In this engaging conversation, Petros Kusmu shares his journey from a diverse background to becoming the founder and CEO of Alpine Business Capital.

He discusses the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship, particularly in raising funds for business acquisitions.

Petros emphasizes the importance of confidence, relationship building, and having a clear vision in achieving business success.

He also highlights the significance of creating a supportive environment for employees and the unique approach he takes in his business strategy.

Key Takeaways

• Petros emphasizes the importance of confidence in entrepreneurship
• He believes that many entrepreneurs feel like imposters at times
• Building relationships before needing them is crucial for success
• Creating a sense of urgency can help in fundraising efforts
• Petros's unique approach includes offering employee ownership in acquisitions
• He highlights the importance of having a strong thesis for business acquisitions
• Networking and seeking mentorship played a significant role in his journey
• Petros's journey includes diverse experiences in management consulting and education
• He believes in being selective about investors and partnerships
• The conversation reflects on the importance of self-reflection in leadership

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In this conversation, Kelly Kennedy, a business development coach, shares insights on the importance of consistency, mindset, and strategic approaches in achieving success in business development.

He emphasizes the need for a structured process, the role of digital introductions, and the significance of using a CRM to track progress.

Kelly also discusses the importance of building relationships and managing expectations throughout the business development process, ultimately highlighting that success is measured by the number of meetings secured with potential clients.

Key Takeaways

• Consistency over time is the key to success
• Business development requires a strategic approach
• Mindset plays a crucial role in overcoming challenges
• Digital introductions can enhance outreach efforts
• CRM systems are essential for tracking progress
• Building relationships is vital for long-term success
• Measure success by the number of meetings, not just sales
• Weekly accountability is important in business development efforts

Executive Wins - https://executivewins.com

Newsletter - https://executivewins.com/newsletter

Executive Wins Workshop - https://executivewins.com/workshops

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonsheppard/

In this episode Trevor Kloeck, President of Plantae talks about how proud he is of helping to build a team that can thrive as they go through the ups and downs of building a technology driven company.

He emphasizes the importance of team culture, values, and continuous improvement in driving the company's success.

Trevor shares insights on the challenges of building a business during COVID, the significance of having a strong mission, and how they measure success beyond just profitability.

The discussion also highlights the role of leadership and the commitment to sustainability in their operations.

Key Takeaways

• Nature is viewed as a solution, not just a resource
• Team culture is central to business success
• Be unapologetically honest when you make decisions
• Continuous improvement is part of the company culture
• Leadership is about empowering the entire team
• Operational policies evolve with the business as it scales
• Success is measured by product quality and engagement, not just revenue
• Innovation requires a passionate and committed team

Executive Wins - https://executivewins.com

Newsletter - https://executivewins.com/newsletter

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LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonsheppard/

In this episode, Alvin Pyke shares the story of how he raised 25 million dollars to buy a screw piling business because he had a vision about how to grow the company from 10 to 50 million dollars in revenue.

He also shares his early experiences with business, the transition from engineering to entrepreneurship, and the perseverance he demonstrated to get this acquisition done.

Throughout you’ll hear about Alvin’s emphasis on being patient, getting the right advice and how to be innovative when nobody believes you can.

Key Takeaways

• Alvin's passion for building things started at a young age when he set up a fruit stand so he could buy his first motorcycle
• Alvin had a vision that he did not waiver from as he moved forward to get the financing he needed to acquire Peaceland Piling
• Raising capital required strategic planning and persistence
• Surrounding oneself with the right people is crucial for success
• Operational challenges included navigating complex share structure
• The acquisition transformed Peaceland Piling into a leading EPCM
• Achieving $50 million in revenue was a significant milestone within 3 years
• Alvin's journey exemplifies the power of dreaming big and the entrepreneurial spirit

Executive Wins - https://executivewins.com

Newsletter - https://executivewins.com/newsletter

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LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonsheppard/

In this episode, Kelly Mottet, COO of Mach32, talks about how to bring an innovative medical device to market in the United States.

She shares insights into the journey of securing a significant government contract with BARDA, the strategies employed to navigate the medical device landscape, and the importance of team dynamics and stakeholder engagement.

The conversation highlights the operational challenges faced by a small startup and the values that drive their mission to save lives.

Key Takeaways

• Mach32 aims to stop traumatic bleeding with their innovative medical device
• The BARDA contract is a significant validation of Mach32's mission
• Networking and persistence were key to securing the BARDA contract
• Team cohesion is crucial for a virtual startup environment - and you should consider setting up ‘Starbucks Friday’s’ to give your team the space to get to know each other
• Investors and subject matter experts play vital roles in startup success
• The journey involves continuous learning and adapting to feedback
• Success is measured by progress towards commercialization and user impact
• The ultimate goal is to save lives with their product.

Executive Wins - https://executivewins.com

Newsletter - https://executivewins.com/newsletter

Executive Wins Workshop - https://executivewins.com/workshops

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonsheppard/

If you were a Chief Administrative Officer, and you knew that you had to find a better solution for a major infrastructure project, what would you do?

In this episode of the Executive Wins Podcast, Jodi Brown, the Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Bon Accord, talks about how she and her team found an environmentally friendly solution for a mandatory stormwater drainage project.

From a leadership perspective Jodi shares the importance of maintaining a strong network, and not being afraid to reach out and ask for help when you are facing a major challenge.

Key Takeaways

• Jodi emphasizes the importance of not giving up easily when faced with challenges
• Networking with colleagues can lead to innovative solutions
• A nature-based approach to stormwater management can provide multiple community benefits
• Collaboration between council and administration is key to project success
• Cost-effective solutions can save taxpayers significant amounts of money
• Leaving a positive legacy is a motivating factor for municipal leaders
• Magna Engineering

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LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonsheppard/

Are you an Executive who wants to save their company a lot of time and money?

In this episode of the Executive Wins podcast, Chelsea Yarmuch, Director of Finance at McKillican, shares her journey of transitioning the company from asset-based lending to traditional financing.

She discusses the significant cost savings and operational efficiencies gained through this change, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder buy-in and strategic decision-making.

Chelsea also highlights the challenges faced during the process and the positive impact on her team, ultimately leading to a successful outcome that benefits the organization as a whole.

For this win she was able to:

• Identify the issue, which was that borrowing costs were too high
• Make senior leaders aware of the problem
• Find evidence to support her thesis that they should switch to traditional financing
• Rally all the stakeholders, answer their objections and gain their support
• Get this major change accomplished in less than 8 months

The result?

She saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars, and also freed up countless hours of time for her accounting team to do more high-value work!

Key Takeaways

• Always keep an eye on major expenses so you can find ways to reduce them
• Stakeholder engagement is critical at every stage of a major change
• Do your homework and risk analysis so you can fully understand the implications of changing your borrowing approach
• Make sure to add up the hidden cost of people hours that go into an activity, so you can assess whether or not to make a change
• Don’t be afraid to challeng senior leaders in a constructive manner, especially when you know that you have a strong case that will save the company time and money

Visit https://executivewins.com/podcast/ for more inspiring interviews!

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LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonsheppard/

As a leader, do you really care about how your staff is feeing at the beginning of the day?

If so, how do you show that you care?

In this episode you’re going to learn how to improve attraction and retention of top talent by doing a wellness check-in at the beginning of every meeting.

That’s because our guest is Co-Founder Karen Unland from Taproot Publishing in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Karen is a values-driven leader who shares a best practice that she has implemented in her company.

At the beginning of every meeting, she does a wellness check-in with each person on her team.

By doing this she can identify if someone is struggling, surviving, thriving or excelling.

She also models this best practice as a leader, because she also shares how she’s feeling at the beginning of every meeting.

The result?

The employees at Taproot know that they can be transparent about how they are doing because of the high level of psychological safety that Karen helps to create.

It’s also a way to retain the types of talented people who want to be in this type of work culture.

This whole approach is based on the company’s three core values which are

1. We are curious
2. We choose courage
3. And we care

Overall, this approach is helping Taproot to build a robust workforce that is poised to help the company meet its overall growth targets in the future.

Key Takeaways

• Wellness check-ins are essential for understanding employee well-being
• Creating a culture of openness encourages honesty among team members
• Leadership must model vulnerability to foster psychological safety
• Values-driven leadership is crucial for organizational success
• Retention of employees is more cost-effective than constant hiring
• Celebrating wins and gratitude is part of the company culture
• Continuous improvement in workplace culture is a priority

Executive Wins - https://executivewins.com

Newsletter - https://executivewins.com/newsletter

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LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonsheppard/

Welcome to episode 1 of the Executive Wins Podcast!

In this introduction you’ll find out why senior leaders who listen will be able to grow themselves and their businesses.

That’s because podcast host Gordon Sheppard explains the format of the show which is to interview highly accomplished executives and help them share their biggest wins so you can learn from them and improve your own leadership skills and grow your company.

Wins include improving profitability, processes, communicating more effectively with your team, innovations and more.

Within each episode leaders share a big win, and then Gord interviews them using a proven 5-part framework called the Anatomy of a Win. This includes learning about the Strategy, Work Plan, People, Operations and Results behind the win.

This 5-part framework is inspired by the Executive Planning System, the approach that Gord uses in his Business Advisory practice to help senior leadership teams optimize their entire organization.

You’ll also hear two clips from upcoming episodes which include:

Karen Unland, Co-Founder of Taproot Publishing, who talks about the value of doing wellness check-ins at the beginning of every staff meeting.

You’ll also hear a clip from Chelsea Yarmuch, the Director of Finance for McKillican who talks about why she helped her company switch from Asset Based Financing to traditional financing.

By the end you’ll want to subscribe to the show so you can up your executive game, get inspired and grow your organization.

Executive Wins - https://executivewins.com

Newsletter - https://executivewins.com/newsletter

Executive Wins Workshop - https://executivewins.com/workshops

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonsheppard/