Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/887010
26 BBB MAGAZINE Who's Who Special Edition wenty years ago Mary-Jane Debreuil saw the future — and the future was online. Back when the Internet was still a fairly new idea and today's social media platforms didn't even exist, Debreuil started a small business from her home, doing administrative work for a handful of clients. Soon it was becoming obvious the Internet was something to consider and Mary-Jane decided to embrace it, becoming one of Winnipeg's first web designers. She named her business OfficeSmarts – a play on "street smarts" – because previous employment in high level administrative positions proved her to be highly proficient in all aspects of an office. The decision to start the business was fueled by her desire to be a hands-on parent to her three children, after learning her workplace wasn't able to offer her part-time or flexible hours following the birth of her second child. She still wanted to contribute to the household income and to do so on her terms, so on that child's first birthday, she bundled him up and headed to City Hall for a business licence. "The Internet was just kind of starting back in 1997, and I could see it was going to be big," she recalls, "My husband likes to say, 'Go where the puck is going' – and without realizing the full extent of it, my gut was telling me to go in this direction." Taking that direction paid off, and she became busier and more successful each year. The decision to be a stay-home mom in the '90s meant a sacrifice. "Our main living room housed one rocking chair and a 12-inch TV on a stand," says Mary-Jane. "The kids were happy; they didn't care about furniture and I didn't care about walls marked up by crayons or that our only art work was their hand drawn pictures." The three children Mary-Jane worked her business around are now 24, 21 and 19. And the company has grown, too. Dan merged T OfficeSmarts owners and staff (from left) Dan Debreuil, Mary-Jane Debreuil, Paul Debreuil, Mindy Tucker, Kyle Rolfe, Haley White. Photos by Darcy Finley OFFICESMARTS First Online OFFICESMARTS WEB DESIGN & ONLINE MARKETING SPECIALISTS IS A LEADER IN DIGITAL MARKETING