Leaders Of Tomorrow Podcast

What actually changes between a good first year and a breakout one?

Chris Thomson sits down with three of the program’s most improved operators, Josh Shafter, Lizzy Lavalley, and Josh Burke. Each one cleared six figures in their first season, then came back and roughly doubled it.

They get honest about what was really holding them back the first time, complacency, a reactive grind, and a victim mindset, and how habits, recruiting, expectation setting, gratitude, and the right environment turned those weak spots into a breakout year.

If you have ever wondered why some people plateau after a strong start while others surge ahead, this conversation is the playbook. Listen now.

• 01:42 – Josh Shafter admits the real bottleneck in his first year was himself
• 03:05 – Why sales came easy for Lizzy, and why production nearly broke her
• 04:56 – Josh Burke on the “if it ain’t broke” trap that quietly capped his year
• 08:30 – The mindset and environment silently draining Lizzy’s results
• 10:02 – The good-week, bad-week pattern that burned Josh Shafter out at $99K
• 13:34 – The moment Lizzy realized her weakness was a skill, not a personality
• 19:17 – What finally made Lizzy decide to come back and go all in
• 23:01 – The onboarding talk that made Josh Burke lock his own phone
• 25:04 – The daily practice Josh Shafter credits for pushing the envelope
• 27:44 – Why Josh Shafter was his team’s least profitable rookie, and how he fixed it
• 32:24 – The “now or never” bet all three are making on Facebook this season
• 41:11 – Josh Burke on why your 20s are not the time to coast

Josh Shafter is a second-year Student Works Management Program operator and a sociology graduate of Concordia University. He grew his window cleaning business from roughly $100K in his rookie year to $170K as of late June, with a goal of $300K. Recognized as one of the program’s most improved operators, he is known for trading a reactive, lone-wolf approach for data-driven systems, a built-out sales team, and a daily gratitude practice.

🔗 LinkedIn

Lizzy Lavalley is a third-year Student Works Management Program operator based in eastern Toronto and a kinesiology graduate of the University of Western Ontario. After seasons of $107K and $122K, she reached $260K and earned top vet of the week. Recognized as one of the program’s most improved operators, she is known for rebuilding her confidence through strong habits, accountability, and a growth mindset.

🔗 LinkedIn

Josh Burke is a third-year Student Works Management Program operator in the Cobourg and Port Hope area and a student at Ontario Tech University. He grew his business from $125K in his first year to $220K. Recognized as one of the program’s most improved operators, he is known for replacing complacency with sharper expectation setting, better recruiting, and disciplined habits.

🔗 LinkedIn

• Concordia University
• University of Western Ontario
• Ontario Tech University
• Facebook / Meta Ads (marketing)
• LinkedIn (recruiting)
• Indeed (recruiting)
• Water fed pole

• Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
• Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
• Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
• Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What if the mindset shifts that change everything only show up after you fail?

Mindset gets talked about like it is positive thinking. Stay motivated, believe in yourself, think bigger. But the real shifts usually happen when things get uncomfortable, when you fail, when effort alone stops being enough.

In this best-of collage, Chris Thomson gathers the strongest reflections on mindset from across the program. Zach Weiler and Landon Roberts on what changes when responsibility becomes real. Andrew Solomon on leading yourself first while growing an $8 million division at Rydel Roofing. Aris Lloshi on staying a beginner as he moves from top operator to coach. And David Young on discipline under real pressure.

Because mindset is not built through motivation. It is built through repetition, self-awareness, and how you respond when things do not go your way. Listen now.

• 00:50 – Chris reframes mindset: the real shifts happen when things get uncomfortable, not when you stay motivated
• 02:41 – Zach Weiler on suddenly seeing opportunity everywhere once he performed at his potential
• 03:52 – Landon Roberts on the gap between seeing opportunity and knowing your first steps to take it
• 04:46 – Andrew Solomon on leading yourself first and coaching from a humble place while building an $8M team
• 05:43 – Aris Lloshi on why you have to walk into year two, three, and four with a beginner's mindset
• 07:45 – David Young on treating self-doubt as just a feeling and beating anxiety by putting in the work

Zach Weiler is the owner of Norfolk Student Painting and a Student Works operator. | Episode 423 | How to Thrive in Leadership with Mentorship and Structure

Landon Roberts is an operator in the Student Works Management Program. | Episode 416 | How to Turn Athletic Discipline into Entrepreneurial Success

Andrew Solomon is the leader of an $8 million division at Rydell Roofing and a former coach in the Student Works Management Program. | Episode 393 | Leading Yourself First: How Personal Growth Fuels Business Success

Aris Lloshi is a veteran Student Works operator moving from top operator to coach. | Episode 434 | How to Build a $460K Business as a Student

David Young is a Student Works owner and operator. | Episode 374 | How to Transform Your Mindset for Business Success

• Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
• Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
• Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
• Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What if the riskiest move in your career is refusing to take any risk at all?

Chris Thomson sits down with Mark Tanel, a Student Works alumnus who now leads national sales for Dulux, now Canadian Industries Limited. Fifteen years ago Mark was a Queen’s Commerce student headed straight for accounting, until one elective changed his mind and his entire path.

They get into the calculated risks that moved Mark across the country, the real difference between hunting and farming in sales, and why leaving every role with integrity kept doors open years later. Mark also shares the full-circle moment of now serving Student Works as a supplier, and the systems thinking that has carried through his whole career.

If you are early in your career and wondering whether to play it safe or bet on yourself, this conversation is the nudge you need. Listen now.

• 00:27 – The "introverted extrovert" who had to learn how to own a room
• 06:05 – Why a future accountant blew up his own plan in fourth year
• 07:14 – The phone call to Dad that changed Mark’s entire career
• 08:57 – Inside a book of business worth over $80 million, and what it teaches you
• 11:16 – Moving across the country at 23, and why the risk paid off
• 15:10 – Hunter or farmer: the sales distinction that decides your paycheck
• 20:16 – How one phone call about Mark reopened a door he thought was closed
• 29:09 – The overlooked product line that grew from $500K to $7M in a few years
• 35:03 – Getting comfortable being uncomfortable, the skill nobody teaches
• 47:46 – What Mark believes really makes a leader of tomorrow

Mark Tanel is the National Sales Manager at Dulux, now Canadian Industries Limited (CIL), and a Student Works Management Program alumnus. A Queen’s University Commerce graduate, he began his sales career at Nestlé, managing major retail and grocery accounts across Canada, including a book of business worth more than $80 million, before moving into the paint and coatings industry. Known for a systems-first, relationship-driven approach to sales, Mark now partners with organizations like Student Works to create value on the supply side of the business.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

• Queen’s University
• Nestlé Canada
• Sobeys
• Loblaws
• Delissio Pizza (Nestlé frozen brand, discontinued)
• PPG
• Dulux Paints
• ClubLink
• Forbes 30 Under 30

• Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
• Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
• Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
• Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What actually separates the operator who doubles their business from the one who stays stuck?

Chris Thomson sits down with three of the most improved operators in the Student Works painting division, Jack Buiter, Ali Baksh, and Owen Chilvers, to unpack how they went from rough first years to breakout seasons. Each of them hit a wall early: inconsistency, fear of what people think, a big vision with no plan, and each found a way through.

They get into the mindset shifts, daily habits, and business strategies behind doubling a student-run business: keeping commitments to yourself, building an enrolled team, Facebook marketing, hiring the right people, and learning to charge what you are worth.

If you are coming back for another season and want to know exactly what it takes to step up instead of stalling out, this conversation is your roadmap. Listen now.

● 00:37 – Jack on the first year that handed him a brand new problem every single day

● 03:25 – Owen sells $20,000 on day one, then watches it all go downhill

● 06:14 – The $200K vision Ali set with no real plan to reach it

● 08:20 – The missing piece that stalled Jack’s first two months

● 15:07 – How Owen now does in 40 hours what used to take him 100

● 17:56 – The 0 for 12 start behind Ali’s flat second year

● 23:29 – Fear of other people’s opinion, and how Chris dismantles it

● 26:14 – The December 27 commitment Ali made to himself

● 36:17 – Why Chris says a painting business is really just math

● 37:46 – The marketing channel that became nearly half of Jack’s business

● 41:42 – Owen on the “secret sauce” that does not exist

Jack Buiter is a second-year operator with the Student Works Management Program, managing in Hamilton while completing a master’s at the University of Guelph. He did $194,000 and earned the Mexico trip in his first year and is tracking toward roughly $450,000 this season, driven by strong systems, an enrolled team, and Facebook marketing.

🔗 LinkedIn

Ali Baksh is a third-year operator based in Durham and a student at Western University. After two roughly flat years around $105,000 to $107,000, he broke through in year three toward roughly $250,000, with his sights set on the million-dollar club next year.

🔗 LinkedIn

Owen Chilvers is a second-year operator managing in Halifax while studying at Dalhousie University. He joined the program at 17, did $120,000 his first year, and has already sold around $250,000 this season while tracking toward roughly $350,000, powered by a relentless focus on mindset, integrity, and efficient marketing.

🔗 LinkedIn

● Facebook Ads (Meta)

● Indeed

● Jim Collins (“First Who, Then What”)

● Landmark

● Dan Kennedy (pricing principle)

● John Cameron (Facebook ads advisor)

● Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn

● Learn more about the Student Works Management Program

● Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program

● Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities

● Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What if your biggest failure was the secret catalyst to your future success?

This episode features a hard-hitting conversation between Chris Thomson and Hugo Geoffroy, COO of Elevate Club and Student Works alumnus, as they pull back the curtain on what it really takes to go from cocky rookie to transformative leader. Hugo’s journey is raw: from a disastrous start to running a rapidly scaling company in his late 20s, he shares the brutal lessons, mindset shifts, and high-stakes risks that fueled his comeback.

If you’re ready to stop coasting and start creating genuine value, listen now. Miss this episode, and you risk wasting your talent and delaying the breakthrough that could define your career. What you’ll hear here, you simply can’t get anywhere else.

• 00:05 – The brutal wake-up call that changed everything
• 06:27 – Why pain and failure create unforgettable growth
• 09:32 – The coaching moment that unlocked Hugo’s true talent
• 13:39 – The hidden cost of ignoring your network revealed
• 17:00 – Surprising lessons from scaling with the wrong people
• 20:32 – How Elevate Capital uses community to create financial breakthroughs
• 27:55 – Why leaping without guarantees can lead to explosive rewards
• 34:52 – The mindset shift that made failure impossible to fear

Hugo Geoffroy is the COO of Elevate Club, a fast-growing business group specializing in real estate, financial coaching, and operations. As a Student Works alumnus and serial entrepreneur, he’s known for transforming failure into massive growth and for building high-performing teams leveraging the power of alumni networks.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

• Contracting.com
• Spray-Net
• Tony Robbins (Physiology)
• Carol Dweck – Mindset
• Cutco

• Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
• Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
• Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
• Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What if the only thing standing between you and a million-dollar breakthrough is your mindset?

This week, Chris Thomson invites six-year Student Works veteran Hugh Hunt to reveal the path from confused university student to high-performing operator, coach, and soon-to-be member of the million-dollar club.

In a raw, no-fluff conversation, they unpack the brutal realities of leadership, the traps of complacency, and the unexpected joys of building winning teams. Hugh Hunt shares the quiet habits and hard-won shifts that made delegation work, why most operators get productivity wrong, and how he turned anxiety into action.

Miss this episode, and you risk repeating the same costly mistakes. Listen now if you want the uncommon strategies and battle-tested mindset it really takes to lead at the top, the stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

• 01:03 – The moment a pandemic forced a total career pivot
• 03:11 – The laughable but painful initiation into real leadership
• 05:15 – The urgent time hack that separates performers from burnout
• 07:01 – Why the “hardest” work isn’t what you think it is
• 10:21 – The breakthrough that ended imposter syndrome for good
• 13:12 – Delegation disaster vs. true team empowerment
• 16:09 – The brutal lesson of fitting square pegs into round holes
• 28:25 – The 2-minute rule that instantly transformed productivity
• 31:46 – A gratitude practice that rewires success and happiness

Hugh Hunt is a sixth-year operator and highly successful coach in the Student Works Management Program, known for doubling business growth year over year and leading one of the most high-performing teams in the program’s history. With a background in both music and business, Hugh brings a unique perspective on leadership, mindset, and operational excellence. His story exemplifies raw authenticity and relentless personal development.

🔗 LinkedIn

• Simon workflow and time tracking software
• Humankind by Rutger Bregman
• LinkedIn Learning

• Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
• Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
• Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
• Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

Are your goals stuck on paper, or do you really know how to bring them to life?

This thrilling collage episode features candid stories and hard-won strategies from Payam Zamani, Andrew Thompson, George Walsh, John Morgan, and Tycho Koren, young leaders who turned bold visions into breakthrough results.

You’ll hear what happens when excitement fades, setbacks pile on, and the process gets gritty. Learn proven, real-world goal-setting frameworks that go far beyond motivation, from aligning ambition with purpose, to the science of tracking your numbers, to coaching yourself and your team with unshakeable standards.

Listen now because the real pain is spending another year aimlessly “trying.” This episode is your edge, your urgency, and your guide to turning vision into financial victory. Don’t miss these game-changing insights you simply won’t find anywhere else.

• 00:00 – The surprising power of building your team before your business is even close to your goal
• 02:01 – Why clarity, standards, and staying committed outlasts mere motivation every time
• 02:50 – Payam Zamani reveals the single mindset shift that shattered his income ceiling
• 04:05 – “I dreaded the money talk…”—the confidence breakthroughs behind six-figure sales
• 06:51 – George Walsh maps out the hidden link between team structure and sales confidence
• 09:14 – Tycho Koren on erasing “try” from your vocabulary and building systems that actually deliver
• 10:16 – The math and mindset of $400,000+ revenue goals—broken down, step by step
• 11:31 – John Morgan on a radical truth: the only difference between winners and whiners is who acts on opportunity

Payam Zamani is an entrepreneur, investor, and author, who is recognized for aligning ambition with purpose and building businesses with impact beyond money. | Episode 401: Building More Than Wealth: Merging Business with a Higher Calling

Andrew Thompson is a top-performing operator who transformed early stumbles into $180K in summer sales, who demonstrates the power of resilience and self-belief. | Episode 362: Spring Turnaround: Triumph Over Business Challenges

George Walsh is the owner of Rydel Siding and a Student Works operator in Newfoundland. He is known for his leadership in accountability, team development, and growth. | Episode 358: Blueprint for Growth: Third-Year Operator's Story

Tycho Koren is the COO of Actualize, who is a systems-driven leader who coaches young entrepreneurs to replace “trying” with actionable strategy. | Episode 237: Moving the Needle Forward In The Midst Of Challenges

John Morgan was a franchise owner with Student Works, who brings discipline and relentless execution to exceeding massive sales targets. | Episode 148: How I am Planning to Achieve My 2020 Sales Goal of $750,000

• Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
• Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
• Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
• Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What if the only thing holding you back is the story you tell yourself?

In this high-voltage episode, Chris Thomson talks to Madison Hetherington, founder of Propel Marketing and Student Works alum, who quietly turned exposure and experimentation into a seven-figure company before age 30. Together, they go beyond surface-level wins, diving into the real setbacks, the mindsets that nearly sabotaged everything, and how unwavering purpose became her most unfair advantage.

If you believe bigger means better, or if you think youth is a barrier, miss this conversation and risk missing the playbook behind authentic, rapid growth. Hit play now for hard-won lessons you will not find anywhere else, direct from someone still in the trenches.

• 00:41 – The brutal overwhelm every future leader faces at 19
• 02:50 – Why confidence is the missing ingredient in most young founders
• 04:33 – The surprising value of trying (and quitting) things fast
• 06:35 – Trading travel dreams for real-world, character-building action
• 09:00 – The untold story behind Propel’s vision and the power of owning your strengths
• 11:21 – Chasing shiny objects versus the unexpected rocket-fuel of true focus
• 14:35 – Why shrinking your team may actually skyrocket your client results
• 17:48 – The dangerous myth of success and the profit reality check
• 20:36 – How brutal failures quietly become your competitive edge
• 22:13 – The uncomfortable cost of leadership no one talks about
• 25:32 – Three unglamorous habits that deliver compounding returns
• 29:18 – AI and the next five years: How smart founders outpace the pack
• 31:01 – What most agencies get totally wrong about purpose and growth

Madison Hetherington is the founder and CEO of Propel Marketing, a high-performance social media agency recognized for rapid growth and a results-driven team. She is a Student Works Management Program alumna whose business eclipsed seven figures within three years. Madison’s blend of tactical grit and purpose-led vision sets her apart as a leading voice for young entrepreneurs.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

• Alex Hormozi
• Tony Robbins
• Morgan Housel – The Psychology of Money
• Dan Sullivan – Strategic Coach
• LinkedIn Learning
• Sun Life
• RBC

• Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
• Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
• Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
• Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What if the real key to explosive growth was learning to coach, not just grind harder?

In this no-holds-barred episode, Chris Thomson sits down with Connor Leslie, a medical science student whose journey from crew member to $650K business operator will challenge everything you think about leadership, teamwork, and personal transformation.

Together, they unpack why most young leaders plateau and how radical systems, powerful networks, and coachability can shatter revenue ceilings. Against the backdrop of brutal setbacks and breakthrough moments, Connor reveals the habits, mindsets, and playbooks that outpace the crowd.

Miss this episode, and you risk repeating old mistakes, losing the hidden advantage of transformative peer networks, and staying stuck in the lone wolf grind. Listen now to hear exclusive strategies you will not find anywhere else. This is your playbook to lead at the next level.

• 01:09 – How Connor broke free from routine success traps
• 02:18 – The bold leap that changed his money mindset for life
• 07:10 – Eye-opening “worker call” that revealed a hidden network
• 11:01 – The painful lesson that forced Connor to rethink delegation
• 14:24 – How big mistakes on the job became his fast-track to growth
• 17:19 – The secret power of a top-performer morning mastermind
• 24:38 – Shifting from doer to coach for exponential team success
• 33:13 – The resilience rule that stops failure from slowing you down

Connor Leslie is a third-year medical science student at Dalhousie University and a multi-year Student Works Operator. After starting as a door-to-door marketer, he scaled his business from $15K sales to over $650K projected revenue, ranking him in the top 1% of young entrepreneurs nationwide. Known for his relentless growth mindset and proven leadership as a high-performing coach and team builder.

🔗 LinkedIn

• Dalhousie University
• LinkedIn Learning
• Book reference: The Compound Effect
• Book reference: Growth Mindset research (Carol Dweck)

• Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
• Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
• Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
• Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

What does it really take to escape mediocrity and create a life most only dream about?

This episode dives into the remarkable transformation of Marc Pumple, from an “unemployable” Canadian student to a commercial real estate powerhouse generating over $65 million in deals. The conversation unpacks why the path to true entrepreneurial freedom demands more than work ethic. It takes self-ownership, relentless decision-making, and a refusal to settle for a standard job.

With stories of gut-wrenching risk, behind-the-scenes negotiation, and brutally honest lessons learned from failures, this isn’t another self-help chat. It’s a real-world blueprint for turning experience, courage, and reputation into exponential success.

Listen now if you dare to claim more for your life. Miss it, and you risk wasting years on the sidelines. This episode delivers exclusive access to rare insights from one of Canada’s most driven alumni—wisdom not found in textbooks or Instagram reels.

• 00:51 – The hidden advantage that launched Marc’s early journey
• 02:34 – Why most “unemployable” minds secretly become top entrepreneurs
• 04:36 – The brutal grind that forges real confidence (and market power)
• 06:46 – How to win clients even when you cost more than the competition
• 10:36 – Leaving security behind: The high-stakes leap from corporate to solo success
• 12:17 – Grit, fear, and the secret to landing $65 million in deals
• 15:44 – The untold value of learning from your toughest mistakes
• 20:15 – The skill that lets you see high-value opportunities before anyone else
• 27:01 – The underrated power habit behind Marc’s multi-million dollar results

Marc Pumple is the founder of P & P Properties, a commercial real estate brokerage generating over $30 million annually. With a background at Cushman & Wakefield and decades of hard-won experience, Marc has become a trusted authority on high-value dealmaking, entrepreneurial resilience, and building an elite reputation from the ground up.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

• Cushman & Wakefield
• Frank Stronach (Magna International)
• Elon Musk

• Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
• Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
• Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
• Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.