Knack 4 Business

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: Founders feeling stretched / Startup operators hitting a growth ceiling / Senior leaders considering the fractional model / Solopreneurs building for scale WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear framework for finding the real bottleneck, practical steps for building business systems that run without you, and an honest map for launching a sustainable fractional practice.   Most founders don't realize they built the problem. Every decision runs through them. Every approval needs them. Every strategy lives in their head. And then the business stops growing — not because the market dried up, but because the founder became the ceiling. Natalie Hoop is a fractional COO who works with Seed to Series B startups at the exact moment chaos starts costing money. She steps into founder-led businesses, finds the root cause of stalled momentum, and rebuilds the business systems that let everything move without the founder in the middle. Her results speak plainly. A 238% increase in sales. A 68-point margin improvement. Four months. In this episode Natalie covers: Why founders quietly build a company where nothing moves without them — and how to see it The right time to bring in fractional help (when the clothes no longer fit) What operational clarity actually means — and why a dashboard alone won't give it to you The "give away your Legos" mindset shift that changes how founders release control How senior leaders can exit corporate life and build a sustainable fractional practice of their own She also walks through the Founder Operations Audit — a four-week structured review that surfaces the real gaps before your next big hire or strategic move. Connect with Natalie: Website: nataliehoop.com LinkedIn: Natalie Hoop Instagram: @nataliehoop_ops Newsletter: The Ops Edge Fractional Reset: The Fractional Reset Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. Plain language. Real clarity. Notionhive — Websites built to perform, not just look good. If your site isn't generating leads, Notionhive can fix that. Profit10™ Partner Program — Coaches, consultants, and fractional advisors: the Profit10 partner program gives you a structured diagnostic to turn discovery calls into paid advisory conversations.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Marketing & Branding WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners · Solopreneurs · Nonprofit leaders · Community-focused brands tired of posting into the void WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear framework for social media strategy, practical analytics literacy, and a free tool to audit your entire digital presence in one shot   Most small businesses aren't losing on social media because they're not posting enough. They're losing because they're posting without a strategy, chasing the wrong numbers, and building an audience that was never going to buy. Joey Keating is the founder of 74 Social Media & Marketing — and she comes at this differently than most. As a former RD chemist, she reads analytics like a scientist. She spots patterns others miss. And she has spent 15 years helping chambers of commerce, nonprofits, and small businesses turn online noise into real relationships and measurable growth. In this episode, Joey and Bernie break down what human-first social media actually looks like in practice. Key topics covered: Why vanity metrics lie — and which numbers actually tell you something How the algorithm works for you when your base audience is right What brand voice means when you scale from solo to a team of 50 How nonprofits and charities approach social media differently — and what regular businesses can learn from them The difference between building an audience and renting attention How to connect your social media activity back to real business results using Google Analytics Why AI voice cloning missed the mark — and what that tells you about authenticity Joey also shares her Digital Snapshot — a free multi-point audit that shows you how your business shows up across social media, basic SEO, your website, and Google Reviews. It's a full picture of where you're visible and where you're invisible. Connect with Joey Keating: Website: 74social.media LinkedIn: Joey Keating Instagram: @74social.media Facebook: 74 Social Media & Marketing Phone/Text: 1-914-365-7411 Email: [email protected] Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community with a full CRM and automation suite built in. Real connections, real tools, $47 CAD/month. VidIQ — The tool Bernie uses to research YouTube titles, tags, and trends for every K4B episode. WebIndexer — A smart chatbot that turns your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & Automation WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners · Solopreneurs · Corporate escapees · Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear framework for deciding what to delegate, what to automate, and what to keep — plus a free tool to calculate exactly what your time is worth.   Most small business owners are spending more than half their time on work that doesn't generate a dollar. Elizabeth Eiss, CEO and founder of Results Resourcing, has spent over a decade solving that problem, and in this Canada Growth Network session, she lays out exactly how. Her delegation engine framework starts with one honest question: are you investing your time or just spending it? Using her free ROI time calculator, Elizabeth reveals that the average business owner values their time at $166 per hour — but only 43% of their week goes toward revenue-generating work. The other 57% is running the business. That gap is the opportunity. Her approach runs in a specific order: process first, then tools and AI, then people. It's not about hiring fast. It's about building a system that works with or without you in the room. Elizabeth also tackles the virtual assistant vs AI debate head-on. AI is taking over the low end of the task spectrum — and that's a good thing. It frees human virtual assistants to step into higher-value, outcomes-oriented work: brand voice, critical thinking, client accountability, and creativity. The best solution, she argues, is always a hybrid. Results Resourcing provides vetted US and Canadian-based talent in pre-built teams — no minimums, no long commitments, up and running in 24 to 48 hours. Key topics covered: The two buckets: investing vs spending your time How to calculate the real ROI of your work hours Process, tools, and people — in that order Where AI virtual assistants stop and human VAs begin Why fractional talent teams outperform individual hires The most common roles businesses outsource first How to build a delegation engine that scales Connect with Elizabeth Eiss: Website: Results Resourcing Free 30-min consultation: Book here Free ROI Time Calculator: Try it here LinkedIn: Elizabeth Eiss Facebook: Results Resourcing YouTube: Results Resourcing Co-hosts: Percy Barr · Wayne Pratt Browse all episodes — K4B, ETW, CGN Attend the Monday CGN Power Hour free   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — Business community + a full automation suite for $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Real connections. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out exactly where your business is leaking time and money. NotionHive — Websites built to perform, not just look good. If your site isn't generating leads, it's time for a rethink.   NEXT STEPS Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Attend the CGN Monday Power Hour free Browse all past episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & Automation WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A plain-language breakdown of how to consolidate a scattered tech stack into one platform — and why simpler systems create smarter growth.   Most small business owners don't have a growth problem. They have a chaos problem. Too many tools. Too many logins. Too many hours lost trying to make systems talk to each other that were never designed to. Percy Barr has seen it from both sides. Thirty years in technology — including twenty-five years managing healthcare IT systems — and now co-founder of Canada Growth Network, where he helps business owners stop building alone and start building smart. In this episode, Percy breaks down why entrepreneurs end up with a fragmented tech stack in the first place, how GoHighLevel inside CGN replaces five or more separate tools with one platform, and what that actually looks like in practice — from first contact to follow-up to invoicing. Topics covered: Why the online business world was built to sell you separate tools — and why that's changing How a single CRM handles contacts, email, funnels, calendars, surveys, invoicing, and more Tags, opportunity pipelines, and how to track a lead from cold to closed without a post-it note Affiliate tracking built right into the platform — no extra software needed Privacy compliance made simple — unsubscribe, do-not-disturb, and campaign exemptions AI phone assistants for brick-and-mortar businesses How CGN's $1 CAD first-month offer works and what's included in the starter package International reach — clients across Canada, the US, South America, and Europe Percy's returning guest appearance builds on his Season 4 Episode 9 conversation — and goes deeper into the practical build. Connect with Percy Barr:LinkedIn Book a call: GoHighLevel Discovery Call Connect with Canada Growth Network:Website · Instagram · YouTube · LinkedIn Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — Business community plus a full CRM platform stack for $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. $1 first month. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. Real answers. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 sales assistant. See it live on knack4business.com.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate leaders / Anyone whose revenue is growing but cash feels tight WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear picture of where profit leaks, why dashboards lie, how to align your team around one source of truth, and what to fix before you even think about cutting staff.   Your revenue is growing. So why does cash feel tight? That gap has a name. Karena Bell calls it profit leakage — and it lives inside almost every growing business, regardless of size. Karena is the founder and CEO of ProfitLinz and a financial strategist with over 25 years of experience working with Fortune 500 executives and mid-market leaders. She specializes in forensic financial analysis — digging past the dashboard to find where profit quietly compresses, where departments work against each other, and where businesses are leaving real money on the table. In this episode, Karena breaks down why profit loss happens operationally first and financially second. Most reports show lagging indicators — results, not causes. She explains how to identify the operational drivers behind margin compression, why your sales, marketing, and finance teams likely aren't working from the same numbers, and what it actually takes to build a business that is structurally strong — not just numerically busy. Topics covered in this episode: Why rising revenue and tight cash can exist at the same time How profit leakage shows up across sales, operations, and finance The warning signs most leaders ignore until it's too late Why layoffs are a last resort — and what to fix first How to build AI and automation on clean data — not on top of chaos Tariff resilience and why reactive businesses struggle more than prepared ones The Chrysler story: shrinking a seven-year product cycle to two and a half years Why budget planning should never be a rote exercise How to work with non-profits using the same profit optimization lens Connect with Karena Bell: Website: ProfitLinz LinkedIn: Karena Bell Instagram: @thekarenabell Browse all episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out exactly what's holding your business back. Ten questions. Real answers. Wise — Send and receive money across borders without the bank fees. Fast, transparent, and the rate you see is the rate you get. Canada Growth Network — A business community with a full CRM and automation suite built in. Real tools. Real people. $47 CAD/month.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & Automation WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear-eyed map of where AI is taking business — SEO, lead gen, workflows, and the agent-to-agent future — plus practical steps to start building now.   Most business owners know AI is changing things. Very few know what to actually do about it. Len Ward does. As Managing Partner and Head of AI at Commexis, Len has spent over two decades watching technology waves — from a Morgan Stanley trading desk during the dot-com boom to building custom AI systems for businesses today. He sees the same pattern repeating. And he's here to help you get ahead of it. In this conversation, Len breaks down why SEO is heading toward irrelevance and what the shift from "search and retrieve" to "solve my problem" actually means for your business. He explains how large language models digest content, why your website is becoming a data repository rather than a front door, and how custom GPTs and in-platform apps are the next battleground for visibility and lead generation. Len also tackles the workflow side. He walks through how to identify the real bottlenecks in your business, why Gen X workers are one of the most underutilized assets in the AI transition, and what it means to become an AI pilot — someone who can sit in the cockpit of any AI tool and fly it — rather than betting everything on one platform. Key topics covered: Why SEO is declining and what replaces it The "solve my problem" model and what it means for your marketing Custom GPTs, Notebook LLM, and building your own data room How to find and smash workflow bottlenecks using AI Agent-to-agent marketing and the future of lead generation Disposable software and why building on rented platforms is risky Why Gen X experience is a major asset in the AI transition What "AI pilot" means and why it matters more than tool knowledge Connect with Len Ward: Commexis LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Facebook X Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. Real clarity. Notionhive — Websites built to perform, not just look good. If your site isn't generating leads, Notionhive is worth a conversation. @Hive — Real-world business networking, in person and online. Starter membership $99 CAD/year.   NEXT STEPS Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Marketing & Branding WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A plain-language framework for understanding how websites actually work, what your analytics are really telling you, and how to stop guessing and start converting.   Most businesses don't have a traffic problem. They have a website that doesn't do its job. Logan Snyder, founder of hasOptimization, has spent 17 years turning website data into client growth for small and medium-sized businesses. In this episode, Logan walks through why your website is like a house, and why most businesses move the furniture in before they've built the right foundation. Logan breaks down how domain, hosting, and content structure all work together, why SEO is not dead despite what every headline says, and how psychology drives better digital marketing decisions than chasing algorithms ever will. They also explain why your analytics data is only useful once you understand what human behaviour is hiding inside it. Key topics covered: Why more traffic is not the answer if your website isn't converting How to think about your website like a house, foundation, structure, and furniture The difference between organic and paid search traffic Why Google has a financial reason to keep serving you quality results What your bounce rate and engagement metrics are actually telling you How blogs extend your SEO reach without rebuilding your whole site Why most online marketing advice is written for businesses bigger than yours Connect with Logan Snyder:hasOptimization | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Blog Free advertising guide — available on the hasOptimization advertising service page. Email gate. Worth the download if you're considering Google Ads. Browse all episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions that show you exactly where your business is strong and where it's leaking profit. East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST. Bring one challenge, bring one introduction. Sterling Grace Technologies — Cybersecurity and IT support built for Canadian SMBs. Real people, real protection.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Networking & Community WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Coaches and consultants / Anyone building authority through content WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear action plan for podcast guesting — from setting your intention to using PodMatch, following up like a pro, and turning every appearance into a business relationship.   Most business owners think about being a podcast guest. Carl Richards helps them actually become one. Carl is the founder of Podcast Solutions Made Simple and a seasoned speech coach who has spent years helping entrepreneurs land podcast appearances and speaking gigs. In this Canada Growth Network Power Hour session, Carl walks through his step-by-step framework for getting on podcasts — and making each appearance count long after the recording ends. Set your intention. Thinking about guesting and actually doing it are two different things. Carl's first step is making podcast guesting a real plan — how many shows, what topics, what schedule. Know your topics. Keep it to three or four clear themes. No jargon. Make sure your topics match what hosts are already searching for, or you won't get matched on platforms like PodMatch. Use the right tools. Carl walked through PodMatch live — showing how to search for shows, read host profiles, and pitch effectively. He also shared MyPublicist.AI as an AI-driven alternative for finding podcast opportunities outside of a matching platform. Track everything. A simple tracking sheet keeps your outreach organized, your follow-ups on time, and your progress visible. Follow up — every time. After the recording, send a thank you. Ask for a virtual coffee. Carl has landed clients, referral partners, and joint ventures simply by taking that extra step after the mic goes off. The opportunity is real. There are 100 million people who want to be podcast guests. There are fewer than 800,000 active shows. The math is in your favour — if you actually show up. Connect with Carl: Website: Podcast Solutions Made Simple LinkedIn: Carl Richards Facebook: Carl Richards TikTok: @carlrichards72 Instagram: @podcastsolutionsmadesimple YouTube: Podcast Solutions Made Simple Tools mentioned: PodMatch MyPublicist.AI Also in this session: Percy Barr — CGN co-host and AI consultant Wayne Pratt — CGN co-host and life and business coach Watch on YouTube here Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community with a full CRM and automation suite built for SMBs and solopreneurs. $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions that show you where your business is strong and where it's leaking profit. Gentry Learning — Fred Crouch's real estate education platform. Courses, active listings, an Investor Club, and a free newsletter.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Attend the CGN Monday Power Hour free Browse all episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & Automation WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Growing teams / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear framework for auditing your tech stack, a plain-language breakdown of vibe coding and agentic AI, and a smarter way to decide what tools stay and what goes.   Most businesses aren't behind because they have the wrong tools. They're behind because they never stopped to ask if the tools they have are actually solving anything. Chris Bryce, CEO of DotFusion and Crew CMS, returns to Knack 4 Business for Season 4 Episode 118. He's been guiding organizations through digital transformation for over 20 years — working with names like Cirque du Soleil, Intuit Canada, Mitsubishi, and Brookfield Properties. He knows what a broken tech stack looks like. And he knows how to fix it without burning everything down. In this conversation, Chris breaks down how to tell the difference between a system problem and a tool problem, why vibe coding is worth trying even if you're not technical, how agentic AI is changing the way teams operate, and why data sovereignty is a question more SMBs need to be asking right now. He also shares a moment that stopped him cold — when his own AI pushed back on something he was about to post, told him it didn't match his ICP, and flagged two other tools he should probably drop. That's the difference between AI as an assistant and AI as a real business partner. Key topics covered: How to run a practical tech stack audit What vibe coding is and when it makes sense to try it Agentic AI — what it is, how teams are using it now Data sovereignty and where your AI data actually lives How to build a 90-day decision cycle for tool adoption When to stay with what works and when to make the switch Connect with Chris Bryce:LinkedIn | DotFusion | DotFusion on LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Blog | Beyond the CMS Podcast | Gnarly Spoke Blog Mentioned in this episode: Graham Barlow — FounderLink Ottawa community Fred Crouch — Property Wizard Podcast Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Gentry Learning — Real estate education built for people who want practical knowledge, not theory. Fred Crouch's education platform and the home of the Property Wizard Podcast. Canada Growth Network — A business community with a full automation suite built in. CRM, pipelines, follow-up, and real referral-based connections for $47 CAD a month. Sterling Grace Technologies — Cybersecurity, IT support, and business continuity for Canadian SMBs. Real people. Real protection.   NEXT STEPS Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Marketing & Branding WHO THIS IS FOR: Coaches · Consultants · Solopreneurs · SMB owners building authority WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear path from book idea to published authority — with a strategy that attracts clients, protects your IP, and generates revenue before the book is even finished.   Most business experts have a book idea sitting in their head. The problem isn't talent or knowledge, it's the trap of waiting for the perfect time, or worse, trusting the wrong publisher and losing everything. Ben Gioia is the founder of Influence With A Heart and Leadership Awake Press. He helps coaches, consultants, and small business owners go from idea to published book in as little as five weeks — using a method that builds authority and attracts clients before the manuscript is even done. In this episode, Ben breaks down why traditional publishing is a trap for most experts, how professional self-publishing keeps you in full control of your IP, royalties, and creative direction, and why the single highest-leverage move you can make is talking to your ideal clients before you write a single word. He shares his Book Ecosystem Mapping process — a big-picture session that looks at your audience, your content, your publishing path, and what you do with the book once it's in the world. He also explains how to use the book as a bridge to coaching, consulting, speaking, and five- and six-figure contracts — sometimes before the final draft is done. Ben wrote, produced, printed, and shipped his first book in six and a half weeks after promising 130 signed copies to a Stanford audience. That one event turned into three more bookings and a speaking trip to Sydney. His approach is practical, calm, and built around one core idea: a light mind is the right mind to write. Topics covered: Why most experts write books that don't bring clients — and what to do instead The professional self-publishing model and why it protects your IP How to talk to ideal clients before you write — and turn those conversations into revenue The Book Ecosystem Mapping session explained How to launch without burning out — and why you should separate your book release from your bestseller push The "smart gap" strategy: two to four months between release and bestseller activity Budget and time: 20 minutes a day, six days a week is enough Advice for career switchers and developing experts who want to build authority fast Connect with Ben Gioia: Website: Influence With A Heart LinkedIn: Ben Gioia Instagram: Ben Gioia YouTube: Ben Gioia Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. Real clarity. Canada Growth Network — A business community with a full CRM and automation suite built in. Real tools, real people. $47 CAD/month — $1 first month. Web Indexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. Quick to install, smart features, running on knack4business.com right now.   NEXT STEPS Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops  WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical framework for replacing grind-mode leadership with calm, aligned action — plus a free tool to start this week.   Most high-performing founders aren't struggling because they're doing too little. They're struggling because they're doing too much of the wrong things — and their nervous system is keeping score. Tom Graham is a transformational coach and founder of Frame of Mind. After a lung transplant — and a real conversation with hospice — he rebuilt his entire leadership philosophy from the inside out. Today he helps high-capacity entrepreneurs move from chronic overwhelm to calm, aligned action. In this episode, Tom breaks down why success can quietly create misalignment, how small emotional drifts compound over time, and what nervous system awareness actually looks like inside a business. He walks through his lean thinking approach to emotional waste, how the words founders use shape the decisions they make, and why internal excellence — not competition — is the real growth lever. Tom also shares his free Daily Clarity Map — a three-step tool for getting calm and finding one clear action forward, even on your hardest days. Key topics covered: Why high performers drift — and how to catch it early The nervous system's role in leadership and decision quality Lean thinking applied to emotional waste How language patterns reveal hidden belief blocks The three-state check before making any big decision What calm actually feels like — and how to get back there The Daily Clarity Map: breathe, quiet, one aligned action Connect with Tom Graham: Website: tomcgraham.com LinkedIn: Tom Graham — Frame of Mind YouTube: Been Heard with Tom Graham Instagram: @iamtomcgraham Facebook Group: Innovating Productivity Podcast: Innovative Productivity on Apple | Spotify Free resource: Aligned, Not Perfect – The Daily Clarity Map Browse all episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions. A clear read on what's holding your business back. Notionhive — Websites built to perform, not just look good. If your site isn't generating leads, it's time to rethink it. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com.   NEXT STEPS Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear framework for intentional transition, tools to get unstuck, and real strategies for building your next chapter on your own terms.   You've built a career. You've led teams, run businesses, made hard calls. So why does the next move feel so unclear? Paula Washington is a business and leadership strategist, speaker, and author who helps mid-life professionals — especially women leaders — step boldly into what she calls their Encore Era. This is the season where everything you've lived through becomes the foundation for everything you build next. In this episode, Paula breaks down her ENCORE framework — a step-by-step roadmap covering how to Exit with intention, Navigate through chaos, Commit to yourself, communicate authentically, find Opportunity, stay Relevant, and pursue Excellence as your personal trademark. Paula covers: Why the skills that got you here won't automatically carry you forward How to tell the difference between fear and a genuine signal to change direction What it really means to "exit with intention" — whether you're leaving corporate, selling a business, or shifting focus How to find and act on opportunities hiding in plain sight Why relevance isn't about keeping up — it's about showing up as exactly who you are now Paula also shares how her own family legacy, a great-grandmother who earned a college degree in 1894, a Juilliard-trained grandmother who used real estate to open doors for others, and a trailblazing mother in banking, shaped the way she sees leadership, resilience, and what's possible at any stage of life. Her books, The Encore Playbook and The Encore Reset Journal, are available on Amazon and at paulawashington.com. Connect with Paula: LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — Business community plus a full CRM suite for SMBs and solopreneurs. $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Gentry Learning — Real estate education built for people who want to build real wealth. Courses, listings, and a free newsletter from Fred Crouch. Notionhive — Websites built to perform, not just look good. If your site isn't generating leads, Notionhive is worth a conversation.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Visit Knack 4 Business Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & AutomationWHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Ops leaders / Sales managers in wholesale, manufacturing, and distributionWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear picture of what legacy ERP systems can't do — and a practical look at the sales automation layer that fills the gap.   Most wholesale and manufacturing businesses run on ERP systems that were built to track inventory and process orders. They were not built to sell. Amit Gathani is the founder of OrderTaker — a platform that sits on top of existing ERP solutions and fills the gaps those systems leave behind. In this Canada Growth Network session, Amit walks through exactly what that looks like in practice. He covers how OrderTaker connects sales teams to a single portal that pulls orders from Amazon, eBay, Wayfair, and EDI channels like Costco — all alongside orders coming directly from customers. Sales reps get a digital product catalog with AI-driven recommendations, customer pipeline tracking, visit logging, and accounts receivable access — all in one place. The conversation also touches on why on-premise systems have stayed dominant in this space even in 2026. Data security is a real concern for many operators. But staying on-premise has a cost — mobile access is limited, manual processes pile up, and sales opportunities slip through. Key topics covered: What an ERP interface layer does and why it matters How OrderTaker connects to QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, Amazon, eBay, Wayfair, and EDI AI-driven product recommendations for sales reps CRM, pipeline tracking, and customer visit logging Order management across B2B e-commerce and direct channels Why on-premise systems are still common — and what they're costing you Connect with Amit Gathani: Website: OrderTaker Facebook: OrderTaker on Facebook Instagram: OrderTaker on Instagram LinkedIn Company: OrderTaker on LinkedIn Co-hosts: Percy Barr and Wayne Pratt Browse all episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community with a full CRM and automation suite. Real tools, real people. $47 CAD/month — first month $1. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 sales assistant. See it live on knack4business.com. Wise — Send and receive money across borders without the fees.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Attend the Monday Power Hour free Browse all past episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical framework for spotting hidden friction, tracking the five costs most owners ignore, and using AI without losing control.   Most founders think growth means freedom. It doesn't. Until you fix the friction underneath, every new client just adds more weight to carry. Jeff Borschowa is the founder of Pharos Business and host of the Lighthouse Sessions Podcast. He has worked with hundreds of tech founders navigating the gap between relentless hustle and real, scalable leadership. In this episode of Knack 4 Business, Jeff breaks down why businesses get harder to run as they grow — and what to do about it. He introduces the Pharos Effect — eliminate the drag, automate the repetition, delegate the rest. He walks through the TEAM model: five hidden costs most owners never measure: Time, Energy, Attention, Money, and Risk. And he explains why your best growth opportunity is probably already inside your existing client base. From daily KPI habits to AI implementation done right, this is a practical conversation for founders who are working hard but suspect they're pushing in the wrong direction. Key topics covered: Why growth creates friction, not freedom The Pharos Effect: eliminate, automate, delegate The TEAM model: Time, Energy, Attention, Money + Risk Heaven or Hell assessment — spot what drains the business Daily, weekly, monthly, and 90-day KPI cadence How to grow from your existing client base first Corporate-to-entrepreneur: drop the jargon, pick one audience AI: the difference between delegating and abdicating Why SOPs are a gift to your future self Connect with Jeff Borschowa:Pharos Business | Jeff on LinkedIn | The Lighthouse Sessions Podcast | Lighthouse Sessions on YouTube Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — @Hive — Real-world business networking, in person and online. Starter membership $99 CAD/year.Gentry Learning — Real estate education that builds real wealth, with Fred Crouch. Listings | Investor Club | Free NewsletterNotionHive — Websites that actually work.   Next Steps: Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & OpsWHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: How to read body language in interviews, catch deception without paranoia, and negotiate with clarity using behavioral insight tools.   Most leaders believe they're solid judges of character. The hiring data says otherwise. And every wrong person in the room costs you more than money, it costs you momentum, trust, and time you won't get back. Joseph McGuire is the founder of ClearSight Communications and a global specialist in high-stakes human insight. His background spans ancient Chinese face reading — a 3,000-year-old practice called miancheng — over 30 years in holistic therapy, and deep work in C-suite interviewing and behavioral negotiation. He helps leaders and organizations decode what people really think, feel, and intend — before the wrong person ends up in the wrong seat. In this episode, Joseph and Bernie cover: Why executive failure rates sit between 50 and 70 percent in the first 18 months — and what's actually driving that How to retrain gut instinct — and why most people have been conditioned to ignore it The difference between a Duchenne smile and a social smile — and why it matters in every meeting Non-verbal red flags to watch for when a candidate is under pressure Why silence is one of the most powerful tools in any interview or negotiation How Carter saved the Camp David negotiations with one human gesture — and what it teaches about reading people Cultural fluency in global business — Middle East, Far East, and beyond Connect with Joseph:Joseph McGuire on LinkedInClearSight Communications Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community where SMBs and solopreneurs get real connections and a full CRM stack. $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Gentry Learning — Real estate education that builds real wealth, with Fred Crouch. Courses, listings, Investor Club, and a free newsletter. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions. A clear read on what's holding your business back.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & Automation WHO THIS IS FOR: Coaches / Consultants / SMB owners / Solopreneurs building a content presence WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical system for AI content creation that keeps your real voice, beats burnout, and builds trust with the right clients.   You know you should be posting more. But every time you sit down to write something, it comes out sounding like a brochure, or worse, like everyone else.  Louis Swart spent 35 years building and selling companies before he built IronBrij to fix exactly that. In this episode, Louis breaks down how to feed AI your real language, your values, and your stories — and get back content that makes the right clients stop scrolling and book a call. He covers NLP reframing, the filtering skill most owners were never taught, why delegation should happen before you think you're ready, and the simple process that lets you walk away with six months of ready-to-post content in one focused hour. Two of his clients cried when he read their AI-generated content back to them. That's how close to the bone this gets. Key topics: Why 84% of businesses fail because of wrong messaging — not wrong product How NLP reframing techniques apply directly to AI prompting The filtering skill school never taught you — and why AI rewards it How to delegate before you think it's time Building six months of content in one focused hour using your own voice and stories Why AI is only as good as the language you give it Connect with Louis Swart: Website: IronBrij 6 Months of Content in 1 Hour: Book here LinkedIn: Louis Swart Instagram: coachlouistswart Facebook: louistswart YouTube: coachlouisswart Read the full articleBrowse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — If you coach, consult, or advise business owners, the Profit10 Partner Program gives you a structured diagnostic that turns discovery calls into paid advisory conversations. Take the free Snapshot first and see the tool from the client's side. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com. Gentry Learning — Fred Crouch's real estate education platform. Courses, active listings, Investor Club, and a free newsletter.  Listings | Investor Club | Newsletter   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops  WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical framework for moving from pressure-driven hustle to aligned results — plus one question that changes how you sell, lead, and grow.   Working harder isn't what's holding your business back — your frequency is. And until that shifts, every extra hour you put in just adds more weight. Yuval Rodan spent more than 30 years as a global executive — engineer, sales leader, M&A operator. He hit the goals. He felt the weight. And he couldn't figure out why some people seemed to attract results while he ground for every single one. Then he discovered quantum physics. And everything changed. In this episode, Yuval breaks down what he now teaches executives, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers around the world. Business isn't a grind. It's a game of frequencies. Once you understand the rules, you can play to win. What you'll take away: Why pushing harder creates more friction — not more results The one question that tells you if your energy is attracting or repelling clients How to shift your internal frequency and start seeing results within a month Why aligned leadership produces better sales, clearer decisions, and a business that flows What happens when a whole leadership team aligns their frequencies One of Yuval's clients spent a month on this work. She attracted a client she never chased — someone who found her website and reached out on their own. She closed the deal in one meeting at almost double her normal rate. When Yuval asked why she didn't discount, she said: "Because I know what I'm worth." That shift took one month. This conversation is for you if you've been doing Groundhog Day — same stress, same cycle, different year. Connect with Yuval Rodan: Website: Quantum Mindsets LinkedIn: Yuval Rodan YouTube: Yuval Rodan on YouTube Facebook: Yuval Rodan Instagram: @yuvalrodan TikTok: @yuval.rodan Free one-on-one meeting: Book here Watch on YouTube | Read the full article on the K4B blog | Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — If you coach, consult, or advise business owners, Profit10's partner program turns your discovery calls into real advisory conversations. Take the free Snapshot first — see the tool from the client's side. East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking. Bring one challenge, bring one introduction. No cost. No pitch. Real business conversation with real people. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com. Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & Revenue WHO THIS IS FOR: Solopreneurs · Coaches · Consultants · Professional service providers ready to charge what their expertise is worth WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear framework for value-based pricing, practical tools for having better fee conversations with clients, and the mindset shift that makes higher prices feel natural — not pushy.   Most professional service providers have a pricing problem they don't know they have. They're not undercharging because they lack confidence. They're pricing wrong because they're anchoring to the wrong thing, their time, their credentials, their deliverables, instead of the outcomes they create for clients. John Ray spent thirty years on Wall Street before starting his own advisory practice. When he did, he had no idea how to price his expertise. That journey led him to write The Generosity Mindset — a practical, relationship-first guide to pricing, confidence, and value for professional service providers. In this Canada Growth Network Power Hour, John walks through six red flags that signal a pricing problem — including hourly rates, same price for all clients, and a hundred percent of clients saying yes. He explains the shift from pricing by time to pricing by outcome, how to structure good-better-best options, and why a value dialogue with clients is the single most powerful tool in your pricing strategy. He also covers how to collect testimonials that actually convert — built around a simple three-act structure: the hell the client was in, what changed, and the heaven they live in now. Key topics covered: Six red flags of inadequate pricing Why hourly rates commoditize your expertise How to price by outcome instead of time The value dialogue — questions that open doors Good-better-best pricing options Why introverts are better at value conversations than they think How to write testimonials that convert Connect with John Ray:Website · LinkedIn · The Generosity Mindset · Blog · Price and Value Journey Podcast · North Fulton Business Radio · Newsletter Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community with a full CRM and automation suite. Real connections, real tools, $47 CAD/month. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions that show you exactly where your business is strong and where it's leaking. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. Quick install, smart answers, works while you sleep.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Attend the Monday Power Hour free Past episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & Revenue  WHO THIS IS FOR: Job seekers / Career pivoters / Solopreneurs who hire / Anyone rebuilding after a layoff WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Honest resume tips from a recruiter who sees them daily, a clear look at how the hiring process actually works, and a job search strategy that stops you from getting filtered out before a human ever sees you.   Everyone blames the ATS for rejections. The real filter is a human with ten seconds and coffee. If your resume doesn't land in those ten seconds, no amount of keywords will save you. Colin McIntosh knows both sides of the table. He built Sheets & Giggles — a sustainable bedding company — from a Techstars pitch into a multi-million dollar brand featured on Good Morning America, and exited in 2025. Today he recruits C-suite tech leaders at Riviera Partners by day and runs SheetsResume.com at night — a free AI-powered resume platform used by tens of thousands of people every month. In this episode, Colin explains what the job market looks like right now, why the average search takes five months and two hundred applications, and what you can do differently starting today. What you'll learn: Why the ATS is not the enemy — and where rejection actually happens The resume sections that hurt qualified people before a human ever reads them One thing most candidates skip that gets more people hired than they expect Key topics covered: The hiring freeze across most US industries and what's driving it How a recruiter processes a thousand resumes in five hours Why summaries, objectives, and LinkedIn links belong off your resume How to handle employment gaps without misrepresenting yourself How to reach the hiring manager directly — and why it still works The values, abilities, and skills framework companies actually hire on Why overqualified is a polite word for budget mismatch Guest offer: Use code K4B for 50% off a lifetime membership of SheetsResume's resume builder and other AI tools at SheetsResume.com. Connect with Colin McIntosh:SheetsResume.com | LinkedIn | YouTube | Reddit | X | Instagram Listen on Simplecast | Watch on YouTube | Read the blog Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking where you bring one challenge and make one introduction. Join Tuesdays 8–9 AM EST. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions. Find out what's really holding your business back. Web Indexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 sales assistant. See it live on knack4business.com. Next Steps: Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Past episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & Automation WHO THIS IS FOR: Solopreneurs / SMB owners / Coaches and consultants / Anyone drowning in tools and manual work WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical framework for replacing scattered tech stacks with AI-driven systems — without coding, without a team, and without starting over.   Most solo business owners aren't short on tools. They're short on a system.  Ronnie Nijmeh knows that gap well. He spent 18 years running a SaaS company — 650,000 customers, 550 million emails, $14M in sales — with a team of 20. Then he sold it, took a year off with his family, and rebuilt everything from scratch. Just him. Just Claude and Chrome. No team, no agency, no video editor. Today Ronnie teaches solo owners, coaches, and consultants how to stop being the person doing every job and start being the orchestrator — the one who directs the system instead of getting buried by it. In this episode of Knack 4 Business, Ronnie breaks down: The Skills framework — structured instruction sets that guide AI through multi-step business processes, no coding required The second brain concept — using Obsidian to build a portable, platform-agnostic knowledge base that makes every AI output smarter over time Repeatable task automation — how a weekly newsletter that used to take three to four days now takes one hour Token management — when to use a simple model and when to bring out the heavy tools Video editing by voice command — auto-cuts, text overlays, b-roll, thumbnail creation, and direct upload to YouTube A real story about a non-technical client in his 60s who built and deployed a live website through Claude alone — including server setup and terminal commands he'd never touched before Ronnie also covers the SaaS onboarding work he does for software companies — including a project where AI analyzed 171 recorded sales calls and revealed a sales rep converting 70% worse than the founder because he wasn't delivering CTAs or handling objections on the call. The takeaway: a solo operator with the right AI skills and a well-fed second brain can outperform larger teams. The barrier is lower than most people think. Guest: Ronnie Nijmeh — Founder, The Solo CreatorsFree offer: Website Audit Playbook — branding, messaging, site speed, custom report, no costFull workflow studio: The Solo Creators StudioYouTube: youtube.com/@thesolocreatorsaiInstagram: instagram.com/thesolocreatorsaiTikTok: tiktok.com/@ronnienijmeh Introduction credit: Percy Barr Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community with a full CRM platform built in. Real connections, real tools, $47 CAD/month. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client assistant. See it live on knack4business.com. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions. Find out what's really holding your business back.   NEXT STEPS Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Real Estate & Wealth Building WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear, jargon-free breakdown of private market investing, tax-efficient RRSP strategies, and the compounding mindset that separates patient investors from panicked ones.   Most business owners work hard, pay their taxes, and hope their RRSP does something useful. Michael Lautru has spent over ten years showing them a better plan. As a private market specialist at Parvis Investment, Michael helps everyday Canadian investors step into private markets with confidence and clarity. In this returning visit to Knack 4 Business, he breaks down how business owners can use RRSPs, corporate retained earnings, and tax-efficient structures, including real estate investment trusts and flow-through LPs, to legally reduce their tax burden while building serious long-term wealth. Michael talks about the power of compounding, and why most people start too late. He shares the story of sitting down with an 18-year-old investor's daughter and showing her how $49,000 invested over seven years, left completely untouched, becomes $3 million by age 55. He explains the difference between patient money and panic money. And he makes the case that a great accountant is just as important as a great investment. Key topics covered: How RRSPs work for employees vs. business owners — and when the strategy changes Using your corporation to invest and defer taxes into retirement Real estate trusts that generate monthly tax-free distributions Flow-through LPs and how they create annual tax write-offs The compounding math most investors never sit down and do Why private market investing is not just for high-net-worth individuals How to build trust with investors who have been burned before The difference between short-term, long-term, and really long-term money Why municipalities make or break real estate development timelines Planning your retirement lifestyle before you plan your portfolio Connect with Michael Lautru:LinkedIn | Parvis Investment | Team Profile Parvis Investment on social:Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Gentry Learning — Real estate education that builds real wealth, with Fred Crouch. Courses, active listings, an Investor Club, and a free newsletter. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions that show you exactly where your business is strong and where profit is leaking. Sterling Grace Technologies — Cybersecurity, IT, and business continuity for Canadian SMBs. Real protection, real people.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Browse all episodes Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Marketing & Branding WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear read on how buyers actually decide, why emotion drives every purchase, and three things to fix before your next launch.   Your marketing looks busy. Your website is up. You're posting. But buyers are still going somewhere else. Martin Pietrzak knows why. Martin is the founder and president of Pinch Marketing, a boutique agency that helps technology vendors and partners build campaigns around how real buyers make decisions — not how companies wish they would. With more than 20 years in tech, SaaS, and channel marketing, he has worked with global names like AWS, Softchoice, Zscaler, and Veeam. He returns to Knack 4 Business to unpack the Messy Middle — the non-linear, emotional, unpredictable space where buyers actually decide. Most small businesses have no strategy for it. This episode changes that. What you'll take away: Why buyer psychology doesn't follow a straight line and what that costs you How emotion drives B2B decisions just as much as B2C — even in corporate buying Why listening beats pitching every time, and how to stop selling too early How AI can sharpen your message without erasing your voice Three things to do before you launch anything new Martin also hosts the Pinch Of series on YouTube — interviews with partner marketers for anyone already working in the field. Connect with Martin: Website: pinch.marketing LinkedIn: Martin Pietrzak Company: Pinch Marketing YouTube: Pinch Of series Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. No cost. Real clarity. Notionhive — If your website looks fine but isn't bringing in clients, the strategy behind it needs a rethink. Notionhive builds sites that actually perform. Canada Growth Network — Real referral-based connections plus a robust CRM platform. $47/month Canadian. Not just networking. Not just software. Both — together.   NEXT STEPS Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes by topic Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Real Estate & Wealth BuildingWHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / First-time investors / Anyone who keeps saying "someday" about propertyWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear framework for how leverage works, how co-tenancy spreads risk, and how to spot a deal worth signing   Most people think real estate investing is a game for people with serious money. Fred Crouch has spent 36+ years proving that wrong. Fred is the broker of record at Gentry Real Estate Services, creator of Gentry Learning, and the voice behind the Property Wizard Podcast. This is his fifth appearance on Knack 4 Business — and he goes deeper than ever. In this episode Fred breaks down why leverage is the one thing that makes real estate unlike any other investment. You put down a portion. You benefit from the appreciation of the whole. Your tenants pay down your mortgage. That's the system. And it's available to everyday investors — not just the big players buying up subdivisions. Key topics covered: Why leverage is unique to real estate and how the math actually works The difference between natural appreciation and forced appreciation — and which one you can control Co-tenancy structures: how to diversify into multiple properties with the same capital Joint tenancy vs. co-tenancy — ownership structures that protect your family and your investment When leverage goes wrong: pre-construction risk, mortgage position, and overpaying How to read a deal before you sign — the framework experienced investors use Why you make your money in real estate when you buy, not when you sell Fred also shares why the big institutional players have shifted from office towers and retail plazas into residential rentals — and what that tells the everyday investor about where the real opportunity is right now. Connect with Fred: Website: Gentry Real Estate Services | Gentry Learning LinkedIn: Fred Crouch Instagram: Gentry Learning Podcast: Property Wizard Courses: Gentry Learning Courses Newsletter: Property Wise — available at gentrylearning.com Spotify: Property Wizard on Spotify Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Gentry Learning — Real estate education built by Fred Crouch. Courses, an Investor Club, active listings, and a free newsletter. The practical path into property. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions that show you exactly where your business is strong and where it's leaking. No cost. No sales call. Canada Growth Network — Business connections and a full done-for-you automation stack for $47/month Canadian. Real tools. Real people. Start your trial for $1.   NEXT STEPS Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & RevenueWHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Actionable strategies to find hidden profit, fix pricing leaks, apply the 80/20 rule, and redesign a business that supports real life, not just revenue.   Most small business owners aren't underperforming. They're underseeing. Mosongo Moukwa has spent decades inside Fortune 500 companies where a single pricing decision could take weeks to debate — not because they were slow, but because they understood leverage. When he started working with small business owners, he saw the opposite: fast decisions, heroic effort, and almost no intentional design. In this episode, Mosongo breaks down how hidden profit gets trapped inside pricing, customer mix, and business structure — and how the 80/20 principle can help owners cut the noise, reclaim their time, and build a business that actually supports their life. He shares the story of John, a baker who was near bankruptcy, whose marriage was on the line, and who rebuilt everything — not by working harder, but by getting clear on what actually mattered. Topics covered: What "unused profit" really means and where it hides Why most owners are pricing based on fear, not value How the 80/20 rule applies to customers, products, and time The mindset shifts that block or unlock business growth What a business that "supports your life" actually looks like How Mosongo's 12-month transformation partnership works The complimentary wine chat and profit leak brochure available to listeners Connect with Mosongo Moukwa: Website: mosongomoukwa.com LinkedIn: Mosongo Moukwa Blog: mosongomoukwa.com/blog Instagram: @mosongomoukwa YouTube: Mosongo Moukwa Facebook: Decision Room Leadership Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Gentry Learning — Real estate education that builds real wealth, with Fred Crouch. Courses, active listings, an Investor Club, and a free newsletter. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions, plain language, and a clear read on where your business stands across ten profit drivers. East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST. Bring one challenge, bring one introduction. No pitch. Just real business conversation.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Browse all episodes Search K4B episodes by topic Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical framework for understanding your personal decision making style, how to stop making moves when emotions are running hot, and why your body is often smarter than your spreadsheet.   Most leaders don't have a strategy problem. They have a decision making problem — and they don't know it yet. Mary Clavieres spent years inside Fortune 100 companies fixing systems and operations. She was good at logic. Great at process. And one morning she woke up convinced her teeth were falling out. Her dentist told her everything was fine. Her body told her something else entirely. That was the turning point. Now an executive advisor, author, and human design expert based in France, Mary helps business owners and leaders navigate career pivots, business transitions, and life changes using a practical framework called human design. It maps your natural decision making style — one of seven — so you stop fighting yourself and start moving with clarity. In this episode of Knack 4 Business, Bernie and Mary dig into why smart people get stuck, how to recognize your own decision making style, what human design actually is and how it works in practice, and why the ripple effect of better self-leadership shows up everywhere — at home, in your team, and in your culture. Key topics covered: Why logic alone breaks down under stress The seven human design decision making styles and how to find yours Why you should never make a big decision when emotions are high How the mind-body connection directly affects leadership performance The difference between tattoo-level decisions and haircut-level decisions How understanding your team's styles changes how you lead them Mary's own story — from Fortune 100 systems work to coaching leaders in France Connect with Mary Clavieres: Website: maryclavieres.com Book — Mind-Body Connection Unlocked: maryclavieres.com/book Podcast — Find Yourself, Change Your Life: Apple Podcasts | Spotify LinkedIn: Mary Clavieres Instagram: mary.clavieres YouTube: MaryClavieres Free human design chart: maryclavieres.com Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST. Bring one challenge, one introduction. Community first, sales second. Gentry Learning — Real estate education that builds real wealth, with Fred Crouch. Practical courses, active listings, and a free newsletter. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 sales assistant. See it live on knack4business.com.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Browse all episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Team leads / Leaders building systems   WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Practical tools for building trust, running micro experiments, and getting teams aligned without endless meetings or burnout   Most teams don't struggle because of bad people. They struggle because of unclear purpose, low trust, and ideas that never get tested. Katie Muldrew is a facilitator and innovation strategist and the founder of the Collective Knot. She helps leaders and teams align around shared goals, communicate clearly, and move forward with confidence. Her background spans civil engineering in Ireland, rebuilding horizontal infrastructure in Christchurch after the 2011 earthquakes, and innovation leadership at WorkSafe New Zealand. She now works with public and private sector organizations across Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and beyond. In this episode, Katie breaks down why collaboration breaks down — and what to do about it. Key topics covered: Why purpose is the foundation of trust — and how to make it stick The micro experiment framework: how to test ideas quickly without burning people out Why the word "innovation" can actually kill momentum — and what to say instead How to map a team process so everyone sees where the bottlenecks are When to call in a facilitator — and what to look for before you do The one small gesture that creates team momentum faster than any workshop Connect with Katie: Website: collectiveknot.com LinkedIn: Katie Muldrew Instagram: @thecollectiveknot Email: [email protected] Browse all episodes — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. Real clarity. Gentry Learning — Real estate education built for people who want to learn, invest, and grow. Fred Crouch's practical platform for property-minded professionals. Canada Growth Network — Real connections and a robust CRM platform stack for $47 CAD/month. First month just $1 CAD. Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Health & WellnessWHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners · Solopreneurs · HR advisors · Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear picture of how wellness plans actually work, how to fund them without new out-of-pocket costs, and why participation rate is the number that matters most.   Most business owners are paying more for healthcare every year and getting less in return. That's not bad luck. That's a system working exactly as designed. Nate Hallums has spent over 30 years helping businesses stop reacting to healthcare costs and start building around them. After starting his career at IBM, he built BYF Consulting and Backyard Fishing Agency around one core idea: wellness should prevent problems, not just respond to them. In this episode, Nate breaks down the difference between major medical plans and true wellness programs, explains how mental health sits at the foundation of everything else, and walks through why GLP-1 drugs — offered at up to 90% below market price through the right plan — are changing the conversation for employers and employees alike. He explains how companies with as few as 10 employees can use a FICA-based tax savings structure to fund wellness coverage with no new out-of-pocket cost for employer or employee. He draws a straight line from the 401K revolution of the 1970s to where tax-advantaged wellness is headed — and makes a convincing case that 20 years from now, not having one will look as strange as not having a retirement plan. Nate also covers the difference between participatory and voluntary plans, why participation rates in the 90–95% range are achievable, how on-demand concierge care eliminates the 2–6 week wait for a doctor, and how the plan his team runs covers the whole family — including a tick bite his wife resolved over the phone in 30 minutes. Key topics covered: Why wellness sits on top of — not inside — your major medical plan Mental health as the foundation of a productive workforce GLP-1 weight management programs at 80–90% below market price How FICA tax savings fund wellness with no new cost to employer or employee The difference between participatory and voluntary wellness plans Why experience ratings drive premium increases — and how to lower them On-demand concierge care vs. standard telehealth How to review and right-size a plan as your company grows What participation rate tells you about whether a plan actually works Connect with Nate Hallums: Website: solutionhealth.info LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nate-hallums Booking: lunacal.ai/natehallums Browse all episodes: tinyurl.com/y8tctv4v   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. No cost. Real clarity. Gentry Learning — Fred Crouch's real estate education platform. Courses, listings, Investor Club, and a free newsletter. If property is part of your plan, start here. Canada Growth Network — Business connections plus a robust CRM tech stack for $47/month Canadian. Real tools. Real people.   NEXT STEPS Email us: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network: Robust CRM platform, $47 CAD/month, Community Browse all episodes Search K4B episodes by topic Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & Revenue WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Anyone who sells, hires, or negotiates WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical framework for reading body language, microexpressions, and personality type — so every conversation moves in the right direction.   Most business owners focus on their pitch. Alan Stevens focuses on the face across the table, and that's why his clients close more deals. Alan is the founder of The Science and Art of Reading People. In this Canada Growth Network Power Hour session, he makes a simple and uncomfortable point: every business problem — cash flow, bad hires, lost deals, broken negotiations — comes down to people. And most of us were never taught how to read them. Alan walks through his three-step framework: read the personality, match the language, confirm with feedback. He demonstrates it live by profiling Percy, Wayne, and Bernie in real time — showing exactly how each person takes in information differently, and what happens when you communicate in a way that doesn't match how they're wired. The moment that lands hardest: Percy says detail-oriented people are frustrated because overview thinkers never go deep enough. Alan's reply is ten words. "But the whole thing is, if you want to sell to him, he wants the fluff." That's the whole session in one line. Key topics covered: Why every business problem is a people problem The connect → engage → influence sequence How facial features reveal thinking style and decision-making speed Why mismatched communication kills deals before they start The difference between selling and problem-solving — and why it matters How to use microexpressions and paralanguage to confirm your read Connect with Alan Stevens: Website: alanstevens.com.au LinkedIn: Alan Stevens X: Face_Profiler Instagram: face_profiler Facebook: ReadingFaces YouTube: FaceProfiler Blog: alanstevens.com.au/blogs Free resource: Get Alan's free gift Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — Business connections plus a robust CRM, $47/month. Real tools. Real people. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. Clear answers. Gentry Learning — Real estate education built for practical results, with Fred Crouch. Courses, listings, Investor Club, and a free newsletter.   Next Steps Email us: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Attend the Monday Power Hour free Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes by topic Register as a K4B guest Past episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Team leads / Managers / Corporate escapees building better cultures WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Practical language shifts, delegation frameworks, and trust-building habits that free leaders from the bottleneck trap — starting this week.   Most leaders don't have a team problem. They have a leadership habits problem, and they don't know it yet. Steffan Surdek spent 18 years in software development before realizing the real bottleneck in most organizations wasn't the process or the people. It was the leader. Now the founder of Surdek Solutions and author of The Way of the Co-Creative Leader, Steffan helps business owners and managers build real collaboration, improve leadership communication, and hand teams the tools to make decisions without waiting for permission. In this episode, Steffan breaks down co-creative leadership — a practical model he has been refining since 2014 — and explains why most leadership training misses the most important part: the conversations teams are too afraid to have. Key topics covered: What co-creative leadership actually means in plain language Why micromanagement is often a default response, not a personality flaw How to spot your own leadership patterns before they damage team trust The "crucible moment" — when leaders realize their old style has stopped working Why rebuilding trust takes longer than building a rocking horse from scratch How to let people fail safely and still move the work forward The role of vulnerability in building a team that self-corrects Why team building is a 6–9 month process, not a one-day event Delegation skills that create ownership without losing direction How generational differences show up in team dynamics — and what to do about it Connect with Steffan Surdek:LinkedIn | Surdek Solutions | LinkedIn Company Page | YouTube | Facebook | X / Twitter Free resource from Steffan:Five Key Skills of a Co-Creative Leader — free PDF handbook Steffan's book:The Way of the Co-Creative Leader — available on Amazon and at co-creativeleadership.ca Books mentioned:The Gift of Imperfection — Brené Brown | The Five Dysfunctions of a Team — Patrick Lencioni Browse all episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — @Hive — Real-world business networking in person and online. Starter membership $99 CAD/year. Great for freelancers, solopreneurs, and growing teams who want connections that actually go somewhere. Gentry Learning — Fred Crouch's real estate education platform. Courses, active listings, an Investor Club, and a free newsletter. Listings | Investor Club | Free Newsletter Profit10™ — Are you a coach, consultant, or advisor whose discovery calls go general too fast? The Profit10 Partner Program gives you a structured 10-driver business diagnostic to put in front of prospects — and turn conversations into paid advisory work. Take the free Snapshot first and see the tool from the client's side.   NEXT STEPS Email: [email protected] Canada Growth Network: $47 CAD/month. Real CRM tools. Real people.Subscribe to the K4B blogSearch K4B episodes by topicRegister as a K4B guestVisit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & OpsWHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Actionable clarity on breaking burnout cycles, leading more consciously, and reconnecting with purpose without walking away from success.   Most business owners know how to push. Dr. Ron Stotts helps them learn how to breathe. Ron has spent 45 years working with founders, executives, and high performers who look successful on the outside but feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected on the inside. In this conversation, Ron and Bernie unpack why business growth stalls when the person running the company is running on empty — and what it takes to fix that without burning everything down. Ron explains how childhood emotional patterns quietly run adult businesses, why the smartest leaders are often the most stuck, and how conscious leadership starts with something as simple as a breath. He breaks down the difference between knowledge and wisdom, walks through what neurological rewiring actually means in plain language, and shares the one question leaders refuse to ask themselves. His two-month foundation program clears the inner noise. His nine-month integration program rewires the brain for sustained, calm, collaborative growth. Clients span California to Australia — founders, CEOs, and executives who are done leading from fear. Key topics covered: Why success feels empty and what that signal means How unresolved childhood patterns sabotage adult leadership The difference between knowledge and wisdom in business What conscious business looks like at the leadership level How breathing rewires neurological patterns Ego, fear, and the one question leaders won't ask The cave metaphor — and what lives inside yours Practical daily habits for staying grounded under pressure Connect with Dr. Ron Stotts: Website: ronstotts.com LinkedIn: Dr. Ron Stotts YouTube: Dr. Ron Stotts Facebook: DrRonStotts Instagram: ronstottsofficial Books: ronstotts.com/leadership-books Blog: ronstotts.com/big-thinking-blog Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Most business owners know their revenue. Fewer know what's limiting their profit, growth, or freedom. The free Profit Snapshot changes that — ten questions, plain language, real clarity. Gentry Learning — Fred Crouch's real estate education platform. Courses, active listings, an Investor Club, and a free newsletter. Listings · Investor Club · Free Newsletter @Hive — Real-world business networking, in person and online. Starter membership $99 CAD/year.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network $47 CAD/month. Real CRM tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business: knack4business.com Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Team leads / Leaders managing growth or transition WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical lens on why change fails, how the brain responds to threat, and what real change fitness looks like inside a team or organization.   Most leaders know change is coming. What they miss is what is happening underneath, inside their people, their teams, and their own thinking. Paige Harazin-Masi is an organizational consultant and executive coach who spent years inside Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and several high-growth startups before becoming a team of one. She now helps senior leaders figure out what is really going on inside their organizations — and what to actually do about it. In this episode, Paige breaks down the SCARF framework — status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness — and explains why these five threat triggers cause people to freeze, resist, and disengage during change. She makes the case for change fitness over change management: treating adaptability as an ongoing practice rather than a project with a finish line. She and Bernie dig into what it looks like when a company is thriving ten years after building a real learning culture, how leaders accidentally create analysis paralysis, and why the most senior people in a room are often the last to hear the truth. Key topics covered: Why the brain treats uncertainty as a threat — and what that does to your team The SCARF framework and how each trigger shows up at work Change fitness vs. change management — why one lasts and one doesn't The iceberg model — what leaders see vs. what is actually driving behavior How to communicate change across a small team and a large organization What good looks like for a company with a real learning orientation When to call in outside help — and what the early warning signs look like Connect with Paige:Paige Harazin-Masi — LinkedInpartnerwithpaige.com — WebsiteMedia & Resources — Media pageFree Organizational Health Assessment — 20-question self-guided tool based on the McKinsey Organizational Health Index Free 45-minute coaching session this month — email [email protected] or visit her website to book Referenced in this episode: Greg Harden — performance coach, University of Michigan. Author of Stay Sane in an Insane World. [Greg Harden](https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-harden-b5a9a humble/) SCARF Framework — Neuroleadership Institute McKinsey Organizational Health Index Browse all episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN past episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — Business connections and a robust CRM tool stack for SMBs. $1 CAD first month, $47/month. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com. Profit10™ — Find out what is really holding your business back. Take the free Profit Snapshot — ten questions, plain language, real clarity.   NEXT STEPS Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network - $47 CAD/month. Real CRM suite of tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Real Estate & Wealth Building WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Real estate investors / Anyone building long-term wealth through property WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Actionable financing strategies, a clear breakdown of CMHC MLI Select, practical advice on house hacking, and a honest read on where Canada's real estate market is headed.   Most Canadian investors are waiting for the perfect moment. Nick Hill says that moment already passed, and the next one is right now. Nick is a commercial mortgage broker, real estate investor, and co-host of The Canadian Real Estate Investor — one of the most downloaded real estate podcasts in the country. He's the co-founder of BLD Financial, where his team helps investors across Canada fund multifamily builds, construction projects, and commercial deals. In this conversation with Fred Crouch and Bernie Franzgrote, Nick covers a lot of ground — and none of it is fluffy. What you'll learn: How CMHC MLI Select actually works — points, amortizations, loan-to-value, and who qualifies Why house hacking is more accessible now than ever, and the one mindset shift that makes it work What the silver tsunami means for trades, real estate supply, and long-term opportunity How to think about your investment thesis before you pick a market What to do with $100K right now — from duplexes to MICs to partnerships Why analysis paralysis has cost more Canadians wealth than any market downturn The age of the operator — what existing property owners should be doing right now Nick also shares his take on Canada's permitting problem, the boomer wealth transfer, and why boring markets are actually good markets. Connect with Nick: Website: BLD Financial LinkedIn: Nick Hill Instagram: @bldfinancial | Personal: @mybuddynick Facebook: BLD Financial YouTube: BLD Financial Email: [email protected] Podcast: The Canadian Real Estate Investor Hosted by Fred Crouch — Gentry Real Estate Services, 36+ years in real estate — and Bernie Franzgrote, producer and co-host. Browse all episodes More Property Wizard episodes: Property Wizard Podcast Archive Gentry Real Estate: Listings | Investor Club | Free Newsletter   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Gentry Learning — Fred Crouch's real estate education platform. Practical courses, active listings, an Investor Club, and a free newsletter. Whatever your next property move is, start here. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions. A clear read on where your business stands across ten drivers. No cost, no sales call — just clarity. Notionhive — Websites built to perform, not just look good. If your site isn't bringing in leads, it's time for a rethink.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest More Property Wizard episodes Past episodes — all streams Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Founders managing teams / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear framework for finding where profit leaks, two real business case studies, and a practical diagnostic tool to start fixing what's quietly holding the business back.   Most growing businesses don't have a growth problem. They have a performance problem that growth just made visible. Frances Strickland, founder of VeroLead, joined the Canada Growth Network Power Hour to talk about why businesses that are winning on revenue can still feel impossible to run. She's worked with owners who made a million dollars and kept $25,000. She's worked with founders who built a $5 million business that stopped running the moment they left the room. In both cases, the answer wasn't more customers. It was fixing what was already broken inside. Frances walks through five core business capabilities — customers, value delivery, organized work, people leadership, and profit generation — and explains how growth causes them to collide when they aren't aligned. She shares two real client case studies: a Swiss translation company bleeding money on every engagement, and a manufacturing business losing $1,000 a day from a single unchecked gap. Both turned around not by doing more, but by finding two or three things that actually mattered and fixing those first. Key topics covered: Why growth reveals problems instead of creating them The five capability areas every business runs on Early warning signs long before profit starts to drop Owner dependency — what it looks like and what it costs How commercial discipline turns revenue into real profit The compounding power of small targeted improvements How to use the Profit Pulse Snapshot to find your starting point Connect with Frances Strickland:VeroLead | LinkedIn | Facebook Try Frances's free tool:Profit Pulse Snapshot — plug in one business issue and get strategic starting points instantly. Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — Business connections and a CRM stack for $47/month CAD. Real tools. Real people. East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST. Bring one challenge. Make one introduction. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network - $47 CAD/month. Real CRM tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Attend the CGN Monday Power Hour free Past episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Team leaders / Anyone who's productive on paper but drained in practice WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical framework for personal flow, team flow, and flow culture — plus the one daily question that shifts everything.   Toms Astahovskis helps leaders stop burning energy on the wrong things and start building systems where work actually flows. He's a mindset and flow coach, digital nomad, and founder of Dream Accelerator Toms. Born in Latvia, he's worked as an electronics engineer, web developer, yoga teacher, and hostel manager, and built a coaching method that pulls from all of it. He calls it Tarot Coaching, and it gets to root causes fast. In this episode, Toms breaks down flow at three levels. Personal flow is when you can get in the zone on your own. Interpersonal flow is staying in it when other people are around. And flow culture is when the whole team — the structure, the meetings, the feedback loops — is designed to support it instead of break it. He covers the biggest myth about productivity: that pushing through is faster. It's not. A short pause before acting, he says, is almost always the more efficient move. He also shares why happiness is the clearest signal that flow is working — and why complaining is the clearest sign it isn't. Toms also introduces his Flow Masters community: built for people who want flow as a lifestyle, not just a two-hour work sprint. Key topics covered: Why traditional productivity creates burnout The three levels of flow: personal, interpersonal, cultural How to know if your team is actually in flow The one daily question that keeps you solution-focused How gene keys, human design, and tarot coaching work as diagnostic tools Why emotions last 90 seconds — and what that means for leaders How to build a flow culture without adding pressure Connect with Toms: Website Flow Masters Community LinkedIn Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out exactly where your business is strong and where it's leaking. Canada Growth Network — Real business connections plus a done-for-you automation stack, $47/month CAD. Notionhive — Websites built to perform, not just look good.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & Revenue WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Sales professionals / Leaders building teams WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical system for reading people before the conversation goes sideways — using facial features, body language, and micro expressions to communicate in the way each person actually needs.   Most deals don't fall apart because of price. They fall apart because you misread the person across from you. Alan Stevens is an internationally recognized profiling and communications specialist. The Guardian called him the world's leading authority on reading people. He has worked with Disney, Gillette, and Australian law enforcement. He is a bestselling author, media regular, and founder of the Campfire Project, the hashtag We Together, and the Business of Smiles. In this episode, Alan breaks down Rapid Trait Profiling — a system that combines facial feature analysis, micro expressions, body language, and para language to give you a live read on anyone, in real time. No questionnaire. No self-reporting. Just observation. What you'll learn: Why DISC and Myers-Briggs give you a snapshot — and why that snapshot changes every five months How facial features reveal personality before a word is spoken Why micro expressions appear in as little as one twenty-fifth of a second — and what they tell you How to match the way you speak to the way the other person needs to be spoken to Why the same pitch lands differently depending on who's in the room — and how to fix that in real time How Alan used profiling to help a child diagnosed as needing lifelong care go on to live independently and manage a team Alan also shares the story behind the Campfire Project — 700 hours of conversation across cultures, religions, and gender identities, with zero incidents of bigotry or disrespect. Now recognized as one of the most fully inclusive groups globally. Free resource: Alan offers a free 28-minute course at alanstevens.com.au — 14 short modules, no cost, a couple of cups of coffee worth of time. It gives you real traits to go out and test immediately. Connect with Alan Stevens: Website: alanstevens.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/readingfaces Blog: alanstevens.com.au/blogs YouTube: youtube.com/user/FaceProfiler X: x.com/Face_Profiler Instagram: instagram.com/face_profiler Facebook: facebook.com/ReadingFaces Vimeo: vimeo.com/alanstevens Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community where SMBs and solopreneurs get real referral-based connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month CAD. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out exactly what's holding your business back across ten key drivers. Property Wizard Podcast — Fred Crouch makes real estate and wealth building practical — whether you're investing to grow your business or building personal wealth.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month plus CRM stack Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & Revenue WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Incorporated professionals / Anyone with rental income, business income, or investment activity WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Practical CRA audit-proofing strategies, hard-won accounting insights, and clear guidance on when to stop filing your own taxes   Most business owners don't know they're waving a red flag at CRA until the nine-page letter shows up. Eric Sonego from Côté and Associates Professional Corporation has spent 30 years helping Canadians navigate the tax system — and in this Phoenix Business Exchange session, he tells it straight. CRA relies on computers and co-op students. That combination catches things that look wrong, even when they aren't. And if you're running a business, have rental income, or make investments, the odds of triggering a review go up fast. Eric walks through who should never do their own taxes, why popular tax software is currently facing a class action suit, and how a single mismatched postal code can kick off a full audit. He also covers the charity donation trap, the summer audit delay strategy, the disability tax credit most sick Canadians leave on the table, and why splitting a large donation across five years can keep you completely off CRA's radar. Côté and Associates operates across 11 offices in Canada and the US. Eric and his team handle everything from personal returns to corporate files — and they make sure your personal finances line up with your corporate picture before anything goes to the government. Connect with Eric: Côté and Associates Eric Sonego on LinkedIn CAPROS Blog Video Library Browse all episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN / PBEX   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Phoenix Business Exchange — Join a PBEX session and connect with business owners who get it. Three times a week online, once a month in person. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. No cost. Clear answers. Sterling Grace Technologies — Cybersecurity, IT, and business continuity for Canadian SMBs. Get a check-in before something goes wrong.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month plus GoHighLevel  Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Join Phoenix Business Exchange Past episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Founders preparing to transition / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear look at why businesses stall, how to choose the right tech without getting sold, and what it actually takes to build a business that runs without you.   Most businesses don't fail because of a bad idea. They fail because the systems never caught up with the growth. Colby Jardine and Levi Lawrence are partners at Iron House Pro and co-hosts of the Built to Last Podcast. They work with founders and business owners who have built something real — but find themselves stuck, overwhelmed, or completely unable to step away. Together they bring a rare combination: Levi's background in technology selection, organizational design, and systems thinking, paired with Colby's expertise in habit change, creative strategy, and human behaviour. In this episode they break down the Death Valley Curve — the profitability dip that traps businesses between $2M and $5M — and explain why so many founders hit it without seeing it coming. They talk about artificial profit margin, technical debt, and what a real gap analysis looks like when someone actually knows what they're doing. They cover why people don't know what they need, only what they don't want, and how Iron House Pro acts as a people-first technology company that helps you choose tools based on fit, not sales pressure. Key topics covered: Why habits keep falling apart in business — and what actually fixes them The Death Valley Curve and how to survive it Tech stack selection from an agnostic perspective — no reselling, no stake in the game Artificial profit margin and technical debt explained plainly What a gap analysis looks like at Iron House Pro When to build systems — before the pain or after How to reduce founder dependency and build for transition or sale The difference between what clients want and what they actually need Coaching, peer groups, and the value of not learning the hard way alone Connect with Colby and Levi: Iron House Pro Colby Jardine on LinkedIn Levi Lawrence on LinkedIn Iron House Pro on LinkedIn Iron House Pro on Facebook Iron House Pro on Instagram Built to Last Podcast on Spotify Built to Last on YouTube Built to Last on Apple Podcasts Special thanks to Bernice Williams for making this introduction happen. Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — @Hive — Real-world business networking, in person and online. Starter membership $99 CAD/year. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions. Find out what's really holding your business back. Canada Growth Network — Business connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month CAD. Start your trial for $1.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month plus GoHighLevel Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & RevenueWHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / New business owners / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Real financing strategies, the team of three every business needs, and the cash flow decisions that keep your doors open.   Most new business owners don't run out of ideas. They run out of money — and they never saw it coming. Michael Yasny has spent decades helping new businesses, growing businesses, and businesses in financial trouble find financing they didn't know existed. In this Canada Growth Network session, he breaks down exactly what it takes to set up a business the right way — before you open the door. Michael covers the team of three every owner needs on day one: a corporate lawyer, a business accountant, and a business advisor. Not a coach. Not a general practitioner. The specific people who understand commercial documents, tax setup, and alternative financing. He explains why you should incorporate on day one — and the one question you ask your accountant to find out if they're worth keeping. He walks through how family financing works, what a real loan structure looks like when you pull equity from your home, and why asking for less money than you need is one of the most dangerous things a new owner can do. Michael also covers pricing strategy, what happens when you try to grow too fast into big-box retail, how to handle supplier disputes without burning relationships, and why paying your team more often costs you less. This is a practical, no-fluff session for anyone thinking about starting a business — or anyone who opened one and is wondering why the money keeps disappearing. Connect with Michael Yasny: Website: Money Consultants LinkedIn: Michael Yasny Books: Michael Yasny on Amazon Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community where SMBs and solopreneurs get real connections and access to GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month Canadian. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back across ten key drivers. Property Wizard Podcast with Fred Crouch — Practical real estate and wealth-building conversations for anyone who wants to put property to work.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month plus GoHighLevel Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Attend the Monday Power Hour free Past episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & Automation WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear picture of how AI-powered procurement works, how to know if a tender is worth pursuing, and how to submit stronger bids in less time — without replacing the human judgment that wins contracts.   Most businesses ignore public tenders. Not because they can't win, because the process feels impossible. Jim Overboom co-founded TenderSeal while finishing his mechanical engineering degree, after meeting a business owner in New Zealand who grew his team from four to sixty people in two years purely through government contract wins. That conversation changed everything. TenderSeal is an AI procurement platform that helps businesses find tenders they qualify for, generate proposal drafts from their own company data, and double-check submissions for errors before the deadline hits. Jim walks through how the platform works, who it's built for, and where most businesses go wrong when they first try to navigate public procurement. Key topics covered: Why most SMBs overlook tenders as a revenue channel — and what they're missing How AI reads, analyzes, and drafts RFP responses without removing human oversight The real cost of a missed deadline or a copy-paste error in a government bid How TenderSeal structures pricing around actual usage — not flat fees What the go/no-go decision looks like and how AI supports it without making it for you The subjective side of tenders — pitch presentations, scoring nuance, and where consultants come in Building a multi-founder SaaS startup across three continents while still in university Connect with Jim Overboom:Website | LinkedIn | Company LinkedIn | Blog Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Find out what's really holding your business back. Take the free Profit Snapshot — ten questions, no cost, real clarity on where your business stands. East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST. Bring one challenge, one introduction. No pitch. Real business conversation. Sterling Grace Technologies — Cybersecurity, IT support, and business continuity for Canadian SMBs. If your systems aren't protected, they're exposed.   Next Steps Questions or connections: [email protected] Canada Growth Network – GoHighLevel + Network = $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month afterSubscribe to the K4B blogSearch K4B episodes by topicRegister as a K4B guestVisit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & AutomationWHO THIS IS FOR: Solopreneurs / SMB owners / Non-technical founders / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear picture of how AI agents work, when to use them safely, and how to start automating your business without breaking anything — or leaking data.   Most solo operators are doing the work of five people. Allan Edmond built a business around fixing that. Allan is the CEO of TechPeace, based in Grimsby, Ontario. He helps non-technical founders turn AI tools and custom software into working business systems — without the security risks that come from building blind. With over a decade of experience across agencies in Singapore, Australia, France, and Canada, and as one of fewer than 50 Glide Certified Experts globally, Allan has shipped 100+ apps for founders who had big ideas but needed someone to make them real. In this conversation, Allan walks through the full arc — from why he left traditional coding, to the no-code era, to what agentic coding actually means for a business owner today. He explains what a personal AI agent is in plain language, why the prototype you built in Lovable might be a security risk, and how to think about local versus cloud AI models depending on your risk tolerance. Key topics covered: What agentic coding is and why it's different from no-code The three things that make an AI agent dangerous — and how to remove them When to build your own tool versus hire someone technical Local AI models vs. cloud models — privacy, power, and the trade-offs How to automate internal workflows without exposing your data What a personal AI agent actually looks like in practice (insurance claims, podcast processing, bookkeeping) The five-year outlook — AI butlers, physical robots, and warehouse automation Allan also writes a daily French-language newsletter — La Toolbox d'Allan on Substack — packed with practical AI tips for business owners who want to stay sharp without getting overwhelmed. Free consultation for business owners exploring personal AI agent setup: calendly.com/allan-edmond/free-consultation Connect with Allan: Website: techpeace.ca LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/allanedmond YouTube: youtube.com/@TheWorldOfAllan Contra: contra.com/allan_edmond A big thank you to Blair Patton from Benchmark Insurance for the introduction. Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — @Hive = Real-world business networking in person and online. Starter membership $99 CAD/year. Profit10™ = Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. No cost. Canada Growth Network = Business connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month Canadian. Start your trial today.   NEXT STEPs Email: [email protected] Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Past episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Networking & Community WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Service-based business leaders / Anyone building a referral-based community WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear model for turning a siloed industry into a collaborative network — plus hard lessons from burnout, community building, and 35 years in the care sector.   Growing a care business feels lonely. Not because the people aren't there, but because everyone treats everyone else as competition. Iain Clague saw this pattern up close. With 35 years across hospitality, nutrition, and the care sector, he watched small providers and suppliers struggle in isolation while the fixes they needed were sitting in the next room. So he built The Care Connector Network — a community where care providers, suppliers, and professionals learn each other's businesses, make introductions, and grow together. In this episode, Iain breaks down why traditional networking fails care businesses, what the real cost of isolation looks like, and how a collaboration-first model changes the outcomes for everyone involved. He covers how 87% of UK care businesses operate with a single registered service — and why that makes community not a nice-to-have but a survival tool. He talks about the moment burnout forced him to stop doing everything alone. And he shares a simple framing that changes how you talk about someone else's business — and why that shift is the foundation of every referral relationship worth having. The lessons here go well beyond the care sector. If you're a service-based SMB owner who's been carrying too much for too long, this one is worth your full attention. Topics covered: Why the care sector works in silos — and what it costs The difference between collecting contacts and building trust How the Care Connector Network was built out of COVID-era frustration Why burnout is a systems failure, not a personal one The collaboration model that turns suppliers into connectors Iain's expansion into the North American market Connect with Iain Clague:The Care Connector Network | LinkedIn | Instagram | Company LinkedIn Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community where SMBs and solopreneurs get real connections and access to GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month CAD. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot: ten questions that show you where your business is strong and where it's leaking. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant that answers questions while you're doing everything else.   Next Steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network + GoHighLevel = $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month after:  Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes by topic  Register as a K4B guest Browse all episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Nonprofit leaders / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Practical warning signs to watch for, a realistic turnaround timeline, and the financial habits that keep a business stable long before things feel broken.   Most businesses don't fail overnight. They drift, slowly, quietly, until the cash is gone and the options are few. Diesha Cooper is the founder of Execuly and a fractional CFO/COO who embeds herself inside small businesses and nonprofits to stabilize them before — or during — crisis. She doesn't just advise and walk away. She becomes part of the team, builds the systems, and stays until the business can stand on its own. In this episode, Diesha breaks down what actually causes a business to need a turnaround — and what owners can do right now to prevent one. She shares the warning signs that get ignored, why your financial reports can look healthy while your cash account runs dry, and how most small businesses collapse from the same small mistakes: too much debt too early, siloed bookkeeping, and no real go-to-market strategy. She also talks about what a realistic stabilization looks like — typically three to six months to break even, another two to three to reach profitability — and what you can start doing this week to lead with clarity instead of reacting under pressure. And because Diesha is someone who learns by doing, she shares the story behind Siplux — her microplastic-free double-walled glass travel cup — a product she launched specifically to learn marketing from the ground up. Key topics covered: Why over-financing at startup is the most common first mistake The cash flow warning signs that signal you need help now Why outsourced bookkeeping can quietly wreck complex businesses What a go-to-market strategy actually looks like — and why most businesses don't have one How to read a turnaround timeline realistically Why technology subscription creep bleeds businesses dry Grants, tax credits, and what's actually available in the under-$5M space The value of networking not just for sales, but for knowing what you don't know Listener offer: Visit siplux.com and use code BERNIE for 25% off. Connect with Diesha Cooper:Execuly website | Execuly blog | LinkedIn — Diesha Cooper | LinkedIn — Execuly | Facebook — Execuly | Email: [email protected] Browse all episodes: Past K4B / ETW / CGN episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Most owners can name their revenue. Fewer can name what's limiting their profit. Take the free Profit Snapshot — 10 questions, plain language, real clarity. Canada Growth Network — Business connections + GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month CAD. Real tools. Real people. Start your trial for $1. East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST. One challenge. One introduction. No pitch.   Next Steps: Questions? Email us: [email protected] Subscribe to the K4B blog: https://blog.knack4business.com/ Search K4B episodes by topic: https://knack4business.com/ Register as a K4B guest: https://tinyurl.com/mcdm3hk6 Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR:Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Founders building teams / Leaders hitting a growth ceiling WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear picture of what fractional leadership is (and isn't), three signs you need it, and a real client story with a 238% sales increase — no new headcount.   Most founders hit a wall. Revenue is up. The team is maxed out. Decisions are piling up. And the instinct is to hire, but hire who, exactly? Natalie Hoop is a fractional COO and strategic operations partner who works with founders and scaling businesses to bring order to chaos. In this Canada Growth Network Power Hour session, she breaks down the fractional leadership model — what it is, what it isn't, and when it's the right move. Natalie covers the three signs a business needs a fractional leader, why hiring full-time too soon is a costly mistake, and how she walked into a client's business, remapped their entire sales process using Typeform logic and pipeline automation, and produced a 238% increase in sales, a 79% increase in transactions, and a 71% reduction in the sales cycle — in 30 days. No new headcount. She also walks through how to make the fractional partnership actually work: define the problem (not just the role), use a 30/60/90 day framework, and give the fractional real decision authority. Key topics covered: The difference between fractional, consultant, and full-time hire Three signs your business needs a fractional leader now How a broken sales system — not the sales team — was costing one client deals The 30/60/90 day framework for fractional engagements How to give a fractional the authority they need to move fast Connect with Natalie Hoop: Website: https://nataliehoop.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliehoop/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliehoop_ops Blog: https://nataliehoop.com/blog Newsletter: https://the-ops-edge.beehiiv.com/ Browse all episodes (K4B / ETW / CGN)   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network: Business connections + GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month CAD. Start your trial! Profit10™ — A structured 10-driver business diagnostic built for coaches, consultants, and fractional leaders. Take the free Profit Snapshot WebIndexer: Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com:    Next Steps: Questions? Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month after: https://canadagrowthnetwork.com/ghl Subscribe to the K4B blog: https://blog.knack4business.com/ Search K4B episodes by topic: https://knack4business.com/Register as a K4B guest Attend the CGN Monday Power Hour freePast episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & Revenue WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Sales leaders / Founders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear picture of why sales tools get abandoned, how to align your whole organization around the buyer journey, and what separates a sales team from a revenue engine.   Your sales process feels busy. The pipeline looks full. But the revenue isn't there. John Golden has seen this pattern across hundreds of organizations — and the problem is almost never the tool. John is the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Pipeliner CRM and host of the globally recognized Sales POP! podcast — ranked in the top 2% worldwide with over 1,600 episodes. A former CEO of Huthwaite International, the creators of SPIN Selling, John brings decades of real sales leadership to a conversation most businesses need to have. In this episode, John and Bernie unpack why CRM systems get built for managers instead of salespeople — and why that single design flaw causes most adoption failures. John explains the difference between a sales team and a revenue engine, why consultative selling and genuine curiosity still outperform every shortcut, and how AI should support the human side of selling — not replace it. Key topics covered: Why most CRMs fail at the salesperson level — and what Pipeliner does differently The two hats every B2B buyer is wearing (and why most sellers miss the second one) How a well-defined sales process creates forecast consistency across a team What AI in sales should actually do — and where the human touch remains irreplaceable The difference between a sales team and a true revenue engine Why clarity is the hardest and most important leadership skill SPIN Selling in 2026 — still relevant, still underused Connect with John Golden: Website: pipelinersales.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johngolden Sales POP! Podcast: salespop.net/media/podcast YouTube: youtube.com/@CoeveraCRM Instagram: instagram.com/coeveracrm Facebook: facebook.com/coeveraCRM X: x.com/coeveracrm Browse all episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Find out what's really driving — or limiting — your enterprise value. The free Profit Snapshot is where it starts. Notionhive — Websites built to perform, not just look good. If your site isn't generating leads, it's time for a rethink. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com.   Questions or connections:  [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network + GoHighLevel = $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month after:  Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform Subscribe to the K4B blog Search all K4B episodes , use the chat bot to search Register as a K4B guest! Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Health & Wellness  WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A working definition of mental fitness, a leadership lens on burnout, and practical steps to protect performance and people.   Burnout isn't a personal failing. It's what happens when the system around a person breaks down. Dr. Jackie Kinley, psychiatrist and founder of AIR Institutes, joins Bernie Franzgrote and cohost Wayne Pratt to challenge the old idea that mental health is something to fix in the individual. Instead, she makes the case for mental fitness — a skills-based approach built on behavior, relationships, and daily habits that helps leaders and teams perform under pressure without burning out. In this conversation, Dr. Kinley covers: Why treating burnout as a personal weakness misses the real problem How mental fitness differs from traditional wellness programs What a mentally healthy system looks like inside a growing business How founders can start building resilience without a big budget Connect with Dr. Jackie Kinley: air-institutes.com | LinkedIn | AIR Institutes company page | YouTube Audience bonus: get your free Resilience Snapshot (the FRQ12) at air-institutes.com. Browse all episodes — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — the business community Bernie cofounded, built for owners who want real connections and real systems. @Hive — real-world networking for freelancers and growing teams who want relationships that go somewhere. Next Steps: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network + GoHighLevel for $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month after: https://canadagrowthnetwork.com/ghl Subscribe to the K4B blog: https://blog.knack4business.com/ Search K4B episodes: https://knack4business.com/ Register as a K4B guest: https://tinyurl.com/mcdm3hk6 Visit Knack 4 Business: https://knack4business.com/ Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Cybersecurity & IT WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Actionable insights, hard-won lessons, real growth strategies   Most small business owners feel the same tension every week. The thing protecting your business is also the thing slowing it down. Margaret Dibor has spent 20 years on both sides of that line. Margaret is the co-founder and Chief Information Security Officer at Dima Risk Solutions in Vancouver. She has worked across telecom, education, healthcare, and government. She sits on the board of the ISACA Vancouver Chapter. Her story started in Poland, moved through England, and now lives in Canada. Each move taught her something about how businesses really protect their data. In this episode, Margaret explains why most SMBs are over-equipped but under-protected. She makes the case for resilience over defence. She walks through why AI tools can quietly leak sensitive data with no way to retrieve it. She covers vendor due diligence, data sovereignty across Canada, the EU, and the US, and the simple frame she uses to decide when an owner should bring in expert help. Key topics covered: Why tools alone don't make a business secure The mindset shift from defence to resilience How AI tools quietly leak sensitive data The "doctor clinic" model — assess, diagnose, treat Vendor due diligence and third-party risk Data sovereignty across Canada, the EU, and the US When a small business should bring in expert help Why trust is the real currency for SMBs Margaret is launching a two-month pilot of her risk management platform for owners in health tech, fintech, healthcare, and finance. If you handle sensitive data and want a calm, practical roadmap before something goes wrong, this conversation is for you. Watch the podcast here. Connect with Margaret:DimaRisk.com | LinkedIn Thanks to Willie Nichol in Scotland for the introduction.   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Sterling Grace Technologies — cybersecurity, IT, and business continuity for Canadian SMBs. The partner you call before something goes wrong. Canada Growth Network — business connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47 CAD a month. Real tools, real people, real referrals. @Hive — real-world business networking, in person and online. Starter membership $99 CAD a year.   NEXT STEPs Email: [email protected]. Subscribe to the K4B blog Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Browse all episodes (K4B / ETW / CGN) Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & OpsWHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A working blueprint for moving from operator to owner — six principles, real examples, and the mindset shift that makes delegation actually stick.   What if your business could grow without you in every seat? Ral T. West built an eight-figure Alaska-to-Hawaii charter airline, sold it to Alaska Airlines, and moved to Maui in 1999, while the business kept running. The secret was not hustle. It was systems. In this conversation, Ral walks Bernie through the six principles behind her BOSS Mastermind (Business Owner Success Strategies). She shares how she and her husband went from answering every reservation call themselves to hiring a COO and CFO who asked one question on day one: "Are you sure you're going to be able to let go?" Then they bought the house in Maui. Key topics covered: The moment Ral knew systems were the only way forward The six timeless principles every business needs Why an advisory board changed everything for them How to delegate properly — specific outcome, timeline, and feedback loop The orchestra-leader metaphor — guide the tune, don't play every instrument Customer delight as a repeat-business KPI The early-90s charter that bet the farm and paid off Why most owners stay stuck (and how to start the shift) Mentors and tools mentioned: Robert Kiyosaki, Tony Robbins, OmniFocus, and Ral's advisory board of three Alaska executives. Connect with Ral T. West · LinkedIn · YouTube · Instagram · Facebook Book a Let's Talk call with Ral · Read her book Unshakeable: Stories to Anchor You Through Life's Storms Browse all episodes of K4B, ETW, and CGN. — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — Business connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47 CAD/month. The community where SMBs build real referrals and run real systems. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com right now. Profit10™ — Free Profit Snapshot reveals where your business is leaking value. For owners ready to ask "what's it actually worth and where can I take it?" Next Steps: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month after, with GHL Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Marketing & Branding WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A working model for brand messaging, a clear read on the difference between marketing and communications, and a two-page desk exercise to audit your own message this week.   Most SMB owners think they have a marketing problem. Joshua Altman thinks they have a communications problem. Joshua is the Managing Director of Beltway Media — a fractional Chief Communications Officer practice based in the DC area. In this Canada Growth Network Power Hour, he walks through the two frameworks his team uses with clients every day. The first is Story, Narrative, and Brand. The story is what happened — the events, the characters, the conflict that got you here. The narrative is the ongoing logic that connects your stories to the problem you solve. The brand is everything else — the logo, yes, but also the hold music, the auto-responder, the online reviews you can't control, and the customer experience itself. The second is the Four Languages Model — what people read, see, hear, and experience. Each language amplifies the other three. Miss one and your message loses power. Joshua gives a simple desk exercise anyone can run this week. Take one sheet of paper, divide it into three: story, narrative, brand. Take another, divide it into four: read, see, hear, experience. Fill in the blanks with what actually exists today — not what you wish existed. That's where clarity starts. Key topics covered Why communications is a process, not a product The real difference between marketing and corporate communications Story vs. narrative vs. brand — and why the words matter The Four Languages Model in practical terms How online reviews and hold music are part of your brand whether you like it or not Why in-store audio changes buyer behaviour A two-page desk exercise to audit your own message this week Guest links Joshua Altman on LinkedIn Beltway Media — fractional Chief Communications Officer services Beltway Media on LinkedIn Free tools from Beltway Media Email Joshua: [email protected] Browse all episodes across K4B, ETW, and CGN.   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — Business connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47 CAD/month. First month $1. Notionhive — Websites that actually work. Beautiful, high-performing, built to convert. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 sales assistant. See it live on knack4business.com.   Final CTAs Email: [email protected] Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest CGN only → Attend the Monday Power Hour free Past episodes across K4B, ETW, and CGN Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear read on the four numbers every owner should track, the real difference between a bookkeeper, controller and CFO, and a simple weekly accountability rhythm that protects cash flow.   Most business owners feel busy, work hard, and still can't answer a simple question — where did my money go? Martha Gordash is a fractional CFO and the founder of Success Profit Planning. She helps owners stop avoiding their financials and start using simple weekly systems to track profit and cash flow without the overwhelm. In this conversation, Martha and co-hosts Bernie Franzgrote and Wayne Pratt unpack what's really holding small business owners back from their numbers — and what to do about it. Key topics covered: Why so many owners are "accidental business owners" with a gap in their business knowledge The real difference between a bookkeeper, a controller, and a CFO The four numbers every owner should be watching — gross margin, net profit, cash, and revenue Why weekly or bi-weekly reviews beat monthly check-ins Martha's five-step Progressive Profit System — review, plan, execute, refine, scale How to budget for capital purchases, taxes, and technology lifecycles Bartering, owner draws, and the hidden cash-flow traps Why CFO work is half numbers, half coaching Connect with Martha: Website: successprofitplanning.com LinkedIn: Martha Gordash YouTube: Success Profit Planning Instagram: @successprofitplanning Company page: Success Profit Planning on LinkedIn Browse all episodes — K4B, ETW and CGN archive.   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — Business connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47 CAD/month. Real referrals, real tools, one community. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 sales assistant. See it live on knack4business.com. Gentry Learning — Practical real estate business education for owners who want to lead with clarity.   Next steps: Email Bernie: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month after + GoHighLevel Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes by topic Register as a K4B guest Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear way to spot friction points in the business, fix cash flow timing problems, and build small weekly habits that make profit predictable instead of accidental.   Why does your business feel chaotic even when you are working nonstop? Frances Strickland, founder of VeroLead, joins us to unpack why chaos is not a badge of honour. It is a signal of weak structure, unclear leadership, and broken flow. Frances spent over 30 years inside global corporations — supply chain, HR, plant management, joint ventures across 17 markets — before building VeroLead to help business owners reset how they run. She walks through the three levers she uses on every engagement: structure (the systems that produce the work), leadership (the clarity that drives execution), and flow (the handoffs and decisions where friction hides). Along the way she shares the story of the rapid heartbeat that sent her to the ER, the high-ticket client she fired because he would not do the work, and the old recipe for ham that explains why so many business owners do things they cannot explain. Key topics covered: Why chaos is a nervous system response, not a leadership style The three levers: structure, leadership, and flow Cash flow problems are usually timing problems, not revenue problems Tunnel vision — the founder trap that breaks good businesses How to spot a friction point inside a normal conversation The Profit Pulse self-assessment — how it works When to walk away from a client who will not do the work Connect with Frances: Website: verolead.com LinkedIn: Frances Strickland Facebook: VeroLead Consultancy Take the Profit Pulse self-assessment Also mentioned: Co-host: Wayne Pratt Browse all episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN archive   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — a free ten-question Snapshot that shows you where your business is leaking profit. No cost. Take the free Profit Snapshot. Canada Growth Network — business community plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47 CAD a month. Systems and connections in one place. WebIndexer — turns your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com.   Next steps Email: [email protected] Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month after - comes with GoHighLevel! Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes by topic Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.We share perspectives. You make the decisions.Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.