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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
Friday Jul 31, 2020
Friday Jul 31, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Conrad Smith.
As a second-year student with Student Works, Conrad is running a $800,000 business and managing a team of motivated and high-performing individuals.
So, what made Conrad join Student Works in the first place? In the first segment of the show, Conrad shares that he suffered from a lack of confidence, and was actively looking for an opportunity that allowed him to address this particular aspect of his personality.
And this is when he come across Student Works.
In this first year as a Student Works operator, Conrad managed to scale up his business to $200,000. But his second-year was a completely different ball game as he had to mentor and support a team of rookie operators apart from managing the daily nitty-gritty of his business.
This challenge was further exacerbated due to the onset of the virus. Inspite of all this, Conrad had a spectacular year.
So, what are some of the reasons that he attributes his success to? What are some key habits that make him tick? In this last segment, we particularly discuss the importance of integrity and maintaining accountability.
We hope you enjoy this show!
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Tuesday Jul 28, 2020
Tuesday Jul 28, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews business partners and life partners, Matt and Cassidy. Matt and Cassidy are in the real estate business.
We start this show with Matt and Cassidy sharing some interesting details about their real estate investing business. What are the advantages of investing in real estate? Is real estate a more lucrative compared to investing in the stock market?
In the next segment of the show, Matt and Cassidy share how they have managed to overcome some of their biggest challenges to scale up their business. Listeners will learn the different steps Matt and Cassidy have taken to protect their business from the aftermath of COVID-19. Additionally, they give listeners a “peek” into their sales playbook in this segment of the show.
Matt and Cassidy also reveal how they have managed to strike a fine balance between their personal and professional lives.
Having your life partner as your business partner is complicated. You need to accept each other’s flaws while leveraging each other strengths.
But this is not easy.
You need to adjust your work style to that of your partner. Moreover, you can’t let disagreements at work spill over to your personal life. In this segment of the show, Chris also shares his experience of working with his wife, Helen at Student Works.
We also share some nuanced tips that will allow you to tap into your thinking mind and manifest what you truly wish to do. Specifically, we discuss how meditation can greatly enhance your personal and professional life. Matt and Cassidy share how meditation allows them to be more present, and more connected to the world around us.
We hope you enjoy this show!
What You Will Learn In This Show
- Basics of real estate investing
- How to achieve a good work life balance
- How to manage a work relationship with your spouse
- How practicing meditation can help you stay more connected
And much, much more…
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Friday Jul 24, 2020
Friday Jul 24, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Ted Strazimiri. Co-Founder and President, SkyDeploy UAS.
Even as a high school student, Ted was dynamic and “okay with the idea of being uncomfortable”. It is of little surprise that Ted has already dabbled in a myriad of interesting careers.
After an extremely successful stint as a student painter, Ted worked as an architectural coatings experts for a bit. Next, Ted worked for four years at one of the world’s most iconic and valuable companies – Apple. In this segment of the call, Ted talks about customer services and shares some nuanced tips for managing negative interactions.
Currently, Ted has transitioned to entrepreneurship with SkyDeploy UAS. SkyDeploy UAS is a drone service company offering NDVI services to the agriculture sector. So, what compelled Ted to form a drone technology company?
Ted gives us a peek into this nascent sector and reveals how the agricultural and farming sector can use drone technology to acquire data at a more affordable cost.
We also discuss some of the biggest challenges that start-ups commonly face. Topics discussed in this segment of the show include managing an organization as a solo entrepreneur, how to find a suitable co-founder, the importance of mental health, and much, much more…
We hope you enjoy this show.
What You Will Learn In This Show
- Expert tips for dealing with disgruntled customers
- How to overcome the challenges of running a start-up
- A “peek” into the exploding drone technology sector
- How to overcome the challenges of managing a start-up
And much, much more…
Resources
Monday Jul 20, 2020
Monday Jul 20, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Glain Roberts McCabe, Founder and President, Roundtable Inc. At Roundtable Inc., Glain helps leaders navigate change, disruption, and growth. She has also authored the book, Grassroots Leadership Revolution.
Growing up, Glain shares that she was always taught to question authority. And that is why she considers herself to be non-employable.
This serves as a good segue to our next topic. Is there a total dearth of employment opportunities for folks with an independent and entrepreneurial mindset?
In the next segment of the show, Glain indulges in some introspection. She talks about her strengths and shares how every strength comes with corresponding liabilities. So, while Glain’s dynamism has held her in good stead till not, a propensity to “run after the shiny object” often results in loss of focus and structure.
So, having realized her follies, what is Glain doing to address them? Listening to this segment of the show will compel you to do your SWOT analysis as well.
One topic that we talk at length about is the importance of having a close-knit mentor group. This especially is particularly relevant as businesses are grappling with different challenges in the wake of the virus.
Glain also talks a bit about her book, Grassroots Leadership Revolution. Some of the topics discussed in this segment of the show include building your legacy, setting leadership goals, and the importance of doing what you truly love.
We hope you enjoy this show!
Resources
Friday Jul 17, 2020
Friday Jul 17, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Bini Kanungo, Sales Engineer, Ascent Compliance and co-host of the We the Sales Engineer podcast.
We start this show with Bini recalling his life before Student Works. Ironically, while Bini is a successful sales engineer right now, as a high school student, Bini was reserved and lacked confidence. However, he always driven and had a big work engine.
So, why did Bini decide to join Student Works in the first place?
In the next segment of the show, we discuss how Student Works can serve as a great foundation for young people who wish to hone transferable skill sets that can help them leapfrog the competition.
Being an introvert, Bini had a particularly difficult time cold-calling prospects as a Student Works rookie. However, his ambition and persistence allowed him to hone his sales skills over a period. Additionally, Bini reveals how Student Works helped him shape his work ethic and build some solid organizational skills.
After graduation, Bini worked at Halogen Software for a bit. However, this stint was cut short as Bini got laid off after Halogen was acquired by a large organization. This phase was particularly difficult for Bini as he worked odd jobs to scrape through.
Currently works as a sales engineer at Ascent Compliance. Ascent Compliance is a SAAS-based organization that was recently recognized as one of the 50-fastest growing tech companies in Canada. In this segment of the show, Bini gives us a peek into his work life.
Why does a SAAS business model work so well for the clients as well as the organization? What sort of clients does Ascent typically take on? Listeners will also learn the importance of workplace culture in this segment of the show.
Towards the end, Bini reveals what inspired him to start his podcast, We The Sales Engineer.
We hope you enjoy this show!
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Monday Jul 13, 2020
Monday Jul 13, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews mental success coach and author, Ryan Gottfredson. Ryan holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University. He helps organizations, teams, and business leaders by improving their mindsets.
So, how exactly can you cultivate a success mindset?
We start this show by dispelling a common misconception. We discuss how cultivating a leadership and leadership mindset is more about “being” rather than about “doing”.
Further, we discuss and compare different mindsets and how they have a bearing on your career trajectory.
The first comparison that we make is between fixed and growth mindsets. In this segment, we discuss how people with growth mindsets look forward to challenges, and in fact, treat them as opportunities.
The second comparison that we make is between closed and open mindsets. Folks with a closed mindset are eager to prove themselves right. Whereas, those with an open mindset are highly receptive to new ideas. Here, we have an interesting discussion about our education system, and how
Next up, we discuss how a prevention-focused mindset compares to a purpose focused mindset. And finally, we compare an inward mindset to an outward mindset. If you have an inward mindset, you have a heightened sense of self-importance.
So, which bucket do you fall in?
Listening to Ryan will surely compel you to some self-introspection.
Other topics discussed in today’s show include cultivating gratitude, how to cultivate a positive mindset, how to overcome your biggest fears, different mindset coaching exercises, and much, much more.
We hope you enjoy this show!
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Friday Jul 10, 2020
Friday Jul 10, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Andrew Gaughan, Principal Owner at Long Time Running Investment & Advisory Ltd.
In the first segment of the pod, Andrew shares some childhood memories. One of 9 siblings, Andrew was born in a family of modest means. As a child, he never displayed much affinity for studies, but he was an exceptional soccer player.
Andrew went on to complete his Bachelors at Cornell University. And it was here that he spent 5 extremely successful summers working at Student Works Painting. Andrew recounts how he managed to scale up his painting business to $400,000 in annual revenues.
This spectacular success inspired Andrew to kickstart his next business venture – a subway franchise while he was in law school.
However, unlike his Student Works Stint, Andrew ended up losing money and then shutting down this business after 2 years.
After graduating from law school, Andrew worked in corporate law for a while. But soon, he chucked his law career to work at Woodbine Entertainment Group in ‘94.
This started a long and fruitful career in the field of horse racing and regulating betting.
Andrew worked for six-plus years at Woodbine before moving on to Magna Entertainment Corporation, the maverick billionaire, Frank Stronach’s company. After this stint, Andrew moved to London for four years to work with Scientific Games Corporation, a company that sells technology to horse race tracks.
After spending his whole life in the field of horse racing, Andrew has now moved on to an agricultural science business. Andrew is striving to commercialize a technology that slows down the ripening of fruits and vegetables.
Tune in for some inspiring nuggets now!
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Monday Jul 06, 2020
Monday Jul 06, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Patrick Lalonde, VP, Student Works.
A decade back, Patrick had the option of becoming a coach or taking up a sales position with a large company.
Patrick decided to follow his heart and become a coach – a position that was considerably less lucrative but a better long-term bet.
And this decision paid off for Patrick. And how.
As the VP of a multi-million-dollar business, Patrick coaches young student painters and managers. The top student painters run million-dollar businesses and earn in excess of $100K. Student Works has certainly come a long way over the past decade since Patrick first joined the business.
So, what are some of the crucial skills that Patrick helps young student painters develop?
The first thing that we talk about is the importance of managing stress. This topic is particularly relevant in the wake of the pandemic. For business-owners, and especially young ones who are just making their foray, keeping a positive mindset is especially difficult right now.
In this segment of the show, Patrick talks about adaptability and perseverance. You will learn how “focusing on the now” can help you pivot and make the most of the current situation.
We also talk about pragmatism.
Sure. Entrepreneurs and business-owners can get little done if they don’t remain optimistic. But, at the same time, Patrick reminds us why being pragmatic is crucial, especially in situations like these when the dynamics have changed completely.
Other topics discussed in today’s show include keeping it simple, Patrick’s take on happiness, and understanding the mindset of hugely successful entrepreneurs.
We hope you enjoy this show!
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Friday Jul 03, 2020
Friday Jul 03, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews Martyn Johns, Director, NAPA AutoPro.
We start this show with Martyn recalling his life before Student Works. As a teenager, Martyn was frustrated with financial uncertainty and lack of opportunities. This is a common theme that resonates with many youngsters who are eager to find success in their early twenties.
At Student Works, Martyn got the chance to see the bigger picture and assume crucial responsibilities. And he had to face significant challenges as well. Listeners will learn how Martyn managed to scale up Student Works operations from $300,000 to $25 million- only to fold up operations owing to the 2008 financial crisis.
What were some important takeaways that Martyn took away from this experience? Did this setback affect his work relationships in any way?
The next segment of the show is particularly interesting as Martyn talks about this current job at NAPA Autopro, a family-owned organization involved in automotive care. Here, Martyn shares why he finds working in family-owned organizations to be a far more rewarding experience. Especially, he reveals how his company leadership is backing its employees to the hilt in the wake of the pandemic.
You will also learn how Napa’s unconditional support for its franchisees has resulted in a long-term and sustainable business model.
Martyn also talks at length about his company’s firm focus on customer service. How has Napa Autopro managed to beat large car manufacturers to attain the coveted #1 spot in customer service in JDPower rankings?
Additionally, we touch upon a gamut of interesting topics like profitability, increasing valuations, and the complexities of succession planning in family-owned organizations.
We wrap up this show by sharing some crucial attributes that define a leader of tomorrow. We hope you enjoy this show!
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Monday Jun 29, 2020
Monday Jun 29, 2020
In today’s show, Chris interviews student painter and district manager, Luke Fenn.
This show starts with Luke recalling his life before Student Works. Because a bunch of his buddies were already student painters, Luke was quick to grasp this entrepreneurial opportunity when he came across it in his first year.
While Luke managed to notch up $100,000 revenues in his first year, he admits his first year was incredibly stressful.
So, when Luke came back to Student Works in his second year, what all did he change about his management style?
Luke shares how he managed to build his organization by hiring sales and production staff so that he could manage his business in a completely autonomous and hassle-free manner.
The next segment of the show is particularly interesting as Luke shares some great details about how he got and executed the biggest job of his career – a $200,000 job where he had 21 people on site! Here, you will learn how ingenuity and a strong network can take you ahead in life.
As Luke built up his organization, he had had to assume the role of a coach and mentor. So, what surprised Luke most about being a coach and mentor? Luke shares how assuming his role required him to connect on a deeply personal level with his teammates.
Other topics discussed on this show include cultivating self-awareness and coachability, taking action with intention, discovering opportunities in the outside world, and capitalizing on them.
We hope you enjoy this show!
Resources