A self-made entrepreneur, Marianne Zakhour started her journey as an immigrant from Lebanon. Her transition from corporate to entrepreneurship highlights her unwavering determination and business skills.
She has shown remarkable resilience in overcoming adversity. Over the decades, through her business strategy, Marianne has significantly impacted her community, leading to a ripple effect of success and growth.
Her story underscores the significance of work-life balance in achieving success and inspires those seeking to transform their passion into profit.
ORIGIN STORY
In her early twenties, Marianne started her career in Montreal at CGI as a financial and business analyst. She worked with executives, managed a portfolio of millions of dollars, did monthly financial analyses, and daily conversations were always about increasing revenue and lowering costs. What she learned in the corporate environment made her realize that she longed to do something more entrepreneurial.
A move to San Francisco brought a new level of job satisfaction that Marianne had not experienced before. Joining the legendary family-run Boudin Bakery, she was tasked to increase sales, grow the business, and automate processes. Boudin’s owners were determined to use every technology and process possible to achieve exponential growth and market domination, and to do so, Marianne brought on board a custom development shop based in Vancouver, BC, to facilitate the process.
While the company developed custom catering and e-commerce software for some of Boudin’s businesses, Marianne realized how empowering it would be to help a broader range of companies grow and sell products.
Two years later, in 2006, she moved to Vancouver and partnered with that same software company owner, and they started building a SAAS software provider called Orderbot.
ORDERBOT
Her vision was that this new company would be an order management platform that helps businesses modernize commerce for online ordering and fulfillment.
After the launch and over the years, Orderbot has helped hundreds of clients sell their products online. The company is proud to have a diversified team from several countries and backgrounds working in their West End Vancouver office and sharing the same values and goals.
“At Orderbot, I have built a team of experts that provide flawless service and experiences for all Orderbot clients. Each member is equally as passionate about what we do as I am, and together, make a huge difference in delivering excellence.”
While there are many people in business that Marianne admires and greatly respects, it is Richard Branson who captures her attention.
In the 1970s, he founded the Virgin Group, which controls over 400 companies in various industries, including space travel.
“I like that Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age and grew this into something extraordinary, and he always appears to be having so much fun. This is an excellent approach to life and happiness – Work Hard, Play Hard,” says Marianne.
PARTNERS IN INDUSTRY
Orderbot’s Technology Partner Network includes Intuit Quickbooks, salesforce, Shopify, and Walmart Marketplace. Agency Partner Network includes StackFive, DYODE, nulogic Infinite Innovation, and blueacorn iCi. Over a hundred companies trust Orderbot, including North American giants like Walmart, Staples, Petsense, Alfred Dunner, and software company Red Hat.
“We cater to many industries but mostly consumer goods, including health, wellness and beauty products, home decor and accessories, children’s toys, personal and household electronics, sporting supplies, and clothing. Orderbot provides service to anyone with an inventory, and we do it without limits – no company is too small or too big – to work successfully with us. From artisan-crafted soaps to couture, office supplies to outdoor gear, and fresh-roasted coffee to hypercar parts, the team at Orderbot can design a system for success.
SOLVING PROBLEMS IN ADVANCE
“Customers typically come to Orderbot when sales volumes get to a point when the process management has the potential to become problematic. They seek to mitigate any negative impact on the customer experience and, at the same time and streamline their growth most efficiently and effectively.
“With Orderbot, we add to systems and automation rather than the traditional manual processes. “Once our team has implemented the system, customers can see productivity double, and we have Case Studies of many that have quadrupled their sales within a year.
“Streamlining processes and reducing the time to fulfill orders drives me. When we work with a company – whether they are just beginning their journey, looking to bump up to the next level, or are a household name like Staples.
“We deliver an excellent level of visibility to all stakeholders on how to service their orders best, achieve recurring orders, and exponential growth… and if there is one motivating action on my mind constantly – it is GROWTH! A single concept that drives everything we are building at Orderbot. With change, a business will grow, and dreams will thrive. Knowing I can take something and make it bigger and better is fantastic. With Orderbot, we are continuously evolving, and our customers see the results in their sales.
CREATING ABUNDANCE
“Decades ago, I embraced a career in the Tech sector because I knew it would be a tool for growth, productivity, and efficiency. I wanted to be a part of making positive change for businesses, and with Orderbot, we have been working on creating abundance for brands for over 15 years.
“As a business leader and someone who never sought to be one, I often share one piece of advice: to listen very carefully and with intent to what the people around you are saying. This applies to your workplace day-to-day and to those you surround yourself with.
“Additionally, one of the best pieces of professional advice I have received is to slow down – just getting into the habit of spacing out events and meetings to a point where it becomes second nature. The second would be to take ‘me time’ and do nothing. Put the electronics away, find a quiet place, and contemplate.
“Often, I am asked what the top skills are needed to be successful in Tech, and, of course, coding is essential, but so too is understanding of the business use case. Identifying the sequence of actions your client needs to achieve meaningful and observable results is valuable!
FOLLOW YOUR PASSION
“My advice for women looking to get a start in Tech is to envision the end goal and move all your actions toward it. There are so many opportunities for women in business, especially those with a passion for entrepreneurship. When you combine your passion for the industry with technology, you can enable its evolution in an environment you love. You can build a company with a great idea and a laptop!
“Daily, I am incredibly satisfied with every project we have underway. The Orderbot team works with our clients to create clear goals and then proceeds to break records in productivity and implementation timelines.”
Are you a business owner looking for a proven way to take your sales to a whole new level? If you are seeking a platform that can exist as the heart for order orchestration that is transaction-based and scalable, visit the Orderbot website and Book a Demo!
Read the original version of this story in PORTFOLIO.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs here!
Author Profile
- Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine, and digital women's lifestyle magazine EcoLuxLifestyle.co. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury lifestyle niche. Post-pandemic, she has worked with many small to mid-sized plant-based/vegan brands to build their digital foundations and strategize content creation and business development. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read industry magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and consults with many of the world’s luxury heritage brands. Always seeking new opportunities and challenges, you can email her at helen@ecoluxluv.com.
Latest entries
FoF ☆ PersonalitiesApril 25, 2024Media Expert Dawn Chubai Launches Partnership to Host & Produce Port/Folio.YVR Podcast- FoF ☆ Culinary, Wine, SpiritsApril 22, 2024Vancouver Vices: ‘Backdraft’ Bourbon-Style Whisky Launched by VFC
- ☆ Issue #24 - April 2024April 19, 2024Experience the [1.] Collection by Canadian Designer Charles Lu
- ☆ Issue #24 - April 2024April 19, 2024Meet Brandon Newell, Holistic Wealth Advisor & Rescue Advocate
