And Kevin Zazula is a 30-year-old entrepreneur who, when struggling to launch his second business venture earlier this year, found himself worn down and in “utter disarray.”

Zazula needed a steadying voice of experience. Bradbury has always liked a challenge.

Larry MacDougal, Business Edge
Kevin Zazula, left, and award-winning mentor Peter Bradbury.

It was a match made in corporate heaven – and just one of the many successful mentorships engineered by the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF), a five-year-old national organization which provides young entrepreneurs with business assistance, including loans.

The relationship forged between Bradbury and Zazula has helped cement both Zazula’s business plan and a bond of friendship between the two Calgary men. Two weeks ago, they flew to Toronto so Bradbury could accept the first-ever Outstanding Mentor Award given by the CYBF.

“I wanted to give back something from what I got out of my career,” says Bradbury, 62, who has worked as chief financial officer for Enerflex Systems Ltd., the Calgary Winter Olympics and Suncor, as well as independent consulting work.

Shortly after he retired five years ago, Bradbury read an article about the CYBF and realized he still hungered to share the knowledge he had gleaned from his years in business. He was on the phone minutes later with the local Calgary CYBF office, and has been a mentor ever since.

“I had my own business for three years, and I know what it’s like to start one up,” says Bradbury.

“There are certainly a lot of anxieties, and a lot of triumphs, too. It’s a very exciting life. I found that the experience you gain on your own in business is worth two or three when you’re in a company, because you’re exposed to so many different things.”

Zazula realized he needed a mentor early on after setting up the first of his two businesses.

Fynbos Designs Ltd. is a clothing manufacturing and design firm which offers promotional marketing for corporate clients. Executive Shirt Co. sells shirt, tie and tie clip combinations and accessories through local mall kiosks.

Zazula’s partner, Dan Alberding, handles most of the day-to-day operations of the shirt business.

As a start-up businessman, Zazula obtained a $10,000 loan through the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, which included involvement in a mentorship program. After an initial mentor didn’t work out, he was introduced to Bradbury.

“We spent almost two weeks learning about each other and learning about the business, and basically just talking before we addressed any issues whatsoever,” says Zazula.

“He’s given me clarity on issues when I was unsure on the direction to go.”

Founded in 1996 by the CIBC, the Royal Bank and the Canadian Youth Foundation, the CYBF is modelled after the Prince’s Youth Business Trust, a foundation that has helped more than 35,000 young entrepreneurs in Britain since it was set up in 1986. In Alberta, TELUS is also a lead sponsor.

The not-for-profit CYBF makes non-secured loans of up to $15,000 for youths between 18 and 29 to start a business.

To qualify, the applicant must have a complete business plan with cash flow projections, have some training or experience in the proposed business, and work with a mentor over the life of the loan. About 200 loans are approved each year across Canada.

Carole Simpson, vice-president of the Western Region for the CYBF, says the foundation has financed 62 businesses in Calgary and matched mentors with each initiative, but only 16 applicants have been approved in Edmonton.

Simpson believes Calgary may be better known as a high tech entrepreneurial city, while Edmonton’s buoyant economy over the past few years has provided enough employment opportunities in the oilpatch for young Edmontonians.