Real Entrepreneurial Stories with Levi Lawrence

Entrepreneur - Dave CarrollCurrent or Primary Business(s) - Big Break EnterprisesTopics of ConversationStorytelling is a superpower - you can affect real change in words and sounds aloneLove, look and look again - Build compassion in your organizationADHD adult diagnosis, a superpower in disguise?Investment in relationships/customers over time compoundsLeveraging huge exposure (United Breaks Guitars) for longer-term opportunitiesMeaningful stories and concepts can reach anyone, at any age.Giving people the benefit of the doubt until they prove you wrongReach out for advice, you will be surprised who will take the timeThe Business of Art and being a creativeSongwriting/Storytelling as a Service (SAS Model)Say yes to everything - a double-edged swordBooks and recommendationsThe Business of Creativity by Philiy PageSeize The Opportunity by Applwood booksTell your authentic story with Ryan WilliamsWith great power comes great responsibility  with Dan Harris and Jerry Colona

Entrepreneur - Bryan ClaytonCurrent or Primary Business(s) - GreenPalTopics of ConversationSometimes it's better to not hire an industry expert, hire a motivated person and teach them your systems insteadBusiness is hard, but you should have a fire in your belly to get through the obstaclesFind a hacker and a hustler - ideal business partnershipNeed a beta testing stage, helps to identify skill gaps in the team  - then address the missing skills Build, measure, learn cycleI don’t have an articulate thought - but very cool to see such a small add-on service (cigarette butts) increase a businesses revenue so drasticallyBe patient, plant seeds and keep watering them, they could grow and become something hugeBecome a ‘learn-it-all’Hitting a plateau leads to resentmentNaivete can be a powerful toolKeep sight of what mattersWhether you plan to sell or not, if you build it to sell it will run smootherQuotes and SoundbytesFeel the fire in your bellyNaivety can serve an entrepreneur wellLuckily I’m not very creativeBe paranoid you don’t know enoughDon’t worry about level 10 when you’re at level 3Recommendations and LinksThe E-myth by Michael GerberA Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald miller 

Entrepreneur - Edward RochaCurrent or Primary Business(s) - The Morning Goals, Rola LanguagesTopics of ConversationDon’t build the ship while sailingSometimes you need to Pause and regroupPause sooner rather than laterMaking the worst decisions when he didn’t have money, decisions out of necessity that were not necessarily the best Learning to be unfocused in a very focused way - any seed he plants has to relate to the overall vision Can you trust that your team will run the business without you? Don’t hire someone like yourselfWe need more diverse voices with access to wealthThink about the 3 things that will make you happy. Be selfish. Find your cheerleaders who are there to support you, people you can be authentic with and who will guide you to whatever your life plan isBe honest about your mission - opportunities will be more likely to ariseDon’t negotiate your values, but give people the time and space they need to come aroundMake money with what makes you happy - It is possible Recommendations and LinksThe 4-hour workweek by Timothy FerrissNever split the difference by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz

Entrepreneur - Gerry ValentineCurrent or Primary Business(s) - Gerry ValentineTopics of ConversationWriting a book and why - The thriving mindset and lessons from a life of overcoming disruptionValue Perspective - Solving client's problems instead of selling expertise, selling solutions.Building a "Practise" vs. "Business"Thriving is not only surviving  the disruption but coming out of the disruption betterWriting is not about perfect grammar or wording, it’s about  trading in the currency of ideas "Interrogating your own ideas" by writingSurround ourselves with people who can lift us up and who we WANT to return the favour for.As an entrepreneur, you make daily mistakes Every Day.New knowledge/technology is a disruptive force and we can't go back.Goal Setting Question - If successful, What will you have that you do not have nowGood writing is writing what other people want to readThere is a shortage of people who are able to thrive through disruptive timesSelecting a CoachBooks and recommendationsThe Thriving mindset -Gerry Valentine

Entrepreneur - Chantal BrineCurrent or Primary Business(s) - EnPointTopics of ConversationMentorship is one of the most transformational tools - how can we help more people access that toolA mentor acts as a mirrorWe are all both mentors/mentees, just depends on circumstances, what stage we are in, the subjectIf i go back i would have hoped to take 5 steps further I know my “why”Fostering relationships is importantThe buck starts and stops with youThe weeds are inevitableWork should be meaningfulGet out of your own way. Listen to your instinctsShe created something that no one could do on their own, she found a way to work together to create more impactMentorship doesn’t happen to you, you have to want it and embrace itMentors have no stake in the actions of your conversations. Coaches have a bias because of the nature of their roleTechnology is the engine, the heart and soul are the people we work with Quotes and SoundbytesI love what I do, I choose what I doFind a mentorInvest in yourselfIt can never be just meRecommendations and LinksThe Confidence Code - Katty Kay & Claire ShipmanGetting to Maybe - Richard Michael Fischl, Jeremy R. PaulNo Rules Rules - Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer 

Entrepreneur - Sylvie Desjardins Current or Primary Business(s) - NxCareerTopics of ConversationNavigating Imposter SyndromHardship fuels the fire - pursuing a more impactful legacyIf you don’t have a mentor go get a coach, invest in yourselfNetworking - create the connection, entertain the relationship and then meet new peopleNetworking needs to be a habitPower of the hidden job marketNetwork before you need something from your network (networking should be a proactive strategy vs short term tool)Being a better speaker, take the time to understand your audienceStop low-balling yourself - whatever you think you deserve add 20K moreCreate networking habits just like brushing your teeth - create blocks in your calendar specifically for networking - focus on giving (making introductions, sending resources, etc).Understand your non-negotiables when job-searching, understand your ‘why’Recommendations and LinksAtomic Habits - James clearInto the wild podcasts Miracle Morning - Hal ElrodE-Myth Revisited - Michael GerberEscape Velocity - Dan Martell Podcast

Entrepreneur - Shane BorthwickCurrent or Primary Business(s) - Impact WealthTopics of ConversationEntering the family business at 21 Innovating and growing the new aquaculture industry in its earliest stagesFinding the right client FIT before sellingAligning goals with valuesLong term relationships vs. short term salesChanging directions as an entrepreneur Considering social, environmental risks of investmentsUnderstanding personal guarantees on business loansDon’t underestimate the influence of the government on industriesFind clients that value your time as much as you value theirsWhat happens after the government support ends. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.Irony that entrepreneurs are risk adverse on personal investment Business is there to help your personal needsPeople, practice, processRecommendations and LinksA Promised Land – Barack ObamaTen Lessons For a Post-Pandemic World – Fareed ZakariaLong walk to freedom - Nelson MandelaFormer Governor of the Bank of Canada, Mark Carney

Entrepreneur - Steve AndersonCurrent or Primary Business(s) - CoLo ConsultingPersonal Website: https://www.steve-anderson.co/Topics of ConversationStarting with small steps Find the people that understand your situationShare what you’re doing with your network. Build in front of an audience, be vulnerable.If something isn’t working, try something newFailure isn’t ‘not succeeding', it’s not living up to your potentialUse the skill sets you haveSuccess is being able to live the life that you want to haveTell people about your idea earlier than you feel comfortable Recommendations and LinksThe Art of Community- Charles Vogl KindlePeak by Anders Ericsson Company of one by Paul JarvisThe Mom Test by Rob FitzpatrickGetting Naked by Patrick Lencioni

Entrepreneur:  - Angélique Binet Current or Primary Business(s): Social Media Love LabTopics of ConversationBeware the "Buffet" of service offerings and lack of focusWorking on self-perceptions to improve in your business, self-confidence & pricing - Know your own valueWe all have fear, it’s an auto protection"Unselling" your clients, filtering and offering an out to curate the best fitMake your mission greater than you fear3 prong marketing approach - Social, Speaking and "playing" with those further aheadYour business grows as much as you growSwim with big fish - those who are 1 -2 levels above where you are"Don’t believe everything you think"Money is not for the rich, it’s everywhereAs you grow you share what you learn - Share your journey

Entrepreneur: Barbara FletcherCurrent or Primary Business(s): Barb Fletcher AssociatesTopics of ConversationBeing entrepreneurial in the civil service Building a business as a solopreneurTactical tips for business owners on stress managementAs a business owner how much do you have to do and how much is too muchPractical advice or tips for wellness for people working from home.Tools and language around heart mathPositive change of Covid = the move towards better understanding individualization in the workplaceDon't wait until wellness is in critical condition before tending to itRecommendations and LinksTiny habits by BJ Fogg Clubhouse

Entrepreneur - Steve ForanCurrent or Primary Business(s) - Gratitude At WorkTopics of ConversationTurning your work and personal experience into a businessThe power of purpose... and the need to find yoursThe complications of describing what one doesPeer Group support modelYou have to Genuinely care about your people to improve your cultureHabitual rituals - ask how each thing you do in the morning is serving youPeople are rooting for youHow has Covid-19 changed businessWho are the gamechangers in different aspects of your life - these should be your inspirationNeeding to have all the answers is a myth'Liking' your work (vs. loving or really being rewarded) can be dangerousRecommendations and Links How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale CarnegiThe Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak ChopraAbundance by Peter Diamandis 

Entrepreneur: Tammy WardCurrent or Primary Business(s): TLW Yoga and WellnessTopics of ConversationUsing entrepreneurship to help others after personal trauma and experienceOvercoming harassment, perseverance and gritInvesting in yourself The importance of self-careThe wording is important when marketing - Lessons LearnedDon't be afraid to ask for help - build your support networkKnow your value and charge people what you're worthHave the difficult conversationsTrust yourselfTransferable lessons from leading in a male-dominated worldThe power of proving yourself when others doubt - origin story of the decision to become RCMPQuotes Invest in yourselfFight for what you know is rightThere is no much you can do for someone who doesn’t want something for themselvesAlways have plan BTake a leap of faith and trust yourself and just do itRecommendations and LinksLadies stop apologizing book by Rachel Hollis Click here

Entrepreneur: Johan Arcos Current or Primary Business(s):  Inverte Special Note: Most of our conversations are with entrepreneurs in various stages of their journey but this special edition examines a young entrepreneur in the very early stages.  As all entrepreneurs started somewhere it is very interesting to explore a conversation with someone who is still validating, learning and exploring their first start up.  We hope you enjoy.Topics of Conversation●     Navigating a startup as a student, as youth, and as a newcomer to Canada - advantages and challenges.●     Working with future clients to improve the product●     Biggest fears in growing the business●     Building your team and partners early onRecommendations and Links● Mom test (Click Here)

Entrepreneur: Terri-Ann Richards Current or Primary Business(s) - Balance Equation Coaching and ConsultingTopics of Conversation: Female leaders and entrepreneurs "owning" what they have already "earned"Learnings from a serial entrepreneur with 8+ businessesFailing forwardPower of mentorship - 3 "rule" - Someone pulling you up, a peer and mentoring someone who's growingReal-world burnoutYou need a WHY big enough to overcome and WHAT7 levels of Why - Exercise"Be a Lighthouse, not a Tugboat"Putting your own mask on firstReal GDP impact if Female leaders were unleashed in CanadaGrit = Where Passion, Purpose and Perserverance meetFocus = Follow One Course Until SuccessfulRecommendations and LinksWallace McCain Insititute Click HereSeven Levels deep Click HereChoice Theory Click Here

Entrepreneur - Ben ParsonsCurrent or Primary Business(s) - KKP , SignCraftTopics of ConversationBuying vs. Building businesses (both businesses acquired)Merging company cultures Financial background helps you take better riskValue aligned, complementary skills = business partner successWorking with creatives - trust and limiting egotrusting the team, but staying in the mixMail and print are new disrupters in a digital ageEarly financing - if you wouldn't borrow from grandma consider reexaminingBuying a business without enough equity... because few do24 hour rule - take time to reactRecommendations and LinksThe psychology of moneyUnicorn in the woods Codfather

Entrepreneur - Maureen HanleyCurrent or Primary Business(s) - Navigate Food Safety SolutionsTopics of ConversationEarly mom-preneurRebound from failurethinking bigpower of negotiationBeing "bat-sh** Crazy" as a good thingBeing patient with your past selvesPower of your Top Circle of  5New Levels, New DevilsValuing your timeGive your ideas breath, talk them outUse your superpowers for good

Entrepreneur - Brendan WoodCurrent or Primary Business(s) - PassivTopics of ConversationBootstrapping Software company (SAAS)Co-Founding and Business PartnershipTiming the "leap" into full time and the fears surroundingStarting with an audience of oneAlternative paths to scaling a software company

Entrepreneur - Andrew ButtonCurrent or Primary Business(s) - Mashup Lab and WorkEvolvedTopics of ConversationTaking the leap from full time professionalChampion for Rural EntrepreneurshipUninformed Optimism - Understanding the Roller CoasterGrowing Digital post-CovidWasting time getting started

Entrepreneur - Sarah Benetto O'Brien Current or Primary Business - The Handpie CompanyTopics of ConversationOrigin Story from Chef to Cafe to ProductMom-preneurTeam culture and motivationCrowdfunding and bootstrappingPivoting from food service to food product Challenges / realities of being a female entrepreneurBenefits and challenges of building a rural company