Jim Balsillie's family history significantly influenced his career in sales. His family's colorful past, which included dealings in the Canadian fur trade and managing exotic dancers, instilled in him a knack for sales from a young age. This entrepreneurial spirit was evident when he successfully sold Christmas cards door-to-door as a child. His family's diverse experiences in various forms of trade and sales likely shaped his approach and skills in his later professional sales career.

Question was asked on:

Jim Balsillie was born in Seaforth, Ontario, Canada, near Lake Huron. Jim proved himself as a fledgling salesman from a young age, hawking Christmas cards door to door and succeeding at other entrepreneurial jobs as a kid. Though his father worked as an electrical repairman to put food on the table, the Balsillie's had a storied and colorful past. The family was descended from aboriginal Canadians and could trace relatives back to dealings in the Canadian fur trade. Jim also had an aunt who made a name for herself managing exotic dancers. Sales, whatever the mode, was in his roots.

Asked on the following book summary:

resource preview

Losing the Signal

The Kodak of smartphones, RIMs rise and fall, is an epic tale of how relationships, patents, lack of unity, and the wrong strategic plan led to the fa...

Download and customize hundreds of business templates for free

book summary Preview

View all chevron_right