Modern Luxuria Vol 18 November 2021

“Speech that is very honest and direct” is a definition of Straight Talk’s wall sign in Steven Knight’s boardroom, representing a personal style of the young and successful Edmontonian. Born to entrepreneurial parents, Knight grew up in a house where the dining room table served as a boardroom, and where both difficult decisions and new ideas were being born as early as he can remember. Growing up in this environment, Knight picked up his parents' passion for business, and evolved it into new ideas but continued to build on their family brand – always having a straight talk with all those who are at the table.

As we start our conversation, he shares that the definition of self has changed significantly for him in the last six weeks since he became a new dad.

“I now lead almost every conversation talking about my daughter, and how amazing she is. Born and raised in Edmonton, I entered Mosaic shortly after graduating from the University of Alberta. I looked at the home improvement industry, which I was always challenged to do during my time at the U of A, and how it can be changed and made better. I realized there were a lot of fantastic people in the market that needed help growing the business, rather than something that runs them, 21 hours a day from their kitchen table. That’s how the idea of Mosaic was born. I got involved in the home improvement sector, started tying different business models together, and that was six years ago.”

How was the franchise idea born?

I’d love to tell you some incredible story about a fever dream that came to me one night, but the honest truth is that it’s been done before. We looked at different business models in the United States, different conglomerates that came through the home improvement network solutions, and realized that if it’s successful there, there’s no reason it won’t do well in Canada. That’s when we brought multiple brands under one roof and launched Mosaic.

What is it that makes the Mosaic a successful venture?

The thing that makes us successful is that we recognize that what we’re selling is time. We’re not selling Christmas lights, painting, screen doors…we are selling time, and recognize that our customers hire us ultimately because they want their weekends back. They want those extra two hours on the weekend to be family time, not to go out and wash the windows. The thing that happens when most entrepreneurs start to grow their home improvement businesses is that they start to dive into the technical elements of the thing they’re selling: my paint is the best, my screens are the best. While our products are the best in the market, we are ultimately selling time and the great experience of hiring someone who can do it right the first time. And if we don’t get it right, we come back to fix it. That’s what sets us apart from others.

Who are your role models in the business world?

I’m one of the luckiest people in the world. From the age of six, I watched my dad launch a business from our thousand square-foot bungalows and grow it to what became Western Canada’s largest demolition company. I was there every step of the way, in spirit and in practice. I remember being ten years old, eating dinner at the kitchen table which served as a boardroom table, and listening to my dad make all the hard decisions you must make when you’re running a business: cash flow, employee, and equipment related decisions. I was very lucky to be exposed to that, and work in the business as well, and while I had other jobs along the way, I’ve always had that to come back to as a place where I can continue to learn. Watching him has made such an impact on how I want to grow my business, and it’s been such an interesting journey. He is still involved with Mosaic, especially supporting us through the pandemic. He’s the biggest role model, partner, and cheerleader, and will continue to be that, through good and bad days.

Your family has been very involved in supporting the community through many charitable causes. Why is that such an important part of your personal life and your business?

Edmonton is an incredible place where no matter what you need, there’s a community out there to support you. I hold this belief that the community of Edmonton allowed me to get a great education and be successful in business. The thing that really strikes me about our city is the incredible sense of community. There are so many great nonprofits, but we do have a few key causes that are important to us such as youth, homelessness, and the arts. We do it because we are giving back to the community that has given us so much. This year at Mosaic we started something different. Since many of those big events that we normally supported were canceled, we started a Charity Day. The last Thursday of each month we give 5% of our sales to a local charity, based on the submissions by all the team members. We’ve raised over $20,000 over the last eight months, and we spread it out to a wide array of charities. It’s been great getting the team involved in the process.

Favourite things to do in Edmonton?

Outdoor things, especially during covid. Walks in a river valley with my wife have been amazing, and now with the baby. Fort Edmonton Park, Prairie Gardens, so many spaces allow us to enjoy each other’s company and nature at the same time. You don’t need to be a mountain biker or a hiker to enjoy one of the largest urban parks in the world, a simple walk is all we need.

Something we haven’t read about you before?

I absolutely love the movies. I have a wall of vintage movie posters, and I think there’s nothing better than going to the movies, turning off your phone for two hours, and enjoying the story. Actually, we’re off to the movies tonight. I really missed it during the lockdowns and was the first one back when things reopened.

Why is straight talk so important to you?

You should always know what’s on each other’s minds. We don’t have employees here; we have team members. We’re all on the same team, and if we’re not straight with each other, we’re starting on the wrong foot.

We see many new ideas and startups coming up lately. What is the first advice you’d give an entrepreneur as they’re mapping out their business plan?

Well, there’s a lot there you need to think about, but my number one is: never start without a clear definition of your end. Never enter a business without an exit goal. I knew I started my own business because I knew I didn’t want to own a job - I wanted a business with people, systems, processes, and growth. A lot of people don’t ask themselves that question, but you really need to ask yourself if you want to own a job or do you want to own a business. This is applicable to all businesses, whether you’re a painter or an app developer.

Steven's Top Three Luxuries —

Edmonton ice cream scene — the remarkable community around locally made ice cream, whether it’s Kind, Made by Marcus, or Bernard Callebaut.

We’ve got some incredible boutiques in Edmonton. Helm is where I find most of my stuff, and I do have a little bit of a shoe addiction, so it’s an ongoing topic of conversations in the office.

Finally, the last one is something money can't buy, and that’s the luxury of time. I am realizing that now that I have a daughter, getting up at 4 am on Saturday so my wife can sleep is the most luxurious time as I know it won’t be happening for very long, and it’s the best part of my week.

www.getmosaic.ca