Leaders Of Tomorrow Podcast

Latest Episodes:

484 | Claire Thompson - How To Lead When You Are The Quiet One In The Room Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

What if the quiet, reserved parts of you are actually your greatest professional advantage?

Chris Thomson sits down with Claire Thompson, a Queen’s University graduate who joined Student Works as a self-described quiet, reserved 18-year-old and turned that into a two-decade career now leading business development at a Boston economics consulting firm.

They get into why introverts can become powerful, trusted leaders, how a strong EQ and relentless networking opened doors, and why imposter syndrome can both fuel you and hold you back.

If you have ever worried you are too quiet or too far behind to lead, this conversation shows you how to take the risk now and build a career day by day. Listen now.

Timestamped Highlights

03:48 – Who Claire was before Student Works, and the quiet trait she never outgrew
05:00 – The out-of-character choice her parents still call her inflection point
06:41 – The life most people miss by not working 20% harder for a season
06:58 – “Complacency is death,” the commandment she still lives by
08:45 – The skill she honed at 18 that became her strongest professional weapon
14:06 – From the first US transplant to legal marketing: how her path really unfolded
16:15 – Why she chose a corporate team over the entrepreneur dream she once had
17:48 – The Scott Galloway line on the smartest risk-adjusted path to wealth
21:38 – A “healthy” dose of imposter syndrome: how it helps and where it hurts
25:55 – The day-by-day discipline a marathon taught her to trust
28:13 – Turning “slower to respond” into the thing people value most
33:14 – What the leader of tomorrow really needs, and it is not more screen time

About the Guest

Claire Thompson leads business development at Analysis Group, an economics consulting firm based in Boston, where she heads a team of about 15 people working with the firm’s partners on their growth and marketing plans. At the time of the interview, she was the Director of Business Development at The Brattle Group. A Queen’s University graduate, she joined the Student Works Management Program in 2003, was named Operator of the Year, and spent four years as an operator, coach, and general manager, leading the Ottawa region before becoming the program’s first transplant to the US side of the business. Over more than a decade in legal and professional services marketing, Claire has built a career defined by strong relationships, a sharp EQ, and a belief that quiet, thoughtful leaders can be the most effective ones.

🔗 LinkedIn

Resources and Links Mentioned

Important Links

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

483 | Mathis Paquette - How To Commit 100% or Stay Stuck Forever Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

What really separates the operators who break records from the ones who stall out?

In this episode, Chris Thomson sits down with Mathis Paquette, a Student Works operator who grew his business from $180,000 to a $750,000 operation in three seasons and is now stepping in as a full-time coach.

Mathis opens up about the habits behind that climb: committing to a calendar for the first time, learning to lead through real conversations, and the move to a new city that tested everything he thought he knew. He and Chris dig into why commitment, not talent, is what sets top performers apart, and how the right environment quietly shapes your results.

If you have ever felt stuck grinding alone, this conversation is your reminder that community and commitment change everything. Listen now.

Timestamped Highlights

04:03 – The part of the program that caught Mathis completely off guard in year one
07:16 – The simple tool he had never touched before that became the backbone of his success
08:13 – How to win customers almost no one else reaches, deep in cottage country
10:58 – The non-negotiable that gave him the confidence to take on giant chalet jobs
14:11 – The unglamorous habit that unlocked his second-year jump past a quarter million
18:08 – The program outside Student Works that rewired how he has hard conversations
22:44 – Moving to a city where he knew no one, and the skill it forced him to master
30:30 – What really separates top operators from everyone else, and it is not skill
32:48 – The moment a $1 million, then $2 million, then $3 million business stopped feeling impossible
35:46 – The daily practice he leans on when he is too hard on himself

Resources and Links Mentioned

Landmark Forum
Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott (book)
Govindh Jayaraman, Paper Napkin Wisdom
Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)

About the Guest

Mathis Paquette is a Student Works Management Program operator from Montreal who is stepping into a full-time coaching role. Over three seasons, he grew his business from $180,000 to roughly $750,000, earned the program’s Mexico trip, enrolled his younger brother into the business, and relocated to Quebec City to build in a brand new market. Known for his commitment, his belief in community, and leading from the front, Mathis is now focused on developing the next generation of operators.

🔗 LinkedIn

Important Links

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

482 | Best of: Dollar Milestones Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

What if the number you are chasing is already closer than you think?

Every guest on Leaders of Tomorrow can tell you the exact number they were sold at on a given day. That is not an accident. In this best-of, host Chris Thomson pulls the moments where the number became real: the goal set before anyone believed it, the week sales went to zero, and the week everything turned around.

You will hear James Ward on believing a six-figure summer before he could prove it, Colby Wilson on breaking a $250K target into a weekly number, Ashley Ayles on refusing to stop at $200K, Andrew Woodruff on nearly doubling to $335K, and Aris Lloshi on the team behind a half-million-dollar year, with Brayden Willmott, John Morgan, and Mathieu Champagne on the mindset shifts that made the leap possible.

If you have ever needed proof that your number is possible, this is it. Listen now.

Timestamped Highlights

00:50 Chris Thomson on why every guest can name the exact number they were sold at, and why that is not an accident.
01:22 James Ward on the gap between saying you will run a million-dollar business and believing you can, starting from $40,000 sold.
03:02 Brayden Willmott on coming into the year chasing $600,000, and the one thing that changed from last year.
03:28 Colby Wilson on making a $250K target real by breaking it into a weekly number.
05:25 Ashley Ayles on hitting $200K by June and why she refused to stop there.
06:26 Andrew Woodruff on nearly doubling to $335K, and the shift from working hard to working smart.
07:28 Aris Lloshi on crossing half a million and why the team behind the scenes was the real engine.
08:27 John Morgan on going from a $72,000 first summer to betting he could one day do $750,000.
09:16 Mathieu Champagne on three straight weeks of zero sales, then one $30,000 week that shifted his mindset.

About the Guests

James Ward, a Student Works operator who ran a window cleaning business, on believing the number before you hit it and proving it to everyone who doubted you. Episode 349 | From $40,000 to $110,000: Key Activities for Success
Brayden Willmott, a Student Works operator, entered the year with a $600,000 goal and the momentum and alignment behind it. Episode 458 | Proven Ways Elite Student Leaders Crush $250K Goals
Colby Wilson, a Student Works operator, on making a $250K revenue target tangible week to week. Episode 438 | How To Turn Failure into a $275K Comeback
Ashley Ayles, a Student Works operator, on blowing past her $200K goal and refusing to set the bar too low. Episode 455 | How Grit and Planning Made $280K Possible
Andrew Woodruff, a Student Works operator, on nearly doubling from $180K to $335K by shifting from working hard to working smart. Episode 436 | When You Bet on Yourself and Build a $370K Business
Aris Lloshi, a Student Works operator, on crossing half a million and crediting the team and the weekly habits that got him there. Episode 434 | How to Build a $460K Business as a Student
John Morgan, a Student Works franchisee, on going from a $72,000 first summer to planning for $750,000. Episode 148 | How I am Planning to Achieve My 2020 Sales Goal of $750,000
Mathieu Champagne, a Student Works operator, on three weeks of zero sales, the $30,000 week that turned it around, and the leap that followed. Episode 450 | Unveiling the Secrets Behind an $800K Leap

Important Links

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

481 | Jeff Gunhus – Why Great Leaders Never Just Report the News Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

What separates a leader who builds a winning team from one who just reports bad news?

In this episode, Chris Thomson hands the mic to College Works alumnus Jeff Gunhus, Co-Founder and CEO of Home Genius Exteriors, who scaled the company from $2.7 million in year one toward a $500 million target, all while chasing a billion-dollar goal.

Jeff lays out the framework his leaders live by, Teach, Track, and Inspire, and why fastest growing means nothing without most respected. He gets into leading from the front, the difference between leading and lagging indicators, and why world-class customer service is a desire, not a training issue.

If you want the mindset and the system behind teams that grow people and profit at the same time, this one is for you. Listen now.

Timestamped Highlights

03:51 – The secret behind the company name, and why everyone secretly works for his wife
04:44 – The Jim Collins principle that turned a departing leader into a business partner
07:42 – Fastest growing or most respected? Why he refuses to pick one
09:10 – The billion-dollar goal that started as a someday dream
11:59 – Why you should chase adversity instead of running from it
14:17 – Teach, track, and inspire: the entire framework on one pie chart
14:48 – The three leadership traps: the professor, the tracker, and the cheerleader
19:20 – The Jocko Willink rule that Home Genius leans on hard
24:26 – Why “what gets measured gets measured” is a trap for new leaders
34:04 – The truth about customer service that no training can fix
38:19 – The Jim Rohn line he closes meetings with

About the Guest

Jeff Gunhus is the Co-Founder and CEO of Home Genius Exteriors, one of the fastest growing home improvement companies in America, and Co-Founder of its parent company, National Services Group. A College Works Painting alumnus who started as a first-year operator before becoming a coach and then a partner, Jeff has grown Home Genius from $2.7 million in its first year toward a $500 million target, while holding the company to being both the fastest growing and most respected in its industry. He is known for his Teach, Track, and Inspire leadership framework, his focus on culture, and giving back through the Home Genius Cares program, all under a standard he calls happy but not satisfied.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Important Links

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

480 | Phil Lombardo – How to Stop Negotiating With Yourself and Win Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

What if the trait you thought made you strong is the very thing holding your growth back?

Chris Thomson welcomes back Phil Lombardo, a Student Works veteran who went from a $125,000 rookie business to coaching a $4.4 million team, and who is now stepping into a role helping run a $50 million company.

Phil opens up about the ego that once held him back, why your minimum acceptable standard matters more than your goals, and the daily discipline of negotiating with yourself less.

If you have ever wondered what actually separates the people who keep leveling up from the ones who stall, this conversation is your blueprint. Listen now.

Timestamped Highlights

02:52 – Who Phil was before the program: YMCA shifts and a gap year of 60-hour minimum-wage weeks
04:27 – The referral that got him in, and the info-session moment that lit up the phone
05:59 – The biggest surprise of a first-year run during COVID
06:41 – The ego realization that changed how he ran his business
11:05 – Why your minimum acceptable standard matters more than the goals you set
13:53 – The one thing top performers negotiate away far less than everyone else
16:09 – The call where Luke first saw Phil as a future coach
19:28 – Going from a $125K business to a $4.4 million coaching team
20:33 – "Everyone can always see you": the accountability truth most people miss
30:11 – Inside the new role and the push to double a $50 million company
35:29 – The light-side, dark-side exercise behind Most Accountable Coach
44:53 – What a real leader of tomorrow actually is, in Phil’s words

About the Guest

Phil Lombardo is a Student Works Management Program veteran stepping into his eighth year, a four-time Mexico-level operator who built roughly $800,000 in the field before moving into coaching. As a coach, he was named top mini coach, top rookie coach, and Most Accountable Coach, leading a team to $4.4 million this year and reaching about $9 million in all-time coaching revenue. He is now stepping into a company-wide role focused on operations, training, and curriculum, AI initiatives, safety, and field support as Student Works pushes to double its business.

🔗 LinkedIn

Resources and Links Mentioned

The Founders Club (Luke Fenn and Joe Kim)
Luke Fenn on LinkedIn

Important Links

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

479 | Nick Eaves – Why Leading With Humility Beats Chasing the Spotlight Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

What if the leaders who rise fastest are the ones who insist they are not that important?

Chris Thomson sits down with Nick Eaves, Chief Operating Officer at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and former President and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment, in the conversation that started it all: the very first Leaders of Tomorrow interview. A Student Works alum, Nick built his career on a counterintuitive idea: none of us are that important.

They get into humility as a competitive edge, the patience of the long game, why there is no job too small, and how Nick kept saying yes to the next opportunity until he reached the C-suite. He also opens up about the setbacks that shook his confidence and what pulled him through.

If you are waiting for permission or a perfect plan, this conversation will change how you think about getting started. Listen now.

Timestamped Highlights

● 05:40 – The one thing Nick still leans on from his summer business years

● 07:06 – Why “there is no job too small” became the rule that built a 21-year run

● 10:29 – “None of us are that important”: the humility test behind every team he leads

● 12:33 – The risky call to put racing on TV, and why shrinking your own crowd can grow the business

● 15:59 – What a government-run business taught Nick about irrational stakeholders

● 18:17 – Why the best fans behave like owners, and how great venues earn that trust

● 24:35 – The setbacks Nick regrets most, and the confidence gap behind them

● 28:44 – How to tell when your natural style stops working, and switch gears

● 29:36 – The long game: patience, network, and never doing it alone

● 38:17 – The real path into a world-class organization like MLSE, and why rushing backfires

About the Guest

Nick Eaves is the Chief Operating Officer at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, where he oversees operations, revenue, and the LIVE events division across MLSE’s venues. He previously spent 21 years at Woodbine Entertainment, including five as President and CEO, where he led the transformation of the company’s business model. A Student Works Management Program alumnus and Western University graduate, Nick is known for a leadership style rooted in humility, patience, and the long game.

🔗 LinkedIn

Resources and Links Mentioned

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE)
Scotiabank Arena
Woodbine Entertainment (formerly the Ontario Jockey Club)
Western University

Important Links

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

478 | Best of: Scaling Your Business Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

Most young entrepreneurs hit the same ceiling. The business can only grow as far as they can personally reach. The ones who break through stop trying to do it all and start building something bigger than themselves.

In this collage episode, host Chris Thomson pulls together the operators who did exactly that. You will hear how they planned the number before chasing it, recruited the right people instead of the available ones, learned to delegate and actually train, and made the shift from doing the work to leading it. Five operators, five different paths, one through-line: you cannot scale alone.

If you are ready to run a bigger business, start here, then come build one with us.

Timestamped Highlights

00:00 – Chris O'Rourke sets the frame: real leadership is accomplishing great things through people, not as an individual

01:12 – Alex Irvine on the shift that let him grow, letting go and bringing in people who do what he should not

02:45 – What hands-off actually looks like once the systems hold and the business runs itself

03:02 – Colby Wilson on making a $250K target real by breaking it into what you sell every week

04:00 – Why Colby stopped trying to hit the number alone and built a team that owned it with him

04:43 – Kaleb O'Very on always be recruiting, and the two hires that drove almost 300% growth

06:44 – Jamie Lee Bongard on moving from knocking doors to leading, adding 61 agents without working full tilt

08:15 – Chris O'Rourke on the tools and role clarity that let you lead through people at scale

About the Guests

Alex Irvine is a Student Works operator and President's Club performer who ran a $275,000 painting business. | Episode 388 | Unlocking Growth: The Power of Delegation, Systems, and Coaching

Colby Wilson is a fourth-year Student Works operator and an incoming mini coach. | Episode 438 | How To Turn Failure into a $275K Comeback

Kaleb O'Very is a Student Works operator who grew his business 300% and stepped into a coaching role. | Episode 444 | How to Grow 300% and Love Every Challenge

Jamie Lee Bongard is a five-year Student Works alum and a Keller Williams operating principal in real estate. | Episode 350 | Path to Personal Growth and Business Success

Chris O'Rourke is a Student Works alum and the Chief Revenue Officer at Zeus Fire and Security. | Episode 397 | From Student Works to Building a Legacy of Success

Important Links

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

477 | Matt Celeste – How One Outsider Built a Six-Figure Machine Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

What happens when a self-described average kid walks into a room full of high performers and refuses to get left behind?

Chris Thomson sits down with Matt Celeste, a fourth-year University of New Brunswick student who joined Student Works knowing no one and got two leads in his first three hours of marketing.

They dig into the mindset shift Matt calls an ego death, the leverage move that let him focus almost entirely on sales, and the Facebook ad system that booked nearly $300,000. In two seasons he went from roughly $196,000 to $433,000, all while in full-time school.

If you have ever wondered whether you can figure entrepreneurship out with no head start, this one is your proof. Listen now.

Timestamped Highlights

02:38 – The “normal average kid” from a town of 8,000 who was sure he had life figured out
03:54 – The med-school path Matt was headed down before Student Works
04:39 – Two leads in three hours: the shaky first session that nearly shook his confidence
05:12 – The moment watching Caleb close deals made the business feel real
11:11 – The “ego death” that reset how Matt saw his own ceiling
12:07 – How Matt doubled his business to $433K by changing where he spent his time
13:19 – The ad-spend jump from $3K to $30K that booked nearly $300K
22:48 – Why Matt's eyeing a house down payment while most peers sit in $50K of debt
24:29 – The one piece of advice Matt gives anyone thinking about entrepreneurship

About the Guest

Matt Celeste is a fourth-year student at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton and a two-year operator with the Student Works Management Program, running window cleaning and interlock restoration. Discovered on campus with no prior ties to the business, he was named the program’s top rookie and went on to double his business from roughly $196,000 to $433,000 in his second season, finishing as the fifth-highest returning operator in the program. Known for his level head, dependability, and competitive edge, Matt is now focused on developing leaders on his team as he targets $600,000 next year.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Resources and Links Mentioned

Contractor Marketing Mastermind (John Cameron)
University of New Brunswick
Facebook Ads (Meta)

Important Links

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

476 | Amer Abu Shakra – How to Break the Dopamine Trap and Perform Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

What if the fastest way to level up isn’t adding more, but removing what’s quietly holding you back?

Chris Thomson hands the room to Amer Abu Shakra, StudentWorks record-breaker and co-founder of Contracting.com, for a rare orientation-style talk built entirely from his own story. From a childhood in Jordan to a $500,000 sales year, Amer traces how three lessons rebuilt him.

He gets honest about the year he wasted almost 40% of his time on his phone, the mentor who told him he wasn’t reliable, and the dopamine trap that quietly steals ambition. Then he shows the loop that turns it around: remove, keep your word, put others first.

If your team feels unreliable or your goals keep slipping, the problem might be what you refuse to remove. Listen now.

Timestamped Highlights

05:02 – The gap Amer spotted that turned a summer job into Contracting.com
05:27 – The “300 lifetimes” math that explains why a franchise is worth it
08:05 – A highway stop in Jordan that rewired how Amer sees fairness
09:26 – Lesson one: why improving your life is about what you remove
11:43 – From busboy to bank vault, and the income ceiling that made him leave
14:20 – “Successful people are reliable, and you are not”: the heart-to-heart that changed everything
19:04 – The rooftop meeting with Grant Cardone he got on 30 minutes’ notice
21:04 – The 40% of his time that was quietly killing his business
22:02 – The rat, the button, and what dopamine is really doing to you
29:33 – The accountability call that made keeping his word automatic
33:48 – The loop: remove, stay reliable, attract better people
43:39 – Eat last: the closing challenge on who you’re becoming

About the Guest

Amer Abu Shakra is the co-founder and CEO of Contracting.com, where he and co-founder Patrick help remodeling and home-service contractors build self-managing businesses, now serving around 700 members. A StudentWorks alumnus based in Toronto, Amer broke the program’s all-time sales record and profited over $200,000 in a single summer before finishing university at the University of Toronto. He now speaks, hosts a podcast, and coaches contractors on the systems and mindset behind durable growth.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Resources and Links Mentioned

Contracting.com (Amer’s company, formerly Tradark Consulting)
Grant Cardone
Alex Hormozi
David Goggins
Google Calendar
TD Bank

Important Links

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

475 | Best of: Sales Tenacity Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

What if the difference between quitting and a record-breaking season is just one more no?

Most people think sales is about confidence and the perfect pitch. The operators who last know it is really about stamina, consistency, and staying in the game long after everyone else walks away.

In this collage episode, Chris Thomson gathers the sharpest sales lessons from Amer Abu Shakra, Chris Caruso, Mark Cox, Esfar Sarker, Nikos Violetis, and Dave Hanley. You will hear how a $500,000 season comes down to counting nos, why hard work beats natural talent, and why no product sells itself.

Skip this one and you keep treating rejection as a stop sign instead of the input that compounds into results. Listen now.

Timestamped Highlights

00:00 – Mark Cox on why recruiters chase anyone with Student Works on their resume
02:14 – Amer Abu Shakra reveals the rule he enjoyed most: trust the power of input and breaks down the door-knocking math behind every booking
04:52 – The staggering number of nos Amer needed to build a $500K business
05:21 – Chris Caruso on the blunt reason he outsold everyone around him and why he threw away his balance and burned out chasing the record
06:22 – Mark Cox on the sales process IBM used that most companies still lack and on the one thing every company wants, because revenue fixes everything
08:52 – Esfar Sarker on the only real way to triple your business in a year
10:04 – Nikos Violetis on the hard truth that everyone lies, clients and workers alike
11:02 – Dave Hanley on the missing link that nearly sank a growing business and on why you can never learn sales from a book

About the Guests

Amer Abu Shakra – Co-founder and CEO of Contracting.com and the Student Works operator who broke the all-time sales record with a $500,000 season. | Episode 309: The Six Rules of Success that Helped me Break the All-Time Sales Record at Student Works

Chris Caruso – Owner, operations lead, and business coach at Student Works who broke the all-time window cleaning sales record with over $210,000 in a single season. | Episode 390: How to Break Records and Push Your Limits

Mark Cox – Founder of In the Funnel Sales Coaching and a Student Works alumnus who turned early door-to-door training into a career mastering professional sales. | Episode 394: How to Master Sales for Career Advancement

Esfar Sarker – Student Works operator who was rejected from the program, came back, and booked over $100,000 by March while learning to beat rejection. | Episode 412: How to Overcome Rejection and Succeed in Business

Nikos Violetis – Western University student, Student Works operator, and owner of NVWC Home Maintenance, known for building high-trust client relationships and handling rejection like a pro. | Episode 414: How To Overcome Self-Doubt As A Student Leader

Dave Hanley – Serial entrepreneur and Student Works alumnus who co-founded Risk Control Technologies and AdvertiseCast (acquired by Libsyn for $30 million), was founding VP of business development at Insurance Systems, and wrote The Delusional Founder. | Episode 433: How to Leverage Sales Skills for Entrepreneurial Success

Important Links

Connect with Chris: Website | LinkedIn
Learn more about the Student Works Management Program
Apply to be an Owner / Operator in the Management Program
Looking for a fun job this summer? Summer Job Opportunities
Hear more Alumni Success Stories

The Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast is an original production by Chris Thomson. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

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About the Guest

Resources and Links Mentioned

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About the Guest

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About the Guests

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Timestamped Highlights

00:00 – Chris O'Rourke sets the frame: real leadership is accomplishing great things through people, not as an individual

01:12 – Alex Irvine on the shift that let him grow, letting go and bringing in people who do what he should not

02:45 – What hands-off actually looks like once the systems hold and the business runs itself

03:02 – Colby Wilson on making a $250K target real by breaking it into what you sell every week

04:00 – Why Colby stopped trying to hit the number alone and built a team that owned it with him

04:43 – Kaleb O'Very on always be recruiting, and the two hires that drove almost 300% growth

06:44 – Jamie Lee Bongard on moving from knocking doors to leading, adding 61 agents without working full tilt

08:15 – Chris O'Rourke on the tools and role clarity that let you lead through people at scale

About the Guests

Important Links

Timestamped Highlights

About the Guest

Resources and Links Mentioned

Important Links

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About the Guest

Resources and Links Mentioned

Important Links

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About the Guests

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