Are you ready for "A Breath of Fresh HR?"

A business is only as good as the people that work there, and having the right employees can mean the difference between getting by and, “what’s their secret to success?” Once you’ve got the right staff – how do you keep them?

Enter Natalie Bell, People & Culture Consultant and expert in all those tricky questions that keep you up at night as you're trying to run your business.

Liz and Natalie talk about bringing the energy to the workplace, how policies and procedures can head off issues before they become ... "issues" and much much more!

You'll also get a sneak preview of the topics Natalie will be covering in her Power PD Session at the 2024 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase. A word of advice when you sign up - be prepared to interact, be prepared to work, and be prepared to have a lot of fun!

Links:

https://wrlashowcase.ca

https://nataliebell.ca/

Mentioned in the podcast:

https://www.goodwork.ca/

Thanks to Natalie for her time (and the use of her tagline for the title of this episode!)

For our 20th episode of the WRLA Podcast, we're tackling two of the biggest issues for any business, Sales and Marketing! How much do you need to spend, and why? What goes into branding?

Liz gets the answers to these questions and more this week in conversation with Kirstie Carruthers and Andrea Budd of velvet theory Creative Agency.

Like what you hear? The velvet theory team is conducting a FREE professional development session at the 2024 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase!

Links

velvet theory: https://velvettheory.com/

PD Sessions at the Showcase:https://wrlashowcase.ca/pd-power-sessions/

What does it take to bring your best self to the job? How do high-performance leaders bring their mental best to the challenges they face?

We're finding out the answers to these questions and more as Liz is joined by Mental Performance Coach Lauren Johnson, as well as Day Naidoo, Director of Sales for Durabuilt Windows & Doors, and Ken Crockett, Vice President of Star Building Materials.

Tune in for a totally engaging conversation and mindset strategies you can start applying to your business (and your personal life) today! Then, WRLA members, mark your calendar for the morning of January 18 so you don't miss Lauren's keynote speech at the 2024 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase, presented in partnership with Durabuilt Windows & Doors and Star Building Materials.

Links:

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

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

Durabuilt Windows & Doors: http://www.durabuiltwindows.com

Star Building Materials Calgary: www.starbuildingcalgary.ca/

Liz is joined this week by Tracy Nadiger from All Weather Windows, winner of the best booth at the WRLA Showcase for two years running, and by WRLA's newest team member, Brenda Bourns, who brings a lifetime of event experience with her.

They talk about what makes a great exhibition experience, what draws people to your booth, how to keep them there, and why the secret might just be Superman, helicopters, and candy!

This episode is packed with tips you can use to put your best foot forward when you're exhibiting at a trade show like ours, so you won't want to miss this one!

Liz welcomes the newest member of the WRLA Board, Colin McColl of Windsor Plywood. They talk about Colin's career, his seemingly natural affinity for making amazing social media posts, and on growing a career in the Lumber and Building Materials industry.

After a long, hot summer, the WRLA Podcast is back in our regular rotation!

We're thrilled to introduce you all to Amanda Camara, the newest addition to the WRLA team. Our VP of Business Development & Marketing takes a few minutes to chat with Liz about her career - and why it seems to keep coming back to the building sector!

Later, they get in-depth with some exciting programs WRLA is working on, and a very quick sneak peek of the 2024 WRLA Showcase - which is having its 30th Anniversary this January!

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

For most of us, "work in the Lumber and Building Industry" wasn't even on the list. This week, Liz introduces our listeners to three members of the WRLA team: Travis Waite, Director of Finance, Alisa Luo, Graphic Designer Extraordinaire, and Executive Assistant Rebekah Doerksen.

They talk about how they came to work in the industry, why the message of the "Let's Go Build" campaign, that there's a career for every interest, is more important now than ever before, and finally (and most importantly) we check out Travis' amazing shoes!

Social media expert Sherrilynne Starkie from Prospectus Associates join Liz and Chris from the WRLA team to talk about how social media is helping our "Let's Go Build" campaign reach the biggest audience possible.

Find out how and why we're exploring TikTok and Snapchat, and how you can get involved to put the power of social to work for your business!

Links mentioned in the show:

Let's Go Build: www.letsgobuild.ca

Hootsuite: https://www.hootsuite.com/

Ken Crockett and Helen Smith of Star Building Materials in Calgary, AB join Liz in the studio this week for a great discussion about Ride Through The Rockies. This bike event, organized by Ken and his team at Star, is celebrating its 10th year raising funds for Habitat for Humanity in Southern Alberta. Learn about how this event came to be, and how much it means to so many of our WRLA members.

Links:

Ride Through the Rockies Information and Donation Page:

https://my.habitatsouthernab.ca/ride-through-the-rockies-2023

More photos:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAMhVZ

Learn more about Helen Smith and her story: www.letsgobuild.ca

Liz is joined by Chris Allinotte for today's episode as they go over the long-awaited findings of WRLA's Labour Study. This comprehensive survey was produced and completed in partnership with the government of Alberta, and has produced some truly compelling results.

What did they find out? Have a listen!