Opportunity Unlocked

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The coronavirus has changed our lives in an extraordinary way - and with this unprecedented change arises unique opportunity. In this podcast, we talk with top business leaders about opportunities for personal and professional growth during COVID-19.

Noah Ifergan


    • Aug 9, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 32m AVG DURATION
    • 27 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Opportunity Unlocked

    Appian CMO Denise Broady - Living the American Dream as a Refugee, Bringing Your Authentic Self to the Workplace, Wellness Practices

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2022 98:48


    LinkedIn: Denise Broady   Denise is CMO at Appian. She has over 25+ years of experience as a change agent scaling businesses from start-ups, turnarounds and complex software companies. Prior to Appian, Denise was COO at SAP and CMO/COO at WorkForce Software. She is also a two-time published author of GRC for Dummies and Driven to Perform. Denise holds a double degree in Marketing and Production and Operations from Virginia Tech.   ***Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com.   If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.  Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes!  

    Wealthsimple Co-Founder Brett Huneycutt & VP, Engineering Dominique Simoneau-Ritchie - Securing the Largest Private Investment in Canadian History, Building the Most Diverse Engineering Team in the Country

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2022 28:22


    LinkedIn: Dominique Simoneau-Ritchie, Brett Huneycutt   Dominique Simoneau-Ritchie is the Vice President of Engineering at Wealthsimple. Prior to joining their executive team, she established Lever's first R&D teams outside of San Francisco; created and grew successful teams at Shopify and Blackberry QNX; and held various roles at IBM and several startups.   Brett Huneycutt is Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Wealthsimple. Prior to Wealthsimple, he co-founded photo website 1000memories.com which was acquired in 2012 by Ancestry.com where he became Director of Product.  Brett is a former engagement manager at McKinsey and Rhode Scholar at University of Oxford.   Wealthsimple is a Toronto-based fintech company bringing smart, simple, online financial products to market. Their products include investment management services, equity and crypto trading, peer-to-peer cash transferring, and a tax platform. In May 2021, the company raised $750M CAD at a valuation of $5B CAD.  ***Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com.   If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.  Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes!  

    Snippet: Appian CRO Eric Cross - Positively Impacting Businesses With Software, The Enormous Opportunity in Appian's Addressable Market, How Appian is Shaping the Low-Code Automation Market

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2022 11:04


    LinkedIn: Eric Cross    Eric Cross is Chief Revenue Officer at Appian. He has 20+ years experience leading and scaling high growth go to market organizations. He brings a diverse background with organizations sub $25M to $1.5B in direct and indirect revenue models spanning a diverse set of established and emerging technology categories. Recently, he was a member of the senior leadership team leading Apigee from mid stage start up through successful IPO and eventual acquisition by Google. Prior, he served in various senior leadership roles with Blue Coat Systems, Citrix Systems, and PeopleSoft amongst others. Eric is a graduate of the University of Georgia.***Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com.   If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes!  

    Appian CRO Eric Cross - Lessons From 30 Years as a Sales Exec, Growing Up On a Farm in Northwest Georgia, How Appian is Shaping the Low-Code Automation Market

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2022 58:05


    LinkedIn: Eric Cross   Eric has 20+ years experience leading and scaling high growth go to market organizations. He brings a diverse background with organizations sub $25M to $1.5B in direct and indirect revenue models spanning a diverse set of established and emerging technology categories. Recently, he was a member of the senior leadership team leading Apigee from mid stage start up through successful IPO and eventual acquisition by Google. Prior, he served in various senior leadership roles with Blue Coat Systems, Citrix Systems, and PeopleSoft amongst others. Eric is a graduate of the University of Georgia. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com.   If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes!  

    Mike Murchison - Co-Founder & CEO of Ada Support Inc.

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2021 31:36


    LinkedIn: Mike Murchison   Mike Murchison is the CEO and Co-founder of Ada, a venture-back AI-powered platform that is transforming how businesses around the world, including TELUS, Zoom and AirAsia, provide customer service. Before Ada, Mike answered tens of thousands of customer service inquiries manually firsthand. Using this experience, he set out to build Ada's platform that puts the benefits of AI into the hands of non-technical support teams to build, manage, and track ROI-driving automated customer experiences.  ***  Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com.   If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.  Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes!  

    Laura Adams - Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Canada

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2021 34:59


    LinkedIn: Laura Adams  Laura Adams is currently Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Canada. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Laura worked as a management consultant in Stockholm, Sweden and Washington, DC. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Georgia with degrees in International Business and Finance. Laura is a former NCAA All-American swimmer and has won an SEC Championship and the NCAA Woman of the Year award. She is a member of the Ticker Club, YPO and the Toronto Club, along with being a co-chair of the Right To Play Garden Party. Laura was recruited for the Champions Board by Heather Reisman in 2010.   ***.  Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com.  If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.   Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes! 

    Jesse Abrams - Co-Founder & CEO at Homewise

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2021 25:06


    LinkedIn: Jesse Abrams  Recently distinguished by the American Marketing Association Hall of Legends as one of Canada's top 5 “Marketers on the Rise” and by Marketing Magazine as a “Top 30 Under 30” Marketer in Canada, Jesse is an accomplished Digital Marketer and Advertiser who has a passion for growing businesses and never settling for the status quo. Jesse brings this passion for change and growth as the founder of Homewise, where he looks to change the face of the mortgage industry. Prior to Homewise, Jesse was a Partner and VP of Client Services & Digital at Beyond Marketing Group and spent 4 years building the Digital Marketing Department at General Mills.  ***  Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com  If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.  Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes! 

    Mike Serbinis - Founder & CEO of League Inc.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2021 46:55


    Socials: LinkedIn, Twitter  Michael Serbinis is the founder and CEO of League. With more than $1B of exits, he is known as a visionary leader and entrepreneur who has built several transformative technology platforms across industries. Serbinis worked alongside Elon Musk at Zip2 and founded and helped build Kobo, Critical Path, DocSpace, and now League. League is North America’s leading enterprise health OS, a data-driven platform designed to provide a personalized, single access hub for employees to find, understand and use their health, well-being and benefit programs. This new “front door” to healthcare eliminates the current sea of point solutions via an integrated ecosystem of over 100 insurance carriers, healthcare partners and HRIS systems and provides employers with a direct line of sight into the health of their workforce. Customers like Unilever, Uber, Shopify, and Lush Cosmetics are amongst the hundreds of employers currently using League to get more out of their healthcare investments.  ***  Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com  If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.  Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes! 

    Ellen Hyslop - Co-Founder of The GIST

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2021 30:37


    LinkedIn: Ellen Hyslop  Ellen Hyslop is the Co-Founder of The GIST. The GIST is a sports media startup that creates sports content, experiences and community that are by women, and for all sports fans. For the last two years, The GIST has shaken up the male-dominated sports media space by creating an inclusive and accessible community for all sports fans through our irreverent, fun and female voice. Ellen is Co-Founder and Head of Content for The GIST.  She is mainly responsible for The GIST's content strategy including being the voice of The GIST. Prior to starting The GIST, Ellen was an Underwriter at Chubb Insurance and graduated from Queen's Commerce in 2014. Ellen is a lifelong learner, traveler, and passionate sports fan. Follow The GIST: Website: thegistsports.com Twitter: twitter.com/thegistca Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegistca/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/thegistnews-ca/ Facebook: facebook.com/thegistnewsca/ ***  Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com  If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.  Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    Aly Dhalla - Co-Founder & CEO of Finaeo

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2021 23:14


    LinkedIn: Aly Dhalla  Aly Dhalla is the CEO and co-founder of Finaeo, a venture-backed InsurTech startup that has built a platform to help insurance advisors win in a digital era. Finaeo's operating system provides advisors a specialized CRM, digital tool-kit and paired it with an intelligent assistant/chat-bot, Domo, to create the "Bionic Advisor".  Aly spent his early career as a banker at TD before leaving to join a startup as their first employee, which was acquired by Benefits by Design, a national Third Party Administrative company, where he served as Managing Partner before launching Finaeo. Aly also Co-Founded TriCelerate, a not-for-profit tech incubator to help youth progress from idea to product.  ***  Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com  If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.  Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    Jay Rosenzweig - Founder & CEO of Rosenzweig & Co.

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2021 45:44


    Socials: Instagram, LinkedIn  Jay Rosenzweig is an internationally renowned social impact entrepreneur, investor, humanitarian, trained lawyer, and leadership strategist. The founder of Rosenzweig & Company, Jay is an expert in designing, building and attracting world class teams. He consults to public and private companies, including large global corporations; emerging growth to mid-sized businesses; professional services firms; and private equity and venture capital firms. He sits on the boards of several emerging growth tech companies across California, New York and Ontario.  Jay has been immersed in global human rights causes for well over two decades, and has been internationally recognized for the Annual Rosenzweig Report on equality, which he has published for the past fifteen years. Rosenzweig’s Annual Report has received endorsements and contributions from a wide range of influencers such as Justin Trudeau, Alyssa Milano, Sheryl Sandberg, Deepak Chopra, Andrew Yang, Van Jones, Zainab Salbi, Chrystia Freeland, John Tory, CEO’s and Board Chairs of major corporations, and several other artists, humanitarians, politicians and business leaders.  *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com  If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.  Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    Trang Trinh - Founding Director & CEO of TREC Brands

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2021 31:49


    LinkedIn: Trang Trinh Trang Trinh, one of the few female cannabis CEOs in Canada, decided to step into the cannabis scene after over a decade in the professional services world. While working in M&A consulting at Deloitte, her interest in the industry was sparked when she was sent to Jamaica to set up a vertically integrated cannabis company in Kingston for one of her clients. She eventually connected with partners Charles Khabouth and Basem Hanna to launch TREC Brands, an umbrella company that runs three cannabis labels: Blissed, WINK and Thumbs Up Brand. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes! 

    Andrew D'Souza - Co-Founder & CEO of Clearco (Formerly Clearbanc)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2021 26:13


    LinkedIn: Andrew D'Souza  Andrew D’Souza is the co-founder & CEO of Clearbanc, the biggest ecommerce investor in the world. Clearbanc has invested $1.6 billion into 4,000+ ecommerce and software companies using data science to identify high-growth funding opportunities in less than 24 hours. This data-driven approach takes the bias out of decision making and helped fund 8x more female founders than traditional VC. Andrew has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital and is an adviser and investor to companies such as WealthSimple, Properly, and Tulip Retail. Prior to Clearbanc, Andrew was the president of Nymi, a wearable platform focussed on identity and security and the COO of education startup, TopHat. Andrew began his career as a consultant with McKinsey & Company after receiving his degree in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo.  ***  Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com  If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts.  Follow the Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for more exciting episodes! 

    13. Joe Jackman - Founder & CEO of Jackman Reinvents

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2020 34:52


    Joe Jackman is the Founder and CEO of Jackman Reinvents, the hybrid management consulting, design, and branding agency working with huge clients like Staples and JCPenney.Joe is a Reinventionist – a pioneer of business growth reshaping businesses back to relevance and success. From his early years as an Executive VP at Loblaws, to overseeing successful reinventions at Duane Reade, Old Navy, and Dave & Busters, Joe has guided companies to become the most powerful and relevant versions of themselves in record time. At Jackman Reinvents, Joe and his team of over 100 multi-disciplinary reinventionists have completed hugely successful transformations and engineered hundreds of billions of dollars in sales. In his first book, The Reinventionist Mindset, Joe unveils his human-centric approach to corporate transformation and how to reposition change as a force to be embraced. This mindset is especially relevant in the COVID environment where massive change has forced businesses worldwide to react and adapt. Discussion Highlights: (1:28) Who is Joe Jackman and what is Jackman Reinvents? (3:11) Why is there a resistance to change among businesses? (7:59) The difference between ‘strategy’ and ‘reinvention’. (11:53) The Jackman approach to reinvention. (17:29) Reinventionist principle: embracing uncertainty. (25:50) Reinventionist principle: seeking insight everywhere. (30:39) Advice to struggling companies right now. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    12. Carl Liebert - Former Executive at USAA, 24Hour Fitness, The Home Depot, AutoNation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2020 32:29


    Carl Liebert is a global business executive with more than 30 years of experience leading powerhouse organizations. He served as Executive VP and COO at USAA, the Fortune 100 company offering financial services for US military members and their families, where he led their business strategy and various subdivisions of the company which themselves drove $28 billion in annual revenue. Before his time there, Carl served as President and CEO of 24-Hour Fitness, overseeing the operations of 415 fitness clubs across the US and Asia. He was also Executive VP for The Home Depot, managing the operations of more than 2,000 international stores. He held additional leadership roles at Circuit City and General Electric, and most recently, Carl served as the CEO and President of AutoNation, the largest automotive retailer in the US. Before Carl started his career in the business world, he was a Naval Officer in the US Navy and is now actively involved in many organizations that support the navy and cancer research. Carl has fought through many crises throughout his career as an executive including the 2008 financial, Hurricane Katrina, and 9/11. The stories of the human-driven responses he’s seen are inspiring and have informed the amazingly positive perspective he has on what is happening in the world today. Discussion Highlights: (1:08) The story of his career. (4:23) What inspires him in a leader / company. (5:39) Optimism as a core component of his mindset. (9:13) Mentality through crises in the past. (11:38) Story: Circuit City during 9/11. (17:18) Crisis offering the opportunity to break the rules and a "license to move with speed”. (20:49) Inspiring stories of responses by small businesses. (25:52) Breaking the standards of bureaucratic industries like healthcare, finance. (29:39) The attitude we need to create a better future. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    11. Matt McGowan - Director and General Manager at Snap Inc.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2020 45:46


    Matt McGowan has had a multifaceted career with many accomplishments as an entrepreneur and leader in the tech world. He started his career out of university working in financial services on Wall Street at Charles Schwab. He decided the traditional financial services industry was not for him and made the decision to leave the company and join a Silicon Valley startup, Headland Digital Media. The startup was eventually sold to Pearson, after which Matt did his MBA at University of Oxford and then moved into leadership roles in the startup world including becoming COO at PropertyRoom.com, an online auctioning platform, and and Managing Director at Incisive Media, a business media company. After his successes there, he jumped into the world of big tech becoming the head of ad strategy at Google, working in New York on the strategy and operations of their business. Matt then became president of Adestra, a marketing technology company, where he led the sale of the company to Upland Software in 2018 for $60M. Now, he is in his position as Director and General Manager for Snap Inc., where he is leading their growth in Canada. Discussion Highlights: (2:00) Story of his career, being open to opportunities, and having North Star. (8:01) Making the decision to sacrifice and getting excited by the unknown. (11:39) Weighing the risks when making big decisions. (17:08) Why is Snapchat so popular? (19:13) Snapchat's secret sauce - ephemerality and AR. (26:06) From the inside: Snapchat’s fight during COVID. (29:46) WFH from a WFH vet. (35:56) Responsibility of social media companies as we go deeper into the digital world. (38:03) Is social media good for the world? (41:39) “If you take what they give you, you deserve what you get.” *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    10. Jenna Caira - Captain of Canada's Olympic Women's Softball Team

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2020 24:51


    Jenna Caira is the Captain of Canada’s Senior Women’s National Softball Team. Jenna started out at Syracuse University’s D1 Softball team in 2009, captaining the team for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. As their pitcher, she became the first player in the history of the Big East Conference to record 1000 strikeouts and the all-time leader at Syracuse for games played, wins, shutouts, and innings pitched. She was named an All-American in 2012. Jenna joined Team Canada in 2009 and has been team captain since 2013. She has won five medals competing for Canada including one Gold and two Silver at the Pan American games and two Bronze medals at the World Championships. Jenna and Team Canada qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that were postponed until 2021. Jenna is also a mentor and coach for many up and coming softball players. Discussion Highlights: (2:00) Lessons learned from athletics. (3:30) Canadian pride on Team Canada. (5:05) Leadership values as captain. (7:04) Her reaction to the Olympics being postponed. (8:54) Maintaining a strong team dynamic in isolation. (11:44) Exercise and nutrition in isolation. (14:20) Motivating the olympic team virtually. (19:45) Canadian Tire’s COVID effort. (21:12) Mental toughness through COVID - “If it’s raining outside, don’t lie and say there’s sunshine.” *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    9. Tom Anselmi - President and COO at Edmonton Oilers

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2020 15:48


    Tom Anselmi is the President of Business Operations and COO for the NHL's Edmonton Oilers and an accomplished Canadian sports executive. He had a 17-year career at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and served as President and COO from 2011-2013. As part of his role at MLSE, he oversaw the development of the ACC and the creation of Maple Leaf Square (also known as Jurassic Park). He then moved on to become the CEO of the Ottawa Senators until 2018. Prior to his time at MLSE, Tom helped to develop the Rogers Centre and also served as the Vice President of Canucks Sports and Entertainment in Vancouver. Tom is a member of the board of Canada's Walk of Fame, the NHL Alumni Association, University of Saskatchewan Huskie Athletics and the Huntsville Hospital Foundation. For his active role in supporting the Canadian military, he received the Chief of Defence Staff commendation in 2011, the highest military honour for a civilian. In 2012, he received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal and was inducted into the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame. Tom studied Landscape Architecture at Ryerson University and Engineering at University of Saskatchewan. Discussion Highlights: (1:47) From studying engineering to becoming a sports executive.(5:33) The vision for the ACC and Jurassic Park. (8:34) How the Oilers are treating the downtime from the postponed season. (9:44) The reaction when things were cancelled: "This is bigger than hockey." (10:59) What he would like the continuation of the NHL season to look like. (12:07) Sports without fans. (12:59) The life of a sports exec without sports. (14:26) Message to fans who miss the sports that they love. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    8. Nathan Gilliland - CEO of Bellwether Coffee & Veteran Entrepreneur in Sustainability

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2020 27:40


    Nathan Gilliland is a veteran entrepreneur and leader in companies where technology meets sustainability. He is currently the CEO of Bellwether Coffee, the California-based sustainable coffee company backed by investors like SolarCity founders Peter and Lyndon Rive. Nathan began his career as a management consultant at Bain and Company. He then moved into an Executive Vice President role at Bain Capital where he led new equity investments, buyouts, and growth capital initiatives during his 9 years there. Nathan then entered the sustainability space founding Harvest Power, a renewable energy company that creates electricity and soil products from organic waste materials. He helped lead its growth from $0 revenue in 2008 to more than $140 million in 2012, as well as leading 9 acquisitions. Nathan joined VC firm Kleiner Perkins as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence and then in 2013 became CEO of General Fusion, a world leader in commercializing fusion energy. He led the company as it raised almost $200 million and to be the first nuclear company to be named to the Cleantech 100. In addition to his current role at Bellwether Coffee, Nathan also sits on the board of Evok Innovations Venture Fund, a leading cleantech fund based in Vancouver. You can find Nathan on LinkedIn! Discussion Highlights: (3:34) The shifting landscape of entrepreneurship in sustainability - better products and better environmental footprint. (5:10) Bellwether’s coffee roaster and how it's revolutionizing the coffee industry. (10:04) Playing both defense and offense in response to COVID. (12:42) The world's reduced carbon footprint and how it's an opportunity. (15:53) Performance of the clean tech companies in Evok's portfolio. (17:04) Changes in consumer behaviour and the impacts of the environment. (19:29) The biggest opportunities in our personal and professional lives: building relationships. (21:36) Adaptive social practices at Bellwether: online water cooler hour, trivia, and drinks. (24:08) The initial stress during the start of lockdown and reshaping his thinking. (25:21) Focusing on 'the more important but less urgent things in life'. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    7. Jeff Booth - Founder of BuildDirect, Author, Technology Leader

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2020 29:12


    Jeff Booth is a visionary leader who has lived at the forefront of technology change for 20 years. He led BuildDirect, a technology company that aimed to simplify the building industry, for nearly two decades through the dot-com meltdown, the 2008 financial crisis, and many waves of technological disruption. In January 2020, Jeff released his first book titled “The Price of Tomorrow – Why Deflation is Key to an Abundant Future”. In it, Jeff offers his provocative thesis about the current state of our economies and what must happen to enable a brighter future. Jeff has been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal. In 2015, he was named BCTIA's ‘Person of the Year’, and in 2016 Goldman Sachs named him among its ‘100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs’. He is a Founding Partner of OitoLabs, Co-Founder of addyinvest.com and NocNoc, and serves on the boards of Terramera, Cubic Farms, LlamaZOO, and Synthiam. He also contributes time as a Founding Fellow on the Creative Destruction Lab. Follow Jeff on Twitter or LinkedIn! Discussion Highlights: (1:45) Ups and downs with BuildDirect - selling his house to fund the company. (6:41) Intro to the thesis of 'The Price of Tomorrow' - inflation vs. technology. (9:58) Defining inflation / deflation and our attachment to them. (11:54) The worsening debt crisis. (13:44) Where we are headed if we continue on this economic path: revolutions and war. (15:09) The effects of COVID on the debt crisis. (17:30) What are the solutions and can governments cooperate? (21:46) COVID as a trigger for change. (24:22) Spotting windows of opportunity for entrepreneurs. (26:38) Never before told story about leaving his company. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    6. Nicholas Reichenbach - Founder and CEO of Flow Alkaline Spring Water

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2020 21:42


    Nicholas Reichenbach is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of Flow Alkaline Spring Water, the sustainably packaged spring water company. Flow has attracted an enormous fanbase and attention from some of today’s biggest celebrities. Investors of the company include Shawn Mendes, Post Malone, Chase Utley, and Curtis Chambers and they have launched marketing campaigns with Gwyneth Paltrow and her lifestyle brand Goop. Flow closed their latest $45M funding round on May 4. Nicholas has founded and building multiple businesses in the consumer goods, social media, mobile, entertainment and hospitality spaces. These companies include Mindfull Inc. (an organic food & beverage company), Rabbit Inc. (a leading social video chat platform venture-backed by Google Ventures and CrunchFund), GuestDriven (hospitality/hotel SaaS with clients such as Thompson and Hyatt), and Magmic Games (top mobile social game and app publisher having produced over 300 games). Follow Nicholas on Twitter! Discussion Highlights: (1:43) Building a superstar brand. (4:22) Beating the competition - brand, product, distribution. (8:26) Fostering an attitude of ‘mindful positivity’. (12:54) Flow’s success with surging demand and fundraising during COVID-19. (15:18) Finding gaps in the market: trending towards D2C distribution. (17:56) Personal strengths and weaknesses that this environment has exposed. (20:00) New focus: wellbeing of his family and himself. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    5. Ferio Pugliese - Senior Vice President at Air Canada

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2020 24:29


    Ferio Pugliese is Senior Vice President at Air Canada. In his role, Ferio has overall responsibility of multiple areas of the airline including the strategic direction of Air Canada’s regional operations and oversight for all relationships between the airline and various levels of government. Prior to joining Air Canada, he held Executive Vice President positions at Hydro One and WestJet. He has been recognized by Caldwell Partners as one of Canada's Top 40 under 40. As air traffic has grinded to a halt due to COVID-19, Ferio has been on the front lines of the airline industry's battle for survival in Canada. Discussion Highlights: (1:42) Shaping culture based on values and adapting for a crisis. (6:58) AC's repatriation effort and Canada’s unique edge. (9:59) An opportunity unlocked: converting passenger planes to cargo planes. (12:26) What AC is doing to make flying safer (more info at https://www.iata.org/). (14:55) The future of the airline industry. (17:12) Handling the WFH environment under high stress. (19:50) The importance of daily exercise. (22:06) Creating a strong culture in our own lives. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    4. Bill Power - Managing Director at Citigroup

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2020 29:27


    Bill Power is a Managing Director at Citigroup and has been with the bank for over 23 years in various customer facing roles. He started and currently leads their private company access and business development efforts. In this role, he cultivates relationships with private companies and helps them initiate and manage relationships with institutional investors, venture capital firms, and other industry thought leaders. Bill previously served as Co-Head of Citi’s Institutional Equity Sales Desk in Boston and as a Senior Relationship Manager for Citi’s Global Markets and Trading business. Bill is actively involved with several charitable organizations including serving as a board member for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and as a mentor at Year Up. Check out Bill's favourite quotes! Discussion Highlights: (1:22) Leading with your strength. (5:12) Tools for identifying your strengths. (7:34) “History doesn’t repeat itself but it rhymes” - similarities and differences of this crisis to the ones that came before. (14:32) The emergence of successful companies and VC’s during crises. (17:05) The impact on cybersecurity. (19:30) His routine in isolation. (23:07) Keeping a positive attitude - “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” (25:31) Favourite books: How Will You Measure Your Life and The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen. (27:19) “Time is precious but we make time for what we consider precious.” *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes! Disclaimer: The views expressed by Mr. Power are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates.The information in this presentation is based solely upon the personal observations of the speaker/presenter. This presentation is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, accounting, tax, financial or other professional advice. It is for your general information only and it does not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consult with your own independent legal, accounting, tax, financial and other professional advisors before taking any action on the basis of this information.

    3. Sheetal Jaitly - Founder & CEO of TribalScale

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2020 32:01


    Sheetal Jaitly is the Founder and CEO of TribalScale, the leading software design and development company based in Toronto. He is a 13 year veteran of the tech industry. He first made his mark at Xtreme Labs as the Director of Business Development for Media where he quickly expanded the media vertical and became a well-known figure in the industry. As Xtreme was acquired by Pivotal Software, he moved into the Director role for Telecommunications and then IoT. Now as CEO of TribalScale, Sheetal is applying his business development skills to quickly scale the growing IoT and mobile development company. Sheetal is also a startup mentor at TechStars, Ryerson DMZ, and Founder Institute, and an active board member and investor of many institutions. Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheetalJaitly TribalScale: https://www.tribalscale.com/ Discussion Highlights: (2:56) “Your network is your net worth” - the importance of building real connections. (6:07) Truly believing in the product / service you’re selling. (8:35) Examples of finding opportunity in the chaos. (12:29) TribalScale employees stepping up despite salary reductions. (15:18) Mental health in the workspace and implementing a virtual therapy app. (18:45) Lessons from the dot com bubble bursting. (21:53) How students / recent grads can prove themselves in this tough job market. (27:05) The advice he’s giving the startups / founders he mentors. (29:13) Insight into developing a vision for the future. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    2. Ron Bremner - Executive Coach & Former CEO of Calgary Flames

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2020 29:56


    Ron Bremner has been a nationally renowned and respected leader for more than 40 years. He started his career in broadcasting joining the top rated CKNW/CFMI team and moving up the ranks to President/General Manager. He then took the reins of BCTV as President/CEO and led his team to record profits each year. In 1996, Ron accepted the challenging role of President/CEO of the NHL's Calgary Flames and the Saddledome facility. Season tickets and the Canadian dollar were both at an all-time low. Within 5 years, under Ron’s leadership, both the business and hockey operations of the organization were completely rebuilt. Since leaving the Flames, Ron has held the CEO role at Professional Sports Publishing, Insight Sports Broadcasting, and Unisync. He launched Gold Medal Consulting Group in 2002 where he coaches and mentors high-profile Canadian Executives across Canada. Ron was elected into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame in 2000 and was named BC’s Broadcaster of the Year in 1996. For more on Ron, check out his website: https://goldmedalconsulting.com/ Discussion Highlights: (1:54) Axioms of leadership: “You can get everything in life that you want, if you help other people get what they want.” (5:03) Creating a motivating environment while CEO of the Calgary Flames. (11:02) Advice on leadership through the coronavirus that he is sharing with his clients. (15:48) Churchill’s quote, “Never let a good crisis go to waste” and the opportunity that companies have right now to build their brand. (19:30) Developing a proactive attitude in order to adapt. (20:34) Recommendation: John Maxwell’s 4-part video series on “Leading Through Crisis”. (21:41) “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die.” (22:31) Strategies for ‘being better people’ during this time. (24:07) Booking ‘the most important appointment’ with yourself. *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    1. Marc Caira - Vice Chairman of Restaurant Brands International & Former CEO of Tim Hortons

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2020 30:53


    On this episode, we speak with Marc Caira. Marc is the Vice Chairman on the Board of Restaurant Brands International, the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King and Popeye’s Louisiana Chicken. He is formerly the President and CEO of Tim Hortons Inc., where he led the company during their $12.5 billion merger with Burger King in 2014. He also serves on the board of Gildan (active-wear manufacturer), Minto Homes (leading real-estate developer), and Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation. He has held several other senior positions including Global CEO of Nestlé Professional, an Executive Board member of Nestle S.A in Switzerland, President and CEO of Parmalat North America, and President of Nestle Food Services in Canada. He also served on the Board of Hydro One and Seneca College. Discussion Highlights: (3:30) The story of Tim Hortons merger with Burger King. (9:12) The importance of leaders’ communication and balancing a company’s short/long term vision during a crisis. (11:38) How to communicate as a leader in this pandemic. (13:26) ‘Juggle the struggle’ – identifying the biggest questions facing companies’ emergence from the impacts of CV-19. (18:00) Inspiring stories of companies like Tim Hortons, Gildan, and Minto supporting front line workers. (22:49) Tips for staying motivated in isolation. (25:09) How to enrich remote communication with family. (29:33) “It’s not the strongest of species that survive nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” *** Have any questions or comments? Email me at noahifergan@gmail.com If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It’s super quick and very helpful in spreading our positive message. Follow the Podcast on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting episodes!

    Introducing Opportunity Unlocked

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2020 1:15


    Opportunity Unlocked hosted by Noah Ifergan is an exciting new podcast hosting discussions with today’s top business leaders about opportunities for personal and professional growth during the CV-19 pandemic. Spreading a positive message in the midst of tough times, we explore the most pressing questions of today’s environment: How can we be strong leaders during this crisis? How can we seek out new business opportunities? How can we motivate ourselves in isolation? How can we effectively prepare ourselves for the uncertain future? You will hear the inspiring answers of the best and brightest executives from companies across all industries on this podcast.

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