The Real Bottom Line: Recent Episodes
Wendy Brookhouse
The Podcast For Ambitious Entrepreneurs Serious About Growing Their Business
The building or running of a business is not for the weak of heart. I work with business owners of all different stages of the Entrepreneurship journey and am continually inspired by their ideas, perseverance, and true grit. Join us for lessons of inspiration, motivation, and hard knocks. And learn about some pretty amazing businesses and entrepreneurs along the way.
In this episode, we explore the true essence of wealth and the freedoms that come along with it. While staying at a dream lakeside home in Ontario, our host delves into the enriching experiences and lessons from Anthea, a successful businesswoman. Together, they demystify the concept of wealth, pondering whether it's just about money or if there's more to it. Drawing inspiration from figures like Steve Jobs and insights from Strategic Coach Dan Sullivan, they discuss the intertwined freedoms of time, money, relationship, and purpose. Business owners will find particular resonance in the discussion on the "owner's trap" and the journey from being an integral part of the daily operations to a visionary CEO. By the end, listeners are encouraged to redefine their vision of a "wealthy life," focusing on relationship richness, personal freedoms, and business autonomy. For those intrigued by the idea of amplifying their business value while maintaining a work-life balance, Wendy offers an opportunity to collaborate. Reach out to wendy@blackstarwealth.com and let's embark on this journey together!
Dive deep into the world of business valuation on this riveting episode of "The Real Bottom Line." We unfold the captivating journey of Stephanie Breedlove, who transformed a challenge into a multi-million dollar venture. Explore the importance of eight unique drivers that can make your business more desirable to potential buyers. Ever wondered about the power of monopoly control, the significance of the Switzerland structure, or the impact of your Net Promoter Score? This episode decodes it all! Plus, learn how to avoid the dreaded owner's trap and embrace the owner mindset. Whether you're just starting out, thinking about selling, or simply want to increase the value of your business, this episode is packed with actionable insights for entrepreneurs of every stage. Discover what it truly means to grow and enhance your biggest asset: your business.
Podcast Episode Description:
In this gripping episode of "The Real Bottom Line," Wendy welcomes the inspiring Monica Buzhanov straight out of Sweden. Monica reveals her personal journey, detailing a crucial point in her life referred to as "Monica's big breakdown." Dive into Monica's transformation from burnout and depression to a realization about her energy. The discussion touches on the subconscious, patterns from our past, and how they can silently shape our present. Monica emphasizes the significance of understanding these patterns, particularly when it comes to our relationship with money. Discover how generational trauma can span across multiple generations and the role it plays in our daily lives. This episode is a deep dive into the intricacies of the mind, the power of the subconscious, and the path to self-awareness and healing. Don't miss it!
Find Monica At
monicabozinov.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicabozinov/
Brad Walsh is a successful photographer who laid the groundwork for his podcast in 2019 but didn’t launch it until the pandemic shut down his business.
What makes this story so interesting isn’t that his podcast is in the top 3%, but that he has done so while creating a platform for women’s stories. Talk about allyship!
Telling these stories is a huge passion for Brad and we discuss how this came about and
- The importance and responsibility we all have to tell our stories
- Why mentors and coaches can be game changers
- Who should consider becoming a podcaster and how
- Why asking for help is a sign of strength
- How often should be updating your headshot
We cover a lot of ground in this fascinating interview that I know you will enjoy.
How to find Brad:
https://www.empowerographypodcast.com
https://www.instagram.com/empowerographypodcast
https://www.facebook.com/groups/empowerographypodcast
So many entrepreneurs struggle with mental health – quietly, afraid to acknowledge and certainly not to discuss it.
Rebecca Bitten was a successful marketing consultant before she burned out. Not looking after herself led to a months-long hospital stay -where she met other entrepreneurs who had all the outward trappings of success, but had burned out. And that is when Rebecca realized her true calling – to become a mental health coach for entrepreneurs.
This episode delves into
- The cost of not listening to your body
- Defining sustainable success and creating your own definition of success
- The roots of Workaholism
- Signs of Physical and emotional Burnout
- Different strategies for self-care.
In this second episode about entrepreneurship, Lisa Hrabluk takes the interviewer's seat and we delve into some of the tactics that business owners can use to increase the value of their business and move up from micro and small to medium-sized business. To be ready in case you get an offer, to be able to scale and grow your business – without it running you into overwhelm. The tactics we discuss are for all businesses – not just those prepped for sale!
Lisa Hrabluk is back in the two-part episode. In the first episode, we are going on a bit of deep dive into the eco-system of entrepreneurship. Why is it important overall and why your role as a business owner is critical to the overall success?
We also talk about the role of government and the future of Entrepreneurship in the Atlantic region. How Entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in Immigration.
How we need to think big and
Why we need to move from a predominantly micro and small business region to a medium-sized business.
My guest on this episode of The Real Bottom Line is Giles Crouch. He is a digital anthropologist and a practical fore sighter – and our conversation covers some pretty interesting ground.
Including
- What is innovation and why small businesses need to do more of it?
- What are the top innovation myths?
- The difference between internal and external innovation?
- Are surveys and focus groups still relevant?
- Why talking to your clients is more important than ever?
- What your current analytical stack may be missing.
In this episode of "The Real Bottom Line" podcast, the host discusses the importance of planning for the end game of a business. While the podcast typically focuses on interviews with entrepreneurs at different stages of their business journey, this episode delves into the topic of succession planning and exit strategies. The host shares insights from a survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, which reveals that a significant number of Canadian business owners plan to exit their businesses in the next decade, representing a massive transfer of capital and assets. Surprisingly, only a small percentage of business owners have a formal transition plan in place.
The podcast emphasizes the need for business owners to view their businesses as valuable assets and explores various strategies for transitioning the business to new owners, such as selling to non-family buyers, family members, or employees. The host also discusses the challenges and barriers faced by business owners when it comes to succession planning, including finding suitable buyers and accurately valuing the business. The episode highlights the importance of seeking professional help and engaging in exit planning early to maximize the value of the business and ensure a smooth transition.
Read my article about the importance of Exit Planning: https://blackstarwealth.com/the-importance-of-exit-planning-preparing-for-the-future-of-your-business/
Welcome to "Power Sharing for Profitability in Your Couple Partnership," the latest episode of the Real Bottom Line podcast. In this unique roundtable slash webinar, we delve into the experiences of Anthea Mumby and Douglas Pinnell, a dynamic couple who have successfully navigated the world of entrepreneurial coupleship for over 25 years.
Douglas and Anthea share their invaluable tips and tricks on how they've managed to work together harmoniously as spouses and business partners. Join us as they recount their journey and provide insights that can benefit anyone working with their significant other.
Douglas and Anthea are the owners of a property and casualty focused insurance business, where they also handle group benefits and life insurance. We explore their fascinating story of how Anthea bought the business from her father, with Douglas already working in the company for several years. They discuss the challenges and rewards of joining a family business and how they aligned their core values to drive the company's success.
Throughout the episode, our guests emphasize the importance of power sharing and defining individual roles within the business. Douglas specialized in the life and health side of the company, while Anthea focused on the property and casualty side. They illustrate how staying in their respective lanes and maintaining open communication have been key to their thriving partnership.
We address the common reactions they receive when sharing that they've worked together for 25 years, including the skepticism and disbelief from others. Douglas and Anthea reveal how they've overcome these doubts and proved that a successful professional partnership can exist within a marriage.
Drawing from their personal experiences, our guests also highlight the pros and cons of running a business with your spouse. They touch upon the benefits of trust, complementary skills, effective communication, and shared goals. Additionally, they offer practical advice on managing expectations, establishing boundaries, and finding a balance between personal and business lives.
Join us in this thought-provoking episode as we uncover the secrets of power sharing for profitability in your own couple partnership. Whether you're contemplating working with your spouse or seeking ways to strengthen your existing business dynamic, this conversation with Douglas Pinnell and Anthea Mumby is packed with valuable insights that can transform your entrepreneurial journey.
Matt Benvie is the owner of Evolve Fitness – a gym that focuses on group and semi-private training. The gym has grown to 4 locations and Matt is focused on total health – including good nutrition, sleep and weight training.
We talked about
- Work/life balance is a myth
- Owning a business is going to be hard
- Finding and staying in your zone of genius
- How personal growth may result in a change of friends
- How music and travel is his self care
- How the 6 week challenge helped grow his business
The 6th Annual Financial Stress Index from FP Canada has just been released and surprise, surprise Canadians are more stressed about money - it is their number one stressor yet again. In this special edition of The Real Bottom Line I am joined by financial literacy champion Tracey Bissett and Financial Therapist Aseel El-Baba. We are going beyond the numbers and discuss real actionable strategies to reduce your stress around money.
In this thought-provoking episode of "The Real Bottom Line", we delve deep into the critical role of a CEO and how transitioning into this role can help you amass wealth. Our discussion begins by defining wealth not just in terms of money but also time, freedom, and resources.
We illuminate how your growing business becomes your primary asset and how its increasing value directly impacts your wealth. Drawing references from Michael Gerber's book "The E-Myth", we explore the different hats a business owner wears and emphasize the significance of the "entrepreneur hat", akin to the CEO hat.
This episode further contrasts the roles of a "Rainmaker" and an "Architect", and argues the limitations of being solely a rainmaker for your business. We share insightful questions to help you identify where you stand on the spectrum of Rainmaker to Architect and offer actionable tips on transitioning towards being an Architect for increased business value.
By providing tangible steps such as documenting your sales processes, simplifying your service offerings, and involving a team member in your sales meetings, we guide you to transition from the limiting role of a technician and facilitate business growth.
Join us to learn how shifting your role can lead to wealth creation and remember, the real bottom line is the more you step into your CEO role, the wealthier you become. Email us at wendy@blackstarwealth.com to continue the conversation.
In this episode you’ll learn what numbers are important as you think back over the last year.
Discussed in this episode:
- Get your numbers up to date
- How to keep your values in mind while looking at your numbers
- Thinking about funding the life you choose
- Evaluating your sales to know what to focus on next year
- How to audit your costs
- Costs of acquiring customers and lifetime value
- Quantitative and qualitative decision making
Adam Knithila owned a thriving accounting practice doing taxes for entrepreneurs – but it wasn’t what he loved doing. Here is how he sold his accounting practice and became a fraction CEO.
In this episode we will talk about:
- Carrying a knapsack of rocks
- Tactics for managing a recession
- The importance of cash reserves
- Knowing when to say know
- Having a growth mindset
- Creating partnership.
This week on The Real Bottom Line I interview Business Consultant Anthea Mumby – Founder of Dream Team Consulting
We cover a lot of ground including
- What it is like to work in a business as the daughter of the owner
- The importance of using an expert when doing complex transactions
- Preparing for business succession and
- How to decide when it is time to sell and transition out of the business
- The importance of working with a coach
- The importance of having a customized business vision
- How to deal with business squirrels.
In this episode you’ll learn what role to never completely delegate and how it makes all your other roles easier
Discussed in this episode:
The 4 main business outcomes the CFO makes happen
The skills you develop as you learn how to do this
How mastering those skills makes your job easier
Taking on this role sets up a level of formality in your business
The real danger of not doing this
What a bookkeeper, an accountant and a financial planner do for you
What parts you should delegate
First steps in taking on the CFO role in your business
Links:
Be Your Own CFO YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSbBrzq_xFJ66lcWQSXRNpw
Be Your Own CFO newsletter on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/be-your-own-cfo-6869009567674712064/
FREE Be Your Own CFO course https://damp-paper-4668.ck.page/bto-cfo
We are going to talk about all things PR with Paul Fitzgerald, President of Salt and Pepper Media. We dig into some meaty topics like:
- Re-inventing vs. Pivoting
- Oops vs What if
- Who needs PR
- The difference between earned and paid media
- What is Crisis PR and why do you need it.
In this episode, you’ll learn why people hesitate to raise their prices and the reasons they should anyway
Discussed in this episode:
The 4 reasons people use to keep their prices low
Who to talk to change your thinking
What people really expect based on your price
How a higher price makes it easier to make people happier
How a higher price helps people more
What’s high to some people is low to others
The best way to help people is to build a healthy business
Links:
Be Your Own CFO newsletter on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/be-your-own-cfo-6869009567674712064/
FREE Be Your Own CFO course https://damp-paper-4668.ck.page/bto-cfo
If you have ever wondered if there was free money – grants or funding for different projects or initiatives – this episode is for you. This week on the real bottom line we talked to Dr. Aria Hahn – the Chief Technology Officer of www.hellopocketed.io a company dedicated to making finding and applying for grants easier than ever before. Think of them as your Grant GPS. We also talk about
- Macro vs. Micro managing
- Becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable
- The language of science.
- How to get lots of free money
It is a great episode that you don’t want to miss.
In this episode you’ll find out why not charging enough can mean you are losing customers and the secret ingredient of choosing the right price.
Discussed in this episode:
- Your price tells your customers if they are for you
- People who like your lower price may not be your best customers
- Value-based or hourly-based pricing, which is best.
- Your price is too low if you have plenty of customers, but you aren’t making enough
- Fixed costs and variable costs
- Cost of Goods Sold (CoGS)
- The difference between revenue and income
- Three legs of price - the 3rd will surprise you
Links:
Delight With Price article https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/delight-price-frances-schagen/
Be Your Own CFO newsletter on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/be-your-own-cfo-6869009567674712064/
FREE Be Your Own CFO course https://damp-paper-4668.ck.page/bto-cfo
Every now and then we have a guest that brings a very impactful message to our audience that we feel it's important to bring it to the forefront again.
Eleanor Beaton is one of those guests and I wanted to replay her March 22nd episode here in the best of series.
Episode Description:
How about this boundary? Only pursuing opportunities that offer the potential of adding 7 figures to the top line.
Eleanor Beaton is the Founder and CEO of Safi Media. She is on a mission to double the number of 7-figure women business owners by 2030 through business coaching, entrepreneurship education and story telling. We talk about the filters that Eleanor uses when evaluating opportunities, and dig down into niching – how to know when it is time to narrow your focus, and the bliss and pain of executing on this strategy.
We'll discuss CEO time and what it is, as learn what a 'Jewel Business' is and why you want one! (HINT: 30% open time for the founder is one of the foundation pieces)
In this episode you’ll learn about the 3 kinds of entrepreneurs and how to approach your business as each one.
Discussed in this episode:
What it means to have a business that replaces your job and the challenges with that
What a lifestyle entrepreneur is
Talking about growing a business to scale it
Moving from one to another
The importance of growing your team
Who should you hire first
Who should you not hire at the beginning
Hire for the level of expertise you need
Answering the question of hiring a VA or full-time support
Advisors, mentors, coaches and masterminds, why you need all of these
Links:
Gillian Selby episode of Real Bottom Line
Article about hiring appropriate people for appropriate tasks https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/delegate-like-pro-frances-schagen/
FREE Be Your Own CFO course https://damp-paper-4668.ck.page/bto-cfo
Have you ever had a grand idea for a product or a software? This episode is for you.\
Suvojit Ghosh is the Founder/CEO of FYE Labs, a product development lab in Hamilton Ontario. Our conversation covers a lot ground including
- The three levels of product development (and they apply to products and software)
- The importance of understanding the pain point you are solving
- Should you get a technical co-founder on board
- The different ways you can develop your product and the pros and cons of each.
In this episode, you’ll learn why collaborations are critical to success, what makes good collaborations and what makes bad ones.
Discussed in this episode:
- One form is to have the same audience but come from different directions
- Women are natural collaborators
- The myth of the lone entrepreneur is just that - a myth
- Behind every success is a team
- The many different forms of collaborations
- Financial Besties are an example of great collaboration
- The most important things that have to be in alignment for it to be a success
- It’s decision-making that leads to the downfall
- Leave space to be different
- You need to have collaboration partners who you can talk to without censoring
- The real bottom line
Links:
Be Your Own CFO newsletter on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/be-your-own-cfo-6869009567674712064/
FREE Be Your Own CFO course https://damp-paper-4668.ck.page/bto-cfo
Join me as I sit down with Jodi Daniels of Red Clover Advisors to discuss the differences between data privacy and data security.
In this episode, we talk about all the things that make up your data. You may be as surprised as I was at all the data we collect - some of it inadvertently.
There's a lot of interesting information surround data privacy and security, and Jodi breaks it down so well! She discusses the standards you need to consider if you sell internationally, especially in the US where different states have different requirements, and what things you do or don't need to have - like a cookie banner, for example.
There's a lot of important info in this episode - you don't want to miss it!
On this episode, I interview Scott Patterson - a proper business mogul and entrepreneur in the world of tech and entertainment.
Scott discusses opportunities and where to find them, what drives him personally, the kinds of fears he has, and the important lessons learned from his grandmother. This is a true 'rags to riches' story, and I have a feeling you're going to want to listen to this one!
Whether you are thinking about a technology start-up or using more technology in your business, this episode is for you! Maxim Cramer, a technology coach based in the UK with a special focus on female founders, joins me today for an exciting discussion about the value of curiosity and using an agile methodology.
Maxim describes how Hollywood has done the tech industry a disservice, and how developers are like musicians in a band. She also answers questions that you may be asking, like... "what does a CTO do?" and "when do I need one?" - we cover a lot of ground in this episode, and I hope you enjoy it!
Are you part of the 11% of people who know they are in sales, or are you one of the 89% of people who are, but don't know it?
Join me as I sit down with Gillian Selby, a professional sales coach of Gunn + McQueen, as we discuss the difference between technical and social sales, and how to decide when to hire a professional sales person. She also summarizes what she believes makes phenomenal sales people, and whether or not those people are introverts or extroverts.
Family and business, and the business of getting the next generation involved is Francisco Lombardo’s business. This discussion ranges from parenting, to getting the next generation ready. Is your business the resented sibling? Are you setting your kids up for success, and when should they start working in the business? Francisco answers these questions and more on this episode of The Real Bottom Line!
As a new business owner, Afton has been busting through some of the common myths surrounding entrepreneurship. She has now niched down to teach about brand messaging and content strategy. The way she breaks down how to find your voice and cut through the noise is a must-listen!
As your business grows, the need for building a strong advisory team becomes more and more critical.
In this episode, we speak about the benefits of building the right team for your business.
Find out your diagnostic score of your business at https://www.totalwealthscore.com
This is one of those interviews that were both a joy to record, and a joy to listen to. Recorded the day before Vasavi turned 40, we head down fascinating roads including who you should look up to, and why talking to yourself out loud can be game-changing. Her confidence and energy are so compelling – enjoy!
Ever been curious about buying or building a franchise? This episode is for you!
Lance Graulich is an expert in franchises. Having owned multiple franchises himself, and then becoming a broker, he has seen it all. In this episode, we talk about who should and shouldn't buy a franchises, and what to consider when buying or turning your business into a franchise.
Free Assessment: https://www.zorakle.net/assessment/welcome/ionfranchising
Investing in real estate does not come without cost or risk. Abiel Ballesteros is a professional Real Estate Investor in Miami, with properties across multiple states. Join us today as we discuss who real estate investing is for, and how to decide on a segment of real estate to focus on. Abiel will also share his thoughts on syndicate investing and why multi-unit/family buildings can reduce your risks and costs. If you've ever been interested in learning more about real estate investment, here's your chance!
Once I got over my fangirling, I settled in to talk to Ross about his aspirations and his goal of a 150-million-dollar company. I love the ambition, and he is doing it all virtually! We dig into the business and distribution of content, and how content distribution as an investment can produce revenue for years to come. Ross breaks down his KPIs and the lessons he learned from his grandmother, as well as the importance of curiosity, and communication trust when it comes to remote work. You’ll leave this episode knowing what to delegate and what not to delegate, how you can use hiring as a form of asset allocation, and so much more!
Let’s talk about expectations, age, hustle, grind, and what are the numbers that we really need to know.
I want to talk a bit about the fact I went to see Sting in concert, he was so full of life and vibrant, he delivered an amazing performance. He was a master, and he held the audience in the palm of his hands. And yet, he was so chill, he was just so zen-like he was living his best life.
Now, if we were to dig into the numbers around Sting we will find the following,
- He is 70 years old.
- He has a net worth of $550 million.
- He has sold over 100 million records during his time as a solo artist.
- He has six kids, numerous graduate kids, two wives a whole bunch of properties.
So why is he still performing?
IT and technology are becoming more and more important to the efficient separation and scaling of business. In this episode, Gay Hamilton of 'Go Innovation' and I talk about when and how to hire IT personnel vs. contractors. We'll outline the IT resources required as you add staff, as well as the reality of cyber crimes and how it has been whitewashed.
Samantha Dean is a former accountant from Australia who now helps other experts monetize their knowledge. In this episode, Sam provides invaluable advice on how to work through your 'shoulds' and the importance of setting up boundaries. She'll also share her thoughts on how to set up good collaborations, and what she believes are the most important key performance indicators. There's lots to learn in this episode!
André Brisson has ADHD. He has also built two successful companies, and is now working on his third! When he received his ADHD diagnosis a few years ago, it explained EVERYTHING. Since then, he's learned all he can about ADHD and used his knowledge and first-hand experience to build a coaching program to help high-achieving entrepreneurs.
On this episode, we'll define what exactly ADHD means, the reason why so many entrepreneurs have ADHD, and the differences between ADHD and other mental health/neurodivergent conditions. André will also explain the common symptoms of ADHD, and how you can turn these symptoms into your superpowers!
Personal Branding expert Monique Bryan has a massive background in global business, fashion, and marketing. She brings the energy and strategies around
- What is personal branding
- Who needs it
- Online presence
- How authentic to be online
- Retreats as a business strategy.
- How to put yourself into a high energy state
You will love this advice delivered with panache.
What do you get when you marry energy efficiency, net zero, and block chain? You get Megan McCarthy's Rocarbon Labs! A start-up that helps business owners and their facilities reach net zero, with a faster return of investment thanks to the improvement in carbon offsets sold on the carbon market.
How does the carbon market work? How can you develop more income streams for your facilities? What is data collection and the block chain? Listen and find out!
Big ideas, game changers and transformative focus. Real life and business can get in the way of developing and implementing big ideas, but Andrea Ivanka and I talk about how to get them and stay focused! Listen to this episode to learn where big ideas can come from, how to re-engage with ideas you had in the past, the difference between alignment and systems and why they are both SO important.
Katelyn Bourgoin is a trailblazer in the area of customer-focused research. Steeped in the experience of closing down her tech start-up, she is on a mission to teach effective customer research to entrepreneurs and other marketers.
Katelyn is engaging, practical, and super knowledgeable on so many things. Join us as Katelyn shares that knowledge, explaining 'Jobs to be Done' and how McDonald's used it to increase their milkshake sales, beach head content, and where true customer clarity comes from.
Clay Christensen video we talk about:
Understanding the Job
Sign up for Buyer Psychology email:www.katelynbourgoin.com
Profit is a beautiful thing, and opens the door to all sorts of new questions: Where do I stash it? What do I do with it? Should I spend it or save it? Wherever you are in your entrepreneurial journey, it’s time to plan now what to do with that profit.
In this episode we are going to really define that super nebulous term - leadership. How to get work done through others and the different hats of managing, leading, and coaching.
Lisa Haydon has just passed the 5-year anniversary mark of her business, Pivotal Growth. Prior to her own pivotal growth, Lisa worked in finance and banking for large enterprise companies. She helps companies assess and diagnose their people performance with diagnostic, consulting, and implementation services.
Join us as we discuss the turning point that launched Lisa into the world of entrepreneurship and how to get past imposter syndrome, her thoughts on what your meeting cadence should be as an entrepreneur, and how to vet potential business partners.
How about this boundary? Only pursuing opportunities that offer the potential of adding 7 figures to the top line.
Eleanor Beaton is the Founder and CEO of Safi Media. She is on a mission to double the number of 7-figure women business owners by 2030 through business coaching, entrepreneurship education and story telling. We talk about the filters that Eleanor uses when evaluating opportunities, and dig down into niching – how to know when it is time to narrow your focus, and the bliss and pain of executing on this strategy.
We'll discuss CEO time and what it is, as learn what a 'Jewel Business' is and why you want one! (HINT: 30% open time for the founder is one of the foundation pieces)
A communication expert and Founder/CEO of Orisha Creative, Tamika is a specialist at turning leads into buyers. Join us for this fascinating conversation where you will learn the difference between a launch and an active enrolment campaign, and how Lead Generation is just another vanity metric. We'll break down the buyer's journey vs. the customer journey vs. funnels, redefine personal development, and share a unique definition of community.
Did you ever wonder what it takes to scale a company to 50 employees? What you have to do in the business as a Founder in the beginning and how that role evolves over time. Saeed El Darahali is the CEO of SimplyCast and has been an entrepreneur since his teens and he has many lessons to share.
In this episode we discuss
- How to avoid micromanaging
- The two tasks he always wants to participate in
- The second question he always asks in an interview
- The evolution of communication
- The triangle of Calculated Risk decisions
- How serving multiple markets and segments can give you an advantage
This is a must-listen episode for all Entrepreneurs who want inspiration. Tareq came to Canada in 2015 with nothing. He is now a sought-after speaker, running a major chocolate factory and a couple of retail stores. The story of Peace By Chocolate is now available in a book and a soon-to-be-released feature film. This interview is an inspiration and reminds us that we can overcome almost everything and that hope is important.
In this episode, we talk about
- The importance of Building a family outside of your family
- The interplay between profit and purpose
- How Peace is the most important value you can have
Mary Jane Copps aka The Phone Lady is on a mission to make people less anxious and more masterful in their use of the telephone. In an era of texts, DMs, emails and a bijillion social platforms, a lot of people have lost their love of the phone or maybe didn’t ever love it.
As an expert in all things phone, Mary Jane shares some great insights into:
- Why Customer Service calls are totally different now
- How to make Sales calls more effective
- How often to follow up and what to do to get maximum results
- What to say if you are leaving a voice mail
On this episode, we dig into this question. The brain is a powerful tool that may not always lead us in the right direction. If we think of our brain like a computer, our subconscious is the operating system. And there are programs running and influencing our decisions all the time.
Join us as we talk about
Bringing these programs to the conscious level
Reprogramming our mind to
The shortcuts your brain takes when making decisions
Personal Branding expert Monique Bryan has a massive background in global business, fashion, and marketing. She brings the energy and strategies around
- What is personal branding
- Who needs it
- Online presence
- How authentic to be online
- Retreats as a business strategy.
- How to put yourself into a high energy state
You will love this advice delivered with panache.
Justin Breen was an entrepreneur trapped in a job until 5 years ago. A journalist by trade, he started BREpic as his salaried work was going away.
I love hearing about people’s journeys to Entrepreneurship – they are all so different and inspiring in different ways – and Justin’s is one of perseverance. His conversion rate was pretty low at the beginning – 1 in 1000. To get his first 5 clients he talked to 5000. I think most of us would have called it way before that!
Join us to hear that story and our discussions around:
- The importance of family and why his always comes first
- How he decides who to work with
- Where the future of public relations is
- Pricing of services
- The difference between Entrepreneurs and Business Owners
- Why getting into small rooms is important on a number of levels
It’s another great episode
For our last recorded episode of 2021, we wanted to go out with a bang, so we have not one, but THREE guests! Neil Stephen, Shelagh Cummins, and John Swain join us to share their expertise in Marketing, Coaching, and Accounting and they serve up some amazing insights and tips! We discuss the changes we’ve seen in business throughout the pandemic, and which of those changes we believe to be permanent. We will also break down our top 3 pointers for business owners in 2022, and what our biggest goals are for the upcoming year.
On this episode of The Real Bottom Line,we share and discuss our favourite business books that we’ve read over the past year. A few of the books we discuss include Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy’s Who Not How,which lays out a blueprint of changing your thinking around your work; Fotini Iconomopoulos’ Say Less, Get More,which teaches an inclusive approach to negotiating, and Tarek Hadad’s Peace by Chocolate story shows us how community and perseverance can let you build success from scratch.
Serial entrepreneur, published author, and CEO of ClearToYou, Frances Shagen, sits down to discuss what you can and can’t delegate when it comes to your accounting, how Mastermind changed her business, and the 3 most important questions you should be asking before hiring your bookkeeper. With a background in accounting and finance, Frances focuses on helping women, especially Indigenous women, start and grow their own enterprises. Learn more about Frances’ journey and how you can be your own CFO in this episode of The Real Bottom Line.
Laural Carr, owner of Impagination, a marketing firm in Toronto focusing on sevice-based businesses, is about to celebrate her 35th year in business. We talk about productizing your services - the Why and the How? We talk about pricing and when you should value based price versus charge by the hour. You will want to tune into this episode to learn about what elephants, meatloaf and GPS have to do with marketing. It’s a great one!
Roxanne Tate is the owner of Tate Engineering Inc. and Airtight Spaces. She is about to hit the ten-year mark and is sharing a lot of the lessons she has learned along the way.
Join us on this episode as we discuss...
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The importance of values
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How to evaluate business opportunities
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Being deliberate about your growth
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The pros and cons of real estate investing
The first two-time guest - this episode is less interview and more conversation. Business coach extraordinaire, Andrea Ivanka and I discuss the importance of strategic planning, how we approach it, the elements to consider and some surprising tactical implementation suggestions.
Michael Devenney, the Founder of WorkInsights and The Mindset Project, is a trailblazer in the leadership field. He researches, consults and builds tools so that teams can build stronger, more profitable and longer lasting companies. Michael is very forthcoming about his PTSD and depressive periods – his weekly LinkedIn posts let so many entrepreneurs know that they aren’t alone. We talk about mental health and entrepreneurs (67% of business owners will have an occurrence of mental health issues during their working life) and the stigma that is still prevalent that prevents many of them from reaching out for help. Michael outlines the support systems he has built, and how a good hike is so helpful.
I have known Teresa Easler for almost a decade. In that time, I have learned soooo much from her – and now you can too! We talk about perseverance, dealing with debt, and shifting your mindset. Teresa measures everything and delivers some amazing truths around pricing and when to charge for things you may be doing for free.Want to find out if you’re a presentation rockstar? Click here! (https://www.connecttothecore.com/presentation-rockstar-scorecard)
TRUST. It affects your topline, your bottom line, and everything in between. It seems like a nebulous concept, but my guest, Natalie Oldfield has developed The Client Trust Index™.This tool gives you proven, objective data that helps you make decisions, improve your customer experience, increase retention, and deepen relationships. We talk about how she transitioned from CMO, and her journey to becoming a world-renowned Trust Expert.
Susan Diaz is a messaging maven who has gone all in on podcasts as anchor content. Her company, c+p digital, takes on the task of developing a great concept all the way through to publishing, and repurposing podcasts into compelling content. Starting as a chocolatier in India, we discuss how she came to Toronto and her journey to business ownership.
Nathalie Morin and Julien Rousseau-Dumarcet met and fell in love in Wakefield, QC. He; a Frenchmen with a passion for chocolate; she, a young hospitality professional who had itchy feet!
Together they travelled to Europe and began their adventures. They worked for a handful of award-winning hotels and independent chocolatiers in France, England, and Scotland.
They had envisioned setting up shop in Halifax 2 years prior to arriving in Canada. But why Halifax? Because it offered a great quality of life, had many European influences, and was conveniently located between Ottawa and Roquebrune-sur-Argens - the couples' respective hometowns!
7 years, 1 expansion, 2 babies, 1 house, lots and lots of blood, sweat & tears later.... Here we ARE! A true commitment to dedication, hard work and a solid partnership!
A graduate from Acadia University in 1986 with a BA in Health and Physical Education, Tanya was a physical education teacher in HRM for 10 years and as a co-owner was instrumental in the success of the Nubody’s chain of Fitness Centres.
A customer service advocate, Tanya is a relationship builder and focuses on the special touches. Currently, Tanya is the Director of WORKSPACE Atlantic and President of Mattie Capital. She is an active community volunteer, involved in fundraising with the Canadian Progress Club-Halifax Citadel, Chisholm Services for Children, Family SOS, Phoenix Youth, Oakfield Golf Club, and the United Church of Canada.
Phoenix Youth nominated her for the 2016 Maritime Philanthropy Awards as Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser. In 2019 Tanya was awarded the Community Heart Award from Chisholm Services for Children and currently sits on the Foundation board with Chisholm. Tanya was recently awarded the Progression of the year 2020 for Canadian Progress Club Halifax Citadel and the Eastern Region.
Staying active with fitness, yoga, golf, kayaking, and biking are high on Tanya’s priority list as is travel and spending time with her husband and family - which includes 5 grandchildren !
As a co-founder and CEO at RIDDL, and Partner and former Managing Partner of Code + Mortar, Jenelle Sobey is motivated to build a sustainable, competitive and resilient world. She believes that the tech sector can enable and scale solutions to achieve that. Jenelle has so much experience in starting and building businesses, so she will be sharing with us her start-up secrets. She has been recognized with tons of awards for her work - too many for us to list here!
In this episode, we decided to shake things up a bit. We interview Melanie Little, founder of startup vLife, about her vision and goals of supporting buying local. Then, Melanie joins me in the host chair, and we turn our attention to one of her clients – Bernadette. A fascinating double interview about building a business and celebrating along the way.
Megan O'Neill is a Mindset Mentor and Certified Core Belief Engineering (CBE) Practitioner who, for over 19 years, has helped clients break-fee of limiting subconscious beliefs, fears and patterns. Her work specializes in the area of money mindset—assisting clients in understanding why they're operating the way they are and then working to clear it at a deep level so they can transform their relationship with money! She lives in Ottawa with her husband Kevin and her teens Sara and Tommy.
www.meganoneill.ca
https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-o-neill-36392999/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CoreBeliefsforBusiness
https://www.instagram.com/megancorebeliefs/
Freebie/Offer: The Confidence Lab - https://meganoneill.ca/confidence-lab-own-your-entrepreneurial-expertise/
Shelagh's journey began in the classroom as a teacher for 12 years. A decade ago, she traded in her regular paycheck for the freedom and flexibility of entrepreneurship, starting with a parenting blog and tutoring business. It wasn't until she was the emcee at a business conference that she discovered her true calling, and began facilitating women's business training and coaching entrepreneurs to greater business success. Today, Shelagh is the Founder and CEO of The Road to Seven, helping visionary entrepreneurs take empowered action to achieve their ambitious dreams.
Brent started his sales career doing door-to-door sales for various charities. This is where he discovered his love for sales, getting to talk to people from all different walks of life, coast to coast across Canada. He then transitioned into a tech start up and got to work with small business owners across North America, helping to connect them with other businesses to solve their pain points. He then partnered with his amazing fiancée, Leslie, to launch The Full Prism Group. One of their core services is showing business owners that sales don't have to be scary and intimidating. They teach strategies and help to generate leads as well as generally keeping their back office organized, whether that means implementing new project management software or getting their books up to date.
Over the past decade, Matt Symes has worked with over 400 organizations to help them understand the principles, methods, and tools of high performing organizations.
From helping a manufacturing company scale from 20m to over 150m a year, a construction company from 42m to 200m/annualized and countless other organizations from 1m - 10m, Matt has had a front row seat on the trials and tribulations of organizations going through scale.
Symplicity Designs is a B Corp that measures and supports a triple bottom line - People, Planet, and Profit. Over the last decade they have given back more than 4.2m in Low-Bono, Pro-Bono, and Cash to the social sector. Their work in the education system, the health care system,
Matt and his team provided guidance to more than 1800 business leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic with a series of early stage webinars to help organizations get oriented and prepare for the pandemic. As a result of his efforts, he was named the 2021 Business leader of the year in Nova Scotia.
He not only helps other organizations scale but he leads an equity portfolio of 8 organizations. They have skin in the game and use these same principles to scale their own organizations.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-symes-8328a765/
Amanda started working at Home Hardware as a teen and eventually worked her way up to a management position. She learned how to run a business from the ground up and is now an owner of the same store she started out at! Join us as we chat with Amanda about how she managed to keep everything running smoothly throughout a pandemic and major supply shortages, while also continuing to grow the business.
Shaun, is the Founder and CEO of Blue Cow Marketing. He was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug at a young age. He knows firsthand how much love and determination gets poured into running a business after spending more than 10 years touring all over Canada learning from different industries. Not only is Shaun passionate about marketing he also developed some very unique abilities to stay current with changing technology in this ever-progressive world.
Now as a Keap Certified Partner for 10 years, Shaun helps businesses owners implement automation in their business to grow their bottom line and get their lives back.
Learn more: http://bluecowmarketing.ca/automate
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunwhynacht
In this episode, Wendy takes on some of the top questions submitted to her about finance and business.
Tracey is an accomplished professional with 20 years of experience in the financial services industry working directly or indirectly with personal, commercial and corporate clients to help them achieve their financial goals. A demonstrated passion for increasing financial fitness coupled with lending and risk management experience led to the establishment of Bissett Financial Fitness Inc.
As Chief Financial Fitness Trainer of Bissett Financial Fitness Inc., Tracey educates and empowers individuals, notably young adults, and entrepreneurs to take control of and live their financial lives with confidence. As a former executive at TD Bank, one of Canada’s Big 5 Banks, Tracey has worked with and in support of thousands of individuals and entrepreneurs to secure the financing they needed. This hands on experience coupled with her formal financial education, Masters of Business Administration and Chartered Financial Analyst designation, position Tracey uniquely to coach about all things money.
Tracey is a full time professor in the financial services faculty within the Business School at Centennial College. She leads speaking engagements and is the Executive Producer and host of the Young Money podcast all focused on increasing financial fitness. Recently named a Silver Award winner for The IFSE Institute Award for Financial Literacy Champion through the Wealth Professional Awards 2020.
A native of Nova Scotia, Tracey enjoys giving back the community and actively volunteers with Therapeutic Paws of Canada, the United Way of Toronto & York Region as well as Junior Achievement of Central Ontario.
Tim is co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Fit First Technologies. His fascination with why and how people end up in the right or wrong careers started 45 years ago when he was hired for his first job – delivering flyers for the local newspaper. As he progressed up his professional ladder, he saw top performers move up and those who – well – didn’t. Often, it wasn’t because they were incompetent, but rather that their skills and personality didn’t fit that role or company. He realized that personal and professional success happens when the ‘fit’ is right.
In 1995 Tim founded the Brennan Group of Online Companies – a firm that provided training to North American businesses on strengthening their sales leadership. It was here that he first started counselling clients on the impact of smarter selection practices. Along the way, the technology of assessing and predicting fit enabled Tim’s vision of helping companies adopt a better way to find, select and hire became a reality. A decade or so later that company became Fit First Technologies. More recently, Tim and the Fit First team have been instrumental in helping clients such as Atlantic Superstores, Admiral Insurance, Eden Valley Poultry, FYI Doctors and others reduce turnover, increase efficiencies, and generate a return on investment of more than 300% in one year all through better people practices.
Tim’s passion for helping companies select great people and for people to find their dream career continues to be fueled by his belief that everyone will be more successful when companies measure what matters in the hiring process and sort potential employees by their Fit First; then education and work experience.
On this episode of the Real Bottom Line we go surprisingly deep on pricing, sales and lifelong learning with Andrea Ivanka. Andrea coaches Entrepreneurs in building and scaling their business in an authentic way.
A fountain of knowledge bombs, Colleen Cole of PERMA-DRY® has so many lessons to share. She found herself in Africa and has been growing into her true abilities ever since. Tenacity, a willingness to do what had to be done, and going full speed ahead once a decision has been made is key to her success.
Overcoming mindset and bias, Debbie Adams is a reluctant entrepreneur. Join our conversation as we discuss her journey and the work she does to help blue collar entrepreneurs start and grow their business. Curiosity, learning and developing self-confidence are key tools she has used to build her successful enterprise.
Sarah Mullins is a HR professional and accidental Entrepreneur. She tried it for a year and it stuck. Join us as we talk about the world of HR and how as business owners we can turn HR into an investment to fuel the growth of our companies.
By day, Andre is the owner of a Engineering Company. But his secret super power is learning, thinking, and simplifying complexities. He fearlessly tackle complex problems, anticipates roadblocks, and decisively uncovers unique solutions while under pressure in order to solve the impossible. We are going to talk about the pros and cons of being an impulsive thinker and how to harness that power to do great work.
Corinne is the daughter of a teacher and a lawyer - which probably explains a lot about her desire to share and explain the legal stuff.
After escaping many years of the big law firm life (aka the "soul-sucking situation"), Corinne started her entrepreneurial legal journey in 2012.
What started as a 40-hour in-person legal course developed for small business owners has now also turned into guided legal templates for Canadians doing business online.
Corinne has a knack for making things practical and easy to implement. Being a lawyer since 2002 has given her perspective and experience to boil things down to the essentials.
Corinne is originally from Cape Breton Island and lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia with her spouse, Martin, two teenagers Enya and Owen and new rescue pup, Kiwi.
Corinne’s hobbies include playing guitar with her band “The Mother Pluckers” and playing hockey with the Puckers.
Corinne's motto is "Work Hard. Have Fun. Give Back."
www.instagram.com/lawyercorinne
https://twitter.com/lawyercorinne
https://www.facebook.com/onlinelegalessentials
https://www.onlinelegalessentials.ca/a/46574/tyMFJRL2
John Swain is no ordinary accountant. Full of passion and purpose, we got so many truth bombs in this interview it was tough to pick out just one! Revenue is a vanity stat, labour efficiency should be 3:1, you should be monitoring your return on revenue, make numbers part of your weekly or monthly habits. And my all-time favorite – Busy is the new stupid. You don’t want to miss this episode.
A thought leader in the financial planning space, Martha is leading the change on advisors integrating behavioural finance and money mindset into their practices. Her recent book, Cleopatra's Riches,is now an international best seller.
Martha’s passion for changing the conversation around money and finances has become the focus of her life’s work. She believes in everyone’s ability to create positive and impactful change in their lives by taking back control through their own understanding and self-development. She invests her whole heart as she tries to bring out the best in the people she works with so that they can feel empowered in their financial journey. As an author and financial educator, Martha is committed to this process, and to keeping the conversation moving forward.
Prior to much of 2020, Kim ran a thriving speaker's bureau. Overnight, business evaporated. Kim got curious and listened. It led to her getting the PCMA Digital Event Strategist. Our conversation covers a lot of ground around planning virtual events and what is happening next.
Kimberley King is a passionate leader in the Canadian meetings and events industry. A proud founding board member of the Atlantic Canada Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and a Past President, Kim has lead the industry from the inside out. As a member of IASB (International Association of Speakers Bureaus) she offer clients a global reach on speakers, celebrities and subject matter experts. Kimberley studied at Mount St. Vincent University in the Public Relations program in Halifax, Nova Scotia and graduated from the Advertising and Public Relations program of Grant MacEwan in Edmonton, Alberta. She is a recent graduate of the Virtual Event & Meeting Management Course from Event Learning Institute and holds the PCMA Digital Event Strategist Designation (DES).
Join us as Aria talks about manifestation in your personal and business life, and how to identify and achieve your highest potential
Aria Raphael is Self-Actualization and Manifestation Coach, Channeler, Healer, Business and Leadership Consultant, and Public Speaker. She has been leading transformational programs for 14 years and has training in coaching, transformational practices, energy and healing work, leadership, and organizational and management consulting. Her newest program, “The Alchemy of Living,” teaches manifestation, deep healing of emotion and consciousness, grounded living, boundaries, and alignment with one’s highest path and outcomes. It is her calling and passion to help individuals and businesses discover and fulfill their authentic purpose and greatest potential.
Fotini Iconomopoulos is a master negotiator, and in this episode of The Real Bottom Line she gives us some great tips on preparing for and conducting negotiations. Bonus, she also tells you how to make your kids do what you ask!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fotiniiconomopoulos
Cynthia Mason is a Canadian lawyer and trademark agent with a passion for helping businesses arm themselves with the information and tools necessary to protect their brands from copycats. Over the span of her near 20-year legal career, she has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies to protect their names, logos and taglines from theft and misuse.
Cynthia is also a legal innovator and has developed an online platform for registering trademarks, making professional brand protection accessible for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonpc/
IG/FB - @masonpctrademarks
Websites: https://masonpc.com/ and https://markably.ca/
This episode we speak with Christina Forgeron
Christina understands the power of identity. Using over twenty-five years of international experience as an educator, administrator, performer, award-winning musician and community leader, Christina helps students, families and schools to clarify their values and vision, identify obstacles and create meaningful solutions to maximize success and self- realization.
Bolster Family Educational Support is an online business located in Halifax, Nova Scotia that works with children, families and schools around the world. Bolster strives to turn students
into learners. Bolster strives to bring value, meaning and cohesion to the daily lives of busy
families. Bolster strives to create schools where schools understand their strengths, their vision and how to understand and maximize the existing culture within and without its walls.
Social Handles
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bolster-families-christina-forgeron/
https://twitter.com/BolsterFamilies
https://www.facebook.com/Bolsterfamilies
https://www.instagram.com/bolsterfamilies/
This episode we spoke with Neil Stephen from This Is Marketing.
Helping clients first articulate and then achieve communications objectives through strategic branding while aligning their everyday business practices to reflect that brand.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilstephen