Startup Fuckup

Not giving campaigns enough time to succeed, the misconception that operating a purposeful business comes at the expense of reduced profit, impact storytelling, greenwashing, and inauthentic brand values are just some of the things we discuss in this episode. Chase Friedman shares his experience and lessons from transitioning his career in film to running a successful marketing agency for social impact businesses. About Chase Friedman Chase Friedman is an impassioned Brand Storyteller + Strategist who believes in the potential for business’s to Do Good AND Do Well. As the Founder of Vanquish Media Group, he has bridged the gap between inspired branded content and digital marketing activation transforming audiences into brand ambassadors. Having produced over 1,500 branded content assets, with over 500 million views, resulting in +$45 million in revenue and donations, Chase has proven the potential for any business to profit with purpose. His mission continues as a coach and consultant for aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs, is a member of 1% for the Planet and serves on the Board of Advisors for the non-profit Film2Future foundation.

Firing a bad client, under pricing, and scope creep are just some of the things we discuss in this episode. Tune in to hear Jared Brookes share his experience and lessons learned getting his photography business off the ground. About Jared Brookes For over 6 years, I've been a content creator in Toronto. I've published work, started with Bars & Restaurants, grew The Porch from 5k to 15k followers, and collaborated with Canon's Creator Class. I've been mentored by Tristan O'Brien & Kayla Rocca, worked with artists like Serena Ryder, Olympians, big brands like Mercedes and Toyota, and YouTubers. I create content for Toronto's third-largest BIA, delved into politics with a 4/4 campaign win record. In my lifetime, my work has generated over 1M Impressions and $500,000 in revenue. From building dioramas to Austin Powers costumes, I've turned creativity into a career. If you're looking for extraordinary work, let's talk.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: How to approach delegating tasks. Goal Setting (OKRs + SMART) Team Meetings.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: Effective leadership vs. management. Servant leadership. How to motivate your team. Employee retention. Communicating & providing feedback.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: Culture vs. Mindset vs. Skill fit. Behavioural vs. Situational Interview questions. STAR Framework for behavioural interviews. Understanding what to look/listen for. Reference checking.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: Building your brand as an employer. Potential channels for talent acquisition. Advise around attracting the right talent.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: What constitutes company/organizational/workplace culture. Push vs. Pull values. Wrong and right ways of approaching Diversity & Inclusion. How to build an aligned team, and what to align for if you're pursuing diversity of thought and opinions.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: How to decide if something should be automated vs. delegated. How to approach automation while staying human. The Focus Funnel (by Rory Vaden)

Hiring the wrong people, AI and automation in recruitment, screening candidates, diversity & inclusion and more. Tanya Abbey and I discuss core concepts around attracting, engaging, and retaining the right talent for organizations. About Tanya Abbey Tanya Abbey is the CEO of Recruitcorp (National and International Permanent Recruitment) and the CEO/Founder of the Candidate and Career Consulting platform Placeme.com.au. She also volunteers her services as a Small Business Mentor under the Queensland Government’s Mentoring for Growth program and as a Career Mentor for Headspace.

It's become easier than ever to start an eCommerce business. That said, a business that has to manage quality control, inventory, distribution, logistics, all whilst balancing customer satisfaction in an increasingly demanding market isn't without its own unique set of challenges. Join Irina and I in a discussion about eCommerce mistakes, hear her personal story of starting her first business in China despite no knowledge of the culture and language, and hear what she's learned from her experience working with multiple eCommerce companies and vendors. About Irina Poddubnaia Irina is a SAAS founder and a business consultant who specializes in Operations and Processes Optimization. Irina has over 8 years of experience in eCommerce with its different challenges and obstacles, from running a fulfilment center in China where she was living for over 2 years to launching her own software TrackMage TrackMage allows eCommerce stores to have 5-10% extra sales by simplifying the customer experience. With TrackMage the customers can track their products on the platform and the system does the upsell and then automatic follow-ups for reviews.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: Types of competition. Approach to differentiation. Strategies to defend yourself from encroaching competitors.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: The difference between kindness vs. niceness. How to reject or say "no" supportively. Being authentic yet considerate in providing feedback/critique.

Hustle culture means well but is often implemented without the right checks and balances which result in a workplace that's unhealthy and toxic. Hear Say share her personal experience with burnout, what she's learned about managing stress, and how organizations should approach designing workplace culture to account for stress + burnout. About Sayata (Say) Gabriel I help businesses maximize the power of story to inspire action with existing and potential clients. This means more sales and strong customer loyalty—with the people who truly matter. I'm also passionate about ecology, building strong healthy communities, and empowering people towards wellness.

Step 1: Have a great product/service Step 2: Sell it Step 3? Too many businesses end up flopping despite nailing Step 1 & 2. Why? Because they fail to pay proper attention or lack proper financial education.  Tune in for a deep dive with Jacinthe where we discuss topics like: loans vs. line of credit, cashflow, budgeting, debt vs. investor capital, profit margins, and more. About Jacinthe Koddo Jacinthe is a Canada-based financial coach, educator, and the founder and CEO of Koddo & Co. As a serial entrepreneur with 6 businesses started, 4 failures, and 2 growing successes, Jacinthe has learned (the hard way!) the ins-and-outs of business finance over the last decade. She is now on a mission to increase financial literacy in, and sustainability of, Canadian service-based businesses, which leads to a positive societal ripple effect in their communities and throughout the world. Jacinthe does this work through group programs, 1:1 financial coaching and Contract CFO services. For more, visit koddoandco.com or follow her on instagram @jacinthekoddo Given that we're approaching tax season too with the timely release of this episode: Tax Time Bootcamp for Canadian Sole Proprietors & Corporations-of-One Feel overwhelmed and anxious about tax time? Join me for this two-part series (Jan 26th & 31st) where you'll learn how to ditch the shoebox and get that sh!t done! Save your seat now! Details and free registration is here.

It would be remiss to overlook the influence of an entrepreneurs personal life on business outcomes. In this episode, Tai and I discuss some observations and personal experiences around dating, characteristics we value in a good partner, work-life balance/harmony, managing a business amidst starting a family, and how they all intersect with our ability to stay motivated and disciplined in our business. About Tai Khuong Tai is the founder of Psych2Go, a global community of over 10million with the mission to advocate for mental health, psychology education, and self improvement.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: What a normal sales cycle should be. Things to avoid that will lengthen your sales cycle. Methods to speed up conversion. Better qualifying your leads to properly define your sales cycle.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: Understanding how people evaluate the decision to adopt a new solution or make a change. Cost of changing vs. Cost of staying the same. Adjusting your main offering or creating micro offerings to reduce the perceived risk of changing. Examples of different companies and their micro offerings.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: Frameworks for coming up with initial pricing. A scientific approach to optimizing pricing. Cost-based vs. value-based pricing. Brand value vs. pricing. Calculating customer acquisition cost and lifetime value.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: Metrics to track for retention. Tips for improving retention in a competitive marketplace. Retention campaign ideas for tech and non-tech companies.

2X episodes are intense knowledge rich episodes where I do a deep dive into topics covered in our main interviews. In this episode, I discuss: What is the Impostor/Imposter Syndrome. Recognizing it. Reframing failure. The role of luck in our success and how we can "create" luck. Perfectionism vs. Progress. Handling judgement and critique + escaping negative self-fulfilling prophecies. Authenticity in approaching our feelings of being "fake" when we're subject to the impostor syndrome.