Gary Albach and Dave Camm As physicists at the University of British Columbia, Gary Albach and Dave Camm developed the design for what would become the world's most powerful artificial light source. They left UBC and started Vortec Industries Ltd., and although they built a successful 300,000 Watt lamp, no one wanted to buy it. "We did it backwards," said Gary, "we had a solution in search of a problem." They discovered that, although there were few customers for such a bright light, there was a niche market for their product in the metals-hardening industry, which could use their invention as a source of heat. Today, their company is thriving.
	Wade Pugh Wade and his four young friends had a "great idea." They would manufacture liqueur glasses made out of chocolate. Unfortunately, none of them knew anything about chocolate and their new company, Chewter's Chocolates, struggled. Wade learned the importance of research and planning the hard way. "If we had known at the beginning what I know now, we could have accomplished more in one year than we did in five." Today, Wade is the sole proprietor of Chewter's Chocolates, which sells more than a million dollars worth of chocolate and candy every year. Check the packaging on the next after-dinner mint you enjoy in a restaurant, and you'll likely see his successful brand name.
	Thomas Reeves and Debbie Oikle When Thomas Reeves and Debbie Oikle started T&D Nurseries, to sell tree seedlings, Thomas was an expert in forestry and Debbie had taken some courses in bookkeeping so it seemed like a perfect fit. They had only just begun their venture, when Thomas was involved in a tragic accident that left him confined to a wheelchair. Instead of closing their business, they switched roles. It was a difficult transition, but Thomas learned to manage the company, while Debbie took on the physical work in the nursery. They had to learn to adapt to new circumstances in order to succeed in achieving their dreams.