Hitch a Ride

Introducing Flo Devellennes and HitchPlanet

Entrepreneurship is all about having an experience that spurs an idea, which can lead to a business. This was the exact series of events that happened to this week’s guest, Flo Devellennes.

Flo moved to Canada from the UK back in 2010 with the plan of having a year long working vacation. Flo worked as a freelance graphic designer in the west coast, but also had a passion for skiing. On his off time, Flo would travel from Vancouver, British Columbia to the hills of Whistler for some of the greatest ski hills in the world. However, what Flo noticed on his path between the two places on the Sea to Sky highway sparked an idea, which completely changed the trajectory of his life. He noticed there were many people on the side of the highway attempting to hitchhike exactly where he was going and on further research he noted that there was a large challenge of transportation for people along the same highway.

Flo’s solution was to create a website that would work as a go between for those with empty seats in their car and others looking for rides to the same places. Six years later, HitchPlanet coordinates ride sharing in both the west coast and the Maritimes with plans to further expand. Check out this week’s episode to see how a spark in your imagination could evolve into a future opportunity.

In this episode

• Flo lets us in on how the idea for HitchPlanet evolved.
• He discusses how the platforms current version which includes seat and service fees, social media links, and experience ratings helps to create dependability and accountability for its users.
• Flo believes that Hitch Planet’s immense organic growth comes from making a product people want that is useful.
• We discuss how ego needs to be removed from design as it is all up to the customer’s wants and opinions.
• We also discuss where the emergence of the sharing economy came from and why now?
• Greg and Dave remember their own personal hitchhiking experiences from the past and recognize how HitchPlanet would have made their rides faster and safer.
• Flo emphasizes the importance of building a team of supporters, and collaborators to get a venture like this off the ground.
• Greg loves the idea of people using online platforms to transcend the status quo of their current business.
• The thought of the experiences of our lives initiating business solutions to challenges energizes Dave.

Links

- HitchPlanet Website

- HitchPlanet on Twitter

- HitchPlanet on Facebook

- HitchPlanet on Instagram

- HitchPlanet on YouTube

- Flo on LinkedIn

- Flo's Website

- Flo on Twitter

Finding the Right Problem to Solve

Introducing Janet Scott and Enterprise Saint John

In running a business there are constantly problems that need to be solved. However, sometimes you find yourself hitting a bit of a brick wall. Perhaps you haven’t even figured out what the problem REALLY is and sometimes you might need some help in figuring that out.

Janet Scott is the director of business and community development with Enterprise Saint John and finding solutions to problems is something she is a pro at. In 2015, Janet received recognition as a 40 under 40 rising star in economic development by DCI International.  She was also selected to participate in Next New Brunswick’s 21 Leaders for the 21st Century program to encourage young people to help set the agenda for the future of the province and was named a YMCA Young Leader to Watch.

With Enterprise Saint John, Janet helps people start businesses, grow businesses, and attract business to the region. One way they help businesses succeed is to work through the power of problem solving. Check out this episode to understand the process you need to use to effectively navigate challenges and develop implementable solutions.

In this episode

• Greg and Dave reflect on their 100th episode party at Big Tide Brewing and the amazing Hemmingsway Vealey Great Ale they developed for the occasion.
• We meet their old friend and Saint John champion Janet.
• There is a discussion of the enormous changes that have happened in Saint John over the last 16 years and just how this came about.
• Janet also talks about what might be next for the city.
• We discuss how Saint John has become a great city to network for both personal and business purposes and how it can be more effective for business than the larger centers.
• Dave recalls a recent business trip to Toronto and just how much less he would be able to accomplish on a daily basis if he had to conduct his business there.
• There is a discussion on start-up culture in the region.
• Greg thinks that the region’s legacy family businesses have actually built an infrastructure and make it easier for start-ups to emerge.
• We discuss how millennials fit into the equation.
• Janet discusses catalyst innovation and how it helps nail down problems and their solutions.
• Greg and Dave try to figure out if they are generators, conceptualizers, optimizers, or implementers.

Links

- Enterprise Saint John Website

- Enterprise Saint John on Twitter

- Enterprise Saint John on Facebook

- Enterprise Saint John on Linked In

- Janet on Twitter

- Janet on Linked In

- Bassadur Applied Creativity

Brewing Up a Boiling Pint

Introducing Wendy Papadopoulos and Big Tide Brewing

It is funny how life works. Sometimes you can connect the dots looking back and it all makes sense, but you would have never guessed where you would have ended up at the beginning of your journey. Wendy Papadopoulos is a great example of this.

Wendy is now the brew master at Big Tide Brewing, Saint John, New Brunswick first and only brew pub when it opened. Wendy got her start after finishing her undergraduate degree in microbiology and took her first post-university job as an assistant brew master in Canmore, Alberta. After ten years and progressing through the ranks at the brewery, Wendy returned to New Brunswick and took a job working in economic development, then communications, then investment attraction, and then small business support. Wendy even taught a university class on how to start a small business.

This path eventually brought her back to her passion for brewing beer at Big Tide. Check out this episode of Boiling Point to see how the collection of knowledge and experiences you have had can combine into your next big venture.

In this episode

• Wendy surprises Greg and Dave with a growler of Tool Shed Root Porter.
• We hear about the New Brunswick craft beer scene tends to view competitors as collaborators and how the scene has exploded over the last number of years.
• There is a discussion how this collaborative environment may be a regionalized phenomenon.
• We hear how a collection of ideas scribbled on a napkin turned into the multi-award winning Big Tide Brewing.
• Wendy lets us in on her past and what lead her to the position she is at today.
• We discuss how it is important for each Big Tide beer to have an interesting name, label, and story behind it.
• Dave, Greg, and Wendy devise a plan to make the world’s first podcast beer, Boiling Point Ale.
• Greg wishes he could have more beer, but needs to drive. He notes that listeners who have an entrepreneurial spirit, but might not have the ability to leave their day job can still get something started.
• Dave noes that when you look back at your life you can start to see all of the knowledge and experience you have gathered and that is the fuel to starting your own potential business.

Links

- Big Tide Brewing Website

- Boiling Point Ale Video 

- Big Tide on Twitter

- Big Tide on Facebook

- Big Tide on Instagram

A Better Balm

Introducing Rebecca Hamilton and W. S. Badger Company

There are no better products than those developed out of a dire need. That was exactly how today’s guest, Rebecca Hamilton, product Badger Balm was created. Badger Balm is a family business and B-Corp that was founded in 1995 by Rebecca’s father Bill. Bill was a serial entrepreneur and carpenter who needed something to sooth his cracked hands after working outside in the cold New Hampshire winters.

Today, Badger has a number of organic body care products and Rebecca is the company’s co-owner and vice president of innovation & social impact. Badger has a commitment to sustainable sourcing and building true one-on-one relationships with the producers of their ingredients. Not only does this create a product that is top-notch, but also it humanizes their supply chain and gives every product and its ingredients a story that must be told.

Check out this week’s episode to see how sustainable sourcing and relationship building can develop a product that has a great story and you can be proud to use. Also, check out this episode for insights on how a successful family business can be run.

In this episode

• Greg tells us about his daughter, Kaiya’s love for Earth Day and Badger’s products.
• Rebecca tells us why each Badger product has a different whimsical design.
• We learn why Badger was a great fit to becoming a B-Corp.
• Rebecca tells us how the company was developed and how it has progressed over the years.
• We talk about the importance of sustainable sourcing and how shortening the supply chain and making long-lasting relationships with suppliers can help your business.
• We learn the story behind the olive oil that Badger sources, the story behind it, and why the decision was made to use it.
• Rebecca highlights the power of humanizing the supply chain and doing business transparently.
• We also discuss family businesses and how to run one effectively.
• Rebecca tells us how leadership coaching helped her family work great in business and in the home.
• Dave appreciates Rebecca’s thoughtful approach and learned a great deal on how the family business can effectively run.
• Greg talks about his experience doing the B-Corp assessment for Hemmings House Pictures. He also talks about how there are so many great products out in the market but when you see a B-Corp stamp it means that you are buying from a company that is measuring their impact.

Links

- Rebecca on Twitter

- Rebecca on Linked In

- The Badger Website

- Badger on Facebook 

- Badger on Twitter

- Badger on You Tube

- B Corporation