Starting with One

We welcome guest Cerys Cook, Chief People Officer at Swift Medical, a rapidly scaling medical technology company in Toronto. She shares her career journey from professional chef to the field of HR and her philosophy to always be the hardest working person in the room by being your best self every single day. She also expresses her passion for the vast and brilliant opportunities she & her team can provide for people so they too can thrive in their work through exceptional employee experiences. Cerys has extensive expertise in successfully scaling businesses across multiple industries and believes in building healthy cultures where people can show up as their authentic selves.

Robin & Al are joined by Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.), Ciara Morin, who has a love of functional nutrition & a passion for helping clients make small changes that have the greatest impact to their health. She strives to inspire, teach & coach people to reach their health goals in a sustainable & enjoyable way, no matter the challenges may face.Ciara is also the Founder of Foods to Glow, offering complete nutrition consulting and strategies to help reset your health. She strongly believes that bringing awareness to the power of food is the first step towards optimized, whole health in order to boost energy, improve immune response & increase JOY in our busy lives.

There is a concerning shortage of care workers across the United States and Canada, the impact of which is felt every day by care providers, care workers, and those in need of care. So there is one question that guides Christian Alaimo, Co-founder & COO at Caribou ...“How can we help care organizations find quality care workers and keep the good ones they have?” Caribou, a game-changing digital platform, is on a mission to solve this caregiver staffing crisis. It is a super easy-to-implement tool and rewards program that care organizations across the United States and Canada are using to supercharge their recruitment, retention, and recognition. In the care sector, there is no time for complicated technology that is difficult to implement and employers who offer the best caregiver experience will win the talent war every single time. Caribou was designed specifically for care organizations who are looking to provide a positive impact on client service quality and staff members' sense of value, purpose, and passion for their work.Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Robin & Al welcome guests Hannah Yardley, Chief People and Culture Officer and Kristy Jones, Senior Director, Employee Success from Achievers, two passionate Human Resources Leaders building high-performing teams through innovative HR solutions. Hannah & Kristy discuss their own HR success stories as part of Achievers, a cloud-based employee engagement platform that enables companies to engage, align and recognize their greatest asset—their employees—driving retention, productivity, customer satisfaction, as well as other key business outcomes.Brought to you by Aria Benefits & Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Kerris Hougardy, Head of People at Automated Brand Interaction company Ada, is coach, mentor and manager to a high performing team of human resources professionals and oversees all aspects of people strategy with a focus on strategic business partnerships, talent acquisition, talent management, employee experience, employment brand championship, diversity & inclusion and continuous process improvement. Kerris shares her passion for working with her team and the importance of how clear values, feedback, innovation, and creativity in responding to challenges are just some of the building blocks towards continuous improvement and engagement. And don't forget the 3 R's... Rest, Reset & Repair.

Laura Alfano Victoria, MHRM, Vice President, Global Talent Acquisitions, Vena Solutions, has more than 20 years of talent acquisition (TA) experience from Fortune 500 companies. She is a strategic, results-driven Human Resources professional who is passionate about investing in younger generations in order to overcome the challenges when it comes to supply and demand for labour. In todays current labour landscape, it is imperative that employers evaluate their processes and remove any steps that are not adding value or causing unnecessary delays. Laura explains how flexibility, autonomy, and meaningful, purpose-driven work are driving the market and examines how employers can get on board.

The face of transportation continues to change with an influx of new carriers, improvements in technology, new regulations and cross border restrictions, making it imperative that both shippers and receivers educate themselves on the liabilities and responsibilities of choosing a reputable carrier. Richard Lande, Ph.D., LL.L., Attorney at Lande Langford, has during the past forty years of professional practice in transportation law written nine books and published over fifty articles on surface and inter-modal transportation. He has made over one hundred presentations at conferences worldwide. His colleague Bill Wallace leads the executive team at Routes Transport International in the Development of the Food Service Business Unit. He joined the company with a broad history and experience both in the transportation and cold storage industries. Prior to joining Routes, he served as Director of Business Development as well as Vice President of operations with major transportation and cold storage companies in Canada and the USA. Together they discuss the differences the transportation industry is now facing and expand on the challenges this presents the different stakeholders. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Jim Koutroubis, Associate Owner at Crozier Consulting Engineers is a professional engineer with over 31 years of experience in consulting engineering, municipal engineering, public works, and environmental services. He emphasizes the importance of effective communication and collaboration while providing an entrepreneurial business style and results oriented leadership. Jim is also the proud recipient of the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for dedicated municipal engineering service awarded to Canadians who have made a significant contribution to their peers, their community, and to Canada. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Al & Robin welcome guests David Love & Michael Westover, Partners at boutique firm Nacora Insurance Group, a global leader in insurance and risk management services, offering the expertise and reliability to provide clients with innovative solutions. Dave and Mike discuss the key products, unique offerings and most importantly the personal touch they bring to the table that separate Nacora from other insurance firms. They pride themselves in their commitment to building long-lasting relationships with their clients and their employees, who are the driving-force behind their success. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

We welcome Lorena Scott, People & Culture Leader and Scale Up Advisor with a no nonsense “get stuff done mentality” who shares her passion for start ups and mentoring teams in growth stage companies. Lorena's drive to learn and push outside her comfort zone has helped shape an endless professional curiosity in a world that never stops evolving. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

We welcome guest Shea Balish, CEO & Co-founder at Curv Health, one of Canada's leading virtual healthcare platforms that connects employers and insurance carriers to a range of healthcare providers while empowering health professionals to treat more people than they otherwise could through a traditional clinic. Shea is a noted speaker on topics related to human nature, sports, and health with a Masters of Science (MSc) Degree in Kinesiology from Queen's University & a Multi-Disciplinary PhD from Dalhousie University, as well as a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship from the University of Toronto. Tune in to learn how Shea's bold ambition and passion for solving problems through health technology set him on the digital pathway towards redesigning the model of clinical care as we know it in order to improve people's lives by maximizing the number of meaningful years lived. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

We welcome returning guest Paul Gaudette, Co-Founder & CEO at Dig Insights, helping businesses turn consumer, category & brand insights into growth strategies. DIG continues to be one of the fastest growing consumer insights companies in Canada, and has been recognized as one of the most innovative research companies globally. Paul discusses the core elements of their organizational culture, leadership style, and employee engagement that continue to make DIG an employer of choice in their space and explains ways to adapt in order to serve your employees better. He also introduces their newest innovative platform, Upsiide, that helps researchers and marketers screen ideas, assess concepts, and innovate more effectively. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

With a passion for both marketing and technology, Marie Chevrier is a young entrepreneur who is Founder & CEO at Sampler, an end-to-end digital sampling SaaS, that has transformed the way consumer packaged goods companies distribute their promotional offers. The platform was developed with the goal of helping consumer brands create loyal customers through a targeted sampling strategy. Sampler has been recognized 3 years running as one of Canada's Fastest Growing companies and Marie was named 2021 American Marketing Association's Marketer on the Rise. Marie talks about the success of Sampler as it has grown to reach over 50 million consumers globally in 24 different countries. She describes what inspired her to take the leap into entrepreneurship as well as some of the strategies she has used and her vision for the future. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Robin & Al welcome guest Cameron Howieson, Co-founder and CEO at Opencare.com, a web-based platform that provides a curated network of top-rated dentists across North America who are committed to delivering world class oral wellness. Opencare is on a mission to untangle healthcare! They are passionate believers that preventive care is the best path to optimal health, and ensure getting access to preventative dental health practitioners is transparent, convenient, and as comfortable as possible. Cameron speaks to the importance of oral wellness in the context of people's lives and interactions, and explains how this web-based platform is transforming dental practice-management while delivering added-value to benefits providers and employers. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

At just 25 years of age, Swish Goswami, CEO at data intelligence company Surf, has taken the business world by storm having been named Plan Canada's Top 20 under 20 and Bay Street Bull's 30 under 30, recognized as Startup Canada's Young Entrepreneur of the Year and awarded the United Nation's Outstanding Youth Leadership award. He is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and investor as well as 3x TedX speaker and Linkedin Top Voice. Surf's browser extension is the world's first extension that passively rewards people for their everyday browsing, helping brands engage and understand consumers while compensating consumers for their data. Surf also provides first and zero party data to over 400+ brands like Netflix, L'Oreal, United a Talent Agency, and Electronic Arts. He shares his experiences & insights as one of Canada's best & brightest young minds, expressing his passion for technology, entrepreneurship & social initiatives that has led him down a path of challenging yet inspirational achievement. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Robin & Al welcome special guest Howard Chang, serial entrepreneur & Co-founder at start-up marketing innovator theturnlab. After 25 years leading Top Drawer Creative Inc., Howard pivoted to become the co-founder of what he believes is a new model of agency at the nexus of marketing, culture and technology. He shares his entrepreneurial journey and relates how he has built a strong foundation of self belief that allows him to better learn from both his mistakes and his many successes. If you are an entrepreneurial leader struggling to breakthrough or simply trying to create more consistent outcomes for your organization, don't miss this insightful conversation. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Paul Teshima has a distinct passion for building great teams and products that help clients grow. As Chief Client Experience Officer at Wealthsimple—whose mission is to help everyone achieve financial freedom, no matter who they are or how much they have—Paul ensures an exceptional experience for all of their clients and believes that everyone should have access to the tools they need to make smart financial choices. Previously, he co-founded and was CEO of Toronto-based Nudge.ai, an autonomous deal intelligence layer for customer relationship management as well as Tech and Innovation Advisory Council Member at Sick Kids Foundation. Tune in to learn: how employee & client experiences have changed; the difference between management & leadership; how the pandemic has helped reshape the benefits space; how the global talent pool has shifted; why prioritizing mental health has never been more important. For more info visit: WealthSimple Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & legacy Advisory Group

Tech Startup Marketing Consultant, Entrepreneur & Fractional CMO Kristie Holden can take your company to new heights! From go-to-market strategy, product positioning, and optimizing conversions, Kristie can help accelerate growth for increased revenue. She's especially passionate about helping female-led tech startups find their focus and take up space in a male-dominated industry. With 10+ years in B2B marketing, Kristie shares her wealth of knowledge on the podcast, explaining how she optimizes marketing and sales funnels to increase revenue while raising capital; why experimentation is important; how companies can cut through the noise with targeted digital marketing; as well as why outside perspective is so important. To learn more visit kristieholden.com Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

As the CRO at digital pharmacy Mednow, Dave Marantz brings more than a decade of both sales and strategy experience at leading HR, benefits and health technology companies. Mednow helps clients skip the retail line-up to get immediate access to pharmacists and other health professionals while managing their health needs, all in one simple place, either online or by phone. In this episode, hosts Robin & Al ask Dave to share how Mednow started; the challenges of keeping up with industry changes & technology; the ways in which digital pharmacy can improve customer experience on various levels; and on a more personal note, Dave describes how he overcame a near death experience that allowed him to see, first hand, the amazing range of supports in place that customers can easily benefit from while using a digital pharmacy like Mednow. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Rob Levy, founder of BrandFire Marketing Group Inc., recognized as one of Canada's fastest growing companies by Profit 500 in 2014 & 2015, promotes a culture of creativity, curiosity, commitment, collaboration, camaraderie and courage that allow his team to create unique and disruptive marketing programs that drive amazing results. He is also Executive Partner at The Evolve Agency Group, a group of like-minded agencies delivering unique marketing solutions so there's no need for clients to manage multiple agency relationships. He joins hosts, Robin Bailey & Al McDonald in a discussion touching on marketing and growth as well as how his entrepreneurial ambitions brought him to the exciting creation of a brand new agency that better tackles the demands of clients in today's strategic marketplace. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

In this episode Robin & Al are joined by entrepreneur Jason Reid, Founder & CEO of Giftagram, an app that connects users with top brands and best-in-class products. The best companies are born when an enterprising individual seeks to solve a problem they experience in everyday life. Tired of long lines, piles of gift-receipts, parking lot showdowns, and the stress of finding the perfect present for the people in his life, Jason decided to redefine the act of giving by creating a personal online gift concierge which then expanded to B2B. Watching his vision come to life has been one of Jason's most satisfying moments and he describes the lessons he's learned along the way as well as the inspiration behind his unwavering entrepreneurial commitment. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Robin & Al welcome guest Joanna Kmiec, VP and Global Head of People and Culture at Maropost, a unified customer engagement platform that connects companies with their customers in order to increase engagement, conversions and ROI. She is a strategic, authentic, executive HR leader with a ‘roll-up your sleeves' mentality and a bias for action who has brought a renewed focus and commitment to elevating the employee experience at Maropost across all their global teams. Joanna brings her energy and passion as well as a wealth of knowledge and experience to the conversation which centres on her ability to continuously learn and transform in order to deal with the unique challenges of a dispersed workforce through compassionate leadership. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Bill Wallace leads the executive team at Routes Transport International in the Development of the Food Service Business Unit. He joined the company with a broad history and experience both in the transportation and cold storage industries. Prior to joining Routes, he served as Director of Business Development as well as Vice President of operations with major transportation and cold storage companies in Canada and the USA. Bill has developed relationships and partnerships with business and government leaders across North America and has been presented with " Fellow" of the Royal Society of the Arts and Science. This notable designation is for his life long contribution to the transportation industry and has been awarded to world leaders in commerce, politics and science across the globe. He shares some wonderful stories with Robin & Al, discussing his journey from Broadcasting to Transport as well as how he has helped transform their company culture into one that encourages all employees to become solution providers not order takers. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Kosta Mentis founded HKC in 2010 after a 15-year history of large residential, commercial, and institutional projects. He is responsible for overseeing the company's operations from conception to completion, scaling the company, and positioning HKC for continued success. Kosta joins Robin & Al in a discussion about his journey into the construction sector as well as his desire to continue to develop himself as a leader and influencer while building networks within the industry and beyond. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Marie-Chantal Côté is a thought leader and Senior Vice-President of the Sun Life Group Benefits Leadership Team. She has been instrumental in evolving their business to address clients growing needs. This includes improving health access through the launch of Lumino Health Virtual Care, lowering drug claims costs through their Reference Drug Program, and improving workplace mental health with their innovative mental health strategy toolkit. Marie-Chantal joins Robin & Al in a discussion centred on helping Canadians live healthier lives by taking control of their health through resources, such as the toolkit, that are available to Canadian employers looking to remove barriers for their employees and improve workplace mental health. Mental health issues in the workplace are now the leading cause of disability leaves and the fastest growing disability claims area in Canada. As the pandemic has accelerated both expectations and need, Sun Life is endeavouring to make it easier for all Canadians to live healthier lives. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Bootstrapping entrepreneur Alykhan Jetha (AJ), CEO of Marketcircle Inc., the developer of award-winning Daylite CRM for Mac-based small businesses, discusses the driving forces that led him to become an entrepreneur, with hosts Al & Robin. His ambition to grow Marketcircle into a leading, international, small business productivity software company has been realized but AJ has weathered many storms over the past 20+ years on his journey and shares some insight into the obstacles he has personally faced, and how he overcome them. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Entrepreneurs Stacie and Justin Howe run two thriving businesses...the Kimberley General Store & Justin's Oven, tucked side by side in the incredibly scenic rural village of Kimberley, ON (just north of Flesherton). Housed in the historic, original building built in 1905, the General Store offer locals and tourists alike an amazing selection of fresh baked treats, rich hot coffee, full sourdough bread, jams, and in-house pies as well as seasonal homegrown produce, homemade soups, hearty sandwiches, local products, curiosities, general sundries, and fresh organic goods. Justin's Oven serves locally sourced, organically fresh meals and Friday Night wood fired pizza has become quite the rage!! The couple has learned to balance their personal and business relationship while sharing resources and adapting their unique skill sets to keep up with the incredible growth in both their community and enterprises. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group kimberleygeneralstore.ca justinsoven.ca

Aneil Manhas, Founder & CEO of Brüush is a former finance professional turned entrepreneur with a strong track record scaling companies. In 2019 he set out to create a better electric toothbrush to make maintaining your teeth both simple & enjoyable, and fused industry-leading sonic technology with an easy online refill plan so customers would never overspend on or forget to change their brush heads again. And did we mention it looks great on your countertop! Aneil shares his story of success with Robin & Al explaining his thought process behind founding Brüush as well as how they came to partner with comedy legend, Kevin Hart. Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Robin & Al welcome guest Matt Brady, who realized his passion for health, fitness and longevity while competing as a member of Canada's ski team on both the European & World Cup circuits. He joined the virtual healthcare market after hanging up his skis and now works shoulder-to-shoulder with his father Kevin, the founder of Advica Health, who's mission is to give members' access to the best facilities at home or abroad and help them obtain advice, treatment options and solutions to their current healthcare situation in the most efficient manner possible. They are constantly bringing innovative solutions to the preventative healthcare environment and are dedicated in their support of Canadians who want to personalize their individual medical treatment.

Effortless Admin is a fully digital software solution, that provides employers with a unified interface for managing their employee benefits. Chief Strategy Officer Zach Lindop & Chief Design Officer Michael Ross discuss how they were able to find a unique point of entry for Effortless Admin and how technology design has changed in the last 15 years to better engage clients while increasing streamlined functionality. The platform has grown into an ever evolving enterprise application capable of supporting any group benefits products, delivering a great experience, and keeping up with changing trends in the Canadian market. Throughout this journey, they've tried to stay true to one core belief—to make the software fun and effortless to use—and to deliver exceptional customer support. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Emmanuel Efraimidis is a serial entrepreneur and CEO & Founder of The Complete Group of Companies, one of the largest and fastest-growing HVAC and Energy Management Organizations providing integrated solutions and unparalleled expertise in concentrated areas of energy services. He shares the key components of his success with Robin and Al, as well as explores the obstacles and challenges every entrepreneur faces when the stakes are high. Emmanuel brings with him over 25 years of executive leadership experience with Fortune 100 organizations, spanning various industries including energy management, telecommunications, construction, and software. Emmanuel's passion is centred on being a market leader and creating long-term value and excellence for both clients and employees alike. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Retired American mixed martial artist, Eliot Marshall, Owner/General Manager at Easton Training Center, understands the struggle that many of us face today. He has always been a fighter—from overcoming the bullies and bigots who targeted his heritage, to using his martial-arts prowess to become part of the UFC—but beneath this badass exterior, and despite his success as a business owner and coach, Eliot has dealt with crippling anxiety, insomnia and depression. Relying on support from his friends and family in conjunction with on-going therapy, he has been able to overcome his anxiety and now seeks to share his journey and inspire others. In his book "The Gospel of Fire," Eliot shares his story of breaking down and learning to build himself back up by acknowledging his shortcomings, accepting his challenges, freeing himself from fear, and maximizing his opportunities. In this candid conversation with Robin, Eliot shares some of these experiences as well as the tools that helped him battle back from the edge of despair. Sponsored by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Robin welcomes guest Amy Frampton, Head of Marketing at BambooHR who brings nearly two decades of marketing and technology experience to the table. The whole concept of work is changing, and BambooHR is right in the middle of it all. From recruitment and onboarding to performance management and employee engagement, the BambooHR cloud platform is a leading end-to-end system for the entire employee lifecycle for small to medium-sized businesses. Amy talks about the many unique workplace initiatives at BambooHR, part of their employee experience evolution, as well as the importance of holding themselves accountable to each other and their customers.

Evan Hallward, Co-founder & CEO at startup Aboard, subscribes to the idea that technology will continue to shape and change this world for the better. As someone who feels most at home surrounded by people, he aims to be on the forefront of how we use technology and digital services to connect better, work better, and live better. He and his business partner started Aboard in 2019 to address the often missing or painfully unengaging onboarding experiences many employees receive. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, it became apparent that a solution to enable better employee experiences, from their 1st day to the day they offboard, was essential. Aboard is an employer branded platform that facilitates and delivers better new hire experiences by automating communications and tasks so you can spend more time connecting with your people.

The debate over vaccines continues to be a divisive topic that touches on our most basic interactions with one another. Employment Lawyer Rich Appiah provides guidance and answers to many questions surrounding the legal requirements & obligations pertaining to this issue. Business owners must continue to make difficult decisions regarding the health and safety of their employees. Communication is key, as is building a community of workers & colleagues who genuinely lookout and care for one another.

Curtis Hollister is a global entrepreneur and innovator who has successfully grown a number of technology start-ups. As the COO of Phzio.com, the world's most advanced virtual care platform for physical therapists, his current focus is on evolving health care using digital technology to improve patient outcomes. He joins Robin and Al for some thought provoking commentary on his expertise in technology, his broad experience with public markets, and his love of creative digital media to help brands, like Phzio, win new audiences.

Mednow.ca is a virtual care startup revolutionizing the pharmacy experience across Canada. Mednow connects modern consumers with local pharmacies for a fast, safe, and free experience without ever having to leave their homes. Founded in 2019 by Ali Reyhany and Karim Nassar, Mednow is pairing virtual access with exceptional care giving patients access to a network of pharmacies across Canada, free at-home delivery of medications (and all pharmacy products), a specialized PillSmart system that packages prescriptions and vitamins by date and time, as well as access to telemedicine virtual care. In part due to the pandemic, Mednow is at the forefront of delivering solutions that are not only responding to present day demands, but are also leading the way to new and innovative virtual health services for the future.

In this special edition of the Starting with One Podcast, Robin Bailey interviews his business partner & co-host, Al McDonald whose passion for riding has taken him far beyond the roads and pathways of Ontario. More importantly, Al is joining other cyclists across Canada in the Great Cycle Challenge – one of the biggest cycling events across Canada – committing himself to ride 500km throughout August while raising funds to end childhood cancer. Every hill he climbs and every kilometre he pedals will be to honour young lives lost and to stand with those brave kids still fighting to survive. These kids won't give up, and neither will he. To donate please visit Al's Great Cycle Challenge page: https://greatcyclechallenge.ca/Riders/AlMcDonald - All funds raised go to support the work of SickKids Foundation to provide care, develop treatments and find a cure for childhood cancers. Brought to you by Life & Legacy Advisory Group* & Aria Benefits. *Life and Legacy will match every donation up to a total of $1500 so please join the fight in helping to end kids' cancer.

Michael Ash's strategically creative ideas were a bit ahead of their time and he learned very quickly as a young graduate that the road to success is definitely not straight. Fortunately, he never gave up on his dreams, no matter what walls he came up against, eventually landing as brand and marketing strategy director at The Local Collective. Having recently won a Grand Prix at the Shopper Innovation + Activation Awards with Local, Michael has worked on advertising campaigns for some of the worlds most famous brands and startups, such as Cadillac, Mercedes, Mazda, Samsung, truLocal and Pizza Pizza to name a few and he remains focused on his mission to help client partners unlock the power of brand building through innovative digital marketing.

With a knack for establishing new and highly successful ventures, Vino Jeyapalan's newest entrepreneurial start-up, Kabo, has become Canada's largest direct-to-consumer fresh dog food brand. In his conversation with hosts Robin and Al, Vino talks about his mission to improve the life of dogs while advancing opportunities and innovations in customer experience as he aims to expand Kabo.co beyond its own line of pet food into the pet health space. No stranger to the world of solutions management, Vino spent over 8 years working in scaling consumer product startups at Facebook and Instagram that led to him being awarded Marketing Magazine's Top 30 Under 30 in 2016.

Jeff Cates, CEO and President of Achievers, an industry-leading employee engagement solution provider that accelerates a culture of performance, joins Robin and Al for a conversation detailing his passion for the start-up industry and advocacy efforts for entrepreneurialism. After being named CEO in April 2019, Jeff quickly led Achievers to new product and global growth. Jeff's expertise for creating environments where employees can do the best work of their lives has helped Achievers receive multiple employer awards: Top 50 Best Workplaces™ in Canada, Best Workplaces™ for Women, and Best Workplaces™ for Inclusion.

Robin & Al welcome guests Zack Brown, Vice President, Sales & Valentina De Castris, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships at Dialogue Healthcare Services, a virtual primary care platform founded with the mission to improve wellbeing by reducing barriers to quality care. As the largest and fastest-growing telemedicine company in Canada, Dialogue provides convenient, virtual access to a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals for Canadian companies who care. By empowering employees to be proactive about their physical and mental health, businesses can reap the significant benefits associated with happier and healthier employees. A benefit that is more important than ever!

Nick Spina began his dynamic entrepreneurial journey shovelling snow and mowing lawns for his neighbours as a teenager to bar-tending/managing in his early 20's to owning and operating hospitality companies at the tender age of 23. He launched LiveFit Foods, Canada's leading, fully-cooked, chef-prepared meal service in 2015, starting with just 100 meals a week and 2 employees. Fast forward to 2021 and LiveFit now boasts 200+ employees, serving over 50,000 meals every week.

Brimming with positivity and entrepreneurial spirit, Clint Israel, President of CAMERON'S Brewing Company brings his upbeat style to the conversation, discussing his recipe for preparation & success during the perplexity of the pandemic lockdowns. His focus, initiative and unwavering belief in himself, his company and employees, propelled Cameron's forward into new and exciting opportunities of customer service & growth.

Elizabeth Dimovski is not only a talented dental professional, she cares deeply about her clients. Her life's purpose is to help people heal anyway she can so throughout the pandemic she has focused her practice on helping her clients nurture their mental health as much as caring for their dental health. She touches on her passion for connecting with the many people she meets, self improvement, meditation, as well as taking care of yourself & those around you.

In this episode, Al & Robin introduce Kelsey Boyer, an inspirational CCF certified Leadership Coach and the Founder of Women's Leadership Accelerator. Kelsey has created a 90 day mentorship program for aspiring and current female leaders looking to up level their confidence, effectively manage their energy, and gain more clarity on their purpose so they can reach their potential and thrive in their careers. She shares her unique entrepreneurial journey as well as her passion for coaching personal awareness & growth.

Their shared belief in the power of mindfulness, to unleash the human potential and improve mental health, inspired entrepreneurs Sheba Zaidi & Genevive Savundranayagam to launch Mahara Mindfulness, setting them on a path to create meaningful products and experiences that offer people a stepping-stone into a world of mindful practices and personal transformation. Their first product, The Human Being Journal, was developed as a direct response to the pandemic to help people gain much needed perspective and for those looking to level up, manage stress and maximize their potential. Its amazing success is a testament to creating a product that resonated with what the market needed most right now.

Considered a tech innovator and thought-leader in marketplace businesses, customer experience and scaling businesses, Diana Goodwin is Founder & CEO of MarketBox, a sales and scheduling e-commerce platform, designed to boost sales for service businesses with mobile and virtual workforces. She has won numerous business awards including Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Telus $100,000 Small Business Challenge and brings her passion for technological adaptation to the conversation.

Dr. Janet Morrison, a life-long learner and educator who believes in the transformative power of post-secondary education is the 8th President & Vice Chancellor at Sheridan College. Adapting to change this past year, she has learned the importance of resilience and collaboration, the principles she believes will help continue the support of women in leadership. Dr. Morrison herself wears a lot of hats in her day-to-day life – educator, volunteer, community leader, mother, daughter, partner, and sister – and she's had years of experience learning how to balance all these roles. But the one thing she recommends most... do what you love!

Self described serial entrepreneur Ben Zlotnick has founded a number of technology startups as well as traditional businesses and shares his passion for working with and/or advising startups, while connecting people across all business platforms. He is Founder & CEO of Eden, a company that provides on-demand and subscription-based professional property services through a mobile or web app, offering property owners quick access to a team of insured expert contractors. 'Cause no one wants to shovel 6ft of snow on their return home from the tropics!

Alan Wood, CEO and Co-Founder at Rally Beer Co. loves to drink beer, never stretches after a long sweat session, and loves to linger at the trailhead after a really great bike ride. He also has over 10 years of experience working with start-up businesses that range from consumer goods, supply chain technology, and telemedicine. Through his conversation with Robin & Al we learn that a thirst for adventure, like many entrepreneurial pursuits, can take us on a unique journey we might not have planned for.