Island Thrive: Conversations with Business and Community Leaders.

At Smart Dolphins IT, we use Microsoft 365 apps like Bookings, Teams and OneNote to enhance our efficiency during recruitment. In this podcast, we share how these tools have streamlined this process.

Microsoft is making two significant changes which are getting conflated: price changes to seat-based subscriptions and the launching of the New Commerce Experience (NCE). In this brief session, President Dave Monahan and COO Jesse Smith summarize the changes and explain how Smart Dolphins IT is helping our clients navigate them.

In this episode, Paul and Dave talk with Co-owner David Logan of Duttons Property Management & Boutique Real Estate Sales, a Victoria-based firm located in the heart of Fairfield. The three engage in conversation about workplace culture, leading with values and the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) — a system of concepts and tools that leaders can apply to help manage and strengthen their businesses. David passionately shares his optimism of the local real estate market and the economic resilience of the city itself to continue to thrive despite the unprecedented economic impact on some sectors of the local economy caused by the pandemic.

In this episode, Paul Holmes, and fellow Smart Dolphins employee, Ty Hedden, introduce listeners to Aaron Kraus, information systems and cloud security trainer and consultant. The three of them talk about cybersecurity through the lens of risk management. They outline some of the different types of risks, interesting socioeconomic motivations behind hacking and the tools that are used to exploit software vulnerabilities. Paul, Ty and Aaron conclude with a discussion on just how important it is to maintain a strong security-minded culture in a business environment where technology permeates everything we do.

In our first episode of Season 3, Paul Holmes, chats with Jeff Bray executive director of the Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA). Despite the ongoing challenges due to the pandemic, Jeff draws attention to the resilience and collaboration of the downtown business community. He talks about two specific marketing campaigns “Save the Sales” and “Downtown Deliveries” — both initiatives that were created to get folks supporting downtown Victoria businesses. Jeff highlights the vibrancy of the downtown core and encourages listeners to get to know some of the business owners who bring energy and life to our city in their Meet Downtown campaign.

In our final episode of Season 2, we talk with Eric Jordan CEO of Codename Entertainment.  Eric shares with us some business and industry highlights from the past year, emphasizing the significance of “discovery” and internal marketing. He breaks down for the listening audience, some common misconceptions about gamers and the terminology that the industry uses to define them. During the thought-provoking, 64-minute podcast, Eric shares with us compelling insights of the transition he experienced from selling his previous company, PureEdge Solutions, to IBM and the deeply personal journey that landed him in a position where he gets to bring people happiness everyday in his role at Codename.

In this episode, Dave and Paul chat with award-winning journalist Tess van Straaten about her role at CHEK News and as a columnist at Boulevard Magazine. She shares the origin story of how CHEK News became North America's only employee-owned TV station and explains how the pandemic has impacted the everyday work of journalists. Tess highlights the significance that both values and passion play in local entrepreneurship and encourages us to stay positive as we continue to live under provincial restrictions.

In this episode of Island Thrive, Paul and Dave chat with Isabelle Mercier-Turcotte about tried and true practices to business success. Isabelle shares her insights on the timeliness of education-based marketing. She recommends business leaders focus on educating their clients while listening more closely (than ever before) to their needs.At the heart of this episode is uncovering your X-factor, that is how to get your clients to "know, like and trust you" while you navigate common business challenges, such as overcoming fear, building your culture and making tough trade-offs for example, saying goodbye to the mammoth client. Despite these business-specific growing pains many face, Isabelle reminds us to treat ourselves like our million-dollar client.

In this episode, Paul and Dave talk with Jill Doucette, founder of Synergy Enterprises and Synergy Foundation — two separate organizations with the same mandate: to get business leaders to reduce their carbon emissions.Jill highlights some of the ways in which the pandemic has resulted in a mind shift among many business leaders to embrace sustainable development as part of their post-pandemic recovery.She explains the nuances of each of the three focus areas of her foundation; green business, food security and the circular economy and draws attention to some of Vancouver Island's leading green businesses. Lastly, Jill, Paul and Dave chat about how our consumer and business decisions can have a significant environmental impact — in a good way — when we reconsider how we approach everything from small office furnishings to recycling to travel. 

In this episode, Paul and Ty chat with Brandon Laur of The White Hatter. They talk about security awareness training and the human firewall, drawing attention to social media phishing. They also chat about how different generations respond to online scams, intensifying business risks due to the recent shift to remote work, password management and much more.

In this episode, Paul and Dave chat with Chief Executive Officer, Mark Breslauer, of the United Way of Greater Victoria (UWGV). Mark shares how their organization quickly pivoted at the start of the pandemic to narrow their focus to provide immediate assistance in three key areas of action:Isolated seniorsFamilies in needMental health and addictionsMark talks about the ways in which the UWGV has changed the way it operates and their “new normal” when it comes to fundraising. In closing, he sheds some light more broadly on the nuances of local giving.

In our final episode of 2020, we speak with Scott Phillips president of Victoria-based Starfish Medical — one of Canada's leading medical device design service providers. Scott shares some stories from their 21 years in business, outlining how they moved from one growth plateau to another, how his leadership role evolved and the significance that operational systems had in their success. He speaks about how the recognition of Starfish in their industry resulted in a contract to manufacture 7,500 units of the Winnipeg Ventilator 2.0, a made in Canada ICU ventilator and explains a few other ways in which the pandemic is impacting Starfish. 

In this episode, we chat with Carol Hall Director of Strategic Initiatives about the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on both the Victoria Foundation and more broadly on Southern Vancouver Island.Carol describes the abrupt shift in their mission into a fundraising role — a pivot that resulted in over 15,000 donations totalling over $6 million raised through the Rapid Relief Fund. Additionally, hosts Paul and Dave discuss with Carol this year's Vital Signs findings. They draw attention to two primary challenges: housing and getting started in Victoria.Carol also talks about the increased demand for some not-for-profit services. She highlights how heightened collaboration across different sectors contributes to the overall resilience of civil society and continues to play a major role in our recovery.

In this podcast, Paul Holmes talks with Bruce Williams, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. Bruce's longstanding career in broadcasting and his passionate commitment to driving engagement in the region has well-positioned him to face the challenges resulting from the pandemic.Bruce shares how their organization has had to pivot by moving to online events but overall, he remains optimistic about the future of business on the Island. Bruce sheds light on the many opportunities within the region, specifically the leadership emanating from the emerging green economy.

In this episode of Island Thrive, Paul and Dave chat with Mayor Stewart Young of Langford.  Young shares how he continues to shape British Columbia's fastest growing city. He talks about some of his accomplishments throughout his 28 years in municipal politics. Young tells listeners about the ways in which he has helped build a local economy as part of an effort to make Langford a city that is attractive to young families, business leaders and even the provincial government — as demonstrated in the “mobile office” pilot program which will keep 100 government workers in the city that they reside in. 

In this episode we chat with Laura Bolster, president of Megson Fitzpatrick  Insurance (MFI).  Laura started working at MFI at the age of 19 and became president just this year.  In this podcast, Laura shares how MFI is navigating the pandemic, the impact on their culture and the resulting hybrid workforce. She outlines their succession planning strategy, the roll out of their employee share ownership program and their renewed focus on scaling up. 

In this episode of Island Thrive, we chat with Dan Gunn, executive director of VIATEC. He shares his thesis of the city of Victoria, referring to it as a magnetic city — a place that has a remarkable quality of life and offers exceptional opportunities. This pull helps fuel the growth of the four billion dollar per year tech industry. Dan also talks about the organic development of the tech district, the industry landscape and how the pandemic has impacted the mission and culture of their own organization. 

In our first episode of Season 2, Paul and Dave chat with Executive Vice President, Ty Whittaker about the real estate market on Southern Vancouver Island. Ty shares his optimism concerning the economic stability of the region citing increasing demand in both commercial and residential real estate, particularly in the Westshore communities. Ty highlights in depth some of the trends and changes that contribute to the region's longstanding stability.  

In our final episode of Season 1, Paul and Dave talk with Executive Director Rosalind Scott of the Better Business Bureau. Rosalind shares how local businesses are being innovative in their efforts to navigate the challenges that the pandemic has presented. She provides some useful tips for business leaders and describes how their own organization has helped both their clients and the community at large adapt to the “new normal.”

By mid-March 2020, all organized sporting activities for kids came to a sudden stop. KidSport Greater Victoria, a local not-for-profit organization that provides grants to help cover the costs of registration fees, paused funding.In this episode, Paul and Dave chat with Jill Shaw, executive director of KidSport Greater Victoria. She explains how her role and her organization's mission has shifted over the past months. Fast forward to September 2020 and some local sport organizations have started up again, funding has resumed, and some children are returning to sport. Reflecting on the pandemic, Jill shares her renewed belief in just how critical their mission is for children's well-being.Check out their upcoming annual (now virtual) fundraising event Play it Forward at: https://www.jonmontgomerypizzapigout.com/

The coronavirus pandemic has had an extensive and varied impact on local businesses including those in manufacturing, legal, accounting, retail as well as hospitality — some have been impacted negatively, while others positively. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the tourism industry. In Episode 11, Paul and Dave chat with Ryan Burles, president of the Black Ball Ferry Line, about how the pandemic and the subsequent border closure brought their operations to a halt.Ryan talks about how they are working hard to stay afloat with a skeleton crew. He shares some of the ways that they have tried to help their employees and keep a crew on-board, citing the assistance from the Paycheck Protection Program. He is hopeful that loans like the Main Street Lending Program (with longer term paybacks) will be made available but with the uncertainty around the stigma of travel in a post-Covid world, he has his concerns. However, Ryan believes that their 60-year history, their resilience as a company and the pristine locations from which they operate provide Black Ball Ferry Line with enough optimism about their future to keep calm and carry on. In the meantime, you can support the Black Ball Ferry Line with a purchase of some Coho memorabilia at: https://shop.blackball.com/

Covid-19 rushed into our lives. Many business leaders had to make significant operational changes immediately. Technical decisions that generally take months to plan and implement were made in the matter of days. And in this rush to stay productive some business leaders overlooked privacy and security. In episode 10, Paul and Ty are joined by Marilyn Sing, Certified Information Privacy Professional and Principal of IPP Consulting to discuss how the pandemic and in particular, the rush to work from home resulted in lax oversight in privacy policy and practices across a broad spectrum of businesses. Marilyn details the evolving landscape noting some of the top concerns and breaches since the start of the pandemic while Paul and Ty offer their perspective on issues where technology intersects with privacy. At the heart of this episode is a recommendation for a comprehensive review of all technical changes made during the move to work from home. A thorough review should be conducted, especially to the changes that could impact privacy or security. 

Are you considering joining a peer group in your industry or city? Well, we think it's a good business idea.President of Smart Dolphins IT Solutions, Dave Monahan, has been in one peer group or another for over 15 years. Participation in these groups has greatly influenced his life — both personally and professionally.  In this episode, Paul and Dave chat with Josh Kotler, a long-time peer in the managed services industry, founder of Western Digitech and COO of CompassMSP. The three chat about the significance of peer groups, success, workplace culture and heightened IT risks in the North American small-to-medium-sized market. 

Do you know Jesse Smith? Jesse is our chief operations officer. Throughout his 16-year career at Smart Dolphins he has witnessed a dramatic evolution in how we use and embrace technology in the workplace. In this episode, Jesse unpacks the influence of Microsoft in that evolution and the significance of tools like Microsoft Teams in coalescing the Microsoft experience. He encourages business leaders with legacy technology to seriously get a handle on what IT improvements need to be made. This is important not simply because of hidden IT risk but because we live in a world where people are demanding the tools to work from anywhere, at any time and on any device. From this podcast, we hope you will get a stronger sense of the role technology plays in building a vibrant and productive workplace culture.

In Episode 7, Dave Monahan and Paul Holmes talk with Andy Spurling president of Proline Property Management.    During this podcast, Andy shares his experience of growing up and then leaving the Island to pursue a law career on Bay Street in Toronto. Like many islanders, he returned years later to work at his family business. He shares with us his interesting journey to eventually becoming president of the company.    Andy talks about how the pandemic forced Proline to quickly innovate by removing paper-based processes so that they (and others in their industry) could operate remotely. He uncovers some of the challenges and successes of transitioning to a fully-remote workforce and then describes the return to the workplace — a return that has put into question the very purpose of an office space. This reconciling happens just as they embark upon the construction of a new head office on the Westshore, which may carry unexpected consequences.  Dave, Paul and Andy speak about the generational shifts in management and underline the importance of focus, setting goals and finding meaning outside busy business lives. 

In Episode 6, Smart Dolphins Virtual Chief Information Officers Paul and Ty talk with Susan Howard, development director of the Victoria Women's Transition House (VWTH).Susan shares the ways in which the organization has had to make major adjustments in how they deliver services. Some of these changes include, relocating women and children from their regular communal housing to a hotel to allow for social distancing. Other transitions include setting up staff to work remotely and implementing a digital platform so that women will continue to have access to counselling.In the midst of these operational changes, the organization has had to deal with an increase of calls from women fleeing violence here on Southern Vancouver Island — a reality that is unfortunately, very common in times of crisis.Susan gives thanks to the community for the ongoing donations and highlights the generosity of local businesses who are helping to raise funds for the VWTH.

In episode 5, we speak with Chris Atchison, president of the British Columbia Construction Association about the impact of Covid-19 on the construction industry in British Columbia, as well as their own association. Chris highlights how the recognition of the construction industry as an essential service paved the way for innovation, collaboration and heightened workplace safety. 

In this episode, Paul and Dave welcome Ty, Smart Dolphins Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) onto the podcast. They uncover what they have identified as the three stages of the work from home transition. They talk about collaboration, business continuity, productivity and cybersecurity. They paint a picture of the workplace of the future - one that is no longer confined to the four walls of an office and unpack the competitive advantages of embracing the cloud.   

In this episode, Paul and Dave talk to lawyer, Sheridan King of Ramsay Lampman Rhodes. Sheridan outlines constructive dismissal, severance obligations under the Employment Standards Act and provides some general guidance on how to approach your employees when it comes to layoffs. She raises some key concerns related to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and emphasizes the importance of employment agreements and frank discussion between employers and employees. 

Paul and Dave talk with Victoria Shannon president of Hansbraun Investments a local commercial property management firm. Victoria shares the ways in which their business values became the compass that is helping them navigate the fallout of the pandemic. She unpacks how Hansbraun had to quickly innovate and attributes much of their success to their business values and strong workplace culture. Victoria is optimistic long-term and predicts that we'll see a revival in the “buy local” movement. Tune in to find out how Victoria and her team are making a difference in our community.

 In this episode, Paul and Dave introduce the podcast: Island Thrive. Conversations with Business and Community Leaders. They chat about both the opportunities and the challenges that the pandemic has created. Paul shares his experience on the rush to get Vancouver Island professionals working from home and the quick shift in his role as Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) to Lead Online Trainer. They raise key questions on digital transformation, cybersecurity risks within remote workforces, innovation and productivity. Dave highlights the results of the Business Outlook Survey and they tease the audience with what is to come in the first few episodes.