Being an entrepreneur is all about inspiration. Or is it perspiration? I couldn't really remember which, so I had a chat with Morey Chaplick, the President of the Canadian Scooter Corp: I think it would be more appropriate if his title was the Canadian Grandfather of Vespa (even though he's not that old). If you own a new Vespa, are mesmerized by their beauty as one wisks by on a warm summer day or can one day see yourself navigating the open roads on one, then you have Morey to thank.

Morey says the rebirth of Vespa in Canada started pretty uneventfully. It all started on a trip to Italy in 2001. You almost have to let him tell the story; it was such an inspirational moment, that it's been forever ingrained in his memory, right down to the smallest of details. He was walking with his wife when a 55 year old gentleman in a beautiful, slim, grey suit and pressed linen shirt breezed past on, you guessed it, a Vespa (complete with Louis Vuitton saddle bags).

"That's so cool."

Canada needed Vespas, so, in the midst of selling a company he had recently taken public, Morey decided to begin shipping Vespas to Toronto; the thing is, due to some regulatory issues and the likes, Morey could only import old Vespas, refurbish them and then sell them. A couple of years after opening the store, Morey began thinking, "maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." People weren't that interested in buying used Vespas.

"It was labour of love, and definitely not about the money," recalls Morey, "I was having thoughts about closing." That's when he got a call from Piaggio about being the Canadian distributor of all things Vespa, something a lot easier said than done. Morey and his business partner had to make a strong case for Vespa coming back to the Canadian market. The lesson learned: when there's truth and passion to an argument, then things are going to change.

Thankfully, for us and Morey, after a long day of meetings in LA, he and his partner caught the red-eye back to Canada, with a Vespa deal in hand.

Vespa - the quintessential symbol romantic freedom. Morey Chaplick - the quintessential symbol of romantic entrepreneurialism. From Inspiration on a street corner in Italy to almost giving up hope, to seeing your dream come true in a way that is greater than you ever would have imagined.

"Every time I sell a scooter, I get really excited!" That's because one more person is falling in love with Vespa and one more person doesn't think he's crazy for bringing them to Canada. I'm going to venture to say that Morey feels as free running his business as he does cruising on a Vespa, "I have so much fun at work. When you have a great product and a great team, working is fun."

It was sweet talking to Morey, and his excitement is contagious; I'm going to go to his store on Laird and Eglington next week to look at some Vespas. Who knows, you may see me cruising the streets of Toronto on a Vespa, Louis Vuitton bags and all.