BUILDERS with Alex Snider

*TW: This episode discusses mental health and suicide.

Mike Hayles, the founder of TekConnected and Courageous Resolve (formerly Men's Mental Health Retreat) https://www.courageousresolve.org/jointhecommunity is a multi-faceted guy, with an early military career and 20 years in the construction business before making the leap into Digital Entrepreneurship and Non-Profits.

You can find Mike and all the organizations and resources he mentions via:

Book here:

https://calendly.com/alexsnider/builders_business_booster

Want to stay in the know…?Join The Builders Club to stay up to date on upcoming events, get valuable insights and tools, and be the first to receive exciting announcements straight to your inbox (No Spam, I promise!)

Investing always comes with a level of uncertainty and risk, but in a recession when the NASDAQ has dropped 30% Year to Date, is it a good time to invest in Tech and VC? How are expectations and valuations changing? And what about new markets and opportunities to ‘do good’ via impact investing? It’s enough to make anyone’s head spin.

In this final episode of Season 1 we are joined by Christián Quiñónez Sol to talk about the changing landscape of investor expectations and how up and coming markets fit into the current economic equation.

FUN FACT: This was recorded the day that he and his partner’s at Innogen Capital launched their 3rd fund!

As the co-founder  and managing partner of Innogen Capital Ventures, Christián brings an unparalleled expertise not only on managing investment risk and portfolios, but also the opportunities present in up and coming markets and uncharted territories such as LATAM and Central America.

Whether you’re an investor, founder or simply curious about what’s new in the entrepreneurial and social impact world, this conversation is for you. It’s full of perspectives and considerations that could open your eyes to a wealth of ideas and opportunities including:

Near Term Profitability as a Winning Feature for Capital Raise in Current Climate

Mission for His Term as Chair of the Board of Central American Private Capital Association

MultiCountry Sandboxes; Removing Barriers & Creating a Launchpad for Tech and Ecosystem Growth in Central and LATAM

LATAM as De Facto Impact Investing; Focus on Underserved Populations

Central America as One of Last Uncharted Territories for Venture Cap

You can connect with Christián on LinkedIn and check out Innogen’s website for more information:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-qui%C3%B1onez-sol-51251726/ 

Website: http://www.innogencapital.com/ 

Find Alex here:

Book a consult call: https://calendly.com/alexsnider/coaching-exploration-call

Submit topics & questions here: https://hrui5f051vt.typeform.com/to/x5JcZehI

Join the email list: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6435e98ea1738f69214662ac

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snideralex/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/asyetunknown

We’ve all got questions on just what these uncertain times mean for financial strategy. Getting to know your options is vital to be able to make informed decisions and maybe even launch that new business idea you’ve been mulling over. After all, great businesses are built in recessions!

On today’s episode we are joined by Edward Nisanov to talk about the hidden fortune that exists inside your business… could you be leaving thousands on the table?

As the CEO of Nisanov Tax Group, he has a strong passion and track record working closely with business leaders to help them keep more of their hard earned money via effective tax strategies. 

Who doesn’t want that?! 

Tune into this practical conversation that could change your bottom line with insights including:

Is Cash Still Trash, or is it King Now?

Creative Ways to Invest and Seize Business Opportunities while Maintaining Liquidity

Edward’s 30% Rule of Thumb for Strategic Budgeting

What’s a Safe ‘Runway’ of Operating Expenses to Weather Economic Storms

Are You Leaving Cash on the Table? Tax Deductions and More… 

You can connect with Edward via all platforms and check out Nisanov Tax’s website to engage their services:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-nisanov-ea-9924435/

Website: https://www.nisanovtax.com/ (Hire Us Button)

IG: https://www.instagram.com/taxesshmaxes/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taxesshmaxes 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@taxesshmaxes 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/nisanovtax/ 

Find Alex here:

Book a consult call: https://calendly.com/alexsnider/coaching-exploration-call

Submit topics & questions here: https://hrui5f051vt.typeform.com/to/x5JcZehI

Join the email list: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6435e98ea1738f69214662ac

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snideralex/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/asyetunknown

Fundraising as a startup or venture fund has never been ‘easy’, but throw in a recession and that uphill journey just turned icy and extra treacherous. If you’re an investor, do you lock up your wallet and wait? As a founder, is it futile or has the game simply shifted slightly? 

In this episode we are joined by David Charbonneau to talk about expectations, experiences and essentials for raising capital in an increasingly difficult economic environment.

As the founder and managing partner of Boreal Ventures, he is in the trenches of this recession alongside his investors, portfolio company leaders and pitching founders on a daily basis.

Whether you’re an investor or founder looking to ‘break into’ or ‘get out alive’, this conversation is for you. We covered a wide range of perspectives and practical considerations that could change the way you navigate the coming year.

Patient Capital and Outsized Returns, the Nature of VC

Slower Deals and a Return to a Market that Favours Investors

Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution 

Relationship Building and Establishing a Rapport with Funds is Vital to the Process

Gone is the Growth at All Costs Mentality

Best Entrepreneurs are Generals Building an Army of A Players

You can Connect with David on LinkedIn:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcharbonneau1/ 

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Find Alex here:

Book a consult call: https://calendly.com/alexsnider/coaching-exploration-call

Submit topics & questions here: https://hrui5f051vt.typeform.com/to/x5JcZehI

Join the email list: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6435e98ea1738f69214662ac

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snideralex/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/asyetunknown

Gone are the days of a single career path for life, the average person will change careers 5-7 times during their working life.

But change is stressful and jobs are an integral part of our identity and security. So when you feel it's time for a change, how do you know you’re ready, decide on timing and most importantly, evaluate what you want to do next? 

In this episode we are joined by Beckie Thain-Blonk to talk about when you feel the itch to move on from your current corporate role, and the process of charting a new course and tackling all the internal and external obstacles that often come up along the way.

Beckie and I both share our journeys through management consulting, founding and selling startups, and making big leaps into the unknown to do what you love in both the corporate and entrepreneurial space.

And Beckie shares how she has leveraged all of this to help ambitious professionals market themselves as top candidates so they can land incredible jobs that excite and challenge them.

Your Why

Your Mental Well Being & Mindset

How to Evaluate What’s Next 

Intrapreneurship vs Entrepreneurship

Why a Coach is so Important to the Transition Process

You can find Beckie on LinkedIn and join our email lists to get the Discover Your Skills worksheet as well as 5 Tips for Strategic Planning to Generate Tangible Results  

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckiethain/ 

Join email list: https://signup.thainblonk.com/join

Find Alex here:

Book a consult call: https://calendly.com/alexsnider/coaching-exploration-call

Submit topics & questions here: https://hrui5f051vt.typeform.com/to/x5JcZehI

Join the email list: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6435e98ea1738f69214662ac

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snideralex/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/asyetunknown

A provocative perspective on outcome drivers in tough times.

Most of us know that to generate uncommon results, we need to act in uncommon ways… but we’re also evolutionarily programmed to see threats and focus on survival. So how can you swim against the tide in order to find opportunities where everyone sees only challenges? 

In this episode we are joined by Kena Paranjape to talk about how to peel away from the crowded gloomy group think of recessionary times in order to find and create unbelievable opportunities.

This conversation went DEEP! I love Kena’s quintessential entrepreneurial journey from a side hustle creating the ‘perfect robe’ while being VP merchandising for Houseplant to helping women define their authentic life and journey beyond the successful career.  

If you’re finding yourself surrounded by negative news, limitations and generally sucked into the doom and gloom this conversation is for you. We talk about how we’ve both overcome the odds, multiple times, and what we think allowed us to do that including:

Your Bubble: sometimes having a difficult internal circumstance can galvanize and insulate you

Going All In: deciding what you want and committing to your ’mission’ without a fallback 

Assigning Meaning: our experiences are shaped by the meaning we assign, how to shape your own narrative rather than taking on the fear or meaning of the masses

Catching the Adventure rather than Hanging onto Past: when things are disrupted you have the opportunity to explore possibility

Your Personal Brand: all the skills, experience and wisdom that aren’t on your LinkedIn

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You can find more from Kena and All You Are via LinkedIn, Instagram and her website:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenaparanjape/ 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/kena_allyouare/

Website: https://www.allyouare.ca/ 

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Find Alex here:

Book a consult call: https://calendly.com/alexsnider/coaching-exploration-call

Submit topics & questions here: https://hrui5f051vt.typeform.com/to/x5JcZehI

Join the email list: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6435e98ea1738f69214662ac

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snideralex/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/asyetunknown

Value proposition is the name of the game in lean times 

It makes sense that ROI becomes even more critical as companies start making cutbacks. So how do you determine where to invest, get that message across and keep vital initiatives moving forward? Like it or not, it starts with your stakeholders…

In this episode we are joined by John Williams to talk about how the principles of Change Management can help stop transformation from stalling, or even kick start it, in the face of uncertainty.

We had some tech issues recording this episode so we’ve included more comprehensive show notes, check those out if you need some clarifications (thanks for your patience!).

Change management’s focus on the ‘people’ side of transformation projects - human behaviour and its challenges (the Swiss Cheese 🧀 Problem)

How an objective and experienced practitioner supporting change management is vital due to the process heavy nature, stakeholder management complexity and ability to foresee and mitigated risks from experience

The risk of significant loss on the project investment or even operational risk introduced by a lack or misalignment of adoption 

The importance of WHY from the leadership level downwards (the Battlecry 🤺to Rally Around)

Key success factors from initiation to execution such as a business case document articulating the ROI and risk factors defining the value and impact, stakeholder alignment and resource allocation including champions, superusers, change agents 

Understanding your different stakeholder groups, what drives them, what you need from each group and how to incentivise each to ensure successful outcomes (Execs 🧑‍💼from the Rest 🧑‍🏫🧑‍🏭🧑‍💻🧑‍🔧)

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You can find more from John and connect on all things change management via LinkedIn or email:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-w-352102148/

Email: [email protected] 

Find Alex here:

Book a consult call: https://calendly.com/alexsnider/coaching-exploration-call

Submit topics & questions here: https://hrui5f051vt.typeform.com/to/x5JcZehI

Join the email list: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6435e98ea1738f69214662ac

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snideralex/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/asyetunknown

Is your snacking habit or daily coffee sign of something deeper that’s holding you and your business back?

We all know what we ‘should’ be doing, but so many of us struggle to provide ourselves with the optimal conditions for success. This is no truer anywhere than entrepreneurship where there are very few guide rails, tons of stress and occasionally a reticence to conform. 

In this episode we are joined by Charmaine Horn to talk about how taking control of your health and habits can create better and more sustainable business results.

As a former "Carbaholic" who used sugary and carby foods to deal with the stress of her Registered Nursing job until being diagnosed with prediabetes in 2017, Charmaine understands the power of habits and the journey to a new reality. 

We covered some powerful stuff that you can leverage TODAY, to change your trajectory:

The signs that indicate you might have suboptimal habit or coping mechanism

The emotional, physical, financial impacts of our unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms.

The few seconds it takes to interrupt unconscious patterns and habits… so you can reduce stress, stay focussed and improve health and business results.

Creating that few-second pause to:

feel your feelings, how to have a connection with your body, bring awareness to your body and the signs to look for, and do a nervous system regulation technique (examples included!)

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Charmaine Horn, BSN, RN, EFTMP-C, is a Registered Nurse, Certified Holden Qigong Instructor, and Certified Master EFT Practitioner. After working 8 years as a psychiatric nurse, she realized that the psychiatric medications she gave to her patients rarely seemed to help improve her patients' symptoms long-term. She left her nursing job in 2020 to pursue new modalities and holistic methods to help people heal from emotional and mental health issues. Then in 2022, after going through her own physical and emotional setbacks, she discovered Qigong. After practicing Qigong daily to help herself heal from debilitating knee pain, grief, anxiety, depression, and more challenges she was facing, she became a Certified Qigong Instructor and Certified Master EFT Practitioner to help people everywhere reduce their stress levels and live their best lives.

You can find more from Charmaine on her Instagram, website and YouTube channel.

IG:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@oasisqigong

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Find Alex here:

Book a consult call: https://calendly.com/alexsnider/coaching-exploration-call

Submit topics & questions here: https://hrui5f051vt.typeform.com/to/x5JcZehI

Join the email list: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6435e98ea1738f69214662ac

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snideralex/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/asyetunknown

The world of entrepreneurship and M&A are generally regarded as the wild west, but today’s guest has one of the wildest tales I’ve personally encountered in startup world.

From driving a limo and sleeping in his car to becoming the President of SISU which sold for $100M in a $1B transaction, John has seen and done more than most and his ability to articulate the salient takeaways is phenomenal.

In this episode John Figueiredo joins us to talk about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of taking a business from product market fit to $101M annual revenue, JayZ as Chief Visionary Officer and an IPO in less than 4 years!

What a PHENOMENAL conversation 🔥

There is no way to sum this up succinctly, we spoke on so many vital concepts and behind the scenes of growing and selling a company (while going public!!).

Building Tangible Skills & Intrapreneurship: the path to successful entrepreneurship 

Asymmetric Risk and the Statistics of Success: what reviving Hotel California and dominating the cannabis industry have in common

Doom to Domination in 6 months: the trials, tribulations and innovations to out manoeuvre companies with significantly more capitalization and monopolize the industry - ‘Your margin is my opportunity’ ~ Jeff Bezos  

Game Changing Business Models: how understanding stakeholders and creating innovative win-win opportunities 

Swimming with Sharks: Preparing to sell, from courtship and happy times to the tightrope walk of purchase and sale agreement, audit processes and negotiating with Jay Z’s management team

Lessons Learned: from corporate structures and tax implications to the 5 principles of building a great mission driven business 

I am going to be listening to this episode multiple times because it has just so many nuggets of insight and information. 

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You can find more from John and connect on all things AI, technology, business growth and the economy via LinkedIn or Instagram as well as check out his new venture Plaito’s website:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-figueiredo-a4501711/ 

IG:  https://instagram.com/fig.time?igshid=NzAzN2Q1NTE= 

Plaito: https://www.plaito.ai/ 

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Find Alex here:

Book a consult call: https://calendly.com/alexsnider/coaching-exploration-call

Submit topics & questions here: https://hrui5f051vt.typeform.com/to/x5JcZehI

Join the email list: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6435e98ea1738f69214662ac

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snideralex/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/asyetunknown