Ignite Creativity with Marysia Czarski

You don't have to look too far to get inspiration and ideas from entrepreneurs who have been building back, learning from, and creating a new during the pandemic. My guest on this week's Create Velocity podcast, Kevin Wilson, Chairman and CEO of Buzz Franchise Brands, is one of them. With franchises like Pool Scouts (pool cleaning), Home Clean Heroes (residential home cleaning) and The British Swim School (swimming lessons), Kevin and his team have worked long hours to ensure the business owners of these franchises were supported. Hard work was definitely a part of the formula, however, at the core of it was living Buzz Franchise's values.  More than ever these values mattered and helped shepherd decision making for Kevin and his team.

Kevin shared his values statement with us here. Can you articulate your company's values and can your employees do the same?  Now more than ever, this is critical for your business. Do you need some resources to do that? Let us know! We are here to help.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Kevin Wilson is the Chairman and CEO of Buzz Franchise Brands, a multi-brand franchising and the former owner of Mosquito Joe, a 300 unit system before selling to Neighborly in 2018. Prior to this he spent several years in Private Equity,  was an Executive with South African Airways, and was a Consultant with Bain and Company.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this topic and guest.

Support the show

This episode is dedicated to the act of gratitude. It has been a roller coaster of a year and in some cases downright awful and in others, has had some lovely Silver linings. As an entrepreneur I know that taking time out and reflecting isn't always one of our strengths. However I'd like you to join me and my guest this week Liz Doyle Harmer to do just that. Liz will end the podcast with a gratitude meditation.

And with gratitude I thank you for listening to our podcasts and engaging in this community.  Thank you for it all. Here's to a healthy and vibrant 2021.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Liz Doyle Harmer is an entrepreneur, life + leadership coach, podcaster, and mother of four. Through workshops, teaching, coaching + writing she has helped hundreds of people lead more fulfilling and resilient lives through research-based, mindful-awareness tools. She is co-owner of Afterglow Studio, co-host of The Afterglow Podcast and founder of Liz Doyle Harmer Coaching.   She holds an MBA from McGill University, a CPCC from Co-Active Training Institute and a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training from Downward Dog. In her free time, you can find her running along the Lake Ontario boardwalk in the beach neighbourhood of Toronto or spending time with family.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this topic and guest.

Support the show

How to build out your business from one channel to many.

In this week's podcast I talk to Lisa Rafter who is the president of RAM Group Holdings, a media and publishing company based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Lisa is a force of nature in the cause for equity, inclusion and diversity and how to use your business as a catalyst for change. We talk extensively about ways she is using her business as a platform to transform her industry and how it givers her a powerful gravitational pull to wake up energized each and every day!

In this podcast you will hear about:

• Ways to look at your business and create different platforms of value for your clients 
• How you can use your voice in your industry for leadership
• How equity can emerge in a traditional industry (and any industry actually)
• Not to shy away from your big dreams and to go out and be all you can be
• Structures and metrics which can be put in pace for accountability to cause transformation
• Building your dream list for your board
• The value of a coach and mentor no matter how long you've run your business
• How being a catalyst for change is an everyday activity

CLICK HERE to learn more about this topic and guest.

Support the show

How to Create More Value for Your Business Creatively

Do you ever find yourself drained while doing certain tasks in your business? Or realize after the fact you solved the wrong problem and subsequently wasted a lot of time and money doing so? Maybe you just sense there is something missing in your business, and you can't quite put your finger on what it is. If any of this happens to you, you will want to tune into my latest conversation with Sarah Thurber, Managing Partner at FourSight. Sarah and I explore the importance of knowing your creative super power and why having a range of diverse thinkers on your team is critical to any entrepreneur.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Creativity is essential to bring something new into the world
• The importance of knowing your approach to creativity and how to leverage it
• Why you are avoiding getting some tasks done in your business or never get them off your 'to do' list
• Your 'style' of thinking shapes where you engage and get energy in your business
• The dangers of surrounding yourself only with people like you
• Why collaborating with some people can be a painful experience and how to transform that
• Key building blocks to build your team's effectiveness, efficiency and focus
• The difference between active diversity and passive diversity and why active diversity is the only way to go

CLICK HERE to learn more on this topic and guest.

Support the show

There are many ways to finance your business and if you've gone to a bank lately you may find that channel is not one of them. That's why you may want to consider 'bootstrap financing", but it takes a certain approach to living and working to make it successful.My guest to share her successful journey doing this since 2012 is Ilana Ben-Ari, a dynamic innovator. She is the founder of Twenty-One Toys, and behind the internationally acclaimed Empathy Toy.

Ilana's stories are engaging and relevant for any entrepreneur looking to grow at the speed of purpose. And you won't want to miss our conversation about the Pay and Wait Business Model.

KEY ASPECTS OF OUR CONVERSATION:

• How curiosity, humility and chutzpah is the foundation for success
• Empathy does not mean nice.  It is the imaginative act of looking at the world from different perspectives that aren't your own and deeply understanding it all
• Empathy is a skill that can be taught, and it is needed now more than ever
• You invent your own luck. Ilana's approach to that
• It will get easier. Kind of....
• Celebration and insight to a successful move to an on-line format from a purely live and in person model

CLICK HERE to learn more on this topic and guest.

Support the show

The Time is Now!

"Everything is broken, what a great time to be alive!"* The re-frame of this current moment in time is just one of the compelling conversations I had with BE Alink, the founder and inventor of The Alinker a non-motorized walking-bike without pedals. With an adjustable saddle and handlebars, it is custom designed to challenge society's assumptions about disability.  Challenging assumptions and shifting paradigms is an everyday thing for BE, and necessary if you are going to build a movement with your business. Listen in to hear why BE thinks today is the perfect day to start.

In this episode we explore:  

• The power of language and how it keeps us stuck
• How personal awareness is the key to transformation and growth
• Why all your uncomfortable experiences are critical to build grit and resilience 
• How breaking out of your paradigm of 'making money' will unleash your imagination
• Why fixing problems isn't the way to cause the change you desire
• The beauty and creativity in being a weirdo! 

With insane tenacity, commitment and dedication, BE Alink has built her company into a movement of people showing up for each other.  BE only employs Alinker users (otherwise unemployed), pays everybody living wage (including herself), The Alinker has certified BCorp status, she is a SheEO venture, is more than carbon neutral, and practically plastic free.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this topic and guest.

Support the show

Seven Considerations For Your Brand

Abena Perryman joins me for this week's podcast to talk about vital considerations for brand agility. Abena brings her over 20 years of experience in the marketing and branding space to share her insights and ideas for how to think about your brand strategy during a pandemic and powerful movement for social justice.

You will learn from this podcast:

• How technology is an enabler
• The importance of knowing the disruptors in your industry space
• Talent management's role in your brand
• The opportunity to collaborate
• How culture impacts your customer experience
• Again!!! The importance of a growth mindset
• Whether your brand is ready to take a stand

Abena Perryman is the managing partner at Andrew Perry in Toronto. Abena is a self-proclaimed customer evangelist who loves to dissect the customer journey, identifying how organizations can better connect with their customers. She has spent the last 20 years helping organizations craft better marketing strategies.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this topic and guest.

Support the show

Building a Critical Muscle of Entrepreneurship

In this episode, Lisa Mattam, the passionate entrepreneur and founder of Sahajan Skincare, makes the statement, "If you are standing still, you are actually going backwards." Lisa shares why, her entrepreneurial journey to date, the moment she almost gave up, or was practically brought to a stand still and how resilience played a huge part. She reflects on her key leanings and insights, all highly valuable for any entrepreneur wishing to grow their business. Lisa truly balances boldness and humility beautifully.

You will learn from this podcast:

• Why resilience is a team activity
• TRUST is the priceless currency
• The importance of reflection and iteration in your business
• What a good network can do for you
• The importance of an abundance mindset (again!)
• How preparation and practice intersect with performance
• An approach to ensure your suppliers and partners earn the right to work with you

Lisa Mattam a proven and passionate entrepreneur and founder of Sahajan, an evidence-based natural skincare line based on the Ancient Science of Ayurveda. Lisa was also named by Profit Magazine as one of the Top Ten Emerging Women Entrepreneurs in Canada and recognized by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce as Female Entrepreneur of the Year.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this topic and guest.

Support the show

A magical approach to seeing the world.

Entrepreneurs have been asking me what does the future hold after COVID-19 and how can I make sense of what the new reality will be? These are great questions, and ones that Dan Trommater, Magician extraordinaire, explores with me by not providing any answers, but posing more questions! Consider a good question is worth its weight in gold and Dan delivers some golden ones. I promise you'll be glued to his stories about being a magician and how that lends him a unique way to see the world. Together we bridge that to some great principles for being an entrepreneur. 

You will learn from this episode:

• How our perspective shapes ‘our’ realities  – and our reality may not be the truth, or at least the whole truth. 
• How the sum of your experiences, if left unquestioned, could possibility be a handicap in your business if you rely on it solely.
• Assumptions shape how we make decisions – important ones. Check your assumptions with the facts.
• Empathy is a skill and not a character trait.  Build that muscle.
• Be wary of the pre-fab 10 step success process

CLICK HERE to get the free download.

Support the show

Access and Insight into the Intangible Metrics of your Company

To assess where to start takes a deep understanding of the intangible assets of your company and then the know how to have them work more effectively. The exciting news is that there is a tool that can help you with this - a crystal ball of sorts that can reveal the metrics needed to transform your company's culture into improved business performance. In this episode, Brett shares with us those metrics; culture, leadership, execution and alignment, and how the game changing tool he developed, the Organizational Growth Indicator (OGI), makes these visible and tangible so an informed strategy for transformation and growth can ensue.

Key Learnings You Will Access:

• The link between your company's culture and improved business performance
• The importance of common language and alignment in your company between leaders and to the strategy
• How you can validate your gut feel regarding your company’s strengths and constraints to grow
• How to generate better data to make better choices on where to put your resources and attention
• The critical metrics the Organizational Growth Indicator will identify to help you build your road map to transform, innovate and grow your company

Dr. Brett Richards is the founder and President of Connective Intelligence Inc. which specializes in the development of customized training and organizational development solutions.  Brett is also an instructor at the Schulich Executive Education Centre, affiliated with York University’s Business School and the author of Grow Through Disruption: Breakthrough Mindsets to Innovate, Change and Win with the OGI which is available on Amazon.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this topic and guest.

Support the show