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Are you an ambitious young entrepreneur? Do you consider yourself a role model and leader of tomorrow? If so, this is going to be the show for you. Leaders Of Tomorrow is a show dedicated young and ambitious entrepreneurs looking to forge their own path in this world. Each week, we will bring you an inspiring interview and share with you behind the scenes some of the values and beliefs of our 8-figure business; Student Works Management Program. From interviews with young millionaires and personal anecdotes from our head coach; Chris Thomson, this show will give you everything you need to know to become a Leader Of Tomorrow.
Episodes
Monday Oct 12, 2020
Monday Oct 12, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Lucas Rodrigues.
Lucas spent two fruitful and extremely rewarding years with Student Works. In this first year, Lucas worked as a rookie manager. Whereas, in his second year, as a district manager, Lucas assumed a leadership role as he took under student managers under his wing.
We start this show with Lucas sharing a bit of his background. Growing up, Lucas was ambitious and cocky. But slowly, he realized that he had a really long way to go.
In this segment of the show, Lucas shares why it is important to express gratitude. Being surrounded by supportive family and friends has helped Lucas realize his dreams. Lucas shares why it is important to reach out to your inner circle every once in a while, and express what they mean to you.
Listeners will also learn why it is important to indulge in critical self-evaluation and then work on your weaknesses. For instance, Lucas shares that he was horrible at recruiting when he started out. However, persistence and continuous practice helped him improve his skills over time.
Additionally, Lucas also shares how coaching other student painters as a district manager helped him improve his foundational skills. In this segment of the show, we discuss the importance of learning with intent.
You will also learn how Lucas and the entire Student Works team managed to pivot and navigate the COVID crisis. Here, we discuss the importance of being flexible and realigning your workflow and sales processes, when required.
We hope you enjoy this show!
What You Will Learn In This Show
- How a Student Works experience can equip you with critical and transferable skillsets
- How we, at Student Works managed to pivot and navigate the COVID crisis
- Key habits of high-performing leaders
- And so much more…
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Thursday Oct 08, 2020
Thursday Oct 08, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Barry Danckert, GM, and Global Vice President, The Coca-Cola Company.
Barry spent two rewarding years with Student Works when he was studying marketing at Wilfrid Laurier. Admittedly, after joining Student Works, Barry realized how little he knew about business. Specifically, as a student painter, Barry shares how he got some important lessons in pricing and people management.
After completing his MBA from Windsor University, Barry worked for 5 years at Kimberly-Clark. Barry left this position to join Coca-Cola in 1996.
In an extremely long and extremely rewarding stint spanning twenty years, Barry has worked in different divisions within Coca-Cola spread across the world.
He reveals the different challenges of working in different countries and markets. Additionally, Barry shares how Coke relies on research and cutting-edge technology to ensure a competitive edge.
Some of the major brands/partners that he has worked with include Wendy’s, Burger King, 7 Eleven. Additionally, he has also managed Coca-Cola’s On-Premise/Vending Operations which also happens to be Coke’s most profitable division.
Listeners will learn how different divisions within Coca Cola come with their own unique set of challenges.
For instance, Barry shares his experience of working in the insanely difficult QSR industry. Especially, with the onset of COVID, industry players are grappling with unprecedented time. In this segment, Coke is supporting their long-term partners Burger King and Wendy’s in these trying times.
As a VP, International Sales and Business, 7 Eleven, Barry also gives listeners a peek into how the convenience store business operates. With nearly 20,000 7 Eleven’s located in Japan, Barry shares what it takes to conduct business in a deflationary economic environment.
Other topics discussed in today’s show include the importance of building your network and chasing growth and continuous learning.
We hope you enjoy this show!
What You Will Learn In This Show
- How my Student Works experience helped me become a better leader at Coca Cola
- How Coca Works collaborates with their partners and helps them grow their businesses
- Challenges faced by different verticals in Coca Cola
- How Coca Cola relies on market research and cutting-edge technology to stay ahead of the curve
- And so much more…
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Monday Oct 05, 2020
Monday Oct 05, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Stefan Milosevic, a second-year district manager with Student Works.
Stefan and his two partners recently broke the all-time sales record at Student Works. Stefan had a terrific rookie year as well as he came really close to breaking the rookie record held by another incredible Student Works manager, Amir.
We start this show with Stefan sharing a bit of his background. Always a good student, Stefan was frustrated by the lack of opportunities available to him as a young adult.
This is when he came across Student Works.
With Student Works, Stefan got the ideal environment that enabled him to perform at an extremely high level. Stefan shares how he partnered up with his buddies to run a large and profitable painting business that clocked more than $200K in revenues.
In fact, when Stefan came back to Student Works to work as a district manager, he also had the option of joining med school. Stefan shares his big WHY for choosing Student Works over med school in this segment of the show.
Additionally, listeners will also learn how the Student Works experience enabled 23-year old Stefan to hone his leadership skills.
Other topics discussed on today’s show include the importance of setting big, audacious goals, cultivating great habits, and attributes of top performers.
We hope you enjoy this show!
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Thursday Oct 01, 2020
Thursday Oct 01, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Neil King, President, LifeWorks, and Executive Vice President, Morneau Shepell.
Growing up, Neil was always hard-working. He used to work odd jobs but was frustrated that his earnings were not commensurate with the work that he was putting in.
And perhaps, this was the biggest reason that attracted him to business and Student Works in the first place.
Neil spent a year with Student Works – an experience he calls “one of the most defining moments of my life.” In this segment of the show, Neil shares some of the biggest takeaways from his Student Works stint. Topics discussed in this show include cold-selling strategies, how to tackle challenges, and keep on moving forward.
While at Student Works, Neil discovered his love for sales. And perhaps this was why he took up a sales position at Lexmark printers right after graduating. After a brief but extremely successful stint, Neil moved to Texas to work as Director of Sales, Procom. In this segment of the show, Neil makes some interesting comparisons between the work cultures in the US and Canada.
After Procom, Neil worked as a Channel Sales Manager at Infor, a software company in California, in the private label job board business at Brainhunter, at ADP, and then at Wolters Kluwer Health.
Currently, Neil is the President at Lifeworks and Executive Vice President at Morneau Shepell. Morneau Shepell is a Global HR leader who recently acquired Lifeworks, an employee engagement, and well-being app.
We have an interesting discussion about mental health and well-being in this segment of the show. Neil shares how Lifeworks is having a far-reaching impact by helping improve people’s lives across the world.
We wrap up this show with Neil sharing some great advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs.
We hope you enjoy this show!
What You Will Learn In This Show
- How a Student Works sting can help you hone critical and foundational skillsets
- Comparing the US and Canadian work cultures
- How to evaluate and take up job opportunities that move you forward
- Furthering employee engagement and improving mental health
- And so much more...
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Monday Sep 28, 2020
Monday Sep 28, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Patrick Lalonde, VP, Student Works.
Chris and Patrick discuss how a conducive environment can boost our mental health and overall productivity. Listeners will learn how cleansing one’s environment can help you retain FOCUS and inspire one to achieve bigger and better things.
Have you noticed how our surroundings have a symbiotic relationship with our mental state? If your environment is dirty and cluttered, you will feel disoriented and dysfunctional. Vice versa, if you are working from a clean, well-lit place, you will be inspired to put your best effort forward.
This is particularly important in light of the current situation as world-over, all of us struggling to adjust to the “work-from-home” model.
So, what are some practical tips and good habits for creating a clean and inspiring work environment?
Patrick shares how strictly allotting a specific function to different areas of your house can particularly help you out.
Additionally, we discuss how technology is a double-edged sword. While embracing a virtual work-model has become essential right now, technology can also distract you away from your CORE and critical tasks.
If you feel that you need to cut back on unnecessary screen-time, this segment of the show will interest you greatly. Patrick shares how conducting a technology audit can help you shed such bad habits.
This show is full of tips and tricks guaranteed to help you out. Enjoy!
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Thursday Sep 24, 2020
Thursday Sep 24, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Neil Johnson, Founder, and Chief Executive Officer, Duke Royalty Limited.
Back when Neil was an eighteen-year-old, he got the opportunity to work at Student Works. This experience instilled in Neil an incredible work ethic and taught him to never give up.
After Student Works, Neil started his long and very successful stint with Canaccord Genuity Inc. as an equity analyst. Six years into this role, Neil moved to London as the Managing Director, Head of Investment Banking (Europe).
Neil shares how he managed a great team and dogged determination helped him build a 40-person strong team generating annual business of $150 million.
After spending 19 long years at Canaccord, the entrepreneurial bug bit Neil, and he co-founded Difference Capital Financial Inc. Based in Toronto, this organization was meant to serve growth companies in technology, media, and healthcare.
In 2015, right before Brexit, Neil founded Duke Royalty Limited. A “royalty investment company”, Duke provides a unique financing solution to companies without raising equity or taking on traditional debt. In this segment of the show, Neil shares how he managed to raise funds in spite of Brexit. Listeners will learn the importance of perseverance and positivity in this segment of the call.
So, what did Neil have to change about himself as he went from being a university student to a full-time value creator? What are some of the biggest lessons that Neil has learned from his failures? And, what advice does he have for young people who are yet to enter their professional lives?
For all this and much more, tune in to our latest show now!
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Monday Sep 21, 2020
Monday Sep 21, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews first-year university student and student painter, Jessica Franzman.
We start this show with Jessica sharing her backstory. Originally from Calgary, Jessica is currently studying International Development. While always ambitious and driven, Jessica shares she had difficulty trusting her colleagues and delegating work before joining Student Works.
In the next segment of the show, Jessica shares how she things differently after a year as a student painter.
Apart from overcoming her trust issues, Jessica reveals how a strong support system at Student Works helped her navigate the current pandemic
Jessica shares how COVID impacted her – both personally and professionally. When her university closed down due to the pandemic, Jessica lost her accommodation as well. While the easiest option would have been to head back home, Jessica chose to stay back and focus on her business instead.
Jessica shares how she tweaked her workflow so that her business could be “pandemic-proof”. This segment will particularly inspire young and aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals who are feeling bogged down by the current situation.
We hope you enjoy this show!
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Tuesday Sep 15, 2020
Tuesday Sep 15, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Michael Zipursky, co-founder, Consulting Success®.
Today, you will learn how to leverage your expertise to start your own successful, consulting business.
All of us have some unique skillsets that often have excellent demand in the marketplace. However, most of us fail to get off the starting block. One of the main reasons for this is a hesitation to approach larger, more successful organizations.
In this first segment of the show, Michael shares how you can overcome this negative mindset and confidently market your services to marquee clients WITHOUT falling prey to the imposter syndrome.
Michael also shares an interesting backstory about how he managed to establish his web design and development business in Osaka, Japan. In this part of the show, you will learn the importance of binary thinking and taking action.
Currently, through his organization, Consulting Success®, Michael offers online programs and coaching programs to help individuals and small consulting firms.
When you are new to the marketplace, you first need to provide value so that can connect with your ideal clients. For this, you need to shed your scarcity mindset and focus on just helped people without focusing on monetary gains from the get-go.
But, if you are new to the marketplace, how can you come up with an irresistible offer that you KNOW will sell? And once you find some success, how can you scale up your consulting business without the stress and overwhelm? What are some significant challenges that you are likely to face along the way, and how will you overcome them?
Tune in to find out!
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Friday Sep 11, 2020
Friday Sep 11, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Chris Reynolds, Founder and Managing Partner at Venn Capital Partners.
Chris kickstarts today’s show by sharing a bit of a backstory. As a young professional, Chris was (and still is) a hustler with a big engine for work.
Like most people at that young age, Chris wasn’t sure about what he wanted to do career-wise. So, to get clarity, he took up various summer jobs which helped him hone foundational skillsets that allowed him to grow as an individual.
During this stage of his career, apart from working a summer at Student Works, Chris started his own venture and also worked as an investment banking intern in London. In this segment of the show, listeners will learn the importance of picking the right summer job. Additionally, we discuss the importance of taking risks and putting yourself out there.
He also shares how this phase gave him the confidence of tackling big challenges ahead in his life.
Chris started working as an intern at KPMG in 2009 and then slowly worked his way up to being a senior accountant/consultant by 2013. In this segment of the show, you will get a “peek” into the incredible work culture at KPMG.
You will learn why it is important to go through the grind if you wish to get ahead in life.
We also discuss why you should always strive for continuous improvement. Having realized that he possessed weak quantitative skills, Chris reveals how he got his chartered accountancy certification while at KPMG.
After KPMG, Chris moved on to another iconic organization – McKinsey in 2013. Here, Chris shares how his entrepreneurial spirit helped him get hired. As an associate partner here, Chris got a chance to hone his broad skillsets as a problem solver. Additionally, he also talks about the different pressures and challenges in the consultancy space.
We wrap up this show with Chis sharing his big WHY for donning the entrepreneurial hat with his latest venture, Venn Capital Partners. Why did Chris decide to start a hedge fund right in the middle of the pandemic? Tune in to find out!
We hope you enjoy this show!
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Tuesday Sep 08, 2020
Tuesday Sep 08, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Dustin Taylor. Having worked in the restaurant industry, Dustin has had a rather unique journey leading right up to Student Works. In his first year, Dustin managed to grow his painting business to $130,000. In his second year, with two of his friends helping him out, Dustin plans on scaling up his business to $350,000!
We start this show with Dustin sharing some background information. Dustin had to go through abject poverty as a child. Unable to manage their meager finances, Dustin and his family even lost their home when Dustin was just sixteen.
Determined to change the course of his life, Dustin immersed himself in his studies. After grade twelve, he enrolled himself at the Culinary Institute of Canada. After completing his studies, Dustin spent several years working in the restaurant industry until he earned the Journeyperson’s Red Seal certificate. In this segment of the show, Dustin shares how this experience of his taught him the different aspects of running a business.
After this stint, Dustin worked for a bit in marketing. Here, he learned how to approach and sell to strangers.
This show is full of some great nuggets guaranteed to help out new and aspiring entrepreneurs. Dusting shares the THREE key attributes of highly successful people – attitude, work ethic, and willingness to learn.
Additionally, he reveals how his perspective has changed after spending a year at Student Works. Specifically, he talks about the “significance of leverage” and “value of relationships”.
Dustin wraps up this show with a heartfelt and inspiring poem.
Enjoy!
Resources