This Started as an Absurd Pipe Dream… And Ended Up Making It Happen Anyways

Some say entrepreneurs all have ADHD. I don’t know if that’s true or not. Maybe it is, or maybe it’s just that we’re filled with dreams that we want to bring to life.

I believe David Lynch once said that “Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper.”

And every once in a while, I go “fishing” in a little bit of deeper water and get hooked onto an idea that’s so big that I don’t want to let go.

This story starts with catching one of those ideas.

Getting Hooked on an Idea

Ever since my 20s I’ve been doing this Painted Picture / Vision Board exercise. If you’ve ever done one, you know the drill. You literally “paint” a picture of the future life you want, and the universe somehow conspires to present these opportunities in front of you to grab onto. This is something I’ve done for a long time, and I have to say, it’s worked for the most part.

About 10 years ago, I remember feeling like “wow, all of these things I’m putting down are self serving, maybe I should put something down for the community.” I had already been volunteering on several boards and committees, and wanted to make a stretch goal.

I wanted to start something where our finances actually contribute to a greater cause. This image is what I put onto my vision board, and it’s been there for at least 10 years. I wanted to start a foundation or a fund to help future entrepreneurs out there.

Icon from my Painted Picture representing our goal to create a fund. Underneath this icon were the letters “T&M”.

The heart and hands icon was a quick way of representing our hearts helping others. The “T&M” stands for “Ted & Marisa”.

And then reality set in…

One of my many “stressed out” faces

While this was a great idea on a screen, the reality of the situation at the time was not in the remote possibility of reason.

It’s not like we were flush with cash when I dreamt this up. In fact, if you want the director’s cut of my entrepreneurial journey at that point in time, allow me to send you to my “20 Years of Ballistic Arts” article. The highlight reel includes the following low-lights:

Barely making payroll some months
The bank account drops $50k/month for months on end
Being sued by angry clients
Tax man coming after us for some “lottery” selection
80% staff turnover
Business partnership of 16 years going down the toilet
Many many 1-star Glass Door Reviews

But here’s the thing with having a vision board. No matter how rough things get, I kept this goal plastered to keep me inspired. Why?

Coquitlam is where I’ve called home my whole life

Me, Papa & Mama Lau, and my sister Mandy circa the early 80s! Look at the wood panel walls in our living room!

Back in the day, the City of Coquitlam was a small, quiet, lower-middle-class sleepy town. Not much of anything went on here. I vividly remember many friends growing up saying, “you can’t stay in Coquitlam! Nothing happens here! If you really want to make it, you can’t do it here.”

That never sat right with me. I don’t know if it was because of an “oh yeah? I’ll show you” type of feeling I had, or because I believed (and still do believe) that I’m the one in control of my destiny and not external factors. Why can’t I start something in Coquitlam? Why did “making it” require leaving the place that raised you?

So when I eventually started Ballistic Arts in the room above my parents’ garage in Coquitlam, it was just “well, to hell with it. I’m gonna do it!”

Coquitlam is where my immigrant parents chose to put down roots, where me and my sister grew up, where I learnt music at Place des Arts, where I made lifelong friends, where I first learnt some of my leadership skills in my mid-20s and sitting on the board of the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, where Ballistic Arts eventually grew into an international business, and where we are now raising our daughter, Charlotte. Don’t let the naysayers tell you different, kids. Like they say, “if you can make it here you can make it anywhere.” I know the song is about the Big Apple, but you get my point.

The Birth of the Dream Spark Initiative Fund

Me at the SHARE Imagine Gala last year getting a hug from the SHARE Bear!

As part of our community giving, Ballistic Arts has been a corporate sponsor for SHARE Family & Community Services‘s IMAGINE Gala for a few years running. It was at this year’s gala that I met Coquitlam Foundation’s Executive Director Carol Brodie.

She told me about all the wonderful things that the Coquitlam Foundation has done for the community and then she asked if I ever thought of creating my own fund. And I was like “well, in fact, I have!”

After a few meetings with Carol, and Foundation Chair Matthew Sebastiani, after a couple of conversations with Marisa and trying to come up with a name, after all the ups and downs of building our business, and after years of imagining what this could look like, we finally did the damn thing.

Marisa and I are proud to announce the official launch of the Dream Spark Initiative Fund with the Coquitlam Foundation!

This fund is for young people under 30 who want to build something bigger for themselves. The ones who didn’t get the easiest start, or are continuing to practice resilience in their day to day. The ones who are willing to hustle, to learn, and to take action on creating something new. The ones who want to paint their own pictures of a future they want to live into.

The idea of “Dream Spark” comes from the fact that Marisa and I are both fire signs, and that part of being an entrepreneur is to dream wildly and boldly.

It’s a nod to that tiny, stubborn spark inside all of us that says, “I can do this! Even if I have no idea how I’m going to do this!” This is our way of paying it forward.

The Next BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

Seeding the Dream Spark Initiative Fund is just the beginning of this goal. Like all things in my entrepreneurial journey, I make it a habit of declaring stretch goals that are uncomfortable and not all that realistic in the moment. It’s the “I have no idea how I’m going to do this” part from the above.

Here it is: Marisa and I want to see this fund grow to $100,000!

There. I said it!

This is not tomorrow, not next quarter, probably not even in the next few years.

But over time, step by step, spark by spark, we’re going to get there.

That’s our declaration, and come hell or high water, we’re going to hit that goal, baby.

It Takes a Village

While this fund began as a wild idea on my Painted Picture, getting here took so many people.

I’d like to thank:

Our clients who’ve trusted my awesome team at Ballistic Arts with marketing and lead generation efforts
My wonderful, fantastic, patient team at Ballistic Arts past and present, across multiple time zones and borders, who’ve built our culture, our creativity, and our results
The Coquitlam community leaders and beyond who continue to lead the way
My many mentors and coaches who’ve challenged me and helped me grow
My friends and family who have supported me through dark times and happy times
The amazing leadership at the Coquitlam Foundation who welcomed this idea with open arms
Mom and Dad, the inadvertent OGs of the Dream Spark Initiative Fund, who allowed the “ember” that was Ballistic Arts to catch fire
Our daughter Charlotte for reminding me what matters most in life.

And to Marisa Woo, my partner in everything. Thank you for believing in this dream long before it made sense on paper. I love you.

None of this happened alone.

Nothing meaningful ever does.

What Comes Next

Launching the Dream Spark Initiative Fund isn’t the finish line.

It’s the starting line.

This is the beginning of a long, meaningful journey to help young people in Coquitlam spark their dreams into reality. There’s a lot of work ahead. A lot of building. A lot of raising awareness. A lot of growing this fund into something that can truly change lives.

And if any part of this story resonates with you, inspires you, or makes you think about the sparks you want to ignite in your own community, please reach out or make a contribution here Dream Spark page.

For now, I just want to say thank you.

For reading.

For supporting.

For believing in what’s possible.

Here’s to sparks, action, ridiculous dreams, and the next chapter ahead.