From Setbacks to Success: Antoine & JS Ouellette's Journey
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There’s something refreshing about conversations with people who’ve actually done the thing. Not the polished highlight reel, but the real story—the setbacks, hard lessons, and moments that almost broke them.
That’s what you get with Antoine and JS Ouellette.
As founders of The Pest Control Guy Inc., they built something remarkable in Airdrie, Alberta. In 2025, they were named Airdrie’s Business of the Year. But before the awards came the grind—failures and leadership challenges that tested everything they believed about themselves and their vision.
Starting From Scratch
Antoine and JS’s story is messier and more human than the typical startup narrative. Building The Pest Control Guy meant learning as they went, with no safety net or guaranteed success. Just two people with a vision and the willingness to figure it out.
What’s inspiring is their honesty about the early days. This wasn’t venture-backed. It was a family business built on determination, resilience, and a commitment to doing things right—even when the easy path was available.
Failure as Information
What separates entrepreneurs who make it from those who don’t is how they respond to failure.
Antoine and JS don’t shy away from setbacks. They share moments when decisions didn’t land, when leadership challenges forced them to reconsider their approach. But they didn’t see these as signs to quit—they saw them as information. As opportunities to learn and come back stronger.
This is resilience as daily practice: showing up, acknowledging what didn’t work, and trying again.
Values-Driven Leadership
Building a business means thinking about the people you lead and the culture you create. Antoine and JS bring intentionality to leadership—how they show up for their team, make decisions reflecting their values, and balance growth with staying true to what matters.
They’re not trying to be perfect leaders. They’re trying to be real ones.
Community as Foundation
Antoine and JS’s commitment to community engagement isn’t tokenistic. It’s about genuinely being part of Airdrie’s fabric. They understand that a business exists within a community—and that community either supports you or it doesn’t.
Sustainable Growth
Entrepreneurship can consume everything. Antoine and JS’s conversation touches on scaling without losing yourself, pursuing ambition without burning out, and building a business that supports the life you want to live.
Why This Matters
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or someone thinking about starting a business, this episode offers authentic conversation about what’s actually required to build something meaningful.
Success doesn’t require a perfect plan or risk-free path. It requires resilience, community, values, and the willingness to keep showing up when things get hard.
Ready to hear the full story? Listen to Antoine and JS Ouellette on the Her Mentality Podcast.
Available on Spotify | Follow @hermentalitypodcast