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Anyone running a brand anywhere must embody an entrepreneurial spirit. Today’s guest, Kristin Holomis, Founder of Le Dog Company, exemplifies this perfectly. Le Dog is a premium orthopedic leather dog bed company, born from Kristin’s passion for both dogs and style.

Being a business owner and entrepreneur is about identifying gaps in the market and creating value to fill them. Kristin describes her niche as ‘White Space’—while there are markets for “disposable” dog beds, well-known luxury brands, and comfort-centric options, Le Dog offers something unique: a blend of style and function. As the only non-launderable pet bed on the market, the brand has achieved a 30% return customer rate, highlighting the impact of her product.

So, what does the future hold for Le Dog? For entrepreneurs, building energy and passion behind a brand is key. Kristin aims to achieve this by fostering a community of loyal, like-minded dog owners, which she’s already started through her Ambassador Program. Thanks to Kristin, MBA listeners can “Live the Le Dog Life” with a 20% discount using the MBAWAY20 code on the Le Dog Company website.

What’s Inside:

• The importance of entrepreneurial spirit.
• Finding “White Space” to create value in the world.
• Using community building to create loyal customers and a lasting brand story.
• A special discount for listeners at Le Dog Company.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Le Dog Company
kristin@ledogcompany.com
MBA CPA

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After a brief but enjoyable discussion about his Scottish heritage and Scotland's football, we get into the main reason Scott McKee, Senior Investment Counselor at Cardinal Capital Management, is with us today. Cardinal Capital is opening a new location in Kelowna.

The financial world is full of alphabet soup titles, with no shortage of designations for financial advisors, Scott explains. He breaks down the meaning of some of the most common acronyms: CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), CFP (Certified Financial Planner), CIM (Chartered Investment Manager), PFP (Personal Financial Planner), RFP (Registered Financial Planner), and more.

But what do these designations mean, and how do you pick the right advisor? Scott highlights three key points to consider when searching for the right financial advisor:

1. Look for the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation.
2. Consider the advisor’s experience, as well as your own experiences with previous advisors.
3. Trust your gut and do your due diligence.

If you’re in the market for an advisor, you might want to consider if you are the right fit for Cardinal Capital. At Cardinal, they focus on growing your income, maintaining consistency, and educating you as a client in an easy-to-understand manner. At the Kelowna location, you can expect to find six independent advisors. However, Cardinal Capital works with over 100 independent advisors in total, with more transitioning to in-house roles all the time.

What’s Inside:

• Cardinal Capital opening in Kelowna.
• What to look for in a financial advisor?
• Are you the right fit for Cardinal Capital Management?

Mentioned In This Episode:
Cardinal Capital Management
MBA CPA

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Jeff Swan from Sellside M&A has introduced an innovative platform called A Happy eXit tailored for business owners navigating the transition process. As two-thirds of business owners, particularly baby boomers, are preparing to retire or make transitions, A Happy eXit is designed to support those with businesses valued between $5 million and $50 million, especially in industrial sectors. Beyond the straightforward sale price, the platform emphasizes the importance of recognizing the hidden value in a business, such as intellectual property, licenses, strategic advantages, unique processes, and company culture. Their four-component assessment framework—focusing on financial health, legal aspects, operational processes, and revenue—ensures a comprehensive approach to selling a business.

With A Happy eXit, business owners gain access to everything they need for a successful transition, including expert coaching, essential tools, and a supportive community. The platform is set to launch in September, and those interested can join the waitlist to be among the first notified. Additionally, the first 100 people who sign up will receive free lifetime access to A Happy Exit's invaluable resources, making this a crucial opportunity for those planning their next chapter.

What’s Inside:

• An exciting new platform for business owners.
• An important look at the hidden value in businesses.
• Don’t miss the awesome incentive to join A Happy Exit.

Mentioned In This Episode:

A Happy eXit
Sellside M&A
Sellside M&A: Exit Readiness Grader
MBA CPA

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Steve Geddes is a new friend of mine, and when we hit it off, I knew I had to have him share his incredible business story and advice on the podcast. Steve’s journey is a masterclass in understanding and scaling a business. He emphasizes that to scale effectively, you must understand every facet of your business—from the overall flow to the finer details. In order to deliver on your promises, you need to grasp the whole process. Steve knows there’s no magic pill for business success, but the closest thing to it is having a solid template and truly understanding your market. His approach combines passion, hard work, and strong relationships, shunning the “spray and pray” marketing tactics for targeted efforts where customers are most likely to be found.

Steve explains where he finds opportunities and customers via commercial work; more so, he emphasizes the potential of referrals, which generate warm leads and drive growth. Steve advises selling with passion and marketing as a “product enthusiast” rather than the traditional negative association many might have with a salesperson. This shift is critical to connecting with customers genuinely. Importantly, he notes that you don't need to be your business's target customer; instead, you must understand and find excitement in whatever you’re doing. This enthusiasm will resonate with customers and naturally lead to sales, making your business thrive. Steve was generous enough to share his phone number and email so that The MBA Way listeners could pick his brain even more!

What’s Inside:

• Is the way you’re scaling your business working?
• Selling with passion; no more toxic salesman.
• The “secret” to understanding your business and delivering promises.
• Referrals: The underrated lead generator.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Call or Text Steve: 250-212-3622
Steve@sgefurniture.com
Leather Repair, Plastic, Vinyl Restoration: Fibrenew Kelowna
MBA CPA

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This Client Spotlight episode features MBA client Lucas Griffin, president of Secure-Rite. These spotlights serve the purpose of providing insightful advice and resources to help other entrepreneurs in their business and life.

Secure-Rite founded in 2005, is changing the way the world views and uses shipping containers, bringing people and portable spaces together in meaningful ways. Lucas shares his journey to launch, leading up to his great team in multiple provinces 19 years later. His entrepreneurial journey is one of change and growth, as he is always learning and creating new value in the world.

Lucas fires off a harsh reality; owning a business is not an easy way to make money. And in the same vein, it can’t be your only purpose. Fired up by his customers and his team, Lucas is engaged in a bigger purpose, something he outlines in the Secure-Rite Values: Community, Excellence, Agility, and Cowboy Grit. He also highlights three critical positions in any business you must have clearly defined values, purpose, and roles.

We could have taken this conversation down many roads, but it is an inspiration to hear about Secure-Rite’s innovation in the storage and shipping container industry as well as Lucas’s skills and passion as a leader and entrepreneur.

What’s Inside:

• Client Spotlight: Secure-Rite, innovation in the storage and shipping container industry.
• 3 critical positions for every entrepreneur to define in their business.
• Finding purpose in your business beyond financial success.
• Secure-Rites’ values and how they contribute to their operations.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Secure-Rite Mobile Storage
EOS Worldwide
Wholehearted Leaders
MBA CPA

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How much better would you sleep at night if you knew your life was covered? Today I’m joined by Mike St. Croix at Covello Financial. MBA has personally completely switched to Covello because of the incredible work they’re doing with insurance and benefits.

Covello takes a different approach to finances and insurance because they think like entrepreneurs. They put the client first and they understand this is an investment in yourself and your employees. While every business might say they’ve got the best cost for the best service, Covello truly does. We discuss three hallmark services that set them apart:

• Their unique service model lessens the administrative burden
• They proactively price shop, making sure you’re getting the best deal when the market changes
• They are in constant review of fees to increase compound interest in group retirement and benefit plans

They are out to save you and your employees money because insurance and benefits aren't something you think about until you need it…and they want you to know they’ve got you covered.

What’s Inside:

• Why MBA switched to Covello Financial?
• What value can Covello provide to entrepreneurs?
• Three key service differences that Covello provides.

Today’s Guest:

Michael St. Croix is an entrepreneur with 5 years of business experience in property management, enterprise sales and start-ups. After playing three years of professional hockey under a New York Rangers contract, Michael retired from professional sports in 2015 and attended the Asper School of Business in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

He is now the Chief Operating Officer for Covello Financial Financial Group. They provide Group Benefits, Group Retirement, Estate & Succession Planning, and Financial Planning for Canadian business owners.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Covello Financial Group
MBA CPA

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“To get the best marketing results, you’ll need to assemble a team of badass people to work with you. Luckily, we have them in spades and raring to go.” That’s pulled straight from William Walczak's website at Hiilite and its the same energy he brings to today’s conversation.

William works to bridge the gap between the scientific engineer brain and the aesthetic brain, formulating a total genius design and marketing combination. People do business with people who are passionate about their business; that has to translate into everything you do. Hiilite hallmarks on three topics we really get into in this chat.

1. Everything Communicates! — this profound statement means you literally cannot afford not to be intentional with every aspect of your business.
2. Where are you cringeworthy??? —Find those impediments to growth and make a change!!
3. You can't manage what you can't measure! — Data across companies, growth charting, and maximizing ROI—William explains all these crucial points.

If you bring in a professional to tell you what the next best step is, it is almost certainly going to be whatever they are selling. Hiilite helps you see what you need to see, so that your business can grow!

What’s Inside:

• Bridging the gap between science and aesthetics in marketing.
• Communicating your business to the world and ideal clients.
• Finding your impediments to growth.
• Why data measurement is important in the growth process.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Hiilite
William Walczak, MBA - The University of British Columbia | LinkedIn
William Walczak on Instagram
MBA CPA

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Tony Woods shares his impressive resume, working with National Money Mart, BC Ferries, and now as the owner and president of THINK Communications, working with business owners with white glove IT services.

THINK stands for Truth, Honesty, Integrity, Networking and Knowledge; their tagline is "Great People, Great Ideas." As a company, they focus on two key areas, Left of Boom and Right of Boom because it's not a matter of if it happens, it's when it happens. As Tony describes it, Left of Boom is how well you're protecting your organization from cyber threats. Right of boom is ok; they've got you; how well can you recover from it.

Tony advises on a major point of protection: 14 Character Passphrases and multifactor authentication. You can also focus on training your human firewall with phishing campaigns. The truth is, ignorance is not bliss, and while Tony points out that you don't truly need cyber insurance, you do need protection, and the best suited one is from a professional IT service like THINK.

THINK today offers a Security Stack that includes specific pieces of software on machines to block the execution of unknown files, 24x7x365 real-time monitoring from a SOC (security operations center), and other tools of the trade. Including MDR - Manage, Detect, Respond. And for free, they offer an Attack Surface Report and a Blast Radius report.

What’s Inside:

• How to protect your business from cyber threats.
• How to create better password protection.
• The Security Stack with THINK.
• Training your human firewall.

Mentioned In This Episode:
twoods@thinkcommunications.ca
Think Communication Inc.
MBA CPA