At this year's WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase, we're facing off for a great cause. We'll be holding the first ever Hockey for Habitat Event. Participating WRLA Members will be drafted to either Team TIMBER MART or Team CertainTeed.

On this week's episode, Liz sits down with the captain of Team TIMBER MART - and the person who almost single-handedly conceived this event - Joel Hartung of The LumberZone.

Liz and Joel talk about the game, which will be receiving the full NHL game production treatment (and how Joel managed to get that done) and why it was important to bring everyone together in support of Habitat for Humanity.

After the first period, the conversation turns to business matters, the US election, and the Softwood Lumber situation - you know, easy topics like that.

Finally, Joel weighs in on the workforce, and the resilience it's taken to build a successful business in today's economic climate.

Lace up those skates, and hop the boards - you're going to want to hear this one!

Links:

WRLA: https://wrla.org

The LumberZone: https://thelumberzone.ca/

Hockey for Habitat: https://bit.ly/3YT7x7m

The WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase is in Edmonton, Alberta for our 31st annual event.

It's our first time hosting the show in Edmonton, so we invited on a guest who knows a thing or two about this wonderful city - Peter Cottan from Explore Edmonton. They talk about the significance of the show coming into the city, how the newly revitalized Expo Centre is ready to provide a world class experience. Learn how the city and venue are leading the way towards a cleaner, more eco-friendly, power-saving future. Most importantly, find out where to get the best pint of Guinness in Edmonton!

Enjoy the episode, and we can't wait to see everyone in Edmonton!

Links:

WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase: https://wrlashowcase.ca

Explore Edmonton: https://exploreedmonton.com/

This is our 50th Episode!

We started Across the Yard (formerly the very creatively titled, "WRLA Podcast") to share with the world what we already knew - that the Lumber and Building Materials industry is home to so many incredible business leaders and employees. We've invited 50 episodes worth of guests to join us for a chat and, quite often, a few laughs. We've talked about the market, the nature of sales, and so much more.

With all that, we think this week's guests are the perfect encapsulation of that entrepreneurial spirit, and examples of resilience in business. Liz welcomes Wade Laurent and Shane Chapman of The Ultimate Deck Shop in Regina and Saskatoon, SK. They share their "origin story" and talk about how their journey to expansion led right through the middle of a global pandemic.

Thank you, the listener, for joining us for 50 episodes. We can't wait to bring you even more stories, discussions, and laughs in the episodes to come.

Enjoy!

Links:

WRLA: https://wrla.org/

The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://tuds.ca/

It's no great secret that experience (or the school of hard knocks) is the ultimate teacher. While education and theory can impart critical thinking skills and a baseline of knowledge, there's no substitute for on-the-job experience. That's where internship can help - specifically the WRLA's internship program.

This week, Liz is speaking to three recent students who found full-time employment through internship and career fair opportunities! Olivia Lloyd took part in a program through the Calgary Board of Education in partnership with WRLA. John Carlo Mendoza got his start on a student internship with us and then found his new career at the Career Fair at last year's Building & Hardware Showcase, and Camilla Josef is now a full-time member of the WRLA team after completing a design internship. Check out the episode and hear how they arrived on their current career path, and what advice they have for their fellow students!

Links:

WRLA: https://wrla.org

The Cedar Shop: http://www.cedarshop.com

Sexton: https://www.sextongroup.com

"Am I the a**hole if I buy groceries with my company credit card?"

"How many drinks is too many at a work function?"

"Would I be the a**hole if I suspect something's up with the person that calls in sick every single Tuesday after a long weekend?"

These are just some of the questions that can keep a manager or business owner up at night. Lucky for us, we've got people and culture consultant Natalie Bell on hand to field some of these questions for us.

Liz and Natalie start out with a great discussion about the nature of human resources and how every business can benefit from taking a closer look at their HR policies and practices.

Then ... Natalie walks us through some HR tips and strategies as she and Liz navigate some real-life workplace horror stories where clear expectations and sensible policies would have saved the day.

It's a fun (and funny) jaunt through some truly wild workplace challenges that you won't want to miss.

Enjoy the episode (and then sign up for Natalie's Webinar on November 21 where she'll walk you through the HR Basics).

Links:

WRLA: https://wrla.org

Natalie Bell Consulting: https://nataliebell.ca/

WRLA Webinar: HR Basics with Natalie Bell -https://wrla.org/events-calendar.html/event-info/details/id/81

"All you need is love ... and receipts" ~the Beatles' accountant, probably.

Expenses are one thing that every business has in common. Regardless of your product or service, there are expenses involved with doing business, and keeping track of spending is one of the most important things you can do for your bottom line.

If only it wasn't so much WORK.

Our guest this week is Paul Ansloos from ExpensePoint. We'll find out how Paul saw a need to make things easier for businesses to track expenses, keep track of receipts, and automate much of the work needed to produce month-end reporting.

The story of how Paul took this program from idea to multi-national success story is incredible, and you'll never look at your expense processes the same way again.

Enjoy the show (and share the link with your accounting departments asap!)

Links:

WRLA: https://wrla.org

ExpensePoint: https://www.expensepoint.com/

We've got a very special episode for you this week! Liz was at the Women of Lumber and Forestry (WOLF) conference in British Columbia, and had a chance to catch up with a group of women who are taking the industry by storm!

What does it take to get established in a new job? How does one even find jobs in this industry? And once you have that job - how do you get better? To find out, we're talking to Layne Chand'Oiseau (Mountain View Building Materials and student at University of Calgary), Claire Welikoklad (Executive Home Building Centre), and Taylor Reynolds (Dakeryn Industries Ltd.) about their experiences.

We're talking about mentorship, and how working with people who want to see you succeed can make a world of difference, especially when you're starting out. Further down the career path - we're also talking to Helen Smith (Star Building Materials, Calgary) about her commitment to lifelong learning, including the new Executive Mastermind Course from WRLA, presented by the incomparable Lauren Johnson.

Enjoy the episode!

Links:

WRLA: https://wrla.org

Mountain View Building Materials: https://www.mountainviewbm.ca

Executive Home Building Centre: https://www.hbcpro.ca/

Dakeryn Industries Ltd: https://www.dakeryn.com

Star Building Materials - Calgary: https://www.starbuildingcalgary.ca/

WOLF Conference: https://womenoflumberandforestry.com/

Lauren Johnson: https://www.laurenjohnsonandco.com/

What did your career path look like? How did you arrive where you are today?

More importantly - if you could tell that things weren't working out, did you make a change?

That's the conversation we're having this week on Across the Yard with Colin McColl of Windsor Plywood Sherwood Park in Alberta. Liz and Colin talk about how he came to get involved in the building supply business. He also talks about what it's like to go from working alongside a team, to running that same team as a co-owner.

It's a great conversation you'll want to hear. Enjoy the show!

Links:

WRLA: https://wrla.org

Windsor Plywood: http://www.windsorplywood.com

It's one thing to be an effective salesperson, but when you're in charge of the team, it's a whole other ballgame!

Jil Reid of Federated Co-operatives Ltd. joins Liz to talk about her journey from outside sales to successfully running a team of sales professionals. They talk about coaching, fostering a collaborative workplace, and how to approach (and train your team to approach) Contractor Sales. You'll also learn why it's super important to keep some fun in your Fridays!

Enjoy the show!

Links:

Federated Co-operatives Ltd: https://www.fcl.crs/home/

WRLA: https://wrla.org/

The job of a sales representative is simultaneously one of the most straightforward, and most complex roles on your business' team.

On the one hand, you are going out and getting people to agree to buy products from you; on the other, you're managing personal relationships, histories, preferences, and the unique needs of possibly hundreds of contacts across hundreds of businesses - and that's if you're doing it right!

This week on the podcast, Liz is joined by Derrick Czayka, Alberta Territory Manager for Regal Ideas Inc. They chat about how relationships, honesty, preparedness, and good old fashioned numbers can make a world of difference, especially if you're just starting out.

Thanks to Derrick for spending time with us Across the Yard, and sharing his time and wealth of experience with us!

Links:

WRLA: https://wrla.org

Regal Ideas: https://www.regalideas.com