For the Region

Introducing Aaron Emery and For the Region

This week, Aaron Emery is back and he is looking to change the course of the Atlantic Canadian region. Expounding on what he has learned with his experience in the B Corp movement, Aaron is championing a new project titled, For the Region. 

For the Region, is a citizen led movement to rapidly rethink economic development in Atlantic Canada.   For too long, the overwhelming narrative of the Atlantic region has been one of decline. Our young people leave for greener pastures out west or down south, meanwhile those who remain tend to be older individuals who strain things like our healthcare system draining our tax dollars. Aaron believes it doesn’t have to be this way. He sees the Atlantic region as a place of great promise for work/life balance entrepreneurs.

Learn about Aaron’s plans to redefine the Atlantic region in this episode of the Boiling Point.

In this episode

• Aaron discusses his brand new initiative, For the Region.
• He asks us, what would it take for Atlantic Canada to be the most inviting place for new ideas and people to put down roots?
• We discuss why the region is in the shape it is and how experts have been pointing to the part of the solution for over 25 years.
• We also discuss how the region’s geography and relative inexpensiveness could be tempting to former Silicon Valley execs.
• Aaron sees the Atlantic Region as the entrepreneur’s work/life balance capital of the world.
• Aaron discusses solutions to our problems.
• We learn that we have to own that things are bad, but craft a united vision and enable collective action to make things better.
• There is a discussion of how Atlantic Canadian humility can actually be hurting us.
• We also learn why it will be important to both praise success and forgive failure.
• Aaron asks everyone to visit ForTheRegion.ca to sign the “Fight not Flight” pledge or to consider becoming a volunteer.

Links

- For the Region Webpage

- For the Region on Facebook

- For the Region on Twitter

- Aaron on Twitter

- Aaron's Website

- B Corp Website

- Aaron's Previous Episode of the Boiling Point

Building Community One Hanging Hug at a Time

Introducing Cory Richardson of Hanging Hugs

Cory Richardson is an individual who has spent his life spreading love and community. Whether teaching hula hooping to children, or taking the time to help the people of Uganda, Cory has a knack for teaching and helping. His company, Hanging Hugs, can be seen as an expression of the man himself by providing comfortable and relaxing luxury hammocks where you feel like you have just received a long, warm hug.

 Cory is back at his community building again and this time he is looking for Hanging Hugs to help him develop a farm cooperative and hostile where people could come to feel in touch with nature and themselves. By buying a Hanging Hug, you will be provided with a voucher for the ability to stay at the farm so that, “your vacation is in the bag.”

 To see how a product and create a feeling, and how it can then create a community, check out this episode of The Boiling Point.

In this episode

• We learn that Greg’s first film project was done with Cory when they were high school friends.
• We learn how Cory takes on challenges like kayaking from Canada to Mexico.
• Cory lets us in on how art therapy has helped him and others.
• We also hear of projects that have had him teaching hula hooping around the world as well as helping the people of Uganda.
• Greg tells us from personal experience how terrific a hanging hug hammock is.
• Cory tells us how he cannot keep his luxury hammocks in stock because he is inundated with orders.
• We also here of Cory’s new dream of owning a coop farm/hostile and what he needs to do to get this done.
• Greg loves the product and thinks one day there will be a movie about Cory and his great ideas.
• Dave loves Cory’s passion and how he can lock into a concept and will it into existence.

Links

- Hanging Hugs website

- Hanging Hugs on Facebook

- Family of Friends Farm on Facebook

- Cory on Facebook

- Family of Friends Farm Website

- Chat to the Future Website

Taking a Stand

Introducing Christina Smith of The Redwoods Group

Sometimes the course of events in life offers you an opportunity to take a stand for what is right and just. This week’s Boiling Point guest knows all about this. Christina Smith is a consultant with the Redwoods Group and a B Corp MVP. Redwoods is a socially responsible insurance company, which works with youth serving organizations such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs to insure against and prevent things like child sexual abuse and drowning. What sets Redwoods apart is they are a B Corporation that provides amazing training and when terrible incidents occur their team really tries to help healing and prevent any future occurrences.

Christina has a real passion for B Corps, so much so that she took a leading role to see B Lab’s annual Champions Retreat come to her home state of North Carolina. She organized the socially responsible businesses in her community and their efforts paid off when the Champions retreat was scheduled to come to N.C. this year. However, after the retreat was rewarded to N.C., its government made an unfortunate decision to pass a discriminatory law. The Bathroom Bill was passed which meant that no municipality could pass laws prohibiting the discrimination in public places based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This essentially forced any transgendered individual to use the bathroom of the biological sex as listed on their birth certificate.

This decision put B Labs in a very difficult place; how could they have a gathering of socially responsible businesses in a place that just passed such a discriminatory law? Some argued that by having the event in North Carolina they could bring attention to the issue and protest against the law. Would the Selma civil rights march be as effective if it happened anywhere else? However, many in the B community didn’t feel safe entering a place that showed such hostility towards LGTBQ individuals.

Find out what happened and about the power of business for good in this episode of the Boiling Point

In this episode

• We hear how Greg and Christina met at Portland, Oregon’s B Champions Retreat.
• Christina lets us in on the great work being done by the Redwoods Group to protect children.
• We also hear how Christina got wrapped up in the B Corp movement.
• Greg discusses a potential documentary he is working on.
• Christina tells us about how she organized a movement and was rewarded by having the B Champions Retreat awarded to North Carolina.
• She also talks about the debate that raged within the B community as to what approach they should take.
• We learn about the fallout of North Carolina’s law and how businesses are fighting back by taking away their money, jobs, and events that could cost the state billions of dollars.
• Greg is inspired by how business can “flex its muscle” for justice and the ripples it can create.
• Dave is inspired by Christina’s passion and inspired to make his own company a B Corp.

Links

- Christina on Linked In

- Christina on Twitter

- The Redwoods Group

- B Corporation Website

- B Impact Assessment

- B Champions Retreat

- Information on North Carolina's Bathroom Bill

The Chief Spiritual Advisor

Introducing Sean Dunbar and Picaroons Traditional Ales

Sean Dunbar has a great gig; he brews, drinks, and talks about beer for a living. More than that though, Sean is the owner of Picaroons Traditional Ales and he has been a catalyst and shaper of the New Brunswick craft brewing industry.

Sean has had his ups and downs within the industry, but has been able to not only has he been able maintain the spirit he envisioned for Picaroons, but he has also been a mentor and collaborator for those just starting in the industry. His hands have shaped the industry in New Brunswick behaves; not as strict competitors but with the notion that a high tide floats many ships. Therefore, a strong craft beer sector can support a number of small brewers. All he asks for those he assists is for them to pay it forward down the road.

Check out this episode to be inspired by how business can be done.

In this episode

• Monica Adair introduces Sean.
• We hear how Sean is inspired to change the world one beer at a time.
• We also learn about how Picaroons supports its industry as well as the arts.
• Sean gives us a brief history of craft brewing, both industry wide and for Picaroons since the mid 90’s.
• He tells us why he believes you are not truly an entrepreneur unless you are treading out there on the edge.
• Greg talks about risk taking behavior in his youth and how that relates to him as an entrepreneur today.
• Sean likens his path of an entrepreneur to a play-write and how you need to experience pain to tell the world about it.
• Sean also expands on knowing the part you are meant to play in the world and be willing to play it.
• We hear how he has inspired others to pay-it-forward in his industry.
• There is a discussion on why craft beer has such a following and how to keep the “spirit” of a craft brewer even when you are scaling quite large.
• Sean tells us if you want to understand Picaroons is, just go have a beer and a conversation with a friend.
• Dave is inspired by Sean’s authenticity, courage, and drive.
• Greg likes Sean’s notion of a CEO being a spiritual advisor for a company.

Links

- Picaroons' website

- Picaroons on Twitter

- Picaroons on Facebook

- Picaroons on Instagram

- Sean on Leadership Unleashed

Crafting the Life you want to Create

Introducing Stephen Kopp & Monica Adair of Acre Architects

As Stephen Kopp and Monica Adair could tell you, architecture isn’t only about designing buildings or spaces. Just as importantly, architecture is designing lives and purpose. Their company, Acre Architects, works around the world inspiring people to live great stories within and around their work. As they would say, you only live once and therefore you and your surroundings should be developed thoughtfully and with purpose.

Acre Architects broadens the field of architecture and design and was selected as one of this year’s young emerging firms in Canada for Twenty + Change. At the core of Monica and Stephen’s philosophy is an understanding of the unique opportunity that creative collaboration offers for the exploration of new ideas and achievement of new outcomes. Check out this episode of the Boiling Point to consider just how thoughtful design truly affects your life.

In this episode

• Monica and Stephen try out some of our Boiling Point beer.
• We find out what attracts such great architects to New Brunswick and Saint John.
• We discover what the meaning of storied architecture is.
• Monica and Stephen tell us how they feel that their job is like a cross between a coach and a storyteller.
• We also learn about how great physical design has changed the lives of their clients.
• There is a discussion on how memory can influence design.
• We also discuss how it is still okay to claim partial credit from collaborative success.
• Monica notes the folly if everyone “aims at the biggest target” at the same time, and perhaps you can shoot your arrow and then paint your target around it.

Links

- Acre website

- Acre on Twitter

- Monica on Twitter

- Stephen on Twitter

- Monica on Linked In

- Stephen on Linked In