It’s about time you learn more about the entrepreneur who dedicates so much time and passion to his enterprise WP Expert: Frederic Sune!
He’s the resident WordPress wizard. With an extensive IT background and a degree in electronics, he has gained the skills to be the CEO of IT in MIND and WP Expert.
“The first website I designed was in 1996. It was pure HTML/CSS,” began Frederic when I asked him what the catalyst was that sparked his passion.
Frederic grew up in Lyon, France and came to for the first time to Canada in 2001. A few years earlier, he had met a woman named Cecile in France, and they had stayed in touch when she moved to Canada. Years later he broke up with his then-current girlfriend and visited a friend in Montreal and Cecile in Toronto. He fell in love with her and decided to officially move to Canada in 2002. Both of them agreed that French food may be better, but Canadian culture is incomparable.
When they lived in Toronto, Frederic worked at the French Catholic School Board and made his way up to becoming a Network Administrator. During this time, they also got married and had their child, Chloe. In 2008, they moved to the capital of Canada because they wanted their daughter to get the best French education.
When they moved to Ottawa, he didn’t have a job and was trying to find free activities to do with his daughter. He began freeactivities.ca which is a platform that provides all the free activities that you can do in Ottawa, and even Canada-wide! He began this website when blogs weren’t all that popular, even though now they have boomed.
Soon after he joined the CIA.
Yes, the CIA. The Canadian Institute of Actuaries!
Frederic worked as a web administrator, and his passion for becoming a web designer blossomed even further.
In 2011, he started IT in MIND, an IT company. From there he started designing websites for clients and realized he really enjoyed it. Two years later, he began WP Expert so that he could focus on what he loved most.
In 2018, he decided to work full-time at his two companies. Then, in 2021, he sold IT in MIND clients to run and focus only on WP Expert. His passion for helping others start up their own enterprises has him also volunteering with the Ottawa Tool Library, the Impact Hours and now, the lift campaign. Check the “giving back” page for more details.
When asked if Frederic has any words of wisdom for beginning entrepreneurs, he shared his top four tips:
- Get an accountant ASAP.
He did his own accounting at the beginning of IT in MIND but wished he had hired someone right away. It’s better to leave that to the professionals.
- Meet people.
One way to grow your community is by joining a co-working space. Frederic joined Hub Ottawa in November of 2012 and has been an active member since! He even offers his expertise to Hub members every Wednesday at noon during the WordPress Happiness Bar where people can ask any questions they might have about WordPress. He really enjoys being able to help others.
- Have a mentor.
It can either be a mentor that you personally know and look up to, or someone you don’t know and is just inspired by their work ethic. Frederic’s mentors are Richard Branson, Elon Musk and Warren Buffet.
- Offer great customer service.
You need top-notch customer service, no matter the type of business you run. Your clients should be your top priority and for long-term success, it is good to focus on your clients. They like fast responses and actions, and clear communication. Over the years, he has acquired many testimonials on his website regarding his services at WP Expert.
“This team led by Fred is top-notch. They are always available to troubleshoot any updates as needed and have been proactively managing and hosting several of our project websites for us without issue for several years. They’ve also worked closely with us to empower us to update and maintain our sites independently as well but are there when/if we need them. Special thanks to Fred for his outstanding service and deep technical expertise.”
– Chantal Smith, Director of Sales and Marketing of Modbox.
Frederic finds it vital to do what you love: “If you have the passion, you will succeed.”
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