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For 20 years, It’s Only Common Sense columnist Dan Beaulieu has inspired readers with practical business wisdom and contagious energy. In this interview, Dan recounts his remarkable journey—from forklift driver to founder of a global marketing firm—and shares his passion for storytelling, collaboration, and helping others find their voice in the PCB industry.
Marcy LaRont: Dan, where were you born and raised, and do you have a favorite childhood memory?
Dan Beaulieu: I was born and raised in Auburn, Maine, in a large French Canadian family. In fact, I didn’t really speak English until I went to school. On my mother’s side, I am the oldest of 38 grandchildren, so I was spoiled rotten. Looking back, my entire childhood was pretty good. We were poor, but since everyone in our neighborhood was poor, we didn’t realize our plight. One of my favorite memories was when my father bought a used pinball machine for $15, and my friends and I played the heck out of that machine. That was a great summer, raiding the neighborhood gardens to eat rhubarb, tomatoes, and carrots with salt and playing pinball for free.
Where did you attend college or tech training, and what was your major?
I went to the University of Maine in Fort Kent, right across the border from Canada, where we often went for pizza, bowling, and playing pool. If you gave the customs guys a slice of pizza, they wouldn’t hassle you. It was a teachers’ college, and it “taught” me that I didn’t want to be a teacher. One day, I had an assignment to go observe a high school class. After observing for an hour, I “observed” that I never wanted to be a high school teacher. After five years, I still had not graduated, however, I did meet my wife, Debbie. We met on Labor Day and got married on Halloween. We have been married for 54 years.
I finally got my degree about seven years later, taking night courses. My GPA was actually about 1.99999, and you needed 2.0 to graduate, but they gave it to me anyway. I got it in the mail. The funny thing is that the day the college president signed my degree is the same day he was arrested for stealing a can of crabmeat from Soucy’s IGA and had to resign. I think my degree might have been his last official act.
To continue reading this interview, which originally appeared in PCB007 Magazine, click here.
