Behind the Brand®

“I don't really view my own successes as my own. If I had one superpower, it's about hiring people that are smarter than me and let 'em fly, you know? Giving them the tools and the right environment for them to win because that's what everybody wants, ultimately.” —  Michele Guimond As an avid backcountry skier, downhill mountain biker, and trail runner, it only makes sense that Michele Guimond fo...

“The other thing I would say too is it's important to celebrate decisions where you decided not to do something, that was maybe a great idea. So products you thought about launching that you decided not to launch and in hindsight that was a great decision.” —  Peter Furnish Peter Furnish has had a long and exciting career, full of interesting experiences that have helped him learn valuable lessons...

“So I think different employee engagement, consumer engagement, programs like that, there's value in that [it] makes people feel good and it also helps the planet.” —  David Luba The UN predicts that in order to achieve our climate goals by 2050, more than 8.1 trillion dollars must be invested in nature-based solutions. However, current projections indicate that only about 4 trillion dollars will...

“And I think so much of my job is to be an advocate for winter sports, for winter, for snow business, and to encourage people in Alberta and elsewhere to get outside and explore this beautiful continent we have.” —  Kendra Scurfield Growing up at Sunshine Village Ski & Snowboard Resort was somewhat of a fairytale for Kendra Scurfield. Waking up in a winter wonderland to the excitement of skier...

“That naivety, as you say, is a bit of a superpower because if you don't know the way that something is typically done and you're just left to figure it out, then there's so much more creativity that happens with it.” —  Kristen Gale Kristen Gale was 24 when she was fired, for the second time. However, instead of dwelling on the setback, she took a bold step to start her own venture. She quickly d...

“Entrepreneurism took off, but [also] really reframed how people thought about being an entrepreneur and having a side business or a side hustle.” —  Ashley Graf With an impressive marketing career spanning various industries including sports and entertainment, airline, and now tech, Ashley Graf brings a wealth of experience to the table. In her role as Head of North America Marketing at Squarespa...

“I realize that momentum is all based on direction. So you choose the way your direction and momentum will go.” — Jake Karls With his unique ability to create excitement and tell compelling stories, Jake Karls is a driving force behind Mid-Day Squares’ growth. Right from the beginning, Jake and his co-founders made a decision to be transparent and vulnerable, showing the good, bad, and ugly of the...

“Digital transformation and climate and sustainability. These are the two biggest thrusts that are going to impact businesses all over the world and certainly in Canada.” —  Kathleen Polsinello Head of BCG’s Toronto office and a key member of its Consumer practice, Kathleen Polsinello is a leading expert in consumer behaviour and retail strategy. With clients in Canada, the UK, and the US, she has...

“Multi-brand retail should be in service to obviously, the customers, but [also] to the brands that they carry.” —  P.J. Worsfold P.J. Worsfold is the driving force behind some of Canada’s most successful online shoe retailers. He’s a true trailblazer in digital media and e-commerce, and in 2020, he took on an even bigger challenge by taking on the role of Director of Ecommerce at JD Sports. Known...

“What I found in both is that you’ll be surprised who comes up with the next brilliant idea in the company. And letting that person [come] forward and allowing a little bit of a level playing field for everyone to be a part of that, makes a big difference.” —  Mike Gettis Mike Gettis is no stranger to building successful direct-to-consumer brands. In 2015, Mike co-founded Canadian mattress brand E...

“Loyalty is that perfect mix of art and science because it has to do with customer behavior, incentivizing people to behave in a different way, while also the extremely analytical component of, you know, we can offer this or we can offer that.” — Oren Eizenman An expert on designing, optimizing, and building on top of loyalty programs, Oren Eizenman knows what it takes to foster meaningful custome...

“Our perspective was, if you're solving an important problem and delivering convenience then how beautiful the pixels of the app are don't really matter.” — Ray Reddy Ray Reddy is a self-proclaimed technology optimist who has a strong belief in its purpose of improving lives. That’s why he started two companies aimed at solving problems that weren’t being solved. After his first company, PushLife...

“If you want to accomplish things or make changes, you just have to do it in little steps and make it a regular habit.” — Eva Wong Eva Wong never imagined herself as a co-founder or working in tech but sometimes life surprises you. After several years working for private and not-for-profit companies worldwide, Eva took a chance and teamed up with, now co-founder, Andrew Graham to create Borrowell...

“I think very much about an individual circle of control. And most of personal finance, not everything, most of personal finance is in your circle of control so make use of that.” — Bruce Sellery Having dedicated the last 15 years to educating Canadians on personal finance, you could say Bruce Sellery is a bit of an expert. Combining his knowledge and his experience as a coach and trainer, Bruce e...

“I think people’s superpower is the thing or things that is so innate to who you are, like it’s such a part of your fabric and you do it so naturally, that you don’t even know why other people don’t do it.” — Mary Graham With a track record of building some of the world’s most iconic brands and customer experiences, Mary Graham is a pragmatic strategist and synthesizer. After years of successfully...

“I think that leadership, to me, is really more about you taking initiative to start something. To take control over something that is important to you.” — Trinh Tham Leading the growth of some of Canada’s most recognizable brands is no easy task. For Trinh Tham, it’s just a regular day. As a seasoned, high-performing retail marketing leader, Trinh has developed and executed successful brand and m...

“I think that the beauty of understanding at a young age that you can make something from nothing is probably a really important thing. You’re not given every opportunity or tool or experience just laid in front of you, you [have to] go and make your own.” — Lyndon Cormack Growing up in the city and visiting family in Herschel, SK, Lyndon Cormack spent much of his childhood exploring the outdoors....

“I love [the] exercise of capturing one’s imagination and then finding creative ways to make that a reality. That’s exciting to me.” — Andre Charoo As one of the first 25 employees at both Uber and Hired, Andre Charoo knows what it takes to build and scale a startup. At Uber, he was responsible for leading new market entry into Canada, contributing to 10X growth of the company. Shortly after, he j...

“We are spending time thinking about it right now: In what way would the virtual world create incremental value to people?" — Laura Manes Passionate about continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible, Laura Manes is reimagining the shopping experience and finding new ways to bring the best of physical and digital together to solve business challenges. In close collaboration with industry...

“I think having change agents and catalysts within the organization who drive that behavior and shift in mindset [is] critical." — Manoj Jasra Manoj Jasra is a master of digital marketing and transformation. With over 20 years of experience across several sectors, he has implemented successful digital and ecommerce strategies for iconic Canadian brands including WestJet and Shaw Communications. No...

The fashion industry is responsible for producing 10% of  the world’s carbon emissions and 20% of global wastewater, using more energy annually than the aviation and shipping industries combined. In addition to this, production of wood pulp-based fabrics, like rayon and viscose, result in approximately 70 million tons of trees being cut down each year. With figures like these and projections for t...

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In the late 19th century, the Canadian retail landscape changed drastically with the introduction of the department store. With locations in most major cities, department stores were unlike anything Canadians had ever experienced － large architectural feats that introduced new technology to the general public, such as electric lighting, escalators, and air conditioning. Inside, they were designed...

Remember the days of pulling a paper menu out of the drawer on a Friday night? Deciding with your family what to order: Pepperoni or deluxe? Ginger beef or sweet and sour pork?  In the last decade, with the introduction of tech, the food delivery landscape has grown exponentially. The menu is now on your mobile device, and there are thousands of them. A plethora of restaurants that you can order f...

With a fun atmosphere, on-trend menu items, and parrots hanging from the ceiling, Earls was immediately setting the standard for upscale casual dining. Opening in Edmonton in 1982, guests flocked to enjoy a burger and beer in an environment that was unlike anything they were used to － unfussy and unique. Though Earls has transformed over the decades, the restaurant remains true to its original vi...