Leaders Of Tomorrow Podcast

Ever wondered how successful entrepreneurs manage to pivot and survive massive economic downturns?   On today’s show, Hugh Owen , CEO, MacRAE'S and Scott's Directories brings to us his distilled wisdom on persistence and continuous learning.  Early on in his story, Hugh found himself lacking focus and just drifting through life. However, all this changed when he enrolled in the Student Works Manag...

On today’s show, we interview American Canadian swimming coach and former Olympian, Byron MacDonald who shares with us the key attributes of world-class athletes.  Byron won six international game medals for Canada from 1970 to 1975. He finishes sixth in the 100 m butterfly at the 1972 Olympics.  In 1976, Byron started his coaching career with the York University in Toronto. Over the years, two of...

Ever wondered how successful real estate developers manage the different moving parts to ensure the successful fruition of large multi-million-dollar projects? On today’s show, we interview Craig Whitten, partner, Huntington Properties who shares with us his thoughts on core values, business strategy, and growth.  Growing up, Craig was independent-minded and success-motivated. So, when he went thr...

What is the one thing that can help businesses unlock massive value?  On today’s show, we talk to leading M&A advisor, Michelle Tucker who shares some expert tips to help you get your dream exit. And you will also learn the SIX Mistakes that businesses make due to which they are unable to stand the test of time.  Michelle has also co-authored The Exit Rich Book along with Sharon Lechter of Rich Da...

Ever wondered how successful entrepreneurs and professionals manage to pivot in times of massive uncertainty? And how do they broaden their horizons and gain some enriching experiences while they are at it? On today’s show, we interview Michael Rudzki, Application Sales Manager, Oracle who shares his thoughts on entrepreneurship, grit, and persistence. He shares with us his different work experien...

Wondering how to grow your business in a competitive and commoditized market? And how to add value and make yourself irresistible to your ideal clients? Back in 1980, Bill was working as a waiter at The Keg restaurant when he hit upon a “magic formula” to sell lobsters to restaurant customers. Using his formula, Bill managed to sell 1400 lobsters in 3 months. And to put things in perspective, the...

Ever wondered how million-dollar deals are closed? What is the level of effort, diligence, and teamwork required for successful culmination? In today’s show, Chris interviews Christine Purvis, Senior Account Executive, SAP who shares her work experiences and some of the biggest lessons learned over the years.  Back in high school, Christine was a busy-bee doing great in academics as well as in ext...

What if you could get a peek into the billionaire mindset? And learn how to make decisions that multiply your growth and success? On today’s show, we interview Geoff Woods , co-founder, and partner, ProduKtive who shares with us his wisdom on entrepreneurship, core values, and mentorship. ProduKtive is a training company and community based on The One Thing. Growing up, Geoff was always driven and...

In today’s show, Chris interviews Ahsan Khan who shares his distilled wisdom on financial planning, mindset, and success. Ahsan is the VP and financial planner at BMO Nesbitt Burns.  Ahsan lost his father when he was just 10. Fortunately for him, his courageous mother and his uncles mentored him in the right way to set him firmly on the path of success. Ahsan grew up to a confident young man who w...

In today’s show, Chris interviews Patrick Lalonde, VP, Student Works who talks about shedding the victim mindset and taking full and complete responsibility for your life. Unless you realize that no one but you is responsible for the consequences of your actions, you will never achieve the level of success that you are yearning for. When you fail, it is tempting to blame things that are beyond you...

Ever wondered how top sales executives stay ahead of the curve? What is their “secret sauce” that catapults them miles ahead of the competition? In today’s show, we interview Michael Patterson , IBM Key Client Executive BD Bank who shares some expert tips for staying on the top of your sales game, and the importance of continuously reinventing yourself. Growing up, Michael was always hugely driven...

In today’s show, Chris interviews Mike “C-Roc” Ciorrocco, CEO, People Building Inc. who shares with us his thoughts on leadership, culture, and unlimited success. Coming from a broken home, Mike’s childhood years were really tough. The emotional abuse took a toll on him, and Mike dropped out of college, and got hooked on drugs and partying.  Fortunately for him, finding the right life-partner stea...

In today’s show, Chris interviews Erin Roininen Butler , Director of Sales Strategy  and Shopper Marketing, Weston Foods.  Erin shares her life story, recalls her super-successful Student Works stint, and gives us a peek into her role at Weston Foods.  Even before Student Works, Erin was always motivated to give her best. Be it academics or athletics, Erin gave it her all. So, when Erin joined Stu...

How do you create exceptional brands that stand the test of time? In today’s show, Chris interviews Brian Scudamore, Founder and CEO of O2E Brands, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, WOW 1 DAY PAINTING and Shack Shine. Brian shares his distilled wisdom on guerrilla marketing tactics, the importance of working with the right people, and reveals why you must be willing to fail in order to realize your most audacious...

In today’s show, we interview, Rob Signoretti , Enterprise Account Executive at DataBricks who shares his story about how he built his successful career in the technology space. Raised in Ontario by a blue-collar family, Rob had a “boxed-in” mentality as he had little idea about the massive opportunities out there. He was content and laidback, and his teacher called him the “dumbest smart guy” he...

What is the ONE thing that could help you realize your most audacious goals? If you want your life to get better and better, you can’t do it without integrity. But, what does integrity really mean? In the simplest terms, integrity means that you are honoring your word. However, in today’s show, Chris and Patrick share a more thoughtful and detailed definition of “integrity”: Doing what to do, doin...

Looking forward to the holidays? Planning on taking things easy as an eventful 2020 draws to a close? While, it is natural to take things slow this time of the year, coming to a complete standstill is not really judicious. In today’s show, we reveal four simple but actionable tips to help you add value during your holidays.  From re-training your monkey mind to ensuring physical activity to keepin...

In today’s show, Chris reflects back on the incredible year that was 2020 and shares some of the BIGGEST lessons that the pandemic has taught him. When adversity strikes, most people go into panic mode and switch off completely. However, if you can keep your sanity in these trying times, double-down, and pivot, you can catapult yourself miles ahead of the competition. And that’s exactly what Chris...

In today’s show, Chris interviews Rebecca Friese , Managing Partner, Flyn Consulting , and author of the recently-released The Good Culture: The Leader's Guide to Creating a Workplace That Doesn't Suck .  We start this show with Rebecca sharing her interesting backstory. Born and raised in Illinois, Rebecca chose Penn State to complete her college education. She made the most of this experience, a...

Looking for proven ways to scale up your business in these uncertain times? In today’s show, we interview Marco Pimental who reveals how having internal systems in place can help you successfully acquire and manage businesses, even if they are vastly different in nature. Growing up, Marco was curious and extremely enterprising. From working early mornings in a grocery store to running a car import...

In today’s show, Chris interviews Nicky Billou , co-founder, The Million Dollar Clinic , and host, The Thought Leader Revolution Podcast. We start this show with Nicky sharing his interesting backstory. Nicky was a great high school student but lost his focus somewhat when he entered university. However, hell-bent on doing well, Nicky surrounded himself with a great peer group – which pushed him t...

In today’s show, Chris interviews, Brett Bergmann , COO, Solar Panda. Growing up, young Brett was totally confused by the myriad of options available in front of him. There were a whole bunch of ways he wanted to go, but he had little idea how to get there. This is when the Student Works opportunity came knocking. Running a painting business and managing a crew of people at a young age had a trans...

Today’s show is a special one as we have some of our top operators joining us to discuss the power of accountability, integrity, and a clean and healthy environment. Maddie, a student from the University of Western Ontario grew her first business by 300%. Adam just graduated from the program after doing well over a quarter-million dollars worth of business. And John, our top operator from the West...

In today’s show, Chris interviews Paul Flick, CEO, 360 Degree Painting, and Premium Services Brand. 360 Degree Painting is a painting franchise company whereas Premium Services Brand offers multiple services in the home services space. Paul worked with Student Works as a district manager and operator in the late 1980s.  In the first segment of the show, Paul recalls his life as a teenager. Like ma...

In today’s show, Chris interviews Darius Mirshahzadeh , Former President, The Money Source Inc and host, The Greatness Machine. Darius, a core value evangelist shares his life story and reveals some of the most critical business lessons that he has learned from his successes and failures. Growing up, Darius was extremely money-motivated. So much so that he considered dropping out of college so tha...