Auction Owls
Auction Owls co-owners: Paul & Valerie Cyr
After working over 30 years in the Credit and Collections industry, as both an individual contributor and a senior manager for regional and nationwide organizations, Paul Cyr made a bold move. He stepped away from the corporate world to follow a personal calling. In 2017, Paul launched Auction Owls, his very first business, which proudly celebrate its 8th year of operation in 2025.
Paul’s motivation to start Auction Owls came from his desire to achieve better mental relaxation and spend more quality time with his family and grandchildren. He says that “picking” is in his DNA, a lifelong hobby that has always brought him peace during his downtime.
The business name was born out of a casual coffee conversation with a friend who happened to be a writer. The friend pointed out Paul’s fondness for owls and his tendency to stay up late - a true night owl. The "Auction" part naturally complemented the name, leading to the creation of Auction Owls.
Paul measures success not just by online metrics, though “good Google reviews are always nice,” but by something deeper: happy customers and happy consigners. These are the true indicators of success for Auction Owls.
On any given day - especially following auction periods - approximately 50–60 people walk through Auction Owls’ doors. With about 10 projects on the go at any time, it’s a bustling environment powered by purpose and passion.
Starting the business, however, was far from easy. Paul describes the journey as “very tough,” noting that being an entrepreneur often means working 24/7. The early days involved hard work and little pay, but he stuck with it. “If you don’t sow, you don’t reap the rewards,” he explains - a mantra that carried him through.
Despite the challenges, Paul finds great joy in the freedom that comes with being his own boss - setting his own hours, delegating tasks, making important decisions, and aligning the timing of his activities with his personal peak performance.
Throughout his entrepreneurial journey, CBDC played a tremendous role. From the early stages to ongoing support, CBDC has been there. As Paul describes, he attended many of their seminars and events and grew to love how CBDC helps communities through networking, consulting, and education. The support wasn’t just theoretical - Paul received $120,000 in funding, which helped significantly in establishing the foundation for Auction Owls.
“CBDC is a lender based on the 5 Cs of credit versus just 1 C… Capital,” Paul says. “Banks don’t look at your character.”
Ideally, Paul would dream of seeing Auction Owls continue under the stewardship of one of his children, ensuring the brand’s legacy lives on. However, he realistically anticipates managing a successful wind-down while maintaining the brand’s integrity. Eventually, he envisions returning to his roots with a smaller, home-based operation - staying close to the passion that started it all.
Auction Owls is not just a business. It’s a testament to resilience, character, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment - with a community of happy customers and consigners to show for it.