The Business Development Podcast

When legal recruiting became more crowded and candidates stopped returning his calls, Scott Love narrowed his focus. He specialized in recruiting corporate and finance partners for global law firms, then started looking for places those lawyers went to find their own clients. That led him to events filled with private equity professionals, venture capital investors and investment bankers. As Scott puts it, “I am in the lion hunting business, so I'm going to the gazelle conferences.” By understanding who he wanted to reach and what mattered to them, he found a different way to build relationships and earn trust.

In Episode 374 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Scott Love, founder of The Attorney Search Group and host of The Rainmaking Podcast, to explore how professionals become the obvious choice in a crowded market. Scott shares his journey from naval officer and leadership trainer to recruiting law firm partners, where earning trust means helping people make decisions with significant career consequences. They discuss specialization, personal branding, overcoming self-doubt and using podcasting to build meaningful business relationships. Scott also recounts the day three candidates accepted counteroffers, costing him three commissions and changing how he approached recruiting. He explains why understanding someone’s aspirations matters more than pushing an opportunity, and how asking better questions can reveal the personal motivations behind a business decision.

1. Why professionals cannot rely on their firm’s marketing to do all of their personal business development.
2. How narrowing your specialty can help prospective clients understand your value and trust your expertise.
3. How to find potential clients and candidates by understanding where they go to build their own businesses.
4. Why speaking, thought leadership and credible experience can help establish trust before a first conversation.
5. How to keep putting yourself forward despite criticism, self-doubt and imposter syndrome.
6. Why a podcast that reaches the right people can create business opportunities even with a small audience.
7. How understanding someone’s goals and aspirations can reveal opportunities they were not actively seeking.
8. How Scott’s implication quadrant helps uncover the professional and personal consequences of a decision.

00:00 Hunting lions at gazelle conferences

00:44 Welcome to The Business Development Podcast

01:37 Introducing Scott Love

03:57 From the Naval Academy to recruiting

06:38 Earning trust in high-stakes career decisions

08:45 The business development gap in professional services

11:52 Why consistency matters more than occasional bursts of effort

12:53 Standing out in a crowded market

14:50 Building trust through a narrow specialty

16:41 Finding opportunities through industry relationships

18:35 Credibility statements that help people trust you

19:31 Personal branding and becoming easy to find

20:26 Finding meaning in the work and staying hungry

22:25 Putting yourself out there despite self-doubt

23:26 Handling criticism and imposter syndrome

25:15 Giving your podcast a clear business purpose

27:31 Making a podcast financially sustainable

28:10 Using limited series and association podcasts to open doors

31:21 Building memorable relationships through conversations

32:21 Why reaching the right 30 people can be enough

34:19 Measuring success through relationships and opportunities

39:34 Recruiting senior people who are comfortable where they are

40:05 The day three counteroffers changed Scott’s approach

41:58 Understanding what people truly want

43:54 Matching opportunities to individual motivations

45:49 Listening instead of pushing for the sale

46:37 Asking better questions with the implication quadrant

49:35 Why consistent effort makes the difference

50:21 The Rainmaking Podcast and The Attorney Search Group

52:26 Connecting with Scott

Scott is the founder of The Attorney Search Group, host of The Rainmaking Podcast, author of Why They Follow and co-author of Rainmaker Confidential. He specializes in recruiting corporate and finance partners for global law firms and shares practical approaches to business development, leadership and earning client trust.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotttlove/

The Attorney Search Group: https://attorneysearchgroup.com/

The Rainmaking Podcast and Magazine: https://rainmakingauthority.com/

Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer. If you are able to donate or share our GoFundMe, our family would be incredibly grateful.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-shelby-kelly-during-foxxs-fight-against-cancer

Thank you to Colin Harms and our title sponsor, Hypervac Technologies, for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast. We are also grateful to Hyperfab for helping us continue to bring these conversations to listeners.

Hypervac Technologies builds professional duct cleaning equipment, including duct trucks, portable vacuums and tools for contractors in the field.

https://hypervac.com/

Hyperfab provides custom fabrication and specialized solutions for industrial applications.

https://hyperfab.ca/

The Catalyst Club brings business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals together for live sessions, recorded conversations and practical support.

https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

If you know a business owner or professional who does great work but struggles to stand out and win new clients, share this episode with them. Follow The Business Development Podcast for more honest conversations about what it takes to build and lead.

Mentioned in this episode:

Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

When Barry Hartman left professional snowboarding to start a junk removal company, a Vancouver newspaper summed up his career change with a headline: “Professional snowboarder drops sponsors to become garbage man.” Barry would have preferred entrepreneur, but the description wasn’t wrong. He was hauling garbage. After earning $200 for a few hours helping with a weekend junk removal job, he had spotted an opportunity. What looked like a side gig could become a business, and the marketing skills he had developed through snowboarding could help him build it.

In this episode of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Barry Hartman, co-founder and CEO of 505 Junk and founder of Bolt Accelerator, to explore how he helped grow a local service business to $5 million in revenue. Barry shares how early mentorship shaped his approach to hiring and delegation, why developing a pay-by-weight model helped the company stand out, and how a deliberate focus on recurring commercial clients changed its growth trajectory. They discuss competing with an established industry leader, building relationships with both decision makers and people on site, and why winning an account is only the beginning. Barry also explains how he turned his experience into a coaching business and why stepping back from daily tasks can create opportunities for his team to grow.

1. How skills developed in one career can transfer into an entirely different industry.
2. Why early mentorship, clear processes and hiring can help founders make time to build the business.
3. How solving a pricing problem can improve customer trust and operational efficiency.
4. Why an established competitor can provide inspiration and evidence of opportunity.
5. How a commercial sales process helped 505 Junk grow from $500,000 to $1.5 million in revenue in 24 months.
6. Why decision makers and site contacts need different kinds of attention within the same account.
7. How consistent service and genuine relationships help turn customers into recurring clients.
8. Why stepping away from daily tasks can give employees room to take responsibility and advance.

00:00 Professional snowboarder becomes garbage man

01:21 Introducing Barry Hartman

04:17 Selling door to door at twelve

04:58 Growing up around entrepreneurship

06:46 Learning marketing through the family business

08:13 The business lesson Barry’s mother never let him forget

09:47 Helping students discover entrepreneurship

14:09 Becoming a professional snowboarder

18:41 Leaving snowboarding and choosing a new direction

20:26 The weekend job that revealed a business opportunity

21:27 Turning marketing skills into a junk removal business

22:38 Building a company that could scale

25:06 Working on the business and learning to delegate

26:02 Differentiating through pay-by-weight pricing

27:13 Building truck scales and improving efficiency

28:14 Competing with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

31:09 The commercial sales strategy that changed the business

33:41 Recurring accounts and the path to $5 million

34:16 Building an account management strategy

37:20 Keeping relationships strong after winning the work

39:20 When clients become friends

40:59 The story behind Bolt Accelerator

43:12 Turning experience into systems, coaching and community

44:41 Stepping back without abandoning the business

46:48 Growing Bolt and identifying the right members

49:02 How AI is changing what entrepreneurs can build

50:23 Connecting with Barry

Barry is the co-founder and CEO of 505 Junk and founder of Bolt Accelerator. Through his operating business and coaching community, he helps junk removal entrepreneurs develop the systems, sales processes and leadership skills needed to grow their companies.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartmanbarry/

505 Junk: https://505junk.com/

Bolt Accelerator: https://www.boltaccelerator.com/

Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer. If you are able to donate or share our GoFundMe, our family would be incredibly grateful.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-shelby-kelly-during-foxxs-fight-against-cancer

Thank you to Colin Harms and our title sponsor, Hypervac Technologies, for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast. We are also grateful to Hyperfab for helping us continue to bring these conversations to listeners.

Hypervac Technologies builds professional duct cleaning equipment, including duct trucks, portable vacuums and tools for contractors in the field.

https://hypervac.com/

Hyperfab provides custom fabrication and specialized solutions for industrial applications.

https://hyperfab.ca/

The Catalyst Club brings business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals together for live sessions, recorded conversations and practical support.

https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

If you know a business owner who is ready to grow but still feels responsible for doing everything themselves, share this episode with them. Follow The Business Development Podcast for more honest conversations about what it takes to build and lead.

Mentioned in this episode:

Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

After speaking on a TED stage about the cost of burnout, Jesse Schewchuk realized she needed to act on her own message. She had spent nearly a decade building Modern Muse Media, but the demands of keeping the business running were pulling her away from the work and life she wanted. When a longtime colleague posted a marketing opportunity, she approached him with a different proposal: hire her. Within a week, she had accepted an offer. The grief of letting go of her business was matched by the relief of choosing a different future.

In Episode 372 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy welcomes back award-winning producer, media strategist and founder of The Menopause Mission, Jesse Schewchuk, for an honest conversation about ambition, identity and knowing when to change direction. Jesse shares how losing her mother at 24 sent her into years of achievement as a way to avoid processing grief, why public recognition often concealed private struggles, and what led her to step into a chief marketing officer role at Capital Planning. They discuss the guilt of resting, the pressure of supporting a family through entrepreneurship, and why leaving a business does not erase what you have accomplished. Jesse also shares the personal experience behind The Menopause Mission and why she wants more women to feel heard, supported and able to speak openly.

Content note: This episode includes discussions of bereavement, burnout, mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts.

1. How the need to prove yourself can shape your ambition and your definition of success.
2. Why rest can feel uncomfortable when your identity is tied to achievement.
3. How financial pressure can affect the way you connect with people and experience your work.
4. Why grief and relief can coexist when you leave a business you built.
5. What an intrapreneur role can offer entrepreneurs who want autonomy, meaningful work and fewer ownership responsibilities.
6. How Jesse’s menopause experience changed her priorities and inspired her advocacy.
7. Why choosing a different direction requires your own acceptance, even when others support the decision.

00:00 Where is the line?

01:09 Introducing Jesse Schewchuk

05:29 Who Jesse is today

07:09 The need to prove yourself through success

08:06 Burnout and the question that changed everything

10:37 Why it is so difficult to just be

11:30 Learning to rest without guilt

13:11 Being drawn to purpose instead of driven by achievement

14:22 Losing her mother and throwing herself into work

16:17 Public recognition and private struggles

17:27 What legacy means beyond your career

19:35 When business pressure changes how you show up

21:30 Deciding to close Modern Muse Media

22:14 The conversation that became a new career opportunity

23:40 Experiencing grief and relief together

25:17 The work entrepreneurs never signed up for

25:52 Recognizing the personal cost of achievement

27:06 Making room for meaningful work

29:30 Why the right decision can still hurt

30:30 Considering a different entrepreneurial path

32:27 Why nobody else can give you permission

34:11 Finding your own answer

36:12 Being open to a different future

37:27 Entrepreneurship, employment and autonomy

39:44 Introducing The Menopause Mission

40:17 The personal experience behind the mission

44:52 Breaking the silence around women’s health

46:18 A message of support for listeners

47:39 Your business is not your identity

48:17 Connecting with Jesse

Jesse is an award-winning producer, media strategist, speaker and founder of The Menopause Mission. In this conversation, she shares her transition from running Modern Muse Media to a chief marketing officer role at Capital Planning, alongside her continued work in storytelling, speaking and women’s wellness advocacy.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-schewchuk-4470b47/

The Menopause Mission: https://www.themenopausemission.org/

Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer. If you are able to donate or share our GoFundMe, our family would be incredibly grateful.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-shelby-kelly-during-foxxs-fight-against-cancer

Thank you to Colin Harms and our title sponsor, Hypervac Technologies, for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast. We are also grateful to Hyperfab for helping us continue to bring these conversations to listeners.

Hypervac Technologies builds professional duct cleaning equipment, including duct trucks, portable vacuums and tools for contractors in the field.

https://hypervac.com/

Hyperfab provides custom fabrication and specialized solutions for industrial applications.

https://hyperfab.ca/

The Catalyst Club brings business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals together for live sessions, recorded conversations and practical support.

https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

If you know someone questioning whether the business they built still supports the life they want, share this episode with them. Follow The Business Development Podcast for more honest conversations about what it takes to build and lead.

Mentioned in this episode:

Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

A family construction company tripled its revenue in one year. Behind the growth, the owners were still carrying the business themselves. He was leading in the field. She was handling payroll, scheduling and the administrative work. They hired Laina Neudorf to help, but when they understood the work required to change how the business operated, they walked away from the engagement. They had become so busy running the business that they couldn’t make room to improve it.

In Episode 371 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy speaks with Laina Neudorf, Founder and Success Strategist at LPT Success Solutions, about navigating the messy middle of business ownership. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience across industrial construction, oil and gas, and software operations, Laina explains why more revenue, another hire or a new system may not solve the problem an owner is facing. They discuss recognizing bottlenecks, questioning familiar habits, making room for change and understanding what success looks like beyond the numbers. Kelly also shares how Foxx’s cancer diagnosis forced him to reassess his business activities, revealing that some things he thought were essential could stop while the business kept moving.

1. How to recognize the messy middle, when an established business still depends too heavily on its owner.
2. Why understanding the root cause of a problem matters before hiring, expanding or spending more on marketing.
3. How a not-to-do list can help you identify activities that no longer deserve your time.
4. What asking “What would break if I stepped away for two weeks?” can reveal about your business.
5. How to introduce changes in stages, measure their impact and transfer decision responsibility to your team.
6. Why your next business decision should reflect both the company’s needs and the life you want to build.

00:00 Will more growth solve your problems?

01:08 Introducing Laina Neudorf

04:10 From industrial construction to software operations

05:22 Why projects succeed and how to navigate change

07:23 Understanding problems versus symptoms

07:53 Making the leap into entrepreneurship

10:07 Family, ambition and redefining success

12:17 Kelly’s experience balancing business and Foxx’s treatment

13:50 Rethinking work-life balance

15:22 What is the messy middle?

17:18 Can you build a business and the life you want?

18:29 Burnout and the value of a not-to-do list

19:53 Questioning the habits that keep you busy

21:08 Affording help and exploring fractional support

22:43 What happens when you stop doing everything?

24:25 The two-week absence test

25:57 Why growth isn’t always the answer

26:59 A construction company’s cautionary growth story

28:36 Understanding your business before the next big decision

30:45 Making changes without disrupting everything

32:22 Recognizing the owner as the bottleneck

33:15 Sharing responsibility and deciding what to delegate

33:51 The Business Diagnostic and a 90-day plan

35:22 Getting support to implement change

36:05 Who Laina works with

36:43 Profit, pressure and knowing when to ask for help

37:40 Connecting with Laina

Laina helps owner-operators understand their business before deciding what comes next. Through LPT Success Solutions, her Business Diagnostic examines business performance alongside the owner’s goals, helping establish priorities and a practical 90-day plan. She also offers fractional and contract support for owners who want help implementing those changes.

Website: https://launchpeaktranscend.com/

Business Diagnostic: https://go.launchpeaktranscend.com/diagnostic-info

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laina-neudorf/

Explore Laina’s three ebooks: Where the Hell Is My Profit?, Shouldn’t This Be Easier By Now? and Where Do I Go From Here?

https://go.launchpeaktranscend.com/book-trilogy-2

Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer. If you are able to donate or share our GoFundMe, our family would be incredibly grateful.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-shelby-kelly-during-foxxs-fight-against-cancer

Thank you to Colin Harms and our title sponsor, Hypervac Technologies, for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast. We are also grateful to Hyperfab for helping us continue to bring these conversations to listeners.

Hypervac Technologies builds professional duct cleaning equipment, including duct trucks, portable vacuums and tools for contractors in the field.

https://hypervac.com/

Hyperfab provides custom fabrication and specialized solutions for industrial applications.

https://hyperfab.ca/

The Catalyst Club brings business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals together for live sessions, recorded conversations and practical support.

https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

If you know a business owner who is busier than ever but wondering why things aren’t getting easier, share this episode with them. Follow The Business Development Podcast for more honest conversations about what it takes to build and lead.

Mentioned in this episode:

Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

JAR Podcast Solutions gave two producers the same topic. One used AI to build a podcast from the ground up. The other drew on her own travel experiences. When the team shared the finished pieces with a small test audience of about 100 people, Jennifer Moss says 99 preferred the human story. The difference was in the experience behind the words.

In Episode 370 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy speaks with Jennifer Moss, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of JAR Podcast Solutions, about the future of podcasting and why human connection remains at its centre. Drawing on her experience with CBC Radio, the National Film Board of Canada and teaching at UBC, Jen explores how brands can create shows people actually want to hear. They discuss choosing between audio and video, using AI without losing your voice, measuring success beyond downloads, and finding listeners through relevant podcast partnerships. Jen also explains why the best starting point is understanding who your show serves and what you want it to accomplish.

1. How to choose between audio and video based on your story, audience and resources.
2. Why defining your podcast’s job, audience and intended result helps guide creative decisions.
3. How consumption rate and audience engagement can tell you more than download counts alone.
4. Where AI can support production and why lived experience still matters in storytelling.
5. How to interpret listener drop-off and improve your show without overreacting to one episode.
6. Why consistent publishing, cross-promotion and relevant podcast advertising matter for audience growth.

00:00 Why a download alone doesn’t mean success

01:09 Introducing Jennifer Moss

05:33 From childhood storytelling to a career in audio

09:33 Building JAR and rethinking branded podcasts

12:05 How audio and video create different kinds of connection

14:09 YouTube, discovery and the next generation of listeners

16:57 Choosing the right format for your audience and budget

21:33 Defining what success means for your podcast

23:01 Measuring impact beyond downloads

27:25 AI tools and the value of human connection

29:49 Fact-checking and protecting your content

32:36 Keeping your own voice in the creative process

33:29 JAR’s human versus AI podcast experiment

36:52 Why the person behind the story matters

39:00 Personal stories and creative possibilities for branded podcasts

42:32 Analytics, consumption and understanding listener drop-off

46:28 Setting realistic expectations for audience growth

49:26 Cross-promotion and advertising on other podcasts

51:18 Relationships and pitching Apple’s editorial team

53:58 How JAR Podcast Solutions helps brands build shows

57:42 Reaching people who are ready to listen

58:48 Award-winning shows and creative impact

01:01:07 Connecting with Jennifer

Jennifer helps brands and creators develop podcasts through strategy, storytelling, production and audience growth. Through JAR Podcast Solutions, she works with organizations to find the conversations they are best positioned to lead and create content that serves their listeners.

Website: https://jarpodcasts.com/

Email: [email protected]

Learn more about Jen: https://jarpodcasts.com/staff/jen-moss/

Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer. If you are able to donate or share our GoFundMe, our family would be incredibly grateful.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-shelby-kelly-during-foxxs-fight-against-cancer

Thank you to Colin Harms and our title sponsor, Hypervac Technologies, for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast. We are also grateful to Hyperfab for helping us continue to bring these conversations to listeners.

Hypervac Technologies builds professional duct cleaning equipment, including duct trucks, portable vacuums and tools for contractors in the field.

https://hypervac.com/

Hyperfab provides custom fabrication and specialized solutions for industrial applications.

https://hyperfab.ca/

The Catalyst Club brings business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals together for live sessions, recorded conversations and practical support.

https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

If you know someone building a podcast or considering one for their business, share this episode with them. Follow The Business Development Podcast for more honest conversations about what it takes to build and lead.

Mentioned in this episode:

Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

The day after surviving the Miracle on the Hudson, Dave Sanderson walked into his office to let his company know he was alive. His manager’s first question was, “You’re going to Michigan next week, right?” Dave had survived a plane crash. Now he was questioning the career he had built.

In Episode 369 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy speaks with Dave about surviving US Airways Flight 1549, helping fellow passengers escape, and the preparation that helped him act under extraordinary pressure. Drawing on his sales career and years working with Tony Robbins, Dave explains how to lead without a title, manage your response to uncertainty, and choose your best next step when you cannot control the outcome. He also shares how surviving the crash pushed him to reconsider his definition of success and begin finding a way out of the golden handcuffs.

1. How leadership can begin with taking responsibility before anyone gives you authority.
2. How your focus, internal dialogue and physical state influence your response to pressure.
3. Why choosing the best next step can help you act when you cannot solve the whole problem.
4. How anticipation and resourcefulness help you support a team when circumstances change.
5. Why Dave measures freedom through time, money, mission and relationships.
6. How mentors helped Dave move from a successful sales career into speaking and entrepreneurship.

00:00 Surviving a plane crash and returning to work

01:17 Introducing Dave Sanderson

02:52 Dave’s early life and entrepreneurial beginnings

04:17 An unexpected mentor and a promise to pass on his lessons

06:47 Working with Tony Robbins and learning through proximity

08:44 The four freedoms Dave realized he was missing

10:29 Surviving the Miracle on the Hudson

15:04 Leading without authority

17:25 Managing your state under pressure

22:01 Choosing your best next step

23:31 Why anticipation matters in leadership

26:54 Acting despite fear

29:37 Resourcefulness, decisions and improving your processes

31:46 Leaving the golden handcuffs behind

35:38 Building a speaking and coaching career

39:04 Connecting with Dave

Dave works with leaders and organizations through speaking, coaching and advisory work focused on resilience, decision-making and leadership under pressure.

Website: https://davesandersonspeaks.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiredavesanderson/

Explore Dave’s books, including Moments Matter and From Turmoil to Triumph, and his Moments Matter magazine:

https://davesandersonspeaks.com/books/

Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer. If you are able to donate or share our GoFundMe, our family would be incredibly grateful.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-shelby-kelly-during-foxxs-fight-against-cancer

Thank you to Colin Harms and our title sponsor, Hypervac Technologies, for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast. We are also grateful to Hyperfab for helping us continue to bring these conversations to listeners.

Hypervac Technologies builds professional duct cleaning equipment, including duct trucks, portable vacuums and tools for contractors in the field.

https://hypervac.com/

Hyperfab provides custom fabrication and specialized solutions for industrial applications.

https://hyperfab.ca/

The Catalyst Club brings business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals together for live sessions, recorded conversations and practical support.

https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

If Dave’s story made you think of someone facing a difficult decision, share this episode with them. Follow The Business Development Podcast for more honest conversations about what it takes to build and lead.

Mentioned in this episode:

Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

Ten weeks after Trevor Muir became CEO of Surepoint Group, the bank swept $400,000 from the company’s account and froze its line of credit. Surepoint could not make payroll. Trevor had already turned down the job twice. Now he had to decide what to tell the people whose livelihoods depended on the company.

In Episode 368 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy speaks with Trevor about telling his team the truth, asking employees and vendors for help, and rebuilding a company around the principle of caring for people. Trevor also shares how a period of depression changed the way he led, why Surepoint’s leaders gave up part of their pay during the pandemic, and what inspired his Someday to Today initiative.

Content note: This episode includes a discussion of depression and suicidal thoughts.

00:00 Trevor’s story and introduction

05:05 Growing up on an Alberta farm

17:27 Building Surepoint with nine friends

20:43 Why Trevor turned down the CEO role

25:29 The bank freeze and the threat to payroll

27:49 Trevor’s personal crisis and decision to seek help

34:39 Learning to care for himself, too

40:41 Rebuilding Surepoint through honesty

46:54 The pandemic puts “We Care” to the test

55:29 Surepoint’s growth after the pandemic

59:18 The meaning behind Someday to Today

1:08:38 What Trevor is doing next

1. Trevor took the CEO role because he felt responsible to the people who had believed in Surepoint.
2. When the company faced possible collapse, he told employees how serious the situation was and asked for their help.
3. Seeking help during a personal crisis changed Trevor’s understanding of vulnerability and leadership.
4. During the pandemic, Surepoint’s leaders accepted substantial pay cuts as part of a plan to support the wider team.
5. Trevor believes caring for people helped Surepoint rebuild its culture and grow.
6. Someday to Today is a reminder to make time for the people and experiences that matter while we can.

Trevor works with leaders and organizations through speaking, coaching and advisory work.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-muir-b7231356/

Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer. If you are able to donate or share our GoFundMe, our family would be incredibly grateful.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-shelby-kelly-during-foxxs-fight-against-cancer

Thank you to Colin Harms for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast. We are also grateful to Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab for helping us continue to bring these conversations to listeners.

Hypervac Technologies builds professional duct cleaning equipment, including duct trucks, portable vacuums and tools for contractors in the field.

https://hypervac.com/

Hyperfab provides custom fabrication and specialized solutions for industrial applications.

https://hyperfab.ca/

The Catalyst Club brings business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals together for live sessions, recorded conversations and practical support. Trevor is part of this community and brings the same openness to its conversations that you hear in this episode.

https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

If Trevor’s story stayed with you, follow The Business Development Podcast for more conversations with leaders who speak honestly about what it takes to build and lead.

Mentioned in this episode:

Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

What if the people closest to the work understand what needs to change better than the leaders making the decisions? In Episode 367 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Karli Grove, founder of Kantency Consulting, organizational change strategist, speaker and workshop facilitator, to explore why meaningful transformation rarely begins with immediate action. Karli shares her journey from growing up in small town Alberta and building experience across insurance, community organizations and local leadership to buying a one way ticket to New Zealand, living from a campervan and eventually creating a business devoted to helping organizations navigate change more intentionally.

Karli explains why organizations often become overwhelmed by what appear to be thousands of different problems when many of them originate from the same underlying issue. She shares how her Step 0 approach helps leaders pause, step back and map the entire system before deciding what needs to change. Kelly and Karli also discuss the dangers of top down decision making, why employees resist changes they were never invited to understand and what leaders can learn from the people closest to the work. As Karli explains, if you want to understand where waste exists inside an organization, sometimes the first person you should speak with is the janitor.

The conversation also examines the importance of shared language, continuous feedback and human connection during periods of uncertainty. Karli introduces her Water Cycle Framework, which uses familiar images such as storm clouds, rivers and waterfalls to help teams communicate the scale, pressure and emotional reality of change. She explains why feedback should be gathered throughout the entire process rather than only at the end, how involving employees during the brainstorming stage creates stronger buy in and why the rise of artificial intelligence may ultimately make genuine human connection even more valuable. Karli also shares how Kantency supports leaders and organizations through speaking, facilitation, coaching and immersive mapping.

Key Takeaways:

1. Resistance to change is often a response to being blindsided, excluded or ignored rather than a rejection of change itself.
2. If implementing change is Step 1, Step 0 is the pause required to understand the complete system before taking action.
3. Organizations may appear to have thousands of different problems when many are different expressions of the same root issue.
4. The people closest to the work often possess critical information that leadership cannot see from the top.
5. Leaders make better decisions when they involve employees during the brainstorming process rather than after the decision has already been made.
6. Shared language helps teams recognize when they are discussing the same issue from different perspectives.
7. Metaphors can communicate the scale, pressure and emotion of change more effectively than conventional business language.
8. Feedback should be collected throughout the entire change cycle because waiting until the end means missing the information needed to adjust.
9. Loyalty inside a smaller organization can be powerful but fragile because leadership decisions feel deeply personal to employees.
10. As technology becomes increasingly available, authentic human connection, empathy and in person experiences may become even more valuable.

Learn more about Karli Grove and Kantency Consulting, explore the Step 0 approach and discover how Karli helps leaders and organizations map the bigger picture, strengthen communication and navigate change with greater clarity and confidence.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karligrove

Kantency Consulting: https://kantency.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtWcw78iQvqjc0mdViZotQ

Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer, and our family is navigating a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead. If you are able to donate or simply share our GoFundMe with your network, we would be incredibly grateful for your support.

❤️ Donate to Support Foxx and Our Family

🎸 Sponsor Shoutouts: Thank you Colin Harms for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast! 🫶

The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab. 🎸⭐

🔹 Hypervac Technologies: North America’s leader in vacuum truck manufacturing, building high performance hydrovac and industrial vacuum trucks designed for the toughest field conditions. www.hypervac.com

🔹 Hyperfab: The custom fabrication division of Hypervac, delivering engineered solutions and specialized builds tailored to demanding industrial applications. www.hyperfab.ca

Join The Catalyst Club Community

The Catalyst Club is so much more than a community. It is a growth platform for business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals who want to sharpen their mindset, expand their leadership and learn directly from people who have been there.

Members get immediate access to more than 40 recorded Catalyst Sessions from incredible experts like Nausheen Chen, Carmen Leibel, Pia Silva, Joel Zeff, Wayne Lee and many more, along with weekly live sessions, growth conversations and practical business development support from Kelly Kennedy and other leaders.

If you are serious about growth, leadership, business development and surrounding yourself with people who are committed to becoming better, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.

Learn more here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

Mentioned in this episode:

Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

What allows some people to remain clear, composed and effective when the pressure is at its highest? In Episode 366 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with entrepreneur, sales leader and performance coach Alex Marr to explore how structure, skill set and mindset work together to create consistent high performance. Alex shares his journey from selling pottery at childhood craft fairs and working in a car dealership at 16 to building an international career with Xerox, leading businesses in Dubai and eventually bringing the globally recognized Red to Blue performance framework to Canada.

Alex explains how early sales training at Xerox transformed him from an average salesperson achieving approximately 80 percent of his target into a consistent President’s Club performer. He explores why most traditional sales training is quickly forgotten, how the human brain responds under pressure and why complex systems must be made simple enough to use in the moment they are needed. Kelly and Alex also discuss the four stages buyers move through when making decisions, why selling is ultimately about creating trust and peace of mind, and how understanding a buyer’s real drivers can shorten the sales cycle and prevent conversations from becoming price negotiations.

The conversation also examines the growing role of fractional executives and why small and medium sized businesses should not need enormous budgets to access experienced leadership. Alex explains the difference between consultants who provide recommendations and fractional executives who become embedded within an organization and execute the work. He shares how Fractional Execs Canada gives companies access to experienced CROs, CFOs, CMOs, chiefs of staff and other leaders for a fraction of the time and cost of a full time executive. Alex also introduces the company’s expanding technology division, including AI supported business development, customer onboarding and business intelligence tools designed to give leadership teams a single source of truth.

Key Takeaways:

1. Mindset is not simply a personality trait. It is a skill that can be developed, practised and measured.
2. High performers recognize when pressure is pulling them into a reactive state and redirect their attention toward the next useful action.
3. Sales training only creates value when people can remember and apply it during real conversations.
4. The sales cycle is actually a buying cycle because the final decision takes place in the buyer’s mind.
5. Successful selling begins by understanding the customer’s drivers and requirements before presenting a solution.
6. Buyers are ultimately looking for trust and peace of mind, regardless of the product or service being sold.
7. Anticipating comparison, perceived risk and anxiety allows sales professionals to address objections before they prevent a decision.
8. Fractional executives differ from traditional consultants because they become embedded within the business and help execute the strategy.
9. Experienced fractional leaders can often accomplish in 60 or 90 days what may take a new full time executive six months to deliver.
10. The best fractional leaders bring experience without ego, transfer their knowledge and leave stronger systems behind.

Learn more about Alex Marr, Gazing Canada and Fractional Execs Canada, and discover how Alex helps individuals, leadership teams and growing businesses improve performance, strengthen decision making and execute under pressure.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexmarrfractional

Gazing Canada: https://gazingcanada.ca

Fractional Execs Canada: https://www.fractional-execs.ca

Our one-year-old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer, and our family is navigating a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead. If you are able to donate or simply share our GoFundMe with your network, we would be incredibly grateful for your support.

❤️ Donate to Support Foxx and Our Family

🎸 Sponsor Shoutouts: Thank you Colin Harms for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast! 🫶

The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab. 🎸⭐

🔹 Hypervac Technologies: North America’s leader in vacuum truck manufacturing, building high performance hydrovac and industrial vacuum trucks designed for the toughest field conditions. www.hypervac.com

🔹 Hyperfab: The custom fabrication division of Hypervac, delivering engineered solutions and specialized builds tailored to demanding industrial applications. www.hyperfab.ca

Join The Catalyst Club Community

The Catalyst Club is so much more than a community. It is a growth platform for business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and high-level professionals who want to sharpen their mindset, expand their leadership and learn directly from people who have been there.

Members get immediate access to more than 40 recorded Catalyst Sessions from incredible experts like Nausheen Chen, Carmen Leibel, Pia Silva, Joel Zeff, Wayne Lee and many more, along with weekly live sessions, growth conversations and practical business development support from Kelly Kennedy and other leaders.

If you are serious about growth, leadership, business development and surrounding yourself with people who are committed to becoming better, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.

Learn more here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

Mentioned in this episode:

Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

What can today’s content creators learn from someone who has spent more than three decades producing television designed to capture and hold the attention of millions? In Episode 365 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Emmy-winning executive producer, showrunner and director Carl Buehl to explore the evolution of television, storytelling and content creation. Carl shares his journey from radio and music to producing some of television’s most recognizable programs, including The Amazing Race, America’s Most Wanted, Supernanny, Celebrity Fit Club, My Lottery Dream Home and Undercover Billionaire.

Carl explains why successful content begins with character, how television producers use hooks to keep audiences watching and why authenticity must also be relatable to the audience. Kelly and Carl discuss the disruption created by YouTube, podcasts and short form content, why creators no longer need traditional networks to build enormous audiences, and how businesses are increasingly being asked to operate like media companies. Carl also shares why long form content requires greater structure, why production can overwhelm business owners, and how working backward from the desired outcome can help creators build stronger stories and more sustainable content strategies.

Key Takeaways:

1. Great content begins with compelling characters and people the audience can understand.
2. The modern content hook is television’s traditional tease adapted for a faster media environment.
3. Authenticity matters, but a story must also be relatable to hold an audience’s attention.
4. Content creators can now build trusted audiences without relying on traditional television networks.
5. Strong storytelling is more important than achieving Hollywood-level production quality.
6. Businesses must determine which content format best supports their actual goals.
7. Short form success does not automatically translate into compelling long form content.
8. Consistent content creation requires significant time, structure, resources and production support.
9. Brands can build trust by creating meaningful stories instead of forcing products into the spotlight.
10. Effective producers begin with the desired outcome and reverse engineer the story from the end.

Learn more about Carl Buehl, Cre8TV Spot and his work helping brands, creators and production companies develop compelling content through authentic storytelling.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlbuehl/

Cre8TV Spot: https://cre8tvspot.com

Our one-year-old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer, and our family is navigating a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead. If you are able to donate or simply share our GoFundMe with your network, we would be incredibly grateful for your support.

❤️ Donate to Support Foxx and Our Family

🎸 Sponsor Shoutouts: Thank you Colin Harms for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast! 🫶

The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab. 🎸⭐

🔹 Hypervac Technologies: North America’s leader in vacuum truck manufacturing, building high performance hydrovac and industrial vacuum trucks designed for the toughest field conditions. www.hypervac.com

🔹 Hyperfab: The custom fabrication division of Hypervac, delivering engineered solutions and specialized builds tailored to demanding industrial applications. www.hyperfab.ca

Join The Catalyst Club Community

The Catalyst Club is so much more than a community. It is a growth platform for business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and high-level professionals who want to sharpen their mindset, expand their leadership and learn directly from people who have been there.

Members get immediate access to more than 40 recorded Catalyst Sessions from incredible experts like Nausheen Chen, Carmen Leibel, Pia Silva, Joel Zeff, Wayne Lee and many more, along with weekly live sessions, growth conversations and practical business development support from Kelly Kennedy and other leaders.

If you are serious about growth, leadership, business development and surrounding yourself with people who are committed to becoming better, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.

Learn more here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

Mentioned in this episode:

Hyperfab Midroll