Small Business Big Impact

Most business owners look outward when growth stalls, but the real work often starts from within. In this episode of Small Business Big Impact, host Jay-Ann Gilfoy sits down with Rhiannon Rosalind, social impact entrepreneur, CEO, and founder of Conscious Economics. Rhiannon has spent her career studying how money psychology shapes business performance, bringing both personal experience and on-the-ground research to the conversation. Together, they dig into the money stories that influence how you price your work, hire your team, and show up under pressure, and why examining those stories is one of the most practical things you can do for your business.

Visit Meridian at meridiancu.ca

Connect with Rhiannon: LinkedIn | consciouseconomics.ca | Well with Money Program

Navigating a small business in Ontario today requires more than just determination. Expenses are rising, and trust in the market is wavering. Many entrepreneurs find themselves adopting a familiar approach: keep your head down, push through, and repeat the cycle.

Season 3 of Small Business Big Impact breaks that cycle. Host Jay-Ann Gilfoy goes beyond the grind to examine the mindset behind lasting business decisions, the principles that anchor real growth, and the practical tools that actually shift outcomes.

Visit Meridian at: meridiancu.ca

Entrepreneurship can be a powerful tool for creating economic opportunity and strengthening communities. In this episode of Small Business, Big Impact, host Jay-Ann Gilfoy, CEO of Meridian Credit Union, speaks with Mickayla Labbe and Mike Labbe, the founders of First Fish. Their nonprofit social enterprise connects Indigenous fishers in remote northern communities with customers across Canada, helping create jobs while promoting sustainable, wild-caught fisheries. What began as a visit to a northern community quickly evolved into a mission to build economic opportunity in regions often left out of traditional markets.

Key Takeaways:

• Social enterprises can create economic opportunity while staying commercially viable.
• Maintaining strong values like sustainability and fair pay can guide business growth.
• Flexibility and creative problem-solving are essential when building businesses in complex supply chains.
• Trust and long-term relationships are critical when working with communities historically excluded from traditional markets.

Access to food is important, but access to connection, dignity, and belonging can be just as powerful in building strong communities.

In this episode of Small Business, Big Impact, host Jay-Ann Gilfoy, CEO of Meridian Credit Union, speaks with Ameriga Alonzo, Interim Executive Director of 541 Eatery & Exchange. This nonprofit café in Hamilton operates on a unique pay-it-forward model, where customers can purchase tokens to help others access meals in a welcoming, stigma-free environment.

Key Takeaways:

• Community spaces can address both practical needs like food and deeper needs like connection and belonging.
• Removing stigma and prioritizing dignity can transform how support services are experienced.
• Sustainable impact often relies on strong partnerships, donors, and community support.
• Simple, human-centered ideas can create powerful and lasting change.

Visit 541 Eatery & Exchange: https://www.fivefortyone.ca/

The way we build and renovate has a major impact on what gets wasted, what gets reused, and how communities think about sustainability. In this episode of Small Business Big Impact, host Jay-Ann Gilfoy, CEO of Meridian Credit Union, speaks with Meredith Moore, founder of Ouroboros Deconstruction. Meredith is rethinking the demolition process by carefully dismantling buildings to recover valuable materials and keep them in circulation. She shares how she started with her own home as a case study, built a business from the ground up, and grew into larger residential and commercial projects. 

Key Takeaways:

• Innovation can come from rethinking existing systems, not just creating new ones.
• Starting small with available resources can lead to scalable business opportunities.
• Building the right team is critical in physically demanding and niche industries.
• Sustainable practices can create both environmental impact and viable business models.

Some of the most impactful businesses don’t begin with flashy ideas, they start with hard work, lived experience, and a desire to do things better. In this episode of Small Business, Big Impact, host Jay-Ann Gilfoy, CEO of Meridian Credit Union, speaks with Shane Harker, Founder and President of Rethink Resource. Shane shares how he built a 25-year career in transportation and waste before launching a company focused on rethinking trash as a resource. Today, Rethink Resource has diverted more than 10 million pounds of waste from landfill and operates across Canada and the U.S., working toward a circular economy. 

Key Takeaways:

• Hard work matters- but working smart and striving to be the best at what you do matters more.
• Waste isn’t garbage,  it’s an opportunity to create value through innovation.
• Purpose-driven entrepreneurship often requires financial risk and resilience.
• Integrity and culture are critical when scaling in industries where trust matters.

What started as a student project has grown into a nationally recognized eco-startup tackling one of the world’s biggest waste problems. In this episode of Small Business, Big Impact, host Jay-Ann Gilfoy, CEO of Meridian Credit Union, sits down with Daniel Moll, Founder and CEO of EarthSuds. Daniel shares how a moment on a beach sparked the idea for plastic-free, dissolvable shampoo and soap tablets, and how years of trial, failure, and persistence turned that idea into a growing Canadian business.

Key Takeaways:

• Solving a real problem starts with deeply understanding it, not jumping straight to the solution.
• Listening to customers consistently is one of the most powerful tools for building and improving a business.
• Profit and purpose don’t compete and when aligned growth becomes fuel for greater impact.
• Building a company requires shifting from doing everything yourself to empowering others to execute the vision.

Resilience, reinvention, and strong foundations are at the heart of this episode of Small Business, Big Impact. Host Jay-Ann Gilfoy, CEO of Meridian Credit Union, sits down with Sebastian Clovis, founder of Shoots n’ Leaves. Sebastian shares his journey from professional football in the CFL to building homes, hosting hit renovation shows, and launching a production company rooted in storytelling and growth. Together, they explore how setbacks can become turning points, why communicating with kindness is a leadership skill, and how building strong foundations makes long-term success possible. This conversation offers thoughtful insights for creatives, entrepreneurs, and anyone navigating change while building something that lasts.

Key Takeaways:

• Setbacks can become powerful turning points when reframed with perspective and intention.
• Kindness and clear communication are essential leadership skills, especially under pressure.
• Strong foundations make it easier to adapt and grow when the vision evolves.
• Helping others selflessly can open unexpected doors in business and life.

Success in entrepreneurship isn’t just about what you earn,  it’s about the impact you create. 

Hosted by Jay-Ann Gilfoy, CEO of Meridian Credit Union, Small Business, Big Impact returns for Season 2 with inspiring stories from Ontario entrepreneurs proving that growth and giving back can go hand in hand. From community-focused restaurants to sustainability-driven startups, this season explores how purpose and profit thrive together.

Visit Meridian at: meridiancu.ca

Mental health and entrepreneurship go hand in hand, but prioritizing well-being as a business owner can be challenging.

In this episode, Jay-Ann sits down with Elora Gartley, founder of Nova Phoenix Counseling, to explore the realities of leading with purpose in the mental health space. From overcoming personal trauma to scaling a thriving business, Elora shares how she expanded her practice by opening multiple locations and building a dedicated team.

Key Takeaways:

• How Elora’s personal experiences with mental health shaped her path in social work and entrepreneurship.
• The challenges of launching a business while juggling multiple jobs and growing from a single office to a multi-location practice.
• The power of relational leadership in fostering a judgment-free, supportive workplace for both clients and staff.

Learn more about Nova Phoenix Counselling

Visit Meridian at: meridiancu.ca