Podcasts about touchbistro

What makes a startup thrive through rapid growth? According to this week's guest, it starts with communication, culture, and courageous leadership.Join us on Success Leaves Clues as Robin and Al sit down with Jenny do Forno, Chief People Officer at TouchBistro, for a powerful conversation on leading people-first organizations, especially during high-growth phases.Jenny shares lessons from her remarkable career in People & Culture, from learning under great leaders to facing the realities of scaling fast. She speaks candidly about overcoming imposter syndrome, embracing opportunities, and why early investment in HR is critical for startup success. The conversation also unpacks the evolving needs of today's workforce and how leaders can build a legacy that empowers the next generation."Optimize for who you work for." ~ Jenny do FornoKey takeaways:✨ Say Yes & Grow – Taking chances and saying yes opens doors to personal and professional growth.✨ Start With People – Founders should bring in HR early to build aligned, scalable cultures.✨ Communication Is Everything – Clear, consistent communication is the cornerstone of alignment and trust.✨ Authentic Leadership Wins – Self-awareness, reflection, and humility are traits of impactful leaders.Whether you're scaling a startup or leading a growing team, Jenny's insights offer a roadmap for building stronger cultures and lasting impact.

This year we are changing a bit how we publish episodes about startups that build innovative products for product people. Instead of creating a series with several episodes in a row like we did in previous years, we are going to release one-of episodes, as we find and get to interview the founders of the startups.The first Startup of 2024 is Lodestone. We have met with Dennis Chow, seasoned Product Executive, with rich experience in product management at major Canadian telecom companies Rogers and Telus, Sears, Pivotal Payments, Intuit, TouchBistro and more. An instructor at Product Faculty and advisor to startups, Dennis always looked for ways to help communicate complex product decisions into simple ways that are easily and transparently shared up and across the organization.This was the first problem he set out to solve as founder and CEO of Lodestone, but his vision is much larger than that!Join Matt and Moshe as we chat with Dennis and learn:His path to Product Management, working in chunks of 5 years (10K hours) to get great at what he does and move his career forwardThe vision of Lodestone, a Product Management toolkit that help PMs move faster and get more things doneThe sunburst roadmap, a visual roadmap tool that one one hand, helps connecting epics and stories with the strategy, and on the other hand, helps product managers tell a better story Other features such as feature repository, documentation generator with the help of AI - to help PMs start from something rather than a blank pageThe difference between roadmaps and release plansHis vision for the next 5 years of Lodestone, including more value to product leaders and early stage startup foundersHow does Lodestone works with research and discovery dataAnd much more!* You can connect with Dennis at:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chowdennis/ Twitter: @lodestonepmLodestone: Lodestone.pm You can find the podcast's page, and connect with Matt and Moshe on Linkedin:Product for Product Podcast - linkedin.com/company/product-for-product-podcastMatt Green - linkedin.com/in/mattgreenanalytics/Moshe Mikanovsky - linkedin.com/in/mikanovsky/Note: any views mentioned in the podcast are the sole views of our hosts and guests,  and do not represent the products mentioned in any way.Please leave us a review and feedback ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ben Dankiw is the Founder of NAV43, a digital marketing agency specializing in full-funnel digital marketing through paid media and SEO. With over 12 years of experience in the industry, he has worked with many prestigious clients, including Canadian Tire, Porsche, Ceridian, and TouchBistro. Ben began his career in paid media before developing a passion for SEO around 2015. He has successfully grown NAV43 by focusing on small- to medium-sized businesses, fostering strong relationships, and keeping abreast of digital trends and changes. In this episode… Just how complex has the world of digital marketing become? With data privacy making headlines and algorithms constantly changing, businesses find it overwhelming to keep up. How can you navigate these challenges and still find success? Results-driven digital advertiser Ben Dankiw shares how his agency has adapted to significant changes in the digital marketing landscape. He unpacks the evolution of his agency and its niche, moving from a restaurant-focused strategy to becoming a specialist in performance marketing. He details how content updates from Google have changed the game for content marketers, emphasizing the power of community and relationships in building a successful agency. The discussion also touches on the importance of a morning routine and creating a community-driven platform for sharing morning habits. In this episode of Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Ben Dankiw, Founder of NAV43, about navigating digital marketing changes. Ben explores how NAV43 has thrived amidst the evolving digital world, the challenges and opportunities within the digital space, the impact of AI on content strategy, and the agency's experience with notable clients like Quark and Transformer Table.

Our guest for Episode 29  is Paul Snelson, SVP of Global Sales at SysAid. Before joining SysAid, Paul held leadership roles at Meal Ticket, TouchBistro, and Salesforce. He brings more than two decades of experience to the conversation.  In this episode, Ross and Paul discuss why effort is not optional, the critical role of mutual plans, and the benefit of being the paranoid sales rep. 

John is the Founder and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity, a private equity firm focused on technology-enabled growth and disruption investment strategies. As a firm run by entrepreneurs, funded by entrepreneurs, and for entrepreneurs, Maverix invests in health and wellness, financial services, transportation and logistics, live, work, play and learn, and retail. John chairs the Investment Committee, guides the strategy of the firm, is deeply involved with fundraising and sourcing and leading investment opportunities, particularly within the technology industry.  He led Maverix's first investment in Viral Nation and sits on their board.  John is also the Founder of OMERS Ventures and Co-Founder and Vice Chair of the Council of Canadian Innovators. Over the course of his leadership as the CEO of OMERS Ventures, they invested over USD$500 million in over 40 disruptive technology companies across North America, including growth investments in Shopify, Xanadu, Wattpad, Wave, Hootsuite, Rover, Desire 2 Learn, Hopper, DuckDuckGo, TouchBistro and League. During his tenure at OMERS, John also formed OMERS Platform Investments, and as its Executive Managing Director, he formed OMERS Growth Equity and led investments in Purpose Financial, PointNorth Capital, District Ventures, OneEleven and ArcTern Ventures. John co-founded the Council of Canadian Innovators with Jim Balsillie, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping high-growth Canadian technology firms scale globally.  

Get ready to indulge in the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, where your hosts, Michael Schatzberg "The Restaurant Guy" (Schatzy) and Jimmy Frischling "The Finance Guy," turn up the heat with an extraordinary guest. Samir Zabaneh, CEO and Chairman of TouchBistro, joins the culinary conversation.

Get ready to indulge in the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, where your hosts, Michael Schatzberg "The Restaurant Guy" (Schatzy) and Jimmy Frischling "The Finance Guy," turn up the heat with an extraordinary guest. Samir Zabaneh, CEO and Chairman of TouchBistro, joins the culinary conversation.

Steve sits down with Matthew Hunt, Founder of Automation Wolf, a communications and demand generation company which helps busy B2B founders/CEOs create all their LinkedIn content in one hour each month.Matthew has built three B2B profitable companies in the last 13 years and has been hired by hundreds of businesses to help them implement his marketing and sales strategies. Some of these companies include RE/MAX, Valvoline, FedEx, Chef's Plate, League, and TouchBistro.Listen in as Matthew breaks down his ultimate B2B demand generation system, which he calls the “three-pillar system”. This involves creating short-form, long-form, and controlled-form content to develop the know, like, and trust factor among those who come across your brand.Matthew also discusses “content networking”: creating content through interviews, summits, and other avenues that allow you to promote other thought leaders and industry experts while bolstering your own credibility as a brand.Connect with Steve and Matthew on LinkedIn.

The Adidas-Kanye West split meant the death of Yeezy: The immensely popular and influential line of shoes the controversy-mongering rapper designed for the company. That's potentially bad news for the sneaker resale market (projected to be a US$30 billion industry by 2030) and for those touting sweet kicks as a burgeoning asset class. Toronto-based TouchBistro, a software provider for restaurants, is breezing though a market downtown that has left venture capitalists holding their dollars close to their chest. The feds just flicked on a big, bright, buzzing “OPEN” sign with a new three-year immigration plan aimed at getting skilled workers into the country to address the ongoing labour crunch. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO Join us for a live recording of The Peak Daily at the Bet on Canada Summit on November 8th. Buy tickets here: https://readthepeak.com/events/bet-on-canada-2022 The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.

Union activity at Chipotle is heating up again. Pink foods are trending. And Tech supplier TouchBistro has raised $110 million.

Matthew Hunt is the founder of Automation Wolf, a company that supports B2B founders and CEOs to develop snackable content that keeps them top of mind and stay consistent in prospects' newsfeeds; while also bridging the gap between short and long-form content. Matthew Hunt was an ashamed introverted dyslexic but has turned himself into a successful extroverted dyslexic entrepreneur. He built 3 B2B profitable companies in the last 13 years all built on the back of smart marketing & sales. Matthew has worked with 100s of companies (large & small) to help them implement marketing & sales strategies. To name a few, he has worked with RE/MAX, Valvoline, FedEx, Chef's Plate, League & TouchBistro. Matthew knows that no one likes to be marketed to, or sold to, especially prospects. In this episode, he shares his 4 stage demand generation marketing strategies to drive pipeline growth. Insights he shares include: Commonly held beliefs that do not help demand generation marketing strategiesWhy you need to own the relationships more than great marketing and copywritingHow Matthew defines demand generation marketingHow to get personal with people in the post-pandemic world we live inHow demand generation and creating community works better than inbound or outbound marketingWhat could community look like for a businessWhy Matthew recommends every business consider hosting a virtual summitDoes demand generation work for all types of businessesWhat do demand generation marketing strategies hinge on and what does it entailWhat metrics to use for demand generation marketing strategiesand much much more ....

Today, I am happy to introduce you to Afton Brazzoni, Founder of Scribe National and B2B brand and content strategist. She is not only amazing at content strategy, but she also grew her business from zero to multi-six figures in only two years! I loved talking to Afton and receiving the wisdom she had to share. In this episode: Afton shares her entrepreneurial journey, from corporate B2B marketer to successful business owner, and how it redefined stability for her Afton tells us her secret ingredients to moving from zero to multi-six figures in only a couple of years The work Afton is proudest of and why it's important to take the time to pause and celebrate our accomplishments Creating a content strategy that will keep your customers enthralled and what foundational piece you need before you even start the process Tips for developing strong messaging for a brand that resonates with your customers and what they want The importance of consistency in content marketing and Alton's advice for staying consistent with your content Tricks Afton uses to implement her content strategy with maximum success, including how to set up your content calendar Why storytelling matters, especially when you're looking to connect with your audience Afton is the founder of Scribe National. Scribe National works with B2B content marketers to dial up traffic, qualified leads, and sales, helping their clients amplify the voices of subject matter experts, position thought leaders, and give sales teams the backup they need to close deals. They ignite connections between brands and audiences in industries like SaaS, fintech, and hospitality tech, providing B2B content strategy and writing services to over 50 clients in 2+ years — the majority being repeat customers — including unicorns like Wealthsimple and others among Canada's 50 fastest growing companies like TouchBistro. "Before building out your content strategy, sit down and identify 5 business goals that your content should be driving towards. Then ask yourself, 'How is every piece of marketing content I create going to tie back to one of those goals?'" — Afton Brazzoni To learn more about Afton and her work, check out her website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Let's meet Afton Brazzoni. Afton Brazzoni Show Notes We're hiring a Digital Content and Marketing Creator! Apply by Friday, April 22, 2022! Full job posting: https://www.kamiguildner.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Digital-Marketing-Manager-2022.pdf

If you work in sales, your CRMs, or customer relationship managers, run your life. And among the most notable CRMs, Salesforce is the biggest. Still, the process of using this necessary tool puts many sales people in a cold sweat on a routine basis. What's more, if you're among the roughly 20% of the population who identifies as neurodivergent, and living with a condition like ADHD, dyslexia, or somewhere on the autism spectrum, the daily tasks associated with CRMs become even more challenging. So when two engineers decided to find a fix for complicated CRMs, the program they created – Scratchpad – also ended up becoming a lifehack for the neurodiverse users, everywhere. In this episode, host Ilana Strauss finds out why Scratchpad's founders decided to take on the challenge of simplifying Salesforce, how they connected with the neurodiverse community for help, and when they realized that designing products around the different ways people think made the outcomes exponentially better.     You'll hear from Scratchpad's co-founder and CEO Pouyan Salehi, and Cyrus Karbassiyoon, the company's co-founder and Chief Technical officer, as well as Tarun Malik, an account executive for TouchBistro, a point-of-sale system for restaurants. Malik has ADHD, and is one of many neurodiverse sales people regularly using and providing feedback to Scratchpad. When It Clicked is an original podcast from ClickUp. For a transcript of this episode and other extras, check out When It Clicked - Scratchpad.

In today's episode, Evan Santa from CommerceBear shares ideas and insights around building sales teams that can consistently create full-funnel freedom. Evan is a talented and experienced sales leader having helped build sales teams in some of the world's leading companies, including TouchBistro and VidYard. He goes through some of the techniques he used to create successful sales teams and reveals the key defining traits of a top sales performer. What You'll Learn: - Why building the ultimate sales team starts at recruiting - How to identify and mold the team lead  - Why the #1 sales killer is ambiguity - VidYard's strategy for building efficient sales teams - How to remove friction from your sales cycle - When and how to talk about pricing during a sales conversation - How to diagnose your sales pipeline to increase performance - Why elite mentality is very difficult to teach Building the ultimate sales team starts at recruiting and continues throughout the employee lifecycle. Unfortunately, most sales leaders incorrectly assume that hiring more salespeople equals more revenue. They don't realize that building teams is not a numbers game, and one bad hire could be detrimental to a team's success. Evan affirms that in this highly competitive business environment, you're only as good as your sales team. So, you need to have the right people on board if you're ever going to be successful.  Resources: - Commercebear.com https://www.commercebear.com/ - Evan's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/evansanta/ - Full Funnel Freedom https://fullfunnelfreedom.com  - Connect with Hamish Knox on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishknox/   - Connect with Hamish Knox on Twitter https://twitter.com/sandlerinyyc

John is the Founder and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity. John’s focus will is on guiding the strategy of the firm, Chair of the Investment Committee and is deeply involved with sourcing and leading opportunities particularly within the technology industry. John is also the Founder of OMERS Ventures. Through John’s leadership as Chief Executive Officer, OMERS Ventures had invested over $500 million of capital in over 40 disruptive technology companies across North America, including growth investments in Shopify, Xanadu, Wattpad, Wave, Hootsuite, Rover, Desire 2 Learn, Hopper, DuckDuckGo, TouchBistro and League. During his tenure at OMERS, John also formed OMERS Platform Investments as its Executive Managing Director. He has led investments in Purpose Financial, PointNorth Capital, District Ventures, OneEleven and ArcTern Ventures. John is also the Co-founder and Vice Chair of the Council of Canadian Innovators, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping high-growth Canadian technology firms scale up globally. Further, John sits on a number of boards of leading innovative organizations in both the profit and non-for-profit sector. John’s work has been recognized by numerous organizations. He has been selected as Canada’s MostPowerful Business Person by Canadian Business Magazine and as one of Toronto’s most influential persons by Toronto Life Magazine. John has been awarded with the Outstanding Progress and Achievement Award by the Schulich School of Business, an award for outstanding career achievements in their respective field. In 2018, John was honored with the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic which made him a 5th Class Knight. In 2020, John became a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountantsof Ontario (FCPA).

John Ruffolo, Founder & Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity, joins Bold Founder Caleb Parker for the second episode of Season 6 to discuss what fast-growing companies need from office real estate, and how office assets can support companies throughout their entire life cycle. They talk through the important of asking the users what they want, how changes in real estate have accelerated since the start of the pandemic, and what the most important things are for spaces to consider when building brand and community.  John shares his insights on hybrid working and back to the office and how there is space for more disruptive and bold companies to change the future of work conversation.  Connect with John Ruffolo on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joruffolo/  Connect with Caleb Parker on LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebparker/ If you have any questions or feedback on this episode, email podcast@workbold.co Value Bombs:   And throughout history, if you look back at the major innovations that's moved the world forward, it's been during times of crisis. This pandemic is no different. - Caleb Parker   Traditional real estate, particularly during the pandemic, probably has the most visibility of an industry that's in need of massive change. - John Ruffolo [Real estate owners are] really trying to shoe horn a client opportunity to fit their buildings. - John Ruffolo The real estate industry didn't look at their customer as a customer. They looked at it as a tenant in that particular building, based on a geographic location. - John Ruffolo [Real estate] was one of the last industries, or maybe the last industry that was supply side focused as opposed to demand side. - John Ruffolo You are a deep expert in real estate at what was the last time that somebody was looking for space asked who the building owner was? - John Ruffolo In order to build loyalty and trust with that person you have to deliver a consistent experience. And that consistent experience is what becomes known as the brand. - Caleb Parker You use the term space as a service. I actually don't use that term. I actually use community as a service. - John Ruffalo Disruption always comes from the bottom, never from the top down. - John Ruffolo I think if you're a landlord right now, you have to be looking at as a service and figuring out how to get into your building in some capacity. - Caleb Parker I know these CEOs were led to believe that a transformation for them to work out of the home would have taken three years. It [only] took them three weeks. - John Ruffalo We haven't learned how to be as efficient using technology as we would have with those small conversations in the office. And that's really just because of our adoption. And I still think I love physically seeing people, that's who I am. - John Ruffalo Blackberry was the first time that I was personally untethered from my desk. So the hybrid work arrangement is a shrug in our office and it's a shrug for a lot of folks. - John Ruffalo Resources:   TSK's agile/flexible/hybrid article Maverix Private Equity Website OMERS Ventures Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat Podcast  10 x Podcast The David Suzuki Podcast    Shout Outs: Dave Cairns One Eleven Matthew Lombardi Michael Kravshik LumiQ Basil Demeroutis Bruce Daisley Richard Pickering About Our Guests: John Ruffolo  Follow John on Twitter  John is the Founder and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity.  John's focus is on guiding the strategy of the firm, Chair of the Investment Committee and is deeply involved with sourcing and leading opportunities particularly within the technology industry. John is also the Founder of OMERS Ventures. Through John's leadership as Chief Executive Officer, OMERS Ventures had invested over $500 million of capital in over 40 disruptive technology companies across North America, including growth investments in Shopify, Wattpad, Wave, Hootsuite, Rover, Desire 2 Learn, Hopper, DuckDuckGo, TouchBistro and League. During his tenure at OMERS, John also formed OMERS Platform Investments as its Executive Managing Director. He has led investments in Purpose Financial, PointNorth Capital, District Ventures, Xanadu, OneEleven and ArcTern Ventures. John is also the Co-founder and Vice-Chair of the Council of Canadian Innovators, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping high-growth Canadian technology firms scale up globally. Further, John sits on a number of boards of leading innovative organizations in both the profit and non-for-profit sector.  Fun fact: John and his wife named each of their children after their favorite bottle of wine. About Our Host: Caleb Parker https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebparker/ Caleb Parker is an American entrepreneur in London, and Founder of Bold (acquired by Newable/NewFlex in 2019).He believes in "challenging the status quo" and is a champion for entrepreneurial and innovative thinking.Caleb has served as founder, Board member, advisor, investor and consultant to numerous startups and small businesses, and has a keen focus on innovation and technology, with interests in the MICE market, Space-as-a-Service, and the future of work.Caleb has been a guest lecturer, speaker, and moderator for topics such as entrepreneurship, the sharing economy, the future of work and commercial real estate at academic institutions and large corporations. He regularly takes the stage at numerous trade conferences as keynote speaker, MC, host or facilitator.Earlier in his career, Caleb was named one of Savannah, Georgia's “40 under 40” business leaders" in 2006 after launching two successful small businesses in the city's booming hospitality industry. A year later he moved to Washington, DC to join the The Regus Group DC management team. In 2009, Caleb co-founded a flexible workspace consulting firm where he brokered flexible workspace and advised businesses on agile working strategies.Caleb is one of the first licensed commercial real estate agents to speak on the flexible working trends and the rise of flexible workspace, and has been quoted in numerous publications.   Sponsors Headline Sponsor: TSK TSK creates inspiring workplaces for some of the world's biggest brands across the UK and Ireland, They've been working for 25 years to deliver the best employee experiences and the vision of their clients. Not only do they create great places to work, TSK share workplace content every week from the latest data to inspiring spaces they've designed and built. You can read their latest insights at www.tskgroup.co.uk or check out their LinkedIn and Instagram pages to become a follower, fan and friend. Fortune Favours the Bold Bold merges property management & Space-as-a-Service to drive asset value and help office customers grow faster. Now part of NewFlex (www.workbold.co)  Future Proof Your Portfolio with NewFlex NewFlex delivers and manages a range of branded solutions for every type of building, in every type of location, for every type of occupier. Including the flexibility to develop your own brand. All enabled by flexible management contracts where we are invested in making money for you. (www.newflex.com) Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. (https://www.apodcastcompany.com) Subscribe to the #WorkBold Podcast https://workbold.co.uk/podcast/

Matthew used to be an ashamed introverted dyslexic, but turned himself into a successful extroverted dyslexic entrepreneur. (Some things you can't fix)

From Shareworks by Morgan Stanley, this is Thriving Globally with Equity: A podcast following companies as they break into global markets. On today's episode we talk to Rob Curcio, Senior Director of Finance at TouchBistro. Rob tells us all about his journey from accounting school to TouchBistro and how he changed the financial game in Canada's booming tech hub. He also shares some of his expert advice about expanding a company to new markets and getting employees to know everything about equity. Tune in to learn the details of this company's story building Silicon Valley's competition north of the border.  Jump straight into: (00:38) - Rob's journey finding tech - “I had a wealth of experience in different industries, including mining and entertainment, eventually switching over to the private sector and ultimately the startup in the tech space.” (03:04) - Arriving at TouchBistro and changing the game  - “I've been able to really easily transform the finance function, building out a formal financial reporting function. And then a little bit of an unorthodox twist.” (06:13) - Partnering with locals in new markets - “It's helpful having the expert who's domestic to be able to really build out a plan. Some companies don't have that ability to start with that.” (09:19) - A new hub north of the border? - “I think Toronto has become the new hub. I know the Canadian folks are happy to say that Americans see the bit of competition.” (10:40) - TouchBistro's sudden spike in equity interest - “Stock options are a great way to align personal behavior, intent, and work effort to the greater goal of making the company successful.”  Resources Connect with Rob through https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-curcio-cpa-ca-2a5bbb36/?originalSubdomain=ca (LinkedIn) Check out https://www.touchbistro.com/ (TouchBistro's) website to know more about their services.  Thanks for joining us! To learn more, check out our https://www.shareworks.com/podcast (website), where you'll find other episodes of Thriving Globally with Equity, along with deep dive articles on each story. Thriving Globally with Equity is a production from https://www.shareworks.com/ (Shareworks) by Morgan Stanley, written by David Vallance from https://campfirelabs.co/ (Campfire Labs), narrated by http://mercyleebell.com/ (Mercy Lee Bell), with additional production and editing by https://www.studiopodsf.com/ (StudioPod Media).

Being in a leadership position comes with its pros and cons. However, steering the wheel blindfolded is terrifying. This is the situation many people in leadership positions had to go through during the COVID-19 pandemic. In today's episode, we talk to Jonatan Morgenroth, Senior Director of Sales at TouchBistro to see what he and the leadership team had to do in order to stay afloat during the hardest lockdown months, and what it was like to make decisions that would affect his employees.

Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast. I’m Zack Miller. WePay provides payment solutions for platforms like marketplaces and software firms. The Chase-owned company provides payment APIs to firms like Eventzilla, Meetup and TouchBistro. Chief revenue officer Jennifer Parker joins us on the podcast to give us an update on the business and to discuss how platforms and their merchants are coping during the current crisis. We hear about how WePay has supported its ecosystem with products and services throughout this tumultuous time. Jennifer also shares with us her biggest priorities heading into the second half of 2020. Jennifer Parker is my guest today on the Tearsheet Podcast.

What do Shopify, Hootsuite, Rover, Hopper, DuckDuckGo, Wattpad, Touchbistro, Purpose Financial - some 40+ disruptive companies have in common?One man - Investment Wizard Mr. John Ruffolo.John is the Founder of OMERS Ventures and the Co-founder of the Council of Canadian Innovators. Over the course of John’s leadership, OMERS Ventures had invested over $500 million of capital in over 40 disruptive technology companies across North America, including growth investments in Shopify, Hootsuite, Rover, Desire 2 Learn, Hopper, DuckDuckGo, Wattpad, TouchBistro and League. John also formed Platform Investments, OMERS’ innovation arm, where he led investments in Purpose Financial, PointNorth Capital, District Ventures, OneEleven and ArcTern Ventures. The Council of Canadian Innovators is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping high-growth Canadian technology firms scale up globally. As Canada’s business council for a 21st-century economy, the Council is made up of CEOs from Canada’s most promising technology companies. The Council’s position is to promote, share, and collaborate with public policy leaders on key policy levers to optimize the growth of Canada’s innovation-based sector (full bio continues below).Over the course of our one-hour conversation, we will ask John to share his vision for the Canadian tech scene, his investment philosophy and how he sees the pandemic impacting our society and future investment opportunities.To learn more about John please reference:1) Globe and Mail: Inside the mind of legendary tech investor John Ruffalo: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/rob-magazine/article-inside-the-mind-of-legendary-tech-investor-john-ruffolo/2) John Ruffolo @ Canadian Innovators https://www.clubseries.org/speaker/john-ruffolo/

In this episode of PM Hub Podcast Series, I will talk about changing product roadmaps during covid_19; there is pandemic going around the world and lots of businesses on the shutting down, pivoting to help the community, etc. Having a customer-centric approach requires us to constantly assess our understanding of their needs to make sure we are building something useful. To help us better understand how to go about changing roadmaps, I had talk with Kim Phelan. Kim’s been in Product Management for the last 18 years. She’s lead products at a number of startups in Toronto including Achievers, Tucows, Clearfit, ChefHero and TouchBistro. Kim is currently Senior director of product management at Loblaw Digital working specifically on the Marketplace and Online Grocery products. Intro music by Peter Boros of The Nameless Citizens

In this week's episode we cover all the latest tech news including: - Touchbistro's $158m Series E round led by Omers - Neuvoo's $53m raise from Caisse de Depot - Toronto-based Maple's $14.5m led by Acton Capital - Qualcomm's $1.2bn acquisition of the stake in RF360 it didn't already own - DataRobot's $206m Series E funding - WeWork's struggling IPO and the delta between public market valuations and private market ones We hope you enjoy the show and please subscribe for future updates!

If you don't have sales, you don't have a business. You can forecast and crunch the numbers all you want; at the end of the day, someone has to go out and physically talk to customers and make the sale. That's what Aida Mohammad was doing at TouchBistro this summer, and she's our guest on today's episode.Copyright Akash Pasricha 2018. All rights reserved.

If you don't have sales, you don't have a business. You can forecast and crunch the numbers all you want; at the end of the day, someone has to go out and physically talk to customers and make the sale. That's what Aida Mohammad was doing at TouchBistro this summer, and she's our guest on today's episode.Copyright Akash Pasricha 2018. All rights reserved.

Chef Sandy Siles is one of the best chefs in Costa Rica. He is Costa Rica’s Ambassador of National Gastronomy and the chef at the incredible Shambala Restaurant. He cooks with a really unique combination of flavors and techniques, resulting in some of the best tasting dishes you’ve never seen before.   On top of that,  Chef Randy Siles runs a Foundation named Artesanos de la Gastronomia or Gastronomic Artisans, where he mentors young people in Santa Teresa and gives them the opportunity to develop high culinary skills.   “I use everything. There’s nothing in the sea, nothing on the Earth. All produce. It’s sustainable.” –Chef Randy Siles   We also discuss: Mentoring his young apprentices Being the chef for the president Chef Siles’ unique cooking style Being mentored by Richard Neat Planning menus daily Sourcing produce from Hacienda Okhra Costa Rica is 5% of the world’s biodiversity! The Gastronomic Guide The Cook like a Tico program What you can expect to eat at Chef Randy’s restaurants Chef Siles’ dream of a one Michelin star restaurant in Costa Rica     Resources: Learn more about Chef Siles: http://www.enchanting-costarica.com/costa-rica-travel/chef-randy-siles-turns-up-the-heat-on-costa-rica-food-and-travel/ Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com   Chef Randy Siles’s Bio: Award-winning and gaining international celebrity status in his role as Costa Rica’s Ambassador of National Gastronomy, Randy Siles is loving life as a top chef in Costa Rica. He lives and works steps from one of the country’s prettiest beaches, sharing his passions of surfing with creating inventive sustainable cuisine at Hotel Tropico Latino in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. Yet lately, Siles is spending almost as much time on an airplane as he is in the kitchen.   As Costa Rica’s Chef Ambassador for the National Plan of Sustainable and Healthy Gastronomy, Siles has been traversing the globe giving cooking lessons at international travel shows like the New York Times Travel Show in January. Food bloggers from around the world have been invited to “Cook Like a Tico” with Siles, who surprises them with innovative Costa Rican recipes using traditional and sustainable ingredients.   Specialty dishes he has created at the travel shows include fresh fish ceviche with mango, rice pudding (arroz con leche) in crème brulee style with pineapple, picadillo of chayote with indigenous purple corn and pork, and his squash and farro salad. Check out Siles’ very creative menu at Shambala Restaurant in Hotel Tropico Latino on the beach in Santa Teresa. Why should tourists come to Costa Rica for the food? Siles says: “We have the freshest products here in Costa Rica – fish from two oceans and thousands of rivers, fresh vegetables and fruits, and fresh meats farmed locally. Our climate allows us to grow anything and everything. And we are a small country so we can easily move products from one place to another.”   International fame aside, who is the man underneath the chef hat and how did Siles get his start as a rising star in the kitchens of Costa Rica’s gastronomic scene?   Growing up in Costa Rica’s capital city of San Jose, Siles said he first learned to cook from his mother, Elizabeth, who helped teach baking and pastry-making. Starting when he was about 8-years-old, Siles said he would climb up on a chair in their kitchen and help her make cakes. “I was always was fascinated with cooking. When I was older and would travel around with friends, I would always cook for the group,” he remembered.   Siles received a diploma in gastronomy from the ARCAM Gourmet School in San Jose in 2007. Luck and talent led him to work for one year with two Michelin Star chef, Richard Neat, in Park Café in San Jose. “He helped me form my style and awakened my interest and talents in cooking,” said Siles of his mentor.   Then, Siles’ life changed forever when he accompanied friends to the remote beach paradise of Santa Teresa on Costa Rica’s southern Nicoya Peninsula. “I loved it. I vowed to return, and did, to work in a hotel,” he said. “I loved the lifestyle and the spectacular beauty of the place. Surfing was always a dream in my life and I moved to Santa Teresa for that.” Now, at age 35, Siles has been the chef at Hotel Tropico Latino on the beach in Santa Teresa for six years. He focuses on using fresh, locally sourced, native products in his healthy menu that compliments Tropico Latino’s active Santa Teresa surf and yoga retreats, and natural spa.  When Siles is not cooking at Hotel Tropico Latino or traveling as Costa Rica’s Chef Ambassador, he loves to surf, run on the beach, and spend time with family. His daughter, Tamara, who turns 2-years-old in May, is “the light of my life,” he boasts.   He also likes taking “working vacations” where he offers to work for free as a chef in order to learn. So far, he has “vacationed” in Michelin star restaurants in Spain, France, Italy, and Japan. And just this month in Santa Teresa, Siles began inter-exchanges with cooking universities like the Montreal School of Catering and Tourism (École des métiers de la restauration et du tourisme de Montréal). Twelve students from Montreal are spending the month at Hotel Tropico Latino to learn about Costa Rican cooking and techniques.   Siles hopes to continue expanding his horizons and popularizing Costa Rica’s cuisine around the world, while at the same time keeping his paradise home in Santa Teresa close at heart. He said, “I work hard and always focus on my dreams, remember where I’m from, and keep shooting for the stars.” Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

Chef James Kelly, or Jim for short, is a Southern New Jersey boy who relocated to Costa Rica nearly a decade ago. He is now the Executive Chef & Owner of Soma Chef Services, in addition to being a Partner in La Buena Paleta (which produces coconut water-based organic fruit & vegetable ice pops with superfoods in them) and the Owner of Dos Santos Taqueria (a cantina and food truck).   Soma is absolutely incredible – a collaborative effort between Costa Rica's finest food, beverage, and event planning professionals specializing in world-inspired gourmet and ingredients driven by Latin cuisine.   “Every client has a different thing that they’re looking for & you have to suss out that vibe. If people just want you to put some delicious food on the table then you do that – but if they want a dining experience, that’s when it becomes interesting.” –Chef James Kelly We also discuss: Jim’s backstory When Jim arrived in Costa Rica Fusing Asian & Latin American cuisine Cooking for the climate Transitioning from restaurant chef to personal chef Creating a personalized dining experience for clients The difference between running a catering company in Costa Rica VS the U.S. The rules & regulations of running a restaurant and bar in Costa Rica Jim’s fully solar powered food truck Chef James Kelly’s Recipe: Ingredients: 4 seeded yellow aji chili peppers (or two tbsp of aji pepper paste) ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice 2 tbsp fresh-squeeze orange juice 2 thins slices of ginger, cut against the grain 1 medium garlic clove, peeled ½ tsp Himalayan sea salt (or other quality sea salt) 1 tsp finely minced cilantro 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ¾ pound of any fresh fish (1 to 1.5 inches thick)   Directions: Clean the fish, pat it dry, and put it on a plate in the freezer for about 40 minutes. You don’t want it to freeze – just get firm. Add first six ingredients into blender After that is properly blended, continue mixing while slowly drizzling in the olive oil When the fish is firm, not frozen, take it out of the freezer and slice it thinly against the grain Arrange the fish on a plate, pour the sauce on top, and sprinkle cilantro on top of that Resources: Check out somachefs.com Connect with Jim on Instagram: @chef_jameskelly Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com Chef James Kelly’s Bio: Executive Chef James Kelly and Head Chef Max Dean, Co-Founders of Soma Chef Services, work exclusively with local and organic produce, sustainably caught seafood, and cruelty & hormone free meats to create inspired, customized, seasonal menus for the most sophisticated palates. They are the first choice for foodie couples looking for a memorable and delicious dining experience.   Having a background in the art of Japanese cuisine and immersing himself in Costa Rican culture, Chef James Kelly has been refining his culinary skills for nearly 20 years. He describes his style of cooking as a fusion of Asian and Latin American, but most importantly his dishes are a perfect balance of freshness, lightness, flavor and texture.  He opened Restaurante Soma at the Milarepa Hotel in 2004, and at the request of his patrons he began offering personal chef services. Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

Georges Lefebvre is the magnanimous madman who created Hacienda Okhra, a concept community and farm located in the breathtaking hills of Las Delicias, just above the town of Mal Pais on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. Although it started as a home for Georges and a few friends, this community has grown into an impressive business and they actually supply food for a good majority of the locals in the area.   This dream-like community features premium facilities, 106 acres of carbon-offsetting tropical forest, hidden waterfalls, a nature-immersed spa, yoga, hiking, horseback riding, meditation, and healthy organic cuisine – all located in the world’s largest Blue Zone. Everything is done naturally and on-site, combining peace and tranquility with futuristic and intelligent investment ideas.   “Basically, we took your great-grandparents garden and modernized it to today’s standards. We can produce a high yield on very, very little space with very, very little water.” –Georges Lefebvre     We also discuss: The world-renowned arugula grown at Hacienda Okhra How the farm is so incredibly efficient – In just 5-6 weeks, they’re able to produce 14 kilos of arugula in a 10x1.5 meter bed!! Why this farm could be repeated almost anywhere in the world Distributing produce directly to clients How Hacienda Okhra is giving incredible opportunities to local children Georges’s time as a restaurateur All the different crops grown at Hacienda Okhra The seeding & watering processes on these future farms Costa Rican pineapple production Being in the largest Blue Zone in the world The flora & fauna in this area A delicious recipe for arugula salad   Georges Lefebvre’s Arugula Salad Recipe:   Ingredients: Freshly cut arugula (preferably Okhra) Aged parmesan cheese Balsamic vinegar Olive oil   Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix by hand, and then enjoy the most amazing arugula salad that you’ve ever had!   Resources: Check out haciendaokhra.com Facebook: facebook.com/Hacienda-Okhra-Farms-1220453224756368 Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com   Georges Lefebvre’s Bio: Hacienda Okhra Corporation is a Costa Rican Corporation owned by Georges Lefebvre who purchased over 43 hectares  (about 106 acres) of pristine property in this area of Mal Pais, Costa Rica. With the first phase of the project completed including roads and infrastructure the Hacienda Okhra Project is on its way to construct the second phase of its sustainable project.   Georges Lefebvre was born in France and spent most of his childhood between Paris, France and NYC, USA. Growing up between these two cultures assisted in Georges developing an interest in the finer things this life has to offer. In 1983 Georges graduated from an American School in Paris. After graduation Georges spent a short time in the French Military as an Airborne Commando before he moved to NYC where he opened a variety of restaurants over the next 12 years.   In NYC Georges founded the world famous Parisian restaurant Bilboquet and the Vigt-Deux Private Bar. He also opened a number of famous NYC cafes including Palallawest, Panino, Caffe Rosso and Il Baggote before relocating to Costa Rica in 1999. In 1999 Georges took his knowledge in fine dining to Costa Rica where he opened a Bilboquet Restaurant in the city of   San Jose. In 2003 Georges wanted to combine his culinary knowledge with sustainable food production practices so he started Hacienda Okhra where he has spent the past 10 years implementing the first phase of the project.   The Gardens at Hacienda Okhra are all unique and cater to the type of yield they are producing. The farmers use a variety of techniques including indoor vertical growing systems, outdoor raised beds of all different sizes as well as growing directly in the ground. The growers use a combination of mediums including fiber de coco, which is coconut fibers, natural compost from the farm, dirt from the ground, as well as the gardens compost and vermapost systems. The water is all gravity fed once it gets pumped up to a water tower that is drawing directly from a well. The system is designed as a natural reclamation system where all of the runoff flows directly into the outdoor gardens with any leftover ending up in the pond that feeds the well. Currently Hacienda Okhra is producing over 20 kilos of fresh fruit and vegetables for top tier restaurants and private chefs in the neighboring communities. Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

Today our guest leads us in a toast to meeting new people, the beautiful jungle atmosphere, and being able to do what we love and connect with people. It was the perfect toast to kick off my very first conversation with Rima Danielle Jomaa, AKA Rima the Jungle Girl.   Rima is an entrepreneur, licensed marriage counselor, and vegan lifestyle advocate. She’s really incorporated an incredible brand and lifestyle, inspiring and activating others to reclaim their health, happiness, and freedom through her podcast, coaching, retreats, and more.   “I’m a vegan simply because I want my actions and my words to align with my morals and ethics – that’s really all it’s about. It’s the best way that I’ve found to extend the compassion and love that I preach about and want for myself to all living creatures.” –Rima the Jungle Girl We also discuss: Doing what needs to be done to live a life that you love Earthlings, the documentary that changed Rima’s perspective on eating animals The difference between plant-based and vegan Managing vegan popups Yoga being helpful… but painful! Rima’s retreats The Gottman certification The 7 principles of making a marriage work The story behind “Rima the Jungle Girl” Working without relying on technology Watching & writing stand-up comedy Perceived problems The secret “MargaRima” recipe Resources: Check out RimaTheJungleGirl.com Connect with Rima: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter Follow Debi’s Costa Rican adventure on Facebook: facebook.com/debi.saltzberg Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com Rima’s Bio: Rima is an entrepreneur, psychotherapist, vegan lifestyle advocate & yoga teacher from LA. She hosts the "The Rima the Jungle Girl" podcast from her jungle house in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, where she lives the life of her dreams every single day. She hosts adventure, healing, and couples retreats around Costa Rica. You can find her at www.rimathejunglegirl.com or on Instagram @rima_danielle. Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

I had quite the adventure with Ryan Bickle, the owner and master brewer of Butterfly Brewing Company, a “hill-top jungle-brewery-butterfly-garden by the sea.”   The garden and nanobrewery are located in Montezuma, Costa Rica, on the southern tip of the peninsula. The beers are just forking delicious, but if that isn’t enough, you can enjoy them while taking in the view of countless neotropical butterflies. And if you want to see the place, you can check out the videos I took on Facebook: facebook.com/debi.saltzberg!   “We just want to make better beer at an affordable price. It has nothing to do with wanting to be a millionaire or having a Mercedes Benz on these dirt roads… you want to be successful though, and you want to have fun!” –Ryan Bickle We also discuss: Howler monkey balls Touring the garden & caterpillar lab The 17 different species of passion fruit Setting up the brewery 13 years ago Importing ingredients & equipment Moving from Oregon to Costa Rica Ryan’s brewing equipment & process Learning how to brew The most difficult part of running this business: paying taxes Resources: Learn more about Butterfly Brewing Co.: https://www.montezumagardens.com/deals-and-tours Check out the awesome videos I took on Facebook: facebook.com/debi.saltzberg Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com Ryan Bickle’s Bio: Ryan Samuel Bickle was born on the 6th of March, 1981. He grew up in Pullman, WA,  a small college town in South Eastern part of Washington State, surrounded by rolling hills of wheat and barley.   At the age of nineteen, he moved to Portland, OR and quickly became a craft beer fanatic and IPA lover.   A passionate traveler and constant dreamer, Ryan traveled all around central America from 2000 to 2004 and fell in love with Costa Rica. He later convinced his family to invest in Costa Rica and eventually bought his property in 2005.   In December 2005 Ryan opened Mariposario Montezuma Gardens, a Bed and Breakfast and butterfly garden.   In 2012, Ryan officially started Butterfly Brewing Co., where they now make 8 different craft beers and 4 different craft sodas. In 2015, Ryan teamed up with a couple from Costa Rica/Oregon and started Cocina Clandestina, where you can find all of his beers and sodas on tap. Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

This is the first episode from my forking awesome Costa Rica adventure! I had the opportunity to sit down with Paige Cain, an Owner/Operator of Hotel Mono Azul – which means Blue Monkey. The hotel is family run, located in the heart of the lush Costa Rican rainforests and pacific beaches of Manuel Antonio.   Due to different resources, laws, and regulations, things in the food & hospitality world are done quite a bit differently in Costa Rica. Paige gives us a peek behind the curtain, sharing how she manages to deliver the best accommodations and meals available.   “I believe that hospitality is my gift. I just talk to guests and make sure they’re having a good time – and if that means going somewhere else, I’m okay with that!” –Paige Cain   We also discuss: Paige’s life before moving to Costa Rica What it was like moving to Costa Rica Navigating Costa Rican laws & regulations Fixing up the hotel Getting the hotel’s name from a four-year-old girl Why Paige rents out golf carts Travelling tips for Costa Rica Paige’s favorite recipe for the ultimate Costa Rican cocktail, the Guaro Sour   Resources: Check out Hotel Mono Azul: hotelmonoazul.com | Facebook Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com   Paige Cain’s Bio: I have always had a gift for hospitality and have wanted to own a BnB or hotel since I was a child.  When the real estate market went down the drain in '09 my husband finally agreed to try it.  We moved to the USVI of St. John and I loved it.  But being the work - aholic that I am I needed to own it.  So long story short we ended up in Costa Rica as the proud owners of a 21 room hotel.  It also has a full restaurant and bar so I am a lot busier than I had originally bargained for.  I was born in Florida.  I have lived in Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Ohio, Minnesota, The USVI and now Costa Rica.  I am sure it is not the final place of residence for me.  My husband may be disapointed to hear that. Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

Today Jessica Jebout leads us in a toast to our future: where our lovers are the truest, our friends are the staunchest, our bank account is the largest, and our liver is no worse for the wear!   And today, we toast with an untraditional drink: the non-alcoholic beer St. Pauli. You see, Jessica is a sober lifestyle guide and the creator of A Sober Girls Guide, a how-to for navigating through love and life from a sober point of view – something that is not necessarily easy to do as a 30-year-old DJ living in LA!   “My whole life, I’ve been kind of fake interested in things… Now I’m really tapping into what I really am interested in, what really feels good, and not just going with the flow of what everyone else is doing.” –Jessica Jeboult   We also discuss: Jessica’s day job as a blogger & night job as a DJ Reframing the word ‘sobriety’ How a chance meeting with James Van Praagh’s agent led to the blog Looking at not drinking as not limiting yourself Tips & tricks for a sober lifestyle Mental presence Owning your brand Jessica’s favorite recipe   Resources: Check out ASoberGirlsGuide.com Connect with Jessica: Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Want to be a Sober Boss Babe? Click here. Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com   Jessica Jeboult’s Bio: Jessica Jeboult is A Sober Girl.   Through her recovery from drugs and alcohol, Jessica created a kick-ass online community called A Sober Girls Guide. Jessica is a certified results coach and combines her knowledge and experience of sobriety to educate, motivate and inspire clients.   She created A Sober Girls Guide as a how to for navigating through love and life from a sober point of view. As a 30 year old dj living in Los Angeles she was constantly looking for inspiration and motivation to help maintain a sober lifestyle.   A Sober Girls Guide is where you come to get happy. Whether you crack up over a meme or you connect with an interview or blog post, A Sober Girls Guide is a feel good approach to a heavy sometimes scary subject. Jessica is here to guide you through the good the bad and the ugly that can come with being sober. You are not alone and everyone makes mistakes. Jessica and A Sober Girls Guide is here to put a lil pep in your step through this incredible journey we call life. Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

Today we’re checking back in with our very first guest, Brooke Rewa, Founder of Made with Love Wellness. So much has happened in the last year, so we have a lot to talk about: rebranding, starting over from scratch, new products, a lot of delicious juice, and how she (somehow!) looks even more forking radiant than last time we talked!   If you haven’t heard Brooke’s first episode, or if you just need to brush up on her pro tips, you can find it at justforkingaround.net/001.   “One bottle of juice can literally make you feel completely different, and that can be the gateway to you making healthier choices for yourself.” –Brooke Rewa We also discuss: Trademark shenanigans & choosing a new name The impact of Brooke’s products What exactly goes into creating these juices Expanding out of LA Brooke’s unique brand of almond milk, Mylk Why Brooke doesn’t like to give people all-juice cleanses Surviving + scaling in the risky food industry Made with Love’s promise to Keep it Real Marriage plans Partnering with celebrity chef Matthew Kenney The future of raw juice vending machines More of Brooke’s awesome wellness tips Care By Design’s CBD oil Resources: Check out MWLWellness.com Connect with Brooke on Instagram: @brooke_rewa Find the recipe for Brooke’s Freezer Fudge Bites: mwlwellness.com/blogs/wellness-community/valentines-day-indulgences Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com Brooke Rewa’s Bio: While battling food-related health issues, Founder and CEO Brooke Rewa began creating juice and almond milk in her home kitchen to help expedite her healing.   Seeing and feeling immediate improvements, Brooke started sharing her creations with friends and family and received tremendous response, both for the products' taste and health benefits.   Word quickly began to spread and Made With Love Wellness Co  has since grown from a local Farmer's Market staple to being offered in over  50+ premium LA cafes and shops.   "From conception, MWL’s mission has been to get real food to the masses through innovation and product transparency. Offering nutrient-dense products made from 100% organic ingredients and refusing to compromise when it comes to the integrity in each bottle is MWL's promise. We hope you will see, taste, and feel the difference!"  Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

Today we toast to the invisible people in the food system: the farmers, the farm workers, the truckers, the people behind the scenes in restaurants, and the women throughout history – a passion for today’s forking awesome guest.   Audra Mulkern is an author, photographer, and farm-to-table documentarian. She is the Executive Producer and host of the in-development documentary film Women’s Work: the untold story of America’s female farmers, and Founder of The Female Farmer Project, a multi-platform documentary project that chronicles the rise of women working in agriculture around the world.   “I realized that behind  every single farm table was a woman. Why had I noticed it? Why did I think women farming was different? … The more I dug, the more I came up empty: women just weren’t in the visual narrative, what I call the Agricultural Canon.” –Audra Mulkern   “You can look back through history and, over and over, it’s men at the forefront [of the Agricultural Canon], even though we know that women were the first farmers.” –Audra Mulkern We also discuss: Audra’s previous careers (ranging from the airline industry to Microsoft) When it was really difficult to access farms & farm-to-table food Tracking down farm-grown food in the 90s Developing relationships with farmers Discovering that the history of female farmers was untold (less than 1% of the Agricultural Canon is about women) Showcasing the modern women of farming The desire to feed people Audra’s in-development documentary: Women’s Work: the untold story of America’s female farmers Creating farming clothes for women How Audra is affecting legislation The problem around farmers & suicide How women tend to listen to the land (as opposed to dominating it) Beng in year three of the farm crisis Resources: Learn more at AudraMulkern.com Check out The Female Farmer Project Support Audra’s documentary: Women’s Work: the untold story of America’s female farmers Connect with Audra: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com Audra’s Bio: Audra Mulkern wants to change the way you look at farming and the food on your plate. As a photographer and writer she has sought to shine a spotlight on the hard-working people who are growing a food system that is sustainable and equitable for all.   Audra is the founder of The Female Farmer Project™ – a multi-platform documentary project that chronicles the rise of women working in agriculture around the world.  From in-depth stories, personal essays, photographic portraits, a podcast, and in-development documentary film -- the project gives a powerful voice to the fastest growing demographic in agriculture-- The Female Farmer.    The Female Farmer Project™ has garnered international recognition and acclaim. It has exhibited around the world, most recently at the United Nations in New York, Maison Rouge Gallery in Paris and the USDA in Washington DC. The project has been featured in digital and print globally.For event speaker inquiries, contact Audra here For video production and hosting services contact Audra here --   Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

Today we toast to building community! I met Jeremy Redman, host of Not Boring Business and Founder of AirFive, at one of his live podcast events just a few weeks ago. It was an amazing event where we enjoyed good beer, great company, and a collaborative atmosphere: the perfect ingredients for a forking awesome community!   AirFive has gone through a few different iterations – a digital business card app, an alumni association app, event influencers, and drink subscripscriptions – but, at every step, it’s been about connecting people. Today, AirFive is democratizing film distribution by helping creators set up screenings and build community.   Jeremy bundled what he learned throughout the process of shifting the business into a product called Business in a Box, “an entire tech business in a box.” It combines the tech you need to create mobile apps and build a website with the knowledge you need to get that business off the ground. (Plus, you can get 50% off by using the code FORKER when you sign up!) Then the Not Boring Business podcast brings it all together by bringing community and promotion to startup events. Wow!!   “Success is largely a factor of just not giving up.” –Jeremy Redman   Ready to finally start your tech business – in just one month? Jeremy is offering $60,000 of tech in addition to a course that will teach you how to put it to use, all bundled together as Business in a Box. “You don’t need a technical cofounder. You don’t need any co-founders. You don’t need investors. You don’t need to give away pieces of your business. I can say this with absolute certainty because I have been through this process myself.” You don’t even need an idea – you just have to be willing to start.   Use code FORKER for 50% off at notboringbusiness.com/sign-up. Are you ready for an adventure?   Because I want to show you a side of the LA food scene that most people will never get to see! When you join me for a LA Food Adventure, we will visit 6 restaurants to fill your belly, taste some drinks, socialize with some incredibly cool people, and get behind-the-scenes access that others aren’t privy to.   You can learn more and reserve your spot at LAFoodAdventures.com. We also discuss: Launching (and pivoting) AirFive Success = not giving up How Jeremy got his entrepreneurial start in the restaurant industry Being told he’s too big for his britches How Not Boring Business helped a restaurant entrepreneur build his own app & double down as a tech entrepreneur How you can launch a tech startup without a technical founder The endless possibilities of Business in a Box! Resources: Connect with Jeremy: JeremyRedman.com | Instagram AirFive.com NotBoringBusiness.com Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com Jeremy’s Bio: Jeremy Redman is an entrepreneur and podcaster who founded AirFive, a film distribution company, and Not Boring Business, a brand built to motivate pivoters, freelancers, solopreneurs, and side hustlers with the product "Business in a Box." After starting his career in accounting for god knows what reason, he motivated himself to live the life he wanted and accomplish his goals and the goals of the people around him as well. Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

On this episode of The Backbone, I chat with Rob about: His journey to TouchBistro and how he got started in finance within the software industry; What TouchBistro is all about; Unique opportunities and challenges you face being the finance leader of a company serving the restaurant space; Breaking into the tech industry in a finance capacity; and the importance of the finance function at a technology company --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/backbone/message

Your requests have been answered: Kelly Roach is back for another episode!! If you didn’t hear our first episode, Kelly is the host of Unstoppable Success Radio, an international best-selling author, strategist, motivator, and really just a badass. She’s also in the process of launching a brand-new company, Give Her Courage, a personal development company for kids that is focused on instilling courage and confidence in girls at a very young age.   You might wonder, what does Kelly Roach have to do with the food and beverage industry? Well, I know a lot of you are thinking of starting a business or currently run your own business, and the principles that she teaches are applicable in any industry!     We also discuss: Developing young girls’ confidence Getting your team in alignment Creating systems for your business Investing in people Managing people effectively Kelly’s favorite foods   Want to learn more about running a great business? Kelly offers an awesome free resource for anyone who is just starting out and wants to get a greater return on investment from their employees. It’s all about understanding your role in helping your people be more profitable and productive.   You can get that training for FREE by texting BIGROI to 44222!!   Are you ready for an adventure? Because I want to show you a side of the LA food scene that most people will never get to see! When you join me for a LA Food Adventure, we will visit 6 restaurants to fill your belly, taste some drinks, socialize with some incredibly cool people, and get behind-the-scenes access that others aren’t privy to.   You can learn more and reserve your spot at LAFoodAdventures.com.   Resources: Learn more at kellyroachcoaching.com Listen to Unstoppable Success Radio Connect with Kelly: Facebook | Twitter Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround   Kelly Roach’s Bio: Kelly Roach is the host of the top-rated podcast Unstoppable Success Radio, an International best-selling author, and the CEO of Kelly Roach Coaching. As a former NFL Cheerleader and Fortune 500 Executive who was promoted 7 times in 8 years, Kelly brings a powerful combination of proven and profitable business growth strategies coupled with the mindset, wellness and productivity practices required to help entrepreneurs build a profitable business around a life they absolutely love. Kelly’s passion and purpose is in helping entrepreneurs around the world achieve exponential profit, sales, and income growth. Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

Pia Carusone, with her co-founder Rachel Gardner, opened Republic Restoratives Distillery in May 2016 – the only crowd-funded distillery in the country and the first women-owned distillery in D.C.   So how did Pia get to be the owner of a distillery in our nation’s capital? Hold onto something, because this story is full of emotion, determination, calculation, cheer, and inspiration.   Are you ready for an adventure? Because I want to show you a side of the LA food scene that most people will never get to see! When you join me for a LA Food Adventure, we will visit 6 restaurants to fill your belly, taste some drinks, socialize with some incredibly cool people, and get behind-the-scenes access that others aren’t privy to.   You can learn more and reserve your spot at LAFoodAdventures.com.   We also discuss: The Carusone household Pia’s time on the Hill, including being Chief of Staff to former Rep. Gabby Giffords The challenges of opening a distillery in Washington, D.C. Crowd funding a distillery using Indiegogo Why they chose the name “Republic Restoratives Distillery” Changing laws in D.C. Aging whiskey in a puncheon cask Pia’s flagship vodka and its unique bottle Keeping price in mind when creating their products The history behind their newest product, Chapman’s Apple Brandy Resources: Learn more at republicrestoratives.com Connect with Republic Restoratives: Instagram | Facebook Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com Just Forking Around is produced by Podcast Masters

This week, our series on the badass women in the spirits world stays local! I got to join Litty Mathew in person at Greenbar Distillery, the first distillery to open in LA after prohibition ended. Litty is the co-founder and spiritsmaker at Greenbar Distillery, where she and her husband oversee a growing portfolio of small-batch, organic spirits – the largest in the world!   https://www.facebook.com/debi.saltzberg/videos/10155512593228042/     Litty kicks the episode off with a toast to being the change we want to see in the world, but she doesn’t just talk the talk – she walks the walk. Greenbar Distillery is partnering with The Burrito Project to give away one burrito for each cocktail sold as part of the #DrinkCityGin campaign. They plan to donate 10,000 burritos during Spring 2018, and YOU can contribute just by drinking gin – forking score!   All you have to do is buy a cocktail featuring CITY Bright Gin at one of the participating bars listed on greenbardistillery.com/burritos (which includes awesome spots like True Food Kitchen, Sage Plant Based Bistro, Mohawk Bend, Beelman’s, Sixth Street Tavern and Redbird).   Plus, if you follow @greenbardistillery & share a photo of your drink on IG using the hashtag #drinkcitygin, you’ll be entered into the LA Staycation Contest!                                 We also discuss: How Litty & her husband first got into making spirits at home If you have 2 oz of any spirit from Greenbar Distillery, you are actually carbon negative because they plant a tree for every bottle sold (over 675,000 so far!!) Changing the archaic laws in LA The distillation process Breaking all the rules to make something new Changing the way people drink Pairing foods & spirits Resources: Learn more at greenbardistillery.com Connect with Litty: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter Starting 4/13/18, Debi will be hosting food tours every Friday & Saturday!! Learn more, book a tour, or buy a gift card at LAFoodAdventures.com Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com   Litty Mathew’s Bio: Litty Mathew is spiritsmaker and co-founder at Greenbar Distillery, Los Angeles’s first since Prohibition and maker of a growing portfolio of small-batch, organic spirits.   She was born to South-Indian parents in Ethiopia. Her family, including her two older sisters, grew their own fruits and vegetables in each country they lived. At age four, the family moved to Jamaica, then to the US when she was nine years old. Her roots and the countries of her childhood steeped her in vibrant flavor and a rich culinary history.   Litty majored in Political Science and Economics with a French minor at the University of California, Riverside. She went to graduate journalism school at the University of Southern California where she met her husband and Greenbar Distillery co-founder, Melkon Khosrovian. They married in 2002.   Before starting Greenbar Distillery, Litty worked in public relations and marketing for a beauty company. She left after a few years to attend Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, honing her lifelong love of food and cooking. She returned to the U.S. to work as a freelance travel and food writer for major publications like Maxim and Saveur. She has also published a novel, The Musician’s Secret, about the Armenian community in Glendale, where she and Melkon live.   Litty combines her passion for real food with her search for exceptional flavors as she and Melkon create and produce spirits. Litty and Melkon still taste their spirits daily throughout the process — from fermentation to distillation to flavor —to find that “sweet spot” for ultimate flavor and consistency.  

Alex is a Partner at Relay Ventures, an early stage venture fund exclusively focused on mobile computing. Alex oversees direct investments in a broad range of mobile applications and services companies. Alex is an active board member and observer in supporting Bionym, Influitive, ClearFit, TouchBistro, Kira and teaBOT. Alex overseas the Fund's affiliate program investments... The post Why Mobile and IoT are the Future and How Canada is Leading the Way with Alex Baker of Relay Ventures appeared first on The Syndicate.

Lacie Thornton is our fourth badass female distiller in three episodes, and she knows a thing or two about both sharks and booze!! Lacie is one of two distillers at Grand Traverse Distillery, where she is responsible for the production of vodka, gin, rum, bourbon, and rye whiskey at Michigan's first Craft Certified Grain-to-Bottle distillery. They’re a small company, but they produce more booze than any other distiller in the state of Michigan! In a former life, Lacie was a scientist working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Although she’s no longer dealing with marine wildlife, she’s still a scientist through and through. Because, if you think about it, a distillery is really just a giant lab (where you CAN taste your experiments)!! We also discuss: The Depression-era still they’re using at Grand Traverse Distillery How Traverse became one of the first craft distilleries in the country The science (and alchemy) behind the distillation process Sourcing local ingredients Lacie’s daily routine at the distillery How you can taste these delicious spirits The similarities between marine biology and distillation Becoming a distiller Creating more opportunities for women in the spirits industry Resources: Learn more about Grand Traverse Distillery Connect with Lacie on LinkedIn Check out Ladies of American Distilleries Want to increase sales & improve service in your restaurant? Get 20% off TouchBistro at touchbistro.com/justforkingaround Want to join Debi for some LA Food Adventures? Starting 4/13/18, Debi will be hosting food tours every Friday & Saturday!! Get in touch at justforkingaround.net/contact to learn more & sign up. Get 15% off your supplements by using discount code “JustForkingAround” at OraOrganic.com Lacie Thornton’s Bio: Lacie was raised in Northern Michigan, where home was off a dirt road surrounded by state forestland. It was there that her curiosity was nurtured between a creek and the woods, in the elk capital of the state. Following a B.A. in biology from Albion College, she moved to Florida to intern with Mote Marine Laboratory then later earn a biology M.S. in coastal zone management from Nova Southeastern University. She then worked in the field for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Maryland before changing focus and returning to Northern Michigan to be a distiller. Since 2016, Lacie has been distilling at Grand Traverse Distillery of Traverse City, Michigan producing some of the nation’s most acclaimed spirits, ranging across vodka, whiskey, gin & rum. Production & Development for Just Forking Around by Podcast Masters