Lean In with Casey Grey: Recent Episodes
Casey Grey
You already know what you need to do. You can feel it… But then your head gets in the way...
This podcast is a daily reminder to get out of your own way. To LEAN IN to the opportunities that are right in front of you. To seize the day and become who you are meant to be.
Through sharing stories and experiences, Lean In with Casey Grey will have you break those old destructive patterns of thought and replace them with new empowering ones. When you think differently you will act differently.
Work this into your daily routine and be sure to also check out Casey’s Daily Blog at CaseyGrey.com/Blog.
You deserve this.
I started off the year with a bang. January was a fantastic month and I have been attracting a lot of new opportunities into my life. I’ve been telling people that my word for 2020 is surrender. Not to throw in the towel but to surrender to the opportunities that come my way.
Last week, I had the opportunity to do a mentoring session with Sunil Tulsiani and he asked me some great questions. We were talking about work and where I should be focusing my time. Two questions in particular shifted my thinking and I remembered that word, surrender.
First, he asked "How much do you value your time? What are you worth?"
He then asked, "What does a person who makes that much money per year do?"
So, I had my answer. I'm surrendering to the obvious answer that the universe is giving me and I have decided to put both my daily blog and this podcast on hold. I'm going to take the “extra” time and shift it to The Conscious Builder where all the opportunities seem to be coming.
If you are interested in following what we’re working on, please subscribe to The Conscious Builder Show on YouTube and The Conscious Builder Podcast on your favourite podcast player. You can also check out TheConsciousBuilder.com.
CaseyGrey.com
What are you really good at? Something you can do in your sleep.
How did you get good at this? What did you need to do? How often did you need to do it? What did you need to believe when you were learning it?
What happens when you're really good at something? You become certain. You know that when you do X, Y will happen. There's almost nothing that can throw you off your game. You are confident in your abilities.
So what builds confidence then?
Action.
The only way you're going to become more confident is to take action. Whatever it is that you are lacking confidence in is because you have not done what you know you need to do. Get up! Step up! Go after what you want!
CaseyGrey.com
How did you start your day today? Did you do something empowering and uplifting? Do you have a routine that serves you? Do you have a plan to win the day? Did you eat something healthy for breakfast? Did you take the time to centre yourself? Did you exercise?
Or perhaps you did none of that. Perhaps you hit the snooze button a few times and then slowly slid your way out from under the covers only to realize that you were late for work and now had to rush through the morning to get out the door because you had a meeting to get to. You grabbed what was convenient as opposed to what's healthy for breakfast and made sure to get the extra extra large coffee.
If each of the examples above were two different people, who do you think would have the better day?
CaseyGrey.com
As a parent we want the best for our children. We push them beyond their limits and continue to encourage them until they have achieved the goal. First they learn how to crawl. Then they learn how to walk. They fall, they laugh, they cry and then get back up and keep trying. We're right there to help them up when they fall again.
As we grow up, we lose this push. We start to think we know it all. We start running and we're pretty damn fast. At least in our own eyes. Maybe we're faster than the kids at school so we think we're the best. Until we get to the track meet... Then we realize that we're not fast at all compared to those kids. We may even realize that we never learned how to run properly. There's a technique to running and if done properly we can go faster and longer without getting hurt.
Eventually we figure out what we're good at and what we like so we start doing more of that. We become construction workers, hair stylists, web developers, writers, designers and so on. We get the job and start to coast. Nobody is there to push us to the next level. Nobody is there to encourage us to do better. In fact, just like the school yard, there's people hoping you will fall so that they can take advantage of it. We feel nobody is there to catch us. We're even afraid to fall because it hurts and it's embarrassing. We think, "I'm an adult and adults don't fall. They don't cry either. They're responsible. Plus, I have my kids to take care of now..." We forget that the juice of our life comes from growth and learning.
What if we went back to adolescent thinking and found that parent (or mentor)? Better yet, what if we had multiple parents that were experts in different parts of life? What if we weren't afraid to fall? How would our lives change? How would the world change?
It's time to get back to that adolescent way of thinking.
CaseyGrey.com
Have you ever been in an airport waiting for your plane to board?
Airlines call passengers up in groups. First class and people who need assistance are first and then they start with the back of the plane and work towards the front.
"Now boarding zone 1... Now boarding zone 2... Now boarding zone 3..."
Even knowing this, many people jump up as soon as the plane starts to board. Some of them even try to get on sooner than they’re allowed to.
Personally, if I'm zone 9, why would I jump up and wait? Even if I'm zone 1, I would consider waiting. Why do I want to rush to wait in line or sit on a plane with less space and people elbowing me and rushing to try and get their bags into the overhead compartments?
This is a common theme throughout our lives. We hurry through life just so that we can wait for something to happen. I'm not saying we should slow down. What I'm suggesting is approaching life with purpose. Understanding why we do what we do.
Timing is everything. Doing the right thing at the wrong time will only slow you down.
CaseyGrey.com
Life will give you what you settle for.
I'm constantly pushing myself to the next level. I look for powerful environments. I surround myself with inspiring people. I listen to educational podcasts. I watch motivating videos. I go to seminars and conferences. I read everyday. I meditate everyday. I write everyday. I now release a podcast everyday. I have taken risks and learned from my mistakes. I have got through some very tough times and know I will get through future tough times.
Truthfully, I could have a very easy life though. I'm a good carpenter and I'm loyal. I know I could go work for somebody, make a decent living and coast through life. That's not me though. I don't want to just be comfortable. I want to grow! I'm not willing to just settle for the easy way out.
If that’s you and you’re happy, then great! But I will ask you, are you REALLY happy or are you just lying to yourself? Keep in mind, I’m talking about all aspects of your life.
Where are you settling in your life?
caseygrey.com
What is the point of news? Is it to inform us or educate us? I don't believe it's either although most people watch it for these reasons.
News is a business and what do businesses need to do? Make money. If they don't make money they will go out of business.
How does news make money? Through advertising.
How does advertising make money? The more people who see it, the more likely somebody will act on it.
If I had to recommend one business event, it would be Business Mastery which is put on by Tony Robbins. I'm not going to attempt to explain how transformative his events are and how they are not your typical conferences because I would not do it any justice, but I do want to share some key points that I continue to implement in my business and my life.
They are:
- Proximity is Power
- The Power of Compounding
- Managing My State
- Training My Mind to Think Big
- Connecting With My Purpose
Working on implementing and improving each of these areas has been a game changer. I’m even at the point now where I’m starting to see the compounding effect of all my actions.
How are you implementing these things into your life?
caseygrey.com
A Bird’s eye view. We all know what it is but have you put much thought into it before. This simple change in perspective could change your life or your business.
Imagine for a second that you're driving on a freeway and the road is completely empty. The top is down and you're cruising. The sun is shining and you're well on your way to your destination. At this rate you'll be there in a fraction of the time you anticipated. From your point of view there's nothing that can stop you.
Now imagine flying above your car and getting a different perspective. From the air, the picture could be very different. From this view you can see all the possible paths to your destination. From this view the road that you're currently on may not look as attractive. Perhaps there's a bridge ahead and that bridge is out which is going to force you to backtrack and double the length of your trip.
Now take this vantage point for your relationship or your business. Is it possible that there's a bridge out ahead that you don't know about?
Are you only operating from one vantage point in your life? If you are, how can you get more?
caseygrey.com/podcast
I've been through my fair share of painful experiences throughout these first years on this earth. I know there are people out there who have experienced many worse things than I have but I also know my experiences could be considered worse than others by some.
One of the reasons I continue to experience pain is because I'm not afraid to put myself into situations where pain is a possibility. Most people spend their life trying to avoid pain but I have come to realize that pain is inevitable. Trying to avoid it is almost more painful than the pain itself.
There will never be a day in history where pain is not experienced somewhere. Pain is not a bad thing unless you label it that way. Pain can create massive change. Unfortunately it often takes massive pain for somebody to make that change or realize there's a problem.
The question becomes, what are you going to do with that pain? Are you going to let it ruin your relationship? Your business? Your life? Or are you going to learn from it and take yourself to the next level?
As Bill Gates says, "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."
www.caseygrey.com
I love to give. Whether it's a gift, an experience, advice, a coffee or a lunch, I like to be the person doing the giving. Being the receiver makes me a little uncomfortable and is something I have been working on over the last few years.
What has helped me is knowing what it feels like to be the giver and changing my belief. Now I know that giving is a gift for the other person but only when I receive gracefully.
This takes practice. It takes a conscious effort to receive gracefully. To accept what is being given to you with gratitude instead of gilt. To accept it fully without feeling the need to return the favour.
Remember, learning how to receive is just as important as learning how to give.
www.caseygrey.com/podcast
still aren’t prepared for when it shows up.
But not everybody complains. There are many people who are prepared and who do make the most of the winter. They go skating on the canal. They go snowshoeing in the Gatineau Hills. They plan a ski trip with friends. They go tobogganing with their kids. They make the most out of a season that many run away from.
The economy and life are the same. There are seasons that come and go and they never stop. It’s a continuous cycle.
How would your life change if you planned for the seasons? If you made the most of the season no matter what?
Winter can be the greatest season of all if you plan for it to be.
caseygrey.com
I remember being in a restaurant with my wife last year where we were marvelling at the decor. Hanging on the wall directly beside our table was a beautiful mirror with what looked to be a hand carved wood frame.
If that mirror was hand carved by a person today, the amount of time it would take would likely be dozens of hours. What the person would need to charge for this mirror to make even a modest income would price this mirror out of reach for the majority of the population.
That being said, the person would only need to find one buyer of the almost 8 billion people on earth.
I believe we all have an artist within us. There's something inside of us that the world needs (or perhaps just one person needs).
Whatever it is, If you keep your artist bottled up inside of you, you're doing the world a disservice.
caseygrey.com
Last year, I started an adult gymnastics course and I’m still loving it. Alex MacInnis does a fantastic job teaching and explaining the purpose for everything.
One of the things that Alex talks about is the importance of strength. Yes, we want to be flexible but flexibility without strength can cause injuries. One without the other is also a lack of control.
This is true for life. The person who is most flexible is in control however that person also needs to be strong when it counts.
Life is unpredictable. We may think that we're in control but the truth is that the only thing we really have control over is how we act or react in any given situation (and most of us have trouble controlling ourselves).
We may think we have control over external things or people but that is an illusion...
www.caseygrey.com
We often hear people talk about the importance of YES. "Say yes and figure it out later!" is something that comes up often in the world I'm in. Although I agree with this statement, I think we need to counter balance those yeses (is that a word?) with some nos.
For every yes you say, you’re saying no to something else. So make sure you want to do this thing you are saying yes to.
You need to protect your most important asset, your time, and keep it for what is most important to you.
Where can you bring more NO into your life in order to make more room for the big YES?
www.caseygrey.com
This episode starts with SabriNa Lemay as she presents to a few hundred students at the Royal Ottawa Hospital for an event organized by Do It for Darren. DIFD is an organization focused on support, education and research initiatives for Mental Health. They encourage young people to talk openly about mental health and to ask for help when needed, without fear or shame.
Sabrina shares her story from her first experience with mental health to where she is today and her aspirations to help teenagers in need. It is a story of what is possible when you are committed NO MATTER WHAT. SabriNa has turned her pain into empowerment and used it to propel her forward every single day. She is a force for good that is here to spread the love.
You can reach out to Sabrina directly at: sabrina@sabrinaspeaks.ca or follow her on instagram at @Mindbodysoul.work.
Show Links:
Mental Health Fundraising Gala May 1st 2020
Life of Red Podcast Episode #34 with Ryan Forsyth
Do It for Darren
How would your life change if you made the choice to be happy right now?
As somebody who puts a lot of focus on achievement and accomplishing goals, I have found that I delay myself the privilege of being happy. And when I say happy, I mean to really experience joy and laughter. I say to myself things like;
"I'll be happy when I get this project."
"I'll be happy when I pay off this debt."
"I'll be happy when we clear $3,000,000 in sales."
"I'll be happy when I get a Tesla."
This list goes on…
The truth is that none of that will bring me happiness. Happiness can only be experienced in the moment. Happiness is a choice and we get to choose how we want to feel right now.
Work and fun are interesting words. What is considered work to one person could be fun to another. Work can also carry some negative feelings around it as a good portion of the population does not like what they do for "work".
I find myself "working" a lot but it's not work to me in the typical way you may think of work. I love what I do. It's all fun for me. Yes, there are times, especially as an entrepreneur, when I need to focus on things that are not fun however those times usually set me up for even more fun down the road. Those are the times that I grow the most.
I love Mondays!
What comes to mind when you hear, "Oh, looks like somebody has a case of the Mondays."
It's unfortunate that most of our society associates this with a negative feeling. If somebody is in a bad mood and it's Monday, it's okay. That's expected because it's Monday.
Why do we accept this?
More importantly, if this is true, why would that person continuously put themselves through the pain of feeling this way every Monday?
Mondays are the gauge for my life. If I ever start to dread waking up Monday or If I start living for the weekends, there's something wrong.
Our environment has a huge impact on who we are and what we do. Our environments will force us to create habits whether we're aware of them or not. Habits can make us or break us. They're either serving us or hurting us.
One of the things I like to do is design my environment to win.
If I want to start flossing, I will put the floss beside my toothbrush or in a location where it catches my eye. If I want to eat healthy, I will purchase healthy food and keep all the junk food out of the house. If I want to stay consistent with my workout, I will join a club where people pull me to be better. If I want to stay off social media then I will install a program on my computer which prevents me from going on social media. If I want to stop watching TV, I will get rid of my TV. If I want to read more, I will put books in places I will see them or listen to audiobooks while I drive.
You get the point…
I believe a big part of habits is self awareness. If you know what triggers your bad habits, you can avoid those triggers. On the flip side, if you know what triggers your empowering habits, you can put yourself in those situations more often.
How can you improve your environment today?
Trying... What a useless word.
I admit, I'm guilty of using this word. I'm trying to remove this from my vocabulary... Wait... I WILL remove this from my vocabulary.
I don't see any use for it. I'm either going to do the task I have set out to do or I'm not. I'm committed or I'm not. I'm strong enough or I'm not. There's no in between. Do it or don't do it.
If I think back to when I use this word, it's either when I don't really want to do something or I'm not confident I'm able to do it. In either case, it's usually just a mind shift that's required or a commitment.
Let's work together to remove this word-that-shall-not-be-said from our lives. Let's replace it with something that empowers us!
CaseyGrey.com
I'm baffled when people tell me they CAN'T do something.
I can't lose weight. I can't quit my job. I can't start a business. I can't go on vacation. I can't quit smoking. I can't quit eating meat. I can't buy a new car. I can’t control my kid.
I can't. I can't. I can't.
The truth is that people do these things every single day. People who say they can't are CHOOSING not to do these things. They are choosing to prioritize something else. Which is totally fine if that's what they want to do! Just stop saying that you can't, because you can.
Our brain is a powerful tool that, if used properly, can propel us. If used improperly, it will keep us stuck. The thing about our brain is that it does not want to be wrong. If you tell it you can't do something, it will say, "you're right! Let me tell you all the reasons you can't do that."
BUT…
The same thing is true when you say, "I can and I will." Your brain will say, "Alright! Let's figure out how to do this!"
Just like going to the gym you need to exercise the brain. You need to train it. You need to start with the 5 pound dumbbells and work yourself up to the 100 pound dumbbells. Increase that weight every day.
Remove CAN'T from your vocabulary and watch the magic that happens in your life.
CaseyGrey.com
One of the things I enjoy doing with my son is watching animated movies. It's the little kid in me I guess. What I love most about these animated movies is the message in them. Every once in a while there's a really good one that truly stands out.
The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) is one that stood out!
There are so many amazing messages throughout the movie and it was truly captivating. The one that stood out for me was, "Growing up is not the problem. Forgetting is."
It's a reminder to focus on what is most important. To focus on the people whose lives I can have a positive impact on as opposed to the number of followers I have on instagram. To have fun, be a kid, smile, laugh and cry. To be present with the person in front of me. To write and talk about what inspires me. To approach everyday with a sense of excitement, curiosity and willingness to serve. And a willingness to have fun.
Remember what it was like to be a kid. Remember how magical the world was. Remember how big the world was. Remember how easy it was to have fun. Remember the power of the imagination.
Remember that you’re never too old to be a kid.
CaseyGrey.com
Have you ever seen a dog owner greet their dog after a day away (or even just a couple hours away)? Perhaps you are this person. The excitement and love that comes from both sides of the interaction is contagious. There's no way to watch this event without smiling.]
This can be similar for parents and their kids (or at least younger kids).
I’ve been a part of both of these interactions. Coming home to my dog after a long day or work or picking up my son from school. It’s a fun experience.
This had me thinking...
When I see my wife after a day of work, I don't exude the same excitement as when I see my son or when I used to see my dog. Why? I love her just as much as my son, if not more. I definitely love her more than I loved my dog. Why do I hold back this excitement? What am I afraid of?
When I see my team members at work, I hold back as well. Why not show them I'm happy to see them and proud to have them on the team? I don't need to hug and kiss them like I do with my son or wrestle them like I did with my dog but I can show excitement.
What if I greeted everybody with the same excitement I have when greeting my dog or child? How would that improve my relationships?
CaseyGrey.com
There is a big difference between marketing and branding. Marketing is a strategy whereas branding is a symbol of who you are as a company or a person.
Marketing can be implemented over night whereas a brand could take years to establish.
Marketing is the short game whereas brand is the long game.
Both are important. But don’t get them confused.
CaseyGrey.com
I've made a point to add fun into my life over the past years and really stepped it up in 2018 with the purchase of a 1977 VW Camper Van and Skydiving.
In 2019 I've added skiing with the family and gymnastics to the mix of regular things.
In 2020 I’m owning the podcast and Youtube world and embodying it to the fullest.
The thing I've realized about fun is that it has nothing to do with the thing you are doing. It is all about the attitude you bring to that thing you are doing.
As I like to tell my teams, "Not all situations are fun but fun can be brought into all situations.”
CaseyGrey.com
Have you ever learned from somebody who you thought you were suppose to teach?
As parents, society talks about how we are supposed to protect and teach our children. To make sure we raise the next generation "right". Give them the opportunities that we did not have. Put them in better schools, sports and other extracurricular activities. Be the best! You want to win but don't worry if you lose because you still get a medal.
Alright that last comment may be for another episode...
What if we forgot about all this?
What if, instead, we tried to learn from our children instead of feeling like we need to teach them everything?
CaseyGrey.com
I’ve spent the majority of my life thinking about the future. As an entrepreneur, I think this is a natural tendency
How do I achieve my next goal? What do I need to do? Who do I need to know? Where do I need to be? And so forth
For the most part, I believe this is a strength. Visionaries need this and the world needs visionaries. With that in mind though, I believe there is tremendous power, if not more power, in being present
How would your life change if you lived every day knowing that you would look back on these days as the Good Old Days?
CaseyGrey.com
Do you remember the excitement you would feel as a kid when you were anticipating something fun? Do you remember having to wait for just one more sleep?
Now, as an adult, it’s sad to say but I rarely lose sleep because of excitement. It’s usually because of anxiety, worry or stress.
But what if we trained the mind to think like a kid again? What if we reconnected with that childlike imagination when anything was possible? When a fat man in a red suit could slide down a chimney and leave you exactly what you wanted under a tree covered in decorations?
What would that do for you life?
CaseyGrey.com
Trees that grow in protected conditions will not grow strong roots. A tree that stands out in the open, exposed to all the elements will grow to be stronger than a tree in the middle of a forest.
The tree adapts to its environment from a young age and take the time to grow accordingly. A tree in the middle of a forest may grow upwards quickly but will fail to grow strong roots. It will compete with the other trees to grow tall and get the rays from the sun. It’s constantly competing and trying to outreach the neighbouring trees. Yes, it’s protected from the storms and will likely stand tall but only as long as the surrounding trees are also standing tall.
You get to choose...
Do you want to stand in the middle of the forest and compete to be the tallest or do you want to stand out in the middle of a field and grow to be stronger than every other tree in that forest?
CaseyGrey.com
On January 8 of 2019 I committed to a Daily Blog and I kept that commitment. Not only have I kept it but I will continue to write every day. I will commit to another year and I suspect it will continue on after that. But that’s not my commitment for 2020...
Today, January 8, 2020, I am committing to something new. I’m committing to a daily podcast.
I will make sure that everyday you will hear my voice (if you choose to subscribe to Lean In with Casey Grey).
Just like when I committed to writing daily, I am doing this because I want to be better than I was yesterday (or in this case, last year). I want to become a better speaker and storyteller so that I can help people find that inspiration inside of them and release it!
I said it last year and I’ll say it again. New Years Resolutions are useless unless you are committed.
What are you going to commit to today?
CaseyGrey.com
I know I need to eat healthier.
I know I need to exercise more.
I know I need to spend more time with my spouse and kids.
I know I work too much.
I know I need to sleep more.
I know I need to read more.
I know I need to meditate more.
I know I need to quit my job.
I know I need to start this new business.
I know, I know, I know...
Knowing is not enough. You need to take action.
What are you actually going to DO this year? Make 2020 a year of action.
Brian and I are starting the year off with a bunch of recording today. Watch out 2020! Here we come!
Blog Post
https://www.caseygrey.com/blog/i-know
Casey meets up with friend and entrepreneur Matthew Pedersen. Matthew helped design Casey's Passive House heating system and they connected recently to talk about some of his journey and the future of Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning.
https://designexperts.ca/
From pod calls and zoom calls to Monday night live events and Rise with Rocks, Casey and Rock Thomas talk about the M1 Tribe, a community focused on growing and being a better person. Casey attends the annual year end event in Montreal and shares his life changing experience.
Links:
rockthomas.com
caseygrey.com/m1
Smart Net Alliance is running it's 4th Annual SMARTNet Sustainability Showcase & EV Exhibition and we talk to Nick Hebb the organizer behind the scenes as Casey participates in an Electric Vehicle demonstration, a panel session and a passive house home tour.
Links:
https://www.smartnetalliance.ca
https://www.smartnetalliance.ca/gedo-main-page
https://www.smartnetalliance.ca/green-drinks
http://www.webuildahome.ca
http://www.ejwarchitect.com
https://zh-cn.facebook.com/studentenergycarleton/posts/2421943911415967
Casey meets with David Gourlay as the Ottawa Miracle League match up with the Ottawa Police for their annual baseball game. David introduces us to Bryce one of the leagues most adamant supporter's and shares his thoughts on the future of baseball in Ottawa and why we have a lot to be excited and grateful for.
www.miracleleagueofottawa.com
Casey's older brother has ten years on him, but that didn't prevent the two of them from having a close bond growing up together. That bond carries into their entrepreneurial lives as they hone in on their strengths to partner and grow The Conscious Builder and help other businesses. Chad shares some memorable moments including a life changing Christmas Miracle and much more.
Show Link:
http://www.st-louis.ca/chad.html
Casey participates in Jasmine Moore's self - healing meditation session and gets to know her story from self professed nerd, to body building to meditation.
Show Links
https://www.younioninc.com
https://www.healwithjas.com
Casey Grey has taken a more active role helping Natasha at Younion Meditation studio and one of those roles includes trying to pick up more traction for the 10 month old business. Casey meets with social media marketer Riaz Sidi to discuss marketing strategy and learn more about Riaz's journey though personal hardship and education.
https://sidi.io
https://www.younioninc.com
What do you do when you're feeling scared and divided? You go to the very people who you think are afraid of you and do something kind. That's the basis for Tarek's new movie A Fee Trip to Egypt, Casey interviews fellow entrepreneur and filmmaker Tarek Mounib.
www.freetriptoegypt.com/
www.caseygrey.com/
Emile caught the entrepreneurial spirit at the age of four, delivering papers for his older brother for ten cents and a bag of chips each week.
Over the next 40 years he turned revenue streams and profit development into an art form across a variety of industries. Emile is co-founder of Collab Space, a Collaborative Business Community in the west end of Ottawa called Collab Space and believes executive knowledge should be available to all startups; not just those that can afford it.
In this conversation with Casey, Emile shares some business lessons and Casey looks for some insight on how he can improve his sales process, with over 45 plus businesses started Emile has a wealth of knowledge which he shares in his role as mentor at Collab Space and he talks about their exciting 4 year anniversary they are celebrating as he says "a celebration for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs"
EPISODE TIMELINE
- 2:26 What is profit?
- 12:20 Delivering papers at four
- 16:00 Building a team
- 19:30 Collab Space
- 23:30 Business owners vs. Entrepreneurs
- 31:00 Sales
- 35:30 What gets Emile excited
EPISODE LINKS
https://collabspace.ca
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Facebook
PODCAST QUOTES:
"You actually have to budget for profit and make profit an expense, profit plus expenses equals revenue, if you don’t do that you’ll never get it "
"My passion is supporting people to be successful, and what I call success is having a self sufficient business"
--Emile Salem
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Britt is an experienced entrepreneur. Matthew’s goal was always to be job free before his 30th birthday and that was successfully achieved at 29 years old when he resigned from being a personal trainer with GoodLife Fitness. After bringing a solar referral company called Powur to Canada in early 2017, Matt found that there was a need for home and business owners to take control of their energy from how it’s made to where it comes from. Matt oversees all company operations alongside COO Forrest Vetter-Wilson and utilizes his connections to continually establish partnerships.
In this conversation with Casey Grey, Matt talks about his dad and his first taste of entrepreneurial life entering the network marketing world. He talks about a conversation with his chiropractor that inspired the "Let's hug it out" brand and his daring jump into the solar industry at at time when many in the industry were leaving. Lots of great information in this podcast including Matt's audacious billion dollar plans.
EPISODE TIMELINE
- 02:45 How it all started
- 07:00 Billionaire in action
- 08:30 The Monk who Sold his Ferrari - how it changed is mindset
- 12:00 Lets hug it out
- 17:30 Jumping into solar
- 35:00 Giving back with watt for watt
- 42:00 Finding talent
- 53:00 Parting words
EPISODE LINKS
- https://maketheswitch.ca/
- https://www.facebook.com/LetsHugItOutlifestyle/
- https://www.kingoenergy.com/
- The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Facebook
QUOTES
“Every time a family in Ontario installs a 10kw solar array we can help roughly 25-30 families in a developing nation get power for the first time”
"Nothing feels like work anymore it’s fantastic”
--Matthew Britt
Daughter, gymnast, sports anchor, wife, mother, morning show host Lianne Laing was born and raised in Ottawa. She attended the University of Massachusetts/Amherst on a full NCAA gymnastics scholarship and graduated with two business degrees before spending 20 years as a television broadcaster where she worked as a sports anchor and a host for Ottawa’s CTV Morning Live. She covered everything from olympians, chefs, celebrities, community leaders and more. She reside's in Ottawa with her husband Tony and two daughters.
In this podcast Lianne shares how an early childhood gymnastic competition accident changed everything for her at the age of eleven, including her own surprise leap into broadcasting, along with her scary transition into entrepreneurial life. Lots of exciting messages including how her dad's passing continues to influence her decisions today.
TIMELINE
- 03:14 Growing up in gymnastics
- 14:00 A chance meeting and a new career
- 16:00 Mother as coach
- 22:00 The transformation into entrepreneurial life
- 34:00 Charity life - Taking a swing at Cancer
- 44:30 A lesson in memory of dad
EPISODE LINKS
- https://liannelaing.com/
- Take a Swing at Cancer
- 24 Hour Tremblant
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Facebook
PODCAST QUOTE
“I am incredibly great-full for the opportunity that athletics gave me to travel, compete in some of the most interesting places, meet amazing people and it offered me a four year education traveling the United States at a division one school and two business degrees”
--Lianne Laing
Jeffrey Leiper is the current Ottawa city councillor for Kitchissippi Ward. He was first elected in the Ottawa municipal election, 2014.
Leiper was born and raised in Ottawa. He studied History and English at the University of Ottawa, and Print Journalism at Algonquin College. As a youth, Leiper was a member of the youth wing of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, though he is now a committed progressive. He has lived in Kitchissippi Ward since 1995 when he and his spouse Natalie moved into the Julian Apartments in the Wellington West area. Today, he lives in Hintonburg with Natalie and their son.
In this podcast Jeff talks shares his motivations for getting into politics, what are his principles are and what it means to be courageous. He touches on how quality of life should influence policy and planning and some of the Climate initiatives including the recently declared Climate Emergency and the ongoing energy evolution and on the personal side adapting to work and life after his recent heart attack.
Episode Timeline * 3:30 - Introduction - Jeff's appreciation for community and his reason for entering politics
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10:00 - Mindset and dealing with criticism, what it means to be courageous
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18:20 What is quality life and how it influences policy and guidelines
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34:00 - Daily complaints and Issues
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43:00 - Climate Emergency
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55:00 - Life after a heart attack
Episode Links * https://kitchissippiward.ca
Social Media * Facebook
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Twitter
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Instagram
Quote At the end of the day you just try to be true to a certain set of principles, and when the trolls comes out, if you’ve done your work and stayed true to your principles and been courageous in your pursuit, a lot of the negative comments will roll off. Some of it stings, everyday someone will be hypercritical of something that you are pursuing or a decision you’ve made, or a process that hasn’t turned out the way they want. But if you can go to bed, staying true to your principles, being open minded, did I do the right thing, than ultimately it will roll off, it’s a huge rollercoaster"
--Jeff Leiper
Kristy has been involved in the Real Estate industry for over 15 years in various levels. She started with her first home purchase at 21 by selling everything she & her boyfriend Eric (now husband) owned just to get a down payment. By 25 she started her own company transforming homes even though another ”specialist” told her not to bother she would never be successful. Over the years alongside building her business she and Eric renovated 5 homes & 1 commercial property with great success. She jokingly calls it ”Flipping up” even though she had no intention of taking on properties to “Flip” alongside her personal home for various logistic reasons.
After many moves and renovating her homes over time, she also built her Home Staging Company to #1 with an amazing team working directly with many of the top 20% real estate agents in the city of Ottawa. After a decade of building success, she made the bold decision to sell her business and focus on building relationships, understanding her clients needs and custom tailoring solutions for those needs. This is why she chose to be apart of Ottawa’s top real estate team the Ottawa Capital Group.
In this podcast Kristy talks about her decision to join the Ottawa Capital Group as a licensed realtor, she talks about her plastic restaurant fiasco which inspired a major change in her life and her new Guinea Fowls she takes care of with her husband Eric at their home in Kemptville and so much more! Check out the podcast details below:
Episode Links
https://www.kristymorrison.com
Books:
The Creative Edge: Transforming your home and maximizing profits throught real world home staging case
Creating Successful Business Systems: A Home Staging & Decorators Guide
Social Media:
Episode Timeline:
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2:15 - Why the switch into real estate
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5:30 - Costa Rica
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10:30 - Meditation
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16:00 - Her Kemptville home
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21:00 - The Guinea Fowl - African Turkey
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26:45 - Writing books, making goals
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35:00 - Family
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41:00 - Reduce Waste - taking baby steps
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46:00 - Parting Words
Quote
"All I do is let them out in the morning, they run around during the day eat ticks and mosquitoes and bugs throughout my yard, and than I lock them up at night and fill up their food and water every couple of days"
--Kristy Morrison on her Guinea Fowls
Breanne Gibson is a global change leader for regeneration, speaker. She's an educator, holistic nutrition expert, and permaculture practitioner. She is the founder of Breanne Gibson LLC, a coaching and consulting company focused on helping leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizations align with the intelligence of nature for ultimate energy, health and resiliency.
Her mission is to reconnect humanity with nature and remove the gap between soil and health for both human and planet.
In this podcast Breanne touches on her journey beginning in British Columbia growing up on 10 acres "in nature", to her experience in the army before branching out and creating her own coaching and consulting business. Breanne shares some insights into her own diet to how to make soil for growing your own food and so much more. Her passion and wealth of knowledge is contagious and might inspire you, if you haven't already to do some research into what your eating. After listening to this podcast make sure to visit Breanne's links for more information.
Episode Timeline
- 2:00 Introduction
- 6:00 Climate change and consciousness from Scotland
- 18:15 Learning about your soil and growing your own food
- 31:30 Buying local produce
- 40:30 Breanne's diet
- 49:00 Breanne's Regenerative Road Map
- 53:00 The beginning of Breanne's journey
Episode Links
- Website
- Circular Nutrition Regenerative Roadmap
- Climate Change & Consciousness - Scotland Conference
Quotes
"Nature never leaves herself bare only humans leave her bare"
--Breanne Gibson talking about soil quality
"I think for us and its evolved but we’ve always supported each other in our individual journeys there’s never been a feeling that i can’t live my life because I’m with you and vice versa and that’s been really freeing.”
----Breanne Gibson on fourteen years with her husband
Questions for the farmers market
Andy is a Red Seal General Carpenter, with training and experience in restoration, traditional timber framing, drafting and design, stairs, custom housing and high-performance residential construction. He was also lucky enough to teach at the Algonquin College Perth Campus for about 15 years in the Construction Carpentry Advanced Housing Program, both part-time and full time. In 2017, he trained and earned his certification as a Passive House Consultant with
the Canadian Passive House Institute and After years of membership with his local Home Builders’ in Perth, Ontario, Andy worked with the Canadian Home Builders Association national office as Director of Professional Development and Manager of Association Services. Always looking for a new challenge, Andy is now working with Guides.co, an online knowledge sharing platform, as well as helping a STEM mentorship program from Nova Scotia called Techsploration with a pilot program expansion into Ontario.
Andy lives in Perth, Ontario with his wife of 24 years and their 2 teenage kids.
Table of Contents:
- 2:30 Why teaching
- 4:50 Divorce and death in the family
- 14:30 Parenting - protecting your kids and letting them fail
- 17:45 The secret to a 25 year marriage?
- 21:00 It all started with drawing.
- 30:30 Moving to Perth to teach
- 41:00 Why build better. What is a passive house.
- 31:00 Reusing displays from the Museum of Nature
- 48:00 An introduction to Guides.co
Links:
- Andy's Instagram
- Guides.co
- Techsploration
- Email Andy at: andy@guides.co
Podcast Quotes:
"A classroom with a teacher talking in front of students is really cost effective, a classroom where each student has a circular saw and a whole bunch of pieces of wood in front of them, is not"
“I’ve seen the lightbulbs go on with students, especially the students that were struggling and it was such a rewarding experience. I would never look back on my time and consider it a waste, it was one of the best times in my life.”
--Andy Cockburn
Heather graduated from the Industrial Design program at Carleton University in 2014. Failing to land a design job she decided to pursue one of her creative passions which was bringing new life to discarded materials. With her University degree and hands on experience growing up with a father in construction in her hometown of Coldwater, she took a part time job in Ottawa and in her off time focused on building her business.
She started by working in a small cellar in her apartment she often refers to as the “dungeon” and has since upgraded to a much larger shop where she does everything from sandwich boards, a giant connect 4, 7’ Tall Easter Eggs to complete redesigns for retail clients. Heather's passion for her work and the environment is on full display, in her interview with Casey. To learn more make sure to check out the links below and listen to the podcast in full.
Episode Timeline
- 2:28 Heather Introduction growing up
- 7:45 Industrial Design at Carleton University - Bachelor of Industrial Design
- 10:30 Learning from her father
- 17:30 Work life balance
- 21:00 the design consultation process
- 26:00 the “Dungeon” first workshop
- 31:00 Reusing displays from the Museum of Nature
- 38:00 transparency in the consultation process
- 45:30 advice for business and home owners
- 50:15 the future of Re4m
Episode Links
- Heather's Instagram
- Re4m
- Habitat Restore
- Feline Cafe
- NuGrocery
- Bridgehead on Preston
Podcast Challenge:
"Businesses if you find that you are consistently tossing a specific material, try and see if there is a way to reduce that, maybe it's wooden pallets, PVC pipe, for example the Bridgehead on Preston gives away their Hemp Coffee Bags to customers, we know it's time consuming but reach out to Re4m and maybe we can help."
--Heather Jeffrey
Inspired from a recent conversation with a couple interested in building an eco-friendly home, Casey talks about significance of insignificant events.
Links
Casey's Instagram
Caseygrey's Blog
Quote:
"We know building our little eco-friendly home won't have a huge impact on the environment, but we still want to do it."
--client
In this Podcast, Casey Grey talks about what it means to be a team player and the importance of team work for building a successful business.
Episode Links:
Casey's Instagram
Caseygrey's Website
Quote:
"Nothing great is ever accomplished alone "
--Casey Grey
In this Podcast, Case Grey interviews his wife and life partner Natasha Grey. A former Psychotherapist and the author of the acclaimed children’s book, Everyday Superheroes. She is also the host of iTunes New and Noteworthy podcast, The Conscious Living Podcast where she spent two years interviewing and learning from the best in the industry, everyone from NY Times bestselling authors to CEO's of large organizations who incorporate meditation into their business’ as well as powerful women raising a family at home. Natasha's experience as a psychotherapist combined with her immersive work in meditation practices’ gives her an incredible advantage of cultivating a unique, transformative environment and experience for all human beings from all walks of life.
After years of exploring different meditation practices, Natasha concluded that its not one type of meditation practice that fits all. Younion doesn’t hold a specific belief structure around one type of meditation, but rather encompasses a variety of modalities, practices and philosophies. Younion has a variety of offerings to choose from that accommodates everyone's needs on any given day without having to ascribe to a particular belief or religion to guide their practice or experience.
Episode Links:
Instagram @natasha_a_grey
Younionstudio Website
Episode Timeline:
- 2:50 Natasha's childhood
- 12:00 Getting kicked out of kindergarten
- 17:00 Therapy
- 25:00 Moving to California
- 43:00 Why meditation you Younion
- 53:30 Parting words of advice
Podcast Quote:
"People feel like their missing out on all the good stuff which was the crap that was making them sick to begin with as opposed to: You get to put this beautiful source of energy into your body and this is what you're going to get because of it"
Natasha Grey
Casey Interviews his gymnastic’s coach Alex MacInnes. Born and raised in Prince Edward Island where he competed in gymnastics and represented PEI in 7 Canadian National Championships. Alex moved to Ottawa to pursue his studies and work with at risk youth before deciding to take the big risk and open up his own gymnastics training center. Now with a growing team of gymnasts he continues to grow as a coach and help youth and adults pursue improvements in strength, flexibility and cardio all while having a good time! In this podcast Alex talks about growing up in gymnastics and the transition from athlete to business owner and much more! Check out the podcast links below for more information.
Episode Timeline:
- 2:50 Starting gymnastics
- 8:30 Moving to Ottawa to study and become a youth worker
- 15:00 Struggling as a new business owner
- 23:00 Getting into training
- 30:00 Expanding the business
- 33:30 Speacializing in your stenghts
- 38:50 Parting words of advice
Episode Links:
- alexkazamgymnastics
- youtube
- Instagram @alexkazamgymnastics
Podcast Quote:
"It's so important to find balance in your training that's going to allow you to move better, feel better and live longer, that's what I'm really after is helping people achieve that with the end goal of happiness" Alex MacInnes
In this podcast Casey interviews architect and green building consultant Mark Rosen, owner of Building Energy Inc., and co-owner of a new startup company. Born and raised in Canmore, Alberta, Mark moved to Ottawa to pursue his studies in architecture before working for his father in law as an energy advisor. He met his wife Megan while studying and not long after attaining jobs in their fields, they decided to stop what they were doing, quit and travel the world. Mark shares how their travels inspired the design of their current passive house and provides fresh insights on how homes should work, where the industry is headed and lots more. Check out the podcast links and timeline to learn more.
Episode Links:
- SharpHomeTech
- BuildingEnergyInc
- WeBuildaHome
- WeWonder
Episode Timeline:
- 2:00 Introduction to passive house
- 4:30 Mark shares their blog and travel experience
- 10:00 Mark talks about his work background
- 27:00 How does a house work
- 30:45 Building standards
- 35:30 Fighting climate change
- 42:50 Lessons learned from living in a passive house
- 47:00 Final thoughts
Podcast Quotes:
"More people will probably read their cars user manual than their homes user manual if one even exists"
--Mark Rosen
"People will choose unhappiness over uncertainty most of the time "
-- Tim Ferriss (referenced)
In this Podcast Casey interviews Michael Peixoto, husband, father, professor, soccer coach and award wining principal architect at ARCA-VERDE architecture inc, he talks about his own 2600square foot Passive House he and his wife Robin Peixoto (principal interior designer with the firm Parallel 45) designed and moved into with their two daughters in 2017.
In this podcast Michael talks about the business and how he got into architecture, what success means to him, changes in the industry, juggling his family commitments and so much more. Check out the podcast timeline and links below:
Podcast Timeline:
- 2:00 Introduction
- 7:15 Passive house
- 13:15 What attracted Michael to architecture
- 23:15 Michael talks about bringing a project to completion and what success means to him.
- 29:15 Changes to the construction industry
- 36:50 Michael talks about starting his own practice
- 39:15 How does Michael spend his free time?
- 48:40 Michael and Casey talk family
- 1:00:00 Some parting advice from Michael
Website Link
arca-verde.ca
Podcast Quote
"You take a series of information and criteria and you somehow dilute that into something that ends up as a physical building, there's something incredibly rewarding about that"
-- Michael Peixoto
In this episode Casey interviews Lynne Lafontaine a banker and sales marketing professional, until the age of 40, when a separation inspired her to change careers and buy a house and renovate it. Lynne took 6 years to finish her first renovation, through the process she realized she didn’t enjoy laying floors and painting, but she enjoyed designing the space. In this podcast Lynne talks about her first renovation, going back to school at 40 and how she got into the business by starting a staging business. Lots of advice on setting expectations for your next project, and as an trained cook she shares some kitchen design advice and introduces a new exciting project in the works called, Next Fase Design. Check out the podcast links and timeline for more details.
Timeline:
- 2:30 Lynne's background and first renovation
- 6:00 Retaking grade 12 math at 42
- 7:00 Architectural design vs. Interior Design
- 10:00 Staging - Lynne's first gig in the business
- 18:30 Managing client expectations
- 20:50 New home owners don't do this before your renovation!
- 27:00 Lynne on budget: how do you get the real budget?
- 30:00 What makes a good team?
- 41:00 Designing a functional kitchen
- 44:30 Lynne introduces her new design concept: Next Faze Homes
- 49:15 Lynne's last words of advice
Episode Links:
Houzz
Quote:
"When I got separated I had to redirect my career into another direction at 40 odd years old, so I decided to buy a house in Manor Park and renovate it. "
-- Lynne LaFontaine
Rock Thomas, a self made millionaire of several business and six award winning RE/MAX franchises, is the founder of a group called M1. As part of M1, the group does regular Facebook Live events called Monday Night Live. In this live event Casey has the mic to answer questions from the tribe and speak about the three steps to Conscious Building.
Podcast Timeline:
3:45 Introduction
7:45 Becoming a father and becoming more conscious/aware of your purpose/calling
14:30 The importance and benefits of writing
18:30 Questions to start asking yourself to become more conscious and replace bad habits.
21:00 What we don't know, we don't know. What we should know about indoor air quality.
26:30 Getting past writers block
28:30 The importance of Fresh Air Systems
31:45 Surrounding yourself with the best team
39:15 Family and breaking the habit of work, work, work.
52:00 Introduction to Gingko
55:30 Introduction to M1
Podcast Quotes
Casey talking about his son
"we feel like we're supposed to teach them, but if we're curious and open to it they will teach us more than we will ever teach them"
Rock Thomas speaking on M1
"It's like a buffet of information that you could use for your business and life"
Podcast Links:
GoM1
Rock Thomas
Casey’s Blog
https://www.caseygrey.com/blog/business-mastery
Casey's most recent client meeting inspired his latest podcast where he talks about the benefits of feedback for personal and business growth.
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives, it's the one that is most adaptable to change.
Casey talks about how relevant this is to him, as a businessman, father and husband.
Read the book:
Beyond Mars and Venus
www.caseygrey.com
Meet Chris Castillo, serial entrepreneur, part owner of Ottawa’s Koichi Ramen and Mechanic to You. He’s been a business mentor of Casey’s for over 6 years as part of his Master Entrepreneur consulting group and recently launched a second coaching company called Fire Within.
In this episode we learn how Chris developed his entrepreneurial skills as a kid living with a single mom growing up in the desert of Chile to how he made his first $500 in consulting services at the age of 18.
Chris has a ton to offer in this podcast. Everything from goal setting to good business principles to how to be innovative and creative and how to use other people’s money. As usual, he over delivers!
Audio Table of Contents
2:50 Chris’s background
8:00 Chris comes to Canada
22:00 Setting high goals
30:30 Chris’s 4 businesses
34:20 Business principles
36:25 Using other people’s money his first $500 in consulting services
50:00 Family life
61:00 what’s in the future
Podcast Links
- Master Entrepreneur
- Fire Within Coach
- Mechanic to You
- Koichi Ramen
“A lot of new businesses get into the practice of getting the wrong stuff. A new desk, new phone, website, business cards, logo... Get the customer first and THEN grow it! “
-- Chris Castillo
You wouldn’t guess that Chad has 10 years on Casey, his half brother, they were even wrestling partners growing up, so it comes with much excitement that Casey finally sits down for a conversation with his half brother Chad St-Louis.
Chad shares stories beginning with his early childhood. Born with hearing loss and a heart arrhythmia and living with a single mom, Chad’s situations were influential in developing that sense of empathy for others. This has been a key factor to his success and life’s work. From being a mechanical engineer to starting and running his own engineering consulting firm, to joining Casey at The Conscious Builder and now partnering on their newest company, Gingko, Chad is a force for good.
Chad shares his life changing experience and Christmas miracle that occurred on December 21st, 2018. He talks about the factors that led up to this event, what happened and how it has changed his work and family life for the better. He shares some of these changes and ideas that we can take advantage of and start implementing in our own daily practices.
Here are some interesting links worth checking out:
- The One Thing: https://amzn.to/2U0wFWP
- M1: https://gom1.com/
- St-Louis & Associates: (website coming soon) http://st-louis.ca/
- SaveStation: https://savestation.ca/neighbourhood-defibrillator-program/
- https://www.theconsciousbuilder.com/gingko.html
Podcast Timelines:
4:20 Chad’s Introduction and personal story
18:00 Chad’s work background
31:30 Chad’s life changing experience
44:30 What is SAVERS
52:00 What is in the future for Chad
Quote from the podcast:
“Understanding that we have different strengths and respecting those strengths of the other person, so we’re not competing and there is no ego involved, we’re not about being right, it’s about doing what’s best for everybody, whether that’s the team, the homeowners, youtube viewers or the listeners of this podcast, its how do we make it better for the people that we’re doing this for “ Casey
