From the trenches

Sharie Minions is the Mayor of the City of Port Alberni, leader of Sharie Minions & Team Mortgage Brokers, and owner of the restaurant Brie & Barrel in Port Alberni. Her unique background and skillset lead her to a term on City Council from 2014-2018, and into the Mayor's seat from 2018 till now.

The interview covers a review of her first term as mayor, entrepreneurial journey, the challenging balancing act of ambition with family, business and life in general, and much more.

Sharie's Final 4:

Book: Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed for You Book - Jenara Nerenberg.

Best advice: "Find out what you're not good at, and pay someone else to do it."

App: Reminders.

Favourite restaurants on Vancouver Island: Brie & Barrel AND The Farmer's Daughter.

Podcast Publisher

For more local news impacting business, visit: www.businessexaminer.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ColdStar Solutions is a Vancouver Island based grocery wholesaler, a transport company that specializes in hauling food products between Vancouver and all parts of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands of Georgia Strait and a public Cold Storage operation.

This interview covers the company's unique history, and their focus on sustainable innovation, including the upcoming launch of the first ever entirely electric, Made in Canada, 5 ton refrigerated transportation truck. It also covers the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, leadership lessons and much more.

Episode Sponsor:

Coastal Community Credit Union: Who’s helping you take care of your financial health? Coastal Community Credit Union is here to help you reach your goals, and do great things. Visit www.cccu.ca.

Kelly's Final 4:

Book: Beartown by Fredrik Backman.

Best advice: "Your goal as a leader is to figure out how to get your team to follow you out of the trenches when the bullets are flying."

App: Audible.

Favourite restaurants on Vancouver Island: The Collective Wine Bar & Kitchen and Wind Cries Mary

Podcast Publisher

For more local news impacting business, visit: www.businessexaminer.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wilson’s Transportation is a locally-owned and operated charter bus company serving Victoria and Vancouver Island. In operation since 1962, they are a trusted provider known for their exceptional service, transporting groups large and small from one destination to another – safely and on time.

As Vancouver Island’s largest charter transportation company with over 140 vehicles available, they offer charters and rentals for all types of groups and events – from small elite tours to large conferences. In addition to their core business of bus charters and rentals, they also operate an eight bay mechanical and body shop facility where their contracts include retrofitting BC Transit buses.

Learn more about them by visiting: wilsonstransportation.com.

• Episode Sponsor: Coastal Community Credit Union: Who’s helping you take care of your financial health? Coastal Community Credit Union is here to help you reach your goals, and do great things. Visit www.cccu.ca.
• John's Final 4:
  • Book: Nine Lessons I Learned from My Father Book by Murray Howe.
  • Best advice: "Let passion drive you, but also let it hold your reigns."
  • App: Ring.
  • Favourite restaurant on Vancouver Island: II Terrazzo.
• For more local news impacting business, visit: www.businessexaminer.caw

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexzi Building Solutions is a local Vancouver Island based green manufacturing company working with Nexii, to bring a sustainable, near-zero waste, and natural disaster resilient building alternative to the construction industry.

Alexzi is currently working towards the construction of its 100,000+ sqft state of the art manufacturing plant which will create 150+ direct jobs.

Learn more about them by visiting: www.alexzi.com.

• Episode Sponsor: Coastal Community Credit Union: Who’s helping you take care of your financial health? Coastal Community Credit Union is here to help you reach your goals, and do great things. Visit www.cccu.ca.
• Amber's Final 4:
  • Book: The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav.
  • Best advice: "Don't focus on what people aren't doing, focus on you are."
  • App: Zoom.
  • Favourite restaurant on Vancouver Island: Q at The Empress.
• For more local news impacting business, visit: www.businessexaminer.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest 1: Coastal Community Credit Union wants to help you grow your business, our communities and financial health for all.

Learn more about them by visiting: www.cccu.ca.

Guest 2: LlamaZOO Interactive was co-founded by game industry veterans who wanted to make more practical, yet disruptive use of 3D game visualization technology. They knew that they could take gaming tech and transform it into real-world applications.

Learn more about them by visiting: llamazoo.com.

• Episode Sponsor: Coastal Community Credit Union: Who’s helping you take care of your financial health? Coastal Community Credit Union is here to help you reach your goals, and do great things. Visit www.cccu.ca.
• Charles' Final 4:
  • Book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things Book by Ben Horowitz.
  • Best advice: "Do what you're afraid to do."
  • Apps: Google Maps + AllTrails.
  • Favourite restaurant on Vancouver Island: Shizen Sushi.
• For more local news impacting business, visit: www.businessexaminer.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest 1: H2 Accelerator is a boutique agency located in Victoria, BC, that works with some of Vancouver Island’s and BC’s most exciting and socially responsible brands in tourism, financial services, retail, health and wellness, social marketing, and more.

Learn more about H2 Accelerator by visiting: www.h2accelerator.com.

Guest 2: 80% of businesses are unknowingly overspending on employee benefits. OnPoint Employee Benefits fixes this. A total-rewards centric practice, they consult on benefits, productivity and wellness. They uncover where benefit premium wastage is happening and conduct benchmarking for entrepreneurial organizations looking to scale their teams.

Learn more about OnPoint Employee Benefits by visiting: onpointbenefits.ca.

• Episode Sponsor: Coastal Community Credit Union: Who’s helping you take care of your financial health? Coastal Community Credit Union is here to help you reach your goals, and do great things. Visit www.cccu.ca.
• Tyler's Final 4:
  • Book: Jack Reacher series.
  • Best advice: "Everyone knows your last name. What is your legacy going to be when you meet someone?"
  • Apps: Pipedrive + Vidyard.
  • Favourite restaurant on Vancouver Island: Nowhere *A Restaurant.
• For more local news impacting business, visit: www.businessexaminer.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest 1: [00.00-05.35] Pearlman Lindholm was established by Edwin Pearlman and Louis Lindholm in 1954. For 65 years, their firm has consistently maintained its status as one of Victoria’s leading law practices and has steadily grown to house twenty-five lawyers. As a full-service law firm, they use our expertise to represent clients in all personal and business matters, handling cases ranging from small to large and complex.

Their litigation lawyers routinely appear in the Provincial Court of British Columbia, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and the British Columbia Court of Appeal. Clients come to us from Vancouver Island, throughout British Columbia, across Canada, from the United States and abroad. Many of their clients are relatives of families that they have represented for generations. they pride themselves on developing successful, long-term relationships with their clients.

Learn more about Pearlman Lindholm by visiting: www.pearlmanlindholm.com.

Guest 2: [05.35-End of Episode] RSM’s purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to their clients, colleagues and communities through world-class audit, tax and consulting services focused on middle market businesses. The clients they serve are the engine of global commerce and economic growth, and they are focused on developing leading professionals and services to meet their evolving needs in today’s ever-changing business environment.

RSM Canada LLP provides public accounting services and is the Canadian member firm of RSM International, a global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms with more than 51,000 people in 123 countries. RSM Alberta LLP is a limited liability partnership and independent legal entity that provides public accounting services.  RSM Canada Consulting LP provides consulting services and is an affiliate of RSM US LLP, a member firm of RSM International.

Learn more about RSM Canada by visiting: www.rsmcanada.com.

• Episode Sponsor: Coastal Community Credit Union: Who’s helping you take care of your financial health? Coastal Community Credit Union is here to help you reach your goals, and do great things. Visit www.cccu.ca.
• Mark's Final 2:
  • Best advice: "You should always have a great haircut."
  • App: Garmin Connect.
• For more local news impacting business, visit: www.businessexaminer.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1887 when Joseph Pemberton embarked on his journey to establish a new real estate business, he could never have foreseen how his earnest work philosophy would inspire four generations to carry on in his footsteps, building one of the largest independently owned and operated real estate firms on Vancouver Island, Pemberton Holmes.

Their tradition of knowledgeable service continues to the present, keeping pace with the growth in the Capital Region, Vancouver Island and the gulf islands. The changing needs of property owners, tenants and today’s technology drive them to achieve their best for each property in their care.

Learn more about Pemberton Holmes' Property Management Division by visiting: thepropertymanagers.ca.

• Episode Sponsor: Coastal Community Credit Union: Who’s helping you take care of your financial health? Coastal Community Credit Union is here to help you reach your goals, and do great things. Visit cccu.ca.
• Claire's Final 4:
  • Books: The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt.
  • Best advice: "You should always have a great haircut."
  • App: Garmin Connect.
  • Restaurant: The Fernwood Inn.
• For more local news impacting business, visit: www.businessexaminer.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From design, through to printing and application, manufacturing and VMI, the Great Little Box Company has you covered in all aspects of your packaging journey. Their award winning team can design and produce packaging that complements your entire product offering and helps you win on the shelf. And all with the shipping and warehousing flexibility you require, with just in time warehouse programs and locations to serve you throughout Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.

Learn more about the Great Little Box Company by visiting: www.glbc.com.

• Episode Sponsor: Coastal Community Credit Union: Who’s helping you take care of your financial health? Coastal Community Credit Union is here to help you reach your goals, and do great things. Visit cccu.ca.
• Brad's Final 4:
  • Books: Audible.
  • Best advice: "Culture, it's not just words, the team needs to feel it."
  • App: N/A
  • Restaurant: II Terrazzo.
• For more local news impacting business, visit: www.businessexaminer.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DENCITI Development Corporation is a Vancouver-based real estate development company creating urban industrial, commercial and residential developments. Development is ever changing and complex because every property is different. It is crucial to understand the details from acquisition to completion to inspire the creative planning that enhances value, purpose and vision for each project.

They use an intensive process called The Marketing and Development Plan that balances factual reality with creative solutions to consistently achieve a project’s full potential. Their mission is to optimize value in real estate by focusing on:

Location: Great urban locations that become more desirable in the future.

Timing: While markets change with time, their projects stay on schedule.

Results: Great real estate exceeds expectations and enhances the community.

Learn more about the DENCITI Development Corporation by visiting: www.denciti.ca.

• Episode Sponsor: Coastal Community Credit Union: Who’s helping you take care of your financial health? Coastal Community Credit Union is here to help you reach your goals, and do great things. Visit cccu.ca.
• David's Final 4:
  • Books:
    • Talking to Strangers Book - Malcolm Gladwell.
    • Monty and the Canadian Army Book - John A. English.
  • Best advice: "Be honest with everyone who interact with."
  • App: Todoist.
  • Restaurant: Red Fish Blue Fish.
• For more local news impacting business, visit: www.businessexaminer.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.