Grumpy... But Wise Mentor™

I’m the Mentor Your Mother Warned You About

Hi. I’m Robin Spencer. I’m 70, I run Spencer Studio in Ottawa, and I’ve officially added a new job title to my LinkedIn: Grumpy But Wise Mentor™.

Why grumpy? Because I’ve earned it.

I never had a big payroll. Just me, a mortgage, car payments, and a long streak of “oh crap, rent’s due tomorrow” moments. I’ve survived about five recessions, a 2 year COVID shutdown, and unethical competitors.

I’m still here. Grumpier, but wiser.

So here’s the offer:

If you’re under 40, building something real in Ottawa, and you’re serious — not “I have an idea for an app” serious, but “I’m losing sleep over this” serious — coffee’s on me.

No pitch. No course to sell. No “discovery call” that turns into a webinar.

Just 45 minutes of No-BS advice from someone who’s made the rent, lost the client, and lived to tell the story.

The rules:

1. You buy the coffee? Nope, I do. I’m grumpy, not cheap.

2. You have to be doing the work already.

3. Someday, when you’re the wise one, you pay it forward to the next kid.

That’s it.

I won’t fix your business in one chat. I will tell you the truth, probably with a bad joke attached.

Want in? Email me through Spencer Studio. Put “GRUMPY” in the subject so I know you read this far.

— Robin (Grumpy... But Wise Mentor)

P.S. If you’re looking for a hype man who says “crush it” every 5 seconds, I am definitely not your guy. I do have great coffee recommendations though.