GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops
WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Team leaders / Anyone managing people or driving change
WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear framework for identifying avoided conversations, practical tools for resetting stuck dialogue, and the confidence to have the hard talk before it becomes a bigger problem.

Most teams don't fail because of strategy. They fail because of conversations nobody had.

Steffan Surdek is a leadership coach and culture change expert who helps organizations close the gap between what leaders intend and what actually happens. In this East Trade Winds session, he introduces conversational debt, the accumulation of avoided conversations that quietly erode trust, accountability, and team performance over time.

Steffan breaks down why people avoid hard conversations, what stories they tell themselves to justify the delay, and why the right time is almost always right now. He walks through real examples, the employee who always arrives late, the kickoff event everyone forgets by Tuesday, the leadership meeting that goes in circles, and shows how each one is a symptom of unaddressed conversational debt.

He also shares a simple reset technique he has used with his own spouse for years: stopping a stuck conversation mid-stream, naming where both people are, and starting again from a cleaner place. It works in marriages. It works in boardrooms.

Key topics covered:

Connect with Steffan Surdek:

Free resource from Steffan — Five Key Skills of a Co-Creative Leader Handbook — a 10-page PDF with principles and a self-assessment. Worth grabbing.

Co-hosts: Percy Barr and Wayne Pratt

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— PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE —

East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST. Bring one challenge, bring one introduction. Community first, sales second.

WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com.

Profit10™ — Find out what's really holding your business back. Take the free Profit Snapshot — ten questions, no cost, real clarity.

Next Steps

Disclaimer: Please note that the East Trade Winds podcast episodes are meant solely for educational and general informational purposes. The information and opinions contained within are not intended to be professional advice on any subject matter. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed by the participants are their own beliefs and do not represent the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations.

It is important to note that this podcast is not a replacement for consulting with certified experts in your area who possess knowledge of your unique situation. The hosts of the podcast, along with any participants or affiliated groups, do not take responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented in this episode.

It is highly recommended that individuals seek guidance from their advisors in fields such as accounting, law, or other pertinent areas prior to undertaking any actions or making decisions that may impact their financial, legal, or other aspects of life.

GROWTH PILLAR:Networking & Community

WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Newcomers to Canada / Leaders building referral systems

WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A four-step framework for building a relationship ecosystem that generates leads, visibility, and lasting business partnerships

Most people are networking. Very few are building something that lasts.

Brent Edwards, Owner of BrentCanada Experiences, spent seven years at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce managing relationships with corporate members — and in that time, he watched three types of professionals consistently outperform everyone else in the room. Not because they had the biggest networks. Because they built the right ones.

At East Trade Winds S3E044, Brent walks through four practical steps to build what he calls a relationship ecosystem — a network designed to take your business where you want it to go in the next five years.

What you'll take away:

Key topics covered:

Connect with Brent:

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Next Steps

Disclaimer: Please note that the East Trade Winds podcast episodes are meant solely for educational and general informational purposes. The information and opinions contained within are not intended to be professional advice on any subject matter. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed by the participants are their own beliefs and do not represent the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations.

It is important to note that this podcast is not a replacement for consulting with certified experts in your area who possess knowledge of your unique situation. The hosts of the podcast, along with any participants or affiliated groups, do not take responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented in this episode.

It is highly recommended that individuals seek guidance from their advisors in fields such as accounting, law, or other pertinent areas prior to undertaking any actions or making decisions that may impact their financial, legal, or other aspects of life.

GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & Revenue
WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Manufacturers / Leaders building systems
WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical 7-lever profit framework, a decision-making reset, and a clear method for finding money already inside their business

Most business owners think growth means doing more. Mosongo Moukwa thinks that assumption is costing you profit.

In this East Trade Winds session, Mosongo — author, coach, and manufacturing expert — walks through the three pillars of sustainable business growth: clarity of purpose, strategic focus, and sustainable leadership. The session zeroes in on focus. Not as a mindset habit, but as a decision with real financial consequences.

Mosongo introduces seven business levers — leads, conversion, closing, retention, transaction value, frequency, and cost — and shows attendees how a 10% improvement across each compounds into a 54% profit jump. Push to 40% and profitability climbs 250%. The math is simple. The discipline is not.

He grounds the framework in two real examples: a precision machine shop running at four million in revenue but losing ground on profit, and a cosmetic manufacturer who waited six months to raise prices and paid for it every day. Both businesses turned the corner not by working harder, but by deciding what to stop.

The session closes with a live exercise — attendees map their own numbers against the seven levers and identify the one decision that has been sitting too long.

Key topics covered:

Connect with Mosongo Moukwa:

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— PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE —

East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking where real business conversations happen. Bring one challenge, bring one introduction. Tuesdays 8–9 AM EST.

Profit10™ — Ten questions. A clear read on where your profit is leaking. Take the free Profit Snapshot and see what your numbers are actually telling you.

Gentry Learning — Fred Crouch's real estate education hub. Courses, active listings, an Investor Club, and a free newsletter. Listings | Investor Club | Free Newsletter

Next Steps

Disclaimer: Please note that the East Trade Winds podcast episodes are meant solely for educational and general informational purposes. The information and opinions contained within are not intended to be professional advice on any subject matter. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed by the participants are their own beliefs and do not represent the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations.

It is important to note that this podcast is not a replacement for consulting with certified experts in your area who possess knowledge of your unique situation. The hosts of the podcast, along with any participants or affiliated groups, do not take responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented in this episode.

It is highly recommended that individuals seek guidance from their advisors in fields such as accounting, law, or other pertinent areas prior to undertaking any actions or making decisions that may impact their financial, legal, or other aspects of life.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops

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 business owners can't see cash flow trouble until it's already a crisis.

Diesha Cooper is the founder of Execuly, a fractional CFO/COO practice built around one job: walking into businesses in distress and getting them moving again. She bought her family's industrial company at 28, turned it around in four months, and grew it into a multi-million dollar operation before selling to her partners in 2021.

In this conversation, Diesha breaks down the warning signs owners miss — profit on paper that hides negative cash flow, owner wages that are too low to reflect real market value, and operating systems that were never built to scale. She also shares how she's applying agentic AI training from Harvard to turnaround work, and how launching her own product, Siplux, taught her e-commerce and marketing from the ground up.

Key topics covered: cash flow blind spots, paying yourself a reasonable wage, operational architecture, and what it actually takes to rebuild a business under pressure.

Connect with Diesha: LinkedIn | Execuly | Execuly blog | Siplux | Siplux Instagram

Co-hosted by Percy Barr and Wayne Pratt.

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Next Steps:

Disclaimer: Please note that the East Trade Winds podcast episodes are meant solely for educational and general informational purposes. The information and opinions contained within are not intended to be professional advice on any subject matter. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed by the participants are their own beliefs and do not represent the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations.

It is important to note that this podcast is not a replacement for consulting with certified experts in your area who possess knowledge of your unique situation. The hosts of the podcast, along with any participants or affiliated groups, do not take responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented in this episode.

It is highly recommended that individuals seek guidance from their advisors in fields such as accounting, law, or other pertinent areas prior to undertaking any actions or making decisions that may impact their financial, legal, or other aspects of life.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & Automation

WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems
WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical look at one tool that handles lead drip campaigns, social posts across six platforms, and a unified inbox — with a human still in the loop.

Most business owners don't have a lead problem. They have a follow-up problem.

In this East Trade Winds session, Rahel Gunaratne walks the room through Outbound HQ; an AI co-pilot built for owners who tried to grow a brand, ran out of time, and stopped.

Rahel shows the live setup. Add a team. Connect your domain and email. Drop in your leads. Build a drip campaign that sends five emails over thirty days. When a prospect books a call, they come off the list automatically.

Then he flips to social media. Outbound HQ posts to TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter. It looks at your past content and writes new posts that sound like you. Nothing goes out without a human approval.

Rahel grew a TikTok account to eight thousand followers using this exact workflow.

Key topics covered:

Connect with Rahel:

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Final CTAs

Disclaimer: Please note that the East Trade Winds podcast episodes are meant solely for educational and general informational purposes. The information and opinions contained within are not intended to be professional advice on any subject matter. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed by the participants are their own beliefs and do not represent the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations.

It is important to note that this podcast is not a replacement for consulting with certified experts in your area who possess knowledge of your unique situation. The hosts of the podcast, along with any participants or affiliated groups, do not take responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented in this episode.

It is highly recommended that individuals seek guidance from their advisors in fields such as accounting, law, or other pertinent areas prior to undertaking any actions or making decisions that may impact their financial, legal, or other aspects of life.

GROWTH PILLAR: AI & Automation
WHO THIS IS FOR: Solopreneurs / Fractional executives / SMB owners / Corporate escapees building systems
WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A real working model of AI as a teammate, not a chat tool — daily planning, a second brain, multi-agent intelligence, and the shift from prompt engineering to context engineering.

Most people feel behind on AI. Erica Layer felt the same way three months ago. Then she built something different.

Erica is a fractional COO. She runs an independent consulting practice across small businesses, startups, and global health nonprofits. In this East Trade Winds session, she walks through the AI operating system she built to run her business — and shows it live.

The system has four connected pieces.

First, an AI executive assistant. Every morning she types "plan my day." Claude pulls her email, calendar, and meeting notes. It files messages, drafts replies, surfaces tasks, and blocks deep work into her calendar. By the time she opens her inbox, 80% of the work is done.

Second, a portfolio dashboard. It tracks every client, every initiative, and every business development lead. It scores how she spent her time — work, exercise, sleep, family. It even replaced her CRM.

Third, an Obsidian second brain. Over 100 LinkedIn posts, past publications, strategy documents, meeting transcripts, and weekly intelligence — all connected as a wiki. AI draws on this context every time she works.

Fourth, a weekly intelligence layer. Three agents scan her podcasts, newsletters, and research every Sunday. A scoring agent ranks each piece. A synthesis agent writes a ten-page brief that lands in her inbox every Monday.

The core shift is from prompt engineering to context engineering — giving AI deep context so it works with you and for you, not just beside you.

Key topics: fractional COO model, AI executive assistant, Obsidian second brain, context engineering, multi-agent automation, weekly intelligence brief, Claude Code, Claude Chrome extension, business development pipeline, content pipeline.

Connect with Erica:

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Next Steps

Disclaimer: Please note that the East Trade Winds podcast episodes are meant solely for educational and general informational purposes. The information and opinions contained within are not intended to be professional advice on any subject matter. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed by the participants are their own beliefs and do not represent the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations.

It is important to note that this podcast is not a replacement for consulting with certified experts in your area who possess knowledge of your unique situation. The hosts of the podcast, along with any participants or affiliated groups, do not take responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented in this episode.

It is highly recommended that individuals seek guidance from their advisors in fields such as accounting, law, or other pertinent areas prior to undertaking any actions or making decisions that may impact their financial, legal, or other aspects of life.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops

WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems

WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Actionable insights on preparing for negotiations, reading body language, managing emotions at the table, and using elicitation to gather information without interrogating.

Most small business owners lose deals before they ever talk price.

Joseph McGuire has spent decades teaching leaders how to read the human side of a negotiation. He joins East Trade Winds to share what SMBs get wrong when they sell into larger organizations — and what to do instead.

Joseph walks through preparation, internal alignment, and the role of curiosity. He shares the Camp David story where one photograph broke a deadlock. He explains why "why" questions put people on the defensive, and how elicitation gets you better information without pressure. He covers the small body language signals that reveal what people are not saying — turtling, staring, rapid blinking, and the small muscle between the eyebrows.

Key topics:

Guest links:

Sponsors mentioned:

Next steps:

Disclaimer: Please note that the East Trade Winds podcast episodes are meant solely for educational and general informational purposes. The information and opinions contained within are not intended to be professional advice on any subject matter. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed by the participants are their own beliefs and do not represent the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations.

It is important to note that this podcast is not a replacement for consulting with certified experts in your area who possess knowledge of your unique situation. The hosts of the podcast, along with any participants or affiliated groups, do not take responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented in this episode.

It is highly recommended that individuals seek guidance from their advisors in fields such as accounting, law, or other pertinent areas prior to undertaking any actions or making decisions that may impact their financial, legal, or other aspects of life.

GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & Revenue

WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Grassroots organizations / Early-stage founders looking for alternative funding

WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical framework for grant readiness — clear messaging, smart grant selection, and a proactive funding calendar that puts you ahead of deadlines.

Most small business owners don't get rejected from grants because their idea is bad. They get rejected because their messaging is unclear and their application doesn't show alignment with what the funder actually wants to fund. Vanessa Burns fixes that.

Vanessa is a certified Grant Professional Consultant — one of only six in Canada holding the GPC accreditation — based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Through Vanessa Burns Consulting, she helps small businesses and grassroots organizations build smart, proactive funding strategies that go beyond just filling out forms. With 20+ years of fundraising experience, she has been on both sides of the table — writing applications and reviewing them.

In this East Trade Winds session, Vanessa covers:

— Why unclear brand messaging is the number one reason grant applications get rejected 

If you have ever looked at the grant landscape and thought it was too complicated, too competitive, or not worth the effort — this session is for you.

Connect with Vanessa: Website | LinkedIn | Vanessa Burns Consulting on LinkedIn 

Free offer: 30-minute consultation — reach out directly via LinkedIn or her website.

This episode is brought to you by Canada Growth Network: a business community for SMBs and solopreneurs with real referral connections and GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month CAD. 

Also supported by East Trade Winds — free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST, and Gentry Learning — practical business education for growth-minded owners.

Join East Trade Winds free — Tuesdays 8–9 AM EST: Register here

Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform. 

Subscribe to the K4B blog: blog.knack4business.com

Search all K4B episodes: knack4business.com 

Register as a K4B guest:tinyurl.com/mcdm3hk6

Questions? [email protected]

Disclaimer: Please note that the East Trade Winds podcast episodes are meant solely for educational and general informational purposes. The information and opinions contained within are not intended to be professional advice on any subject matter. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed by the participants are their own beliefs and do not represent the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations.

It is important to note that this podcast is not a replacement for consulting with certified experts in your area who possess knowledge of your unique situation. The hosts of the podcast, along with any participants or affiliated groups, do not take responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented in this episode.

It is highly recommended that individuals seek guidance from their advisors in fields such as accounting, law, or other pertinent areas prior to undertaking any actions or making decisions that may impact their financial, legal, or other aspects of life.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops

WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems

WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A neuroscience-based framework for understanding burnout, a six-element recovery system, and practical steps to protect mental performance before the crash happens.

Burnout isn't a mindset problem. It's a brain problem.

Blaz Marolt has burned out three times. The second put him on sick leave for six months. By the third, he saw it coming — and stopped it. In this East Trade Winds session, Blaz breaks down exactly what happens inside your brain during burnout and gives you a factory-based framework to understand it, prevent it, and recover from it.

He covers the six core inputs your brain needs to produce healthy neurons — relationships, movement, novelty, nature, omega-3 nutrition, and pauses. Lose one and you manage. Lose two and the domino effect begins. He explains why recovery takes months, not weeks, why sleeping in on weekends doesn't fix a sleep deficit, and why 75 to 80 percent of new neurons die before they ever do their job.

This is not a wellness pep talk. It's operational intelligence for anyone who leads people, runs a business, or simply needs their brain to perform.

Topics covered include the neuroscience of burnout, neurogenesis and how new neurons are built, the factory analogy for brain health, why bad client relationships physically affect your brain, the role of novelty and language learning in neuroplasticity, the three types of pauses your brain requires, and why recovery timelines are longer than most people expect.

Connect with Blaz Marolt: Website: blazmarolt.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/blazmarolt YouTube Business: BlazMarolt-operations-wd-40 YouTube Healing with Blaz: youtube.com/channel/UCgpJGfAUbmzG3YQsyPnnLSw

Referred by Mary Clavieres.

This episode is supported by: 

Canada Growth Network — Real business connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month CAD. Start your first month for $1. 

East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST. Bring one challenge, bring one introduction. 

Playzo — Gamified engagement tools for communities, events, and live sessions.

Have a question or want to connect? Email us: [email protected]

Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month after. No lock-in: canadagrowthnetwork.com/ghl

Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform.

Subscribe to the K4B blog: blog.knack4business.com

Search all K4B and ETW episodes by topic: knack4business.com

Register as a K4B guest: tinyurl.com/mcdm3hk6

Join East Trade Winds free every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST: Register here

Disclaimer: Please note that the East Trade Winds podcast episodes are meant solely for educational and general informational purposes. The information and opinions contained within are not intended to be professional advice on any subject matter. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed by the participants are their own beliefs and do not represent the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations.

It is important to note that this podcast is not a replacement for consulting with certified experts in your area who possess knowledge of your unique situation. The hosts of the podcast, along with any participants or affiliated groups, do not take responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented in this episode.

It is highly recommended that individuals seek guidance from their advisors in fields such as accounting, law, or other pertinent areas prior to undertaking any actions or making decisions that may impact their financial, legal, or other aspects of life.

GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops

WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Coaches / Service-based entrepreneurs managing seasonal revenue

WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Practical strategies for summer cash flow, forward-planning frameworks, pipeline mindset shifts, and seasonal business ops that actually hold up.

Most entrepreneurs don't lose the fall — they lose it in June. That's the real message from this East Trade Winds Mastermind session.

Host Percy Barr brings together six sharp contributors for an unscripted round-table on one of the most common blind spots in small business: the summer slowdown. It's not just about July and August. It's about what you did — or didn't do — in the months before.

Wayne Pratt reminds us that months are meaningless. Seasons are not. Build for fall now, while you still have runway.

Tony Gyenis shares how forward-visioning — staying one to two years ahead — turns slow seasons into opportunity windows. His story about acquiring warehouse rollers before he knew he needed them is worth the listen alone.

Carl Richards points out that a September podcast launch means work starts now. Sixty to ninety days minimum. Waiting until you're back from the cottage is how January becomes April.

Noemi Beres confirms the podcasting world never really stops — and that the best booking windows close faster than most people expect.

JoJo LaRiccia brings it back to trust. Show up. Keep moving. Life shows up for the people who do.

Bernie Franzgrote ties the room together with a runway metaphor that applies to every entrepreneur planning an event, a launch, or a rebrand: the marketing has to breathe before the moment arrives.

Percy anchors the whole session with a simple reframe — this is spring. It's the right time to plant.

Topics covered:

Connect with our contributors:

This episode is brought to you by:

Join East Trade Winds — free, every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST: Register here

Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month after: canadagrowthnetwork.com/ghl

Subscribe to the K4B blog:blog.knack4business.com

Search all K4B episodes:knack4business.com

Want to be a guest on Knack 4 Business? Register here

Questions? Reach us: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Please note that the East Trade Winds podcast episodes are meant solely for educational and general informational purposes. The information and opinions contained within are not intended to be professional advice on any subject matter. The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed by the participants are their own beliefs and do not represent the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations.

It is important to note that this podcast is not a replacement for consulting with certified experts in your area who possess knowledge of your unique situation. The hosts of the podcast, along with any participants or affiliated groups, do not take responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented in this episode.

It is highly recommended that individuals seek guidance from their advisors in fields such as accounting, law, or other pertinent areas prior to undertaking any actions or making decisions that may impact their financial, legal, or other aspects of life.