We were lucky to catch up with Francesca Delisle recently and have shared our conversation below.
Francesca, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
In 2008, we lost everything. We owned several homes across the Bay Area, but we had to give them up. Our business collapsed, forcing us to start over from scratch. It was an incredibly difficult time—not just financially, but emotionally. We had to overcome not only the devastation of losing everything but also the overwhelming sense of failure that came with it.
Rebuilding wasn’t easy. We had to shift our mindset, redefine our self-worth, and fight our way back. Thankfully, we weren’t alone. Many people stood by us, offering support when we needed it most. They showed up in ways big and small—without judgment, without expecting anything in return—just pure kindness. Their love and generosity carried us through our darkest moments and changed us forever.
To honor those acts of kindness, we’ve made it our mission to do the same for others. We call it Happy Money, inspired by Ken Honda’s book of the same name. It’s about giving freely, spreading joy, and creating a positive flow of generosity. Sometimes, that means buying lunch for a friend, going all out for someone’s birthday, or surprising someone with a meaningful gift. And on a bigger scale, we commit to giving back 10% of everything we earn through MySyde. Our first donation went to an incredible young cancer warrior, Kane Carlin, and we look forward to paying it forward even more—both in business and in life.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As an entrepreneur, one of the biggest challenges is getting your name out there and marketing yourself effectively. At times, it felt like I needed a marketing degree just to figure it all out. Between the high costs, the constant trial and error, and the disappointment of strategies that didn’t work, it was an uphill battle. I knew there were people who needed what I had to offer—they just didn’t know how to find me.
That struggle led to the creation of MySyde. It was born out of my own need as a business owner—to market myself directly to my community and connect with the people who were looking for my services. I wanted to make it easier for entrepreneurs to be discovered by the customers who need them most.
That’s why we built a space for Community Media—a platform designed to bring local businesses and their communities together like never before. With MySyde, users can find businesses through trusted recommendations from friends, family, and neighbors, making it easier to support local and shop with confidence.
What makes MySyde special is that it’s more than just a business directory—it’s a community-driven space where connections are built, businesses grow, and people find exactly what they’re looking for. Whether you’re a service provider looking to reach new customers or a consumer looking for trusted local businesses, MySyde makes it simple, personal, and effective.
We’re passionate about helping entrepreneurs succeed, and we’re excited to see how MySyde continues to transform the way communities connect.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, three qualities have been most impactful in my entrepreneurial journey: grit, passion, and belief.
1. Grit – The ability to persevere, no matter how difficult the road gets, is essential for building anything worthwhile. Entrepreneurship is filled with challenges, setbacks, and moments of doubt. But true entrepreneurs push forward despite it all. Rising up again and again in the face of adversity takes an intense amount of courage, and that resilience is what separates those who succeed from those who give up.
2. Passion – Without passion, it’s nearly impossible to sustain the entrepreneurial journey. When times get tough (and they will), passion is what keeps you going. It fuels your determination and reminds you why you started in the first place. If you don’t truly love what you do, it will be much harder to push through the difficult moments.
3. Belief – Perhaps the most critical ingredient is an unwavering belief in yourself—even when it seems illogical, even when others doubt you, and even when you feel like giving up. This kind of belief keeps you standing when everything else tries to knock you down.
For those just starting out, my advice is to build a thick skin. The journey won’t always be easy, and you will face criticism, rejection, and obstacles along the way. Learn to deflect negativity and stay focused on your mission.
Most importantly, find your support system. For me, that has been my husband—his belief in me has lifted me up every time I needed it. Find that one person who believes in you wholeheartedly. It could be a parent, a friend, a sibling, or a mentor. Lean on them when you need to, and let their support remind you that you are capable of achieving what you set out to do.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
The person who has been most instrumental in shaping my resilience and strength is my mother. I grew up watching her overcome challenge after challenge with unwavering determination.
She endured a difficult marriage where she was constantly put down. But when that chapter ended, she had to summon all her strength to rebuild her life. And she did just that—piece by piece, she pulled herself up, took control, and never looked back. She pushed forward, growing stronger with every passing year, and always made sure to lift me up along the way.
Life continued to test her. She faced unimaginable losses, including the passing of my little brother. I watched as she once again found herself at rock bottom, grieving from the depths of hell. Yet, instead of giving up, she chose to keep going—rebuilding, reinventing, and proving time and again that she was stronger than the circumstances life threw at her.
Today, at 76, she is embracing a new chapter on her own terms. She is traveling to Spain and then to Mexico for three months—not because she has to overcome anything this time, but simply because she is choosing herself. For the first time, she is writing the next 20 years of her life purely for her own joy and fulfillment.
She is my HERO. She has done what no one before her in our family has done—taken full control of her life and defined her own future. Her strength, resilience, and courage continue to inspire me every single day.
Thank you, Mommy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mysyde.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysydeapp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mysydeapp/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mysyde/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mysydeapp
Image Credits
MySyde and Francesca Delisle
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