Hayley Wickenheiser is a 6x Olympian, 4x Olympic Gold medalist, Canadian hockey legend, angel investor, and soon to be doctor in the later stages of her medical degree.

Hayley now serves as Managing Director at Pandemic Solutions, a medical consulting company that helps small, medium and large enterprises with organizational support in uncertain times. Dr. Shaw is the President and Director of Medicine at Pandemic Solutions.

We talk to Dr. Shaw and Hayley about viral transmission and the development of a vaccine for the current pandemic. They walk us through the services offered by Pandemic Solutions and how they’re helping businesses re-open safely during this uncertain climate. Hayley and Dr. Shaw also detail how their unique backgrounds have helped each other learn and grow along this journey. We hope you enjoy the show!

Timestamps

1:43 - Viruses transmission and effects on the body

3:35 - Update on the COVID-19 vaccine trials

6:10 - Pandemic Solutions - Who are we & what do we do?

14:00 - The future of contact tracing

19:10 - Hayley’s transition from hockey to medicine

25:39 - Lightning Round

Jeff is the Founder and President of Kimurawear, a leader in quality and innovative products in the martial arts community. Founded in 2006 from Brampton, Ontario, Kimurawear began creating training equipment for professional athletes of various disciplines. With their unique approach of forward thinking and attention to detail, the brand took over the MMA scene, featured on UFC stars such as Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Frankie Edgar, Thales Leites, and Jose Aldo.   

Jeff has since diversified his business portfolio, expanding into the world of real estate with various cottage properties across Ontario as well as his own podcast called Jeff Knows Inc.  We speak to Jeff about his journey into the combat sports world and what strategies he used to market his products to star athletes, especially before the days of social media. Jeff also explains how he pivoted from athletic wear to real estate, to his podcast. He also touches on the importance of balance in his life between work and family.  

This was an inspirational conversation with a true go-getter in all sense of the word. If you’re looking for some energy to fire you up today, click play and listen to Jeff’s story.  

Timestamps: 2:50 - How Kimurawear started 8:47 - Kimurawear's Growth Strategy 10:40 - Building relationships with your customers 13:15 - UFC Fighter Pay & Exclusive Deal with Reebok/Venum 20:50 - Why Jeff doesn't focus on his competitors 25:08 - The story of Jeff's son  29:26 - Transitioning to Real Estate 32:00 - Are you born an entrepreneur? 37:55 - Why you should never seek comfort 43:41 - Don't fall in love with your business 47:11 - Social Media, Perfection, & Road Trips 53:40 - Everyone has the opportunity to be great 58:50 - Lightning Round

Daniel Beach and Neetu Godara Rai are the CEO and CGO of SoCIAL Lite Vodka, the best vodka soda in Canada (in our opinion)! They are two of three co-founders, along with COO Kevin Folk, of the wildly popular brand.

Sounding something like a campfire tale, the idea for the company was born while mixing drinks in Kevin’s home kitchen. After spending countless summer nights mixing drinks with different fruits and flavours to accommodate the tastes of their friends, the trio realized that they were onto something special.

With 80 calories per can and simple ingredients, SoCIAL Lite drinks were the first pre-mixed vodka sodas in North America to contain no sugar! It was an instant hit!

We talk to Dan and Neetu about their motivations behind creating their own business, how a new product goes from an idea to the shelf, and their core strategies to scale the company.

This was a truly inspirational conversation with two genuine individuals. So crack open a cold can and enjoy the show! As a tip, we recommend the Pineapple Mango flavour and if you’re a fan of the podcast you understand why.

Timestamps:     2:30 - The story behind SoCIAL Lite Vodka     6:55 - How the name “SoCIAL Lite” was chosen    10:40 - How to take a product from idea to store shelves    16:45 - How the LCBO chooses its products    22:35 - Being a minority female founder in the alcohol industry    29:57 - Entrepreneurship is overly glorified    33:15 - Setbacks in the early days of the company    36:15 - Competition in the industry    39:57 - The future of hard seltzers    51:50 - Dan and Neetu on choosing the entrepreneurial path 1:00:20 - Lightning Round

Greg is the Founder & Head Coach at The 1440, an online, personal coaching fitness program. His journey began as a varsity football athlete at Wilfred Laurier University where he discovered his love for training.

From here, he transitioned from varsity athlete, to strength coach, to working full time at a tech startup, before branching out on his own with The 1440. The one habit that remained consistent throughout all these changes was training.

Greg preaches the importance of prioritizing fitness, showcased in the name which serves as a reminder that we all have the same 1440 minutes in a day. The onus is on us to use them wisely.

We talk to Greg about the science and psychology behind dieting and working out, and his experiences from the tech world that has helped him succeed with his fitness venture.

To quote Greg: “Your best is yet to come. Get what you came for.” So click play and get what you came for!

Timestamps

3:50 - The Story Behind “The 1440”

Ben Feferman is the CEO of Amuka Esports, Canada’s leader in esports venues, online leagues, and tournaments. If you’re asking, “What are esports?” then this episode is for you!

Online gaming has been around for awhile, however the industry of gaming has radically shifted in the last decade. With the rise of online gaming communities and competitive leagues, the esports industry boasts more active viewers than every major sports league in America besides the National Football League (NFL). In fact, it is estimated that by 2022, the industry will be worth an estimated $1.8B! And Ben intends to have Amuka at the forefront of this growth.

Featuring two arenas in Toronto and Windsor and having organized over 300 events in esports, Amuka is determined to build a billion dollar gaming empire.

We speak to Ben about how he transitioned his career from investment banking to online gaming, his journey in the industry, how to scale gaming communities, and the possibility of esports holding a spot on ESPN. Before you quit your job and start up the Playstation, have a listen to Ben’s story!

Akosua Asare is the founder and CEO of Essence Luxe Couture, a luxury wig brand powered by AI that uses ethically sourced hair to create meticulously handcrafted wigs. The company mission is to help those who suffer from hair loss, while breaking down the traditional barriers to entry for minorities in the beauty industry.

At the age of 21, Akosua developed alopecia, a condition where the immune system attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss. Akosua immediately recognized the disconnect in the industry - custom wigs are expensive and limited to standard styles, colours, and head sizes, with no “trying on” process so to speak. So Akosua channeled her experience into an opportunity.

Today, Essence Luxe Couture creates custom wigs based on your specifications and is looking to expand this function with proprietary AI-technology. The end goal is to create an immersive experience in which you can virtually try on wigs of all shapes and colours, all from the comfort of your home.

We talk to Akosua about her journey building the company, her experience as a female, black founder in the tech space and the future capabilities of artificial intelligence in the beauty industry.

3:24 - Akosua’s story and the beginning of Essence Luxe Couture 12:39 - Disrupting the beauty industry with Artificial Intelligence  18:21 - Future opportunities for expansion 22:07 - Impact of the global pandemic 25:30 - Winning the Schulich People’s Choice Award 27:08 - Using E-Commerce Platforms (Etsy & Shopify) 32:00 - Online Growth Strategy 37:30 - Exposing Shopify gurus 44:38 - Entrepreneurship & Empowerment 48:15 - The Power of Regret 50:00 - Resources for Female Entrepreneurs 54:08 - Venture Funds vs. Black Founders 1:02:56 - Lightning Round

Andre is a partner at Fasken, a leading international law firm where he maintains a broad corporate law practice. Andre advises venture capital firms and emerging, high-growth companies all across Canada. As Co-Chair of the Emerging Companies Group at the firm, he is a recognized leader in Ontario’s tech ecosystem and a tireless advocate for his clients.

Andre acts as the go-to external counsel for all legal matters to companies and venture capital investors around the world, regularly speaking at legal tech conferences and events.

We ask Andre everything we need to know before taking a company public. He details the importance of intellectual property, common mistakes made by investors and founders, and how to set up your company for success.

We learned so much from this episode that we’re still expecting to receive an invoice of billable hours from the firm. Good thing you can listen to this for free!

2:30 - Intro to Technology & Law   9:50 - Common mistakes made by start-ups 17:40 - Critical factors to consider before fundraising (due diligence) 20:15 - Liquidation preference (Important!) 24:00 - Equity vs. Debt Financing  26:50 - Common mistakes made by Investors 30:38 - An interesting deal handled by Andre (litigation to M&A) 36:40 - Tech Conferences 38:58 - IPO vs. Staying Private 43:50 - Advice for future tech lawyers 46:34 - Lightning Round

As the Vice President of Institutional Sales at Horizons ETFs, Emerson Baker is responsible for communicating the various ways ETFs are shaping the global capital markets. He has dedicated his entire career to the ETF industry, having spent four years at BMO ETFs before joining Horizons.

Emerson understands the importance of wealth management and how to utilize the capital markets for these goals. Whether that’s investing into stocks and bonds, or ETFs and mutual funds, the investing strategy differs based on each individual, however the goal is the same - create wealth through sound investment decisions. However, not everyone has the financial literacy to take on such risks.

So we talk to Emerson about the capital markets, what we need to know before beginning to invest, and the steps we should be taking to become a successful investor. He also details the various traps along the way that we may fall into if we are not careful - such as crypto and forex pyramid schemes.

We hope you enjoy this informative conversation!

3:00 - Entering a career in capital markets   5:50 - What is the difference between an ETF and a stock?   8:30 - How to pick which ETFs to invest into 10:45 - What is the future market? 15:00 - Cryptocurrency and Forex "gurus" 19:55 - Building financial literacy 28:10 - How do each generation view the stock market? 31:20 - Why are stocks rallying during a pandemic when businesses are closed? 35:38 - Millennials and investing 46:25 - How to invest your first $1,000 54:15 - Lightning Round

Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Miah-Marie started playing basketball by chance. She picked up the sport so she wouldn’t be on the sidelines watching her siblings play and it slowly became more than that. Her mother’s philosophy: “Keep playing if the doors continued to open.” And the doors kept opening.

Miah-Marie led the Windsor Lancers to four consecutive CIS National Championships, winning the CIS Final Eight Tournament MVP and CIS All-Canadian Defensive Player of the Year honours three times. She then went onto to lead the Canadian National Women’s team to gold at the 2015 Pan American Games and the 2015 FIBA Americas World Championship, which qualified the team for the Olympics at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Miah-Marie now plays in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League while spending her off time as a mentor and coach for the youth. We talk to Miah-Marie about her professional, what it takes to be an athlete, female empowerment and the importance of diversity and equality in sports.

We hope you enjoy this insightful conversation with such a genuine individual and true Canadian star!

2:00 - Intro to Basketball 11:39 - The grind of developing your game 16:20 - FIBA Americas Women's Championship 20:34 - Pan American Games & Winning Gold 23:14 - Female empowerment 27:25 - Equality in sports 37:18 - Mental toughness and preparation 43:55 - Diversity in sports 50:50 - Lightning Round

Adam is the Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Luminari, a professional community for CPAs. Their flagship product is LumiQ, a mobile podcast app where you can get verifiable professional development hours for listening to engaging conversations with business leaders on their experiences and areas of expertise.   After gaining experience in the industry as a marketing professional, Adam realized that the growing podcast market could solve a common issue faced by industry professionals that hold designations - professional development hours. Earning these hours each year usually meant attending conferences or workshops that not everyone is keen on. So Adam decided, instead of going to workshops for these hours, why not bring the hours to ourselves through podcast listening that brings industry expertise to our fingertips? Just like that, the idea for Luminari was born!  We talk to Adam about his journey of building a reputable professional development platforms, how his corporate experience helped him scale the company, and the ins and outs of working with a start-up.   We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Show sponsored by Podcorn - visit podcorn.com today!

2:00 - Transition from the corporate world to the start-up world   4:10 - Negotiating a new position at the same workplace   8:20 - How to become more marketable  14:01 - The value of your network 24:09 - The story of Luminari 32:04 - Branding and the importance of trust 36:35 - Automation in the Finance/Accounting industry 41:49 - Advice to new graduates 47:35 - How to switch careers 50:48 - The story of John 58:12 - Lightning Round