AQ's Blog & Grill

Uvaro: Helping professionals have more fulfilling careers In this episode, Donna talks about the ‘Why Not' approach that has led her through much of her entrepreneurial career. Taking advantage of opportunities as they come and following your interests to see where they might lead. With Uvaro, Donna and her co-founders saw a hole within the tech industry and came up with a brilliant way to fill it. Learn all about Uvaro, their platform, what they do, and how they got to where they are today.

In this episode, Mallorie talks about the $24M CAD Series B funding that the company has just secured as well as the importance of maintaining the mindset of a start-up. To always be innovating and looking for opportunities within the industry is a crucial component to growing and scaling any business. More on Bridgit Solutions: || https://www.bridgitsolutions.com/ || https://twitter.com/bridgitsoftware || https://www.facebook.com/bridgitsolutions/ || https://www.linkedin.com/company/bridgit/ || https://www.instagram.com/bridgitsolutions/ About Our Guest Mallorie Brodie is the CEO and Co-founder of Bridgit. Along with Lauren Lake, Mallorie co-founded Bridgit in 2014 with a simple mission: to help the construction industry maximize profits and reduce risk by taking a people-first approach. Under her leadership, the team at Bridgit has established Bridgit Bench, the company's flagship product, as the leading workforce intelligence solution built exclusively for the construction industry. Along with being named to the Top 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction, Forbes Manufacturing & Industry 30 Under 30, and Best Of Canada Forbes Under 30 Innovators lists, Mallorie has been instrumental to Bridgit being recognized as one of Globe and Mail's top growing companies in Canada for three consecutive years.

“We can honestly say that every assumption we made about how we thought it was going to work was wrong.” Iain Klugman has spent the last 16 years bringing together government organizations, businesses, and talent to make Communitech an integral part of the Waterloo Region ecosystem. In this episode, he joins AQ to reminisce on his career of building Communitech to the intentionally collaborative and ambitious environment it is today. Iain shares how his team worked to keep talent in the region when RIM went through a massive downfall, and how Communitech reviews their strategies yearly to adjust to this ever-changing community. They discuss the comparison of Waterloo Region to Silicon Valley, the Future of X Initiative, the experiment that became the Corporate Innovation Program, and how the Waterloo Region has the potential to become a healthcare innovation hub.   Time Stamps: 0:21 Background of Iain Klugman and his role at Communitech 3:08 Last 16 Years at Communitech - Focus on Ecosystem 4:13 Comparison – Waterloo Region is NOT Silicon Valley 6:22 Future of X initiative 7:45 Google’s Expansion and it’s effects within the community 9:05 The War on Tent – status 10:43 Where Communitech’s Corporate Innovation Program Started – bringing in organizations as partners and the evolution of those relationships 14:30 Iain’s Public Administration Degree – worked in Government 16:06 Reworking strategies to suit the ecosystem’s maturation 17:48 Top 3 Communitech highlights of Iain’s last 16 years 22:27 When RIM lost its way and the impacts it had on the community and entrepreneurial ecosystem 24:55 Rise of MedTech in Waterloo Region   More on Iain: ||  https://www.linkedin.com/in/iain-klugman-136410/ ||  https://twitter.com/iainklugman More on Communitech: ||  https://www.linkedin.com/company/communitech/ ||  https://www.facebook.com/communitechpage ||  https://www.instagram.com/communitech/ ||  https://twitter.com/Communitech

In this week’s episode, Alan sits down with Dani Bazely, Director of Marketing for Driverseat, as they discuss the innovative, award-winning business. Driverseat’s franchise-based business model focuses on chauffeur and shuttle assistance, with opportunities for specialized services from accessible transport to tours across wine regions. With low start-up costs, franchise owners range from young professionals and entrepreneurs to business owners looking to diversify their profile and add another income stream. The entrepreneurial opportunities that come from being a Driverseat franchisee are vast, as the business is scalable and has the potential to grow and expand in an ever-changing industry. Dani discusses some of the marketing strategies coming into play for Driverseat in 2020. She also discusses the hurdles Driverseat has faced with their expansion from Kitchener, Ontario, to across Canada and the United States.   Time Stamps: 0:45 What is Driverseat? 2:43 Who might be interested in this type of franchise? 3:53 How important is company culture at Driverseat? 5:15 Chamber of Commerce Award: Being awarded the 2020 Young Professional of the Year 6:50 Lifelong Learning: What’s in the learning pipeline for Dani 8:00 Spectrum Board: Goals for the Spectrum brand in 2020 9:25 University History: From Economics to Communications 11:50 What marketing tactics is Driverseat going to employ in 2020? 13:28 Overcoming the challenges of expanding in the US 15:01 Who are Driverseat’s competitors? 15:51 Launching Driverseat in the Niagara wine region   More on Driverseat and Dani: ||  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dani-bazely-709ba750/ ||  https://www.linkedin.com/company/driverseat-franchise/ ||  https://www.facebook.com/DriverseatInc ||  https://www.instagram.com/driverseatinc/ ||  https://twitter.com/DriverseatFirst ||  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqRjeY8Bfbfisyevj_WhyVw

What does successfully breaking into an untapped market actually look like? How do you do it? How do you bring a product to market that the market is ready to adopt right away? You ask the market. What sets Bridgit apart from so many other companies, and what has made them so successful, is that they went to their customers first. Before they ever had a business plan or a product - before they ever wrote a single line of code - they hit the pavement. Lauren Lake (Bridgit COO) and Mallorie Brodie (Bridgit CEO) would pop by construction sites early in the morning all over the city, with coffee and donuts and they talked to the people that would be consumers of their product. They spent their first 6 months in business “understanding the needs, building simple prototypes and validating those with people before actually investing and building the real product“. And that became Bridgit’s methodology - step by step, one piece at a time, following the research and the needs of those they were serving.   In this episode, Lauren goes into detail about the steps that Bridgit took in order to find a gap and identify the challenges within that gap, and how they turned their research into an incredible product used by over 150 customers across North America.  Bridgit strives to revolutionize the way the construction industry functions, and that’s exactly what they’re doing.   Time stamps of key takeaways from this episode: 0:33 What is Bridgit 1:18 How the founders, Mallorie Brodie and Lauren Lake, met and got started 3:52 Understanding the needs of their customers during the research process 5:45 The harder you work, the luckier you get 10:00 About the Bridgit products 15:15 What does success look like for Bridgit? 18:03 Finding support through incubators and accelerators  20:54 What's next for Bridgit 23:50 How Lauren went from the Stratford arts community to being a Civil Engineering graduate   More on Bridgit Solutions: || https://www.bridgitsolutions.com/ || https://twitter.com/bridgitsoftware || https://www.facebook.com/bridgitsolutions/ || https://www.linkedin.com/company/bridgit/ || https://www.instagram.com/bridgitsolutions/ || https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgXxXcVliK6pdOuQZMIkfLQ Lauren is a civil engineer and the Chief Operating Officer of Bridgit Solutions based out of Kitchener, Ontario. Bridgit is on a mission to revolutionize the way the construction industry functions, and they are doing just that. With over 150 customers across North America, they're uncomplicating the way that construction projects run. 

"Innovation Factory Accelerates Success" - who doesn't want that!? Incubators and accelerators, like Hamilton's Innovation Factory, are the not so hidden gem that entrepreneurs need to know. In this week's episode, David Carter and Alan Quarry discuss the difference between an accelerator and an incubator, why Canada isn't producing enough "mythical unicorns," and how regional innovation centers need to work together to increase the success rates of startups. The City of Hamilton, often known for its Life Sciences presence, has a significant amount of innovation coming through that stream. But often, when academics and entrepreneurs come up with a brilliant new business idea, they end up thinking one of two ways: "I have this amazing product, so I'll post about it and everyone will buy it. #success"; OR "I have this amazing product, but there are about 85 overwhelming steps between this point and having a viable go to market strategy. I don't know where to start." Whether it's help with marketing strategies, boosting sales, finding investors or raising capital, the Innovation Factory fills in those gaps with workshops, programming and 1-on-1 mentoring. https://innovationfactory.ca/

The world is currently going through the strangest thing that any of us will likely face in our lives. And there's a ton of fear and anxiety and doom and gloom that comes along with a worldwide pandemic, of course. But in this episode, happiness expert and author Jennifer Moss gives us incredible, tangible advice on how to navigate through this uncertainty with less guilt. But also to accept the many stages of grief that we may be moving through right now, no matter what form the emotion may be taking.  It's ok to not be thriving right now, but we don't have to completely sink either.  *This episode was adapted from a Facebook LIVE that was recorded on March 26th, 2020 (if you want to see the video, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6uLz2hRdqo) List of Resource Suggestions from this episode: HERO GEN – https://hero-generation.com/covid19/ Global Happiness Council Access here: http://www.happinesscouncil.org/ The Global Happiness Council (GHC) produces the Global Happiness and Well-Being Policy Report with the goal of informing policy around Positive Education initiatives, Happy Cities, Societal Well-being Interventions, and more. The site also includes videos and past reports, which are presented at World Governance Summits in a bid to shape legal and governmental frameworks through science-based findings. The GHC also carries out research into personal happiness and Positive Organizations. About Positive Psychology: Blogs and News Greater Good Magazine Access here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/ This is UC Berkeley’s digital magazine of science-based insights on well-being, gratitude, happiness, and more. Here you’ll find podcasts, videos, exercises, resources, and quizzes, along with articles that cover positive psychology themes in current affairs. Positive Psychology News Access here: https://positivepsychologynews.com/ This is written and curated by MAPP graduates and coaches, this site is a wealth of information on courses and resources. It’s regularly updated with book reviews, webinars, conference information, and is also a good place to find more background on PP through articles and a few nice frameworks. The Psychology of Wellbeing (A positive psychology blog by MAPP graduate and author Jeremy McCarthy) Access here: http://psychologyofwellbeing.com/ Jeremy McCarthy’s blog is actually an endearing mix of personal reflections on and news about positive psychology news. Here, the author applies positive psychology to wellbeing—holistic wellbeing, with a focus on spas and the hospitality industry. It includes transcripts from talks and relevant research on wellness. The Happiness Institute Blog Access here: http://www.thehappinessinstitute.com/blog/ Dr. Tim Sharp is an Adjunct Professor in Positive Psychology at the University of Technology, Sydney. On the Happiness Institute Blog, he curates and writes articles on positive psychology topics like stress, self-care, happiness, and mental health. There are plenty of links to academic articles with more information. The How of Happiness (A positive psychology blog by Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky) Access here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/how-happiness Author Sonja Lyubomirski’s blog covers the science behind what is potentially the most popular positive psychology topic—happiness—from a scientific perspective. She is a Templeton Positive Psychology Prize winner and Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. The Good Life (A positive psychology blog by Dr. Christopher Peterson) Access here:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-good-life Christopher Peterson is frequently cited as the author of A Primer in Positive Psychology and has been an editor at The Journal of Positive Psychology. His Good Life Blog is not frequently updated but is full of opinions and insights on topics like happiness, life satisfaction, and books that are worth reading. Deeper Learning/Research: Upenn Positive Psychology Center Access here: https://www.positivepsychology.org (also available at https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/) This is the University of Pennsylvania’s official Positive Psychology Center webpage. Dr. Martin Seligman, one of the founding fathers of Positive Psychology, is the director of this Center. On this site, you’ll find the latest of the University’s programs, an overview of UPenn’s research in various PP fields, and a wealth of resources such as questionnaires and further links to external bodies for therapists. VIA Institute on Character Access here: https://www.viacharacter.org/www/ This is the official site for the VIA Character Strengths Survey. The non-profit VIA Institute also provides a character strengths list and information about how to interpret the results of their assessment. There are resources for professional practitioners and quite a wealth of research findings, including survey data, full-text articles, fact sheets, and a blog that is updated weekly. The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues Access here: https://www.jubileecentre.ac.uk/ The University of Birmingham’s Jubilee Centre is involved in research projects aimed at understanding how character, values, and virtues contribute to human flourishing. At the link above, you’ll find more pages for learning about these projects, and multimedia resources for learning, as well as a nice blog on virtues. In the Library section, there is a further database of articles with numerous open access options. Science of Generosity Access here: https://generosityresearch.nd.edu/ This website from the University of Notre Dame has a Research Resources section which includes links to survey data and even the related questionnaire items that have been used in studies on generosity. Users who are hoping not to dig into hard data will also find reports, literature, and working papers in the same section. The Science of Generosity site also includes background on the Science of Generosity initiative and an overview of its current projects. Compassion: Stanford Medicine Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education Access here: https://ccare.stanford.edu/ Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) is committed to researching how ‘positive qualities of the human mind‘ benefit society and individuals. These include techniques and approaches for fostering compassion and its promotion in schools and institutions. On this page, CCARE features some of its own research, a database of other curated academic articles, and resources such as articles and overviews from past events. CompassionLab Access here: https://www.compassionlab.com/ CompassionLab is run by organizational researchers, with a goal of encouraging the use of compassion in professional contexts such as leadership and employee engagement. This site includes presentations, journal articles, book chapters, and links to other theory- and practice-related sites on Positive Organizations. Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence Access here:http://ei.yale.edu The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence is a well-known source of academic information, research, and tools. It is behind the development of the RULER approach, a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) framework with potential and demonstrated applications in professional development and education. The Center site thus provides background information on EI for educators, coaches, and therapists alike—here, you can access research on the Center’s science-based RULER approach. It also offers ample RULER documentation and emotional intelligence case studies. Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations Access here:http://www.eiconsortium.org The EI Consortium seeks to progress research into, and practical applications of, emotional intelligence. This website contains a good collection of the publications and news about EI in business settings and leadership, as well as information on dissertations, book chapters, and emotional intelligence questionnaires. It’s a comprehensive source for anyone looking to research EI closely.  Gratitude: Emmons Lab Access here:https://emmons.faculty.ucdavis.edu/ Here is Dr. Emmons’ own research website, which provides some background into his work on the Youth Gratitude Project (YGP) with Giacomo Bono and Jeffrey Foh. It includes a list of relevant positive psychology publications on gratitude and links back to other webpages related to the YGP.  Flourishing: Authentic Happiness Access here: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu Another UPenn resource that links the user to books, questionnaires, projects and initiatives, academic research, blog posts, and news on happiness as a positive psychology topic. It is full of useful resources for teachers, therapists, and researchers, including videos, study opportunities, and training. Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing Access here: https://www.ou.edu/flourish This University of Oklahoma Institute was created to advance the study of human flourishing, further the scientific study of virtue, and engage with the community to promote flourishing. Here, you can easily find online and downloadable resources, including courses and relevant links for parents.  Global Happiness: International Research Associates for Happy Societies Access here: http://www.happysociety.org/ International Research Associates for Happy Societies is a non-profit, independent organization; IRAH started in 1995 as a network for individuals and organizations interested in happiness and promoting well-being in society. The site itself is in English, though it also includes links to publications in Thai and English. Here, you’ll find news on IRAH’s past activities and links to related sites. It is very much related to happiness in society and features some background on IRAH projects in developing communities. International Society for Quality of Life Studies Access here:http://www.isqols.org/ Founded in 1995, the ISQOLS goal is to advance research into happiness, well-being, and quality of life. ISQOLS hosts an annual conference on Quality of Life and publishes an official journal on the same, Applied Research in Quality of Life. Their official page includes a range of videos, webinars, access to their bibliographic database, and information about events. Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations Access here: http://www.heirs.it/ HEIR combines economic and positive psychology in its research, which focuses on understanding how individual relationships relate to societal happiness and subjective well-being. The team applies economic theory to the positive psychology topics of SWB and interpersonal relationships, and hosts workshops however, the site itself is not designed to be a source of literature or tools. Harvard University Center for Health and Happiness Access here: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/health-happiness/ The Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard shares recent publications on topics like positive interventions, well-being, optimism, and health. The official site features links for students and researchers and also provides happiness resources and tools for use in a variety of different contexts. At this site, you can also find out more on the Center’s Seminar Series page, or watch seminar recordings from past events. OECD Better Life Index Access here: http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/ In 2013, the OECD released its Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being, to encourage a more holistic approach to studying SWB. These subjective indicators include constructs such as Life Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance, and the OECD considers them alongside objective measures of well-being on a national scale. This link will take you to the global country data that exists to date. According to the OECD, these statistics are being updated as different countries create more assessments of subjective well-being.  Mindfulness: UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center Access here: https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/ MARC carries out education and research to encourage mindful awareness for well-being. The Center provides workshops, tools, and classes for the public and publishes studies on its site. These cover mindfulness topics such as MBSR, mindful awareness practices in education and the elderly, and also provide a little background on upcoming publications.  Education: International Positive Education Network Access here: https://ipen-festival.com/what IPEN has an extensive online learning library of resources for schools and educators. You’ll find articles, activities, handouts, worksheets, lesson plans, case studies, and downloadables such as posters for use in class. The link above takes you to a sister site which will lead you to the main site (currently under maintenance). On the site, you’ll see a map of where the IPEN community is distributed across the world and there is also considerable background materials about Positive Education. Positive Education Schools Association Access here: https://www.pesa.edu.au/ PESA is an Australian peak body dedicated to encouraging evidence-based approaches to well-being. The PESA site is a source of information on events, with a calendar of summits and conferences. Practitioners and educators can find out more about PESA’s state chapters to access support and resources for teachers and schools. The Positive Psychology Project: Character Strengths Access here: https://posproject.org/character-strengths/ This is an official page for research and resources on the 24 Positive Psychology Strengths identified by Drs Chris Peterson and Martin Seligman. The mission of the Positive Psychology Project is to train and equip educators and schools for helping children become their best selves through their strengths. The Resources section, therefore, includes playbooks, videos, character strengths, PPTs, and lesson plans for users to download. Character Lab Access here: https://characterlab.org/ A non-profit organization centered on Positive Education, Character Lab was set up by Angela Duckworth, UPenn’s Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology, and two educators, Dave Levin and Dominic Randolph. Character Lab provides strategy playbooks for schools and educators, including the Kindness Playbook, Social Intelligence Playbook, and Gratitude Playbook. These also offer downloadable worksheets and links to further supporting research. Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory Access here: http://peplab.web.unc.edu/research/ The University of North Carolina’s PEP lab promotes and conducts research into how positive emotions impact on their health, social behavior, thinking, and physiology. Its research page provides a link to the Lab’s publications and outlines various positive psychology theories of emotion. These include frameworks, articles, and ‘read more’ material on hypotheses in the field. Workplace: Center for Positive Organizations Access here: https://www.bus.umich.edu/positive In 2010, the Ross School of Business-based Center was awarded the Joanne Martin Trailblazer award for its work in Positive Organizational research. Here you’ll find Positive Organizational studies and scholarship on the topic, along with teaching resources, research, and tools for professionals. There are also links to talks in the Center’s Speaker Series and events listed, including conferences and Positive Research incubators. APA Center for Organizational Excellence Access here: http://www.apaexcellence.org/ Psychologically healthy workplaces are the goal of this APA Center. Here, employees, leaders, and psychologists will find tips for putting Positive Organizational theory into practice. As well as articles and tools for employers, there are also events and awards for companies. Resilience: The Resilience Research Centre Access here: http://www.resilienceresearch.org/ This is Dalhousie University’s Center for Research, the research featured on this site approaches resilience as a contextually- and culturally-embedded concept. Resources available on this site include tools, methods videos, publications, and approaches. The Resilience Research Centre (RRC) also offers case studies, workshops, and evaluations—the latter being initiatives that integrate some RRC measures in action. Master Resilience Training Skills Access here: https://www.usar.army.mil/MRT/ This page gives an official overview of the US Army’s Master Resilience Training (MRT) skills and competencies. This gives some background and detail on the approaches used in MRT to develop resilience in soldiers and their families, such as Energy Management, Problem Solving, and Real-Time Resilience. Harvard University Resilience Consortium Access here: https://resilienceconsortium.bsc.harvard.edu/ This Harvard University site presents a huge array of resources on research for students, educators, and individuals. You can browse resources by type or topic to find assessments, frameworks, interventions, handouts, and research on resilience. Or, you can watch videos, read the blog, listen to podcasts, or learn about the events that the Consortium supports.   Positive Psychology Research: Articles and Journals If you are looking for a list of peer-reviewed academic journals and special issues on the topic, hopefully, the following will be of help: The Journal of Positive Psychology: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/17439760.asp Journal of Happiness Studies: https://link.springer.com/journal/10902 Emotion: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/emo/ Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing: https://www.journalppw.com/php/JPPW International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology: https://www.springer.com/psychology/journal/41042 Journal of Wellbeing Assessment: https://www.springer.com/social+sciences/wellbeing+&+quality-of-life/journal/41543 Journal of Applied Positive Psychology: https://www.org/ Applied Research in Quality of Life: https://link.springer.com/journal/11482 The British Psychological Society (2003 Special Issue): https://thepsychologist.bps.uk/volume-16/edition-3/positive-psychology-special-issue American Psychologist (2002 Special Issue): https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/special/4015501   Find out more about Jennifer: Website: https://www.jennifer-moss.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenLeighMoss Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jleighmoss/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenleighmoss/

90% of B2B purchases are influenced by word of mouth. Fewer than 1% of companies have an actual “word of mouth” strategy. Jay Baer knows that one of the best ways to grow a business is for your customers to do it for you. In this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, Jay shares where to start when building your “word of mouth” strategy. We all know word of mouth is important, but we don’t realize how important or how to accomplish this. Jay gives us direct examples businesses are using today to get the word out, and explains the five types of Talk Triggers: Talkable Generosity, Talkable Speed, Talkable Usefulness, Talkable Empathy and Talkable Attitude. Jay dives into why he allows event organizers to pick the suits he wears for keynotes - and the funny story of when this has backfired. They discuss the difference between Influencer Marketing and Talk Triggers, as Jay suggests that it's wise to not do one without the other. “The idea here ultimately is for your current customers to recruit the next generation of customers on your behalf.” Pick up Jay’s latest book, Talk Triggers, and if you don’t love it he swears to buy you any other book of your choosing! Talk about a talk trigger! More on Jay Baer: || https://www.jaybaer.com/ || https://twitter.com/jaybaer || https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaybaer/ ||  https://www.instagram.com/jaybaer/ Jay is an inspirational, plaid suit-wearing, hall of fame marketing and customer experience keynote speaker, emcee, and trusted advisor to the world's most iconic brands. Jay is a NY Times best-selling author of six books and the Founder of consultancy Convince and Convert, a strategy consulting firm that helps prominent companies gain and keep customers through intersecting technology, social media, and customer service.

From her demanding and successful career in sports marketing as the VP of Business Development for the KW Titans to balancing being a single mom to three busy children, Melissa Melnychuk has mastered the art of balancing it all. And it’s not all spreadsheets and Pinterest and spreading yourself so thin that you can barely function, like you may think. Instead Melissa takes the approach that “sometimes it’s ok to float” A certified life coach, Joga instructor, personal trainer, holistic nutritionist as well as a social media influencer, accomplished sales manager at RIM (when BlackBerry was known as such) and “endless buckets of passion” for her community, Melissa knows a thing or two about juggling many balls and wearing many hats. And her advice, to herself and to her clients, who often struggle with the elusive ‘balance’ that everyone seems to be striving for has always been “It’s ok if you float. You don’t need to sink, you can just float. Sometimes it’s about surviving and being ok in the moment of where you are and accepting that. And being kind to yourself. And being gentle. And loving yourself a little harder.” From the moment Melissa came on board with the KW Titans, her goal, and the goal of her team, has been to create an incredible game day experience for the Titans fans and to impact the community in the biggest ways possible. The minute someone decides to go to a game and they leave their home and lock their door until the moment they walk back through the door when they get home from the game, Melissa wants that person to have an incredible and memorable experience. An experience that will keep them coming back. Getting the community to love and buy into the team is how they’re able to impact and do so much good in Waterloo Region. As a single mom, who has struggled through difficult months herself, several of the charities that the KW Titans choose to support are near and dear to her heart. Through the community’s support of the Titans, already this year, they’ve been able to impact 14 local charities in the first 7 games of the season. So what’s next for Melissa? Honestly, probably lots! As Alan mentions at the start of this interview, Melissa is a going concern and always has her hand in many things. She has a passion for this work with the Titan’s and puts her heart and soul into everything she does. And in the future, who knows! Because, as she so eloquently says “Tomorrow’s never promised. And we’re foolish if we try to plan our future. We can play a part in it and we can try and direct it and be working towards a certain future. But I think there is such beauty in the unknown” If you’ve not been out to a Titan’s game yet – or if you have been debating whether it’s worth it – it is. Website: https://www.kwtitans.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kw_titans Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kwtitans/ Melissa’s Personal Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/its.me.melis/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KWTitans/ Link to YouTube: https://www.facebook.com/KWTitans/   ABOUT: The KW Titans are a professional basketball team, competing in the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) based in Waterloo Region. The franchise, which has only been around for 3 years, has already made a huge impact within the community. The Titan’s main goal is to positively engage and impact the KW community by providing a professional basketball experience and support of many local charities and events.

“I wanted to do something global and make an impact” - Peter Whitby What started as a leisurely trip in China has become a global product and a growing team. With intensive research, O2 Canada has truly innovated the face mask - creating a product with top notch functionality and unprecedented aesthetic ability.  From airline travel and city pollution, to natural disasters and global epidemics - O2 Canada’s mandate is to help people breathe clean air. As CEO of the company, Peter Whitby makes sure this mandate is at the forefront of everything they do - including giving away their very first stock during the Alberta/BC wildfires. In this interview, Peter discusses the O2 line of products, what sets their premium face masks apart, and how they’ve grown with the help of the Accelerator Centre and Ontario Government. He shares how they are keeping up with demand as the COVID-19 Virus continues to spread, and how this global epidemic has both helped and challenged their business.    Get to know more about O2 Canada:   website: https://www.o2canada.com/ twitter: https://twitter.com/O2Canada linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/o2-canada instagram: https://www.instagram.com/o2canada/

You may just have the best content in the world, but if your user experience isn’t top notch, the content may as well have been written by a seahorse. In this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, Randy Frisch describes the key difference between content marketing and content experience. He explains how we can get stuck in this loop of pumping out amazing content – content that is actually attracting our ideal customer and demographic – and yet we’re not seeing the sales and conversions one would expect. The assumption then, pump out more great content, right?! Wrong. The content isn’t the issue. The content was likely never the issue. Listen in to hear how your user experience may be the key to getting those customer relationships, increasing demand and bringing in the revenue that you’ve been fumbling for. There’s so much more that went down in this episode, and some awesome examples and tangible takeaways. You don’t want to miss it.   Randy Frisch is the CMO and cofounder of UberFlip as well as an author of a phenomenal business book titled F#CK Content Marketing. Uberflip is a content experience platform that empowers marketers and creators to create content experiences for their users at every stage of their journey. Website: https://b-rand.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/randyfrisch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uberfliphq/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frischrandy/ UberFlip website: https://www.uberflip.com/ Book link: https://www.uberflip.com/content-experience-book/ Book link (amazon): https://www.amazon.ca/Content-Marketing-Experience-Revenue-Relationships-ebook/dp/B07NPDQR4F

Jennifer Moss has many accolades – she’s an author, an international speaker, a columnist for the CBC, a contributor to Harvard Business Review and a member of the UN Global Happiness Council committee, just to name a few. When the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that ‘Burnout’ was a workplace issue, and that it was our own problem to ‘treat’ and solve, they didn’t quite get it right. Sure, doing more yoga, making time for self care, implementing breathing techniques and generally ‘finding your zen’ are all great tools to deal with your burnout – the idea that WE, as employees, need to manage this at all is pretty backwards. Hearing Jennifer and Alan talk about Happiness, and what that word really means might surprise you. Spoiler alert: Happiness isn’t about being happy all the time, or putting on a fake smile until we eventually ‘feel happy’. So what does it mean? Listen in as Jennifer explains what Happiness actually means, and how it’s translated into the workplace. And as a leader, how important it is to limit and help manage stress, in order to foster innovation and remain competitive. And the shifts might be really simple, you just don’t know what questions to ask! Personal Website: https://www.jennifer-moss.com/ Business Website (Plasticity Labs): https://plasticitylabs.com/ CBC Articles: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/jennifer-moss-1.5326673 Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenLeighMoss Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jleighmoss/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenleighmoss/ Book link (amazon): https://www.amazon.ca/Unlocking-Happiness-Work-Data-driven-Performance/dp/0749478071 Link to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGW43a_jDAA4txctjAyaStg UN Global Happiness Council: http://www.happinesscouncil.org/

Entrepreneur and professional artist, Jennifer Gough, speaks with Alan about finding her purpose in her art and how she completely changed her career to follow her passion. Jennifer's mission is to inspire people to follow their dreams and make their passions happen. She talks about growing her art business by saying yes to opportunities, taking chances, finding the right balance when she first launched Minds Eye Studio Art, and how she uses social media to keep her business thriving. http://mindseyestudioart.com/ https://twitter.com/Mindseyestudio https://www.facebook.com/MY.M.E.S.A/ https://www.instagram.com/thegallery.yoga/ https://www.instagram.com/mindseyestudioart/ About our Guest Jennifer Gough is a self-taught, multidisciplinary, visual and conceptual artist and entrepreneur. In 2010, Jennifer was named one of Waterloo Regional Record’s 40 Under 40, as well as being nominated for Woman of the Year, Arts & Culture at Kitchener Oktoberfest. Jennifer inspires many with her story of success, going from a 9-5 career to following her passion by running a successful art business.

He didn’t get lucky. He isn’t an investment psychic. And he doesn’t possess any fancy or magical ability to predict which businesses are going to take off, and which won’t. He tries things. He jumps at opportunities and he FAILS. Over and over, he’s failed. He fails, and he’s learned how to fall in loves with failing. And with each missed opportunity though, he’s perfected his formula for failure – fail often, fail fast, fail cheap. Jim Estill has had his hand in the business world, crushing it as an entrepreneur, for as long as most people in the business world can remember. Jim is an engineer, a philanthropist, the president and CEO of not one but TWO companies currently, a humanitarian, an author, a creator, an innovator and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, this new idea of the ‘mature entrepreneur’ is something that Jim and Alan touch on in the second half of this episode. Alan and Jim cover so much ground in this informative episode. From working dinners with Steve Jobs, sitting on the RIM/BlackBerry board and helping them go public, to tangible and helpful business tips that will hit home for any business owner, no matter what stage of the journey you’re in, this episode is sure to leave you inspired and satisfied. Jim shares insights into how he’s always been able to niche, no matter what industry he’s working in. He explains exactly where ShipperBee came from - ‘The Power of While’ – what can you do WHILE you’re doing something else. And his tried and true recipe on how to fail – Fail often, fail fast, and fail cheap. Danby website: https://www.danby.com/ (Jim specifically https://www.danby.com/jim-estill/) ShipperBee website: https://www.shipperbee.com/ ShipperBee IG: https://www.instagram.com/shipperbee/ ShipperBee FB https://www.facebook.com/shipperbee/ ShipperBee Twitter https://twitter.com/ShipperBee Danby IG https://www.instagram.com/danbyappliances/ Danby FB https://www.facebook.com/DanbyAppliances Danby Twitter https://twitter.com/DanbyAppliance Jim’s personal sites: Website: http://www.jimestill.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimestill/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimestill BBC article explaining Jim’s sponsoring of 300 Syrian refugees: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49918049

“What kind of human do you feel like being in the future?” So often, in life, we think of success a certain way. What career we end up in, what home we own, what cars we drive all seem rather important when someone asks you to think about your future. But Lindsay took us down a very different road in this episode. Join us as Lindsay and Alan sit down and discuss…well…everything, basically! From owning a Yoga business in university to struggling to find a co-op placement as a geographer. Learning how to work her network and trusting herself enough to head down an entirely new career path. Lindsay tells us how she found herself in photography (somewhere she never thought she’d be), some of the most inspiring people in her life, and even Roger (the bulldog!) gets a bit of spotlight. Lindsay is an Entrepreneur Extraordinaire, as Alan so eloquently deems her, and her life experience in fascinating. She is a person who takes things as they come, runs with the things she loves and that work, and let’s the failures be a stepping stone to the next ‘thing’. Always moving forward, always learning, and never losing sight of who you want to be. And we even get a sneak into what’s next for Lindsay Coulter! Listen in and you’re sure to leave feeling completely inspired! (And possibly wanting to buy Hawaiian shirts for your dog. Or…wanting to buy a dog to then buy Hawaiian shirts for.) Website: https://lindsaycoulterphoto.com/ CNN and BBC articles with photo of Syrian Refugee helping with wedding crisis: https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/28/world/syrian-tailor-fixes-wedding-dress-trnd/index.html https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37504163 Twitter: https://twitter.com/lcoulterphoto Photography IG: https://www.instagram.com/lcoulterphoto/ Studio IG: https://www.instagram.com/studioonking/ Shop IG: https://www.instagram.com/georgianbae.co/ Shop FB: https://www.facebook.com/georgianbae.co/ Shop website: https://georgianbae.co/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/drinkthecoffeedothework/ Podcast website: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/drink-the-coffee-do-the-work/id1477469064

Changing the world through traffic innovations. Kurtis McBride sits down with Alan and discusses how the innovation of Miovision in traffic stops, can globally impact fuel emissions and climate change as a whole. From a university engineering degree to a well respected and internationally respected entrepreneur, McBride is changing the landscape for startup companies in Waterloo Region. 

Positioning. And cake pops!

Listen in as Michael Brenner and Alan Quarry chat about everything from Champion Leadership to the LEGO brand, the kindness rule to the Pelaton scandal before the holidays.  And the underlying theme that ties all of these things together - empathy. If you can think and feel like the customer, you win.

Charlene will always tell you to “begin with the end in mind” but what does that mean? In her new book, The Disruption Mindset: Why Some Organizations Transform While Others Fail, explains just that.  In this week's episode, Charlene and Alan discuss company culture and the movement of creating DISRUPTIVE LEADERS within organizations, so they will go out and create exponential change.

In today’s episode, Alan chat’s with Lee Odden on the emerging concept of Influence Marketing in the B2B sector. Lee is a B2B marketing strategist, author, internationally known keynote speaker, and CEO of a digital marketing organization called TopRank Marketing.

Experience Architecture. And how to become an experience architect!? You won’t want to miss this throwback episode with top digital analyst, futurist and award-winning author, @BrianSolis as he discusses his book ‘X: The Experience When Business Meets Design” Brian discusses the importance of ensuring that data is HUMANIZED. The data tells a story. It’s not just numbers and graphs and charts. Brand experience for the customer is number one! Tune in to find out so much more. So juicy!

CEO of Axonify and Alan’s entrepreneurial heroine, Carol Leaman, stops by to discuss her growing business and her path of serial entrepreneurship. What began as an eLearning platform has transformed into a fully equipped knowledge platform, using gamification and brain science to deliver, share, measure and apply knowledge. The company has picked up almost 100 global brand-name clients including Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, Bloomingdales and GE.  "What is at the centre of both company performance and individual performance is knowledge,” Carol states. Carol is well known in Waterloo region and internationally for having “a batting average of 1000” when it comes to entrepreneurship. She knew at a very young age that she was meant to be an entrepreneur and she hasn't fallen short in proving that. In this episode she shares insights into her path of entrepreneurship, including the time she turned down a job with Google to acquire a startup. As well, Carol shares what she looks for in a startup when investing and the legacy she wishes to leave behind. 

Ann Handley is a veteran of creating and managing digital content to build relationships for organizations and individuals. Ann is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller ‘Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content. She is the chief content officer of MarketingProfs; a columnist for Entrepreneur magazine; a LinkedIn Influencer; a keynote speaker, a mom, and a writer. In this AQ’s Blog & Grill Q&A, Ann talks with Alan about how we are all writers, and provides tips on being a great storyteller. Ann talks about how writing is a habit, not an art. Content marketers need to write a little bit every day to be effective. She also shares her favourite practical tools and apps that she uses to help her with writing.

In this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, Alan chats with long-time colleague and friend Glen Drummond about a potential, slippery slope of AI and other emerging, predictive technology. “Empathy is an essential and defining human quality,” says Glen. And, more than that, we’re hard-wired to respond to empathy. So, what happens when there’s a disconnect between what we expect to see happen, and what we experience?  Lean in as Glen shares his insights into how to avoid AI and predictive technologies evolving to deepen the gap, making corporations less empathetic, and how we can get ahead of it and program these technologies to do more corporate good.

She’s the CEO of Sprint.ly, a marketing mentor and angel investor who started her hurricane of entrepreneurial activities by studying engineering. In this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, April Dunford shares her experiences going from an engineer to a marketing genius. Alan and April discuss marketing strategy vs. tactics, creating the right metrics and shifting your mindset from selling to helping your customer buy.  Becoming a “stay-up” isn’t an easy road, so April provides her top three marketing strategies start-ups should follow to find success.

A nimble marketing services consultancy? You betcha. Scott Gillum, the founder of Carbon Design, has built consulting success around working differently. Carbon Design delivers value-based services thanks to its team of carbonistas. Lean. Efficient. Non-dependent. These are, says Scott, the keys to successfully navigating the future of work. In this episode, Scott shares key insights into working smarter - not harder - as he changes the consulting landscape. All Carbon Design projects focus on NEW. New staff. New ideas. New products. The Carbon team is called in to wade into uncharted waters to help clients navigate towards success. Learn more about the practical applications of the autonomy of talent, future of work, and more as Scott and Alan put meaning to buzzwords.

Gary Vaynerchuk, the hardest working man in social media, talks about how he takes time to engage with his audience on social media and how content marketing is overflowing on the internet. He touches on his worries that young entrepreneurs think business is easy, the fairness of capitalism, how he built his brand, and how he is creating a scalable business out of the unscalable. Finally Gary describes his new book, Jab Jab Jab Right Hook and how boxing and social media are linked. About Our Guest Gary Vaynerchuk is an entrepreneur, author, public speaker, internet personality, and avid investor. He has always been an entrepreneur at heart, starting at age 8 with a lemonade stand that puts all others to shame. Gary is well known for WineLibraryTV, the #AskGaryVee show, VaynerMedia, VaynerRSE, and writing best selling books including Crush It and Jab Jab Jab Right Hook. 

A big AQ’s Blog & Grill “Welcome Back” to Guy Kawasaki. While he may have hung up his hockey skates and taken up surfing, he’s still giving it his A-game in his new book Wise Guy: Lessons from a Life. In this episode, Guy shares how he’s in the “sweet spot.” That time when he’s acquired knowledge - and not yet lost it.  Alan and Guy have a chat about this highly personal book, letting all of us in on Guy’s life lessons learned. The episode is full of laughter, banter and above all else - learning. Like this gem: Think of social media as Tinder versus eHarmony. Listen along as Guy shares about pursuing joy, not happiness, and building a meaningful life. Push your comfort zones and get ready for a wild - and wise - ride from the world’s Tech Marketing Guru, Guy Kawasaki. 

Joseph Fung understands that hard work, sweat and tears plays a role in startups, but putting yourself out there is a huge factor in success. After consulting with an advisor at Waterloo’s Communitech, Joseph found success with his first startup, TribeHR. He went on to sell TribeHR to Netsuite, the first major chapter in his road to serial entrepreneurship. Joseph joins Alan today to share the lessons he's learned along the way and the new business venture he has taken on, Kiite. Joseph and Alan discuss the changing landscape of the workforce and how technology can enable a new mode of employment. Joseph shares how Kiite's sales-enabling technology provides employees access to information on their own terms. Joseph also touches on how philanthropic activities as an organization can open the door to a happier, more diverse workforce.

From personal brand to event media, Jane Barkley – founder and CEO of IM@Events – ­is a powerhouse of marketing talents. Jane joins Alan in this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill to share her path to success and how others can do the same. Jane founded IM@Events after uncovering a need in the event industry to produce and execute event coverage from front to back. IM@Events provides full digital media coverage of events and conferences across southern Ontario, building buzz and creating a path for customer service. It also offers social media education to empower clients to maintain their social tactics in-house. Alan and Jane discuss the skills that make up today's social media marketer. They call on the dangers of putting youth in charge simply because of the assumption that it’s “their world”. Jane touches on social media myths, the most popular being “content is king”. She challenges this notion by stating that the community is in fact the King of your social media realm and is the driver of your content's success. Developing a personal brand? Jane suggests making video a key player in your strategy. Even if you don’t post anything online, filming yourself discussing your passions is an effective tool to find confidence in your voice and discover your “edge”. She shares the key traits she looks for in hiring and what she believes makes a successful social media marketer, as well as common mistakes marketers make when starting out.   About Our Guest   Jane Barkley is the founder and CEO of IM@Events, a go-to event marketing firm in Kitchener, Canada, founded in 2013. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with an Honours in English Literature from the University of Waterloo. Jane is also a writer, speaker, YouTube vlogger, community builder and Social Media Professor at Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Norm Clare of Quarry Integrated Communications joins Alan to share his insight into key technologies that are shaking up brands in this era of digital transformation. Norm is the VP of Marketing Technology Strategy and as Alan puts it, is a great synthesizer of what technology could do and what it actually does.  Norm speaks to the buyer’s journey and how technology is changing how brands connect with customers, gather data and create meaningful experiences. He explains the power of branded top-level domains and how brands can portray a sense of authority and safety in this transformative opportunity. Norm praises the new wave of mobile technologies that give the user a sense of control and deep engagement with brands. He shares a few examples of brands he feels are doing this right, including FedEx, Fitbit and, of course, Uber. Norm and Alan discuss RFIDs (Radio-Frequency Identification) and the IoT world, touching on personal data and how it can be used for or against the user.   About Our Guest Norm Clare is VP of Marketing Technology Strategy at Quarry Integrated Communications and has been part of the company for over 20 years. He has a BA in Economics and Computer Science from Western University and specializes in modern digital marketing techniques.

Speaker, author and social media thought-leader Amber Mac joins us in studio to discuss her book ‘Outsmarting Your Kids Online’. She shares a bit about the process of self-publishing the work with co-author Michael Bazzell after being inspired by Guy Kawasaki. A book, a business, TV and radio shows and a busy social life is a lot to balance. Amber credits her multi-level success to working with great partners and loving what she does. It may surprise some to learn that Amber grew up in PEI, Canada, going to school in a one-room schoolhouse. A big imagination and big dreams led her to beginning her career in San Francisco. Amber and Alan discuss the new trends in live streaming, which brands are getting it right, and how, from individuals to big media companies, “shift is happening!” Amber provides advice to young adults looking to leverage social media to jump-start their careers and build a personal brand, sharing an inspiring example to follow. Amber Mac’s book ‘Outsmarting Your Kids Online: A Safety Handbook for Overwhelmed Parents’ is available on Amazon in both print and as an eBook.   0:00 - Introduction 1:20 - Self-publishing for the first time 2:00 - Taking content live 4:10 - Practicing what you preach 5:35 - From PEI to San Francisco 6:47 - Outsmarting your kids online 8:00 - Advice to young adults in branding and social media use 10:23 - Going live: Who's doing it right and why 12:30 - Measuring social success 13:10 - What's next for Amber Mac   About Our Guest Amber Mac is a bestselling author, speaker, TV/radio host and entrepreneur. She is the President of agency Konnekt Digital Engagement who sees clients such as Ford Motor Company, Fast Company, Paypal and Microsoft Xbox. Amber is a regular business host and expert for Fast Company, CNN, Bloomberg, and CBS. She began her career during the dot-com boom in San Francisco and has been at the forefront of digital innovation ever since.

Michael Popovich, CEO of STC (Scientific Technologies Corporation), caught up with Alan Quarry to discuss the changes in information technology and how they can be used to save lives.   STC began as an IT company in the consulting realm, but after a design consult for an immunization registry had them building the software themselves, the firm wound up deep in the public health industry.   Michael shares impactful stories of how information technology and data can and has been used to create real-time, real-world change. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana, STC saved millions of taxpayer dollars and likely many lives with their immunization registry. This was the first time the United States had an integrated, countrywide electronic health record.   As the health industry undergoes a digital transformation, Michael states the key factor that sets IT firms apart: having an anthropologist on your team. This also relates to a current challenge many IT companies face, applying the right technology to the specific objective and human need. “The mission has a higher value than the technology,” Michael adds.   Michael also remarks on the future of the public health industry and STC’s role in what’s to come.   ABOUT OUR GUEST:  Michael Popovich is the Chief Executive Officer and sits on the Board of Directors for STC. Michael has been listed in Who’s Who Worldwide, Platinum edition, received numerous awards, authored over 120 articles and papers, and is a regular invited guest speaker at national conferences. He founded Scientific Technologies Corporation in 1988. Michael has over 30 years of experience in management and implementation of IT solutions that address challenges in public health and environmental health. He received his MS in Systems Engineering and BS in Engineering Mathematics from the University of Arizona.

Entrepreneurship is usually focused on solving problems and the story of Miovision does not stray from that mentality. As a co-op student from the University of Waterloo, Kurtis McBride spent weekends manually counting cars at intersections. The common entrepreneurial phrase eventually crept through his mind – “There needs to be a better way.” Now, over a decade later, Kurtis’ company Miovision has reached global success in smart cities by creating agile solutions on top of city data.  Alan and Kurtis discuss smart city concepts – from top-down, large vendor solutions to bottom-up, little-point solutions.   One of the keys to Miovision’s success has been developing a balanced team with complementary skills and personalities. Kurtis also credits the Region of Waterloo and their pay-it-forward culture that allowed Kurtis and his team to receive the advice they needed to keep growing.   “Being naïve as an entrepreneur is actually an asset,” Kurtis states when asked his advice for emerging entrepreneurs. “The fact that you don’t know that the thing you’re going to do is impractical and challenging … gives you the confidence to go out and do it.” Kurtis also shares what’s next for Miovision as they continue their world domination.     About Our Guest   Kurtis McBride is the co-founder and CEO of Miovision Technologies Inc. located in Kitchener, Ontario. Miovision develops video- and web-based technologies to help traffic consultants and municipal governments reduce the cost of collecting, analyzing and reporting accurate traffic data. Kurtis holds a Masters of Systems Design from the University of Waterloo with a specialization in computer vision.  In 2013, Kurtis received the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

It’s been three years since we caught up with Vidyard’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael Litt, so we’ve pulled him into the AQ studio to discuss the dramatic growth and success of the five-year-old start-up. We start with the facts on what Vidyard does, how they do it and how their clients are benefiting. Michael and Alan discuss the challenges that present themselves as the Vidyard team grows. Michael notes that the employee head count isn’t their measure of success, but how happy and focused the employees are within Vidyard’s culture. Vidyard recently moved their headquarters into the downtown Kitchener, Ontario core. Michael thinks it’s important to create a positive impact in the community so Vidyard is donating time and resources through their “Plugin” initiative. When Vidyard began their journey, video was not high on the marketer’s checklist. Video has since boomed, resulting in new competitors, so Michael explains how Vidyard stays innovative in the bigger, busier market. He discusses the integration of his new chief operating officer, describing why they chose to hire a COO and how the company culture is affected. Michael also shares his predictions for the future of marketing with video, including the rise of virtual reality. We close by having Michael share his advice for entrepreneurs entering the start-up world. About Our Guest Michael Litt is the co-founder and chief executive officer at Vidyard, an intelligence platform helping marketers make the most out of video. He is highly awarded, receiving Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award and getting listed in Marketing Magazine’s 30 Under 30, just to name two. Michael studied at the University of Waterloo, receiving a BASc. in Systems Design Engineering.

Alex Mustakas, Chief Entertainment Officer of Drayton Entertainment, joins us to discuss arts, business and the glorious combination of the two. Alex shares the inspiring story behind Drayton Entertainment and how he used both his creative side and business mind to become an entrepreneurial success in arts. Twenty-five years ago, a small community raised funds to save its old opera house from a wrecking ball. Now that venue stands as one of seven theatres under the Drayton Entertainment umbrella, with over 800 performances across southwestern Ontario.    Alex proudly states that Drayton Entertainment is one of the top employers of professional artists in Canada, and with professional relationships to Broadway in New York, the success is sure to grow. Alex and Alan discuss the changing demographics and shifting buying patterns of the theatre audience, and how Drayton is working to adapt and sustain its success. They discuss the secret sauce in the Drayton Entertainment success story and contemplate whether that success could have been reached if the company had begun in a large city instead of the small, middle-of-nowhere town of Drayton, Ontario.    About Our Guest   Alex Mustakas is the Artistic Director and CEO of Drayton Entertainment. Under Alex’ tenure, the company has successfully evolved to include seven venues across southwestern Ontario. Alex has a Business degree in Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University and a Masters degree in Arts Administration at City University in London, England. Alex is highly accomplished, winning Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2013 and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

Loren Padelford, Vice President and General Manager at Shopify Plus, joins Alan to share how Shopify is changing the landscape of e-commerce. Loren tells how this Canadian company sparked out of the founder’s desire to sell snowboards online. Shopify has since found great success, helping entrepreneurs reach a global market online with easy-to-use, cost-effective software. The recently launched Shopify Plus takes the software a step further, assisting large enterprise companies to sell online and create campaigns with ease. Loren shares a remarkable example of how the technology helped Oreos create a campaign in two months versus the two years it would have taken internally.   “Globally, anything is a market”, Loren states, giving examples of products and merchants using the e-commerce technology. Shopify doesn’t just offer an e-commerce solution. They help entrepreneurs succeed by providing learning tools like Shopify University and “Shopifolk”. Alan and Loren finish by discussing what’s next for Shopify and commerce as a whole, as emerging technologies like virtual reality re-shape our lives.   About Our Guest Loren Padelford is the Vice President and General Manager at Shopify Plus. He is also on the board of directors at the Accelerator Centre in Waterloo and the board of mentors at Communitech in Kitchener. Loren holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Liverpool and a BA in Psychology from the University of Guelph.

Let’s just start by saying that Amy Schmittauer is a force to be reckoned with. Her Savvy Sexy Social brand is informative, fun and magnetic. In this grilling, Amy joins us for an insightful look at YouTube, Snapchat and authentic brand building. If you think YouTube is a dying medium, oh boy, are you wrong. As Amy states, the #2 search engine isn’t going anywhere and is more relevant than ever. Amy discusses finding your brand differentiator, being an “overnight” success and what drives her passion for vlogging. She shares her biggest Snapchat pet peeve and supports what marketing gurus Brian Fanzo and Jay Baer are doing right in this fast-paced social world. Make sure you keep your eyes, ears and social channels focused on Amy Schmittauer. Amy has an upcoming book loaded with all the knowledge your savvy sexy social mind can handle! About Our Guest Amy Schmittauer is the face and founder of Savvy Sexy Social, a web series that focuses on helping businesses and rising stars create an authentic brand through video and social media. She is an internationally-acclaimed public speaker and was voted #1 Best Speaker at Social Media Day San Diego in 2015. Amy studied Political Science at Ohio State University.

When Don and Alex Tapscott began writing “Blockchain Revolution”, not a single bank was investing in the revolutionary technology. Now virtually every company in the financial services industry is investing heavily as they realize this new technology is the second generation of the internet - the “internet of value”. In this exciting episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, we are honored to have Don and Alex on to discuss their new book and the implications and opportunities in blockchains. Currently, when sending assets, we rely on intermediaries like banks to ensure trust, verify parties and perform the transaction logic. “These intermediaries do an okay job”, Alex states, “but with some pretty significant limitations.” Alex walks us through the limitations these intermediaries face and how blockchain technology fixes these problems. “Blockchain Revolution” delineates several new business models that can be adopted by any company, and Don and Alex describe one example that found success with a blockchain. They share their thoughts on how blockchains will change the definition of work and the job market, and how companies need to re-architect their businesses as opposed to adjusting their strategies. Don and Alex provide examples of ways entrepreneurs and start-ups can and are using blockchains to disrupt and revolutionize other industries in an “explosion of innovation.” We finish by discussing how we all, entrepreneurs, government , business leaders etc., need to work hard to achieve this future and exploit the blockchain potential. “Technology itself doesn’t create prosperity,” Don states, calling on all to lead this revolution in a positive way. Leave your comments below and subscribe to the AQ’s Blog & Grill mailing list for your chance to win a copy of Don and Alex Tapscott’s “Blockchain Revolution”.   About Our Guests Don Tapscott is one of the world’s leading authorities on innovation. He has authored and co-authored over 15 best-selling books including “The Digital Economy”, “Wikinomics” and now, “Blockchain Revolution”. Don is a highly awarded intellectual and is listed as the 4th most influential management speaker alive by Thinkers50. He is an adjunct Professor of Management at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and the inaugural Fellow at the Martin Prosperity Institute. In 2015, Don was made a Member of the Order of Canada. Alex Tapscott is the CEO and Founder of Northwest Passage Ventures, an advisory firm building industry-leading blockchain businesses. Alex became the youngest-ever Vice President for Canaccord Genuity at age 25, founding the firm’s blockchain practice in 2014. Alex is the co-author of “Blockchain Revolution” along with his father, Don Tapscott. He is also on the faculty of the Global Solutions Network Program conducted by the Martin Prosperity Institute, Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

In this special episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, broadcasting personality Angela Onoura turns the tables and interviews host Alan Quarry. Angela picks Alan’s brain on the topic of leadership: hiring people smarter than you, giving them the freedom to do what they’re best at, and how bureaucracy can negatively impact a business by squashing creativity. Alan shares advice on creating an exciting company culture, providing examples from his own company, Quarry Integrated Communications, which is HQ'd in St. Jacob's, Ontario, with offices in Raleigh-Durham and San Jose. When hiring the sharpest tools in the shed, egos can create a lot of head butting in the board room, so Alan shares insight into how a leader can keep control of those bright minds, turning those egos into “We-gos”. About Our Guest Along with being the host of AQ’s Blog & Grill, Alan Quarry is the chairman of Quarry Integrated Communications. He is an entrepreneur, a mentor, and a startup coach at Communitech and the Accelerator Centre in Kitchener-Waterloo. Alan is a professor in marketing at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo, and is also vice chairman of the board BPA Worldwide in NYC.

In this episode, broadcasting personality Angela Onuora joins Alan to discuss the shifts she has experienced in moving to Canada from Nigeria. In Nigeria, Angela became a popular TV host, actor and radio personality. She discusses her popular radio show, "We Women", and how it was the first ever talk-radio show in Nigeria.  "We Women" dealt with serious women's issues such as rape, divorce and domestic violence. Angela shares how she grew her fanbase and how she brought a bit of lightness to such dark material. In 2014, Angela and her family made the move to Canada. She discusses Canadian culture shocks and the opportunities she has found here to expand her knowledge and grow her career.   About Our Guest Angela Onuora is a broadcasting personality, screenwriter and media developer from Abuja, Nigeria. In 2014, she moved to Canada to grow her media company, Izureel Concepts. Angela is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University with a BSc. (Hons) degree in Estate Management.  

Known as the “career-whisperer”, Dr. Larry Smith joins AQ’s Blog & Grill to share insights from his new book, “No Fears, No Excuses”. After a 2011 TED Talk that garnered millions of views on YouTube, Larry found himself answering thousands of questions stemming from the talk. “I always knew people struggled with careers,” he states. “But that gave me a sense of the scale that I’d honestly not imagined.” The messages Larry was receiving in relation to the TED video showed him what people wanted answered. This led him to create a truly market-tested book, tested by real people asking real questions. In this Q&A, Larry describes the structure of the book and what the reader will find, including pragmatic guidance and the “unsexy subject of planning”. Larry tells us the difference between having a strong interest in something and being truly passionate, and how that passion will shape your career. He also discusses the vexing issue of work/life balance and how not having a balance can cause your startup or business to fail. “Just because you work hard does not mean you will be successful.” About Our Guest Dr. Larry Smith is an adjunct associate professor of economics at the University of Waterloo. He has counselled more than 23,000 students on careers, representing more than 10 percent of UW’s alumni. His efforts at the university led to his receiving the University of Waterloo’s Distinguished Teacher Award. His TEDx Talk, “Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career”, has been viewed by millions.

She’s the CEO of Sprint.ly, a marketing mentor and angel investor who started her hurricane of entrepreneurial activities by studying engineering. In this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, April Dunford shares her experience from engineer to marketing greatness. April finds that most start-ups struggle with their positioning statements. They either follow the fill-in-the-blank, Frankenstein-style model, or they don’t create one at all. To help, April breaks down the top four types of positioning statements and shares a new way for crafting them. Alan and April discuss marketing strategy vs. tactics, creating the right metrics and shifting your mindset from selling to helping your customer buy. Becoming a “stay-up” isn’t an easy road, so April provides her top three marketing strategies start-ups should follow to find success. “In theory, everything is possible,” April says. “But I live in practice, and the road to theory has been washed out”.   About Our Guest April Dunford studied engineering at the University of Waterloo but happens to be a B2B marketing guru. She has a history of helping to bring start-ups to success and assisting large corporations to launch new products. April is currently the CEO of Sprint.ly, an agile project management tool, and the founder of Rocket Launch Marketing.

Just in case you missed the memo, traditional brand marketing has officially taken a back seat. Audiences want authenticity, transparency and “right-time” marketing. So who are you going to call to perfect your strategy as the digital platforms constantly change? Our suggestion: Brian Fanzo. As Chief Social Media Officer at MyChannel Inc and founding partner of Backlamp LLC, Brian always has his finger on the pulse of new technologies and platforms to reach your audience the way they want to be reached. This year, live video is the game-changer. Live video allows us to scale relationships and build trust. But it’s more than hitting a button and chatting away. You still need to have a strategy. Brian, who is connecting to us for this interview while visiting SXSW, provides us with his 5 keys to a successful live video stream. He also gives tips to creating a strong digital footprint with every marketing move you make. Alan and Brian discuss the quick demise of Meerkat, the 24-hour lifespan of Periscope and the large reach of Facebook live. Brian makes the point that we must constantly collaborate by sharing information and bridging audiences to keep up with the rate of change found in digital marketing today.   About Our Guest Brian Fanzo is the Chief Social Media Officer at MyChannel Inc and the founding partner of Backlamp LLC. Brian is the proud father of three girls, a social media specialist and technology evangelist.  As a keynote speaker, Brian shares his knowledge on millennial leadership, digital storytelling, personal branding and the power of community.

How does a young guy from Winnipeg become the founder of the leading search marketing software company? Answer: A lot of hard work, an undying drive for success and a lot of time spent working with the free wifi at Panera Bread. Larry Kim joins us to share his story of going from a University of Waterloo student to building a successful business that manages over half a billion dollars in ad revenue worldwide. After discovering the power of AdWords through a previous career, Larry decided to take his new-found skills to the next level by advising clients on how to efficiently manage their online ad spend. As his workload grew, he began to write software programs that eased his consulting responsibilities. Fast-forward six years, Larry’s company, WordStream, employs hundreds in the Boston area, has tens of thousands of customers, and has been named by Google as an AdWords Premier Partner. Alan and Larry discuss the “why’s” of starting a business, the challenges around “vulture” capitalists, and the entrepreneurial myths that need busting. Larry wraps up by providing advice to emerging startups and entrepreneurs. About Our Guest Larry Kim is the Founder and Chief Technology Officer of WordStream, Inc., which is the leading provider of Adwords, Facebook and keyword tools used by over a million marketers worldwide. Larry is a top columnist at “Inc. Magazine”, Search Engine Land, Social Media Examiner and is a regular contributor to The WordStream Blog. Larry has many awards under his belt, including “Most Influential PPC Expert” three years running, and Search Marketer of the Year at the 2015 US Search Awards.

Top digital analyst, futurist and award-winning author, Brian Solis joins Alan to share the inspirations and aspirations behind his new book, X: The Experience When Business Meets Design. Brian's major influence for the book comes from Joseph Pine and James Gilmore’s article-turned-book, The Experience Economy (1999). Brian notes that well over a decade later, their points on customer experience are still valid—customers want experiences, not products or services. Brian depicts the framework for experience architecture and how one can become an experience architect. Brian discusses data-artistry and how we must not dehumanize data. We must use data to tell a story and humanize who we are trying to reach. Brian also explains the technique of Hollywood Storyboarding to build a narrative so people can have the best brand experience. About Our Guest Brian Solis is a sought-after keynote speaker, an award-winning author, and the Principal Analyst at Altimeter Group (a Prophet company). Brian is a trail blazer in digital transformation, innovation, digital lifestyles, and connected consumerism. He shares his insights in his writings with AdAge, Wired, VentureBeat and on his personal blog at briansolis.com. Brian also hosts an online video series titled Revolution where he examines technology, trends and more with thought leaders from around the globe.

Back in 2007, unaware of the incoming economic recession, Joe Pulizzi left his successful career with Penton Media to embark on a journey of entrepreneurship. Joe had no product to sell, but with the help of inspiring messages from authors like Stephen Covey and Napoleon Hill, he wrote out his goals and began developing an audience. Every day Joe blogged, and after a few years he managed to compile a database of over 10,000 email subscribers. It was only then that he decided to develop products and services to sell to his trusting followers. There are many lessons to take from this, but the number one is that if you build an audience and become their trusted source of information, you can establish a successful business based on that audience’s needs. Joe outlines much of this in his bestselling book, “Content Inc.”, one of the topics in this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill. Alan and Joe break down many aspects of a stellar content marketing strategy, debate the future of content marketing, and Joe shares his inspirations for writing Content Inc. By the way, since you’ve been reading this, another 1,000+ blogs have been launched on the internet. How will you stand out among them? About Our Guest Joe Pulizzi is a bestselling author, a world-renowned keynote speaker, and the founder of the Content Marketing Institute. Joe can often be found at the top of Content Marketing Influencer lists from publishers like Entrepreneur and Newscred. He is known for being one of the founders of the content marketing movement, using the term way back in 2001 when the internet was still a toddler. Joe has built his business, the Content Marketing Institute, from a small, daily content-focused blog to a world-leading media company that publishes an ongoing magazine and hosts the largest content marketing event in the world.

There are many skeptics out there who believe that public relations is a dead industry. Experts, like our guest Melissa Durrell, know better. Yes, the digital age is transforming the landscape of public relations, but that doesn’t mean any Joe Blow off the street can get your word out like a PR expert can. A self-proclaimed “news junkie and political wonk”, Melissa joins us to discuss the importance of public relations and why every brand needs to have a strategy. In 2015, the marketing word of the year was ‘content’, so brands everywhere jumped on the content-creation train hoping for an increase in brand awareness and, ultimately, sales. However, Melissa notes that if no one is reading your content, what’s the point? This is just one area of the spectrum that shows having a PR strategy is critical. Melissa also shares tips on crisis communication; giving a pitch that will grab the attention of investors; the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur and advice for people looking to work in public relations. About Our Guest Melissa Durrell is the President of Durrell Communications, a boutique public relations agency in Waterloo, Ontario. As a trusted mentor and award-winning communications expert, Melissa works with hundreds of startups, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists across Canada with their communications strategies. Melissa’s passion for community is shown daily in her work as a City Councilor.

Michael Brenner is at the top of content marketing influencer lists web-wide. He inspires marketing minds to stay agile in this new and evolving age of the customer. With great skill comes great questions, and the number one question Michael receives is “How do I measure the ROI on my content marketing?” Behold, “The Content Formula”, his new book, filled with applicable knowledge to satisfy any CFO. Michael Brenner joins Alan to share some of the expertise the reader will find in “The Content Formula” and to talk about what adventures are next. Alan and Michael discuss why “marketing has a marketing problem” and what we need to do to fix it. They wrap up this insightful interview by considering the future of marketing: Will video take over the Internet as Cisco predicts? Will there even be any advertising – or just personalized branding? About Our Guest Michael Brenner is the Chief Executive Officer of Marketing Insider Group and previously vice-president, marketing and content strategy at SAP. He is a results-driven, strategic marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience in marketing and sales. He is also a frequent speaker at marketing and leadership events, a contributor to “The Economist”, “Forbes” and “The Guardian”, and a blogger at B2B Marketing Insider.

Rob Barnett is a pioneer in the media world, bringing audiences entertainment on the platforms they crave. The founder of Omnivision Entertainment and My Damn Channel joins Alan to discuss the past, present and future of branded content. With a history working at MTV, VH1 and then taking an entrepreneurial route in media, Rob’s true passion lies in providing talented entertainers with the right platform to achieve success. When YouTube was merely an infant in diapers, Rob Barnett launched My Damn Channel, a platform to bring original online comedy direct to the audience without the red tape from networks in the way. Rob brought together great talents Harry Shearer, Don Was and David Wain to launch the indie channel and eventually opened the doors to discover and launch fresh talents like Grace Helbig (Daily Grace), reaching audiences as significant and large as television. Alan and Rob discuss the rise of Grace Helbig and how she was one of the first internet stars to build a unique relationship between artist and audience that was consistent and dedicated. They also debate the future of branded content and if we will ever get tired of video now that anyone can be their own producer. Rob Barnett wraps up the discussion by providing us with three things publishers should consider to achieve media success in this new age of communications. About Our Guest Rob Barnett is the founder of Omnivision Entertainment and My Damn Channel, a multi-platform media company working with established and emerging talent and major brands to create premium content in all outlets. Rob produces innovative, original content for TV, film, radio and the web. He has created content with diverse communicators including former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla and more. For over a decade, Rob was a production and programming executive at MTV and VH1 and he was President of Programming for CBS Radio.

Is personalization simply a silver bullet, or will this emerging technology change the face of marketing? Glen Drummond, Chief Innovation Officer of Quarry Integrated Communications, joins Alan to discuss the theory of personalization. When machines talk to you using behavioral targeting, how does it make you feel? How can businesses, particularly B2B marketers, use personalization to create a more authentic brand experience? Glen introduces us to the personalization ladder and defines the steps from personalization to sales. Alan and Glen also consider the effect personalization will have on content marketing as the marketer's toolbox constantly evolves. Key takeaway? Think strategy, not tactic, regarding personalization and customers will feel a deeper and more meaningful brand connection. About Our Guest Glen Drummond serves as partner and chief innovation officer at Quarry Integrated Communications. He specializes in supporting innovative people within large organizations, who are leading the journey from product-centric to customer-centric business models. Glen also teaches a fourth-year course in marketing at Wilfrid Laurier University and Digital Experience Innovation at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.