The Insider's Guide To Finance: Recent Episodes

Cory Cleveland

The Insider’s Guide To Finance brings you stories from the front lines of financing public and private companies.

We host seasoned CEO's, fund managers, bankers, brokers and business experts who answer your questions about how to properly finance opportunities and build outstanding success stories.

We dig into the educational ‘how to’s' and mechanics of structuring good deals. You’ll also hear about strokes of luck, tense negotiations, the pressures of closing, as well as how to best engage investors and navigate the private and public markets.

When you think of the American dream, do you think of the white picket fence? A swanky downtown job? In today's evolving world, the American dream has shifted, especially when it come to building businesses and investing. We unpack the changes in today's episode.

Todd Piggott is a remarkable self-made investor and financier. He's here to share insights into building his company from the ground up.

Todd is the Principal and Managing Member of ZINC. The ZINC brand involves 4 separate entities involved in the private equity lending and investment space.

ZINC has originated 1 billion + in private money loans. They assist all sorts of clients from real estate investors to outside sources looking to invest capital.

He has a keen eye for risk assessment and identifying market opportunities. He's no stranger to the entrepreneurial journey. His college business grew into a multimillion-dollar cleaning company.

We learn the pivotal event that led him to sell his cleaning company and follow his true passion for construction. This led to the genesis (and growth) of ZINC.

Todd unravels the challenges of managing people in today's ever-changing society. He believes transparency and honesty are the cornerstones of successful business dealings. He also gets into the evolving trends in demographics and housing preferences.

We discover Todd's focus for the ZINC Income Fund and get an inside look at ZINC's fund structure. This episode is packed with insights for financiers and entrepreneurs, we hope you enjoy it!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3NO9qxQ

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of accredited investment advisors.

Are you a business owner at a stage where you need to either raise capital or sell your business but don't know how to evaluate options? You need to listen to this episode!

Today’s guest, Arthur Petropoulos is here to help. His career began on Wall Street at an investment banking firm. Today, Arthur is the founder and managing partner at Hill View Partners.

Hillview Partners focuses exclusively on the sell side and is there for clients through every phase of a deal. Executives turn to Hill View Partners to secure capital or exit or sell businesses.

His company specializes in assisting privately-held companies. He takes clients through a complex process. These processes can be challenging to navigate without a solid understanding of the ecosystem.

In this episode, Arthur talks about the concept of many expansions and explains how the “ladder of institutional capital works”.

The conversation then delves into the biggest pain points experienced in the M&A space. We learn why Hill View Partners’ approach is to get deals out into the open as soon as possible. Arthur closes by offering advice on managing expectations and key components of a deal.

We hope you enjoy this insightful episode!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3NO9qxQ

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of accredited investment advisors.

What would it take to pitch investors the idea of high-quality wine investing and not only be successful at raising capital, but also turn it into a profitable project for all involved?

Anthony Zhang is the Co-founder and CEO of Vinovest and he joins us today to share his method for financing this and past companies. He shares why Vinovest is an incredible investment opportunity as it democratizes fine wine investing and provides clients access to a once-exclusive market.

Their unique blend of wine and technology expertise empowers everyday investors. Vinovest has access to prestigious wines from esteemed regions such as Burgundy and Bordeaux.

Investors can maximize their profits while indulging in their investments.

Anthony has a proven track record of founding and leading marketing teams at venture-backed companies. His passion lies in team building, growth, and fostering a culture of data-centric decision-making.

You'll hear about Anthony's remarkable journey to success. He opens up about the emotional toll of building and financing startups. We discuss his entrepreneurial path, fine spirits, and the business model at Vinovest. Anthony also details the intricate processes of starting a business.

This episode comes with valuable lessons, unique strategies, and expert insights on a positive mindset. We also touch on design, leadership, and fundraising.

We know you'll find this episode to be inspiring. Thanks for listening.

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Subscribe to the podcast:

iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6Z

Spotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7Smr

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3NO9qxQ

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of accredited investment advisors.

Without good leaders at the helm of a company, how can your team succeed? Mistakes can often lead to personal growth if you can identify the opportunity!

That's where today's guest, Peggy Klaus steps in. Peggy is an author, executive coach, and speaker. Her professional background spans the fields of law, theatre, healthcare, and finance.

She coaches leaders on how to be compelling and captivating in their public speaking. Her background in theatre is a guiding tool!

In our discussion, Peggy explains the importance of building executive presence. Our conversation then explores the prevalence of imposter syndrome, the boardroom framework for compelling storytelling, and best practices for public speaking.

You'll also hear about the actions she took to grow her business. She also walks us through some of her most memorable growth events.

Peggy highlights the value of social media and the magic of stage fright. She ends by offering advice on the necessity of establishing your values and life’s purpose!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3NO9qxQ

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of accredited investment advisors.

As the world shifts to a digital landscape, the stress of spending thousands on flights, lodging, and wining and dining with your investors is gone. In fact, you don't even need to leave your couch to reach them. Connecting with investors has never been easier thanks to technology.

Joining us today is IR practitioner and Principal of Momentum IR Corps., Nisha Hasan.

Nisha has over 15 years of experience specializing in investor communications and shareholder engagement.

Information from countless companies is always in front of investors. How do you stand out and manage those relationships?

In this episode, we uncover why IR is so important and how the role of IROs is changing in the context of digital evolution.

We discuss how digitization is changing the way companies communicate with retail and institutional investors. Communication further bridges the gap between public companies and investors.

Nisha recommends useful IR tools and shares advice for communicating with investors. She also shares her advice for maintaining relationships in a competitive field.

This episode brings great insight to the influence of IR teams in building, shaping, and moving a corporation forward!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

For more information on our sponsor, please visit Olympia Trust Company

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3NO9qxQ

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of accredited investment advisors.

Do you see people yawning when presenting your investor pitch in a boardroom? It's likely not the heavy lunch, you need to learn how to tell a good story.

In this episode, we’re speaking with Alyssa Barry, co-founder of irlabs.

Alyssa is an experienced capital markets and communications professional. She specializes in corporate communications, investor relations strategy, and shareholder engagement.

Throughout her career, Alyssahas raised over $1 billion of capital as well as led some of Canada’s most successful activism campaigns. She explains her predictions for why there will be more activism in a post-pandemic world.

Alyssa unveils the process she follows to be effective when raising capital and weighs in on some of the changes in IR, fuelled by technological development.

This informative conversation touches on the changing IR landscape and how to leverage the power of storytelling to introduce your company to potential investors. Not everyone knows how to tell a good story, the good news is it's a skill that can be learned!

Thanks for tuning in.

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

For more information on our sponsor, please visit Olympia Trust Company

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3NO9qxQ

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxU

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of accredited investment advisors.

As an entrepreneur looking to raise capital, you'd be surprised to know that the cheque is not the main focus of an opportunity when investing in change and make a difference. It should come secondary to the value you and your team are bringing to the table.

This is the mentality of our guest Manish Nayar, Founder of OYA Ventures when it comes to investing in ventures.

The OYA Ventures team helps entrepreneurs find opportunities to address climate change.

With a background in investment banking and engineering, Manish has used his experience to further the proliferation of companies in the energy transition space.

Investment bankers are at the forefront of how investors perceive, evaluate, and invest in deals.

New technologies, green energy, and climate transition opportunities can be capital-intensive. We discuss how to funding these deals often requires taking a special approach.

You’ll hear about what makes a deal bankable, and the most important relationship you can cultivate with an investor. Manish shares his thoughts on how the clean energy space differs from other fields.

If you want to learn more about how to finance and build companies in the green energy space, this is an episode for you!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3NO9qxQ

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxU

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of accredited investment advisors.

Finding a tax advisor that fits your needs as an entrepreneur is often a difficult task. Especially in jurisdictions like Canada as an example, where the role of a tax advisor isn't regulated and hiring a tax lawyer is a luxury many can't afford. Sound familiar?

Kim Moody is the CEO and Director of Moodys Private Client and Moodys Tax. Two professional service firms focused on tax law.

Moodys Private Client and Moodys Tax is one of Western Canada's largest taxation teams. They provide fresh and innovative ways to maneuver through the advisory world.

Kim discusses the current state of tax law in Canada and America, the biggest obstacles consumers face when it comes to navigating tax, and why he is advocating for a tax specialist designation.

He breaks down how tax laws affect different individuals and shares his concerns about Canadian legislation. We also discuss how people can get caught off guard when it comes to their taxes.

Kim shares what he has learned from building his business. He explains the biggest challenges he’s faced, and why he believes that entrepreneurs should always expect the unexpected.

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

For more information on our sponsor, please visit Olympia Trust Company

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Subscribe to the podcast:

iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6Z

Spotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7Smr

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3NO9qxQ

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxU

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of accredited investment advisors.

What does it take for a t-shirt company to become a brand that is recognized on a global scale? If you are having trouble finding the key to rising above your competitors, here are some insights from a success story that will broaden your perspective.

Dustin Paisley is the co-founder of the Calgary-based apparel brand Local Laundry and he's here to tell us how he turned it into something more than just clothing.

Local Laundry is a company that builds community. They have raised over $175,000 for local charities. They're also always looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact.

Dustin dives into the highs and lows of growing the business from a t-shirt company to where it is today – a globally recognized brand. The brand now offers a variety of ethically-made products including tees, socks, and hats.

You'll hear the journey of a small business rising to success and how Local Laundry survived the pandemic by adjusting its offer. Dustin also shares how he navigates day-to-day operations with his team.

We learn about weekly cash flow and how Dustin applies his knowledge from working in the banking sector to business ownership.

We're excited to be sharing a Calgary success story that is brimming with real-life insights and practical advice to enhance your financial or entrepreneurial journey. Thanks for listening!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Subscribe to the podcast:

iTunes - https://bit.ly/3CGt3Bn

Spotify - https://bit.ly/3PiTyoa

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUr

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxU

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of accredited investment advisors.

Today, Neil Johnson, Founder and CEO of Duke Royalty joins us on the show to speak about how to deliver a pitch in order to be memorable.

Duke Royalty is a leading royalty investment company that provides a unique financing solution without taking on traditional debt or raising equity.

Neil has over 30 years of experience in research analysis, merchant banking, and investment banking in Canadian and UK Capital Markets. He rose through the ranks of Canaccord Genuity Inc. to become the managing director, then opened and led their European office. He then speaks to some of the nuances of European versus North American investors.

Neil saw the opportunity to bring this product to Europe after witnessing the power of the developing Canadian Royalty Financing model in North America.

Neil’s 30+ years of investment banking experience make for a fascinating interview. This episode is an informative look behind the scenes at Duke Royalty. We learn how they raise money and deploy that capital into their target deals.

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

For more information on our sponsor, please visit Olympia Trust Company

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Subscribe to the podcast:

iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6Z

Spotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7Smr

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUr

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxU

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of accredited investment advisors.

Being a public company is not easy. Many companies celebrate when they IPO, what they don't realize is how hard the capital markets road will be. Darrell Heaps, Founder and CEO of Q4 Inc. joins us today and shares how the decision to go public to understand the pains of his customers, turned out to be something he was not expecting.

Q4's purpose is to help its clients achieve investor relations goals and build confidence in the capital markets. They partner with public companies to strengthen their brand and share their story.

In this episode, Darrell shares how he founded his business, the journey of raising capital and the pressures that come from dealing with investor money.

Finding the right investors that are a good fit for your business can feel overwhelming. Darrell provides advice on how to achieve that, why a mix of different investors can create a premium on a stock, and why raising money for your business isn’t the endgame.

Our conversation shifts to discuss his thoughts on AI and how it can optimize the financial industry.

To wrap up, we talk about board composition. From having advisors to the importance of being transparent with your board – he covers it all. This episode is chock full of valuable insights for CEOs and investors.

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xC

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5Gug

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9

For more information on our sponsor, please visit Olympia Trust Company

Sign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLW

Subscribe to the podcast:

iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6Z

Spotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7Smr

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42o

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUr

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7w

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxU

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Please note that the information contained in this interview is not financial advice but for entertainment purposes. I am not a financial advisor and make no warranties or representations concerning the accuracy or suitability of the information contained in this interview. I recommend that any and all investment decisions be made with the advice of registered investment advisors.

Bob Hutchins is a digital marketer with a strong interest in the psychological side of marketing. This episode is a deep dive into the marketing space and, as he puts it, “our digital souls.” Bob has several years of experience working as a CMO and Digital Strategist.

The insights Bob shares in today’s episode are useful across the board from a B2B, B2C, and B2I perspective.

Human behaviour is what drives sales and thus is the factor that handles the success or failures of a business.

The mathematics of marketing comes into play as we look at tracking adverts, building funnels, and measuring KPIs.

We explore concepts such as the human mirror, social proofing, and media theory. Bob shares key pieces of advice on how to build an audience, conversion rates of your marketing messages, and live a more purposeful life.

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website

Follow us on LinkedIn

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations

Do you want to know why a high percentage of mergers and acquisition deals fail? Kison Patel is the CEO of M&A Science and in this episode, we discuss all things mergers and acquisitions and how to manage investor relationships. Kison emphasizes that closing a deal needs to be more centered around the people aspect than it ever has been before.

Kison explains the issues he sees most frequently in transactions, deals that stick out to him, the most rewarding aspects of his job, and how he selects his employees.

We delve deep into the importance of a narrative for investor relations and in closing a transaction and how Kison builds one. Next, Kison tells us all about his podcasting journey, how it has amplified his business growth, and why he encourages everyone to do it at some point in their lives.

Finally, Kison shares the importance of taking negative feedback on board in order to improve.

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website

Follow us on LinkedIn

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations

Do you want to know why a high percentage of mergers and acquisition deals fail? Kison Patel is the CEO of M&A Science and in this episode, we discuss all things mergers and acquisitions and how to manage investor relationships. Kison emphasizes that closing a deal needs to be more centered around the people aspect than it ever has been before.

Kison explains the issues he sees most frequently in transactions, deals that stick out to him, the most rewarding aspects of his job, and how he selects his employees.

We delve deep into the importance of a narrative for investor relations and in closing a transaction and how Kison builds one. Next, Kison tells us all about his podcasting journey, how it has amplified his business growth, and why he encourages everyone to do it at some point in their lives.

Finally, Kison shares the importance of taking negative feedback on board in order to improve.

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed

Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity

Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn

Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website

Follow us on LinkedIn

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations

Do you sometimes wonder where to find the will power to overcome adversity? Aaron has an inspiring story that defies the odds that is full of determination and powerful visualization practice.

Today, we speak with former NHL player turned cognitive performance coach, Aaron Volpatti. He played for the Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.

He has lived through many life-changing events and has used deep visualization as a tool to overcome extreme adversity. You’ll hear how powerful your thoughts can be and get a glimpse into what it’s like to play as a pro hockey player.

Now retired from the ice rink, Aaron works with other pro athletes, entrepreneurs, and executives to help them overcome their anxieties and self-doubt by using visualization techniques.

Aaron believes that to unlock true grit, the mindset needs to be fortified. His work and advice are applicable to athletes, business owners, and entrepreneurs.

Join us today for some actionable insights from an expert in visualization and performance!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:
Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed
Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity
Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

For more information on our sponsor, please visit Olympia Trust Company

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn
Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website
Follow us on LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations

Michael New, Principal at Fifth Wall, joins us to talk about their recent close of a $500 million dollar real estate venture fund. Michael tells us about the surprising obvious opportunity their firm has identified for decarbonizing the real estate industry.

During our conversation, he shared the opportunity he identified to build a Venture Capital fund with a focus on real estate.

You’ll hear who the world’s largest carbon contributor is and you’ll also gain insight into Michael’s own investment decisions for the firm.

Michael discusses relationship building, business leadership, investor behaviour, and the impact technology can have in the real estate industry. Listen to today's insightful episode – it's one you won't want to miss.

Check out some of our most popular episodes:
Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed
Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity
Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn
Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website
Follow us on LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations

Most of us would feel uneasy about lending money to someone we don't know. Yet when it comes to investing in companies, we rarely apply the same attitude. If you want to get to know a company and invest with confidence, then you need to do the work and go the extra mile.

For today’s guests Darrin Hopkins and Grant MacEachern, that has been the guiding principle. Both Darrin and Grant work as portfolio managers for Richardson Wealth. They head up their own division, the Hopkins MacEachern Council.

Grant and Darrin have drawn on their combined years of investment experience to build a process for identifying and investing across various sectors.

We chat with Darrin and Grant, who share their methods for performing due diligence so you can invest with confidence and approach your investment decisions from a place of understanding.

They expand on The Capital Pool Company (CPC) Program, what they have learned from helping companies go public, and what they look for when identifying companies.

Darrin and Grant cover a range of topics and offer special insight when making your investment decisions.

Make sure you tune in for an eye-opening conversation!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:
Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed
Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity
Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn
Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website
Follow us on LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations

Shaun Usmar is the Founder of Triple Flag Precious Metals, an NYSE listed company. Triple Flag Precious Metals is a royalty and streaming company deploying capital to select investments in the mining industry.

Shaun is the kind of exemplary leader that major investors feel comfortable betting on. He has C-suite experience with Barrick Gold Corp., Xstrata, and other major industry players. He not only saw them through the good times but more importantly, guided them through the tough times.

He applies the lessons he learned from his mistakes to building Triple Flag. He has had to make difficult and dispassionate decisions along the way but he has the heart and passion of an entrepreneur.

Team, culture, and sustainability are at the core of Shaun’s business philosophy, which he elaborates on during the course of our discussion.

We touch on the value of constructive conflict and patient capital from an institutional perspective. Shaun shares why he believes that ESG is good for business plus so much more!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:
Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed
Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity
Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn
Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website
Follow us on LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations

Today, you’ll hear from Justin Cochrane, Director and CEO of Carbon Streaming. Carbon Streaming is a unique ESG company that offers investors exposure to carbon credits.

As we already know, climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying. There is significant and immediate capital needed to achieve climate goals. One of the ways to do this is by putting a price on carbon emissions with carbon credits. Individuals, corporations, and institutions use them to offset their emissions.

Carbon credits are a key instrument needed in order for corporations to achieve carbon neutral and net-zero climate goals.

Justin has built his career on financing companies through the streaming and royalty model. Now, he is applying the model it to the world of carbon credits.

He and his team have been able to raise over $140 million to invest in carbon projects that will yield carbon credits in the future. To learn more about how you can invest in a low carbon future, keep listening!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:
Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed
Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity
Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn
Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website
Follow us on LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations

Scott Sinclair is the president and founder of Sinclair Range, a company that helps troubled businesses become thriving companies. He is a turn-around expert who identifies, restructures, and recapitalizes businesses so they can truly succeed.

No two businesses are alike, whether they’re thriving or struggling. There are key indicators that can help you determine a company’s status; you need to know where to look. When you’re in the business of turning troubled companies around, it becomes important to identify the elements that aren’t working. Along with what needs to change if you’re going to be successful.

Scott shares how he went from being an accountant to excelling at entrepreneurship. He tells us how he’s been able to work with so many diverse businesses. Scott shares key variables he focuses on when he needs to turn a company around.

He also gives a detailed account of how to create winning momentum, impact of losing that momentum, and why every company he’s ever worked with has been resistant to change.

Scott has had a fascinating career and is a treasure trove of knowledge. Tune in for key insights and invaluable takeaways and learn why these lessons can benefit any company that wants to improve its operations!

Check out some of our most popular episodes:
Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed
Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity
Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn
Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website
Follow us on LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations

The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), is a foundational framework that any business owner can implement.

We get to go deep into EOS with Mike Paton, who is the former Visionary and CEO of EOS Worldwide. He is the author of multiple books on the subject too. He currently works full-time as an implementor and facilitator of the EOS system!

In our chat with Mike, we get into his personal journey, family history in the entrepreneurial space, and defining moments of his career.

Mike underlines the importance and impact of failure. He discusses how recovering from setbacks can offer some of the most vital moments for us to experience.

We also get into the six key components of EOS, with Mike providing specific attention to the elements about process and people. Get ready to take notes and enjoy this episode!

Check out the show notes and links to conversation topics here: https://www.creativereturn.ca/post/mike-paton

Check out some of our most popular episodes:
Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed
Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity
Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

Stay in the know and follow along:

Connect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn
Visit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website
Follow us on LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations

Gold mining is problematic since most of the world’s gold is never used. The extracted gold is stored at a secure location for preservation as an investment.

What if, instead of storing your gold in some obscure vault, you could invest without ever having to extract it?

Today, you’ll hear Phil Rickard, Founder of Nature’s Vault. Nature’s Vault is making, an ethical mining company looking to disrupt the mining industry by prioritizing sustainability along with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria.

He discusses how he started the company, what they stand for. He also chats about how they are using blockchain technology to support their Legacy token and promote investment.

We unpack why an Avoided Mining Protocol is superior to carbon offsetting and what Nature’s Vault is doing to promote this protocol globally.

If you’d like to learn more about the merits of green gold, the Legacy Token, and much more, then make sure you tune in for this groundbreaking topic!

Stay in the know and follow along:

Host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn

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Dani shares her experiences of being a woman on Wall Street. She explains why it’s important for women’s voices and perspectives to lead certain conversations. Dani shares her thoughts on choosing an appropriate investment banker, the role of investment bankers as translators, and why it’s critical to have a five-year plan.

We delve into the importance of digital messaging. As well as the ways in which technology has transformed the world of finance and investment banking.

We find out the type of company she considers to be the ideal client and her take on the financial environment in the United States.

Tune in to hear Dani Hughes’ insights and astute pieces of advice for women in the industry.

Check out some of our most popular episodes:

Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed
Leadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity
Canada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon

Stay in the know and follow along:

Host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn
Insider’s Guide to Finance
Website
LinkedIn
YouTube
The Knowledge Bank Letter

No matter your industry, sustainable finance is a hot topic. Before COVID-19, it was clear that green investments were on the rise. But how has this trend shifted more than two years into the pandemic? Will investor appetite for ESG change going forward? Today, we sit down with Dr. Yrjo Koskinen. He is a Professor of Finance and Associate Dean of Research and Business Impact at the Haskayne School of Business.

In our conversation, we dive into sustainable finance, one of Yrjo’s areas of expertise. What does sustainability mean given today's inflation and is it attainable in our post-pandemic world? His other research interests include climate change and the energy transition, corporate finance and governance, corporate social responsibility, and the effects of limited liability on corporations.

You’ll gain insight into profit-maximizing interests that corporations have to be sustainable. Yrjo shares some demonstrated sustainable finance success stories. We dive into the growing responsibility that ESG investors have to consider. Human rights, democracy, and geopolitics. It's not only about climate change!

As per Alex Edmans in Grow the Pie, Yrjo believes that companies that don’t try to maximize profits, can generate meaningful long-term returns with a higher purpose.

You'll walk away with some valuable observations about sustainable finance. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Today’s guest is a former firefighter who got into self-storage in 2015. Now he has $235 million in self-storage facilities around the country.

Joining us for this episode is Jacob Vanderslice, Partner, and Principal at VanWest Partners. VanWest Partners is a private equity firm in Denver focusing on self-storage.

He discusses how he made the change from self-storage to real estate investing. He also shares pros and cons of investing in this asset class.

You’ll hear about the economics of self-storage, the growth it has seen since the pandemic, and the numbers Jacob looks for when investing.

He explains what he likes about the asset class, and the different deal types he’s involved in. His current deal types include income, lease-up, in-occupancy acquisitions, expansions, and ground-up development projects.

Find out what metrics Jacob looks for before going into a deal, his views on the unprecedented economic times, and how he prepares for the future.

He shares advice for anyone who may be considering doing their first real estate deal.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

Joining us in conversation today is Ann Rosenberg. Ann is the Senior Vice President for Sustainability Solutions at Wood PLC.

In this episode, you'll find out why she believes that innovation benefits from different cities working together. What does she mean by having a science fiction mindset paired with technology? Ann believes that doing good is good business! She shares the importance of using impact and sustainability as co-design principles. She also reminds us about the challenges of digitizing a sector that hasn't been before.

Ann goes on to explain the basics of the Metaverse and Web 2.0 and 3.0. Ann is passionate about building a better world through technology.

Her three guiding work principles are scalability, affordability, and accessibility to all the people of the world! You won't want to miss out on this exciting episode. Tune in to hear more from this inspiring thought leader today.

Joining us on the show today is Nic Beique, CEO and co-founder of Helcim. Their mission is to be the world’s most loved payments company. In our conversation, we learn about his journey from a decade of bootstrapping to a financing success story.

The payments industry is foundational to modern-day lives and everything we do in economies. Yet, we rarely pay it any attention.

In our conversation, we get an insider’s view into the inner workings of the payments industry. We dive into the mind of an inspiring founder! Nic has grown his small bootstrap company to one with 120 employees and $16-million of financing behind it.

Nic Beique explains why Helcim prioritizes customer service. He fills us in on why he believes that radical transparency is important in his business and his journey learning how to raise capital. As obscure as the payments industry may have seemed before, this episode is sure to change your mind. Tune in for some valuable insights into the world of business, financing, cyber security and so much more!

Joining us in conversation today is Joe O’Connor, CEO of 4 Day Week Global. Building on our discussion with Andrew Barnes, Joe is here to deepen our understanding of the Four Day Work Week.

He explains the implementation of the program and expands on why it can be a critical competitive advantage for a company. Some of the biggest brands in the world are pursuing this, or have already implemented it, so don’t get left behind!

Joe also shares how he became involved in working for Four Day Week, and why he believes in it enough to invest his time in it. He brings us up to speed with the momentum the company has experienced in the first half of this year. You might be surprised to hear some big names who have implemented the policy to their companies!

The business model that keeps Four Day Week afloat is a topic we couldn't skip as it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Hear what trials across the world have taught them as a company.

We also talk about measuring effectiveness and the importance of trust surrounding the program. Joe O'Connor shares his analysis that this is no longer a question of whether the policy works, but rather of how it can work for you. You won't want to miss out on this episode!

Mogens Smed, CEO and founder of Falkbuilt, returns to the show! He's been dubbed as the world's most fireable CEO. In this episode, he speaks about his leadership, loyalty, and longevity in the business world.

Mogens outlines the evolution of his leadership style over the years. He shares moments when individuals take advantage of the enduring style of loyalty. You'll also hear the overwhelming number of times it's been the key to success!

The conversation also touches on the future and the importance of leveraging communication tools in a post-pandemic world.
To hear top advice for anyone starting their own business, from a truly remarkable entrepreneur, tune in and join us today!

In the world of public markets and quarterly reporting, it is easy to forget the power of company culture. Andrew Barnes is a financier and entrepreneur turned workplace culture crusader. He joins us to talk about the four-day workweek movement he is spearheading.

Andrew’s eclectic career has spanned banking, tech entrepreneurship, acquisitions, and more. He talks about how he was unhappy in life while he was in banking and the moves he made to end up in a position where his work didn’t provide only money but meaning too.

Andrew had a complete change of heart about what good leadership meant at one point in his journey. He talks about the huge investments he started to make in his teams and the payoffs they led to.

The most recent effort in this respect is the practice of only working four days per week. The conversation with Andrew Barnes highlights the significant benefits these shifts bring not only to productivity but to the levels of enrichment his employees feel.

Tom Klausen is the "Anti-Equity Advisor". He makes the point that too many small and medium-sized business owners think that selling equity is the simplest and best way to raise capital.

Tom says this could not be further from the truth. Tom is the founder and CEO of True Viking Finance, an advisory and lending company that makes use of debt financing tools that allow owners to grow their businesses while retaining full equity! Growing businesses face many hurdles and the last thing you need as an owner of a growing business is someone coming in and diluting your equity; it’s much easier to pay off debt than to get rid of a difficult investing partner.

Tom shares examples of the strategies that he uses to solve cash flow and working capital problems, his approach to relationship building, and everything else you didn’t know you needed to know about the benefits of debt!

Dean Naugler, VP of Corporate & Shareholder Services at Olympia Trust Company, where he has a very unique view into both public and private companies - especially their shareholder matters.

In this episode, we get into the importance of a great investor experience, succession issues faced by businesses and behind the scenes view of what it is like being one of Canada's Top Employers.

The public capital market is very different from the private capital one, and Dean has a wealth of valuable advice to share for companies who are making the transition from private to public.

Key Points From This Episode:
• Wesley shares the realizations and learnings which led him to found his company, Risk
Management Advisors.
• An explanation of what captive means in the context of insurance companies.
• When it makes sense for a business to set up their own private insurance company.
• What captive insurance can look like in the construction industry.
• The industry which struggles most to get insurance.
• Different laws that govern insurers and reinsurers.
• Why Wesley refers to insurance companies as investment vehicles.
• How Risk Management Advisors help their clients get a much higher yield.
• What Risk Management Advisors do and don’t do for their clients.
• Costs of setting up an insurance company, and the management fee that Risk Management
Advisors charge.
• Examples of things to be wary of in the insurance industry.
• The importance of buying reinsurance.
• Good claims versus bad claims.
• How captive insurance can benefit private equity.
• The premise of Wesley’s first book, You Can Make It, But Can You Keep It?
• Wesley shares some examples of where things can go wrong when moving money offshore.
• Advice from Wesley around building financial resilience.
• Why you shouldn’t name your business after yourself.
• Where the value of a business lies.
• A strategy Wesley recommends for holding onto your money.
• How companies with captive insurance benefited during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The career path that led Edward to litigation finance.
David versus Goliath: the origins of litigation finance.
Why a trial or an arbitrage outcome is a negative outcome for fund managers.
What types of cases require litigation financing.
Miller UK versus Caterpillar: the returns on investing in a good David versus Goliath situation.
With and without cause: the situations where fund managers can back out of the agreement.
Edward’s advice on finding a fund manager and how to gain experience as one.
Find out Edward’s experience in private equity over the last 30 years.
The seven best practice elements to litigation financing: case merit; defendant solvency; enforcement and collectability; legal counsel; defendant’s past responses to litigation; judge and jurisdiction; and alignment of interests.
Three keys to successful litigation finance: diligence, diversification, and manager selection.

Craig shares the goal of his company, Carbon Infrastructure Partners.
Economic elements driving carbon capture and storage.
The importance of policy designs around carbon prices.
Where the majority of the 40 billion tonnes of annual CO2 emissions come from.
How to deal with our energy problem, as the energy demands increase.
Three themes that dominate the energy industry.
Limitations of wind and solar energy-producing systems.
Craig explains the process of creating electricity through natural gas or coal.
How carbon is captured.
The difference between negative and avoided emissions.
Costs of carbon capture.
Investment potential of carbon infrastructure.
Why Craig thinks we need to stop talking about “decarbonization,” and how he thinks carbon infrastructure should be viewed.
Where renewables make sense, and where they don’t.
Carbon Paradox; what this is, and some examples.
The three factors that need to be taken into consideration when deciding on an energy production method.
Problems with the central planning approach to energy.
What Clean Firm Energy is.
Carbon Infrastructure Partners’ robust deal pipeline.
Examples of projects that Carbon Infrastructure Partners is investing in.
What the carbon capture and storage industry look like currently.
Craig’s thoughts about the future of the emerging carbon capture and storage industry.
The biggest risk to the carbon capture and storage industry.

Alasdair shares what he’s learned from four decades of working in changing markets.
Insight in Alasdair’s realistic assessment of banks today.
The history of banks being saved by governments, going all the way back to the 1800s.
Alasdair’s opinion on the current market and credit conditions and how CEOs, small business owners, and investors should be preparing themselves.
How small businesses have been adversely affected by the pandemic.
How the banking system facilitated the current state of the markets.
The culture of American stockbroking and how it’s affected British attitudes towards the market.
How regulatory changes will impact the liquidity of the gold and silver markets.
Why the regulatory changes will likely create a demand for gold and drive up gold prices.
The purchasing power of the dollar relative to the purchasing power of other currencies and how changes will affect interest rates.
The true inflation rate in America and what this means for the American dollar value.
Historic examples of crises caused by money collapses.

Peter shares some background information about himself and his company, Axial.
Explanations of the various different types of buyers who make use of the Axial platform.
How Axial categorizes the businesses that are sold through their platform.
Two business deals which have recently been closed through Axial.
Reasons for the high amount of activity in the small business M&A economy.
Peter runs through the process of buying a business that is explicitly for sale, and the process of buying one that is implicitly for sale.
The range of lengths of time it can take for a business to be sold.
How businesses are usually valued.
Peter explains how Axial’s platform facilitates the buying and selling of businesses.
Steps of buying a business which follow the initial introduction between buyer and seller.
A shortcut to building trust.
The part of the process of buying a business which takes up the most time.
Why you shouldn’t sign an NDA without understanding what it contains.
Examples of actions that can breach certain NDA’s.
What a typical letter of intent consists of.
Peter explains what a Quality of Earnings study is and why you might want to do one.
Why Peter doesn’t recommend that small businesses conduct independent business valuations.
The way to think about the valuation of equity in a business.
Peter’s opinion on having earn-out oriented structures in a deal.

When most of us think of the helium industry, we generally go straight to balloons and funny voices.

In today’s episode, we get together with Chris Bakker to discuss helium’s many uses in a variety of fields, from healthcare to high tech, and why there’s no real substitute for it. Chris is the CEO of Avanti Energy Inc., has had a long career in oil and gas, and is also an economist, placing him in a unique position to capitalize on helium discovery and exploration.

We discuss helium’s unique attributes, like the fact that it only enters the liquid phase at the incredibly low temperature of −269 °C, and unlike hydrogen, is non-combustible. Chris expands on helium’s place in the market and explains why the price of helium is likely to be more volatile in future due to the American government foregoing their helium reserves in 2021, allowing the free market to effectively take over. Chris is working at the frontier of a new field of exploration and is excited about the future.

We hope you find this conversation as fascinating as we did!

In today’s episode, we get together with David Jilk, a serial entrepreneur, software engineer, startup advisor, and author. We talk about David’s latest book The Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche: A Book for Disruptors which he co-wrote with his longtime friend and colleague Brad Feld, and how he transitioned into the field of writing.

David talks about his writing process and how it differs when writing poetry versus constructing essays. He explains that rather than writing another business book they wrote a resource to facilitate the contemplation of situations, especially since entrepreneurs are notoriously people of action.

Later we talk about David’s background in entrepreneurship and technology, and hear his thoughts on the current use of AI and how he expects it to unfold in the future.

You will also hear valuable advice born from many years of experience on how to do due diligence in acquiring technology companies. We discuss the factors one should consider when looking for an investor, and David shares why he believes that the best investor for an entrepreneur to partner up with is one who doesn’t panic easily and will remain supportive during challenging periods.

In today’s episode, we continue our conversation with Steven Van Metre, financial planner, portfolio manager, and an increasingly recognized commentator on macroeconomics and the global financial system.

During the second part of our interview, Steven opens up about his personal struggles regarding his health. He explains how the medical establishment undermined his ability to receive a diagnosis for years. Steven shares how he received inspiration from a friend upon learning of his genetic condition and how he has learned to manage his energy and use his strengths to his advantage.

We discuss the importance of recognizing and pursuing opportunities when they are presented, and how Steven was able to elevate his YouTube presence thanks to an opportunity offered by an established figure who was willing to take a chance on him. Steven also shares his views on Bitcoin and the paradigm he follows when it comes to macroeconomics.

We had a wonderful time having Stephen on the show. We hope you’ll enjoy the conversation as much as we did!

It’s very common for business owners to neglect taking the long view of their company for five, or even ten years down the line. Especially, since you become conditioned to think in quarterly and annual outcomes. This is not the case for today’s guest Steven Van Metre; a financial planner, portfolio manager, and an increasingly recognized commentator on macroeconomics and the global financial system.

His professional accomplishments are matched by his success on social media platforms, particularly YouTube where he has a following of over fifty thousand people. Steven has featured as a guest on esteemed channels like Real Vision and Macro Voices multiple times to share his approaches to analyzing and capitalizing on market opportunities. In today’s episode, we share the first half of our interview where we discuss how Steven found success on Youtube; and what his thoughts are on the current macroeconomic climate. We talk about what Steven has learned from his detractors; why he tries to write positive comments to channels he enjoys; and how to take care of your mental health as a public figure on YouTube. Steven dives into macroeconomics offering up plenty of advice to business owners, particularly with regards to making your business recession-proof.

Join us today for a thought-provoking conversation and unmissable pro tips and insights!

The time has come for environmental issues to take the stage; with companies being pressured from all angles to employ sustainable practices and offset their carbon footprints.

Our guest on today’s show is already way ahead of this trend. Anthony Milewski has been financing and building mining and exploration companies for many years. He has also always been passionate about the enviroment and decarbonization. In this episode, Anthony enlightens us about the two carbon markets that exist; the ways that these markets have developed over the years; and how the process of acquiring and extinguishing carbon credits works. The voluntary carbon market is the most interesting market that Anthony has ever seen. After listening to this episode, you’ll likely understand why he feels this way. Anthony’s field of specialty is unusual and fascinating.

We hope the episode stimulates your brains, just like it did ours!

As someone who has worked with entrepreneurs for many years, and as an entrepreneur himself; self-proclaimed cynical optimist, Jake Hoffberg, has a wealth of knowledge on the topic of raising capital.

The first half of our discussion largely focuses on crowdfunding. Prior to the JOBS Act, the capital raising environment for entrepreneurs was, for various reasons, very limiting. Jake explains the numerous benefits which arose for founders and investors when crowdfunding portals came into existence. However, just because it is now easier to raise capital, doesn’t mean that everyone should be doing it. In the second half of our discussion, we dive into Jake’s specialty in the entrepreneurship space; marketing. Jake runs us through, in detail; his 6-part Deal Story Framework, which highlights all the vital elements that should be included when creating a narrative for your business. We also discuss Jake’s first foray in the entrepreneurship world; some of the biggest mistakes Jake sees founders making; Point and Figure Charting; the importance of building up a strong retail shareholder base before you go public; and creating demand when it doesn’t already exist.

Make sure to tune in to today’s episode with Jake!

The vast majority of mergers and acquisitions don’t work out well. Jon Ouellette, a lifelong entrepreneur and our guest on today’s show; has insights as to why this is the case. He also explains what CEOs need to be aware of in combining companies through M&A. He should know as he combined 35 companies into one before being successfully sold to an international buyer.

It all comes down to people. Human performance is what creates value; and if the people who work for you aren’t aligned with your vision for the company, there is a high chance that your company is going to fail. Jon explains the essential elements which can transform a company culture, and how this translates into measurable results. Often, as in this case, the simplest strategies are the most effective; every company Jon and his team have worked with has seen massive improvements through working with them. The first step: Just listen!

Losing money is always going to be a part of the venture capital game. However, it’s how the money is lost that matters.

With 30 years of experience as a securities lawyer working regularly with entrepreneurs, and as the founder of two legal-tech companies; Doug Ellenoff has a wealth of knowledge to share which will benefit anyone in the start-up world. His goal is to help entrepreneurs raise capital in a way that is socially responsible and protects investors; and everyone should be on-board with this mission. Doug is a firm believer that having more public companies than private ones signals a healthy system, and that crowdfunding is a perfectly acceptable mechanism which can be used to get there.

During this conversation we discuss SPACs in detail, how Canada’s venture capital system compares to the one in the US, and why over-communication is better than its opposite when it comes to dealing with investors. It takes a lot to be an entrepreneur, and it is a huge responsibility to take people’s money. Unfortunately, the majority of start-up’s don’t make it “to the end of the rainbow”, but Doug is certainly doing his best to help as many as possible along their journey.

Make sure to tune in to today’s episode with Doug!

In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Rick Rule, now the former President and CEO of Sprott US Holdings. Rick is outspoken to say the least, but still seems to consider every word carefully. His entrance into the finance industry is a story worth listening to twice, and the people he learned from can be credited with leading the frontiers of the Canadian venture capital industry.

In the first part of this interview, Rick says, “I look forward to being useful.” This seems like a bit of a dismissive remark at first but, as you’ll hear, Rick’s career has been built on doing exactly that: being useful and creating value for his clients. There is almost a purity to his approach and how it ties into his libertarian beliefs. When it comes to business building and financing companies, Rick doesn’t mince his words. He is very clear on the expectations he has for those who come and pitch to him for money and, furthermore, he articulates his expectations in a way that is in line with the other highly successful people you’ve heard from on this podcast.

To draw an analogy, his expectations are major league but, when most people pitch for money, they do it with a minor league understanding of their project and its potential. Rick speaks about capital raising in the early stages of a company and makes the point that, in your early rounds, you should be raising allies and not money. In other words, put that stock in the hands of investors who are capable of being there for the long haul and not just going to turn you out for a quick and easy double.

There is so much to learn from this interview, so make sure to tune in today!

The path to success takes many steps.

Today we sit with Peter Thomas to learn from his journey and hear about each of the steps that he took to build his illustrious career. Peter’s a lifelong entrepreneur, real estate investor, developer, and financier. We open our conversation with Peter by hearing his professional history. After hearing about how the sales aspect of his past role impacted his career ethos, Peter talks about how a combination of sheer luck and perfect timing have been among his most important ingredients to success. Though it hasn’t always been sunshine and roses for Peter, as he tells us how a company of his went from $150 million in the green, to $74 million in the red. Expanding on this defining experience, Peter explains the creative ways he emerged from this difficult situation. By surrounding himself with an exceptionally talented team, Peter was able to not only eliminate his debt, but created lucrative opportunities for the future. We learn how Peter vets his team and why it is important to empower them. Later in the show, we talk to Peter about the concept and practice of franchising, and why it is such a wonderful option for many business leaders.

To conclude the episode, Peter talks about the Todd Thomas Foundation which aims to spread awareness and educate CEOs and the greater public about the importance of mental health.

For more on the journey toward success, hop on this bus with us today!

One of the biggest questions in the “new normal” economy is how do you build a successful business during a global recession?

In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Douglas Hurst. A person that knows all about building a successful company in a bad market! Doug is Chairman of Northern Vertex Mining Corp. He is also a lifelong miner who started his career as an exploration geologist. He eventually transitioned into working as a mining analyst, before becoming a notable mining entrepreneur and executive. There’s no doubt that he truly enjoys the work he does and the career he has led.

He is reluctant to say it, but he has created incredible value by developing and selling assets that would otherwise have stayed out of the limelight. As an example, he and a partner co-founded International Royalty Corp., which they later sold for over $700 million. This was followed by a leadership position in Newmarket Gold, where an acquisition of gold assets was later sold to Kirkland Lake for over $1 billion. As the chairman of Northern Vertex, Doug shares his experience and how it applies to the team and project he is working on now. He also talks about how they are following a similar playbook to past successes, the wild bull markets and devastating market crashes he has experienced in his 30-year career. Doug details this whole experience and how he has stuck with the industry through all its ups and downs.

Tune in today to find out more!

In this three-part miniseries, you’ll hear from Codie Sanchez. She is a venture capitalist and a former investment banker and journalist. She joins us today to enlighten us on why knowing your numbers as an entrepreneur is crucial. Codie is the Managing Director and Partner at Entourage Effect Capital. They are a growth equity firm focused specifically on investing in the legalized cannabis industry. She is also the Founder of Contrarian Thinking. It is a newsletter designed to help curious entrepreneurs and philosophical execs to think like contrarians.

In this final episode, Codie talks about capitalization tables (also known simply as cap tables), how important they are to entrepreneurs, and why you need to pay close attention when writing your term sheet, and she shares some resources that she recommends. Make sure to tune in today, to hear this final installment in an essential series of interviews for entrepreneurs!

In this three-part miniseries, you’ll hear from Codie Sanchez. She is a venture capitalist and a former investment banker and journalist. She joins us today to enlighten us on why knowing your numbers as an entrepreneur is crucial. Codie is the Managing Director and Partner at Entourage Effect Capital. They are a growth equity firm focused specifically on investing in the legalized cannabis industry. She is also the Founder of Contrarian Thinking. It is a newsletter designed to help curious entrepreneurs and philosophical execs to think like contrarians.

In part two, you’ll find out more about how to pitch your projections and what it means to raise money, whether it be for a small business or a large, venture capital-backed business. All in all, this is an essential series of interviews for entrepreneurs. Make sure to tune in today for this second part in the series!

In this three-part miniseries, you’ll hear from Codie Sanchez. She is a venture capitalist and a former investment banker and journalist. She joins us today to enlighten us on why knowing your numbers as an entrepreneur is crucial. Codie is the Managing Director and Partner at Entourage Effect Capital. They are a growth equity firm focused specifically on investing in the legalized cannabis industry. She is also the Founder of Contrarian Thinking. It is a newsletter designed to help curious entrepreneurs and philosophical execs to think like contrarians. In Part 1, she shares reasons why she invests in small businesses, what she looks for, and how to keep the upper hand during negotiations, as well as the importance of keeping clean books. All in all, this is an essential series of interviews for entrepreneurs, so make sure to tune in today for the first part of this three-part miniseries!

Most companies struggle to engage long-term investors because they aren’t able to present a clear and compelling narrative. This insight comes from Matt Badiali, a financial analyst and writer who joins us today to talk about building stronger investor relationships through storytelling. After chatting about his background as an analyst and writer, we ask Matt to share his top advice on captivating investors. His answers highlight the link between focusing on clarity, presenting your value proposition, and engaging investors. Join us and benefit from Matt’s insider perspective on attracting more investors through clear communication.

Today’s guest is Nick Findler, CEO of GoPublic.AI. Nick and his partners have come together to match entrepreneurs with financiers and brokers in raising capital and taking companies public on the junior Canadian stock markets. For entrepreneurs looking to raise early-stage capital, GoPublic.AI aims to educate and match them with good financing groups. For brokers and financiers, Nick and his team are tackling the problem of finding good, consistent deal flow. Their platform automates this process while also educating and preparing entrepreneurs for what it takes to deal in the public markets.

Carlos Domingo is the co-founder and CEO of Securitize. He and his team have been applying the power of blockchain to managing private and public securities. They are able to efficiently take investors through the entire servicing of assets – from buying or subscribing to shares, to managing Know Your Client requirements, cross border regulations, and establishing clear transfer of ownership.

As a former Corporate Venture Capitalist, Carlos speaks to how he’s applying that experience to raising capital for his company now.

Carlos has taken on an industry steeped in complexity and bureaucracy. I think his leadership lessons in tactfully navigating this are great to hear for those facing similar issues in antiquated industries. Second, his company Securitize has the ingredients to become a remarkable success in an industry that is ripe for disruption.

Chris Simair is the Managing Director of Harvest Builders and former co-founder of Skip the Dishes. Skip the Dishes is a true David versus Goliath story. He and his team bootstrapped Skip through the toughest days and ended up selling for hundreds of millions. Now Chris is running Harvest Builders, a hub for supporting the launch and growth of remarkable technology companies across the Canadian prairies.

Lukas Lundin, head of the Lundin Group, has grown his group of resource companies into a combined market cap of over $20 billion dollars. Although Lukas has created billions in value for shareholders, his perspectives and advice are applicable to anyone in business.

We talk about a number of subjects from how Lukas approaches government relationships, building partnerships, succession planning within his businesses and we even get into his personal life. For someone of his caliber, who keeps a relatively private personal profile, I’m honored that he opened up to share his perspectives with us.

A key take away from this interview is that building big is weaved into the DNA of the Lundin Group and that their success is built on an eternal optimism. That said, we also talked about his biggest mistakes and what he learned from them.

Welcome to our season finale! It is a recap of 2020 and an overview of what to look forward to in 2021. We have been fortunate to introduce you to dozens of guests over the past year. In this episode, join me to reflect on what we've learned from those interviews. A key takeaway I have is the importance of sticking to your principles and remaining objective, as well as leading with good intentions and keeping the long-term in mind.

Kim Furlong is the CEO of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association. Venture capital and private equity are powerful components of our economy but often misunderstood and arguably, over-regulated. The industry can also be heavily impacted by the policies of the government.

Kim and her team are 'lobbyists' in the most honorable way of working to ensure entrepreneurs can be supported by thriving venture capital and private equity industry. After all, it is this private investment that fuels our country's innovation and global competitiveness.

Raising capital and running a Silicon Valley business are high-pressure endeavors. Jason Tan and his team have raised over $100,000,000 to build their vision of SIFT. As we hear, being human is one of the best things you can do to run a successful business.

Jason is also an alumnus of the famous Y Combinator incubator program and explains how his role as a leader is continuously evolving. He speaks candidly about his battles with depression as an entrepreneur as well as some solid lessons you can apply when financing your business.

Joshua and Leonard Harlan of Harlan Capital join us to discuss their focus on investing in new and emerging asset classes. We have witnessed a significant shift in business, where companies no longer need to derive their value from their own net tangible assets. They can now grow by leasing assets as and when they need them and this creates a very compelling investment opportunity.

Ari Pandes has published numerous papers on the capital markets with a focus on early-stage venture financings. Ari is a champion of the public venture capital system in Canada, although it could be argued that private venture capital and public venture capital are very comparable sources of funding. He has researched numerous aspects of the financial markets as well the levers of success for both private and public companies. The findings he's had are thought-provoking for any entrepreneur!

Justin Kates is a partner of DuMoulin Black where he practices securities law. His focus is on advising companies through their growth curves on how to properly structure financings and help execute M&A transactions. It doesn’t matter what stage you are at in your company, a bad deal is a bad deal, so you need a trained eye on your team.

The public venture markets in Canada have long been recognized as a unique ecosystem for supporting the ambitions of entrepreneurs and the success of early-stage public companies. In this episode, we discuss a shared passion of ours: the unique market ecosystem we have of public venture capital

George Palikaras joins us to talk about how to access millions of dollars in government grants, tax credits, and R&D subsidies available for your business. Done right, it can be a powerful source of fund that won't dilute your shareholders.

George is the founding President and CEO of Metamaterial, which is listed on the CSE under MMAT. George was able to finance much of the R&D and early commercialization of the company with non-dilutive capital, often overlooked and misunderstood as an opportunity to raise capital that doesn’t ever hit your cap table.

Marcello Botolli is the co-founder and Managing Partner of EVCP Growth Equity. EVCP is a boutique private equity firm dedicated to investing in promising consumer lifestyle brands.

Marcello has led remarkable brands including his position as Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, his restructuring and turnaround of the great American brand, Samsonite, and his directorship positions with other internationally recognized names.

You are going to hear about how Marcello ascended to the top leadership roles of some of the world’s most iconic brands, how he managed and led through some of the world’s most difficult times including September 11th and the 2008 financial crisis. Given the turmoil in our current economies, his experience and advice couldn’t be more timely.

Today’s guest is Jamie Keech, a Canadian mining engineer, and natural resource financier. Some of his partners and peers identify Jamie as a key piece in building profitable mining companies, including Equinox Gold and Maverix Metals. He is the co-founder of Capitalist Exploits and the host of the Resource Insider podcast.

A key part of Jamie’s business is facilitating and participating in private placements. In our conversation, he explains that the mechanics of a private placement can be simple, but there’s always the positive or negative impacts of how that deal is structured, and what it is going to mean for the future.

We also dive into some great topics about how to finance and build resource companies. So make sure not to miss this episode!

Today we’re joined by Russ Heddleston, Co-Founder and CEO of DocSend. DocSend is an application that is increasingly used by the finance industry for sending documents securely like pitch decks. It can also create secure and tracked file sharing spaces, or data rooms. However, this episode is not about DocSend. Today, Russ will be sharing with us his very interesting Silicone Valley career. Some may even say that Russ has lived the tech dream, from Stanford and Harvard degrees, to selling his first company to Facebook, and now on to launching DocSend, he has been making all of the right moves.

He makes the point that raising money is hard work, so don’t let that fall short on you. This episode contains all you need to know on how winning pitch decks are composed, the time it takes to raise capital, and other nuances of what makes for a successful capital raise.

The opioid crisis has created a pressing need for successful addiction treatments, especially as the majority of people who seek treatment will relapse. In today’s episode, we speak with Founder and Co-Chairman Shayne Nyquvest and CEO Jeremy Weate of Universal Ibogaine. Universal Ibogaine, is aiming to address the opioid crisis and revolutionize the therapy industry by using ibogaine in addiction recovery.

After providing further context on ibogaine, Shayne takes the lead in explaining the business model that they’re building out and the niche that Universal Ibogaine will fit in the marketplace. We talk about how they plan to finance the company, the clinical trials that they’re going through, and why Canada is the perfect country to be their base of operations.

In this episode of the Insider’s Guide to Finance, we talk to Jay Martin, the CEO of Cambridge House International. With his team, Jay has produced some of the largest small-cap investor conferences in Canada, that is until his business came to an abrupt standstill when COVID-19 struck.

Fortunately, he was able to pivot on a dime. A key part of their successful transition was their previous commitment to creating content and building up an audience of investors through their YouTube channel and newsletter. Jay shares how notable public companies are becoming small media organizations that are actively building their investor audiences.

Anthony Milewski is back on the show to do a second interview. We dive into how he is navigating the markets during these uncertain times and discuss the opportunities he is seeing in business and the markets. We also get into the forces that are propelling the ESG movements into industries and boardrooms.

From dealings in Russia, to globally financing opportunities and taking top leadership positions in some well-known public companies, Anthony has got some great experience, insights, and opinions for us.

In this episode, we weave through a number of subjects, including where he is investing and why, his views on the prevailing markets, and his growing focus on decarbonization.

Marin Katusa is a renowned professional resource investor, life long teacher, and a New York Times bestselling author.

He presents an unpopular view of the financial industry and explains how he's approached building his business as one of the largest early-stage resource investors in North America.

We discuss Marin’s ideal business partners and how he looks for operators that focus on their chosen sector, and who have their own ‘skin in the game’.

Do you feel like you are not getting enough value out of the legal fees you pay? In this episode, Greg Ramsay explains how management teams can make better use of the relationships with their legal team. Greg is a corporate mergers and acquisitions lawyer, as well as an entrepreneur and founder of his own firm, Made it Legal. He’s been counsel on numerous deals that are measured well into the hundreds of millions of dollars, while navigating highly complex structures, as well as managing the personalities of the executives and investors at the table. In executing these deals, he has a unique vantage point in seeing how the ultra-rich think and execute their strategies. Given recent events and the recession crunch many business owners are facing, this episode is very timely.

Wesley King has come to be known as the Biohacking Investment Banker.

In this episode, we dive into three areas: financing companies, marketing to investors and biohacking for a better life. Wesley has brought together these three into a banking career and now the launch of his own firm, Coherent Capital.

Wesley’s focus and commitment is on a sector that he’s both active in and passionate about, and also has an infinite lifespan in helping humans optimize and live stronger, healthier and more productive lives.

Anthony Lacavera, an extremely accomplished Canadian entrepreneur, is the founder and chairman of Globalive. Anthony built and sold a number of companies including WINDMobile, however, mistakes are made in the entrepreneur world, whether you’re seasoned veteran or an amateur.

We shouldn’t be afraid of conversations that probe into difficult topics. Conversations around experience become an opportunity to make sure you have the right potential investors and provide a way for others to point out issues that indicate you might be too deep out to see.

Anthony’s accomplishments no doubt speak for themselves, but it’s how he got there and how he was able to finance his way through these ventures that is most fascinating.

When companies go public, and even before, they need to have a solid understanding of the capital markets. However, in Canada, there is a critical shortage of these skills in publicly-traded companies, which play a determining role in success. As a capital markets professional, Andrew Osis, co-CEO of Magnetic North Acquisitions Corp, has connected his corporate finance career to company building.

From analyst roles to investment banking positions, Andrew has evaluated countless deals, managed capital, and been through billions of dollars of transactions. He shares insights from his 25-year plus capital markets career along with what Magnetic North does. They find companies with strong products or services which have management weaknesses, take control, and lend their expertise to turn things around.

With his extensive experience in the capital markets, Andrew has seen that the biggest piece of success for a company is ultimately its people.

We're celebrating episode 50!

It was suggested to do an episode where someone interviews me so I reached out to my good friend Mark Raffan, host of a #1 rated podcast, "The Negotiation Ninja".

In this episode, we reflect on 50 episodes, lessons from our guests and talk about what lights me up with the how-to properly finance deals and engage investors.

ESG is becoming a strategic advantage. Ebel Kemeling is the Managing Director of ESG and Responsible Investing at MJ Hudson. Ebel advises fund managers and companies on how to establish, execute and measure long-term Environmental, Social and Governance programs - or ESG.

The amount of capital now seeking sustainable growth through sustainable investments is staggering and that means ESG has grown beyond just being a thematic niche for some private equity managers.

As we discuss, having an ESG program in your company can become a very valuable long-term advantage for not only attracting capital but also attracting top talent, de-risking the business and also doing better for the planet.

What are the benefits of going public? And most importantly, what are the risks versus the rewards of making such a decision? Richard Carleton is the CEO of the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE), which plays a material role in supporting early-stage companies and their access to the capital they need for executing their business plans. Richard and the CSE are making a point of living their slogan of being ‘the exchange for entrepreneurs’. Richard tells us that one of the CSE’s goals is to lower the cost of capital for companies when compared against other capital sources, like private equity or venture capital. Overall, Richard’s one rule for standing out is to communicate, communicate, communicate!

Oren Klaff is the best-selling author of Pitch Anything and Flip the Script, and a successful entrepreneur and financier. Oren has raised hundreds of millions for companies and has strong opinions on how to do it correctly.

Oren's approach to capital raising will make you throw out everything you thought you knew about selling you and your business. He sheds light on why your sales, marketing, or even relationship-building skills aren't your strongest tools. In fact, they may even hinder your ability to fundraise. His thinking around raising capital for big ideas is a paradigm shift. When you go into a pitch meeting, you need to know your audience while also demonstrating that you don't need them.

Mogens Smed has been referred to as “the most fireable CEO”. In fact, he is an outstanding success that caries this as a badge of honor. He has achieved great success, building himself, his teams, and his companies up from a very painful bankruptcy almost 40 years ago. He has built two multi-hundred-million dollar public companies and he is on the way with a third – Falk Built.

In this interview, you are going to hear from an entrepreneur and leader that has paid a heavy price for staying true to his vision and values. Mogens doesn’t waver in his convictions and that has lead some to say he is polarizing. He speaks with such conviction about what it really means to be a CEO and he has the experience to do it.

Jason VandeBoom has bucked the Silicon Valley trend of raising money wildly and living to "fail fast". Jason is the founder and CEO of ActiveCampaign. He recently raised a $100,000,000 Series B financing for his company, but unlike so many software entrepreneurs, he has been building his same business for over 15 years.

In this episode, Jason shares with us why he chose a measured approach to grow ActiveCampaign. For him, valuation figures do not correlate with validation.

Instead, the customer experience is his North Star, so much so that he still reads customer reviews to keep his finger on the pulse of the company. Jason and his service-minded approach to business is truly inspiring. We loved having him on the show. Be sure to tune in.

Dan Eberhard is the CEO of KOHO, a fintech company that focuses on democratizing the best financial products for Canadians, This is his third successful startup. His first was a decentralized wind energy company that he sold after reaching $70 million in assets!

Bruce Croxon is a serial entrepreneur turned venture capitalist, whose passion lies in supporting Canadian entrepreneurs. As the Managing Partner of Round 13 Capital, he manages over $325 million spread over three funds.

In this episode, Bruce sheds light on these funds and the different strategies the company employs. He talks about the difference between the venture and growth funds along with the varying levels of support Round 13 provides to companies at various stages. We also take a look at why the Canadian venture capital market is becoming increasingly attractive for US firms.

Content marketing and capital raising in real estate are rarely discussed in detail.

So, today we speak with Ellie Perlman about the ins and outs of financing real estate investment ideas. Her approach is that her success for herself and her investors is partly due to her taking the conservative route.

She compares the current economic crisis with the recession of 2008, helps listeners to recognize the opportunities in the market, and provides guidelines around reasonable fees to charge as a sponsor. We discuss how her former experience as a commercial real estate lawyer has served her and shares her views on what listeners should be doing now during this economically volatile period.

Tuning in to this episode, listeners will hear how Ellie and her partners make money with real estate, the type of properties and locations they focus on, how often they close a deal, and how content marketing is helping them to gain exposure.

At the best of times, investment banking is a high stakes game; add in a global health crisis and you have a really stressful situation!

To bring some calm to the storm is returning guest Howard Katz, a Managing Director at Mackie Research Capital. He offers some much-needed perspective on staying steady and avoiding panic in these times. Howard was on the show just four weeks ago, which now feels like a completely different time! His advice from the frontlines is really helpful and he assists in placing this crisis in context, looking back at the 2008 crash and offering some insight into the relief measures that have already been taken.

These are such unprecedented circumstances and it is really reassuring to hear some positivity right now! The main message here is that, for better or worse, it is a crisis that we are all in together.

Howard believes that positive and proactive communication is our biggest tool for making it through this, so listen to hear all about it. Stay safe and stay tuned!

In less than a month, global indices have fallen over 30%, widespread quarantines have been mandated, and we are all wondering what the new normal is going to be.

Iliya is the CEO and co-founder of DBD Partners, a lower to mid-market investment bank that provides M&A services, capital formation, debt restructuring, and co-investing. He and his team focus on deals that are between $20 to $80 million dollars in revenue, both on the buy and sell-side of the transaction.

History shows huge growth after crises, so we get into the question of how to approach raising capital, specifically raising debt financing for your company. Iliya provides some fresh perspectives about the fundamental differences between the way debt investors and equity investors think.

Kyle Dunn, CEO of Meyler Capital, sheds light on the importance of building a brand when raising capital and the requirement to take 'marketing risk' in doing so.

Kyle and his team help fund managers raise capital for their investment funds. He makes the point that great marketing is about building loyalty and brand integrity, which means that raising capital should not start with asking investors for money. Kyle also highlights that raising capital requires differentiation. It is far less about gaining legitimacy in the initial contacts with investors and more about competing for their time.

Howard Katz is a rare breed. Not only is he a career investment banker, but he was also the CEO of a gold exploration company that he successfully sold.

Having seen both sides, he has unique insights into raising capital and growing companies. In this episode, Howard sheds light on the importance of capital and why companies must work with an investment firm that helps them access the right kind of capital.

Not all capital and investors are created equal, so it's vital to ensure aligning values and goals. Once CEOs realize their investment bankers are their allies, it’s bound to be an unstoppable force. Be sure to tune in today!

Michelle Scarborough joins us from BDC Venture Capital to talk about her work as a VC and to share some wisdom for all those startups looking for better funding practices!

Michelle Scarborough is the managing director of the Strategic Investments Fund and the Women in Technology Fund at BDC and manages over 200 million dollars in capital.

She delves into the human side of venture investments and how these play out during pitching and ongoing relationships.

We discuss her perceptions of the role of a VC and the kinds of entrepreneurs that she looks for. She has so much great insight and many of the thoughts she shares could be the thing that helps you land your next investor, so join us to hear it all!

Investor relations is changing - In Canada alone there are over 500 press releases a day from public companies. So how do you stand out?

Taylor Thoen is the founder and CEO of Business Television (BTV) where she has been at the forefront of reaching investors with the most powerful form of media - being video.

We asked Taylor to be on the show to get her perspectives on marketing public companies and engaging investors. She’s been doing this for over 20 years, so she not only knows the media industry but she also knows a thing or two about how public companies should be planning and executing their investor marketing programs.

In today’s markets, all public companies are facing a similar problem. That problem is how public companies find and engage the roster of service providers needed to properly manage public investor relations programs.

Joining us today is Neil Lock, the founder of a new company that is tapping into exactly that problem. Neil and his team are working towards creating an online destination that brings together all of these service providers to one spot, enabling executives and IR professionals to increase and evaluate their options more effectively.

Anthony Milewski, whose ties to Russia and his role as the former CEO of Cobalt 27 are part of a fascinating career. Success can bread envy and false narratives, especially in today's media. So, naturally, we needed to interview him.

Anthony takes us from his early days growing up in a small town in eastern Washington to the beginnings of his legal and finance career in Russia. It was there that he gained exposure to international mining and energy deals. He's since led some remarkable deals and now has his eyes set on nickel as the chairman of Conic Metals.

Real estate investing offers cash flow, but at what risk? Praveen Varshney joins us for a second time to speak about his passion for this asset class. Praveen started his career focusing on public venture capital deals, particularly in the resource and tech space, but for the last fourteen years, he has diversified into various real estate properties and projects.

In this discussion, Praveen gets into why he loves real estate, the different asset classes he has experience in, and how he structures deals using LPs, GPs, and private company arrangements. He sheds some light on what to look for before joining syndications, as well as the typical locations and multifamily asset classes he prefers. Joining this discussion, you will also hear how Praveen likes to manage his properties, and he shares some tips for how to give back as an investor, but also how to push returns up even further while doing so.

Brad Feld is a legend in the venture capital world. He is a co-founder of the Foundry Group and co-author of the seminal guide to venture capital, Venture Deals.

Brad speaks with us about the book and weaves in examples and experiences from his career in venture capital.

We also go further to discuss his more personal relationship with art, meditation, and his journey with anxiety and depression.

Venture Deals, in its fourth edition, is a must-read if you are raising venture capital.

Times have changed... Now, especially for public companies, content publishing, and thought leadership is a requirement to be seen and heard.

Our guest today, Chris Smith, is a founding partner of Investing News Network (INN), an investor media company that publishes educational content about public companies and the industries they compete in. Readers come to INN to gain insights and educate themselves on a range of industries while also having an opportunity to connect with public companies and invest.

They provide a valuable service, both for their investor audience and their clients, being public companies. But this drives a conflict of interest. This inherent tension is something Chris is cognizant of which is why producing independent content is so important to the mission of INN. Through not pandering to companies and remaining objective, INN maintains its integrity while helping pubco's credibly reach new potential investors.

There is lots to learn here. Tune in!

What if you built and sold a multibillion-dollar company, only to get a cheque for several million dollars, or worse, only a few hundred thousand? Believe it or not, this could happen. It can be the result of not navigating their company through the stages of financing properly.

Kevin Vela, founding partner of Vela Wood, joins us to discuss the ins and outs of working with your lawyer and properly financing your company. Vela Law is a boutique corporate law firm that focuses on M&A, private equity, and venture financing. Part of Kevin’s work is to make sure his clients avoid the painful mistakes of improperly raising capital, particularly at the early stage. Kevin speaks with such passion and in-depth knowledge of his field. He gives a wealth of insights into the legal processes that all founders and financiers must go through during a venture deal.

Some of the key takeaways are his advice for what founders need to provide before seeking financing, and what they should look out for to make sure they maintain a reasonable share of their company as they grow.

Codie Sanchez is a Partner and Managing Director of Entourage Effect Capital, which is one of the largest growth equity funds in the cannabis space. Codie has a fascinating background, starting her career as a journalist focusing on human and drug trafficking. From there, she moved into the financial space, working at Vanguard, State Street, and Goldman Sachs before moving more directly into the venture capital game.

After a personal investment in cannabis companies, she followed this by joining Entourage Effect Capital to make an impact in the nascent market and make the most of the current climate. We hear from her about what she looks for in new investments, how venture funds actually work and the important ideas of trust, valuation, communication, and integrity. This is such powerful information for entrepreneurs and can make a huge difference in your efforts to raise capital.

In this episode, we talk about going public!

Delilah Panio, Vice President at the TMX Group joins us to discuss what it means and what it takes to go public. Delilah focuses on educating high potential ventures on the benefits of using the TSX and/or the TSX Venture as an opportunity to raise capital list on a reputable market and potentially uplist to larger markets. We both agree that most companies aren’t meant to go public. But for those who are, the Canadian Public Venture Capital model is a very real opportunity to raise capital and grow. Being public requires a lot of investment beyond just listing fees. For example, an investor relations program is a priority in competing to attract and retain shareholders. That said, the potential upsides can far outweigh the costs.

To become a publicly listed company, there is a process and best practices to follow. This interview is a big step towards shedding light on another valuable source of capital and growth.

Richard Wilson is the CEO of Family Office Club, PitchDecks.com and Centimillionaire Advisors. He speaks with us about the black box of family office money and how companies can tap into this enormous pool of investor wealth.

We also discuss of all things, social media. One of the things that amazed me in this interview is how Richard has used informal, ‘real’ social media posts and blogs to attract multi-billion dollar clients to his business… That’s right… Richard shares with us how social media has been a cornerstone of his marketing program to attract and engage some of the wealthiest families in the world.

Edge Investments is focused on millennial investors. They do investor marketing, helping companies build awareness and generate investor leads. Nick Findler speaks with us about the often misunderstood and untapped wealth of millennials. There is an enormous amount of money held by this demographic. You just have to reach them through different communication channels.

For investor marketing, there are more and more digital strategies being pitched to pubco executives. Nick explains how he thinks CEOs should measure and monitor the success of their campaigns. As well, we also got into some strategies that only digital can provide.

Digital marketing to investors isn’t much different than marketing products or services to customers.

In this episode, we discuss the power of digital marketing in investor engagement and investor relations. From first impressions to ongoing engagement, Jason dives into tips, tricks, and tactics of how to land a great online impression with investors.

As well, we get into a discussion of retail investors and the liquidity they can bring. As quoted from the NASDAQ - “liquidity is king” - and a strategically executed digital investor program can reach and engage investors that could take your company to the next level.

In life, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.

So, in this episode, we talk about negotiation.

We are joined by Mark Raffan, who is a professional negotiator, coach, and host of the Negotiations Ninja podcast.

There is no doubt that negotiation plays a crucial role in financing a company. So, we talk about some of the tactics and styles that you can put to use. We also talk about some misconceptions, his favorite episodes and it surely wouldn’t be complete without a discussion about Donald Trump and his negotiating skills.

Charles Plant is a former founder, VC, banker and now a PhD candidate in economics. A key focus for him is the Narwhal Project - or the study of world-class Canadian Unicorns (aka Narwhals) as defined by a billion-dollar plus valuation.

The question of what it takes to build a billion-dollar organization has led Charles to research and publish numerous studies on his findings. What we get in this episode is a glimpse into the algorithms of growth… in other words, the capital it takes and the areas you need to spend to achieve the growth targets that result in a billion-dollar company.

Now, even if you’re not in the game of building a billion-dollar VC backed company, the insights Charles shares with us are game-changing. This discussion will be illuminating for anyone thinking they may want to pitch a VC and it will open your eyes to their expectations and other avenues to finance growth.

Danny Brody is the CEO of TGOD Acquisitions Corp., a partner in RADD Capital and CCO of HempFusion. He and his partners have been the financial force behind some of the cannabis industry's most notable names. They’ve raised over half a billion dollars for Organigram, Emblem, Plus Products, The Green Organic Dutchman and now Hempfusion.

Danny speaks with us about his unconventional path to engaging investors for these companies. He lays out how they lead a “Retail Investor First” strategy and how they’ve honed their approach through the companies they've partnered with. He was also generous in sharing lessons from doing this as well as perspectives on investor engagement, broker relationships and why you should protect your cap table like it is your firstborn.

Jeff Desjardins is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Visual Capitalist. If you haven’t seen the work of Visual Capitalist yet, it won’t be long until you do.

They create visually compelling daily infographics and visualizations and now serve some of the biggest names in finance. They include Black Rock, McKinsey, New York Life, Tony Robbins and the list goes on.

You'll hear about how Jeff has built his media company with a rapidly growing audience - 70% of whom are investors. As well, we talk about how the media industry works, how habits of media consumption are a powerful tool in capturing mind share and why companies are investing thousands of dollars to access his audience.

Brent Holliday is the Founder and CEO of Garibaldi Capital Advisors... He knows the game of financing and tech exits and shares the war stories with us here... When financing or selling your business, one wrong move can crater a deal or be fatal to a company's future. Further, there’s not a lot of solid information or education for entrepreneurs about high-stakes financings.

In this episode, Brent and I dive into the world of financing and selling technology companies. Brent and his partners focus on selling companies up to $100mm in revenue.

Brent gives us an excellent look behind the scenes of how companies are sold. He’s tight lipped about the who clients are but that doesn’t matter. It is the knowledge that makes this such a powerful interview.

And If you’ve ever wondered what the value of an advisor is - as in an investment banker or a business broker, listen to this episode. It will give you the fire power to separate the good from the bad and the ugly.

When raising money, your idea, your resume and your pitch don’t mean squat if you can’t communicate effectively.

In this episode, Mark Bowden, an internationally acclaimed communications expert speaks with us about the power of body language and non-verbal communication. Your communication techniques carry tremendous power in delivering your message. Take note that it is much more than just the words you are saying.

Mark has coached and spoken to some of the world’s most well known companies including Dell, Microsoft, Shopify, Viacom, RBC, and many more.

In this interview, you’ll hear some tips and tricks that can take your pitch skills to the next level.

Jeanne Sullivan is a General Partner at Arcview Venture Fund, which is a leader in the cannabis space.

Forbes cited Jeanne as “one of the women VCs changing the world” and there’s no doubt about her passion and tenacity. She speaks about cannabis and finance to audiences around the globe and has a wealth of information and experience to share.

In our discussion we get into many of the issues entrepreneurs are facing and what she’s seeing with the changing political and regulatory landscape in the US. We also get into how you should be articulating your business opportunity, finding capable advisors and how to compensate them for their contributions.

Peter Lehrman is the founder of Axial.net, a platform that connects entrepreneurs in the lower middle market with investors and capital advisors.

His company is tackling the problem of capital inefficiency for small and medium sized businesses and he’s got a very interesting perspective on how to raise money or sell your company. In this episode, Peter comes through with some great insights about building capital relationships, being finance ready and how to play the game of building credible deal tension.

David Wartell is the CEO of Cannabis Capital. We talk about how his private equity firm is investing in cannabis companies, his early days of cannabis and the lessons he has from his twenty years of building and exiting companies.

David brings some interesting perspectives about how big tobacco sizing up cannabis. He discusses why they are still stuck on the sidelines due to regulatory barriers and risk mitigation.

When discussing what he likes to see in a pitch, David said “Man plans and god laughs and (your) projections are a joke”... Its part of the many insights David shares here.

David Traylor is an investment banker who’s has positioned his firm directly on the growing cannabis industry.

When banking a deal, he is the one who is advising on deal terms and valuation while also assembling a book of investors for your deal.

David shares some funny stories, but we also speak about the changing regulations and about the indicators of how states are changing their perspectives. Given his position, he has a front row seat to the rapid changes that are happening in the cannabis industry.

From politics to angel investing, Randy Thompson has blazed a colorful path.

His many years in early stage finance earned him the 2018 Angel Investor Of The Year Award by the National Angel Capital Organization.

What I like about this interview is that Randy tells it as it is… Our discussion meanders, but it is an entertaining look at early stage financing. For example, Randy speaks from experience that it is not usually the investors that suck, it’s likely your deal that sucks. So why is that?

We dig in to how entrepreneurs can and need to be competitive when compared to other deals on an international stage. You’ll also hear about how he approaches building investable deals. This preparation is a crucial factor in setting yourself up for long term success.

We didn’t get deep into the academic quant talk, but Randy has provided access to some of the materials he’s created for helping value your deal, calculate dilution and position yourself to be a hot candidate for investor dollars… That info is available in the show notes.

If anyone is offended by a few four letter words, perhaps pass on this one. Otherwise, enjoy the show!

Gary brings some 40+ years of business experience to this interview. You’re going to hear about a lot of things, from his early days as an analyst on Wall Street to founding, listing and selling publico’s and on to his board participation with some well known companies.

Another passion of Gary’s is business history and that’s what compelled me to reach out. Gary is a prolific reader and historian. He has a collection of over 57,000 books and recites facts and figures with ease.

Investor conferences are a big investment. They can change the course of a company when done right. Jay Martin leads Cambridge House and produces a series of events including CanTech, the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference and the Extraordinary Future Conference.

You'll learn about how to make the most of your investor conferences in this interview. As well, you'll hear about a number of presenters who have compelling and impactful stories to tell.

From mining to gaming to real estate and now to going deep with social impact investing; Praveen talks with us about his approach to investing in winning opportunities.

He and his partners – his father and brother – have earned an outstanding reputation and are now focusing their strengths on bettering the world through building companies that deliver on a greater cause.

Our conversation takes us into what he looks for in investment opportunities, how to use public venture capital and to his thoughts on capital structures and the powers of “aligned capital”. We also get into the deals he’s excited about now and how he and his partners structure and finance real estate opportunities.

There are hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars that you can recover from the government programs.

You’ve likely heard about them - R&D and the SRED tax credit programs.

Lloyed Lobo of Boast.AI and I connect to discuss what these programs are and how they can apply to your business.

If you have ever wondered about tax credits work, how to best approach getting them - and even if you should bother, this will be a helpful interview for you.

Mike Winterfield is the founder and CEO of Active Impact Investments.

He is blazing an interesting trail in the world of finance with a focus on companies that have a defined social benefit and purpose.

The thesis of his fund is to invest in companies that have a clear stated mission to tackle some of our most challenging social and environmental problems. The thing is, it is not a charity by any means. Along with a purpose that goes beyond just profit, his fund is looking to make outsized returns the same way a typical venture capital fund would.

Impact investing may be gaining a meaningful following. From high-networth investors looking to have more meaning in their investments to companies using a greater purpose as a competitive advantage, Mike and his team are on to something really interesting.

Bruce Campbell, the founder and Portfolio Manager of Stone Castle Funds.

In this interview, we don’t talk about investment ideas or big wins. Instead we focused on what he likes to see from the opportunities and companies he invests in. From the funds he manages to the way he keeps deals on his radar, you’ll hear his inside perspective.

Bruce and his team manage six funds across various sectors including everyone’s favourites, cannabis and blockchain. He is a regular contributor to BNN Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail and a number of other media outlets.

There are lots of other good points here about both his views on industries he’s covering as well as what he likes to see in his investments.

Part 2 - What would you learn from 35+ years of building companies in the capital markets?

In this two part episode, Gordon Keep expounds on his experience in building over 250 companies and the lessons he’s had with public venture capital.

From his early days with the TSX, helping write regulations, being an early mover into South America with what was Yorkton Securities and on to his enduring partnership with Frank Giustra to build some of the world’s most notable resource companies.

What would you learn from 35+ years of building companies in the capital markets?

In this two part episode, Gordon Keep expounds on his experience in building over 250 companies and the lessons he’s had with public venture capital. From his early days with the TSX, helping write regulations, being an early mover into South America with what was Yorkton Securities and on to his enduring partnership with Frank Giustra to build some of the world’s most notable resource companies.

This is a history lesson where Gordon reflects on some of the deals that put Canada on the map as a major player in the international resource space. This is also a tactical discussion. We discuss listing through CPC’s, RTO’s and IPO’s, what to pay for a shell, how to pick partners and how to tactfully take profits… We also talk timing… They won huge on Uranium, Gold and Lithium, but lost on Potash… In Gord’s words, they missed it by about 8 or 9 months.

Gordon, Frank and Brian now lead Fiore Group where they continue to advise and build remarkable companies. This is an episode you won’t want to miss… in fact, listen closely with a notepad as there's so much value in the experience he shares.

Frank Lonardelli is the founder and CEO of Arlington St. Investments. Frank is a sharp businessman having built a portfolio of real estate assets well into the hundreds of millions of dollars. As well as having an exceptional eye for deals and detail, Frank is a powerful storyteller. He has the ability to paint a vivid picture of situations and opportunities which has surely worked in his favour when financing his projects. We discuss his main focus right now; the redevelopment of 17th Avenue in Calgary, Alberta. He has bought up dozens of properties in Calgary with a focus on reshaping the inner-city. I thought we’d drill down on the hard-skills of how he structures and finances his projects, but instead, Frank shared some interesting points about the application of soft-skills in creating a good deal. For those interested in financing real estate development projects, this is a special episode worth listening to.

Former Investment Banker turned entrepreneur… This is the story of Hanif Joshaghani, CEO of Symend. Hanif has moved on to his fourth startup the previous being remarkable successes with partial and complete exits. His leadership of Symend is certainly influenced by his investment banking experience. In this episode, you’re going to hear about what you should know about investment bankers. For example… the value of being methodical, organized and thoughtful about the steps in your financing can not be understated. It can mean the difference between a quick, properly priced financing or at worst, not being able to get your deal done. As well, you’ll hear about his experience and strategy with his current fundraising initiatives with Symend. I particularly liked our discussion around financing and the due diligence process. It’s an inside scoop on how your deal may be viewed by bankers and check writers.

Brian Paes-Braga is a partner and Managing Director at the Fiore Group as well as the founder of Lithium X.

He has a remarkable story of taking an opportunity, structuring it up with good partners and using public venture capital to create tremendous value. We discuss his early experience in the brokerage industry and the process of how he structured Lithium X. We also talk about the importance of a powerful narrative and the raising over $50+ million for LIX.

Brian provides some great first-hand experience in reflecting on the growth of LIX and the deals he is focused on now. Enjoy the show.

Tyler Stuart is a pioneer in the Cannabis industry. He and his partner created one of Canada's first cannabis exclusive investment funds focusing on the 'picks and shovels' of the industry.

Green Acre Capital now has two investment funds of over $100 million focused both on early-stage venture opportunities and later stage private equity investments. Listen to hear how Tyler view the industry and the deals he sees.

Brady Fletcher is the Managing Director of the TSX Venture. This is an interesting discussion about how the Venture should be viewed and used to grow your business.

We discuss the power of Public Venture Capital and compare it with other funding options. We get into the mechanics of Capital Pool Companies or CPC’s and how it really takes a village to raise a venture company.

The interview is an eye-opener to the process as well as to the potential when done right! Stay tuned as I know there’s value here for everyone.