For this conversation, hosts Robin and Al welcome Caitlin MacGregor, CEO and co-founder of Plum.

Caitlin shares her journey of creating Plum, a talent management platform that helps businesses make smarter workforce decisions while helping people build careers that match their unique strengths. Plum democratizes access to predictive data for hiring and employee development. The conversation explores the impact of generative AI on hiring practices, the importance of inclusivity in recruitment, and the future of assessments in talent management. Caitlin emphasizes the need to recognize potential beyond traditional resumes and highlights the success stories of individuals who have thrived in unexpected roles.

Takeaways:

1. Revolutionizing Hiring Practices: Generative AI, behavioural data, and predictive analytics are transforming hiring by improving accuracy and reducing bias.
2. Inclusivity & Employee Empowerment: Inclusive hiring practices enhance retention while empowering employees to take charge of their careers and foster long-term success.
3. Human-Centric Workplaces: The future of work calls for a focus on recognizing potential and adopting human-centred approaches to redefine success.
4. Innovative Talent Solutions: Plum is leading the way with a vision for the next generation of work.

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In this episode of the Success Leaves Clues podcast, hosts Robin and Al sit down with Melanie Scheepers, SVP of People and Culture at Coconut Software, to explore the dynamic world of HR and leadership. Melanie takes us through her inspiring career journey from psychology to HR, shedding light on the evolving role of HR in driving a people-centric workplace culture.

The conversation dives deep into key topics like the power of mentorship, the importance of aligning company values with actions, and how strong leadership sets the foundation for a thriving organizational culture. Melanie shares valuable insights on dispelling misconceptions about HR, building trust through leadership partnerships, and adapting HR practices in the tech industry amidst the rise of AI.

Passionate about empowering women in the workplace, Melanie also discusses her commitment to supporting working mothers and creating an environment where they can thrive both personally and professionally.

"Values must be lived, not just stated." ~ Melanie Scheepers

Key Takeaways:

1. Mentorship Matters: Mentorship is a key driver of career development.

2. Culture Starts at the Top: Senior leadership plays a critical role in shaping and driving organizational culture.

3. Walking the Talk: Actions must align with stated values to build trust and strengthen culture.

4. HR as a Partner: HR’s role has evolved into a strategic, human-centric partnership that supports both people and business goals.

5. Shared Responsibility for Culture: Building and sustaining a strong workplace culture is a collective effort across the organization.

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What does it take to build a thriving workplace in today's ever-evolving business landscape? In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, hosts Robin and Al sit down with Jav Saeidi, HR Director at CTM Biomedical, to uncover the answer.

Join us as we explore Jav's inspiring career journey, the pivotal role of HR in driving business strategy, and the art of building strong communities within organizations. From navigating generational differences to spotting trends reshaping workforce dynamics, Jav delivers invaluable insights—including when it’s time to bring HR into the mix. This is more than a conversation about work—it's a deep dive into what success looks like, both personally and professionally. Don’t miss this insightful episode!

"The earlier you bring HR in, the better." ~ Jav Saeidi

Takeaways

1. HR as a Strategic Partner: The role of HR has evolved beyond administration, becoming essential in shaping business strategy and driving better outcomes through people-focused initiatives.
2. The Power of Community and Culture: Building strong communities and fostering a positive workplace culture enhances engagement, satisfaction, and retention across all levels of an organization.
3. Adapting to a Changing Workforce: Emerging generations bring new expectations, emphasizing the importance of work-life balance and aligning workplace values with personal aspirations.
4. Insights for Growth: Tools like HR metrics and exit interviews provide critical feedback for measuring success and identifying areas for improvement.
5. Personal and Professional Growth: Success is about striving to be the best version of oneself, often influenced by personal experiences, which shape perspectives on leadership and resilience.

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Anita Ramdas helps businesses simplify their storage and logistics as Founder & CEO at Shufflespace, a simple and effortless on-demand storage solution service for businesses in Toronto. Customers can simply schedule a pickup on the Shufflespace platform to have their team retrieve any assets that need to be stored. Those assets then get inspected, photographed, catalogued, and added to the customer's online account where they can be scheduled at any time to be delivered to a specified address.

Anita has accumulated over 10 years of international experience in startups and the telecom industry, with work experience on 4 continents and talks about her entrepreneurial journey.

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Hayden Cole, Account Executive at Dialogue, loves to engage with Candian HR leaders about virtual care and how it raises the bar in promoting employees' mental and physical health. Dialogue is a telemedicine pioneer partnering with leading organizations to enable healthy and happy workplaces. Their mission is to improve well-being by using technology to deliver excellent care.

Through Dialogue’s healthcare app, clients connect to primary care, mental wellness, and EAPs within one integrated services platform. Employees can access support during work hours and life outside the office, all through their phones, allowing them to be present and productive. Hayden tells our listeners about his career journey and what sparked his interest in virtual healthcare.

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Since joining Plum in December 2021, award-winning sales leader and Chief Revenue Officer Jason Putnam has helped drive substantial growth in the company’s pipeline and client base, which under his guidance, jumped 20 percent in six short months. Prior to Plum, Jason served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Enterprise Business Unit of PandoLogic, where he increased the company’s new business pipeline by 6X.

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Imagine transforming a high school business plan into a thriving Canadian business! That is exactly what entrepreneur Ameen Fadel, Co-Founder & President at Cedar Valley Selections, did. Starting as a school project when Ameen was only 16 years old, Cedar Valley envisions a better future for Canadian eaters—blending flavourful and family-focused foods with local ingredients, handiwork, and a touch of fun in every bite. Today, Cedar Valley pita chips and salad dressings are enjoyed by families across Canada. A reminder that meals can be memories, too.

Working closely with his mom and co-founder Surria, Ameen keeps the ship sailing in the right direction by managing manufacturing, sales, branding, marketing, and customer experience. He shares his amazing journey and passion for family-friendly foods that taste and feel better.

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Dipesh Mistry is a builder, operator, executive, and advisor. His sweet spot is shaping strategy & culture for companies that are trying to find product market fit and those that are scaling, specifically in climate. Currently, Dipesh is building toward a world with healthier food, more resilient farms, and a happier planet, through regenerative agriculture at Vayda as its Chief Operating Officer.

Vayda is a farming company working to advance Regenerative Agriculture through farm-based services and market-building. They develop regenerative practices for resiliency, efficiency, profitability, and productivity in our farming and food systems in order to improve both farmer livelihoods and the surrounding economy.

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With over 13 years of experience in strategy, talent management, leadership development, change management and employee engagement our guest, Alex Meers, Director of Employer Branding and Culture at Blu Ivy, has been enabling organizations to grow and succeed through their culture and people practices to attract top talent.

He works with executive leaders to develop best-in-class employment brand and employee experiences including some of North America's largest brands helping them build cultures where people love what they do, know how to be successful and strive for excellence.

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Today we welcome experienced SaaS-tech business leader Sam Daviau, Co-founder of UpBeing, a remote-first wellness start-up. Sam tells us the origin story & inspiration behind UpBeing's desktop-friendly web application that seeks to help you improve your mental well-being. By using the UpBeing App regularly, users can expect to gain a deeper understanding into the hidden patterns in their life that bring them up and down.

He shares his passion for building resilient communities, technology that changes the world for the better and improving access to mental health support.

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As Chief People Officer, Rachel Stephenson is responsible for all aspects of Northland Power’s Human Resources strategy, including talent management, leadership development, compensation and benefits, as well as leading all human resources functions globally. She works closely with the Executive team to ensure Northland continues to build a culture that attracts, retains and develops high performance talent to deliver on its global growth objectives.

Rachel brings to Northland more than 15 years of leadership in Human Resources, including extensive experience leading human resources strategies and functions for national and global organizations across multiple sectors, technologies and geographies. Rachel shares her impressive career journey and discusses the importance of courageous leadership.

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We welcome returning guest Dave Marantz, Chief Revenue Officer at Mednow—a full-service pharmacy that lives right in your pocket.

Mednow helps clients skip the retail line-up to get immediate access to pharmacists and other health professionals while managing their health needs, all in one simple place, either online or by phone. Hosts Robin & Al ask Dave to share the challenges and successes he's experienced in his career and what keeps him motivated to seek out new ideas & goals in order to deliver superior pharmacy services to Canadians.

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With over 20 years experience as a sought after resource to industry leaders across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, we welcome guest Giselle Kovary, Head of Learning & Enablement at Optimus SBR. In addition to being one of the fastest growing consulting firms in North America, Optimus is consistently rated one of the best places to work and has built a culture around putting people first, both within their own organization and the greater community.

Giselle is dedicated to building strategies and programs that help clients target, motivate and engage employees in order to increase performance and productivity and deliver game changing results. Having devoted more than 18 years to research, she talks to Robin & Al about the impact that generational differences have on organizational performance and ways to create solutions through training.

Giselle has co-authored two books: Loyalty Unplugged: How to Get, Keep & Grow All Four Generations and Upgrade Now: 9 Advanced Leadership Skills and over 65,000 people globally have experienced her workshops or presentations.

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In this episode of the Success Leaves Clues podcast, Robin and Al welcome Brendan Taylor, President of Mavericks VFX, a Toronto-based visual effects studio.

Brendan takes us through his unexpected leap into entrepreneurship and the creative mindset that has driven his success in the visual effects industry. He opens up about the bold risks and challenges of scaling a business, highlighting the critical role of strong processes and a supportive network. Brendan also redefines what success truly means, shifting the focus from traditional accolades to the impact of a positive workplace culture and the importance of building a team that feels valued and inspired.

"Take the information, leave the emotion." ~ Brendan Taylor

Takeaways:

1. Embrace Risk and Creativity: Taking risks and navigating the messy creative process are essential for growth and innovation in any business.
2. Resilience and Support: Success requires resilience, stepping out of comfort zones, and surrounding yourself with a supportive network.
3. Empowering Workplace Culture: A strong, nurturing culture is built through clear direction, employee feedback, and connecting staff to the larger purpose of their work.
4. Long-Term Vision and Legacy: Fostering innovation, tracking employee satisfaction, and aiming to be the best employer are key steps in building a lasting legacy in the industry.

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Deb Voorheis, Partner at Bigwin Group Talent Strategy, joins Robin & Al to share her amazing & successful journey across a broad range of industries: luxury retailing, engineering, interior design, online retailing and in non-profit organizations as well as her extensive experience in corporate strategy, sales and marketing, human resources, budgeting, public relations and fundraising.

Bigwin Group was created to "re-invent" talent strategy through creativity and innovation by offering a wide range of valuable talent management assets to clients and candidates, and challenging the status quo. What they do is not only limited to leadership recruitment, but also extends to the definition of roles, coaching, strategy, on-boarding, and retention strategies.

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Joining us is Robb Gilbear founder at Growth Habit. Robb's journey hasn't been your typical one. He started his first business as a teenager, did cubicle time in big multinationals, toured from coast to coast as a DJ, and spent half a decade as a People & Culture leader in award-winning tech companies before launching Growth Habit. He is a caring mentor who's helped hundreds of coaches and entrepreneurs, in 13 countries, successfully launch and scale their businesses

Through it all, Robb's been driven by the desire to understand what makes businesses thrive regardless of the market conditions and what truly makes people more confident, creative, joyful, and impactful.

He is also the author of the best-selling book Die Before They Do, a collection of stories that shares his journey through entrepreneurship, self-doubt, massive career changes, struggles with alcohol, near death experiences, an obsession with music, finding love, and being a parent—all while searching for bigger meaning and purpose in one’s life.

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In this episode we welcome guest Michael Stanisz, partner at Revenue Management Labs, a devoted practitioner of data-driven business solutions and the use of advanced analytics to drive pricing improvements. Michael holds a BSC in Mathematics, McMaster University, MMA, Queens University and MBA, University of Toronto. He talks to Robin & Al about his career journey, industry trends, the most rewarding aspect of building a company, and how Revenue Management Labs is helping companies maximize revenue and accelerate growth.

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Guest Elizabeth Lynch, Founder & President at Engaged Leadership Consulting, helps companies engage their entire team through strategic planning, executive coaching, manager training, and workforce empowerment. With both a Bachelor’s in Psychology and an Executive MBA, she has been helping executives succeed for over a decade.

Elizabeth joins hosts Robin & Al to talk about the opportunities employers have to attract great talent, how remote work is changing the hiring landscape as well as why performance management is so important.

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We welcome award-winning Canadian businesswoman, Dr. Janét Aizenstros, Founder and CEO of Ahava Digital Group — a women-led digital consultancy working with Fortune companies to help them connect with women consumers in an emotional and intuitive way using data and technology. This year, she reached a new height in her career when she scaled Ahava Group Global to nine-figures. She is an internationally recognized leader and is the creator of the first impact fund in Canada led by an Afro-Canadian woman that focuses on women entrepreneurs creating social impact through technology. 

Robin & Al talk to Janét about her inspiring entrepreneurial journey and the importance of holding true to your vision in order to achieve the greatest level of success.

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Sari Abdo, Cofounder and CEO of hungerhub, joins the podcast to talk about his passion for bringing technology and products to make the future better for both employers and their employees. Hungerhub, Canada's corporate on-demand catering solution, provides technology to connect workplaces to local restaurants as well as the logistics to deliver daily meals right to their client’s offices.

Sari's interest in working in foodtech has created an intense focus on sustainability, the future of work and the workplace of the future and through Hungerhub, he and his team have created Canada’s first Virtual Food Court. Always looking to generate new ideas that will solve a problem, Sari remains committed to using thoughtful innovation & technology to discover solutions & possibilities for tomorrow.

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Sharing their career journey & lessons learned is Joshua Siegal, a proud People & Culture leader and enabler of others, who strives to help wonderful humans reach their full potential in order to create great organizations full of superheroes! He is currently the outgoing VP at Wave HQ with his new big People & Culture role being formally announced next week.

Growing up in a home full of entrepreneurial achievers, Josh developed a deep love for leadership development while working to build programs for local youth. After leaving his stamp on several different industries, his love for growing and scaling organizations through their most valuable resource—their people—led to his largest career pivot. Tune in to discover more about these transformative experiences.

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Joining us today to speak about her career journey in Advanced Analytics and Marketing Research is Hilary Borndahl who is the Founder and CEO of Miix Analytics, a marketing consulting boutique based in the greater Toronto area. Miix consultants support in-house Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) programs, coaching clients on the planning, analysis, reporting, optimization, and socialization of research.

Hilary is also a passionate leader on a mission to empower women to live to their full potential and is actively involved in International Women's Day.

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Al & Robin welcome guest Martin Hauck, Head of Talent Acquisition at Caseware. He is a global talent acquisition leader, community builder, startup investor, advisor, mentor and speaker. Martin is also founder of The People People Group, a community of passionate HR, Recruitment and Operations professionals that are dedicated to sharing best practices, elevating each other and collectively improving the employee and candidate experience for everyone.

Learn how various failures and his never-give-up attitude impacted his path to success.

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Speaking about what sparked her career journey is Brittany Bairos, Managing Partner at Forge Recruitment. Owned and operated by both her and her partner Joncarlo Bairos, Forge is a specialized Canadian search firm, focused on connecting those within the Legal and Accounting & Finance sectors. Their aim is to provide clients not only with strong, relevant talent, but also the market information and recruitment guidance they need to make a successful hire and build a strong, competitive team.

Recruiting and hiring the right person can be an incredibly challenging and time-consuming process for employers and Brittany describes how she and her team strive to give businesses the competitive advantage that they need while ensuring a long and successful relationship for both clients and candidates.

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Hosts Robin and Al welcome Ryan Oliver, CEO of Ampere, for a thought-provoking conversation on breaking barriers in education. From empowering rural and Indigenous communities to redefining what’s possible, Ampere’s unique programs blend technology, art, and play to help people of all ages build vital STEAM skills. Ryan shares the innovative strategies behind their mission and the impact they’re making by unlocking new opportunities through creativity and hands-on learning.

The discussion also highlights the importance of adapting educational strategies to meet community needs, the collaborative nature of their work, and the lessons learned from both successes and failures.

"The very first thing you do whenever you're dealing with any underserved populations or equity-deserving groups is listen." ~ Ryan Oliver

Key Takeaways:

1. Inclusive, Community-Driven Education: STEAM education integrates arts into STEM, focusing on inclusivity and tailoring strategies based on community needs and feedback.
2. Collaboration and Listening: Successful educational initiatives rely on strong collaboration, active listening, and building good relationships with communities.
3. Growth Through Resilience: Embracing failure as part of the learning process is essential for growth and innovation in education.
4. Sustainable, Impactful Approach: Long-term success requires a forward-thinking mindset, community buy-in, and applying a business approach to nonprofit operations.

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Jesse Abrams, Co-Founder & CEO at Homewise, is an accomplished entrepreneur, business leader, digital marketer and advertiser who has a passion for growing businesses and never settling for the status quo. He was recently distinguished as “The W. Galen Weston Top Entrepreneur”, as one of Canada's top 5 "Marketers on the Rise" and as a "Top 30 Under 30" Marketer in Canada.

Jesse brings a passion for change and growth as the founder of Homewise, where he and his team look to change the face of the mortgage industry. He talks to Al & Robin about his amazing career journey and describes how he has faced and overcome obstacles along the way.

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Sailor, Employee Benefits Specialist, Association Founder, Educator, Expert Witness, Associate Film Producer & Bestselling Author, Dave Patriarche is a man of many talents with a passion for learning. He is the President of Mainstay Insurance and founder of CGIB, the Canadian Group Insurance Brokers, an organization dedicated to supporting networking and continuing education for the group insurance industry.

Robin & Al talk to Dave about his tireless efforts to improve the industry for advisors and clients alike, including the protection of women returning from maternity leave, as well as the biggest challenges advisors face in trying to provide solutions to their clients. 

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A seasoned tech leader and customer experience expert, Brad Rencher guides BambooHR in serving over 30,000 organizations spread across 151 countries around the world. Recognizing the far-reaching impact BambooHR has on employees, administrators, and businesses every day, Brad believes that to be a category-defining, industry-leading HR platform, it must absorb complexity and produce simplicity for every one of its 3 million active daily users. 

Alongside his role as CEO, Brad hosts The Era, a podcast devoted to the evolution of HR and employee experience as the pillars of successful business outcomes.

In this episode of Success Leaves Clues, he dicusses how to address the top pain points shared by HR and people leaders as well as why prioritizing employee experience is so important. 

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Motivated by new opportunities and connecting with people every day, Hannah McLoughlin, Regional Director at GroupSource, has a passion for the group benefits market and sees herself in this industry indefinitely. GroupSource is one of Canada's leading providers in group insurance, employee benefits, and disability management, offering top of the line technology but with a personal, hands-on approach.

Hannah talks to Robin & Al about some of the biggest challenges facing employers as they navigate constant change and complexity, as well as the small things they can do to ensure their benefit offerings serve the evolving needs of employees while supporting the organization’s objectives.

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Joining us is Yiorgos Boudouris, Head of Talent at Tiny Mile. He is a recruitment leader with 15 years of experience building organizations in various industries. Always curious about how people grow, Yiorgos feels fortunate that he is able to listen to people's stories and help set them up for success every day. He is also an experienced career coach who loves providing job seekers with the support and tools they need to pursue their career goals.

He discusses some of the most important elements of the recruitment process including compensation and pay transparency, the benefit of having a foundation in recruitment as an HR leader, and touches on some of the changes that he's seen take place across the industry when it comes to how candidates engage with recruiters during the hiring process.

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In this episode, Robin & Al welcome Monica Sarkar, Head of People & Culture at OnCall Health and a member of the People People Group. Monica started her career shaping public health policy and supporting youth and community engagement. After over 10 years in public health, she made the move to software and technology start ups with a focus on customer success, team leadership, training and development, recruitment, and coaching.

Passionate about people, ideas, leadership, and creativity, Monica continues to scale the business by recruiting and hiring top talent for all departments, identifying growth opportunities with team members, and working closely with team leads to generate pathways for development.

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Sarah Goodman is the Director of Enterprise and Channel Partnerships at Maple, Canada’s leading virtual care platform connecting patients with healthcare providers like doctors and specialists for online medical visits in minutes.

In her role, Sarah is primarily focused on bringing virtual care to large Canadian employers, as well as relationship and partnership growth of various industry partners at Maple. She discusses how Maple is making an impact on the current needs of Canadians especially in the benefits space where table stakes are high and the burden of healthcare has shifted to organizations as they try to differentiate their businesses to attract top talent.

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In this episode, Robin & Al chat with guest Tara Tomulka, a Toronto based nutritionist, chef, and entrepreneur. Tara completed her Certified Nutritional Practitioner designation from The Institute of Holistic Nutrition and is a Certified Raw Food Teacher and Certified Culinary Nutritionist. She also holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University and a Master of Communication Management degree from the University of Southern California.

Tara launched Rawcology to create revolutionary raw, organic and nutritious plant-powered snacks that can be enjoyed by all individuals regardless of dietary restrictions. At Rawcology, they believe in making food choices that honour your health and taste buds while making you feel great.

Tara discusses why she believes in the power of plant-based living to promote optimal health and wellness and how bringing wellness into your life is as easy as prioritizing simple habits.

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In our first episode of 2023 we welcome guest Christine Song, Chief People Officer at Knix and Founder of Topscale HR, a boutique HR consulting firm. As a Talent and People leader, Christine creates impact through her passion and expertise in organizational scalability and leadership development. Rather than leaning towards traditional basics and best practices, she focuses on redefining and customizing programs for businesses based on their needs.

Christine talks about her career journey along the path to finding a passionate connection in her role & industry, and the importance of raw tenacity that allows her to deliver results in unconventional ways.

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In celebration of the 100th episode milestone of Success Leaves Clues, hosts Robin & Al enjoy a candid conversation with return guest Joanna Kmiec, Vice President People & Culture at Elastic Path. She leads the People and Culture team, which is committed to supporting and driving a strong and positive culture where employees can thrive through a 'people first' approach and the creation and execution of the People and Culture roadmap.

Before Elastic Path, Joanna spent her career in the People & Culture space with experiences including managing global expansions, mergers, and acquisitions. With over 20 years of experience, she brings a diverse skillset focused on building, scaling, and developing high-performing teams elevating the Employee Value Proposition and Experience structure.

Joanna speaks about the importance of the employee experience and building a strong talent pool as well as why you need to get the most out of every tool you have while creating balance. She also shares her thoughts on the best ways to create connections and support employees facing a distributed and remote workforce.

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In this episode of the Success Leaves Clues podcast, hosts Robin and Al engage in a fascinating conversation with Subhi Alsayed, the visionary Founder and CEO of Kulture Rebellion—a company that merges science and craft to reinvent social drinks. Subhi shares his transformative journey from a corporate career in engineering and construction to creating a gut-friendly beverage, Brücha©, that leverages fermentation technology and redefines an industry. He discusses the challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of personal health, and how AI is integrated into their production processes.

"I was tired of being told that things can't be done differently." ~ Subhi Alsayed

Takeaways:

1. Path to Sustainability: Subhi’s journey from engineering and construction sparked his commitment to sustainability, leading to the founding of Kulture Rebellion.
2. Innovation in Healthier Alternatives: Kulture Rebellion uses fermentation technology to create healthier social drinks, emphasizing community and connection through food and drinks.
3. Entrepreneurial Resilience: Subhi highlights the challenges of entrepreneurship, where self-doubt and resilience play key roles, alongside trusting one’s instincts.
4. Personal Definition of Success: For Subhi, success is deeply personal, defined by fulfillment and family time.
5. Empowering Change: Subhi believes in the power of change at any stage in life and aims to make fermentation accessible for all.

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Ed shares his unique path to becoming a top benefits adviser, how adapting to challenges helped shape his journey, and the reasons why he is constantly looking for opportunities to generate new ideas and goals.

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Leah Carr, speaker, advisor, strategy & operations leader and CEO at tilr™ has extensive experience in bringing new products to market, as well as hiring and growing teams. Her passion for workforce development is the reason she chose to join tilr™, a platform that allows organizations to reliably hire and develop highly skilled talent. They believe that any hire can achieve in their role if companies set them up for success and continue to invest in them.

Leah shares her knowledge of how to build & retain talent through growth development and explains why companies need to adopt a skills first strategy in order to face the challenges of matching their job openings to the existing labor force.

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Robin & Al enjoy a conversation with Lauren Mina, Associate Director of Finance & Operations at Blueprint, a non-profit, mission driven research organization dedicated to improving the social and economic well-being of Canadians by helping their clients solve complex public policy challenges.

Lauren works with a diverse team of professionals, with backgrounds that span the non-profit, public and private sectors, who are passionate about serving a wide range of socially conscious businesses that want to make a difference.

She discusses the challenges of corporate growth while creating safe spaces for a diverse team of employees as well as the importance of great leadership & mentorship.

Joining Robin & Al is Greg Van Slyke, Director of Business Development at Inkblot Therapy.  Greg has over 15 years’ experience in the mental health industry joining Inkblot in May 2020.  Inkblot is a digital mental health platform aiming to improve your mental health at home, work and beyond. He is both proud & passionate of the fact that Inkblot makes such a positive difference by helping people live happier, healthier lives — offering effective mental health care for everyone.

Greg discusses the reasons behind his decision to join the mental health industry and what makes Inkblot’s offering stand out from other Employee Assistance Programs.

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Rich Appiah is a lawyer and the principal of Appiah Law | Employment + Labour Counsel. He provides expert strategic counsel and legal representation in the area of human resources law to small and enterprise-scale businesses, as well as to managers and senior executives. Rich has been practicing employment law for over 16 years and was a partner at a downtown firm for many years before he founded Appiah Law in 2017.

He has been repeatedly recognized as a leading practitioner in employment law in the Canadian Lexpert Legal Directory and an invited guest on the CBC to provide expert legal commentary.

In this episode, Robin poses questions regarding terminations for performance-related issues. Rich relates two recent cases to examine why every employer should ensure their workplaces are free from a toxic work environment and that they properly investigate allegations of workplace harassment.

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We are joined by guest John Mitropoulos, President of technology company Vocantas, providing interactive voice and communication solutions in order to help their clients improve scheduling. With expertise in product development, sales, marketing and customer service, John is a strategic, customer focused leader, who has been successful in increasing profitability through the development and delivery of new products and services that enhance an organization’s market position. 

Throughout his career he has always maintained focus on building success by developing individuals and teams who support one another and provide world class customer experience.

John shares some of the most important things facing Canadian businesses today and what helped shape him into the innovative leader he is today.

A People Ops Leader with a passion for tech startups, Diandra Forde has a history of helping companies scale.

Spending her career in high-growth companies combined with a CHRP designation has contributed to making her the well-rounded People person she is today. She is responsible for the entire employee lifecycle, with a focus on recruitment, learning & development, as well as contributing to a culture of inclusion.

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Robin & Al welcome guest Nadia Ghani to the podcast. Nadia is a detail-oriented Human Resources Generalist who values commitment and exudes a passion for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), as well as accessibility strategies. She is committed towards learning and ensuring that everyone counts. Her Why? To give back in meaningful & impactful ways.

Nadia believes that growing up in Bangladesh gives her a unique perspective while working with 500+ Associates from diverse backgrounds has made her see the impact & value that diversity and inclusion have on organizations wishing to thrive by broadening their reach to countless individuals.

Robin & Al welcome guest Cathy Minh, CHRL, a highly motivated HR professional with diverse and progressive HR experience. Cathy is currently the Manager of People Operations & Talent at Opencare.com, a web-based platform that helps patients find dentists in their area and helps dentists grow their practice by matching them with new patients.

Known as an innovative problem-solver who has consistently sought out and implemented new methods to enhance efficiency and productivity levels, Cathy is committed to excellence through positive work ethics. She is always energized by the opportunity to build authentic and trusting relationships with employees and leaders.

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We welcome guest Cerys Cook, Chief People Officer at Swift Medical, a rapidly scaling medical technology company in Toronto. She shares her career journey from professional chef to the field of HR and her philosophy to always be the hardest working person in the room by being your best self every single day. She also expresses her passion for the vast and brilliant opportunities she & her team can provide for people so they too can thrive in their work through exceptional employee experiences.  

Cerys has extensive expertise in successfully scaling businesses across multiple industries and believes in building healthy cultures where people can show up as their authentic selves.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation on leadership that goes beyond business as usual. Hosts Robin and Al sit down with Cerys Goodall, COO of Vetster, to explore her bold career journey across industries and her refreshing insights on success, bravery, and the art of building an intentional company culture. Cerys shares how taking risks, fostering empathy, and embedding values into everyday practices can transform both personal growth and organizational integrity.

The conversation emphasizes the importance of being curious and resilient in navigating career challenges, the necessity of intentional company culture, and how core values should guide business decisions. Cerys also highlights the future of telemedicine for pets and her commitment to community service and pay equity, advocating for early financial success for women in tech.

"Failure is just another step in your journey." ~ Cerys Goodall

Key Takeaways

1. Embrace Bravery and Learning: Success comes from being brave, trying new things, and embracing failures as steps in growth.
2. Values-Driven Culture: Intentional culture-building and embedding core values into everyday practices strengthen integrity, especially during challenging times.
3. Empathy and Trust: Building empathy and mutual respect are foundational for understanding customer needs and fostering strong business relationships.
4. Inclusivity and Equity: Safe spaces, pay equity, and support for women in tech and underserved communities are vital for inclusivity and success.
5. Adaptability in Leadership: Versatility, curiosity, and resilience are essential in tech careers, helping leaders navigate dynamic environments like telemedicine and evolving workplace dynamics.

Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Robin & Al are joined by Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.), Ciara Morin, who has a love of functional nutrition & a passion for helping clients make small changes that have the greatest impact to their health. She strives to inspire, teach & coach people to reach their health goals in a sustainable & enjoyable way, no matter the challenges may face.

Ciara is also the Founder of Foods to Glow, offering complete nutrition consulting and strategies to help reset your health. She strongly believes that bringing awareness to the power of food is the first step towards optimized, whole health in order to boost energy, improve immune response & increase JOY in our busy lives.

There is a concerning shortage of care workers across the United States and Canada, the impact of which is felt every day by care providers, care workers, and those in need of care. So there is one question that guides Christian Alaimo, Co-founder & COO at Caribou ...“How can we help care organizations find quality care workers and keep the good ones they have?”

Caribou, a game-changing digital platform, is on a mission to solve this caregiver staffing crisis. It is a super easy-to-implement tool and rewards program that care organizations across the United States and Canada are using to supercharge their recruitment, retention, and recognition. In the care sector, there is no time for complicated technology that is difficult to implement and employers who offer the best caregiver experience will win the talent war every single time. Caribou was designed specifically for care organizations who are looking to provide a positive impact on client service quality and staff members’ sense of value, purpose, and passion for their work.

Brought to you by Aria Benefits and Life & Legacy Advisory Group

Robin & Al welcome guests Hannah Yardley, Chief People and Culture Officer and Kristy Jones, Senior Director, Employee Success from Achievers, two passionate Human Resources Leaders building high-performing teams through innovative HR solutions.

Hannah & Kristy discuss their own HR success stories as part of Achievers, a cloud-based employee engagement platform that enables companies to engage, align and recognize their greatest asset—their employees—driving retention, productivity, customer satisfaction, as well as other key business outcomes.

Brought to you by Aria Benefits & Life & Legacy Advisory Group