How to scale a start-up鈥攁nd live a balanced life: One grad鈥檚 perspective
Jesse Horwood, BCom ’19, wears many hats: founder of YourPlace Music School, grant analyst with the BC Government, president of the Victoria Ska and Reggae Festival Society —husband and father of two. He credits his education at Gustavson for providing him with the skills that have helped him excel as a business owner and find balance in life.
By Dorothy Eggenberger
It can be hard to delegate work as a start-up founder. But the turning point for Jesse Horwood, BCom ’19, came when he adopted a new perspective on what it truly means to work hard.
Around 2021, Horwood had “hit a wall” while trying to balance a full-time job adjudicating grants for not-for-profits with the BC government, managing a music school that had just reached 150 students, volunteering and performing in the Victoria music scene and handling the everyday responsibilities of parenting. It was time for a different approach.
“Gustavson professor Brent Mainprize used to say: ‘The difference between an owner-operator and an entrepreneur is that an entrepreneur will pursue opportunity without regard for the assets they currently hold.’ Initially I thought that phrase only meant pursuing growth. But over time I realized it was just as relevant to decreasing my workload. Instead of being bogged down by the limitations of what I already had—whether that was time, resources, or personnel—I began to focus on the opportunities that could make my life easier and my business more sustainable.”
A change in approach
This shift in perspective wasn’t immediate, but it led to significant changes in how he approached his business. When it came to delegation, Horwood says he often found himself stuck on not having the ‘right’ person: someone who was organized, a good communicator and fit within his budget. “It seemed easier to just keep doing the work myself,” he admits. But then he would remember Mainprize’s advice about pursuing opportunities without regard for current assets. “That thought pushed me to seek help from other entrepreneurs and take risks, like hiring new staff, even when it felt uncertain.
“I went through a few different hires and eventually I found the perfect fit,” he continues. Horwood’s assistant now helps him run the school, proving that taking the risk to delegate was worth it.
Another guiding principle for Horwood is “spend less time working in your business and more time working on your business.”
“These little mantras I first heard at Gustavson really resonated with me,” Horwood says. “They fuelled the growth of the business and allowed me to lessen my workload. By stepping back and focusing on the bigger picture, I was able to make strategic decisions that have helped my business thrive.”
These lessons aren’t just for the classroom—they’re applicable to any entrepreneur looking to scale while maintaining balance.
Made great strides
YourPlace Music School has come a long way since its initial launch in 2019, when it started out as Horwood’s BCom final entrepreneurship project. Armed with his guitar and scooter, he tried a students-first approach to music education, offering personalized lesson plans taught in the student’s homes. Today, YourPlace is one of the biggest music schools in Victoria, supporting 18 teachers, two admin staff and enriching the lives of 300 active students as of June 2024. The program is also supported by SIDES and NIDES (South/North Island Distance Education School) as an approved vendor eligible for subsidies.
Now, Horwood is setting his sights on future opportunities like expanding to new cities and developing an app exclusive to YourPlace Music School. His vision is to create a system that supports creative autonomy and scalability while staying true to the school’s values.
As Horwood continues to explore new horizons, his journey serves as an inspiring example for aspiring entrepreneurs. YourPlace Music School seems poised to expand and evolve—proving that with the right mindset, scalability and balance are within reach.
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