Owner's Roundtable – Détails, épisodes et analyse

What does it take to turn world-class academic research into a real, revenue-generating company? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Jack Nicholas, Co-Founder and CTO of Qdot Technology, to unpack his journey from Oxford University’s labs to the front lines of clean aviation.

Jack shares how his Ph.D. research in cooling nuclear fusion reactors became the foundation for a deep-tech startup tackling one of aviation’s hardest problems: thermal management for zero-emissions flight. Along the way, he opens up about the realities of spinning a company out of a university, the costly mistake of leading with technology instead of customer problems, and why he ultimately stepped aside as CEO to put the right leader in place.

This is a candid conversation about the long timelines of deep tech, raising capital in tougher markets, navigating VC relationships, and why finding the right people may be the hardest and most important challenge of all. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The hidden challenges of spinning a company out of a top university
• Why starting with “great technology” instead of a clear problem can slow growth
• When founders should step out of the CEO role
• How investor expectations have shifted from vision to early revenue
• Practical advice for raising capital and pitching VCs
• Why recruitment is harder (and more critical) than most founders expect

About Jack Nicholas

Jack Nicholas is the Co-Founder and CTO of Qdot Technology, a deep-tech company advancing thermal management solutions for clean aviation. He earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, where his research focused on cooling technologies for nuclear fusion reactors. After completing his doctorate, Jack led the design of a £1M industrial test facility for next-generation gas turbine materials in collaboration with aerospace partners. Today, he applies that expertise to solving the thermal challenges standing in the way of zero-emissions flight.

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Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business?

Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min

Contact Jeff McLarty: 

• Website: FocalPointEdmonton.com
• Linkedin: Jeff McLarty
  
  

Contact Jack Nicholas: 

• Website: Qdot Technology
• LinkedIn: Jack Nicholas
• LinkedIn: Qdot Technology
  
  

What if the thing everyone else throws away is the foundation of your next business?

In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Tyson Christiansen, founder of Maverick Metal, to unpack a gritty, real-world entrepreneurial journey built on follow-through, sales grit, and the ability to see value where others see waste.

Tyson’s path didn’t start with a polished plan. It started at a tire shop, then behind the counter of a scrapyard, where he unknowingly received one of the best entrepreneurship educations possible. By helping others turn scrap into income, Tyson learned how businesses really work, how middlemen get cut out, and why execution always beats perfection. That early experience led to the creation of Maverick Metal, where Tyson began buying and selling oilfield pipe, eventually realizing that the real opportunity wasn’t brokering, but manufacturing.

This episode is a masterclass in doing the work, trusting momentum over certainty, and building something durable by moving forward before everything is figured out. If you’ve ever waited for the “perfect plan” before starting, this conversation will challenge you to just get going.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why brokering businesses are fragile and how to escape the middleman trap
• Why perfection is the enemy of completion
• How differentiation protects margins in manufacturing
• Why customers don’t care about price; they care about value
• The role of fear, urgency, and sales volume in business survival
• How making the calls beats waiting for the phone to ring
• Why having the right partner at home can be a massive competitive advantage

About Tyson Christiansen

Tyson Christiansen is the founder of Maverick Metal, a manufacturing and materials company focused on repurposing end-of-life oilfield pipe into durable, high-value livestock fencing products. With a background rooted in sales, scrap recovery, and industrial brokering, Tyson built Maverick Metal by identifying overlooked opportunities and executing relentlessly. Known for confidence action and follow-through, Tyson has grown his business across borders, operating in both Canada and the United States, while continuing to scale manufacturing capacity and material sourcing.

Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business?

• Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min 

Contact Jeff McLarty

• Website: FocalPointEdmonton.com 
• LinkedIn: Jeff McLarty

Contact Tyson Christiansen

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

What happens when you go from “I can manage this place” to “I’m responsible for everything”?

In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Tara Proskiw, owner of Towne & Countree Kitchens, Towne Renovations, and Redl Edmonton, for an unfiltered conversation about the hidden pressure of ownership. The conversation moves through everything owners in a scaling cycle dread: cash flow stress, leadership blind spots, scaling too fast, and the isolation that comes with being the person holding the keys.

From learning financial statements the hard way to building boundaries that protect your health (and your marriage), Tara shares what she wishes every new owner knew before signing the paperwork.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why Tara runs multiple brands instead of one umbrella company
• How vendor take-backs and market uncertainty can crush cash flow
• The hard truth about keeping the wrong people in the wrong seats
• Why scaling can make you “grow broke” (even with more revenue)
• The mindset shift from “manager” to “owner” and the ego shock that comes with it
• How Tara sets boundaries to reduce stress (including “no work talk after 7pm”)
• Why avoiding the financials is a trap and how to face the mirror
• How to identify bad-fit customers and confidently say “we’re not for you”
• Two books that helped Tara reframe progress and build better habits
• Why every entrepreneur needs a safe place to talk (coach, therapy, peer group)

About Tara Proskiw

Tara Proskiw is an Edmonton-based entrepreneur with over 17 years in cabinetry and countertops and a reputation for building businesses that actually work operationally, financially, and culturally. As the owner of Towne & Countree Kitchens, Towne Renovations, and Redl Edmonton, she is known for spotting gaps in the market, building smart systems, and bringing clarity to industries where chaos is often the norm.

Tara believes leadership is about energy, accountability, and empowering people to do great work without burning out. Outside the business, she gives back through Glenora Rotary and South Edmonton Rotary, while continuing to challenge the idea that home renovations have to be stressful. Direct, thoughtful, and values-driven, Tara brings both edge and heart to everything she builds.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Women Presidents Organization (WPO)
• Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) — Bold Leadership
• Mount Royal University — Growth Catalyst
• The Gap and the Gain — Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy
• Atomic Habits — James Clear

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Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business?

Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min

Contact Jeff McLarty: 

• Website: FocalPointEdmonton.com
• Linkedin: Jeff McLarty

Contact Tara Proskiw: 

• LinkedIn: Tara Proskiw
• Website: Towne & Countree Kitchens
• Website: Towne Renovations
• Website: Redl Kitchens
  
  

What does it take to build a business that survives economic collapse, a global pandemic, and a literal flood?

In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Rafael Krug, founder of Zero-Defect, one of Brazil’s leading software quality assurance firms. They unpack a two-decade entrepreneurial journey that spans continents, and more than a few hard resets.

From fixing Y2K bugs in Brazilian banks to scaling into a 70-person QA firm, navigating the 2008 financial crisis, surviving COVID shutdowns, and then rebuilding after catastrophic flooding in Porto Alegre, Rafael’s story is a wonder of resilience, adaptability, and long-term vision. 

Now based in Canada and loving the Canadian business landscape, Rafael shares why he chose to rebuild yet again, but this time with a global, product-driven future in mind.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How a Y2K internship led to a lifelong career in software quality assurance
• How HP became Zero-Defect’s first major client
• The real challenges behind scaling from 3 people to 70
• What it’s like to lose half your company during an economic collapse
• How COVID forced a full operational reset
• What happens when your entire office is submerged under two meters of floodwater
• Why Rafael believes people — not infrastructure — are the real asset
• Key differences between doing business in Brazil vs. Canada
• Why Zero-Defect is shifting from a services model to product-led growth
• Advice for entrepreneurs facing setbacks that feel impossible to recover from

About Rafael Krug

Rafael Krug is the founder of Zero-Defect, a software quality assurance company specializing in functional, performance, security, and automated testing. Founded in Brazil in 2004, Zero-Defect grew into one of the country’s leading QA firms, supporting mission-critical systems for enterprise clients.

Now based in Edmonton, Canada, Rafael is leading Zero-Defect’s expansion into North America while launching AI-driven testing tools designed to modernize how software quality is delivered globally.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Start-up Visa Program (Canada)
• Caldeira / Instituto Caldeira (Porto Alegre innovation hub)

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Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business?

Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min

Contact Jeff McLarty: 

• Website: FocalPointEdmonton.com
• Linkedin: Jeff McLarty
  
  

Contact Rafael Krug: 

• Website: Zero-Defect
• LinkedIn: Rafael Krug
• LinkedIn: Zero-Defect
  
  

Every successful business has a story that never made the press release: messy beginnings, painful mistakes, near collapses, and game-changing decisions that shaped the journey. In Owner’s Roundtable, host Jeff McLarty has real conversations with real business owners who’ve built, scaled, stumbled, and fought their way forward.

This podcast isn’t about polished highlight reels or corporate marketing stories. It’s about lessons learned the hard way from builders who’ve been in the arena. It shows why stories from the trenches really matter and gives us a seat at the table with operators who tell us how it really works.

About Host Jeff McLarty:

Jeff is a seasoned entrepreneur with diverse experience working in and with organisations both large and small, family businesses, mid-sized corporations, not-for-profits and governments. He has worked with leaders in aerospace, AI, manufacturing, IT, and construction just to name a few.

His own journey to the owner's table has covered a diverse range of work and ownership experiences, including working in the trades, sales, financial planning, Deputy Director of a museum, and as an Executive Director of a major not-for-profit before becoming an owner/operator of a family business in retail. He also has extensive volunteer experience, which he credits with developing the broad skill set he needed to begin operating a business at a relatively young age (35). Together with his wife and business partner Stephanie, they scaled a small family-owned business into a multi-segment tourism and food services operation with 25 staff and a province-wide reputation.

Following the sale of the retail side of the operations, Jeff and his family moved to Edmonton, Alberta, where he began contract work for a UK-based aerospace startup, eventually serving as interim COO. He is currently a consulting partner in several venture startups and works as an Executive Coach and Business Trainer. 

 Jeff is passionate about the journey to entrepreneurship and what it takes to keep a seat at the Owners Round Table, Listen in as he explores with fellow founders, how they earned their seats and share the wisdom of years spent building a business in the hopes that you can learn from their tough experiences. 

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Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business.

Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min

Contact Jeff McLarty: 

• Website: FocalPointEdmonton.com
• Linkedin: Jeff McLarty
  
  

What happens when you start a business in an industry you were never planning to enter?

In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Rea Hailley, co-founder of New Idea Machine, to unpack the unfiltered realities of entrepreneurship, building in the tech ecosystem, and why many founders unknowingly walk into expensive software mistakes.

Rea’s journey into entrepreneurship was anything but planned. A casual conversation on a dog walk turned into the launch of a software development company built around one mission: helping founders avoid the costly pitfalls of custom tech development.

From navigating the overwhelming world of tech stacks to confronting the emotional highs and lows of building a company, Rea shares the lessons she’s learned while growing a business in one of the most complex industries for non-technical founders. This conversation explores the unromantic side of entrepreneurship, why founders need to ask better questions before building software, and how transparency can reshape the relationship between developers and business owners.

If you’re thinking about launching a tech product, this episode delivers practical insight from someone who’s learning the game in real time.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why many founders lose thousands of dollars hiring the wrong developers
• The hidden risks of relying too heavily on off-the-shelf software tools
• When it actually makes sense to build custom software
• The problem with overloading your business with too many tech tools
• Why entrepreneurship is far harder and more consuming than most people expect
• The importance of validating your business idea before building anything
• How founders can protect themselves from bad contracts and development traps
• Why delegating early can accelerate business growth
• The difference between building a prototype and building secure, scalable software
• The power of community within Alberta’s growing innovation ecosystem

About Rea Hailley

Rea Hailley is the co-founder of New Idea Machine, a software development agency focused on helping founders and business owners build smarter digital products. With a background in business and experience as a Merchant Success Manager at Shopify, Rea combines entrepreneurial insight with a commitment to transparency in an industry that often feels difficult to navigate.

Beyond her work with New Idea Machine, Rea is also a host on the Leaders, Innovators and Bold Ideas (LIBI) podcast, where she interviews entrepreneurs, innovators, and founders from Alberta’s growing tech ecosystem. Her mission is simple: help founders build better products by giving them the knowledge they need before writing a single line of code.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• New Idea Machine’s Tech Innovation Roadmap
• Alberta Rainforest Initiative
• Alberta Innovates
• Edmonton Regional Innovation Network (ERIN)
• Platform Calgary

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Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business?

Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min

Contact Jeff McLarty: 

• Website: FocalPointEdmonton.com
• Linkedin: Jeff McLarty

Contact Rea Hailley: 

• Website: New Idea Machine
• Podcast: Leaders, Innovators and Bold Ideas (LIBI)
• LinkedIn: Rea Hailley 
  
  

What happens when you build a business so tightly organized it runs with less stress—then one day you sell it and realize you don’t know who you are without it?

In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff sits down with Trevor Jones, former co-owner of Badlands Collision Group and now Corporate Director + Head of Training / Franchise Success at Driven Brands. Trevor shares his path from fixing cars in high school to buying the very shop he worked in, scaling into a three-location operation, and eventually selling his half to his partner.

Along the way, they dig into what makes partnerships succeed (and fail), why simple systems beat “big shiny” strategies, what franchising is really like from both sides, and the emotional whiplash of exiting a business you’ve identified with for 24 years.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Trevor went from technician to manager to owner by buying the shop he ran
• The two biggest stress points of buying a business: financing + partnership structure
• Why Trevor recommends a shotgun clause in partnership agreements
• How to avoid resentment: aligning expectations and having uncomfortable conversations early
• Why systems reduce emotion (and make growth possible)
• The power of small operational fixes (like the legendary broom system)
• The surprise nobody warns you about: the identity crash after selling your business
• Trevor’s biggest lesson from ownership: relationships are the real business

About Trevor Jones

Trevor Jones is the former co-owner of Badlands Collision Group, which grew from a single location into a three-store operator. After selling his ownership stake, Trevor transitioned into corporate leadership and is now a Corporate Director and Head of Training / Director of Franchise Success at Driven Brands, helping franchisees improve operations through education, training, and process.

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Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business?

Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min

Contact Jeff McLarty: 

• Website: FocalPointEdmonton.com
• Linkedin: Jeff McLarty
  
  

Contact Trevor Jones: 

• Website: Driven Brands
• LinkedIn: Trevor Jones
  
  

How do you turn a dental appointment into an experience people genuinely enjoy?

In this episode of Owner's Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Amanda Chin, Owner of Norwood Dental — a two-location dental practice in Edmonton she co-owns and runs with her husband, Dr. William Chin. Amanda comes from outside dentistry entirely, running the business and operations side with a perspective shaped more by hospitality and experience design than clinical practice.

Amanda has spent years observing what makes people want to be somewhere and translating that into a dental context. She thinks carefully about every point of contact a patient has with the business, from the waiting room to the chair to what happens after they leave. The result is a practice that has built its reputation almost entirely on how it makes people feel, in an industry where most businesses compete on clinical credentials alone.

What you will learn in this episode

• Every market is saturated. Amanda's argument for why that is actually beside the point.
• The experience is the only thing a patient can evaluate after an appointment. How Amanda built a business model around that fact.
• Why getting a team to deliver a culture of surprise and delight is harder than building the culture itself, and what Amanda did when her best idea met immediate resistance.
• What restructuring from 30 direct reports to four actually changed, and why meaningful leadership requires a number you can personally manage.
• Why Amanda looks to hospitality and restaurants rather than other dental clinics when she wants to improve her practice.
• How community presence before a first appointment changes the relationship a patient has when they finally walk through the door.

About Amanda Chin

Amanda Chin is the Owner of Norwood Dental, a two-location dental practice in Edmonton, Alberta. She co-owns the business with her husband Dr. William Chin and oversees all business operations, team development, and the experience systems that have become Norwood's defining quality. Active in the Edmonton community and passionate about making dental care accessible and genuinely enjoyable, Amanda has built a practice known as much for its culture as for its clinical care.

Looking for tools and support growing and managing your business? Contact Jeff McLarty

Website: focalpointedmonton.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-mclarty-16a0b225/

Vision to Execution Scorecard: https://vision-to-execution.scoreapp.com/

Contact Amanda Chin

Website: https://norwood.dental/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-chin-yeg/

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Read more on the Focal Point Edmonton blog: focalpointedmonton.com/blog 

What would a buyer actually pay for your business, and do you know the answer before they do?

In this episode of Owner's Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Gil Poulin, Owner of The Affordable Business Partner. Gil has bought and sold 42 businesses of his own over 45 years and supported close to 200 others through the sale process. In this conversation they get into what actually determines whether a business sells, why most owners are looking at their own business from the wrong angle, and what it takes to hand something off in a way that holds up after you leave.

Gil has been on every side of this transaction. He has bought distressed businesses and turned them around. He has helped owners price businesses they spent decades building. He has watched buyers walk away from good businesses because the story was not told clearly. His standard for what makes a business sellable is straightforward and does not leave room for wishful thinking.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why less than 50% of businesses that hit the marketplace actually sell, and what separates the ones that do.
• How to look at your business from the outside in, the way a buyer sees it before you do.
• What processes buyers are actually looking for and why most owners cannot articulate them even when they exist.
• Why the training period after a sale matters more than most sellers realize, and how Gil structures it.
• How to take the emotion out of pricing your business without losing sight of what you built.
• Why staff are often the most underestimated asset in any business sale, and one story that proves it.
• What to have ready before you consider going to market, which is more than most people think.

About Gil Poulin

Gil Poulin is the Owner of The Affordable Business Partner, a business brokerage and advisory practice focused on helping independent business owners buy and sell small businesses valued under $2.5 million. Over a 45 year career as a business owner, broker, and selling trainer, he has been involved in hundreds of transactions across a wide range of industries. He is well regarded for his expert guidance on what it takes to build something worth selling. 

Looking for tools and support growing and managing your business? Contact Jeff McLarty: 

Website: https://www.focalpointedmonton.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-mclarty-16a0b225/ 

Vision to Execution Scorecard: https://vision-to-execution.scoreapp.com/ 

Contact Gil Poulin: 

Website: https://theaffordablebusinesspartner.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gil-p-732b1420/

Sign up to get new episodes to your inbox: https://s8zsh.share.hsforms.com/2y-GeC0XOT5CllU620jMQAw

Read more on the Focal Point Edmonton blog: https://focalpointedmonton.com/blog/ 

What does it actually take to step into executive leadership at a company that was already running before you were born?

In this episode of Owner's Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Brendan Thompson, President of Bernie's Electric Supplies Ltd. Brendan is third generation at a company his grandfather founded in 1976, and has been President since 2023. They get into what the executive leadership transition actually looks like from the inside, how to bring change to an organization with deep roots, and what it takes to build a team that can carry a business into its next 50 years.

Brendan came up through almost every department at Bernie's before taking the top role, from the warehouse floor, to purchasing, to inside and outside sales. That ground-level foundation shapes how he thinks about hiring, developing people, and building systems that hold up over time. His approach is deliberate and long-term oriented in a way that most leaders only develop after they've already made the expensive mistakes.

Bernie's Electric is in its 50th anniversary year and actively planning for expansion. This episode is a study in what it looks like when executive leadership is built on genuine operational fluency rather than title alone.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How to enter an established leadership team and win trust without dismantling what's working
• Why small wins matter more than bold moves when you're new to the top role
• How Brendan uses monthly conversations tied to variable pay instead of annual reviews, and why it changed his organization
• The case for growing people into roles from within rather than hiring finished products from outside
• What presenting a united front in management actually requires, and why alignment has to start in the room before it can reach the floor
• How Brendan used EOS/Traction as a consistent implementation framework rather than chasing new ideas with every new book

About Brendan Thompson

Brendan Thompson is the third-generation President of Bernie's Electric Supplies Ltd., an independent electrical wholesaler based in Edmonton, Alberta. He holds a business degree with a major in human resources from the University of Lethbridge and is a Red Seal journeyman electrician, a combination that gives him an unusually broad understanding of the business he leads. 

Books and resources mentioned:

• Traction by Gino Wickman
• Leadership 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves
• EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)
• Tech Alberta

Looking for tools and support growing and managing your business? Contact Jeff McLarty: 

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Vision to Execution Quiz

Contact Brendan Thompson: 

• Website 
• LinkedIn

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