Leaders Of Tomorrow Podcast

Latest Episodes:

150 | Mo Fathelbab | How to Leverage Masterminds to Build Powerful and Meaningful Relationships Jun 23, 2020

Show notes

In today’s show, Chris interviews Mo Fathelbab, first Executive Director, Young Entrepreneur’s Organization, President, Forum Resources Network, and Co-Founder, HBS Alumni Forums.

This show starts with Mo recalling how his association with Young Entrepreneur’s Organization started back in 1989. Mo’s path crossed with Verne Harnish, the founder of EO (formerly YEO) when he was a student at the University of Maryland. Impressed with Verne’s vision, Mo signed up on the dotted line.

This kickstarted a long and fruitful journey for Mo where he got the opportunity to meet some incredible people and visit some incredible places.

This first segment of the show is particularly interesting as you will get to learn how, over time, EO has managed to grow into a giant organization with a presence in over 40 countries.

In 1991, Mo shares how he caught on to the idea of holding forums or masterminds – which was a completely alien concept then. Mo shares how he managed to tremendously scale up this segment of YEO’s business.

Mo was so successful at doing so that in 1997, he decided to quit YEO to start Forum Resources Network.

Was it difficult for Mo to quite a stable, high-paying job to start his venture? Was it smooth sailing from the get-go? Apparently no. Mo had to face many hiccups in the first year of his operations. From mounting debt to staying in his parent’s basement, Mo reveals how he managed to overcome some of his biggest challenges.

Next, you will get some excellent insights into one of the central themes of today’s show – networking.

How can you assimilate a group of like-minded people who can truly connect on a deeper level? How can you find and communicate with people who are not afraid to reveal their authentic selves to you?

Particularly, we discuss why you should never shy away from displaying vulnerability in your relationships.

Other topics discussed in today’s show include how to build honest relationships, team building advice, increased collaboration in the wake of the coronavirus, and much, much more...

We hope you enjoy this show!

Resources

Mo Fathelbab

Entrepreneur’s Organization

Forum Resources Network

Student Works

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Chris’s Email

149 | Jordan Fietje | How to Strategize, Pivot and Maintain the Forward Momentum Jun 19, 2020

Show notes

In today’s show, Chris interviews marketing entrepreneur and Private Equity Investor, Jordan Fietje.

Even as a teenager, Jordan was a hard-worker and a perfectionist. However, he was frustrated with his shyness and his lack of confidence. Jordan shares how joining Student Works helped him overcome his shyness. Apart from cold-calling prospects, Jordan learned a whole range of business skills – from hiring new employees to project management to marketing.

Right after Student Works, Jordan was fortuitous enough to be hired by the Canada Bread Company. The fact that this was a small and relatively unsophisticated organization worked in Jordan’s favor as he got the opportunity to pick up a range of different skill-sets early on in his career.

Especially, as Manager, Insights and Innovations, Jordan got an opportunity to conduct market research, and then launch new and path-breaking products. In his tenure, Jordan got the chance to launch niche products like flatbreads targeting the middle-eastern crowd, and low carb-bread for the health-conscious. In this segment of the show, listeners will learn why working at a smaller organization is the best way to jumpstart your career.

After Canada Bread Company, Jordan got a chance to work at the iconic Kraft Foods. This was a starkly different experience as Jordan had far greater resources at his disposal. In this segment of the show, Jordan talks at length of the different marketing campaigns that he ran at Kraft. Specifically, you will learn why it is important to push the envelope when it comes to marketing. Jordan shares how his strategy to hire a small agency brought in some fresh perspectives and paid off big time in the long run.

After this amazing experience, Jordan decided to pivot and work in the printing sector as President, Thistle Printing Limited. After working as a field expert for all these years, this was a different experience for Jordan as he had to work in a hands-off manner and be an “expert on people”. If you have promoted to a managerial position, and are finding it difficult to handle your new responsibilities, this segment of the show will be particularly interesting to you.

Other topics discussed in today’s show include the importance of continuous learning, pros and cons of entrepreneurship, a peek into the world of angel investing, cultivating unshakeable values, and much, much more...

We hope you enjoy this show!

Resources

Joy at Work

Kolbe Academy

Student Works

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Chris’s Email

148 | John Morgan | How I am Planning to Achieve My 2020 Sales Goal of $750,000 Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

In today’s show, Chris interviews student works franchise owner, John Morgan. John has been with Student Works for six years now and has set the audacious goal of hitting revenues of $750,000 this year.

We start this show with John recalling his first year at Student Works. While his annual sales of $72,000 were not shabby at all, John was quite disappointed with his effort. He goes on to discuss how he could have done much better had it not been for his lack of integrity.

Here, we have an interesting discussion on sales strategy and why integrity and good intentions are at the core of a successful sales strategy. John attributes his amazing success to this mindset shift. Currently, John has already booked orders worth $290,000 has his eyes set on breaking the all-time Student Works record of $750,000 set by his good friend, Amer.

This pod is peppered with some interesting anecdotes and discussions guaranteed to keep you hooked.

John and Chris have an animated discussion on the merits of a formal education system. John shares why he chose to drop out of university inspite of doing really well as a student. His aim, he reveals, is not simply to get a degree – but to learn more about things that evoke his curiosity and help him develop his personality.

John also expresses his views on stoicism – an ancient Greek philosophy that is particularly relevant right now, in the wake of the pandemic. Stoicism teaches us to be indifferent to what we cannot control. John shares how he is implementing this philosophy in his business right now by ignoring all the negativity and looking for creative ways to maintain his momentum in the business.

We hope you enjoy this show!

Resources

Student Works

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Chris’s Email

147 | Steve Wolf | Secrets to Creating a Highly Effective Sales Playbook Jun 12, 2020

Show notes

In today’s show, Chris interviews Steve Wolf, Enterprise Sales Director, SmartAdvisor Growth Platform at SmartAsset.

Growing up in Waterloo, Steve graduated from Wilfrid Laurier. As a student, Steve shares that his biggest frustration was not being given opportunities due to his lack of experience. He goes on to reveal how his Student Works stint helping him unleash his untapped potential.

In this segment of the show, Steve also shares his THREE biggest takeaways from his Student Works Experience – namely, process, preparation, and levelheadedness.

After Student Works, Steve worked at Everyday Health, a digital media company that owns websites and produces content relating to health and wellness. This part of the show is particularly interesting as listeners will learn how digital platforms operate and generate revenue.

Steve’s current company, Smartasset is a personal finance technology company that provides advice to people on major financial decisions. As an enterprise sales director, Steve is responsible for communicating his organization’s value proposition and painting a picture of a long-term work relationship. Hearing Steve in this part of the show will make you realize that sales is an incredibly thoughtful and complex process.

This entire show is sprinkled with some excellent value nuggets. Some of the prominent topics discussed include setting correct expectations at your workplace, the conditional nature of the employee-employer relationship, and transitioning from student life to professional life.

We wrap up this show by sharing some key attributes that truly define a leader of tomorrow. Tune in for some excellent nuggets!

Resources:

Student Works

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Chris’s Email

146 | Joe Trodden | How to Overcome the Biggest Entrepreneurial Challenges with Mindset Coach Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

In today’s show, Chris interviews mindset coach, Joe Trodden.

Joe has had an interesting career path leading up to his current profession as a mindset coach. He studied law and then worked in the IT industry before pivoting again. In his current role, Joe helps out post-start-up and pre-sale organizations. In this first segment of the show, we discuss why it is important to experiment to discover what you are truly cut out for.

The next segment of the show is particularly interesting as Joe indulges in some introspection to reveal what makes him tick as a mindset coach. As a guy who loves structure and order, Joe serves as a foil for entrepreneurs who thrive in chaos. Here, Joe shares some of the most common challenges that entrepreneurs face in the initial stages. Some of the main topics discussed here include how to handle rejections, cultivating the art of selling, and much, much more.

We also talk quite a bit about the importance of finding well-meaning and suitable mentors who can help you scale up your business. How can you determine that a mentor is well-equipped to help you out? And, what is the correct way to approach a mentor?

Joe and Chris also discuss how founders end up being the biggest threat to a business when their egos go out of hand. Joe shares that instead of pandering to anyone’s ego, he simply avoids working with such entrepreneur’s altogether.

Other topics discussed in today’s show include cultivating self-awareness, how to be a true value creator, the importance of continuous learning, and much, much more...

Resources

Student Works

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Chris’s Email

145 | Steve Gruber | My Sales Playbook Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

In today’s show Chris interviews Steve Gruber, Founder, Venture Accelerator Partners. Steve provides sales, media, and social media services to organizations in niche segments.

We start this show with Steve recalling his life as a kid. Always entrepreneurial and driven, he credits his supportive family for setting him on the right path. However, like many of us, Steve was frustrated with his lack of clarity.

In the next segment of the show, Steve talks about this Student Works stint. Listeners will learn how Student Works can help you hone an entire gamut of skill-sets that lay the foundation for a successful career.

Particularly, Steve talks about how he learned to sell while at Student Works. Additionally, we discuss how a process-driven and scientific approach is necessary for consistent success. You will also learn why persistence is the key to success in sales. Can you expect to scale up your business if you are easily dissuaded by rejections?

After Student Works, Steve worked as an account manager for Ovum in Boston. Ovum was focused on developing new IT technologies for telecommunications companies like AT&T and Lucent. Here, Steve shares how the leaders had a flawed understanding of the market as they attempted to market technologies with no potential revenue streams.

Next, Steve evolved to working in sales at Ovum's European Division. Here, Steve draws some interesting parallels between American and European organizations. When the economy hit a rough patch, all the senior employees led from the front and chose to take 30% pay cuts in a bid to avoid firing junior employees. This segment of the show will particularly resonate with those grappling with the COVID crisis.

However, later Steve had a bittersweet experience as he was tasked with managing the company’s operations in Canada. Here, Steve shares how he, ironically got into trouble for being “too successful”.

“I never worked so hard for so little in my whole life”.

Currently, Steve manages Venture Accelerator Partners, a business that he started at the height of the financial crisis in 2006. From earning grossing just $35,000 revenues in his first year, Steve has certainly come a long way.

We hope you enjoy this show!

Resources

Steve Gruber

Venture Accelerator Partners

Student Works

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Chris’s Email

144 | Greg Thomas | Powerful Tips for Organizational Success Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

In today’s show Chris interviews Greg Thomas.

Our main topic for today’s show is Greg’s new book, “Code Your Way Up”. Greg, a former software developer shares the main premise and inspiration for his new book.

As folks with technical skills transition to managerial level positions, they encounter a separate set of challenges that they are often ill-equipped to deal with. And often the soft skills that are required to perform well at these higher positions are even more difficult to learn. So, what is the surest way of learning these new skills? Can you emulate someone who is already doing well, and expect to ease into your new role?

Additionally, once you are promoted to a new position, you will have to deal with teammates who are perhaps, unhappy with this development. You will learn how you can have effective one-on-ones with your teammates (and now your juniors) to assuage concerns.

In the next segment of the show, we discuss how to establish an organizational culture, tweak it, and make it better. How can you build a dream team of people who will get the job done? And how can you find new employees who have values that align with your best-performing employees?

If you are worried about the current situation and its impact on your career, you will be particularly interested in what Greg has to say. You will learn how the current virus outbreak can lead to newer and better opportunities.

Other topics discussed in today’s show include recognizing capabilities, why good leaders need to be good followers, the importance of continuous learning, and much, much more...

We hope you enjoy this show!

143 | Stefan Gyocsi | How My Student Works Experience Helped Me Land My Dream Job May 29, 2020

Show notes

In today’s show, Chris interviews Stefan Gyocsi, Territory Manager, Benjamin Moore & Co.

We start this show with Stefan recalling his life before Student Works. Ambitious and driven, Stefan, however, lacked clarity about his future plans. He shares that his inability to work to his full potential was his biggest frustration.

In the next segment of the show, Stefan shares how his Student Works stint helped shape his personality and lay the base for a successful career. In his first year at Student Works, Stefan shares that he learned some important lessons in delegation and project management.

Leveraging on this, Stefan shares how he drastically managed to scale up his painting business in years 2, 3, and 4. Here listeners will learn that while following systems and processes are necessary, it is also important to figure out what works for you – and then craft your unique way of doing things.

After Student Works, Stefan worked with a trucking company for 3 months but then decided to move on to better opportunities.

Currently, as a territory manager for Benjamin Moore, Stefan is in charge of 20 stores that generate revenues of $6 million. Here, he gives listeners a peek into his current role. Did Stefan’s Student Works experience help him land this dream job?

We wrap up this show by sharing some crucial attributes that truly define a leader of tomorrow. Topics discussed include developing an abundant mindset, learning to delegate, goal-setting and much, much more.

We hope you enjoy this show!

Resources:

Student Works

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Chris’s Email

142 | Jonathan George | How to Unleash Your Inner Rockstar May 26, 2020

Show notes

In today’s show, Chris interviews speaker, entrepreneur, and coach Jonathan George. Jonathan is the CEO of JG Entertainment and creator of Unleash Your Rockstar Movement.

We start this show with Jonathan recalling his early years. Being a gay, Jonathan struggled with his identity as a child. His father, a conservative pastor was particularly unsupportive of his orientation. Additionally, Jonathan shares how being a creative in a family of sportsmen worked against him.

In the year 2000, Jonathan got his first big break as a participant in the Next Big Star. He recalls how the producers pressurized him to hide his gay identity. At this critical juncture, when faced with this tough choice, what did Jonathan do?

Jonathan goes on to regale listeners with some interesting anecdotes from his entertainment career. As a coach, Jonathan mentors young singers, influencers and steers them in the right direction.

Grace Harper, one of Jonathan’s mentees had a particularly difficult start to her career. Her bad rendition of the national anthem as a 12-year old went viral and she was dubbed as the “worst national anthem singer ever”.

From this point onwards, Jonathan took her under his wings, and helped her hone her skills. Later when Grace went on to take part in American Idol, the organizers played her national anthem video. Instead of being flustered, Harper delivered a killer performance that became the most watched video of the year.

This inspiring anecdote highlights how revealing your flaws actually draws people towards us. While it is difficult to be honest about our shortcomings, sharing our story will only make people fall in love with us.

Topics discussed in today’s show include developing unshakeable confidence, building a powerful personal brand, and overcoming fear and achieving your dreams.

We hope you enjoy this show!

Resources

Jonathan’s Website

Student Works

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Chris’s Email

141 | Jeff Chu | The Path to Success Is Rarely Linear May 22, 2020

Show notes

In today’s show, Chris interviews Jeff Chu, Senior Manager, Customer Marketing, Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee. Apart from Mother Parkers, Jeff has worked in some of the world’s biggest FMCG organizations like Coca Cola, Campbell Soup, and Starbucks over the past decade and a half.

Jeff was ambitious and driven even at a young age. As a student, he managed to finish his program at Wilfrid Laurier one term early while working multiple odd jobs. He shares some fond memories of his student days in this early segment of the show and reveals how the relationships he built here have helped him throughout his professional career. 

At Student Works, Jeff learned a whole gamut of skills ranging from interviewing to setting up systems and processes. 

This experience of his helped him get hired as an account executive at P&G where he worked for 3 years. In year 3, Jeff decided to try his hand at entrepreneurship. And he, in partnership with his sister, set up a wedding invitation business. After six months, Jeff decided to veer back to the same confounds of the corporate world as a National Account Executive with Coca Cola. 

After Coke, Jeff got hired as a senior manager, sales planning for another iconic organization, Starbucks. This segment of the show is particularly interesting as Jeff gives listeners a “peek” into the work culture and organizational practices at Starbucks.  In his last year at Starbucks, Jeff decided to work on the operational side as a district manager. Here, he reveals the lengths at which Starbucks goes to gives its customers the best possible customer experience.

A former Starbucks executive poached Jeff for a short and admittedly cushy stint at Campbell Soup.  Hearing Jeff’s story will make listeners realize that the path to success is not a linear one. Taking calculated risks and venturing into the unknown is a must if you wish to progress at a faster clip.

We wrap this show by sharing some critical attributes that truly define a leader of tomorrow. Topics discussed include adopting an inspirational leadership style, using a collaborative approach, the importance of continuous learning and humility. 

 We hope you enjoy this show!

Resources

Weekly Coaching Conversations

Student Works 

Chris Thomson LinkedIn