Perseverance Starts with Belief: Coaching & Leadership with Alex Salvaggio

What defines perseverance? For Alex Salvaggio, it’s the ability to take one step at a time through challenges — whether climbing a mountain at 17, guiding youth athletes, or navigating the chaos of ERP implementation. His story is about being coached, becoming a coach, and helping others persevere through hard times.Alex Salvaggio, CFO of Thread Collective Inc., shares three defining experiences that shaped his journey: the lessons of perseverance from provincial rugby, the detour of ERP implementation that expanded his executive toolkit, and the joy of coaching youth rugby and hockey. Together, these moments reveal how resilience and coaching culture can create a more complete leader and community contributor.He opens up about:• How coaching culture instills perseverance and self‑belief• Why ERP detours can strengthen finance executives• Balancing family, work, and executive politics during high‑stakes projects• The joy and impact of coaching youth athletesEpisode Chapters00:00 Introduction to Alex Salvaggio03:49 When You’ve Bitten Off More Than You Can Chew05:50 The Coach Who Inspired Him07:44 Locker Room Culture and Accountability09:29 How Coaching Culture Has Evolved13:00 Doing More Than Your Mind Thinks You Can18:37 Does ERP Fit a Finance Career Path21:54 Career Detours and Trusting Instincts25:38 What an ERP System Actually Is27:51 How ERP Opened His Eyes to the Business30:17 What It’s Like Working on ERP33:11 The Role of Key Users34:25 When Alex Saved Mark During ERP at Weir39:01 The Upgraded Abilities ERP Gave Him40:53 Balancing Work and Family During ERP44:08 What He Didn’t Like About ERP45:28 Executive‑Level Politics in Big Projects47:34 Moving Into Executive Finance Roles49:38 The Joy of Coaching54:38 A Typical Week of Coaching58:39 Giving Tough News to Kids and Parents01:02:22 Lessons in Perseverance and Self‑Belief01:03:44 Mark’s Gratitude for Alex’s Support01:05:36 Closing and Audience EngagementDiscovery OptimizationThis episode explores perseverance, coaching culture, resilience, career detours, ERP implementation, and the development of leadership through sport and challenge. Ideal for listeners interested in personal growth, finance leadership, coaching, and stories of becoming a more complete leader through adversity and community impact.