The Stormy Stories Show

What does it take to grow a company while competitors collapse around you?In this episode of The Stormy Stories Show, Angela Robertson sits down with Eric Beckwitt, Founder and CEO of Freightera, to explore how the company has achieved consistent growth, profitability, and resilience in one of the toughest freight markets in recent history.Eric shares the pivotal decisions that transformed Freightera's trajectory, including taking direct control of the business, implementing a bold customer guarantee, and building a culture focused on discipline rather than growth-at-all-costs. He also discusses why many venture-backed companies fail, how founders can avoid losing control of their culture, and why long-term thinking often beats following the latest trends.The conversation explores leadership, AI, customer obsession, data-driven decision-making, and what it means to build a sustainable company in uncertain times.Whether you're scaling a startup, navigating market headwinds, or rethinking your approach to growth, Eric offers a candid look at what it takes to build a company designed to last.

In this episode of The Stormy Stories Show, Angela Robertson sits down with Kevin Dagenais, CEO of Cascadia Scientific and recipient of Acetech's Innovation Award.Kevin shares the story behind Refuel Coach, a product designed to help mining companies recover productive operating hours, reduce unnecessary refueling, and improve efficiency across their fleets. What began as a customer problem evolved into a strategic opportunity that helped Cascadia stay true to its mission while creating a scalable path for growth.The conversation explores product innovation, customer-driven development, the challenges of building a global technology company, and why staying focused on your core strengths can be a powerful competitive advantage.Whether you're a founder, CEO, or technology leader, this episode offers valuable lessons on identifying opportunities, building products customers actually need, and turning innovation into measurable business impact.

In this episode of The Stormy Stories Show, Angela Robertson sits down with Steven Findlay, CEO of Noratek Solutions and founder of CityReporter, to discuss the realities of building and selling a company without outside funding.What started as a municipal inspection software solution grew into a North American business over more than 15 years. Steven shares the journey of bootstrapping CityReporter from the ground up, navigating multiple technology shifts, and ultimately leading a competitive acquisition process that resulted in the successful sale of the company.From managing due diligence, handling competing offers, and negotiating without an M&A advisor, to building the leadership team that made the transaction possible, Steven provides an honest look at what it really takes to prepare a business for exit.This conversation is packed with practical lessons on entrepreneurship, negotiation, resilience, and why the strongest companies are built long before they're sold.Topics discussed:• Building a software company without outside capital• The realities of bootstrapping for over a decade• Preparing a company for acquisition• Negotiating with multiple buyers• The role of relationships during an M&A process• Building a leadership team that can operate without the founder• Lessons learned from a successful exitIf you're a founder, CEO, or entrepreneur considering your next chapter, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.