which she first joined in 2007 and has since become a popular TV personality that has helped in many of her other endeavours. Dickinson relishes the role of a Dragon.
“Listening to the dreams that other people have and seeing whether or not if we can help them,” and adding, “I feel really blessed because I get to every day go in there when we are taping and you hear these stores on what people want to do and what they want to build and it’s wonderful.”
Dickinson voice lowers and softens when asked if it’s difficult to say no to budding entrepreneurs on the show and possibly crushing their dreams. “It’s never easy to say no. You can say no without being cruel. Just because we turn it down doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile.”
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