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From ‘paper dinosaurs’ to 100 stages, how Michelle Weger turned narcolepsy into a superpower

October 23, 2024

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When Michelle Weger joins a video call, her background tells much of her story for her. Sitting quietly on a couch behind her is her service dog, Quinn, while her Forty Under 40 award and her new book, Don’t Snooze Your Dreams, lie on the mantle. In 2012, Weger decided to start her own business, Venture Creative Collective, as a way forward in the wake of a narcolepsy diagnosis. Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to control sleep-wake cycles. Since then, Weger has realized success by letting her disability become her superpower. “Most bosses expect you to be in at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. and not sleep in … I knew I had to find a way to create something for myself that I could have control over,” she told OBJ. “I knew it would be harder of a job when I didn’t have a business degree … but it was the most viable path forward to be able to make money.” Venture Creative Collective, or VCC, specializes in website development and automation, where Weger is a self-proclaimed expert. In fact, she says, automation is what allows her to keep up with her business. “The first person that responds to a lead closes the deal almost every time. I kept having leads come in early in the morning, late at night, or in the middle of the day – all the times I’m sleeping the most. I had to figure out a way to have a system that would respond for me without it seeming like a robot,” she said. She says she took an online course in software development to find solutions. Then she realized that the type of system that worked for her was something her clients could also benefit from. For example, a business could set up an automated system that would take all the necessary information that would otherwise have been collected over a long string of emails or a lengthy phone call, making the process smoother for both the customer and the business. “Even though it was set up for me, I realized the industry could benefit from it. My business was then consulting on those possible solutions to problems that I think most people didn’t even realize could be solved … I don’t know anyone that wants to send 60 emails about something,” she said. When it came to a home-base for her business, she says Ottawa was the best place to find stability. “I came back to Ottawa because that’s where my parents lived, it was convenient. I think because there’s a large government population, that means there's safety, it’s stable. I struck out pretty quickly on my own after that, but Ottawa as a home base, it just makes sense,” Weger said. Reflecting on her career so far, Weger points to two highlights; winning a Forty Under 40 award for her success in business while still in her 20s; and being able to support her family, something that was made possible by her husband joining VCC full time after leaving a career with Apple. On Oct. 22, Weger launched her first book, Don’t Snooze Your Dreams, which is, as she describes it, part memoir, part self-help. “It’s about how to overcome the things that are holding you back and achieve your dreams, no matter how big they are, it is possible. In the book, I outline the framework I’ve used to make it happen for myself,” she said. One of the parts that resonates the most with people is a concept she calls “paper dinosaurs.” “We all have things we’re afraid of. For years, I was afraid that if people found out I have narcolepsy that my whole business would be over and I would lose all my clients. This concept goes back to our ancestors, where if you got kicked out of the cave at night, you were going to get eaten by a dinosaur. Dinosaurs used to be a real danger if you didn’t fit in and that evolved and we’re still deeply afraid of those dinosaurs, of being rejected by our peers. Those dinosaurs aren’t real anymore, they’re paper dinosaurs. We can tear them down,” she said. Part of overcoming the fears and challenges of her narcolepsy came in the form of a service dog. “I wouldn’t be doing in-person speaking engagements or days with clients but all that is now possible for me because she (Quinn) will alert me to take my medication, which will keep me awake … that’s definitely the greatest gift to me,” Weger said. She also credits a strong support system from what she jokingly calls her “service humans” — her husband, parents and best friend. “We need allies in our life. I’m very fortunate that I was born into a family of allies who support me and help me. I know that’s not the case for everyone,” she said. Weger’s advice for young entrepreneurs is to start putting the work in and quit overplanning. “The first step is to sell something to someone, actually do the work for it. Do that again and again. It’s great to plan but it’s only by actually doing it, when you’re in the trenches, that you’ll know if this is something people want,” Weger said. Looking to the future, Weger knows exactly what she wants to accomplish next. “I want to have a documentary made when I have the next service dog in training, from how they choose them – because I didn’t choose Quinn … they matched her based on her personality for the job – all the way through to when the training is ‘complete,’ because the training is never done,” Weger says. She also plans to speak on 100 stages in two years, a goal that she says is already one-fifth of the way completed.