North Report: Recent Episodes
Quantum Mob
North Report focusses on all avenues of running a technology business in Toronto and beyond. We love to hear from experienced thought leaders and entrepreneurs to provide a unique perspective based on their experiences. We aim to keep it casual but informative.
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Time Guide
(00:30) - Introductions
(00:57) - About Zen Habito
(02:50) - Career Journey
(05:10) - About Globe and Mail
(07:50) - Change in Strategy
(09:30) - Data & Typical Consumer
(11:15) - On-boarding Process Then Vs. Now
(12:50) - Focus on the Future Audience
(17:18) - Onboarding Process
(20:50) - Challenges / Advantages
(23:50) - Bringing Family Values into Business
(25:50) - 6 Key Pillars
(28:50) - How do you Define a ‘Positive Experience’ & Take a Loss
(31:50) - Key Learnings from Past Strategies
(34:00) - Incorporating Tech
(35:15) - How do Censorship & Loyalty Intersect?
(37:10) - Foresee Technological Changes
(39:39) - Three Key Takeaways
(42:00) - Working on now
(44:02) - Contact Info
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/zenalyn
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/
In this week's episode, Adeel Syed, the COO of SPC tells us all about the undertaking of creating a seamless digital experience, unique challenges that come with targeting the niche market of young students, and how technology is transforming the loyalty landscape in 2020.
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Time Guide:
00:30 - Introductions
00:56 - Career Prior, to Now
01:40 - Elevator Pitch for SPC
02:52 - Target Market of Students
04:48 - Hit or Miss Initiatives
05:41 - Key Features of Digital Transformation
07:40 - Looking to Other Companies
08:40 - Benefits of Partnership Model
11:01 - Future of SPC
11:50 - Gen Z
13:40 - Building a Digital Team
15:20 - Loyalty Landscape
17:10 - Book Recommendation
18:00 - Key Points
19:00 - Shoutout + Contact Info
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adeelasyed/
https://spccard.ca/
Micah Solomon is an expert and thought leader in everything related to your brands' customer service and experience. His new book, Ignore Your Customers (And They'll Go Away) is an in depth exploration on delivering the ultimate customer experience. We spoke with him about how customer service is the new marketing, the evolution of consumers, what companies are getting wrong in the current climate and incorporating 'the default of YES'.
Time Guide >> 00:28 - Introductions >> 01:02 - About Micah >> 03:38 - Career up to Now >> 06:27 - Book >> 07:15 - Experience >> 08:20 - Face-to-Face >> 09:13 - Customer expectations >> 12:53 - Provide Alternatives >> 14:21 -Developing Standards >> 18:00 - Right versus Wrong >> 24:00 - Myths and Misunderstandings >> 26:40 - Book Recommendation >> 27:43 - 3 Takeaways >> 29:14 - What’s happening now? >> 30:00 - Contact
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.micahsolomon.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/customerguru/
This week on North Report we spoke with Chris Sanz, a commercial, technology, and cannabis lawyer practicing in association with Inter-Alia Law. We discussed the day-to-day legalities in cannabis, common misunderstandings and missteps surrounding the cannabis sector, the purpose of lawyers, making risk-based decisions and his enthusiasm about working in the cannabis sector.
Time Guide:
00:30 - Introductions
01:40 - Career prior to now
03:09 - Day-to-day at Cannabis Company
04:30 - Mistakes in Cannabis
06:23 - When to bring in legal help
08:21 - Crypto Currency vs. Cannabis
11:30 - Cannabis 2.0 - topicals and edibles
14:02 - Misunderstanding/Myth About Law
15:28 - In-person Retail Experiences
18:20 - Closure of irregular market locations
21:09 - Parallels between alcohol and cannabis
22:26 - Impacts of Changes in Law
24:26 - Upcoming Major Regulatory Changes
25:34 - Book Recommendation
26:14 - 3 Key Takeaways
28:15 - Shoutouts + Contact
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.interalia-law.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-sanz-67401538/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
In our last episode before the holiday break (don't worry we're back January 8th) Matt McKinney, the Executive Director of Workbridge Associates; a solution providing IT staffing across 11 major North American Markets. He spoke with us about finding the right staff for your office culture, equity play and the potential for the recruiting industry.
Time Guide:
00:27 - Introductions
03:40 - Elevator Pitch
05:05 - Uniqueness
06:40 - Candidate Commonalities
09:51 - Misunderstandings
18:11 - Cannabis Space?
21:01 - Staffing a Staffing Firm
23:33 - Major Changes
29:56 - Favorite Book
33:10 - 3 Takeaways
37:28 - Concluding Remarks
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.workbridgeassociates.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckinneymatt/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Trang Trinh who is the CEO and Co-Founder of TREC Brands; a conscious cannabis company that believes in driving a company forward with values rather than profit. The founding director of TREC (which stands for Trust, Respect, Equality & Compassion) spoke with us about various successes and challenges in building a brand that included putting community and social responsibility first, how to build passionate dedicated teams, and making sure your company is focused in their value and mission statement.
00:28 - Introductions
01:32 - Previously
04:02 - All about TREC
05:14 - How's the experience been?
07:03 - Differentiation in Cannabis
09:45 - Product Distinguishing
13:14 - The Next 10 Years
16:39 - Team Makeup
20:03 - Regulation
21:44 - Giving Back
24:14 - Toronto
26:49 - 3 Takeaways
28:43 - Contact
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.trecbrands.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trangtrinhca/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Patrick Sojka is the Founder and CEO of Frequent Flyer Bonuses Group/RewardsCanada. He increasingly contributes to the online market, helping consumers find travel reward program bonuses. The resource platform is worldwide, and we spoke with him about the backend processes of satisfying loyalty, the importance of geotagging, and updating technology in order to compete in the rewards market.
Time Stamps:
00:29 - Introductions
00:45 - Rewards Canada.ca
01:37 - Career leading up to Frequent Flyers.
03:09 - How well is loyalty keeping pace?
03:29 - Behind the scenes
04:30 - Appealing to younger audiences.
06:53 - Is there room for smaller players?
08:10 - Anyone we should keep an eye on?
10:50 - Backend development
12:52 - Can tech giants still fit?
14:19 - Geotagging
15:17 - Calgary Loyalty
17:22 - No more plastic
19:37 - How are programs protecting consumers?
21:42 - Systems to protect data
22:37 - Favourite Book
24:13 - 3 takeaways
25:00 - Shoutouts
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-sojka-4134aa14/
https://www.rewardscanada.ca/about.html
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Customer Retention Marketing is a key segment of businesses that can often be difficult to tackle. North Report spoke to Stacey Cummings who is the Head of Customer Solutions Marketing at Purolator. Purolator is Canada's leading courier and Cumming's discusses the importance of incorporating technology in a B2B business, utilizing consumer data to exceed market expectations and maintaining loyalty through reliability.
Enjoying North Report? Be sure to tag us @north_report & share it with your friends.
Time Guide:
00:44 - Introductions
02:20 - How did you end up at Purolator?
06:47 - Integrating Sales & Marketing
10:00 - Purolator's Value Prop
12:45 - Common Myths of B2B Marketing
14:50 - Difference in Strategy
18:16 - Building a Marketing Team
21:55 - Reading People
24:04 - Technology Enabling Customer Relationships
26:50 - Loyalty in 10 years.
30:00 - Current Projects
34:15 - 3 Takeaways
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceydoesmarketing/
https://www.purolator.com/en/home.page
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Andrew Wilson is the Chief Operations Officer at the seed-to-sale software platform GrowerIQ. They offer a plethora of services including business planning, facility design, and various avenues of cannabis consulting. As GrowerIQ brings together systems and data, Wilson speaks to us about incorporating compliance, maintaining a technology-first mentality, and sniffing robots.
Enjoying North Report? Be sure to tag us @north_report
Time Guide:
00:24 - Introductions
01:53 - International Relations
03:14 - Elevator Pitch for GrowerIQ
04:11 - Where do you start building?
05:18 - How do we integrate with your controller?
05:30 - Having a master grower
06:28 - Addressing Problems
07:42 - Software and Regulation
12:08 - Common Myths
14:13 - Machine Learning to Grow Cannabis
18:12 - All of Agricultural Activities?
19:32 - Sniffing Robot
24:30 - Columbia
26:00 - Extraction Facility
31:40 - 3 Takeaways
32:52 - What are you working on?
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewwilson41/
https://groweriq.ca/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
From Sydney Australia, North Report speaks with Philip Shelper; the CEO at Loyalty & Reward Co and Author of 'Blockchain Loyalty'. They speak about a variety of topics including the homogenization of loyalty designs, the importance of simplicity and studying consumer psychology to create the most effective loyalty and rewards program.
Enjoying North Report? Be sure to tag us @north_report
Time Guide:
00:30 - Introductions
01:29 - Competitor monitoring
03:09 - Blockchain Loyalty
04:12 - Here to stay?
05:31 - Sectors Consulted
06:05 - How do they differ?
07:30 - Differentiating your program
08:59 - Human Psychology
09:23 - What are people getting wrong?
11:03 - People arent spending enough
11:32 - Why loyalty programs?
13:29 - Card Linking
14:05 - How has the space changed?
16:08 - Hyper-Personalization
16:40 - What’s in your basket?
17:53 - What would you have told yourself?
19:55 - Current Projects
21:15 - 3 Takeaways
22:53 - Outro
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipshelper/
http://blockchainloyalty.io/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
This season on North Report we speak to even MORE experts and thought leaders in Toronto and beyond about their expertise in a variety of industries.
Episode 1 speaks to Morgan Kelly [Chief Executive Officer] and Noah Marconi [Chief Technology Officer] from Tag Innovation; an innovation lab supporting loyalty programs with expertise in software, analytics, blockchain and corporate education. They explore why blockchain should be incorporated into enterprise companies, and how to sell your appropriate emergent technology to said business. They incorporate both technical and high-level expertise while discussing reward programs in the travel industry, redeeming a plateau of points, and how to be a partner in enterprise rather than a point of resistance.
Enjoying North Report? Be sure to tag us @north_report
Time Guide
00:31 - Introductions
04:30 - Selling Emergent Tech
06:08 - What is Blockchain?
10:38 - For those in Loyalty...
12:35 - Why the Travel industry?
15:09 - Legacy Loyalty
17:00 - Sunrise in Enterprise
20:16 - Feet in door
26:20 - Leveraging blockchain?
28:57 - What would you do differently?
32:57 - Current Major Challenges
35:59 - Common Myths or Misunderstandings
40:00 - Company Risks
48:33 - Favourite Books
50:41 - Tag Innovation is a Certified Aboriginal Business
51:56 - Conclusions
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-kelly-71730213/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahmarconi/
https://www.taginnovation.io/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
As season one concludes, we wanted to do a brief recap for episode 20 exploring what we learned about creating a podcast, and in releasing a product that represents a company, a team and their guests as effectively as possible. We spoke about efficient processes, favourite takeaways and what's coming up in SEASON TWO!
We want YOUR FEEDBACK on season one! Send us a note at hello@northreport.ca
Time Guide:
(00:28) - Introductions
00:49 - Favourite Takeaways
01:40 - Processes
02:25 - Guest Management
03:39 - Hanging Foam
04:00 - Quality Audio
04:30 - Your morning commute
05:00 - Backgrounds & Levels
05:30 - Sponsorships
06:08 - Phone Interviews
06:45 - International?
07:26 - Lowlights?
08:15 - Feedback
09:15 - Receptive Guests
09:30 - We want YOUR THOUGHTS!!
10:05 - Conclusions
This week on North Report we spoke to the CEO and Co-Founder of Proto 3000, John Frangella. In a mixture of good startup and entrepreneurial content, we learned about how he went from dairy farming to manufacturing, fitting into a companies workflow, and really working to always make clients happy through your products.
Enjoying North Report? Be sure to let us know at hello@northreport.ca.
Time Guide:
00:31 - Introductions
00:40 - Proto 3000
01:06 - Using your Imagination
01:32 - Making Cheese?
02:07 - Farming to Printing?
03:48 - Elevator Pitch
04:42 - Manufacturing Challenges
05:50 - Tactile Elements
06:18 - Competition
07:08 - Main Challenges
08:21 - What would you do differently?
08:27 - You Can't do Everything
09:22 - Average People & 3D Printing
10:16 - Injection-Molded Part
10:25 - Investment
11:25 - 3D Printing in your Home
12:07 - Breaking into the Sector
12:53 - Getting Involved
13:24 - Creating without Intellectual Property
15:33 - Not everyone needs it
17:14 - Are there any Misunderstandings?
17:26 - Why you don’t call it 3D printing?
17:50 - Getting Technical
18:06 - Depositing as a process
18:54 - Quality Material
19:21 - Book Recommendations
21:25 - 3 Takeaways
22:40 - Get in Contact
23:11 - Shoutouts
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-frangella-1944a72/
https://proto3000.com/
This week we spoke to the Creative Director & Founder of Stack Creative, Stuart Thursby. The boutique creative agency focuses on the overlap between branding, websites & campaigns. We spoke with him about growth hacking, building the right team for a brand, how NOT to get lost in metrics while marketing.
Enjoying North Report? Be sure to share it with your friends @north_report
Time Guide
00:28 - Introductions
00:36 - Stack Creative
01:25 - Art Director & Other Titles
01:35 - Roles to Play
02:15 - Target Company
02:38 - Marketing Tactics
03:08 - Geographic Challenges
04:05 - In person versus online
05:32 - Small Office Spaces
06:13 - Maintaining Positive Habits
06:34 - Freelancers
07:35 - Agency Offering Accountability
07:55 - WFH Policies
08:12 - Building the right team
09:08 - Growth Hacking
10:21 - Short & Long Term Problems
11:18 - The First Month
12:03 - Calling in Help
12:35 - Company Roadmap
13:21 - Company Life Cycle
15:00 - Staff Augmentation
16:00 - An Agency is…
16:50 - It’s easy to get lost in metrics
17:26 - What sets Stack apart?
19:48 - Steps for other Founders
21:29 - Book Recommendations
22:13 - 3 Takeaways
24:56 - Traditional Forms
26:20 - Shoutouts
27:25 - Contact
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sthursby/
http://stackcreative.co/
This week we touched on even MORE content exploring the intersection of education and cannabis. Rob Tyrie, the SVP and General Manager of FoliEdge Academy (a Subsidiary of Aleafia health) opens up about how he conducts the research required to educate work sectors, scents and discretion of cannabis and 99% THC products.
In case you missed it, part one came out last week, and you can have a listen here:
https://northreport.simplecast.com/episodes/educational-assets-part-one
Time Guide:
00:33 - How do you conduct your research?
01:55 - Professional Practice
02:24 - Not like clinical trials
03:04 - Cannabis and Opioids
04:05 - Champagne Analogy
06:05 - Bowls at work?
06:45 - Scents and Discretion
08:12 - Blast to the past
09:06 - Happy Hour
10:35 - Interacting with people who use cannabis
11:14 - Need for Simplification
12:06 - Educating about Strain
12:35 - High versus Low Quality
13:24 - Hemp Use
15:33 - High Concentration
15:53 - Another Dimension?
16:10 - 99% THC
17:30 - Medical or Consumer
19:07 - Advising
20:20 - Multibillion dollar environment
21:33 - THE book, ‘Walk Away’
22:14 - 3 Takeaways
22:49 - Shoutouts
23:10 - Cymbl
23:39 - Conclusions
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robtyrie/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleafiahealth/
https://www.aleafiahealth.com/
https://foliedgeacademy.com/
Referenced Report: https://www.thegrowthop.com/cannabis-health/cannabis-medical/canadian-study-finds-benzodiazepine-use-among-patients-drops-45-percent-after-medical-cannabis-treatment
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
In part one (of two) Rob Tyrie, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of FoliEdge Academy, a subsidiary of Aleafia Health, exploring how cannabis has been integrated with technology, accessibility and education. In this first part-episode specifically, Tyrie tells us about his career as an entrepreneur, summarizing and simplifying technical information and microdosing.
Also, be sure to tune in to PART TWO; out next week!
Time Guide:
00:31 - Introductions
00:52 - FoliEdge Academy
01:00 - Vertically Integrated
01:49 - 60,000 Urine Samples
02:22 - Serial Entrepreneur
03:28 - Technical Enterprise Computing
04:20 - Cannabis as the new technology
04:50 - Educational Cannabis Assets
05:40 - Follow the cycle
06:30 - Corporate space
07:25 - Education & Regulation
08:55 - This is JUST regulation
10:33 - Incorporated Technology
11:30 - Online Training
12:37 - Accessibility
13:23 - Learn from your mistakes
15:00 - Education with the Black Market
16:10 - Edibles
17:10 - Matching needs to information
18:40 - Microdosing
19:45 - Recreational users and clinics?
20:35 - Primary Challenge
21:35 - There is a right way to change a curriculum
22:53 - Adult Use Marketplace
23:18 - Cannabis Economics
24:17 - Addictions…?
25:08 - DSM
26:10 - Addiction Cont’d
26:29 - Clinical Trials
27:20 - Vaporizers
27:57 - In a decade…
Tune in Next week for PART TWO of Rob's episode!
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
https://letsgethightech.com/?utm_source=launch&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=Cannabis
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robtyrie/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleafiahealth/
https://www.aleafiahealth.com/
https://foliedgeacademy.com/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
On this week's episode of North Report, Luis Saffie (the senior director of infrastructure engineering) from Wealthsimple spoke with our hosts about all things related to building and implementing technology, using staff creativity as internal tools, debunking common managerial myths and utilizing communication in every facet of a workspace.
Enjoying North Report? Be sure to share it with your friends :)
Time Guide
00:24 - Introductions
00:40 - Who are you?
03:01 - Typical day at Wealthsimple
04:06 - Tools get paid-off
05:43 - Where to start scaling your team
06:41 - Internal Staff as your tools
07:18 - Data Entry
08:01 - Systems for capabilities
10:32 - Communication & Healthcare
11:57 - What has set you apart?
14:12 - Improving communication
15:34 - Tools & the next Fax Machine
20:21 - Always discovering new technology
21:10 - Knowledge Based Organization Tagging Systems
21:40 - Building your teams
23:04 - You NEED creativity
24:07 - Tools for Team building
25:10 - Eat together
26:10 - Videos of people eating
27:27 - Common Myths?
28:12 - Hierarchies
31:40 - “Great things and great solutions are simple”
32:53 - 3 Takeaways
33:27 - “The Innovators Dilemma”
34:45 - Conclusions
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-saffie-36913835/
https://www.wealthsimple.com/
This week, North Report and the team at Quantum Mob tried something a little different; one of our co-founder's was on our good friend Mike Moll's podcast called Content Sessions. We thought it was so informative and unique that we cropped our favorite clips, and put together a summarized episode for our listeners. They speak about the challenges of targetting audiences and markets, maintaining momentum in distribution and running ads on various social platforms. Jump to 06:27 to listen to their discussion.
Time Guide
00:23 - Introduction
00:40 - Content Sessions
01:03 - Marketing for Software Companies
01:45 - Favorite Points?
03:16 - Pre-Rolls
03:55 - BST
04:41 - Three Takeaways
06:27 - Content Sessions
07:22 - Core Service Offering
08:10 - Web AND mobile?
09:05 - Main Products
10:38 - Loyalty
11:00 Retention is the new onboarding
12:13 - Automation
13:33 - Tagging the back end
14:15 - Developers as Researchers
15:15 - Follow-Up is key
17:30 - Focused Sites
18:21 - Hacking SEO
19:09: 100 Touchpoints?
19:45 - UTM Tags
20:30 - Human Error
21:56 - Exhausting a persona
23:16 - Broad doesnt help you sell; you need a content 'funnel'
26:33 - Combination of automation & manual
27:00 - Secret Sauce
28:41 - Resharing
30:58 - THAT doesn't exist
31:31 - Be the solution.
32:27 - Put it everywhere.
Links
Social:
Website - https://northreport.ca/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
Links:
Mike Moll - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeajmoll/?originalSubdomain=ca
Eric Kim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/-eric-kim-/
Content Sessions - https://socialmediahouse.to/podcast
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
John Sowden, the Vice President of one of Toronto's best event staffing firms The Butler Did It, has been with the company for over 16 years and is always looking for ways to streamline and improve the hospitality industry. By building and utilizing custom technology, The Butler Did It has surpassed its competitors as they use their digital softwares for scheduling, HR, and educating staff.
Enjoying North Report? Be sure to share it with your friends :)
Time Guide:
00:34 - Introductions
01:00 - How did you end up in hospitality
01:30 - The Butler Did It
01:56 - Favorite Guest
02:49 - What makes a guest interesting?
03:26 - Cheese
03:50 - Key Components of the Industry
04:30 - Part-Time Psychologist
05:09 - Structure with Technology
05:48 - Software for HR
06:36 - Implementation of Tech
07:35 - Confirmation in Pen
08:10 - Human Competition in Tech
08:48 - People don’t adapt as fast tech can change
09:21 - Staying Modern
09:48 - Be patient
10:37 - Researching an event
11:18 - Setting the team up for success
12:20 - Setting ourselves apart
13:00 - Maintaining Relationships
13:52 - Custom Software
14:53 - Making repairs versus custom buildout
16:13 - Guest Requirements
17:30 - Making people feel good
18:15 - Experiences & Memorability
19:20 - Human Error
20:40 - Garbage in, Garbage Out
21:23 - Takeaways
23:00 - Conclusions
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.thebutlerdidit.ca/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-sowden-341b385/
We tried something a little different this week. We spoke with 4 different designers - Simon Leung (Product Designer at Quantum Mob), Franchesca Tingting (Senior Product Designer at Event Mobi), Rishabh Varshney (Co-founder & CEO at Lake Financial) & Sophia Yang (Marketing Intern @ Quantum Mob) - at various points in the careers. We explore their array of experiences getting started in design, what design means to them, working with unversed colleagues, and making changes to a city (like Toronto) by applying design techniques.
Enjoying Norh Report? Be sure to share it with your friends and TAG US @North_Report.
Time Guide:
00:40 - Introductions
01:05 - How did you get into design?
02:12 Mish-Mash of Background
03:09 - Print is Dying
03:50 - Leap of Faith
04:22 - What is Design?
05:28 - Where do designers add value?
05:49 - Communicating the exact product
06:37 - Bad Design?
07:31 - Daily Activities
08:31 - Integration with Developers
09:40 - Startup/User Research
09:57 - Resources
10:50 - Design Communities
11:16 - Peers as your teachers
11:50 - Room for Improvement?
12:25 - Signage & Following Traffic
13:54 - Improvement to the City?
14:22 - Different Perspectives
16:03 - Changing the Slack Logo
17:10 - Tangents
17:55 - Freshii
18:44 - Speed and Design
21:31 - User Research
22:44 - Observe your target market
24:00 - Get to know your client
25:00 Moving away from ‘the clinical’
26:09 - Folding Phones
27:25 - Upcoming Changes
28:15 - Automated Cars
29:47 - Design solving problems
31:55 - Instagram ‘heart’ icon
32:35 - Evolving Roles
35:40 - Functionality
38:09 - Developer interaction
42:10 - Takeaways
43:59 - Conclusions
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-ch-leung/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/franchescatingting/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishabhvarshney/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-yangg/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Facilitating the sale of Cannabis can be a difficult feat; but Shahbaaz Kara-Virani, the Head of Sales at Lift & Company has utilized his athleticism, and honed it as a skill to assist his career. In this week's episode we discussed complacency, sports with sales, staying up with regulation, patience and the Toronto Raptors!
Enjoying Norh Report? Be sure to share it with your friends @North_Report
Time Guide
00:29 - Introductions
00:50 - Head of Sales
01:12 - Facilitating the Sale of Cannabis
01:49 - How did you end up in cannabis?
02:44 - Salesforce
03:12 - Athleticism
03:59 - Complacency was Creeping
04:34 - Growing Pains
05:00 - Being Productive while stoned
06:18 - Leading a Sales Team
06:28 - Endurance and Investment
07:09 - Sales and Sports
07:36 - Ability to adapt
08:06 - Learning how to lose
08:57 - Losses
09:08 - Elevator Pitch
10:12 - Facilitating Cannabis Sales
10:30 - Staying up with regulation
11:27 - Edibles
12:30 - Risks
13:13 - Navigating your niche
14:39 - Difficult Decisions
15:32 - What is our focus
16:09 - Monetization & Medical Events
17:22 - ‘The One Thing’
17:43 - Unique Challenges to Lift&Co
19:05 - Scalable Strategy
19:44 - Systems, People and Processes
20:34 - Helping Everyday Entrepreneurs
21:51 - Investing in the right people
22:22 - Different Departments Scale Together
22:38 - Unified Score Card
23:00 - Implementing systems
23:33 - What would you do differently?
25:17 - Technology intersecting education
26:06 - Find a way to understand th black market
26:44 - Packaging is bad for the environment
27:07 Standardize Regulation
27:27 - Retail Lottery (Strategy)
28:38 - Drake and the Raptors
29:34 - Canada leading the way
30:07 - Celebrate
30:38 - Better your Health
31:09 - 3 (4) Takeaways
32:39 - Conclusions
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahbaaz-kara-virani-51936b30/
https://lift.co/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
As the Chief Commercial Officer, Adam Coates is responsible for overseeing marketing, sales, commercial strategy and business development for Westleaf and its retail banner, Prairie Records. In episode ten, we explore all things related to cannabis and its consumption, cultivation and manufacturing as well as what it takes to market a product with an implied stigma - in both medicinal and recreational sectors.
Did you enjoy the episode? Be sure to share it with your friends, family and even random strangers :)
Time Guide
00:28 - Introductions to Westleaf
00:41 - Cultivation, Extraction & Retail
01:15 - Lack of Quality Consistency
02:02 - Disrupting Categories
02:14 - Prairie Records
02:56 - CCO Responsibilities
03:34 - Career steps to Cannabis
04:17 - Experience
05:06 - Bringing acquisitions together
05:35 - Cross functional sales and marketing division.
05:53 - Product innovation & execution innovation
06:19 - How to create a unique consumer experience?
06:40 - Restrictive Marketing
07:50 - Cannabis Retail
08:19 - Creating something unique
09:10 - Successful Staffing
09:52 - Scale
10:02 - Vertically Integrated Strategy
10:30 - Missing from the space
10:45 - Value Proposition
11:34 - Record stores & strains
11:56 - TOP HITS; curated ‘playlists’
12:58 - Immersive Experiences
13:43 - Post Prohibition Strategy & Regulation
14:43 - Less Harm Done
15:00 - What regulation is doing
15:20 - We need to educate the consumer.
16:15 - Change in Tech
16:42 - The Second Wave
17: 10 - Edibles
17:55 - Onset
18:55 - Feeling Cannabinoids
19:21 - Loyalty and Branding
20:08 - Building social following organically
20:45 - Consumer point of connection
20:57 - Distinction between Med and Rec
22:43 - Production
23:21 - Quality and Consistency
23:50 - Implied Lifestyle
24:30 - Budtenders
25:31 - Changes in the space
26:09 - Canada = Industry Leader
26:43 - Source of innovation
27:35 - Hemp & CBD
28:35 - Doing things differently
29:27 - Having the right culture
30:18 - Conclusions
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-coates-b2715b17/?originalSubdomain=ca
https://www.westleaf.com/
https://www.westleaf.com/prairie-records/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
In this episode, Cannabis Journalism explores writing and working in the cannabis space with Katarina Kostovic, a content writer and journalist for Leafly. Leafly is one of the largest cannabis resources in the world and works to empower people in the legal marijuana market, informing them on the right products for their lifestyle and wellness. This week, Kostovic spoke with us about age distribution, psychopharmacology and cannabis as a replacement for opioids.
Did you enjoy the episode? Be sure to share it with your friends, family and even random strangers :)
Time Guide:
00:30: Introductions
01:05: Cannabis journalism
01:13: Processes
01:57 - Developing a skill set
2:13 - Psychopharmacology
02:55 - Cannabis instead of Opioids
03:30 - The Writing Process
03:54 - Optimizer Health
04:13 - Useful Sources & Footwork
04:58 - What don’t we know?
05:47 - The use of Antheogins
06:30 - Writing towards Recreation?
07:16 - Age distribution of consumption
08:20 - Cannabis as a way to reconnect with our bodies
08:25 - Other Journalists?
08:49 - Shakeups
09:16 - Lift Expo
10:08 - Where can people start?
11:16 - Distribution & Stigma
11:52 - Regulations as a writer
13:00 - If A + B = C…
13:15 - ‘Why doesn’t cannabis smell linger?
14:03 - Making cannabis food (at home)
14:41 - How CBD competes with the supplement market
15:16 - Endocannabinoid
17:58 - Changes in consumption
18:50 - Bioavailability & Ammonia
20:37 - No stress on your liver
21:08 - Conclusions
22:11 Contact
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.leafly.com/news/author/katarina-kostovic
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarina-kostovic-ab7bb495/?originalSubdomain=ca
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
In today's episode we look at the success story of Canopy Growth within the cannabis space, as well as how software helped efficiently expand the company. Roman Kliotzkin is the Senior Manager of Software Development at Canopy. While he thought his time in the marijuana sector was temporary, he takes time to speak with us about the massive expansion from Smith Falls, across-the-nation, through software development.
Time Guide:
00:32 - Introductions
01: 36 - Canopy Growth
01:53 - Owning Subsidiaries
02:43 - Getting into SoftDev
04:15 - Twitch?
07:00 - MMPR & Staying on Top of Legislation
07:55 - Customer Acquisition
08:20 - Regulatory Landscape
08:55 - Ecommerce
09:10 - Selling Online
10:30 - Catalogue Control
11:00 - THC versus CBD
12:26 - Custom Software helps keep track
12:51 - What's new in the space?
13:58 - Efficiency
14:46 - Recreation versus Medicinal
16:49 - Specificity
18:09 - Planting with 'Mom'
18:40 - Every Stage Needs to be Tracked
19:30 - Changes came very quickly
21:17 - Managing the Back-End
22:15 - The government didn't even have enough time
23:25 - Major Regulatory Changes
25:47 - Sign-Off
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/romankliotzkin/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/canopy-growth-corporation/
https://www.canopygrowth.com/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
In this week's episode, Bruce Ryan (Founder & CEO of CannaSystems) explores all things Hemp and Cannabis related. The machinery CannaSystems focuses on is heading directly to farms where the stock material can be turned into fibre and core for industrial manufacturing.
Time Guide
00:24 - Introductions
01:32 - Hemp Bricks & Lego
02:42 - What's being Yielded?
03:14 - How did you get into the Cannabis Space?
05:27 - Machinery Evolution
08:15 - Legalization
09:35 - Plant Uses
10:37 - Tech with Cannabis
11:23 - 10x the Yield?
13:58 - No, it doesn't smell
15:15 - Other affected areas
16:25 - How the job is changing
17:48 - Turning away from Canola
19:18 - Tech and Cannabis
23:50 - What's on the Horizon?
25:05 - Carbon Credits
27:00 - Hemp Plastic & Light Swtiches
28:40 - Charging & Building Cars with Plants
29:45 - Biofuel
31:09 - Legalities
33:29 - Stop Gap Measure
36:27 - Shoutouts & Current Projects
40:20 - Contact
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
Hemp Lego House: https://globalnews.ca/news/3784330/sooke-home-lego-green-fireproof/
Hemp Fiber Car: https://www.google.com/search?q=hemp+fiber+car&rlz=1C5CHFA_enCA851CA851&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjK5vmWm4LjAhXHGs0KHRsJBmIQ_AUIECgB&biw=1433&bih=633
CannaSystems: https://cannasystems.ca/
Email: bruce.w.ryan@gmail.com
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Tiago Gavassi, the founder of Panic Lobster talks to us this week about disrupting an existing industry with new technology. Panic Lobster is "a virtual reality platform that helps people develop communication skills... and to overcome the fear of public speaking. With a background in electronic engineering, Tiago has been immersed in communications since he was in university and explores 'New Solutions to Age-Old Problems.
Time Guide:
00:23 - Introductions
00:36 - What is Panic Lobster?
00:55 - What is VR Technology?
01:31 - Where did you start?
02:31 - Where did the idea of Panic Lobster come from?
04:34 - Hardware versus Software
05:40 - How did the company start?
06:50 - Challenges finding a team
08:23 - Working with friends
08:48 - Compared to conventional training
11:30 - Who's behind the scenes?
13:19 - We're working on feedback
13:55 - Harsh Audience
14:50 - Training your staff
15:09 - Facebook Hardware
16:50 - Challenges working with technology
19:00 - Sales Processes
21:08 - Emerging Technologies
23:10 - What would you do differently?
24:53 - Don't tie yourself down
25:53 - Other Firms?
27:01 - Learning together
28:03 - Conclusions
28:44 - Partnerships
29:54 - Where to find us?
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-gavassi-33990677/
https://paniclobster.com/
https://www.instagram.com/panic_lobster/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/panic-lobster/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Moving away from advertising only, episode 5 of North Report meets Mike Moll, the Founder and Managing Director of Social Media House. He breaks down tips and tricks, running ad accounts, recording podcasts and staying in the 'lane' that makes you most comfortable and effective.
Time Guide:
00:41 - Introductions
02:15 - How did you start?
03:32 - Burnout
04:59 - Day to Day
06:48 - Youtube to build a skillset
08:14 - Identifying People
10:38 - Major Scaling Takeaways
12:24 - Marketing Services
14:27 - Letting them make decisions
15:54 - Are they successful?
18:48 - Call Rails
19:41 - Software?
21:43 - Juggling tools
24:25 - What are other small businesses doing wrong?
31:54 - Collision & Directional Shifts
34:47 - What would you do differently?
36:09 - Conclusions
37:43 - Contact Info
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
mike@socialmediahouse.to
https://www.instagram.com/mikeajmoll/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Who should you hire as your business grows? Missionaries vs mercenaries. We speak with Rishabh Varshney (CEO, Lake Finance) to get his opinion about how to build out a team and align them to your vision.
Time: Guide:
00:24: Introductions
01:13: The Journey, Past to Present
01:59: What Became of Bunz
02:27: Scaling a Team Correctly
03:43: Areas that Need Growth
04:37: Generational Gaps (?)
05:27: Changing Mindsets
06:33: Where to Find Staff
07:47: Meeting Partners at McDonalds (Say What?)
08:57: Making Difficult Hiring Decisions
10:50: Evolving Roles
11:58: Differences the Second Time Around
12:50: Hiring for More-Specialized Roles
14:06: Tech Changes/Advances
15:11: Avoiding Burnout
16:26: Local versus Contractor
18:02: Scaling without Bodies
19:26: Conclusions
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://lake.finance/
Rishabh - r@lake.finance
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Find out how to Find, Attract, Choose, and Equip sales talent. Asad Zaman (Managing Partner of Executive Search, Sales Talent Agency) weighs in on building your sales team, critical first hires, interviewing strategy, and approaching the sales industry from a fresh perspective of vocation vs job.
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/
https://www.salestalentagency.com/
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Finding the right team, pitching, and exiting. We speak Shums Kassam and Jaclyn Ling (Co-Founders, Hatchways) about how they built their startups and exited their first company to Kik Messenger.
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
Links:
http://hatchways.io
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca
Company culture describes a company's personality. It guides employees and is responsible for satisfaction and productivity. In this episode, Britton and Sameer Lalji (CTO, DealTap) try to understand what drives culture in startups and what we can do to improve it.
Social:
https://www.instagram.com/north_report/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-north-report
If you'd like to be a guest on a future episode or want to hear more about a topic, email us at hello@northreport.ca