Mon, 29 December 2014
Introducing Andrew Tidby Andrew Tidby is a filmmaker, explorer, space worshiper, and our host Greg’s BFF. Through the course of events, Andrew has many amazing experiences and stories to tell. For example, he and Greg produced a show called “Planet Luxury” which showcased the world’s most expensive luxury items and the people who own them. Andrew has had over a decade of experiences while traveling the world and telling stories, but some of his greatest life lessons come from the past year or so working and learning with astronauts. A little over a year ago, Andrew was thinking up new shows he could pitch to networks around the world. He decided to try and pitch a show for kids on one of his greatest passions, space. So, at 2 am one morning, he started to film a pilot episode of his new show. He brought the idea to Canada’s National Film Board, who loved the idea and wanted to produce a series called NFB’s Space School. Space School would lead to schools ditching boring textbooks on space and give students to learn from an interactive online experience. The government paired Andrew with one of Canada’s most famous astronauts, Chris Hadfield, as he trained to become the commander of the International Space Station. Andrew followed Chris and a number of other astronauts around for a year and what he learned from these “rocket men” was how humble, happy they were and that they had a passion for continuous learning. Andrew was astounded by their lack of “showiness” for all they have accomplished and have seen. Andrew remembers them asking him about his life and experiences, but often they were quite quiet about themselves. One example of this was astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Though Andrew has spoken with Jeremy a number of times, he didn’t know about some of his most harrowing experiences until Jeremy’s mother told him. Jeremy works as a test pilot for the Canadian Forces when not preparing for space, and one of his jobs is to figure out how to stabilize planes that go into uncontrollable spins while in flight. Jeremy would put himself into an uncontrollable spin and calmly communicate with the tower, “code 13”. Though Jeremy was seconds from death, he would always calmly pull out of his situation. Andrew was struck by how so an amazing man with such an amazing story could be so humble. After Andrew spent a year shadowing Chris Hadfield, the commander went into space for his mission. Then Andrew gets a call from the International Space Station, one of the most memorable calls of his life. It was Chris Hadfield and conference called with David Bowie, and they want Andrew to produce the world’s first music video filmed in space, “Space Oddity”. Within weeks the video that was produced had millions of hits and became a viral sensation.
In this episode
Andrew tells such how his NASA experience changed the way he thinks about life. He also reflects on the steps he took throughout his life to get to the point of producing the world’s highest music video and what he thinks about those who think they deserve instant gratification in their career paths. Greg and Dave are reminded of the importance of listening for the stories of others and the difference of having humble pride and “showiness”.
Links and References
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Mon, 22 December 2014
Introducing DJ Waldow It is coming upon that time of year again where many assess changes that need to be made in their lives. A course of action is taken where we vow to make these changes and we call them New Year’s resolutions. Many will choose to lose some weight; others will choose to quit smoking. Perhaps for your next New Year’s resolution, you might consider a plan to follow your passions. Our guest this week is just the guy to get the ball rolling for you. DJ Waldow was formerly an email marketer and a product evangelist for Marketo. A little over six months ago, DJ came to a crossroads in his life. He just didn’t have the passion for what he was doing anymore. This is particularly difficult when one of the most important parts of his job was to show a passion for the company’s products and services. So in June 2014, DJ quit his job and focused all of his energy into finding work that he was passionate about. In this process, DJ decided to write a blog post about what he was doing and why, which received a lot of attention and reaction online. 80% of those who got in touch with DJ commended him on his choice and commiserated to him about how much they hated their own job. Another 20% congratulated him and shared with him how they decided to follow their own passions. DJ had always had a passion for helping others, and due to the response from his blog post, he decided to pursue a career as a career transition coach. DJ also wanted to tell the stories of people working their passion and started the Living Your Passion Podcast. DJ now helps people that were in a very similar position he was in only months ago.
In this episode
DJ tells us how and why he made the leap from a well-paying job and tells us the common threads he sees with people who live their passion. He explains his coaching process and tells us what he has learned from people who have already found their passion. Greg is reminded of a documentary he made with Dave on coaching titled, Airplane Journals. Dave is reminded of the many people that are wasting their time by being in a job they hate or have lost a passion for. Greg is inspired by DJ’s ability to quickly jump careers and find success. Both Dave and Greg are thankful to be in positions to be able to follow their own passions.
Links DJ's Favourite Episode of Living Your Passion
Airplane Journals |
Mon, 15 December 2014
Introducing Lauchlan Ough Sometimes the most effective form of leadership involves empowering the people who work for you to be leaders themselves. A lot can be said enabling leaders, as well as getting them to jump right into unfamiliar tasks. This is exactly the approach Greg Hemmings takes with the people who work for him. One of the greatest examples of this is Greg’s employee, Lauchlan Ough. Lauchlan was one of the original employees at Hemmings House, and the youngest at the time. Lauchlan was around for the humble beginnings, where the production company was working out of the basement of Greg’s home. Fast forward to 2014; Lauchlan is now an experienced director, cinematographer, photographer, and editor, running shoots with a number of people under him. Coming out of high school, Lauchlan had a passion for the process of filmmaking. He knew that he wanted to work with morally good people, he wanted to learn on the job, and he enjoyed the process of filmmaking more so then its end goal. Upon joining Hemmings House, he could feel that every step the small company made was a step toward building something much larger and greater. The company and its employees had help along the way, such as executive coaching from Dave Veale, but Lauchlan and the other HHP employees were actively in a constant state of evolution, aiming to achieve the vision Greg and they all set for the company. One of the mental hurdles that Lauchlan needed to overcome was a belief that he could only achieve to a level his age would allow him. For a while, he didn’t question the barrier he set up in his own mind that he couldn’t do certain things because of his age. During a coaching session with Dave, he had an epiphany when considering how far he had already came at his age, and that he was just limiting what he could achieve. He credits coaching and it’s outsider perspective with its ability to unlock mental blocks and just make everything click. Lauchlan now uses the approach Greg had with him when working on film sets. Instead of trying to be on top of everything and micromanaging, he empowers others to do their work. This allows creativity to flourish amongst the group, and allows him to focus on his process. He now has an enhanced confidence when working with other filmmakers from bigger centers such as California or Toronto. Lauchlan knows that Hemmings House can create at high level, and he now learns as much from what others are doing wrong as what they are doing right.
In this episode
Lauchlan speaks to his experience of working in a creative industry with creative people. We hear about the evolution of Greg, Dave, Lauchlan, and Hemmings House. Lauchlan also tells us how jumping right into work has helped him evolve. Greg is inspired by how far Lauchlan has come over the years and his ability to throw himself into uncomfortable places. Dave is wowed by Lauchlan’s wisdom beyond his years. |
Mon, 8 December 2014
Introducing Jeff Roach These days most businesses try to get with the times and engage people through social media with mixed results. Many take the route of duplicating the ads they use in traditional marketing and posting them to social media. Jeff Roach would tell these people they are going about social media marketing all wrong. Jeff is the founder of Sociallogical, a company that works with other businesses to embed social media tools and practices into their operations. His company helps those having trouble understanding how social media can be an asset to them by initiating a strategy, training their people, and developing and managing content. Jeff’s main beef with how many companies use social media is that they are using it for advertising and not sharing the stories that the company has to tell. Jeff tells us that social media is NOT another advertising channel. In fact, using social media this way many companies turn their customers off. Consider what a customer might be likely to do if they become annoyed by ads. They are likely to block the company from their social media feed. People don’t go to social media to be bombarded with ads; they use social media to connect, interact, and to be engaged. So what is the correct approach? You need to make people feel like they are connected to you. Jeff uses the analogy of a Christmas parties. Every December countless businesses pull in clients, employees, contractors, associates, etc. to have a few drinks or a meal and to connect on a personal level. Everyone finds out what each other have been up to and many see others they haven’t seen in quite some time. Generally, big deals or sales are not struck during the Christmas party, just general conversations. Using social media marketing should be just like having a Christmas party all-year-long. You want your clients to know what you have been up to, and what is new, but without the sales. The sales will come as you engage with your customers, by telling them the great stories of success you have made for others, and by becoming a trust agent.
In this episode
Jeff tells us his story of how he fell in love with online marketing and his experiences with entrepreneurship. Greg tells us about the three different types of people every business needs. Jeff gives his impressions of how marketing has changed drastically in even the last 10 years. Greg concludes that you can never feel like you know everything you need to know about social media and Dave warns us to beware of the coach that doesn’t have a coach.
Links
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Mon, 1 December 2014
Introducing Peter Stoddart It is the dream of many to open their own restaurant, café, or pub. However, the food and beverage industry is not an easy business to succeed within. Most restaurants fail within a few years of opening, so what can you do to stand out and atop the rest? Peter Stoddart is an entrepreneur that did just this. Peter is the owner of The Saint John Ale House in beautiful uptown Saint John, New Brunswick. Peter opened the Ale House in 2004, but had the inspiration to open such a business for much longer. Peter was amongst the first in his local market to focus on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients for a pub environment. Even his chef, Jesse, runs his own farm to help grow the ingredients they need on a daily basis. Beyond taste, there are other reasons to consider sourcing locally and seasonally. First off, you get to know the people and places that your ingredients come from. You also have the opportunity to spend your money so that it stays within the local economy. Not to mention, your vendors become your evangelists and customers. Beyond great food, the Saint John Ale House focuses on personal service and a fun, social atmosphere. They seek to build and support a community atmosphere that lets their patrons feel like they are apart of something special. Connecting with his customers is Peter’s greatest joy in the business, as well as offering a product that he can be proud of. This is especially true, when Peter sees visitors from other parts of the world return wearing a SJAH t-shirt. By creating and showing loyalty and developing a connection to his customers and community, he has created an institution. It isn’t easy to do what Peter has done, but with passion and persistence Peter believes you can achieve like he has.
In this episode Peter tells us about the Saint John Ale House and the steps he has taken to make it the success it currently is. We hear how he generates buzz through social media by creating great content. We hear how Dave went to the Ale House prior to his wedding and almost got married with chicken wing sauce on his face. Greg loves Peter’s approach to local business and how buying from local vendors turns them into your customers and quasi-marketers.
Links
Peter throwing pumpkins from the roof of the SJAH
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Mon, 24 November 2014
Introducing David Meerman Scott Sometimes you can learn aspects of business from obscure and seemingly unrelated places and people. Like learning lessons of marketing from the Grateful Dead. David Meerman Scott did just that. David is an international best-selling author of several books and speaks routinely around the world. David doesn’t like to write typical, boring marketing books though. He looks to write about things he enjoys. David came up with the idea of taking business concepts from the jam band, while working with his friend and CEO of Hubspot, Brian Halligan. Hubspot is a leading online provider of marketing and sales software, but they offer a ton of free digital content as well. Brian and David, both huge dead heads, decided to try making a fun marking webinar on the Grateful Dead. The webinar they produced became the most popular one Hubspot had to that point, and so together they decided to write the book version. For those of you not in the know, the Grateful Dead was a band started in 1965 known for their eclectic style, fusing a number of different genres and using an improvisational style when preforming. Also, The Dead were one of the few bands that allowed their fans to record their live performances, make tapes, and trade them amongst other fans. Unlike most bands, their fans would tend to go to multiple performances because no two shows were alike. Instead of treating their fans like consumers, the band treated them like a community and considered those in the audience part of the show. Essentially, more than trying to suck money out of their fans, they wanted to do right by them. They trusted the fan base like they were another member of the band, and that is why they would let them do things like tape live shows. So what can we learn from the “Dead”, and how can we implement some of the ideas they championed in our businesses? First, you have to be willing to let go of some content to your customers for free. The idea is that if you give away useful information, you will generate more customers. Second, you want to build a community around your business, not just a grouping of customers. Your customers should feel like they are apart of the business, not just numbers or dollar signs. You must build your community, and then serve your community, and the community will share further. In some ways, the Grateful Dead were pioneers of viral marketing. David doesn’t just spout these ideas; he lives by them. To promote one of his most recent books, The New Rules of Sales and Service, David made a 180-slide power point presentation, which had the majority of the concepts he talks about in his book. He then shared the power point for free on slide share. By doing this, the sales of his books increased to find out the rest of the story.
In this episode
We hear how Greg met David at a speaking engagement, and how Greg one the first thing in his life just for being a hippy. Dave has a “light bulb” moment as it comes to removing some of the barriers to service. Also, David tells us about his book, Selling the Moon, about marketing the Apollo program, and how David recently sold its rights for a documentary. We also hear of a few companies who had unintentionally practiced some marketing lessons from the Grateful Dead to “grate” success. |
Mon, 17 November 2014
Introducing Jason MacLean Jason MacLean is the type of entrepreneur that just goes for it. This includes opening a health and lifestyle business in an industrial town not known for patronizing such businesses. However, Jay’s huge personality, passion, and work ethic have made his yoga studio, The Yoga Haus, a great success. Jay originally worked with big corporate in their marketing division. He credits a number of learning opportunities and lessons to the time he worked under someone else. However, Jay is an entrepreneur and needed to follow his passions. This led him to opening other businesses in the past, which emerged from his love of cooking. Always the marketer, Jay called one such business Awful Falafel, Not so Bad Waffle, and the other Sterno Inferno. However, the yoga business didn’t come to Jay as easily and required a bit of serendipity. His love from yoga came from a soul searching trip when he was 23-years-old. Jay had decided that he was going to travel to Mexico via the Pacific coast. While traveling through Santa Barbara, California, Jay was approached by a lady who noticed Jay and his posture. The lady said that she knew Jay had problems with his back, which he did. She invited him to come to her yoga class in order to help correct his issues. At first, Jay was skeptical. He gave the lady all the reasons why he didn’t want to go to her yoga class, finally saying that he wasn’t flexible. She took a look back at him and said that his attitude certainly wasn’t flexible. Jay took the class and his life was forever changed. It opened his eyes to the opportunities that are given during everyday life through serendipity. Yoga for Jay is about living in the present. So many people focus all of their attention on the past or the future, and tempo of many people’s lives has sped up so much. Yoga, according to Jay, allows for an outlet and rebalancing of your energies.
In this episode
Jay tells us what yoga teaches us and how it’s teachings can be applied to our business lives. Dave appreciates how Jay embodies what he teaches and Greg points out Jay’s ability to live those slices of life to the max. Greg also notes Jay’s passion for helping people live better. We also hear how sous chef Greg almost burnt down a restaurant when assisting Jay’s catering business. |
Mon, 10 November 2014
Introducing Calvin Milbury Great innovations and inventions sometimes come from the smallest places. Take the Boiling Point’s home province of New Brunswick. This small province has been the home to things such as the snow blower, and the scuba tank. Don’t forget the other New Brunswick innovation that affects all of our daily lives, the vortex flushing toilet. Our guest, Calvin Milbury is the man in charge of making sure the next big New Brunswick innovation gets the launch pad it needs to succeed. Calvin is the president and CEO of the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit organization that was initially funded by the provincial government, which offers seed money and credibility to start-up companies doing unique things. Originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Calvin studied biochemistry at the University of New Brunswick and then went on to get his masters of business administration. His first job was with a national venture capital firm where he was responsible for arranging early stage investments in biotech that was generally based on new technologies being developed by universities across the country. At around the same time, the New Brunswick government launched the NBIF as a catalyst to develop innovation with a $20 million seed investment. Initially this money was to be used in two ways. First, it was to invest into applied research and aid in research and development at the regions universities and community colleges. Secondly, it was used to back entrepreneurial ventures, not just with grants and loans, but instead with equity investment. The NBIF heard about the work Calvin was doing in Montreal at the time and offered him a job as a director of business development, which he took. By 2009, the economy had turned and due to a restricting at NBIF, Calvin became their president and CEO. Under Calvin’s leadership, the NBIF was able to bring in an additional $60 million of financing, bringing their total financing capabilities to $120 million. The NBIF has also added new programs including a graduate scholarship program and an innovation research chair program that brings top researchers to the province to work with industry in research and development. An important aspect to the NBIF is that it works as a separate body from government and that politics have been removed from funding decisions, allowing everyone an opportunity to receive funding. One of the NBIF’s greatest success stories was the social media monitoring company, Radian 6. An investment of $376,000 by the NBIF along with other investors helped the company go from zero to 350 employees and tens of millions in sales. Radian 6 was then sold to SalesForce.com for US $370 million, netting the NBIF $9.5 million and a 28 times return.
In this episode
Calvin tells us the great things that are happening at the NBIF, and how you could have your innovative idea taken to the next level. Dave finds the NBIF funding process to be helpful to up start entrepreneurs to get prepared for the big bad world. Greg reminds us of his experience with the NBIF and appreciates how they get companies “sale ready”. Everyone discusses his own favorite New Brunswick invention.
Hemmings House's commercials for the NBIF NBIF Snowblower / Radian 6 - English from Hemmings House on Vimeo. NBIF - Scuba Tank / Encore Interactive - English from Hemmings House on Vimeo. NBIF - Vortex Toilet / Prosthetics Hand - English from Hemmings House on Vimeo. New Brunswick Innovation Foundation - Behind The Scenes from Hemmings House on Vimeo.
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Mon, 3 November 2014
Introducing Lee Odden Lee Odden has been called a pioneer and legend of SEO. He has blogged over 1.2 million words on his TopRank Online Marketing Blog, and is the CEO of TopRank Marketing. Lee is also amongst an exclusive club of marketers with beards. Our host, Greg Hemmings, met Lee at last year’s New Media Expo, which was one of Lee’s twenty-ish speaking engagements of the year. Lee’s speaking engagements not only help to educate attendees, but also generate sales leads for his company, as well as offering numerous ways to network. However, you don’t become a trusted source as a blogger, public speaker, or social media maverick from just thin air; Lee was in the trenches for many years. He got involved with SEO in the late 90’s, but in 2001 he decided to take the plunge as an entrepreneur. He decided to forgo a salary and focus in on online marketing while starting an online PR firm with a few associates. This was just shortly after the dot com crash, and many online firms were not investing in marketing. What Lee’s group did that was pioneering, however, was mix in the SEO and marketing into one neat package. Now TopRank Marketing works some of the heavy hitters including: Staples, Dell, Linked In, General, and numerous other B2B technology companies. When it comes to creating content online, Lee finds many companies to be impatient. He quotes a statistic that 90% of corporate blogs do five posts and then never post again. He notes that you must survive to stand out. Also, to stand out you need to differentiate yourself from others and be specific in your messaging. By following through and creating interesting, useful content, you can generate more leads. This can be exponential if you further engage your current advocates in order to make them feel a part of the team. One way this can be done is thanking them for sharing your content. Another way is by giving them content that is in easy to swallow sound bites. Sound bites are superficial but effective ways to spread your message, especially in the time of Twitter.
In this episode
Lee offers up some tidbits from his many years of experience in content creation, and public speaking. He tells us how he developed a fantastic business with large-scale clients out of his neck of the woods in Minnesota. Dave is engaged by Lee’s notion of being the best answer in order to be noticed. Greg likes Lee’s business design, which has a win-win philosophy for the client, creator, and customer. |
Mon, 27 October 2014
Introducing Nancy Mathis Nancy Mathis is a lady who knows how to lay down the framework that allows entrepreneurs to become better and achieve more. She is the founding executive director of the Wallace McCain Institute; a group that was formed in 2007 to see the entrepreneurs of Atlantic Canada have a better chance of success. Nancy has a background in chemical engineering, and a designer by nature. Prior to the Wallace McCain institute, Nancy ran a venture capital backed company, which unfortunately went into bankruptcy. Not to be dismayed, the unfortunate circumstance allowed her to take the reigns of an organization that has benefitted numerous entrepreneurs of her region. The Wallace McCain Institute offers about 20 programs, serving 200 members. It is based out of the University of New Brunswick, but is unaccredited. Its main program is its Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, of which our hosts Greg Hemmings and Dave Veale are alumni. This program takes in 16 rising entrepreneurs from the region that must meet once a month for two days over a yearlong period. Not only do the entrepreneurs learn from the program, but from each other as they relate and commiserate. The program also encourages leaders to be vulnerable and honest as everything discussed is confidential. Entrepreneurs can often feel lonely at the top of their businesses, and such program allows them to bounce ideas off others in very similar circumstances. The response rates show that 92% of those who take the program say their business is stronger; they feel more connected and more confident after concluding the program. The institute was formed after a $2 million donation from Wallace McCain. Wallace and his bother Harris formed the McCain Foods Group back in the 1950’s and it has since grown to an $8-9 billion business. The brothers originally worked in a single office with their desks butted up against each other. This allowed for them to connect easily and frequently bounce ideas off each other. This idea is the spirit of the institute, to find like-minded people to foster the best courses of action. The institute also offers programs for those that are second in command and those who are the future leaders of multigenerational businesses.
In this episode
Nancy tells us about the Wallace McCain Institute and what it has to offer entrepreneurs. She further explains how those who have taken the program are three times more likely to helping others in the entrepreneurial ecosystem by doing things like angel investing, sitting on boards, and mentoring. Greg and Dave recount their experiences in the program, including how Dave was labeled a dove. Greg recounts how his experience allowed him to become vulnerable and build trust with other leaders. Dave is inspired by the fact that the model for the program can be taken to other communities around the world. Also, Dave and Greg jam on "Drop it like it's Hot". |
Mon, 20 October 2014
Introducing Gene Fowler Gene Fowler is a man who knows the ups and downs of running a creative business in an untraditional location. He is the owner and creative director at the animation studio Loogaroo, which is a boutique animation agency focusing on commercial animations and tablet gaming. Gene is also the creative director at the publicly traded e learning company Blue Drop. He works both jobs out of his hometown studio in Miramichi, New Brunswick-- an area mostly known for fishing and the pulp and paper industry. Loogaroo wasn’t Gene’s first kick at the “animation” can. Back in 2000, he and a few fellow animators were laid off at another animation studio and decided that they would try to take the reigns of their own gig. They formed Fat Kat Animation Studios in Halifax, Nova Scotia and made some animations and put them online. Soon enough, they got noticed and started creating flash animated training videos. Three years later, Fat Kat had 50 employees and was making animations for Fortune 500 companies like Nike and Boeing. Gene ended up giving away the company to its CEO for next to nothing and the company went out of business shortly later. Gene went back home to Miramichi and decided to try again, but this time focusing less on e learning and more on entertainment. The idea of a successful animation studio in the middle of the woods of New Brunswick was originally scoffed at, but a few years later, Fat Kat was employing around 120 people, had $175,000 in expenses, and was billing around $10 million a year. The success lasted until 2008, when people’s attention shifted from televisions to iPhones. Big companies started to spend less on traditional advertising, and broadcasters stopped buying content at the same volume. On top of this, New Brunswick changed their tax credit for film and television producers, which made it much more difficult to compete. Fat Kat had gotten too big, too quick and the company fell into ruin within a year. Clients got what they were owed, employees were paid but the shop was closed. Not to be defeated by failure, Gene picked himself up, walked across town, and opened back up again under the heading Loogaroo. The new studio is a much smaller, but tighter business. There are fewer people and projects, but Gene is much happier.
In this episode
Gene tells us the stories of his past success, failure, and then success again. He explains how telling this story can be cathartic and helps him move on. Greg relates with his own business failure, and explains how it really isn’t a fail if you try again or can take something from the experience. Gene also tells us about his enlightening experiences in Jamaica and how it has influenced his attitude of living everyday like he is already retired. Dave is impressed by Gene’s attitude toward the past and that he doesn’t shy away from it. Dave also coaxes Greg to reveal a great achievement. |
Thu, 16 October 2014
Introducing Ibarionex Perello Ibarionex Perello is a man who lives the creative life and knows how to parlay his lifestyle into a career. He is a photographer, writer, educator, and podcast host. In his previous life, Ibarionex was an editor for some photography magazines including Outdoor Photographer. During his long Los Angeles commutes, he got into the habit of listening to books on tape and eventually podcasts. He found that most of the photography podcasts he was listening to revolved around equipment choices and ways to practice photography, but not so much about the creative process. So, Ibarionex decided to fill the void leveraging the skills he had as both a photographer and editor. Ibarionex started The Candid Frame in 2006 as a show with conversations with photographers and has since gone on to produce more than 250 episodes. He has since been able to make podcasting a main component of his income and was able to retire from his editor’s job. He did this by producing a show that he would want to listen to personally and now has a devoted audience of listeners from amateurs to pros. The authority the podcast gave him also offered Ibarionex the opportunity to write books on photography including “Chasing the Light: Improving Your Photography Using Available Light”. Ibarionex is a proponent of living a creative life and believes everyone should find an opportunity everyday to do something creative. You might think to yourself that you are not a creative person, but you would be wrong; everyone can be creative. You don’t have to be a photographer, painter, singer, etc. It can be as simple as creating a moment, or striking up an interesting conversation with someone. These creative moments will add more than you think to your lifestyle.
In this episode Ibarionex tells us about the importance of living the creative life and gives suggestions to how to start. He fills us in on what he believes to be the best interview style. Greg is reminded of uncomfortable interviews he has heard in the past. Dave is encouraged by Ibarionex’s interview style of conversations, and Dave and Greg decide to go skipping arm-in-arm down the street.
Links and References - Q Interview with Billy Bob Thornton
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Mon, 6 October 2014
Introducing Dr. Bill Howatt Dr. Bill Howatt has a goal to improve the lives of people and to improve the productivity of their employers. Dr. Bill works with our host, Dave Veale, as a coach at Vision Coaching Inc., along with being an author of over 60 books, a columnist with the Globe and Mail, and a number of other things with his bag of tricks. He has done all of this and achieved a PhD, despite not being able to read or write proficiently until the age of 19. Dr. Bill credits his success to a number of mentors that have helped him through the years. Firstly, there was Bill’s mother. Then there was Mrs. Stewart, his grade five teacher, who knew Bill was having difficulties and asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Being a “Smart Alec”, Bill said he wanted to be a writer, and that was exactly what Mrs. Stewart made him try. There was also Dr. Bill’s tenth grade teacher who exposed him to the legal world, which led to a fascination for Bill during graduate school. These people didn’t need to be mentors for Bill, but they were, and so now Dr. Bill pays it forward. Dr. Bill is now trying to find an all-inclusive equation to reducing stress and increasing wellness for employees, while aiding in productivity and quality for employers. He is doing this through collaboration with the University of New Brunswick to teach leadership skills, and through a survey being conducted by him and the Globe and Mail called, Your Life at Work. Stress in the workplace accounts for a $50 billion loss of productivity in Canada today and an expected $300 billion by 2040. It is estimated that stress causes a $2 trillion loss in productivity worldwide. In general, employers expect their employees to come to work and work at 80 – 85% of their maximum capability on a daily basis. However, 27% of the population comes to work and puts forward 30 – 75% of their best effort. These same employees have higher levels of stress, lower coping skills, higher health issues, lower engagement, and less job fulfillment. Through his research, Dr. Bill hopes to develop a corporate wellness solution for employees and employers, and allow a happier and more productive work environment.
In this episode
We learn about Dr. Bill’s survey and how it could change the way workplaces function. Greg is inspired by Dr. Bill’s story of perseverance and his desire to give back to the community. Dr. Bill gives us his vision statement and tells us the secret that failure in life and business is part of forward progress.
Links
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Mon, 29 September 2014
Introducing Cathy Sweet Cathy Sweet has had the entrepreneurial spirit since she was a child. She would collect and trade frogs with the kid up the street. She came from a family business people in commercial real estate. Cathy learned a lot of her lessons in business around the kitchen table. Cathy started in the business in university by managing a few properties and continued to do so even while working for a few Fortune 500 companies. Eventually, Cathy decided that she was going to focus on her entrepreneurial dreams instead of the corporate route and started Comztar Commercial Properties. Comztar is a client centric company that finds unique industrial, commercial, and office properties for its customers. “If you can’t find your Prince Charming, build him,” is Cathy’s motto. Cathy specializes in creating spec buildings for companies from 4,000 to 60,000 square feet. She is also a trailblazer for her region as a female in the commercial real estate industry dominated by men. Cathy’s business has her bidding on projects, and then constructing massive buildings. This includes a three building project in 6.3 acres of Moncton, New Brunswick’s industrial Park. Outside, she has a huge billboard that includes a large picture of her face; this is very untraditional for commercial real estate. Taking a page out of Jake Palmer’s book, she plans to put a huge top hat and mustache on the face when it’s time for Halloween. Cathy says that, “people with integrity let time prove themselves.” Cathy’s persistence and integrity were recently recognized as she won the Phenomenal Woman of the Year award in Southeast New Brunswick. The award was based on business growth and impact to her community.
In this episode Cathy expels the importance of persistence. She knows she is going to win sometimes, and lose sometimes, but she has to keep going and looking for opportunities. Cathy also tells us the importance of having people be real with you and listening to what you NEED to hear. We discuss the extracurricular activities people have to help focus their business life. Greg is inspired by what Cathy has to say about integrity. Dave notes that most times there isn’t such a thing as overnight success.
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Mon, 22 September 2014
Introducing Jake Palmer Jake Palmer always had a creative and humorous side to him. As a young man, he even had is own sketch variety show on community television. When Jake grew up he went toward a career path in IT and worked in the field for a number of years. He had been interested in a career change to real estate, but a local broker had told him not to start until he had enough cash to float himself for six months. This would happen soon enough when Jake’s employer came to him with an “opportunity” as Jake calls it. “They came to me and gave me and outstanding opportunity to do anything I want, as long as it wasn’t there.” Jake was laid off, but his six-month’s severance would give him the opportunity to change careers. Many in this scenario might consider giving real estate a try, but Jake wasn’t just giving it a try, he wanted a new career and success. He received his real estate license in April 2009 and hasn’t looked back since. People expect a level of aggressiveness and professionalism when they contract a real estate professional to sell their home, and these were two things that Jake could provide. However, Jake wanted to be able to express himself with a more natural approach. How did he do this? Humor. Being funny came naturally to Jake, and meant that he could have more fun in the business. This came about when Jake had a listing that he had been sitting on for over a year. There had been an accepted offer at one point, but the deal fell through. Jake and the sellers felt the listing was getting stale and potentially stigmatized, so they tried something unique. Jake added a banner to his for sale sign which read, “indoor plumbing”. This went viral in the community and soon many were taking notice. Next, Jake changed the banner to say, “not haunted” and the sign went viral again, except this time media, including the Wall Street Journal covered his marketing genius. The average salesperson in Jake’s region sells 10 listings yearly, and now Jake sells between 50 and 60. He realizes his approach isn’t for everyone, and some might consider him a goof, but he knows there are plenty of stuffy real estate agents for stuffy people to work with.
In this episode
We learn from Jake’s comedic brilliance in marketing and making the public take notice. Jake teaches us that perception is not as important as we think it is. Greg and Dave are inspired by Jake’s notion of being yourself versus what you think you need to be to succeed. Jake also shows us how a goofy listing can actually show how professional you really are.
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Mon, 15 September 2014
Introducing Hal Somers Hal Somers is the type of guy that takes opportunities in life when they are presented to him. Hal went to trade school to learn brick laying as a young man and for a short time worked in mining. However, one day a friend in the used car business called him and told him that he was perfect for the job. So, Hal decided to take a crack at selling cars. He asked for two-weeks vacation from the mine to try it out, and after two weeks he put in his resignation at the mine. Hal moved through the industry, starting with used cars, then moving to a GM dealership, and then he was offered a general manager’s position at a Toyota store. When a Mercury dealership in town went out of business, they courted Hal to take it over. However, there was a major problem, Hal didn’t have the cash to buy in. Mercury was so interested in him that they set him up with a silent angel investor and soon enough Hal was a business owner. He did this without a fancy diploma or degree, but with the right work ethic and attitude. Hal currently owns two dealerships (Ford and Mazda) in Miramichi, New Brunswick and he also is involved with angel investing because that is how he got his own start and he believes in paying it forward in life. The motto at Towne Ford is, “where customers become friends.” Hal credits his success in the car retail business to this attitude. When you walk into one of Hal’s dealerships, there is a different atmosphere then you find with many other dealerships. Hal believes in treating people, both customers and employees, fairly and with transparency. Treating people the way he would want to be treated builds loyalty and trust. In fact, when Hal was shopping around new mottos for the dealership, it became pretty clear that the community wanted him to keep, “where customers become friends.”
In this episode Greg tells us about his unfortunate experience using a backhoe. Dave tells us how Hal is the ultimate salesman, and almost sold him a new car just after getting a car. Hal explains why business people need to solve problems in economically depressed regions and not wait for politicians. He tells us an anecdote about a rude customer, and another about a broken plow truck window. Greg loves Hal’s approach to relationships with customers and Dave is inspired by Hal’s transparency and also inspired in general by the region of Miramichi.
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Tue, 9 September 2014
Introducing Levi Lawrence Levi Lawrence is a trained chef that has cooked in kitchens throughout the world. As a chef, he knows the importance of fresh, local ingredients. However, for the longest time if you wanted fresh, local ingredients you had to attend your weekly farmers’ market. If you weren’t awake early on a weekend morning, you would have to buy your produce from California via your local grocery store. Having worked in Europe, Levi knew there was a better way to offer local food. So, he went back to school, received a business degree, borrowed $3,000 and made a website called, Real Food Connections, to connect people with their local farmers seven days a week. Soon enough he was building a network of food producers in New Brunswick. Since then, Levi has expanded three times in four years. Two years ago, he moved into his very own brick and mortar grocery store in Fredericton, New Brunswick, which also wholesales across the province, caters, and offers a vegetable box program in both Fredericton and Moncton, New Brunswick. Levi still has bigger plans for the future. He wants to grow his network of local food producers and make the big grocery chains buy from him. Grocery stores, until recently, had very little in terms of locally sourced product. There was a good reason for this, it is more difficult to source and deal with a number of small distributers and it was far easier for them to deal with a large distributor. This made sense from their point of view, but it also helped to kill the local food supply. There was a generation of local producers who could only make money selling directly to consumers at farmers’ markets, online, or at their locations. This worked okay for small farmers, but didn’t look for much growth in business. Also, the average age for producers was 65 and the number of producers was dropping. Young food producers or immigrants found it difficult to break into the market. The new local food movement has changed this; people are looking to get into the market, and Levi can help.
In this episode
We hear of Levi’s new 10-year plan. He tells us how he isn’t involved just to save the planet; he is out to make profit. We hear how the supply chain in Europe differs from North America. Levi also tells us why the Atlantic Provinces are the perfect place to set up as a food producer. Greg is inspired by Levi’s approach of conscious capitalism and Dave appreciates Levi’s ability to educate.
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Mon, 1 September 2014
Introducing Kristy O’Leary Kristy O’Leary calls herself a vision broker and has a goal to make entrepreneurs and change makers succeed in making a positive impact on this Earth and make a profit while doing so. Growing up her family’s business was a great example of how business should be done in a positive fashion. She also saw the other side of the coin when large and uncaring big box stores outdid the family business. Kristy has always had an eye for making a change or an impact. She studied foreign policy with the goal of working in international development, but then studied art in order to express herself. She realized the best approach was a hybrid of her two educations where she could make real change and tell great stories. So Kristy eventually opened Scout and Burrow which is a marketing agency for mission/cause based organizations and social entrepreneurs. Her goal is to help her clients change the world AND make a profit while doing so. Kristy is a big proponent of B Corps. A B Corp is a third party certification that is given to companies that certifies that they are fair and ethical across their entire supply chain. You might buy fair trade coffee, and that means that a farmer was treated fairly. What about the farm workers, the shippers, or the barista the ends up making your latte? A B Corp certification proves that a company is ethical in its governance, to its workers, to the environment, and to the larger community. Instead of a corporation only being loyal to its shareholders, B Corps have to be loyal to all stakeholders. Currently there are over 1,100 B Corporations worldwide in 35 countries and across 60 industries. Check out the following video to get a better idea of what B Corps are all about.
In this episode
Kristy explains her passion for B Corps and what they are all about. Greg gets inspired to get Hemmings House on the B Corp route and is reminded of an article he wrote on the differences between Kevin O’Leary and Sir Richard Branson. Kristy threatens a cage match between herself and “Mr. Wonderful”. Dave is reminded of a time when he was left with an impression that corporations were mean and ugly but is pleased to find out that there are so many do-gooders. Both Greg and Dave have a takeaway that you can become wealthy by doing the right thing or through a destructive path. It is up to you to decide the better path.
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Mon, 25 August 2014
In this episode of the Boiling Point, Greg and Dave sit back to reflect on our first 16 episodes. Dave points out that Ken Blanchard once said, "feeback in the breakfast of champions." That doesn't include audio feedback, right? We are looking for your feedback. What did we do right? Where did we drop the ball? Who do you want us to interview? Are you enjoying the show? How can we make the show better? Please send us emails to boilingpointpodcast@gmail.com, tweet at us @boilingpointpod, or send us a message on Facebook. You can also leave a comment on our website, boilingpointpodcast.com. Also, we want to remind everyone to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes or your favorite podcast service. Also, remember to share our conversations with your family, friends, colleagues, and even enemies :) We will be back next week with a whole new guest and another Boiling Point.
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Thu, 21 August 2014
Introducing Boyd Sharpe Boyd Sharpe is the true Renaissance man. As a young man, and graduating with a degree in theatre arts and a bachelor of education, his father asked him whether he was prepared for a career as a teacher. Boyd thought about it and responded that he wanted to have 10 jobs across five career paths over the following 30 years. He’s definitely on his way. Boyd was a teacher for six years before he retrained in IT. He was a web designer and systems analyst, and then retrained as a project manager. Most recently he trained to become a professional MMA fighter and a producer with Greg Hemmings in their recent series Cubicle to the Cage. All of the above, plus becoming a basement quail farmer, boat builder, and podcaster on the BS Show. Boyd is the type of person who is constantly looking for a new challenge and has to move on from situations after they become easy and boring. He has a drive to push himself to his limits and to move past fear. What inspired him to do this? When Boyd was working in IT within the health care system, he became introduced to Dr. Rob Rutledge, who is an oncologist and head of the Healing and Cancer Foundation. Dr. Rutledge believes in a holistic approach to cancer treatment which includes medical intervention but also technique to improve mind, body, and spirit. Boyd made a website for Dr. Rutledge and for five years filmed the doctor during talks and interviewed terminal cancer patients. What was ingrained in him during this process was Dr. Rutledge’s teaching of being mindful, reducing stress, reframing negative thoughts and how to make the most of life. He also learned from the patients that only by facing your greatest fears could you transform yourself as a person. What did he fear and how was he going to face it? He was scared of being beat up and of being in a cage with a trained fighter and defending himself publicly. He teamed up with Greg and produced and starred in Cubicle to the Cage, which is a series that took ordinary people with “normal” jobs and within 14 months Boyd was in a professional MMA battle. Training for MMA is in complete contrast to the way people normally live their lives. Most try to live avoiding conflict, struggle, pain, and suffering. MMA training is completely opposite; everyday is sacrifice, pain, defeat and training at techniques you perform the worst in. This taught him to treat challenges as opportunities to become better and creative.
In this episode
We hear about Boyd’s exploits as a man of many talents. We learn from his experiences in MMA and from his current attempt to boycott technology including TV and social media. Boyd tells us why he thinks the people over 40 years old were more successful in gaining a pro fight in CTTC. Greg is inspired by Boyd’s energy and the concept of pushing himself to become better as a person. Dave appreciates Boyd’s “practitioner” mentality, which keeps him off the sidelines and in the game. |
Mon, 11 August 2014
Introducing John Wesley Chisholm
Here is a math equation for you, what does an accountant plus a rocker give you? A television producer named John Wesley Chisholm. After finishing university with a finance degree, John Wesley had the intention of becoming an accountant. At the same time his part-time band, The Johnny Favourite Swing Orchestra gets a big record deal with MCA records. Initially, John Wesley thought he could balance his two careers, but he found it difficult to commit to either one. But he had an idea about telling the world about the thousands of Shipwrecks near his hometown of Halifax. He pitched the idea to the Discovery Channel and was able to sell his idea to them almost immediately. Just like that John Wesley was a successful TV producer, he created Arcadia Productions, and the course for his career was set.
John Wesley admits that he is a “professional bullshitter.” It is common to believe that we live in the information age, but John Wesley believes we actually live in the misinformation age. Everyone has their version of the story of the world, and as consumers of stories we all have to sift through what we are being told and make judgements on what to believe and to what degree. John Wesley calls this, “the age of story wars.” When John Wesley pitches an idea, he has to convey that he has a great story to tell, but he also had to pitch that he was the perfect person to tell it. Everyone has to pitch their story in order to achieve their goal, whether it be a grocer saying they have the best fruit or a plumber who has the best fix. As an additional benefit, when you sell on story you don’t need to compete on price. Crafting an effective personal story takes creativity and confidence. It is about finding the courage to express why you do what you do, and the passion for others to believe you. Leaders need all of these attributes to attract devoted followers.
After you have your story, John Wesley believes you need to be persistent. He admits that he is a 99% failure at his job. For every hundred ideas for shows he might have, only one becomes a TV show. He has to start-up and close about 17 to 20 companies a year because each show is a separate company. Persistence doesn’t mean being stubborn. John Wesley has the ability to take “no” for an answer and move on to new ideas. The broadcaster, his customer, wants nothing more than to see him succeed. They want him to give them the greatest story they ever heard and they want to write him a cheque. This is until you say something, “stupid or boring.” This is a great lesson for all entrepreneurs; your customer wants to give you money if you offer the product or service they need, especially if your story is great to start with.
John Wesley believes the secret to happiness in life is the secret to success in business. He believes that no one ever became happy from sitting around trying to make themselves happy. If you concern yourself with others and what they need or desire and try to help you will find happiness. If you take the same approach to business, you will be successful. This means you need to have a keen ear to what your customer truly wants and provide it. In this episode
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Mon, 4 August 2014
Introducing Ed Webber Ed Webber is a veteran of old-school family business in Nova Scotia. He started in his youth by helping out his father but at the age of 16 his father died. This left his family strapped for cash, and Ed was forced out of school and into the workforce. He began running a gift shop out of a local hotel, and through the years went on to the buy and sell business, as well as opening a breakfast and lunch joint. But after getting married and having a child, Ed wanted better job security and decided to take a job as an area manager for a firm, which rented televisions in hospitals. From there he grew into a regional manager and then with a few partners became the companies only franchisee by starting VistaCare Television Services of Canada in 1989. By 2003, Ed was getting a bit bored with hospital TV rentals and decided to leverage the reputation of VistaCare Television to start a high-end cabling and fiber-optic construction firm. He formed VistaCare Communications Services of Canada and sold VistaCare TV in 2007. Ed’s vision with VistaCare Communications was to set a new standard in the cabling industry in Nova Scotia. He took a risk and changed the way worker in his company would be paid from piecework to hourly wages and demanded the best quality of work. Soon companies were willing to pay more for the quality of work provided. Ed was able to hire the best technicians because they now could make a consistent pay cheque and were able to show this to banks in order to get mortgages for themselves. In nearly a decade of running VistaCare Communications, the company grew from a single employee to 125 with over 100 trucks on the road. Along the way, Ed never had to layoff a single employee because he built the right team and invested in them. After Ed sold VistaCare Communications, he and his son (our producer Matt) have gone on to start Edible Matters, a restaurant in Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia. His knack for finding opportunity told him that a restaurant was just what the community needed and that it should focus on quality food, bought locally and seasonally whenever possible. Ed has exported his practical philosophy of business to EM and continues to run the business with “do onto other” mentality.
In this episode
Ed imparts some of his pragmatic, logical approaches to business. He cautions of some pitfalls of starting a family business and also tells us why some good ideas fail. Greg tells us how he met Ed, and how he became a mentor and was challenged by him. Dave is inspired by Ed’s belief that you can’t win everything, but you can win sometimes if you just keep trying. Everyone is reminded that by treating members of your team the best trickles down to your customers feeling like they are important.
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Mon, 28 July 2014
Introducing Mike Brooks
Mike Brooks is a podcast pioneer and marketing guru coming to the Boiling Point from Southbury, Connecticut. Our host, Greg Hemmings, met him and Dino Dogan at this past NMX (New Media Expo) and soon was on Mike and Dino’s Road to TED podcast. Check out the episode of Boiling Point with Dino Dogan here.
Mike studied IT and worked in the business for 10 years when a taekwondo school he attended was about to close up due to hard times. Mike saw this as a perfect opportunity and quit his day job in IT to help rebuild and market the martial arts school. Mike put a great deal of effort into the school and specifically its digital footprint. This was at the leading edge of when the internet was really starting to mean something for small business. Mike created content for the school in terms of blogs, social media, videos, podcasts, etc. and soon the school at six times the number of students it had when Mike first started. Others in the community started to notice and within six years other business owners would hire Mike to consult for them and duplicate his great results. After 10 years of being involved with the martial arts school, Mike sold his share back to his partner and already had a full fledged marketing consultancy firm. He hasn’t looked back since.
Mike is the owner of Nuclear Chowder, a marketing firm that designs and hosts websites, search engine optimization, guides business in social media, develops apps for mobile devices, and something we were very interested in, reputation management. So why would someone come to Nuclear Chowder to have their reputation managed? Well, imagine you get arrested for a crime you didn’t even commit. The media writes about how you may have committed this crime and its all over newspapers, television, and the web. A few months later, the case is thrown out or you are found innocent, but all that media coverage is still out there. When a client googles your name, all they see is all sorts of bad stuff, and anything positive about you is down three pages in the results. This scenario could be disastrous for people in business and can be financially crushing. However, if you contact Nuclear Chowder, Mike has a process that can bring back more of the positive content about you and drop the negative stuff. Namely, Mike would start to flood the internet with the clients own content including websites, blogs, posts to social media, pictures, videos, etc.
As mentioned before, Mike was a pioneer in the podcasting game, starting back in 2006. For Mike, podcasting is another form of marketing. Consumers on the internet want content in every medium. The more content you put out to the world, the more credible you become, and things like podcast allow you to build a rapport with your customers without ever meeting them. There are millions of blogs on the internet and endless videos on the internet, but only around 250,000 podcasts (plus or minus). Consider as well that podcasts are more intimate and personal, and it is the next best thing to actually having a conversation in someone’s living room. Mike’s suggestions for podcasters are simple. Sound like you are smiling when you are talking, try to post at the same time each week, have charisma, and be authentic. Having engaging guests is important as well as being consistent.
Return on investment may not seem apparent from loading the internet with content, but it works. Mike has been hired because of his podcast, but more often its a combination of all of the content he puts out into the world. Content can be just as good as a business referral because people truly believe you are an authority and your content builds trust.
In this episode
Mike provides copious nuggets of information about reputation management, podcasting, and good internet marketing. We learn about pattern interrupts (hint - the business name Nuclear Chowder is one in itself). Mike describes the power of cumulative content and how it benefits you and your customer. Greg and Dave realizes how the fantastic conversations on Boiling Point are educating him, our listeners, and how they are a powerful way to attract to your brand and build trust.
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Mon, 21 July 2014
Introducing Steven Fisher Steven Fisher’s LinkedIn profile calls him a creative leader, a seasoned entrepreneur, a sci-fi filmmaker, a soon to be published author, a budding craft beer maker, a slow runner, and a fast eater. With an introduction like that, you know there is a ton we could have spoken to Steven about. To save time, Greg and Dave talked to him about his upcoming book, “The Startup Equation” and his experience making his crowd funded sci-fi fan fiction flick, “Browncoats: Redemption”. Steven brought up an important statistic that he discovered from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, which is that one in six people on this planet will be entrepreneurs of some fashion by the end of the decade. With over six billion people on Earth, that means there could be over a billion entrepreneurs by 2020. Where can all of these go-getters discover their keys to success? One way is to follow the path beaten down by the successful business people before them. This was the inspiration behind Steven’s new book, which is co-authored by his wife, Ja-Nae Duane. Steven noticed that most books about startups were exclusively about the tech space. Though this space is included in the book, he wanted to speak to people regardless if they were planning to start the next earth-shattering technology or the next tasty food truck in Houston. He found the common elements that seemed to be part of a larger equation from interviewing entrepreneurs from all over the world, in many different types of businesses, including our very own David Alston from episode two. At a very basic level, three things are important for any startup: the entrepreneur, the team built around him or her, and funding. While there is a number of parts to the startup equation, for which you will need to buy the book, Steven points out three x-factors which are passion, determination, and drive. Entrepreneurs who exemplify those x-factors, will find it difficult to fail over the long haul. In 2008, Steven used his own passion, determination, and drive to develop a new model for crowd funded fan fiction. Steven is a fan of the ill-fated Fox sci-fi series, Firefly, which was cancelled during its first season, but developed a massive cult following. The series had such a cult following that there was also a feature film titled, Serenity. However, after Serenity, Firefly was over and left its fans starving for more content. Steven couldn’t come close to paying the licensing fees that would have been required to re-launch the series, but he was inspired by what he was seeing in fan films, so he got to work in starting the process of making “Browncoats”. A friend of his wrote the script and they made a group on Facebook, from which 80 people came from numerous states for the first table read. Steven knew he was on to something, but did something very interesting to fund the film. He set up a non-profit which allowed the film to be made without licensing. He then chose five charities that were supported or created by the original cast and crew of Firefly, to receive any profits from the film. This engaged both the fans of the series and the former members from Firefly. In the end, Steven and his crew were able to raise $150,000 for charity and college scholarships, in the time before Kickstarter and Indiegogo. What a novel model for fan filmmaking that created content for the fans and by the fans while touching the lives of others.
In this episode We hear the tales from Steven interviewing entrepreneurs from around the world for his new book including Jonathan Fields from the Good Life Project. We become browncoats (Firefly fans) and get inspired by the fan film story. Greg is empowered by the idea of building something people want and those people will embrace and support you. Dave is energized by the statistic that one in six people will one day be an entrepreneur and asks Steven a question inspired by Jonathan Fields.
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Tue, 15 July 2014
Introducing Yan Simard Yan Simard woke up one morning in 2010 with a splitting headache and an idea. He doesn’t remember the source of his pain, but the idea ended up changing the course of his career. The idea was actually a memory of an idea he had about five or six years before, but now smart phone technology had progressed to a point where now the idea was feasible. Yan spent two solid days crafting and designing and was left with the basic components of ZapTap. What’s ZapTap? It’s software that connects brands to customers in retail environments. More specifically, ZapTap allows brands to create a customized experience for customers interested in a product. The software gathers information on consumers as they shop, in a respectful way, and lets brands better know their customers. Imagine you are an avid snowboarder who is interested in buying a GoPro camera to show off on YouTube. If GoPro was a ZapTap client, you could get personalized content and videos showing other snowboarders using the product. Next your friend, the rock climber, stops by the GoPro stand, and this time he gets content geared for cliffhangers. Not only does ZapTap inform a brand to its buyers, but consumers can now make smarter buying decisions. It’s a win-win. Within a year of his headache inspiration, Yan had incorporated a company, quit his day job, and found angel investors to get his idea on the move. Now ZapTap is working with major players of global business, most of which Yan cannot disclose, but one being one of the world’s foremost automakers from Germany. *hint, hint* Yan is quick to dismiss the perception of tech start-up entrepreneurs as the rockstars of the 21st century. Sure you can come to work with flip flops on, but if you get into business for the sexy lifestyle as soon as you encounter your first problem, it won’t be cool anymore. Many who don’t have the focus and dedication would quit, without ever knowing the satisfaction of steering their own fate. There are ups and downs with being a tech start-up, but volatility is definitely not boring. Yan constantly keeps his eyes on the prize, both for himself and for his investors, with the goal to becoming the greatest company in his sector, or acquired.
In this episode Greg shows of his new raspy jazz voice. Yan lets us know what it takes to be a successful tech start-up, and how to avoid distractions of new ideas while remaining focused. Yan also tells us how he was able to gain investment in a province where he wasn’t originally from and had few contacts in. Greg is reminded that if you want to be the best in the world at something, you need to remove distractions and focus. He also ponders, how many great ideas never come to fruition because of lack of confidence or other distractions. Dave believes that one day Yan will be able to try some of his other ideas, but for now his discipline will make him a success.
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Mon, 7 July 2014
Introducing Shawn King He is the Don Draper of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He is a partner, president and chief creative officer for the Extreme Group. In the next few months, Canadians will see him and his wife, Jen, race across their television screens on the Amazing Race Canada. This “mad man” is Shawn King, and boy, does if have nuggets to share about creativity in business and work/life balance. Shawn got a job in advertising after taking communication arts (graphic design) in school. He went to work with the mantra that it didn’t matter what job he was given, he was compelled to be the best at doing it. This attitude allowed him to rise through the ranks of being a designer to art director to senior art director to creative director at the Extreme Group about 12 years ago. Even during the times when he felt that he didn’t know what the hell he was doing, Shawn made a point to prove he was meant to be where he was and strive for success. This allowed him to grow with Extreme from creative director to VP to his current position. At Extreme, Shawn balances the use of his left and right brain. He has learned the art of knowing when to use his creative side and when the process driven side must emerge. This was an essential part of how he grew in the advertising business. He describes Extreme as a creative agency that seeks to solve business problems creatively. The agency has done this through the creation of items for traditional media, as well as stunts, events, and digital and social media. Being unique or edgy can be a hard sell to more traditional corporate types, but Shawn quells the fear of risk with his “why not” attitude. Many entrepreneurs believe that it is important to find your niche in business. However, as Shawn admits, it’s difficult to stay within a niche in an area with a smaller business community and you have to be an opportunity seeker. If you want to be a player in a small business community you have to be able to help out in a lot of different ways. One example of this was an anecdote of a client Shawn was working with needing packaging for his product. Extreme isn’t a packaging company, but they are design experts, so they were open to the challenge and weren’t going to allow an opportunity to evaporate.
So how does a busy businessperson, who is also a father, and a musician, find the time to do something like compete on a reality television show? For Shawn it is all about a work/life balance. He needs to find the time for his personal passions to be in the right headspace for work. Shawn used to feel guilty about the things he needed to do for himself in order to be better at work. Extreme Group have a gym within their offices and at one point Shawn was feeling guilty about going to the gym while others were working around him and so he stopped working out at work. He discussed this guilt with his executive coach, who asked what does the business need from him most. Shawn’s answer was clarity. The coach then asked, “What gives you clarity?” For Shawn, it was going to the gym. This answer gave him the personal freedom to do the things he needed to do for himself in order to be better for others and at work.
In this episode Shawn gives us insight into what it is like to compete on the Amazing Race and what he and his wife learned from the experience. Dave tells an anecdote about a coincidence between left and right brain thinkers. Greg sees parallels between Shawn and himself including trying out for the Amazing Race Canada. Shawn tells us about the experience, how he had to drop off the grid to be on the show, and how some of his employees thought he was in rehab instead. Dave makes a great point about taking care of yourself first, in order to take care of others by comparing it to having oxygen masks drop during an airplane ride. Greg is validated for his own lifestyle and describes how Dave helped him come up with a personal and business vision statement and how this allows him to live an integrated lifestyle. |
Mon, 30 June 2014
Introducing Paul Simmonds
Independent retail is a tough business. Independents are competing with big-box stores, large shopping destinations, and online retailers, which often have hard-to-beat pricing. So how does an independent retailer stand out amongst the crowd? Paul Simmonds seems to have the answer.
Paul is a 35 year veteran of the retail business and the owner of Robert Simmonds Clothing in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. This tough but kind business man started in the business as a stock boy in a shoe store at 14 years of age, and moved himself up the ladder to success by learning from a number of mentors. Robert Simmonds, named in homage to Paul’s father, opened in 1998 as an upscale men’s clothing store. Sixteen years later, Robert Simmonds offers upscale men’s and women’s, as well as urban style clothing.
What sets Robert Simmonds Clothing apart from the crowd? An over-the-top customer experience. A typical customer interaction involves a customer entering the store, being offered a choice of espresso or scotch, suggestions of proper clothing to fit their style, having a tailor size you properly before leaving the store. The whole experience is very comfortable, you leave as a customer feeling you can trust the people you were working with, and you feel good about the whole experience and your decision to shop at Robert Simmonds.
Paul says that each retail day starts at zero. A retailer can’t rest on the success of yesterday, or the hope for tomorrow. Each day is a fresh start, and giving excellent customer service today will keep customers coming back in the future. Paul sees his staff as his greatest asset and he invests in them by doing things like quarterly meetings, where they bring in speakers like our own Dave Veale. He hires according to attitude and behaviour, and believes if you have that foundation, specific skillsets can be taught.
Paul lives by two adages as it relates to success and failure. First, “the only thing I know for sure is that I don’t know.” Second, “today, if you don’t try it, you’ll never know the answer.” Paul is persistent and knows that when he tries new things with his business, sometimes you fail and other times you succeed. By being petrified to try new things, doesn’t allow for taking on new opportunities. He doesn’t let vulnerability hold him back and he knows that at worst he will be able to learn so much from a failure. He knows that he has be be brave enough to put a kill date on something that isn’t working and to have the courage to let it go.
Looking toward the future, Paul started using the internet to sell and promote Robert Simmonds. In order to keep that customer experience online, he instituted a virtual closet, which catalogues previous purchases, suggests new items to customers, and will do things like find shirts and ties for the new suit you recently bought at Robert Simmonds.
In this episode
We open to soothing on-hold music provided by Robert Simmonds Clothing. Dave tells us about his experience at Robert Simmonds and Paul gives Dave a plug for Vision Coaching. Greg plans to get re-suited at Paul’s store… and to have a scotch. Greg is inspired by Paul’s acceptance of e-commerce as an independent. He sees it as an opportunity as opposed to a challenge, and has discovered a way to bring his in-house customer experience online. Dave’s takeaway is noticing Paul’s ability to see a challenge as an opportunity and not resting on his laurels by constantly evolving his business.
Links
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Mon, 23 June 2014
Introducing Judith Mackin Judith Mackin is a pioneer of interior design in the small, industrial city of Saint John, New Brunswick. Her message: “You don’t have to be from a big city to be sophisticated, educated, and to know what is going on in the world.”
In 1999, Judith started Punch Productions which was a marketing agency. Ten years later, the success of Punch Productions led to a sister company, Punch Inside, which was an interior design company specializing in commercial and residential interior design. Then in late 2012, Judith opened Tuck Studio, which is a decor and design studio featuring modern furnishings and decor. Keeping it personal, Judith placed Tuck Studio on the bottom level of her home which is located on a cliff, right in the middle of Saint John on 2.3 acres of land. The modern home was built to not only her satisfaction but as a serene destination for her clients. The choice to have her business and home at the same location keeps her client relationships intimate; Judith often lets her clients tour the upper levels of her home for design ideas because she lives by the motto that she lives what she sells.
What makes Judith unique is that she is creative, understands brands in new ways, and self taught in interior design. We believe that Judith is an educator for her industry, but she is much more humble. She sees herself in a conversation with her community on the topics she has a passion for. Judith spends just as many hours working for her company as she does talking and creating content about it. Forty hour work weeks don’t exist for the entrepreneur who is building their company, so she spends the extra time talking about why design is important creating a passion for design in others.
Many would believe that a blue-collar town wouldn’t have much time for things like beauty and design, but Judith trusted in herself and her community. She knew that if she had an interest in interior design, others in her community must as well. It turns out she is right; creative and thoughtful people are everywhere. Judith doesn’t see creativity as an artistic endeavour, but as an expression of courage and the willingness to do something uniquely. Judith is the embodiment of someone who wasn’t scared off by adding a new industry to a city that didn’t exist before. She knows it is a blank slate, or a void in need of filling.
In this episode Judith explains her path to success. She tells us that she knows she is not the greatest at everything she gets wrapped up in, but she surrounds herself with a sub group of people that can help her. Many entrepreneurs would scoff and say they can’t afford help, but Judith is quick to point out that there is always a way. If you can’t afford a service, then barter. She tells us that communicating to your community, giving every customer the same attention, and a general attitude toward customer service. It’s also about knowing your customer, developing a niche, and treating that customer really well.
Greg sees a running theme in Boiling Point that in this flat world we can make international ripple effects from small cities. Dave is inspired by Judith’s brilliant way of expressing things concisely and intelligently. Dave also notes that he is motivated by Judith’s passion for telling not only her stories, but the stories of her clients and others in her community.
Greg points out that Judith, Dave, and himself are fortunate to be able to be risky in a smaller market. He mentions that in a large community there isn’t the same safety net of friends and community to back you up. Dave mentions, however, that some people may be scared to “fall on their face” in front of their friends and that being an entrepreneur is about the willingness to be vulnerable. For people like Judith, going for it is not an option.
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Mon, 16 June 2014
Introducing Gino Dion
It is amazing who you might meet if you open yourself up to new experiences. Even more amazing when you find a mover and shaker you didn’t know about in your own backyard.
That is exactly what happened to Greg when he decided to attend a conference for the National Association of Broadcasters in Las Vegas. NAB is conference for broadcasters and their equipment manufacturers. Greg decided to attend to see what connections he could make through networking, but it wasn’t necessarily a conference for filmmakers to pitch their ideas. He left with a quorum of industry people from New Brunswick, Canada and this is where he met Gino Dion and the two became fast-friends.
Gino works for a company called IneoQuest, which is a multi-national company offering products and services for the monitoring of video quality. Broadcasters use products from IneoQuest to guarantee their transmissions. We all can imagine how important such a service is by considering, what would you think would happen if the transmission of the World Cup final went down? Disaster!
Gino comes from a small town in New Brunswick, where there is sometimes a belief that, “when you come from a small place, you can only do small things.” Gino couldn’t disagree more. He has taken time out of his schedule to speak to students at his local high school to tell them that not only can they do big things, but their small town roots can actually act as an advantage. He cites his experience of growing up poor in a small town and having to fight for every scrap he got as one of the major reasons he eventually became IneoQuest’s vice-president of engineering. He saw detractors of his dreams as challengers, and used his determination as fuel to get to his goal.
Gino takes pride in exporting his New Brunswick cultural values and says that simple things like holding a door for someone or saying hello to a stranger has been able to set him apart in the business world. Another example of small town service is whenever Gino sells a system to one of his clients, he writes his home phone number on his business card. He tells his client that they can call him at any time, day or night, if they need him for something. Gino told Greg when they went into a dueling piano bar in Vegas that they would own the bar by the end of the night because they were New Brunswickers. That’s exactly what they did and a wild time was had by all.
In this episode
Greg remembers the great times spent with Gino in Las Vegas. He notes that friendships made at trade shows can turn into great business relationships and that putting yourself “out there” almost always pays dividends. Dave is struck by Gino’s suggestions of how to make your customer service more personal. We all agree that great things are available to you if you open your eyes to opportunities and it doesn’t matter where you came from.
Links
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Mon, 9 June 2014
Introducing Dino Dogan His website hails him as a “Global Force for Badassery” and we agree. Dino is a public speaker, author, blogger, mixed martial artist and recovering network engineer and singer/songwriter. He is also the founder of Triberr, the social network for bloggers. Greg met Dino in Las Vegas at the New Media Expo, which is a convention for bloggers, podcasters, and web video. Greg broke his own rule at conventions when he went to the bar and ordered a drink… by HIMSELF. Dino quickly came over, introduced himself, and invited Greg to sit with him and his group. A new connection and friendship was born and soon after Greg was a guest on Dino’s “Road to TED” podcast speaking about his then upcoming speech for TEDx New Brunswick. As mentioned above, Dino is the founder of Triberr. Bloggers join Triberr and are placed into “tribes” according to the type of content they generally write about. Then bloggers share each other’s content on their own blogs. This allows for more content than they could create alone and helps to build their audience. This strategy has made for millions of extra hits each month to Triberr blogger sites. Within days of creating Triberr, Dino was getting requests from brands to promote their products. That is exactly what he did through the use of influence marketing. We all know of professional athletes and celebrities who make endorsements for companies, like Michael Jordan for Nike. Number 23 gets paid big bucks to promote the brand and his sneakers on a mass scale. Now imagine, a bunch of mini-Air-Mikes, each with a small, but loyal and trusting niche audience. This is what Triberr sets up between bloggers and brands. Unlike Air Jordan’s mass appeal with a disengaged audience, influence marketing through bloggers deals in smaller audiences but with much deeper impact of persuasion.
In this episode Dino gives his tips for becoming a fascinating, polarizing, badass blogger (with metaphorical balls). He tells us about the “low-hanging fruit” for established companies to build their online footprint through blogging. Greg remembers the importance of talking and connecting with people and building tribes. Dave learns a lot about the current media landscape. As Dino says, “it takes a tribe to build a blog”, and we learn all about how do this with Triberr.
Links
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Mon, 2 June 2014
Introducing Mickey MacDonald Mickey MacDonald is a true fighter; he fights in business, in his charitable work, and has also fought in the ring as a boxer. Still down-to-earth and approachable, Mickey came from humble beginnings, but as an entrepreneur he became one of Atlantic Canada’s preeminent businesspeople. Mickey credits his drive to his mother. Mickey’s father had a heart attack, leaving Mickey’s mom as the primary caregiver and breadwinner for her seven children. As head nurse at the Halifax Infirmary, she would take care of sick babies full-time and then come home to take care of her family. This dedication to her career and family proved to be an inspiration to the entire MacDonald clan. At the age of 16, Mickey left home and moved to Toronto. While in the city, he briefly lived on the streets and took up boxing. Mickey was willing to take any odd job and learn as he worked to support himself. His attitude and willingness to work hard had him working in mines, driving trucks and heavy equipment. Mickey believed that the things you can learn on the streets are often more valuable then what you learn from a book or in school. Upon returning to Halifax, Mickey took a job with the Halifax Fire Department and helped his brother, Colin and his business partner, Robert Risley start their seafood business, Clearwater Seafood. While working with the fire department, he also started an auto-body shop and car lot. Today, Clearwater Seafood is the largest shellfish exporter in the world and he personally owns 20% of the company. Mickey always had his finger on the pulse of business opportunities. During a snowstorm in 1988, he was driving a plow truck when a story came on the radio about cellular phones. Being involved in numerous businesses, he thought to himself, “What a tool.” He could be working at one place, and manage his affairs elsewhere. He tried to get a cell phone, but what he found was between $3,500 and $4,000. He called a friend, who had been working with Motorola to see if he could get a deal. His friend told him the only people getting deals were dealers. So, of course, Mickey became a dealer. Mickey says, “When you don’t know anything, then you aren’t scared to try it.” One thing lead to another and soon Mickey was the owner of DownEast Communications. DownEast grew to be one of Canada’s largest cell phone distributors, with almost 50 stores in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick. DownEast was sold to Aliant in 2004, netting Mickey about $50 million. A sister company, AMP, grew to a value of more than $100 million as well. Mickey know the importance of giving back to his community. A quote from Mohammad Ali on his Micco company website says, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” Mickey has done just that by giving millions to charity including hospitals, Halifax’s Pier 21, and the Bella Rose Centre. His Palooka charity also supports at-risk children in Halifax, across Canada, and around the world. If you are a self-starting entrepreneur, you need to hear this inspiring story!
In this episode Dave and Greg aren’t boiling anymore, as we now record at our audio engineer, Tim’s studio (thanks Tim!). Dave is struck by how Mickey sees an opportunity and just goes for it while remaining honest and humble. Dave also loves Mickey’s message that success is not all about money. Greg is inspired by Mickey’s past risk taking behaviours and by how much he gives back to the community.
Links & References The Chickenburger - Website Harvest Wine & Spirits - Website Palooka's Executive Fitness - Website |
Tue, 27 May 2014
Introducing Michael Losier - Have you ever felt like something fell in place at just the right time? Have you experienced serendipity or coincidence? Well you, sir/madam, have been experiencing evidence of the law of attraction. Michael Losier is a best-selling author, speaker and trainer originally from New Brunswick, now living in British Columbia. Michael started his journey after moving to BC and started a focus group on positive thinking out of his home. Before long, he had close to 50 people coming to his home every Sunday. One day, after talking with a motivational speaker, he was motivated to write his own book and become a speaker. He has now done talks in 33 countries. His book, “Law of Attraction” has sold 1.8 million copies, and his second book, “Law of Connection”, has sold over 500,000 copies. He has been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey four times on her radio show and was even asked to host a radio show on Oprah’s radio station; all of this without ever actively eliciting business. The law of attraction focuses on positive vibrations. Simply said, having positive thoughts attract the things you want in life and negative thoughts do the opposite. The law of attraction suggests that we use positive language, and to avoid negative language. Michael suggests we avoid the words “no”, “not” and “don’t” as they only bring attention to the things we don’t want. Imagine you typed “no football” into Google, what do you think would come up in your search results?
In this episode Greg and Dave learn from Michael that the speed at which you will attract what you desire is equal to how much doubt you have. Greg is reminded that optimism is the fuel of the engine of success. Dave is reminded that we need to keep a check of the negative words and lies we tell ourselves. Michael suggests that whenever we are thinking the words “no”, “don’t”, and “not” that we should ask ourselves, “So what do I want?” Michael also reflects on perseverance and doing things because you have a passion for them and not for other people’s approval.
Links & Contact |
Mon, 12 May 2014
Greg and Dave discuss with Susan regarding the importance of continuous risk taking by entrepreneurs and supporting both success and failure in business. Susan encourages successful companies in a comfort zone to continue to expand and take risks. They discuss how it is important for entrepreneurs to be bold and that success comes from being ambitious and passionate. Susan explains that big business leaders in New Brunswick don’t fit into a specific mold except that, in general, they know how to build teams for success and are optimists. Susan highlights the importance for entrepreneurs to pass on the success of other business leaders in the region. Propelling good news stories of other businesses helps the whole community. Promoting others success also encourages others to promote your company and your successes. We learn that optimism is an important ingredient to an entrepreneur and that ability to be optimistic and the wiliness to take risks are much easier when you have community support. |
Mon, 12 May 2014
Greg and Dave dive into the importance of teaching coding to kids and speak about their upcoming documentary project, Code Kids. Dave gets the new nickname, “Cutlets”, to differentiate the Davids. We learn the importance of teaching code to kids before grade five, and the need to “break the stigma” and get girls interested in coding. “Cutlets” is inspired by the idea of educators as coaches. Entrepreneurs and leaders making their communities a better place inspire Greg. |
Mon, 12 May 2014
Greg and Dave discuss with Kevin the importance of goal setting and sticking to the path to that goal. Kevin also discusses the difference between running an acquired company versus a start-up. Dave notices the differences between entrepreneurs. Some take very calculated risks, others are more action orientated, and some need to plan, plan, plan. Greg sees the link between entrepreneurs and artists; both like to start with a blank canvas to make a thing of beauty and both seek adventure and encounter risk. The guys also discuss the importance of listening to your gut feelings and being willing to make mistakes. Finally, there is a discussion of how Atlantic Canada is a great incubator for entrepreneurial success. The region supports its’ own and has a history of being hardworking and resilient. There is sense of community in the Atlantic region unlike what you would find in larger cities. |
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