Inspiring stories from outstanding Canadian businesspeople, since 2009. 

The Entrepreneur: Brett Huneycutt, CPO and co-founder, Wealthsimple

Founded by friends aiming to democratize investing for a new generation of Canadians, Wealthsimple has shown remarkable growth over the past decade with three million users and is arguably already one of the country's top ten financial institutions. Mike and Dan wanted to delve into the product and tech with co-founder Brett Huneycutt, an Oxford graduate and Rhodes Scholar who still isn't certain the company will ever need a brick-and-mortar branch.

Mike also wonders if the US President-elect is bluffing, and Dan shares a story about Canadian brain drain in tech with the sudden departure of chipmaker Tenstorrent; the duo also discuss content marketing and PR amid a chaotic media environment, preview the holiday Movers & Shakers Alum show, and talk about a pivot toward more podcasting and other online content for the new year.

For more thought leadership and advice from the BDO team, visit www.BDO.ca.

For more information about Inspiring Entrepreneurs programming in the new year, contact TNKR Media.

Inspiring stories from outstanding Canadian businesspeople, since 2009. 

The late Harry Rosen started a menswear boutique from a modest 500 sq. ft. retail space in Toronto's Cabbagetown, growing it to a national luxury retailer that remains among Canada's most iconic brands. His son Larry Rosen and grandsons are now running the operation as the family remains a market leader amid mounting e-commerce competition. Mike and Dan also unpack the latest trade news, in particular the US president-elect's threat to impose a heafty 25% tariff on Canadian goods if policy demands are not met; a new Gallup poll also reveals some concerning statistics on employee engagement. 

The Entrepreneur: Larry Rosen, CEO, Harry Rosen Inc.

For more thought leadership and advice from the BDO team, visit www.BDO.ca.

Inspiring stories from outstanding Canadian businesspeople, since 2009. 

Monsieur Cocktail took off in the early days of the pandemic when at-home mixology was a popular trend, but then the elixer business was targeted by a sophisticated and costly form of fraud known as the President's Scam. The scam nearly sunk the business but Patrice Plante persevered and pivoted toward B2B. Mike and Dan explore what it took to identify the scam, repair the damage, and get back on track, with the help of Sacha Blasiak-Priestley, Director, Cloud Security for BDO Canada's cybersecurity team; they also discuss whether or not temporary sales tax holidays can stimulate the economy, and signs of optimism in Canadian tech and IPOs, with positive news from Shopify and Dynamite.

The Entrepreneur: Patrice Plante, founder, Monsieur Cocktail

For more thought leadership and advice from the BDO team, visit www.BDO.ca.

Inspiring stories from outstanding Canadian businesspeople, since 2009. 

A group of high-profile recent guests on Inspiring Entrepreneurs return to give Mike and Dan updates on their growth and to offer some advice for businesspeople on preparing for uncertain times; speaking of, Mike breaks down news of more cabinet appointments from the US, a weakening Canadian dollar, and two public sector strikes creating shipping havoc. 

The Entrepreneurs:

• Mohamed Hage, CEO, Lufa Farms
• Robert Marzin, co-founder, Manmade Brand
• Fabio Zeppilli, co-founder, Bad Monkey Popcorn & Zeppilli Group

For more thought leadership and advice from the BDO team, visit www.BDO.ca.

Inspiring stories from outstanding Canadian businesspeople, since 2009. 

More politics than Mike and Dan are accustomed to on the podcast this week with the results of the American election and speculation about what sorts of impacts are in store for Canadian businesses, including possibly rising inflation and new tariffs on exports. A second generation Montréal restaurateur is our featured guest and she explains why her family's Peel St. café made international headlines during last summer's compliance horror story known as Terrasse-gate.

The Entrepreneur: Sandra Ferreira, General Director, Groupe Ferreira

This week's show also includes another edition of the Inspiring Entrepreneurs Book Club.

Mike's picks:

• War by Bob Woodward
• Fools on the Hill: The Hooligans, Saboteurs, Conspiracy Theorists, and Dunces Who Burned Down the House by Dana Milbank 
• The Empire and the Five Kings: America's Abdication and the Fate of the World by Bernard-Henri Lévy

Dan's picks:

• Liberalism and Its Discontents by  Francis Fukuyama
• Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media by Jacob Mchangama
• The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from A Secret World by  Peter Wohlleben

For more thought leadership and advice from the BDO team, visit www.BDO.ca.

Inspiring stories from outstanding Canadian businesspeople, since 2009. 

We follow the supply chain from last week's Pizza No. 900 operation down to the farm where the sausages are made by a Québec family with a passion for quality meats and sustainable agriculture. Mike and Dan also discuss Canada's GDP and the concept of "degrowth", mental health vs. productivity, and record funding rounds in Montreal's tech sector.

The Entrepreneur: Damien Girard, co-owner, Les Viandes Biologiques de Charlevoix

For more thought leadership and advice from the BDO team, visit www.BDO.ca.

Inspiring stories from outstanding Canadian businesspeople, since 2009. 

With over 30 locations and expansion underway in neighbouring Ontario and even in France, Pizzeria No. 900 helped transform the pizza scene in Québec starting with one trendy Montréal location in 2014; it's endured as a market leader with meticulous attention to detail and vendor sourcing, earning it the distinction of being the world's only franchise officially certified by Italy's Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana.

The Entrepreneur: Alexandre Brunet, co-founder, Pizzeria No. 900

For more thought leadership and advice from the BDO team, visit www.BDO.ca.

Inspiring stories from outstanding Canadian businesspeople, since 2009. 

For our 16th season premiere, Mike Newton (BDO Canada) and Dan Delmar (TNKR Media) welcome a fast-growing Montreal industrial developer gaining a reputation for making bold moves. They also discuss a fall push to return to the office, sluggish innovation in Canada and how interest rates are impacting real estate markets.

The Entrepreneur: Mike Jager, co-CEO, Rosefellow

The Debrief: Thomas Kontogianis, Audit Partner, BDO Canada

For more thought leadership and advice from the BDO team, visit www.BDO.ca.

In this season finale, Michael Newton and Dan Delmar have the pleasure of welcoming Ricardo Larrivée, Chef and Co-Founder of Ricardo Media. He tells them about entering every Quebecer’s kitchen, building a multi-media empire and passing the baton to a new generation. They are also joined by Arielle Blais, Digital Marketing Specialist at BDO Canada to discuss efficient marketing and strategic elements to consider for your business.

In this episode, Michael Newton and Dan Delmar welcome Francois Theriault Co-Founder of custom-tailored men’s clothing boutique Surmesur. Francois talks about entrepreneurial agility, international expansion and how they landed a contract to dress up all NHL coaches. They are also joined by Youssef Boutros, Partner at BDO Canada to discuss manufacturing businesses and key elements to consider to grow a sucessful manufacturing business.