The Small Change Big Gains Podcast

If you're looking to grow your team, here is a 4-step toolkit to enhance the impact of growing and managing your team. Step 1) Identify the BUSINESS NEED Step 2) Establish the ROLE NEED Step 3) ATTRACT the ideal candidate and LEAD the interview Step 4) Onboarding, INTEGRATION, and continuous improvement

What is SVB? What happened with SVB? And is it indicative of a deep financial crisis like that of 2008? What protections are there for Canadians in the event of a bank collapse? In this episode, Amy and Sean explain what happened with SVB and whether or not its collapse affects Canadians in general. Tune in to also find out what protections there are for Canadians in the case of an insolvent bank.

What qualities do you look for in an accountant? Filing taxes can be one of the most nerve-racking responsibilities of the year. The more complex your situation is, the more nerves can fire. BUUUTTT- working with a diligent accountant, can relieve MUCH of the stress. Wealth Advisors get asked a lot as to what to look for when hiring an accountant. Or the infamous, “Do you know a good accountant?”...

To kick off our book review series, we chose Morgan Housel's, Psychology of Money, first released in 2020. An excellent read, Housel's work is short yet full of insight. Rather than talking about the technicalities of investing, Housel instead introduces a narrative element to each principle in order to show that success in investing is dependent on the psychology of the individual more than the n...

Businesses in 2023 will be facing much turbulence. Credit is contracting and inflation is high. They will be forced to optimize their structure to be more efficient. In order to leverage opportunities and effectively grow, businesses may want to look into optimizing their working capital or cash flow. Amy sat down with Jonathan Khan, Relationship Director with the National Client Group, to get som...

2022 was full of surprises and, frankly, nerve racking experiences. As for 2023, while some analysts are optimistic about the markets, others are not. So, in response to concerns regarding how 2023 is going to look like, Amy & Sean sit to give their thoughts about how 2023 may shape up to look like and share what other firms are speculating for the year ahead.

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'Tis the Season! The holidays are a "timeless time" (pun intended:) to give back and support local. From supporting your local cafe or brewery to the local candle maker to the Canadian author, it's the season for joy and community. In this 2022 holiday special, Amy and Sean thought it would be a clever idea to share some local and unique gift-giving ideas for the holidays! Tune in and you be the j...

It's all fun and games until the truth and "fibs" start getting clever! In this 2022 holiday special, Sean and Amy thought to test each other on who knows the other better. The game is "Two Truths and a Lie". If you're a pro at never have I ever, you gotta try it. If you're thinking about what to play with your friends and family over the holidays with some drinks in hand by the fireplace- give th...

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If you're a business owner thinking of selling one day, you gotta listen to this. A lot of times, some parts of the business may be in your head. Perhaps it's that "special recipe" you use for your main dish in your restaurant. Or it's some special supplier for the oil you use for your bearings when manufacturing machinery. If you are looking to selling the business one day, these things need to b...

I think we all LOVE teenagers, RIGHT? What's not to love. We can all agree that “THEY’RE THE BEST”! That “I know it all” attitude is ‘charming’. That being said, it can prove challenging to teach them about money (anything for that matter)- especially when they want to be buying $400 shoes. In this episode, Amy and Sean give some insight on how to approach your teenage children with the money topi...

If you were betting on October '22 to drag the markets even lower than September, then you'd be disappointed. Markets gained this time around. Historically, October has been a bad month for markets. But in 2022- of the approx. 70 percent of the companies on the S&P 500 that reported earnings, nearly 72% of those beat analyst estimates. More companies increased dividends and share buyback was a...

If you were told you can get paid to own shares in a company, while keeping all the gains from the shares, would you believe it? Welcome to the world of 'dividends'. Not only will select dividend-paying shares increase in share price (over time), but the dividend income derived from these shares have historically nearly always outpaced inflation- and by a long shot. Incorporating dividend-paying i...

We've perhaps all received those phone calls alleging we are in trouble with the CRA or that Immigration Canada wants to deport us. As the world gets complex and sophisticated, fraudsters up their game. No- the prince of Nigeria is not trying to reach you. In this episode, Amy and Sean sit with Teresa Lesyk, Director and Head of Cash Management, to discuss, first, the different ways fraudsters hav...

Ever wonder if engineers make great investors? Did you know engineering and investing share some overlapping attributes, while simultaneously butting heads in key areas? Amy sits down with Ontario Society of Professional Engineers' very own Jerome James to answer some crucial questions regarding engineers and the investment world.

In this LIVE Event, we invited National Bank's geopolitical analyst, Angelo Katsoras to give us deeper insight into major global and market-influencing events including the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe's energy crisis, and the global transition into green energy. His conclusion? That these are very challenging times- times that demand reanalysis and re-strategizing.

In response to the lows of September, and more top economists arguing for the heightened probability of a recession in '22/'23, Sean and Amy thought it would be a good idea to sit down and discuss a few things. Why are the markets behaving the way they are? What would a recession in '22 or '23 look like? What can investors and individuals in general do to leverage and take advantage of a possible...

Amy and Sean take money even deeper by relating it those tiny humans that keep parents awake (literally and metaphorically) at night. Yes, we’re talking about KIDS. From swear jars to gummy bears and treats, there are a few ways to embed ‘discipline’ in your children so that the concept of “currency” becomes a consideration in their life afterwards, increasing their chance and intelligence to atta...

Fiiiiiiinally- the moment we've ALL been waiting for. Sean and Amy set out to discuss the 3rd secret to successful investing- WEALTH TRANSFER. In the final episode of the series 3 Secrets to Successful Investing, we talk about how wealth transfer builds on the first 2 secrets to become a crucial factor for successful investing.

How does the BoC measure inflation. What is a "basket" and does it have easter eggs or goodies? How does inflation affect the stock market? AND FINALLY....ARE WE HEADED INTO A RECESSION, IF WE'RE NOT ALREADY IN ONE". In this live event, Amy and Sean seek to answer the burning questions we all have regarding inflation, the lag of inflationary numbers, and any relations to the equity markets.

In the second of three episodes Sean and Amy discuss the second "secret" to successful investing- TIME. Much easier said than done, a characteristic of successful investors is giving yourself, your portfolio, and your investments, time to develop to grow. Start early, stay invested, and don't forget why you started investing in the first place. Stay on track, and don't lose sight.

With interest rates rising, should you be getting a variable rate or fixed rate mortgage. What determines the rate of the two types? Should you be using your cash to pay down debt or take advantage of the market right now? Side-stepping a little away from investments, Amy and Sean seek to answer questions they've been getting regarding mortgages and paying down debt in light of anticipated interes...

In our first ever LIVE Event, Sean and Amy sat down to answer questions and provide insight and thoughts regarding interest rate hikes amidst extreme market volatility, market uncertainty, and decades-high inflation.

In this episode, Sean and Amy talk about expectations of investing. Financial planners and investment advisors always get asked "What return will you provide for me"? The idea here is that absolute dollar and percentage returns are not the only way to measure returns on investments- and in some cases, they may not be the healthiest standard either. Listen in to get the full rationale.