The Profit or Pivot Podcast

Roman Baber was excommunicated from the Conservative movement in Canada because he stood up to COVID related government tyranny in 2021. He was kicked out of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, and spent several years in the political wilderness. In hindsight, his stance was measured, appropriate, and necessary, during a time of fear, mass delusion, and government lies. And fortunately,...

After October 7th, everything changed. Not just on the ground in Israel… But in the digital battlefield where narratives are shaped, distorted, and weaponized. In this episode of The Profit or Pivot Podcast, I sit down with social media superstar Hillel Fuld to break down what’s really happening. Hillel built his career advising startups and telling stories in the tech world. But after October 7th...

Anti-Semitism is an evil and accelerating phenomenon around the world. I break down my thoughts on its root causes. 

Every founder wants to raise money. But few understand what they’re actually competing against. In this episode of the Profit or Pivot Podcast, I sit down with Jeffrey Fidelman to break down what really happens behind the scenes in venture capital and why most founders never even get a shot. Here’s the reality: Top firms are reviewing thousands of deals every year. One fund alone can see 5,000 app...

Episode Partner -  hiredonna.com find elite executive assistants (use my link below for discounts) Ever wonder how someone becomes a venture capitalist? Winter Mead is the founder of Coolwater Capital, the YC for VC funds. He's invested in over 90 funds and has helped launch hundreds of VC firms. Venture operates in circles of trust. Those circles aren’t arbitrary, they’re built over decades. Ecos...

Episode Partner: hiredonna.com - find elite offshore executive assistants with Donna. 30% off for first 3 months for my listeners. Links below.  Everything is degrading in major cities like Toronto. Violent crime has skyrocketed, homelessness is rampant, living is increasingly unaffordable, and we are paying more in taxes & receiving worse services. In the latest episode of The Profit or Pivot...

Jim Ferry, a Partner at Volition Capital with $1.7B AUM, recently posted a VC analyst role and received 2,500 applications in one week. That number alone says everything. In this episode of The Profit or Pivot Podcast, we unpack what that level of competition really means, why traditional career advice is broken, and how hiring managers actually think when they’re flooded with applicants who all l...

Who you know in business is critical to your success, especially as a startup. And meeting the right people whether its best employees, partners, customers, and investors often requires networking and meeting new people in person. But what if you're an introvert like me and dread networking and meeting new people in person? There are a few simple and easy steps you can implement to overcome your f...

Max Abergel signed one of the most influential rappers in the world without an intro, a résumé, or permission. He literally slipped past security and walked into a green room. That moment led to a long-term partnership with Waka Flocka Flame , an artist with diamond-certified records, collaborations with Nicki Minaj and Drake, and a brand that stretches far beyond music into business, philanthropy...

Every brand is trying to influence you but only a few succeed. Why? Because great brands understand human psychology better than their competitors. In this episode of the Profit or Pivot Podcast, I sit down with Rena Nickerson, the General Manager of the Quaker and Sabra brands in Canada, who has spent her career understanding how people think, what motivates them, and how to turn that into real b...

Matan joins the founders at the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute to answer their many questions about building startups, raising money, and standing out.    Q1 What do I look for in a startup when investing Q2 Thoughts on "impact investing" Q3 What do I do when a company is failing Q4 How to break into VC Q5 How would I redo my career / life if given the option  Q6 Dealing with failed f...

Ever wondered how the Russian oligarchs were made? This episode gives you a glimpse into that world… through someone who lived it, built through it, and survived it. In this episode of The Profit or Pivot Podcast, Matan speaks with Marat Ressin, an entrepreneur who built and bought over 30 businesses after the fall of the Soviet Union, escaped the rising control of the KGB to Canada, and went on t...

By his mid 20's, Ryan Henry became Head of Engineering for a fast growing mobile game developer. It was his first exposure to scaling a tech company, which he later leveraged at Freshbooks, a Canadian "unicorn" startup (over $1 billion valuation). At Freshbooks, Ryan hired 100 engineers in 1 year, a real rocket ship. He shares his insights on scaling a business, hiring the best people, how AI will...

Geoff became an accidental entrepreneur building a 150 employee business and becoming a prolific angel investor with investments that include a $500 MILLION exit. Geoff's journey illustrates the unpredictable path of entrepreneurship, highlighting the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and being open to unexpected opportunities. Geoff and I discuss how to build a business, the many t...

By age 22, Alex Siplyarsky failed in his 1st business, was $40,000 in debt, and had his 1st child on the way. Life looked bleak and he didn't know how to dig himself out of this deep hole. However, Alex defied the odds. Initially struggling with sales, he transformed his life by understanding what makes buyers tick and how to overcome an initial "no" and influence people to buy. Starting with the...

🏠 Is Canada’s dream of home ownership officially dead? In this episode of the Profit or Pivot Podcast, I sit down with Mark Freedman, entrepreneur, investor, and former Head of Product who helped lead a startup to a $100M+ exit, to talk about building and scaling businesses, product leadership, and why real estate in Canada and other major cities is becoming increasingly out of reach. Mark shares...

Join me as I sit down with Jeremy Zuker, a seasoned entrepreneur who has successfully built and sold multiple marketplace startups. In this insightful conversation, we'll delve into: Growth Strategies: Learn how Jeremy scaled WagJag to 180 employees and $50 million in revenue. Bootstrapping Success: Discover why Jeremy chose to avoid venture capital and the benefits of bootstrapping. Overcoming Ch...

🇨🇦 Canada is not the country it once was. Economic stagnation, failing institutions, rising crime, a massive brain drain, a housing crisis, and a political class unwilling to confront the growing divisions and hatred. In this episode of The Profit or Pivot Podcast, I sit down with Melissa Lantsman, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, to discuss what’s gone wrong in Canada and what i...

How do you build a venture capital firm in a market that isn’t mature? And what does it mean to be an entrepreneur shaped by experiences in Iran, Israel, and Canada? In this episode of The Profit or Pivot Podcast, I sit down with Sion (Zion) Balass, co-founder and Managing Partner of The Group Ventures, a Toronto-based VC firm. Sion shares his remarkable journey, born in Iran to Iraqi Jewish paren...

Are you an entrepreneur feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or questioning if you should keep going? You’re not alone. In this 21-minute compilation, we've pulled together the most powerful insights from guests of The Profit or Pivot Podcast, founders, investors, and business leaders who have faced struggles just like you. This episode is packed with real talk and actionable strategies to help you: Push t...

Jonathan built a successful news app that reached the top 10 on Apple's app store and decided to let the startup fail. In this video, Jonathan and I discuss his winding journey as a startup founder, the challenges he faced, why he let his startup fail, and why and how he ultimately revived it. Also, we discuss how he made a lot of money trading stocks, why he is bullish on crypto and why he thinks...

How can ancient Jewish wisdom guide the way we live, work, and build businesses today? In this episode of the Profit or Pivot Podcast, I sit down with R. Josh Kaller who is an entrepreneur, attorney, real estate investor, and community leader, to explore the intersection of Judaism, spirituality, and business. In addition to being a real estate attorney and investor, Rabbi Kaller is building a non...

Timing is everything when building a startup. It can make the difference between a billion dollar exit and utter failure. Its why one of the most important questions a venture capital investor will ask startups is "why now". What changed about the market that allows you to create significant value and build a hyperscale business NOW. Michael Durance of xiVentures joins me to discuss his successful...

How do billionaires really manage their money? What’s the difference between creating wealth and actually preserving it across generations? In this episode of The Profit or Pivot Podcast, I sit down with Mo Lidsky, a serial entrepreneur, author of five books, and co-founder & CEO of Prime Quadrant, a leading family office advisory firm serving over 250 ultra-high-net-worth families with more t...

Entrepreneurs focus on how to create wealth but most DON'T think about the day after exit. How do they use their wealth, plan for the future, protect their legacy, and invest in their community. Mark Halpern, the Founder of WEALTHinsurance.com, became the most famous insurance broker in Canada by focusing on answering these questions for Canada's most successful business leaders. In this episode,...