Category: Podcast

#42 Brandon Webb: Navy Seal – From Sailor to Sniper

December 13, 2017 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Brandon Tyler Webb (born June 12,1974) is a former United States Navy SEAL and SEAL Sniper Head Instructor, with one combat deployment to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. He served as the Navy SEAL Sniper Course Manager, where he developed new curricula and trained snipers, including Chris Kyle. He is the editor in chief of SOFREP[1], Founder and CEO of Crate Club, and a media commentator on snipers and related Special Operations Forces military issues.[2] Webb is the co-author of The 21st Century Sniper: A Complete Practical Guide. He is the author of The Red Circle, his memoir, and The Making of a Navy Seal.

In this interview we talk about the mindset it takes to survive SEAL training. We discuss Brandon’s books as well as his charity foundation.

I have written twice about my take on the term ‘Embrace the Suck’ both before and after Colleen was killed. Brandon talks about it from a SEAL perspective. 

Brandon shares the training techniques he used to train elite snipers and how they took graduation rates from lows to almost 100% graduation rates by altering methodology.

You can find Brandon’s books here on Amazon.

To find more about the Red Circle here.

#41 Steven Csorba: Fragile Resilience – The artist who has found himself is lost

December 1, 2017 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by


This dude is one of my favorite human beings on the planet. You will be inspired by his passion, energy and creativity. Steven is an artistic genius, fitness freak, cancer survivor and philanthropist. A self professed “Strange beast” and “the worlds poorest philanthropist”. I am thrilled to call Steven a friend and love to run with him every Sunday morning so that we can eat guilt-free croissants when we are done!

Steven has painted some of the best of the best in the NHL including Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier to name a few. His artistic success was cut short when he was hit with the dreaded C word. Cancer. In this interview we discuss his creative process, how he chose to give back to the community, his cancer and what has been dubbed pre-habilitative medicine.

Steven talks about what he calls Fragile Resilience. The balance between tough and tender. It’s a subject that has been near and dear to my heart for those of you that have followed my story. His first professional break as an artist came after he painted a portrait of Wayne after a loss at the Canada Cup.  It portrayed the sadness of the event and showed a more human side of Wayne. This was the painting that Peter Pocklington took into the dressing room and showed Wayne. Steve’s success early was a perfect example of connecting the dots and leveraging relationships. From his Uncle who cleaned Peters pool to the dressing room, it is amazing to hear the story of how it unfolded.

Shortly after I met Steven I went to one of his art shows and purchased a few of his pieces, including one titled ‘Fragile Resilience’. You will hear Steven describe and explain the painting in this interview.

20:40 Definition of Creativity: “The role of the artist is to preserve culture through self expression always relying on the truth of experience”

We talk about how to cultivate creativity and many of the things that Steven uses to build and expand his creativity.

“A true artist is always pushing the boundaries”

 [jwplayer mediaid=”7797″]

We talk about how to exercise that creativity muscle whether you are creative or not.

Over the years Steven has been very involved in the community and in particular the organization iHuman.

If you like Stevens work you can help support him here for as little as $2/month. Any support is greatly appreciated.

So many incredible quotes and tidbits in this one. Here is a the “Make Good Art” video by Neil Gaiman that we discuss in the interview.

[jwplayer mediaid=”7799″]

#40 Graham Sherman: You can’t bullshit your why

November 22, 2017 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Co-Owner, Tool Shed Brewing Company

Graham Sherman is a self-professed “high level geek” who has used his love of technology to help him master the craft of brewing artisan beer. Together with his partner, Graham launched the Tool Shed Brewery four years ago, and has never looked back. 

Prior to starting Tool Shed, Graham and his Tool Shed partner worked on contracts for the Canadian and US governments and military forces, installing encrypted, tactical communication networks. By day, they rolled around Afghanistan in armoured vehicles, “geeking out” in the world of satellite communications. By night, they aimed their obsessive, high-level thinking at mastering everyday tasks such as coffee, learning to control their homes in Canada remotely with their iPhones….and finally, perfecting batches of beer.

Now sold in over 1000 locations in Western Canada, Tool Shed has its 15,000 square foot headquarters in Calgary, and the team behind the brand has also been nominated as Canadian Entrepreneur of the year, the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs, with programs in 145 cities in 60 countries. They were also named as two co-winners of the “40 Under 40” recognition from Avenue magazine.

In this episode we talk about the importance of a strong “why” behind your “what”. We brew some beer while recording and generally have some good fun.

Graham talks about how he has leveraged social media to grow his business while having a good time along the way. We talk about innovation and using creative solutions for complex problems. 

Graham is a natural born story teller and you will love the conversation and insights in this interview. Whether you love business, beer, or like me, both, there is something for you in this episode.


#38 Joe Calloway: Magnetic – The Art of Attracting Business

February 22, 2016 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Joe Calloway helps business leaders, owners, and entrepreneurs make great companies even better. His interactive keynote presentations and workshops enable organizations to focus on what is truly important, inspire new thinking about challenges and opportunities, and motivate people to immediate action.

Joe is a business author, consultant and speaker and his client list reads like an international Who’s Who in business, ranging from companies like Proctor & Gamble and Coca Cola to Cadillac and American Express. Joe also works extensively with small to mid-sized business groups including franchisees, medical practices, law firms, and a range of professional services groups.

joe-calloway

About Joe…

  • Executive In Residence at Belmont University’s Center For Entrepreneurship, which has been named as a national Top 25 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program by the Princeton Review (for five consecutive years).  The program was featured by Fortune magazine as one of five schools to consider when studying entrepreneurship.
  • Author of six books on business performance, including Becoming A Category of One, Be The Best At What Matters Most, and his most recent book, Magnetic: The Art Of Attracting Business.
  • Director of Business Development for Gilson Boards, a design and manufacturing company that produces artisan snowboards.

Joe has presented at business conferences and events in countries around the world including Italy, Sweden, South Africa, England, Swaziland, Canada, Mexico and throughout the Caribbean. Although Joe has been inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame, he doesn’t do traditional “speeches.” Instead, Joe actively engages people in highly interactive keynotes and workshops that challenge assumptions and create new ways of thinking.

In this Interview:

  • We talk about creativity and what it takes to feed your creative self.
  • How do you use creativity to create value for your consumer.  Being in business by it’s very nature is a creative endeavor.
  • Diversity of information is critical.  It is often the intersection of disparate subjects that create great new ideas.
  • Techniques to overcome procrastination or what Stephen Pressfield called “Resistance”
  • We discuss the importance of creating corporate culture
  • The importance of simplification.  How to get your message down to a simple, easy to follow statement.
  • How to make emotional connections with your prospects and customers
  • We discuss that work/life balance scenario

External Resources

Magnetic: The Art of Attracting Business

AC/DC Beegees Mashup

Episode 37: Bob Burg – The Go-Giver; The 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success

October 1, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Can a subtle shift in focus really make that big of a difference in your business and in your income?

Our guest says, “Absolutely, yes!”

Bob Burg is a sought-after speaker at company leadership and sales conferences. He regularly addresses audiences ranging in size from 50 to 16,000. He has shared the platform with notables including today’s top thought leaders, broadcast personalities, Olympic athletes and political leaders including a former United States President.

He is coauthor of the international bestseller, The Go-Giver and Go-Givers Sell More and author of
Endless Referrals and numerous other books (more than a million copies sold in total). The Go-Giver has been translated into 21 languages.

Bob is an advocate, supporter and defender of the Free Enterprise system, believing that the amount of money one makes is directly proportional to how many people they serve. He is also an unapologetic animal fanatic, and serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors of Furry Friends Adoption & Clinic in his town of Jupiter, Florida.

the-gogiver-by-bob-burg-and-john-david-mann-4-638

In this episode we talk about Bob’s origin story.  We talk about how he got his start as a professional speaker and what lead him to write the book The Go-Giver.  Bob talks about the importance of systems to produce predictable results.  

You can watch a more recent video interview with Bob here.

The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success

  1. The Law of Value
    Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
  2. The Law of Compensation
    Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
  3. The Law of Influence
    Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
  4. The Law of Authenticity
    The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
  5. The Law of Receptivity
    The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

Book References

Bob Burg: The Go-Giver

Bob Burg: Endless Referrals

Tom Hopkins:  How to Master the Art of Selling

Michael Gerber: – The E-Myth

Episode 36: Martin Perelmuter – Entrepreneur Unleashed!

September 22, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Meet Martin Perelmuter.  Martin is an unapologetic idealist.

He’s passionate about people and ideas, and after 20 years in the speaking industry believes more than ever that a great speech can provide the impetus for action and be a catalyst for change.

Prior to co-founding Speakers’ Spotlight, Martin was a corporate lawyer at a prestigious international law firm. While he realized early on in his career that he needed to do something more entrepreneurial, he learned some incredibly valuable best practices that have shaped his approach to client service and business management.

Martin’s views on the speaking industry have been reported in various television and print media, and have been published in over 60 countries. He’s been a guest lecturer at several colleges and universities, and was a keynote speaker at the Public Words Speaker Forum at The Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School in Cambridge.

Martin is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Western Ontario, and the Faculty of Law at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

He lives in Toronto with his wife and business partner Farah, and their children Jade and Cole. He is an avid reader and music lover.

In this episode we talk about the entrepreneurial drive and what made Martin step out on his own.  Martin outlines what it took to get things moving in his own business.  The bottom line is it takes a LOT of hard work.  What attracted hi to the industry was his passion for people and ideas.  It was the opportunity to pursue his passion that led him to leave the security of a law career.

Cold calls!  Yes! We talk about cold calls.  I found it refreshing to hear this from a fellow entrepreneur.  I think that there is a lot of misconception about what it takes to build relationships.  There is a real opportunity for those that are willing to pick up the phone and talk to people.  In this digital world we are receiving a lot less calls then we ever have.  Human to human calls are becoming a rarity and therefore gives those that are willing to do it a real advantage.

Organic growth has taken their organization to 29 full time staff.  It is important to note that organic growth doesn’t just happen without a lot of hard work.  Building relationships is the key and putting yourself out there.

Exceeding expectations has been the key to their growth.  Not necessarily under promise and over deliver, because let’s face it, to get the gig you have to promise fairly high.  The key is to over promise AND over deliver.  It is about planting the seed for longer term opportunities even if you have to forego immediate gratification.

Martin cites Simon Sinek’s Start With Why as a driving force for their success.  They have spent a lot of time determining their why as an organization and took the time to learn how to articulate that.  It took them fourteen years before they crystalized exactly what that looks like.

Sharing that vision with the organization is a key to building a cohesive organization.  We explore some strategies that Martin has used to ensure his team is on board and shares that vision.  While growing as an organization it is imperative that the leadership makes sure that that “why” never goes fuzzy.

Book Recomendations

Good To Great – Jim Collins

Skinny Legs and All – Tom Robbins 

Start With Why – Simon Sinek

Power Cues – Nick Morgan

Episode 35: Richard Robbins – Delivering the Unexpected

September 5, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Richard Robbins is Co-founder and CEO of Richard Robbins International, a global sales and business coaching organization that amassed over $50 million dollars in revenue worldwide in its first ten years alone. The organization’s explosive 3000% growth is attributed largely to the transformational impact Richard Robbins’ unique methodologies have had, and continue to have, on the businesses and lives of thousands of sales professionals, entrepreneurs rich robbinsand leaders at all levels worldwide.

“lead his successful brokerage of only 20 agents to achieve the “highest production per agent” of any brokerage within its trading area.”

After a successful start as an agent Richard decided to open up his own real estate brokerage and soon found it to be a little more challenging than he thought.  On the recomendation of others and despite an affordabiliity issue Richard took a trip to a self help seminar hosted with legendary entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn, That trip changed his outlook on the concept of value dramatically.  It was after this paradigm shift that he started focusing on how to provide more value as opposed to focusing on how to make more money.  This translated into a change in philosophy around the brokerage and they moved to a heavy focus on training their sales agents.  This compounded and as his agents became more successful he attracted the type of agents that he wanted.  This culminated in the eventual sale of the brokerage and Rich’s move to his coaching and speaking business.  Richard is the author of “Deliver the Unexpected: and 6 other new truths for business”.  In this conversation we talk about  an umber of concepts:

  •  If you want to be successful in any business you better love it.  “When it’s no longer fun, you better run”
  • Anyone can be taught to succeed but you need to learn to succeed in your own way.  It starts with awareness and understanding who you are
  • If you spent as much of your day thinking about how to provide more value as you do thinking about how to make more money you’d be rich beyond measure
  • We have to allow ourselves to become more of who we are
  • Find what energizes you – do more of that
  • Giving starts the receiving process
  • How to bridge the gap between your thoughts and your actions
  • How to stay motivated on a consistent basis.  Even when the seminars are done ;0)

Richard explores his Be. Do. Have model of living and talks about the importance of the order of how we process this.  He uses some great concrete examples of how to reverse engineer your goals into who you need to BE in order to HAVE all the things you strive for.

Richard shares his morning ritual that he has done consistently to control his thoughts and stay motivated, focused and make sure he is living on purpose.  We talk about training your thoughts which will ultimately affect your feelings and your feelings control your actions.  The process Richard follows takes him about an hour a day and looks something like this:

  1. Journal
    What happened yesterday?
    What went right?
    3 to 5 things you are grateful for
  2. Review living legacy
    All the thoughts he wants to retain, might be quotes or thoughts
    Look at goals – review them and ensure you are on track
  3. Review behaviors – Focus on behaviors not results because you can
  4. Reading – feed your mind with positive
  5. Exercise – Get your head right first then your  body right second

The 7 myths and corresponding truths from Rchard’s book, Deliver the Unexpected

  1. 1. Future myth
    Myth: goals bring success by telling us where to arrive tomorrow
    Truth: goals create success by telling us what to do today.
  2. Knowledge myth
    Myth: success comes from knowing what to do.
    Truth: success comes from doing what you know.
  3. Failure myth
    Myth: failure is the opposite of success.
    Truth: failure is a means of progress. The path to achieve success.
  4. Abundance myth
    Myth: abundance is the way to success. ‘We should get to get’
    Truth: abundance is the result of success. Give instead. Reframe your interactions as opportunities to create abundance for others.
  5. Value myth
    Myth: there are two forms of value

    1. Price
    2. Added Benefit
      Truth: actually three forms of value the secret to increasing value is in adding unexpected value.
  6. Attraction myth
    Myth: we attract into our lives what we focus on.
    Truth: we attract what we are
  7. The happiness myth
    Myth: you HAVE happiness
    Truth: you have to BE happy …Happiness is the state in which we are our true selves.

Resources

Day One journalling app

Evernote

Jim Rohn

Sell More with Sales Coaching

Episode 34: Peri Shawn – Profitable Conversations

August 22, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Peri Shawn is an award winning author who specializes in working with leaders who want to get better results.  She works on helping people think better so that they can do better.  She is known as a profitable conversation expert and I think you will find this conversation will be extremely profitable.  Sales is both a science and an art and we explore the art and support it with the science that backs it up.  As sales people we know that we have interactions that are better than others both as sales people and as consumers so why not have the positive interactions by design.

peri shawn bioPeri tells the story of what triggered her passion for learning and teaching and that it was in fact the learning dichotomy between her two brothers that lead her down the path that she took.  As a high school teacher she became fascinated and discontented with the fact that her students were learning at a consistent level and decided to look into how she could help them better.  She started exploring the neuroscience behind the learning and started to see immediate results in the classroom.  At one of the teaching conferences she spoke at someone from the corporate world approached her and talked about the value of what she was teaching and ultimately convinced her to take her work and passion into the corporate world.  She became an action researcher and spent time looking at what actions were actually having the biggest impact.

The short answer was that questions that were the best way to get optimal results.  There is ample neuroscience that supports this. Jeffrey Schwartz  studied the impact of questions on the brain.  Questions actually build new neurological connections in the brain.  You can find information about his work and studies on his website at http://www.jeffreymschwartz.com/.

Challenge your thoughts and find those universal truths.  Experiment with the truisms and axioms that we hear.  We are all moving forward and we all have the resources to ‘get there’ we need to find what works the best for us as individuals.  It all starts with our core values.  Our values shape the lens in which we see the world and we can improve our selves while we are helping others.

By changing our thinking we can change ours, and our teams behaviors, the alternative is that we try and coach or teach behavior and we simply become behavior cops.  We change our thinking by analyzing our past results and reflecting on the thinking behind the behaviors recognizing that if we don’t like the results we need to change the behavior and in order to do that in a sustainable manner we need to change the thinking.

 

Peri’s definition of Selling is “Helping people with their buying decision”.  The sales business is substantially different today then it was even five years ago.

  • As sales people we need to understand where our customers are in the buying process.
  • Listening is critical to the sales process
  • Sales decisions are made on emotion justified by logic
  • Can we design the emotional experience of the buying process
  • We need to get our customer emotionally engaged
  • Stories are a key factor to emotionally connect with your client
    • Create stories that relate to your sales process
    • Create an experience that your clients will tell as a story to others and they become your best sales people
    • We discuss the neuroscience behind this
  • We talk about addressing client concerns or objections

The 10 common sales mistakes sales people make

  1. Not being clear on who is buying
  2. Forgetting why people buy
  3. Being self focused
  4. Telling mistruths
  5. Being ill prepared
  6. Taking too much of clients time
  7. Sharing what is not relevant
  8. Missing buying cues
  9. Acting like a traditional sales person
  10. Treating clients as enemies
Resources

Connect with Peri on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perishawn
Visit Peri’s professional web site: http://coachingandsalesinstitute.com/
Buy Peri’s book: http://www.amazon.com/Sell-More-With-Sales-Coaching/dp/1118785932
Dr. John Demartini 

Neuroscience Research

Uri Hasson publications
Jeffrey Schwartz

Shane Feldman - Count Me In

Episode 33: Shane Feldman – Inspiring Youth Across The Planet

July 24, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

How many 20 year olds do you know that have their own Wikipedia page? Here is Shane’s bio from Wikipedia:

“Shane Feldman is a motivational speaker and critically acclaimed producer.[1] He is one of Canada‘s Top 20 Under 20.[2]

Feldman is the founder and CEO of Count Me In,[3][4][5] the largest youth-led organization in North America.

As CEO (Chief Executive Optimist) at Count Me In, Feldman is the creative strategist behind the organization’s core programming,[6] which help young people find their passion through volunteerism. The unique initiative connects youth with community opportunities and causes matching their interests, inspiring local involvement, leadership, and social innovation.[7][8]“

Plugging into his community in Grade 9 literally changed his life.  “Getting involved was the key to all things awesome.”  What started in 2011 as what was supposed to be a 50 student assembly in his high school, turned into 400 students from 7 schools. The momentum quickly grew and in 2012 the gathering included 1000 students from over 30 schools. Today Count Me In has produced 7 major events, 2 global broadcasts, impacted 10 million in about 104 countries around the world.

“Your age does not define your potential.“

Shane is living proof of this statement and learned early on how to turn his pain into purpose.  He made the choice to look for the good in everything.  The starting point is being authentic, being your true self, and looking for the good that is in you that you can share.  You have it in you to do something positive for someone else and in doing so you cannot help but feel good yourself.  Smile at someone, hold the door for someone, strike up a conversation with a stranger on the bus.  It is as simple as brightening someone’s day to brighten your own.

To make someone happy just think about what would make you happy. Do that.

We talk about the potential loss of connection that social media could create.  Shane talks about the upside of the uber connected world.  Count Me In has leveraged the internet to provide a global broadcast that has inspired millions.  Shane believes we will get back to increasing that connection with the prevalence of video.  “You can’t rely on technology to create deep meaningful relationships.”

If you are growing up feeling connected to your community then you are not going to make those bad choices.  You are going to strive to do your part in making a positive difference. Shane believes that a legacy isn’t something you leave, it is something you live.

When surrounded with all these choices of what to do with your time you are tempted to ‘waste time’ chasing fun but when you realize that these are not isolated blocks of time but a limited resource connected to your entire life and the total block you have, you become more mindful of how you spend it.  If you think of time like your financial resources and budget you tend to spend it more wisely.  That’s not to say that down time is wasted.  His definition of wasted time is doing any sort of activity that removes you from your life.  That takes you away from your authentic self.  Shane shares a time where he struggled with being a workaholic at a young age, going to bed with his lap top.  We talk about the risks, downsides and the toll that this can take on your life.

On Personal development.

Shane FeldmanPersonal reflection – some might call it meditation but Shane trys to start and end his day reflecting on how he spent his day.  Being mindful you can make the choices that are congruent with who you want to become.

Physical Activity – walking meetings, jogging.

Movement, whole body involvement is important for idea generation.  Shane learned this by studying Shakespeare.  His drama teacher told him that shakespeare isn’t something you learn but something that you feel. When you want to be super productive you are able to visualize more when you are moving, your brain is just “glowing”.

Shane’s definition of success: personal satisfaction and happiness.  Being able to wake up every morning and smile at yourself for yourself simply for being who you are.

How does Shane keep his ego in check given the massive success at a young age?

Self reflection is the key.  The bigger the movement became the more he realized he could easily lose sight of what was real and what was marketing.  He saw it happen in other areas where individuals led with their egos and not their hearts.  This realization had Shane become very mindful of why and how he made decisions.  Success and fame is not really about ego.  It is about finding a message or story that resonates with the masses.  While Shane is following his purpose he has ‘surrendered’ to the world and follows his gut.

I asked Shane about the potential of making the very youth he intends to inspire feel unworthy by being such a large example of making an impact.  I wondered If he fears that he will set the bar too high. I had recently listened to Brene Brown talk about this. The concern is that the message that we have to do these huge, extraordinary things can set us up for feelings of unworthiness.  Set us up to feel like we are never enough.

The message of Count Me In is more about what you CAN do not what you MUST do. The message is to make a change locally.  You don’t need to get on a plane to make a difference.  You don’t need a ton of cash. Start small, start local.

On Parenting Teens

A lot of parents look at teenagers as this weird, eery brand new animal they have never seen before.  Shane talks about the similarities between teens and toddlers (trust me, I have a teen who sometimes acts like a toddler).  They both have that youthful, innocent enthusiasm.  They both have a certain curiosity and a need to explore.  As parents the best thing we can do is to give them guidance and that safety net to call home while they explore their individuality.  Demonstrate that they have the freedom to explore but still allowing that safety net.  The more they feel valued the more they’re going to a grow into a physically and mentally stable adult.

We discuss the Count Me In 4 day Leadership summit and the transformative impact that it had on Shane.  He talks about how it was the most meaningful and fulfilling event he has ever produced.

We wrap up with Shane sharing his story of some friends who started an initiative called #founda50.

I was so impressed with Shane’s passion for what he does that I decided to sponsor a youth to attend Count Me In’s Leadership Summit.

Resources:

Count Me In Movement

CMI Leadership Summit

Shane’s personal website

Shane’s Wikipedia page

The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer

Brene Brown

Topics We Explore:

  • Shane tells the story of how he created the largest youth run conference on the planet.
  • Guarding against Ego
  • Surrendering to what is
  • Parenting
  • Peer pressure
  • The fact that possibilities are endless regardless of your age
  • We talk about the power of perspective.
  • We talk about a Pay it Forward movement called Found a fifty

Episode 32: Coach Dan – Author, Ironman and all round great guy

July 12, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Dan O’Neill is my triathlon coach.  Dan is an extremely inspirational man who has completed 3 Ironman races, written a book and been a part of raising several hundred thousand dollars for Kids with Cancer.

In this interview we talk about the motivation behind competing in such an extreme endurance event.  We talk about the fact that these events are being completed by a larger variety of demographics and that age and body type is becoming much less of a barrier.

We talk about work/life balance and how perhaps work/life integration is a better approach.  Dan tells us how he used his journey to Ironman as a healing process.  Dan went from childhood abuse to completing three Ironman.  He talks about how he had to make the concious decision to not be a victim.

Dan shares his story of writing and ultimately publishing his book and the mental discipline it took to actually do that.

Episode 31: Christopher Novais – The Art of Letting Go

July 3, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Christopher Novais is a Toronto native who embodies the term entrepreneur.  Christopher graduated from York University with a degree in marketing and wasted no time putting it to use.  Christoper is the co-founder of The Art Of Productions Inc. which quickly became Canada’s largest personal development seminar series.  The Art Of has grown from a single conference to a variety of different conferences spanning the Country.

Christopher has worked with the likes of Martha Stewart, Chris Hadfield, Brene Brown and Rudy Giuliani to name a few.  In this episode we discuss his journey as an entrepreneur.  In 2008 Chris found a niche in the personal development conference space and moved to fill it.

the-art-of-logoWe talk about Christophers strategic planning process and the steps he takes to ensure that his team executes on those plans.  Christopher recommends keeping your plan to three major objectives.  Any more can become overwhelming and/or distracting amking it difficult to focus.  The three categories they use to set priorities are:

  1. Financial
  2. Process Oriented
  3. Customer Experience

Christophers definition of success has evolved over time but currently he lists things in this order.

  1. Doing his family and friends proud
  2. Financial Freedom
  3. More recently looking at what he is contributing to the world.

Interestingly he says that when he added that third component, actually connecting value to other peoples success, is when the business really started to flourish.

“My job is to keep my nose in everything but to keep my hands out”

Some of the key messages and take-aways that we discuss are:

  • Begin with the end in mind.
    Have a clear vision of where you are going and be able to articulate that to your team.
  • Hard work never stops
    While the journey may get easier, Christopher believes that is likely a result of us getting smarter not having to work less.
  • When you do what you love you will do it well.
  • Teamwork counts
  • Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
    “My job is to keep my nose in everything but to keep my hands out”
  • Planning and execution are both critical factors to success as an entrepreneur
  • There are always different ways of doing things.  Open your mind to possibilities
  • You will get more than one shot so play around, experiment.

You can find Christopher on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophernovais or at The Art of Productions.

Episode 30: Nicole Almond – Making a Difference Through Entrepreneurship

June 24, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Nicole-AlmondNicole Almond is the President of Enactus Canada. Nicole talks to us not only about her role as President and what Enactus does but shares some of her experience as a student in the Enactus program while she was in university. Enactus is truly a unique organization finding unique ways of inspiring the next generation to make a difference in our world.

Enactus Canada is shaping generations of entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada.

They rally the energy, ideas and passion of Canada’s best and brightest students who see business as a way to address social issues.

Guided by academic advisors and business experts, the student leaders of Enactus Canada create and implement community empowerment projects and business ventures in communities coast to coast.

This experiential learning platform helps students unleash their entrepreneurial spirit and develop the talent and perspective essential to leadership in our ever changing world.

Each year, we are reminded it is the people involved with Enactus Canada – students, academic professionals and industry leaders alike – who continue to make us so successful. Together, this year alone, they were able to:

  • Engage 2,347 students and 118 faculty advisors on 59 campuses
  • Implement 259 community development projects
  • Employ 1,600 people through skill development and business creation
  • Impact 643,026 people

As a global network of 36 countries, our community of student, academic and business leaders is enabling progress through entrepreneurial action.

I think you will enjoy this one!

Episode 29: Carmen Alpaerts Making a Difference

June 8, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

Carmen Alpaerts has been active in the community for a very long time.  She is a firm believer in giving back to your community.  Her ‘get it done’ attitude that has proven successful in business has been applied to her philanthropic endeavors as well.   We talk about the use of creativity and marketing strategies to get the results she was looking for.

Carmen is committed to raising the bar when it comes to helping out the homeless.  In this interview we talk about the importance of a team.  You can make a difference by cultivating the relationships in your network.  Carmen’s ‘team’ includes her 84 year old mom who is a large part of why Carmen does what she does.  Mom is still actively involved and out there soliciting participation from the local business.

Carmen gives some advice on how we, as parents, can ensure that we pass these values down to our children.

Angels in the Night London Chapter: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angels-in-the-Night-London-Chapter/605275746175516

My takeaways from this interview:

  • Get creative and look for ways to encourage others to get involved
  • Make it fun
  • Instill philanthropic values in the next generation
  • Make it easy

 

Episode 28: Making a Difference – MacKenzie Lucas Pedal Towards the Cure

May 30, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

This is our first in our “Making a Difference” series.  The intent is to bring awareness to those individuals that are doing extraordinary things in our communities.  My hope is that we can inspire others and feed off of each others contributions to do more to help change our world for the better.

10885442_2064886273650289_8131557165279757538_nTodays guest is a young man by the name of MacKenzie Lucas who is going to be cycling across Canada to raise money for Lung Cancer.  MacKenzie is no stranger to fund raising and has done fund raisers in the past, including shaving his head for Cancer.  His goal is to cycle from St. Johns, New Foundland all the way to Vancouver, British Columbia.  He is leaving July 16, 2015 and plans to finish on September 6, 2015 which just happens to be his 21st birthday.  His hope is to raise at least a dollar per kilometer, which would put him at about $7800.00.

I love to see young people getting active and making a difference.  His campaign is called Pedal Towards the Cure.  You can find him on Facebook here at: https://www.facebook.com/pedaltowardsthecure?fref=ts.

If you would like to donate directly you can find his donation page here at:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/pedal-towards-the-cure/

MacKenzie will be documenting his progress with a GoPro and a daily blog.  My hope is that we can do a few brief interviews with him along his journey and track his progress together.

Episode 27: Erik Giasson; The Yogi Who Sold His Ferrari

May 25, 2015 (updated April 4, 2021) Published by

At 36, Erik Giasson became the Chief Investment Officer and Erik GiassonSenior Vice President of a major investment firm. At 43, he achieved his ultimate dream, which is to work for the largest “hedge fund”. He lived in abundance and wealth, when in 2008, at 43 years old, following the financial crisis he loses his job and his role, everything collapses. Through his suffering, he will undertake a life transition, he discovered yoga, which surely saved him from suicide. Yoga not only allowed him to survive, but to live with who he really is, without role. Professional speaker, Financier, and Ironman Triathlete, Entrepreneur, Yoga teacher, he is the co-founder of Wanderlust yoga center in Montreal.

Online Members

No event found!
Load More

Subscribe for Updates

Get notified about new articles, programs and events.