Arlene Dickinson, formerly of CBC's "Dragon's Den", on O'Leary:
Since announcing his candidacy for the leader of the Conservative Party, I've been inundated with requests to comment on Kevin O'Leary. The question on everyone's mind is the same: "Is the cold, money-driven person we see on television what we will get as a potential political leader?"
It's the exact same question I've received from Canadians from coast to coast since we co-starred on Dragons' Den together.
And the answer is: Yes, he's exactly the same person privately as he is on camera.
For seven years, I sat shoulder to shoulder with Kevin. We'd spend long hours together, listening to hardworking Canadian entrepreneurs pitch their businesses, which, all too often, led to real-life stories of enormous struggle.
You get a window into somebody's character by the way they treat people, particularly those who are vulnerable and need help or guidance.
Kevin's total lack of empathy toward these Canadians who put their heart and soul on the line, I can assure you, was genuine. Kevin is funny. I often enjoyed a glass of wine with him. He's also intelligent and a savvy self-promoter. But at his core, he's an opportunist. He doesn't do anything that doesn't offer a path to power, fame or fortune ? and that should have us all afraid.
He's the business community's worst spokesperson. Why? Because he represents capitalism in its very worst form ? a soulless system that bases decisions solely on dollars and cents, profit and margin.
But this isn't the reality.
After 30 years of being an entrepreneur, I've learned that business is about people. It's a series of relationships between you and your customers, your employees, your partners, and ultimately, the public. Business is personal. One of the more revealing moments I've experienced with Kevin was when a group of inner-city kids from Halifax came on Dragons' Den to pitch their not-for-profit business, Hope Blooms.
Here was a group of vulnerable kids who took an abandoned lot in Halifax and turned it into a garden to grow herbs and vegetables to then turn into salad dressing. Some took on the role of tending the garden, others packaged and some sold the product at the local market.
These kids embody hard work, grit, and determination. They courageously entered the Den to ask for $10,000 for a 5 per cent royalty.
In the end, Jim, David, Bruce and I gave them $10,000 each ? no royalties. It was the right thing to do, and the best $10,000 I ever invested on the show.
Kevin, not surprisingly, didn't give them anything except for an utter lack of consideration for what these kids were doing, and why it mattered.
Looking back, it's plain to see that he didn't participate because there was nothing in it for Kevin. He only saw how he'd lose $10,000 instead of seeing how he might change a kid's life.
Now, the self-professed billionaire, who couldn't part with $10,000, thinks he's the best person to lead our country. A person that's genuinely unconcerned with the lives of others wants a position that is solely about the lives of others.
More:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/kevin-o-leary-conservative-run-arlene-dickinson-opinion-1.3942349
