This Episode is a wide-ranging conversation with the engaging Geoffrey Hiscock, covering his 25 year career on Bay Street, including his current position at Waygar Capital and past positions with Frontwell Capital, Business Development Bank of Canada, PNC, CIBC, Wells Fargo, and others.

Of particular note to me was Geoff’s journey and lessons learned, from Queens University with a B.SC., to underwriting, to Business Development Executive.  Too many young professionals and entrepreneurs fail to see business development as a job.  It’s hard work and requires real human interaction - which is becoming a lost art.  Geoff explains how he faced his fears head on by joining Second City improv and sketch comedy theatre to help him speak and engage in person.

“I was a little bit introverted to be quite honest with you when I started out.  You put me in a room with a hundred people and it was very difficult for me to maneuver around that room.”

“So what did I do to overcome? That was why I joined Second city.  I studied there for two years and I did all my improvisational courses, and I took stand up too.  I faced my demons”
 
“ You walk into the room and people feel that energy. You know when you walk in and you're not smiling, or you've got an ego, immediately you can hear the doors start to shut”
 
“What I found is very important for me is just, you know, I put a smile on my face”

"I look at things in a positive manner, particularly transactions, and try to be enthusiastic about what I do, because I am enthusiastic about what I do. I'm a deal junkie."

"You have to present yourself in a professional manner, and you have to add value in order to grab people's attention."

"I’m open to mentoring people.  By all means anybody can look me up on on linkedin and reach out. I'm readily available, and I love doing that."
 
Geoff is currently Managing Director, Originations at Waygar Capital.  Waygar provides working capital loans, revolving lines, term loans against machinery, equipment and other fixed assets.

TheScottSinclair.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreyhiscock/
https://waygarcapital.com/

It’s not the universe. It’s you.

In a pitch, competence is the entry fee. Trust is more important. Benevolence is the most important.

You do not lack self discipline. You lack a purpose of sufficient value.

Success doesn’t come from one decision. It comes from hundreds of decisions made repetitively.

In this Episode we discuss a compounding frame on success in all things in life and business.

Compounding for:

·      Wealth creation

·      Business success

·      Career success

·      Business value

·      Health

·      and, everything else

Also, we try a shared screen for the first time! Let us know how it worked for you.

In this Episode I have a wide-ranging discussion with Larry O'Brien, leader of DGOV3, founder and past CEO of Calian Group (CGY:TSX), former Mayor of Ottawa, best-selling author, a celebrated citizen and entrepreneur and Blockchain Advocate. 

Larry discusses business start ups, managing a public company, how his 4 values have guided his success in business and life, politics and his new passion, using new blockchain technologies to improve democracy.

• I started a company and made every single mistake possible.  In six short months, I destroyed the company completely and spent the next two years trying to figure out why someone as smart as I thought I was could screw up so badly.  I realized that I was the problem.

• I realized I didn't have a solid value system to make decisions, because success is not one decision. It's hundreds and hundreds of decisions made repetitively.

• You need to have a strong moral compass to be successful.  As a CEO, you’re the one who's ultimately making decisions.  So, I had these four value tests that I applied to every decision that I made.

• You have to have a certain gentle narcissism in your soul if you're going to be an entrepreneur, if you're going to be a CEO, because it has to be about “me”.  You know, you have to take it personally. 

• You get a lot luckier if you're where the energy is.

• We started looking at ways of applying blockchain technology and new technologies to make the world better. How can we solve some of the world's bigger problems? How can we apply technology to make democracy better for everyone?

https://priorarts.io/

TheScottSinclair.com

In this Episode we are joined by Olga Jilani, co Founder, former CFO, Advisor and Director of Switch Health.  

Olga discusses her successful journey from one of Canada’s top female turnaround professionals to successful entrepreneur.

- the similarities between troubled business and high growth, entrepreneurial businesses

- the trick to managing difficult situations is to show up every day

- execution wins over ideas and strategy

- speed trumps perfection

- the illusion of life / balance

Embrace failure. Embrace values. Limitations are the game.

Last week Aurora Cannabis announced their annual earnings. They lost $1.7 billion.