Business

Entrepreneurs Require a Sense of Audacity. Do You Have What It Takes?

Graham Wong, Founder & CEO, Lauft Inc. Graham loves being a creative entrepreneur. The former founder and principal of Toronto-based ad agency Urban DNA has over twenty years of experience building and deploying brand strategies for some of Canada’s best known brands including Nike, Fujitsu, City of Toronto, Ontario Ministry of Health and CAMH (and many others). His work in UX strategy extends across a multitude of industries and in 2006, he introduced Canada to mobile proximity marketing.

Check out his new coworking space project at www.lauft.work


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Start thinking BIGGER

Since 2004, Colin Sprake has helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and their families make lasting changes in their personal and professional lives (https://www.mymsuccess.com). He’s been privileged enough to speak on Tony Robbins’ stage and present with Jack Canfield, John Assaraf, Joe Dispenza, Les Brown and countless other global thought leaders. He is a 4-time best-selling author and business mentor with a proven track record of personally building profitable companies from the ground up. He’s a highly passionate and engaging presenter that specializes in mindset, realizing personal potential, and is an absolute genius at business strategy.

Colin is devoted to making a difference on this planet where human beings live in love, financial abundance, and prosperity. Having been through a very tough childhood caused by severe bullying, he attempted to take his life at the age of 14 and thought he would never amount to anything significant. He has a deep desire for people to reach their full potential, and it completely fills his heart to the brim when people achieve what they thought was absolutely impossible or their biggest dreams are realized. Colin is not about motivation, which, as he says, is temporary, but is about inspiration, where there are long-lasting results. He will inspire any audience and engage them with psychological and physiological changes to allow them to rewire their brains and cellularly reprogram their bodies to attract unprecedented results and outcomes!


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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Découvrez les règles de concurrence et de marketing que toutes les entreprises devraient connaître

Anthony Durocher, sous-commissaire

La Direction générale de la promotion de la concurrence encourage activement les entreprises, les consommateurs, les organismes de réglementation, le gouvernement et les partenaires internationaux à adopter des positions, des politiques et des comportements axés sur la concurrence. La Direction générale fait également des analyses économiques qui favorisent la mise en application de la loi, et elle dirige les processus de planification et de présentation de rapports du Bureau.


Découvrez les règles de la concurrence et du marketing que toutes les entreprises devraient connaître.

Apprenez-en plus à http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/fra/h_04456.html


Les entrepreneurs sont l’épine dorsale de l’économie canadienne.

Pour soutenir les entreprises canadiennes, abonnez-vous à notre chaîne YouTube et suivez-nous sur Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn et Twitter.

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How to start a business with almost NOTHING

If you had told Mellisa Mills a decade ago she’d be at the helm of a growing plant-based cheese empire, she’d have laughed in your face. After all, she’d been fired from just about every job she ever held for insubordination. But it turns out, she just needed to do things her own way.

She started cooking for herself at a young age. Later, in between the many jobs that never seemed to stick, her DIY spirit and curiosity about nutrition and plant medicine combined with her love of quality ingredients to create Spread’Em Kitchen.

Mellisa turned a blender, a bicycle, and $500 into a thriving farmers market stand in Vancouver. A few years later, Spread’Em Kitchen moved into its own industrial facility, where it gradually grew into a celebrated manufacturer of plant-based dips, spreads and cheeses.

Mellisa makes sure all ingredients are ethically sourced and background checked. Her employees earn a living wage. Spread’Em is striving to become a zero-waste facility. The company also donates to several children’s programs, including breakfast clubs at local schools.

The business has since exploded across Canada, growing from $500 in sales to almost $4 million. Mellisa remains on a mission to disrupt the packaged food space. She believes that food should be nourishing, that it should be made with integrity, that it should make you feel good, and that it should be shared.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

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Wes Hall of Dragons’ Den invites you to submit your pitch and gives some helpful tips

Dragons’ Den and Canada’s Podcast have partnered to give away 3 golden tickets to pitch to the dragons! Get your golden ticket to Dragons’ Den today by uploading your 60-second video pitch to our entry page at https://canadaspodcast.com/dragonsden. The best 3 elevator pitches will get a golden ticket to audition to the Dragons’ Den producers.

Wes Hall is Executive Chairman and Founder of Kingsdale Advisors. He is the newest Dragon to the Den – Canada’s first Black Dragon. He has been married for 30 years and is father of five kids. Wes was originally from St. Thomas, Jamaica and he immigrated to Canada at 16 years old. Raised by his grandmother in a tin shack with 13 siblings and no running water, Wes is truly a self-made Canadian dream success story. His favourite sports team: the Toronto Raptors. Wes is very into fitness (yoga, pilates, peloton, treadmill, weights, all sports). Wes is known for his generosity, leveraging his business success to benefit others with a number of impactful charitable initiatives, and serves as a Board Member of the SickKids Foundation, Pathways to Education, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and The Black Academy. He is also a Member of the Board of Governors at Huron University College. Wes is Founder and Chairman of The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism and the BlackNorth Initiative, committed to the removal of anti-Black systemic barriers negatively affecting the lives of Black Canadians. He has also changed the lives of thousands of children in the Caribbean and Canada, donating both his money and time. In 2015, Wes was the recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Award and in 2017 received an Honorary Doctorate, both from the University of the West Indies.

Maybe you can join him and begin your success journey. Take a listen to the podcast. Give us your 60-second video pitch and who knows, you might get to meet the Dragons. The best 3 elevator pitches will get a golden ticket to audition to the Dragons’ Den producers. Go to https://canadaspodcast.com/dragonsden and make your pitch.

Decarbonizing Your Business with Dr. Jamie Stephen

This episode with Dr. Jamie Stephen will provide information on the decarbonization solutions that entrepreneurs can consider as they build and grow their businesses. Now more than ever, there are expectations for companies to integrate carbon-conscious decisions into operations. Dr. Stephen will specifically discuss how the forest sector can support the most effective decarbonization efforts that business can adopt.

The efforts that will be focused on include:

  • Building with wood – carbon capture through wood infrastructure
  • Thermal energy – heating buildings sustainably which is the largest climate liability for businesses
  • Bioenergy carbon capture and storage – options for permanent CO2 removal from the atmosphere

Dr. Jamie Stephen is Managing Director of TorchLight Bioresources, an energy and resources consulting and project development firm based in Nova Scotia, Canada.

He has managed bioenergy and cleantech projects for a broad variety of clients including national and provincial governments, utilities, airlines, manufacturers, investment funds, First Nations, and technology developers. Projects have focused on industrial growth strategies, facility feasibility, technology deployment hurdles, policy options, and investment prioritization.

Originally from Saskatchewan and the UK, he holds a PhD in Forestry (bioenergy techno-economics/strategy) and a Masters in chemical engineering from the University of British Columbia and a BSc(H) in Life Science from Queen’s University.

Learn how you can become net-zero at https://www.forestryforthefuture.ca/


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest #entrepreneur podcasts and news? Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter

Entrepreneur, Community Builder, and Humanitarian

Desirée Amanda Bombenon has over 30 years of business operational experience, and strategic leadership. Awarded Ernst & Young 2019 Entrepreneur of the year for the Prairies in Communication Technology, she is a bold innovator, futurist, and purpose driven leader. Her portfolio includes business strategy, social enterprise, and culture building. Desirée is an active member of a number of organizations including YPO (formally Young President’s Organization) and International Women’s Forum, and has chaired several industry boards and focus groups. She is a past director of the National Music Centre, is a past Chair of YPO Alberta Chapter, and a past Chair of YPO Canada Region. Desirée currently serves as Chair of the Governance & HR committee for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Chair of Governance, HR & Nominating committee for Children First Canada, and Vice Chair with CAMX, the Canadian Call Management Association. She also currently Chairs the YPO International Wine Network and is an Executive Committee member of the YPO Sustainable Business Network. She is a cohort for Singularity University and a Harvard Alumni for the Advanced Leadership Initiative 2017 Cohort. She is involved in mentorship programs in her community and through Women’s Executive Network. Desirée has earned her B Admin, CIAC Certification as a Strategic Leader, and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and is currently enrolled in Queen’s University EMBA program through Smith School of Business.

Under Desirée’s leadership SureCall has been recognized for numerous industry awards for service excellence, ethics, and integrity. The Centre for Economic and Leadership Development, in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, recognized Desirée as a transformational leader naming her “Champion of Sustainable Development” and honouring her with the ‘Enabler of Vision’ award at the 2017 UN Summit in New York.

Desirée has pivoted her company into a social enterprise and through the “GoodCall” program has established SureCall as a “purpose driven” organization. SureCall became a Certified Benefits corporation (B Corp) in April of 2019 and was named a ‘Best For the World’ Honouree in 2019, rounding out Desirée’s vision of utilizing business as a Force for Good.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest #entrepreneur podcasts and news? Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter

The Commissioner of Competition discusses the importance of competition for business in Canada

Matthew Boswell was appointed Commissioner of Competition on March 5, 2019, for a five-year term. He first joined the Competition Bureau in January 2011 and served in various senior management positions throughout the organization, leading merger reviews and directing major investigations targeting criminal cartels, abuse of dominance and deceptive marketing practices.

Before joining the Bureau, Mr. Boswell worked in a private practice in Toronto, served as Assistant Crown Attorney with the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, and was a Senior Litigation Counsel at the Ontario Securities Commission, where he primarily prosecuted securities fraud and related matters.


To learn more about creating an effective compliance program, visit http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/h_04456.html


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest #entrepreneur podcasts and news? Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter

Diriger par contexte et non par contrôle — l’approche de Marc-André Campagna

L’histoire de Marc-André Campagna (alias Marc), est plutôt normale, enfin, jusqu’à ce qu’on arrive à la partie oxio.

D’abord, les bases. Marc est né à Baie-Comeau (si vous ne savez pas où c’est, c’est au nord-est de la ville de Québec —environ 420 km au nord-est), un petit village de 21 000 habitants, et a grandi à Québec. Il a étudié le droit à l’Université Laval, a abandonné ses études et a fondé Accès Télécom avec Francis Careau. Ensemble, ils ont transformé Accès Télécom en oxio.

Aujourd’hui, Marc passe son temps entre Québec, Montréal et San Francisco. Lorsqu’il ne travaille pas, il est probablement en train de courir (au sens propre et figuré) dans un endroit aussi éloigné que possible de la ville.

Marc mange régulièrement du houmous et donne l’exemple lorsqu’il s’agit de rester fidèle à soi-même. Pour Marc, il n’y a pas de « moi au travail » et de « moi à la maison », il en a d’ailleurs assez de cette façon de penser. Le travail est juste une autre partie de la vie. C’est pourquoi la culture d’oxio est axée sur l’intégration de la vie professionnelle et de la vie privée : il s’agit de faire preuve d’empathie envers les autres parties de notre être et de créer des moyens de les soutenir.

L’ambiance décontractée de Marc vous met à l’aise. Il veut apprendre à connaître les gens qui l’entourent et fait de son mieux pour que vous puissiez facilement entrer en contact avec lui. Résolveur de problèmes, Marc lit beaucoup et vit pour le débat honnête et intelligent — tout ce qui permet d’améliorer les choses.

En d’autres termes, ne soyez pas timide avec ce type, soyez simplement ouvert, franc et réceptif à des commentaires honnêtes.


Restez abonné et cliquez sur l’icône de la cloche pour être avisé de notre prochain podcast avec le sous-commissaire Anthony Durocher du Bureau de la concurrence Canada.

Découvrez les règles de la concurrence et du marketing que toutes les entreprises devraient connaître.

Apprenez-en plus à http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/fra/h_04456.html


Les entrepreneurs sont l’épine dorsale de l’économie canadienne.

Pour soutenir les entreprises canadiennes, abonnez-vous à notre chaîne YouTube et suivez-nous sur Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn et Twitter.

Vous voulez rester au courant des derniers podcasts et actualités #entrepreneur? Abonnez-vous à notre newsletter bimensuelle.

Speaker and Mindfulness Teacher specializing in employee wellness & engagement

After years working in cultures where stress and burnout were seemingly the only way to success, Trish Tutton suffered a shocking loss and things became clear: stress is unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to dictate our lives. As a speaker and mindfulness teacher, Trish has taught the skills to live and work happier to thousands of professionals and has created positive change for her clients to become happier, more productive, effective and successful without the busy badge of honour.

You can find her as a teacher on the #1 free meditation app in the world, Insight Timer, and she is the author of the Mindful Mornings Journal.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest #entrepreneur podcasts and news? Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter