It's Time for Success: The Business Insights Podcast

In this insightful episode, Sharon welcomes financial advisor and entrepreneur Melanie Cheek for a candid conversation about the financial habits, mindset shifts, and planning strategies that can transform an entrepreneur’s future. Melanie shares her personal journey from financial stress and debt to becoming a trusted advisor helping others orchestrate their wealth. Together, they explore why so...

Many business owners invest significant time and money into their websites, yet struggle to generate consistent leads or sales. In this insightful episode, Sharon DeKoning sits down with website revenue architect Gerry Black to uncover why most websites underperform and what business owners can do to fix them. Gerry shares his journey from journalism and sales into marketing strategy, where he dis...

In this insightful episode of It’s Time for Success: The Business Insights Podcast, Sharon welcomes back John Stevens, Managing Director of Camilla Advisory Group, for a powerful conversation about fractional CFO services and why they’ve become a game-changer for growing businesses. Drawing on decades of experience as a CFO, CEO, and advisor involved in more than 100 acquisitions, John explains th...

In this episode of It’s Time for Success: The Business Insights Podcast , Sharon DeKoning sits down with business mentor and growth strategist Christine Campbell Rapin for an honest and energizing conversation about what it really takes to grow a successful business. Christine shares her powerful perspective on building a “growth engine” — the simple but effective system of generating leads, makin...

Sharon welcomes Ian Chisholm, co-founder of Roy Group, for a deep conversation about the evolution from entrepreneur to leader. Ian shares how failing to become a doctor unexpectedly led him into the world of executive education and leadership development, where he discovered a passion for helping organizations build future leaders. Together, Sharon and Ian unpack the difference between managing t...

In this episode, Sharon is joined by Sarah Silver, owner of Profits and Coffee, to unpack the real value of bookkeeping and why it should never be treated as just a tax-season task. Sarah explains how too many business owners start off doing their own books, only to fall behind as the demands of running the business grow. This lands them deep into missed insights, unnecessary stress, and financial...

Sharon welcomes Janet Sawatzky, founder of 7 Point Trends, for a practical conversation about building a business that doesn’t rely on the owner being “on” every minute of every day. Janet works with entrepreneurs who have often built successful businesses through hustle and hard work, but now find themselves stuck, overwhelmed, and unable to step away. Together, Sharon and Janet unpack why vision...

Most business owners think selling is their only exit—but what if there was a way to pass your business on to your team instead? Sharon sits down with John Stevens, co-founder of Camilla Group, to unpack the growing conversation around employee ownership in Canada. John shares his deep experience helping small and medium-sized businesses explore succession planning through employee ownership trust...

Sharon sits down with Lissa Daub, founder of Strong Impact Academy, certified Value Builder and Business Freedom Strategist, to unpack what makes a business truly valuable—not just profitable. Lissa shares how many entrepreneurs unknowingly fall into the “owner’s trap,” where the business becomes so dependent on them that they can never fully step away. Together, Sharon and Lissa why building with...

If your business can’t function without you, it may not be sellable, and that’s exactly what host Sharon DeKoning explores in this episode with Lori Power, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, CPA, and founder of MP Benefits. Together, they dive into what it truly means to build a business with value beyond the owner. Lori shares why the first step isn’t financial; it’s personal. Business owners need...

Employment law can feel like walking through a field of landmines for business owners, especially when you’re hiring fast, growing a team, or dealing with a tough termination. In this episode, Sharon DeKoning sits down with Amy Bassili, founder of Bassili Law, to break down the biggest employment-law risks that catch employers off guard. They walk through the simple, proactive steps that can preve...

In this eye-opening episode, Sharon sits down with Rob Hole (aka the Canadian AI Guy) to explore the real-world applications of AI for Canadian entrepreneurs. Rob shares his journey from tech veteran to AI strategist, helping business owners implement tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and browser-based assistants like Comet from Perplexity. In this episode, you’ll discover how these technologies are mor...

What started as a way to make lake life easier turned into a booming business. Sharon sits down with Sondra Pearn, co-founder of Lake Life Caesar Co., to hear how a homemade Caesar mix evolved from a mason jar to a shelf-ready product found in stores across Canada. Sondra opens up about bootstrapping from day one, stepping away from teaching to run the business full-time, and what it took to scale...

Sharon welcomes Nina Ellis, entrepreneur, mom of two, multi-business owner, and recently named Businesswoman of the Year. Nina shares how her entrepreneurial journey began unexpectedly through bookkeeping, and how saying yes to opportunity (even when the timing felt impossible) became a defining pattern in her life and business. They explore the myths of “work-life balance,” the importance of know...

In this conversation built for business owners looking to the future, Sharon and Colleen dive into the often-overlooked world of business brokering and exit planning. Colleen, who started her first company at 21 and built a thriving commercial cleaning business, shares her journey to becoming a business broker with Sunbelt Canada. She now helps fellow entrepreneurs plan for and navigate the proces...

Today’s episode dives deep into one of the most overlooked and misunderstood areas of business: human resources. Sharon welcomes Lyndsay Seafoot, an HR expert and founder of Curbridge, an outsourced HR consultancy; Stand Out Staff, a modern resume platform; and Director’s Desk, an HR tool for child care facilities. Lyndsay simplifies what HR really is (managing your people well) and explains why e...

This episode dives deep into the human side of leadership with special guest Susan Power, founder of PowerUp Leadership. Susan shares her perspective that leadership isn’t about titles or tenure; it’s about how you show up and the impact you make. She and Sharon talk through the value of authenticity, tackle myths about introverted leaders, and explore how leaders can build trust by showing up aut...

In this high-energy conversation, Sharon and Lori explore how leadership, employee well-being, and workplace culture work together. Lori Power, founder of MP Benefits, urges leaders to stop viewing benefits as a cost and start treating them as a strategic investment in health, engagement, and productivity. Drawing on work with companies like Boeing, she shows that when benefits are aligned with sa...

In this episode, Sharon opens up about purchasing the Lloydminster location of It's Time Promotions in 2014 just before the oil crash), turning a dream business move into the hardest season of her career. She shares the painful realities of misreading financials, underestimating the gap between markup and margin, and stepping into a team that didn’t accept new leadership. These issues led to lost...

In this heartfelt episode, Sharon chats with Chantelle, owner of Provost Pets & Livestock Supply. Chantelle shares how her love for animals sparked her business idea and how motherhood changed the way she ran the business. We dig into startup realities, working through economic swings and life changes, and why community support (and a great mother-in-law!) can be the difference-maker for entre...

In this episode of It’s Time for Success: The Business Insights Podcast , Sharon sits down with Kyle Dillon, CEO of Onion Lake Cree Nation, to explore the unique challenges and opportunities of Indigenous entrepreneurship and leadership. Kyle shares how he helped restructure the Nation’s operations into a C-suite model, bringing stronger communication, oversight, and collaboration across governanc...

After losing his IT director role at a high-growth insurance company, Luke Williamson turned adversity into opportunity by founding Accurate Network Systems. Eighteen years later, the Edmonton- and Calgary-based firm has grown to 50+ team members, all powered by Luke’s people-first philosophy and a commitment to “radical collaboration.” In this conversation, Luke walks us through the leadership fr...

In this episode of It’s Time for Success , Sharon sits down with Gary Kulak, a banking leader who has spent 30 years with ATB. Gary shares what drew him into the world of finance, how his career evolved from branch management to business banking, and why alignment between personal values and company culture has kept him loyal for three decades. The conversation explores the difference between a jo...

In this episode, Sharon shares why wearing the “busy badge” is unsustainable for entrepreneurs and how shifting focus from working in your business to working on it can lead to real growth, freedom, and balance. She offers practical strategies, mindset shifts, and personal stories to help you break free from busyness and build a business that works for you. Sharon reveals why the “busy badge” is n...

In this episode, host Sharon DeKoning chats with her personal lawyer and respected legal expert, A.J. Fox of Fox Wakefield, about navigating the legal landscape of entrepreneurship. With a reputation for cutting through legal jargon and offering clear, relatable advice, A.J. explains the foundational legal steps every entrepreneur should consider when launching a business. They explore the pros an...