Amplify Your Business

Amplify Your Business: Their Grains, Our Gain

For Episode 119  of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by Marc Wandler of Susgrainable—an ethical food company that straddles the line between friendly bakers and mad scientists.
 
The problem of beer waste doesn’t begin with finding a place to recycle cans and bottles. Every day, 450 tonnes of spent grain is generated by Canadian craft breweries alone, creating costly barriers for both consumers and brewers who want to live ethically. What better way of solving two problems at once than by converting “waste” into nutrition? Susgrainable has created a solution for everyone, and we couldn’t be more excited to have them on the show to share the process and story.
To learn more about their sustainable mixes, visit them online!
 
0:00 - Intro
0:36 - What is Susgrainable?
2:19 - How Marc gets spent grains
5:30 - The business model of Susgrainable
7:24 - Finding the right marketing mix
11:03 - Perfecting the recipe
13:28 - The challenges of starting up in an unfamiliar space
16:32 - Finding the right investors
19:27 - Opening a new facility 
20:19 - The keys to success (so far)
25:54 - Improving performance
28:27 - Outro

Amplify Your Business: Growing Protein

For Episode 118 of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by Jamie Draves, President and CEO of Quinta Quinoa—an all-Canadian quinoa producer whose benefits are as shocking as their story.From health challenges came an important discovery—that quinoa has the potential to stave off even life-threatening conditions for some Canadians. Draves then took his life-affirming attitude to an even further conclusion by establishing a country-wide program for growing, packaging, and delivering local nutrition like no one has experienced before.
 
0:00 - Intro
1:06 - The backstory of Quinta Quinoa
2:25 - Why is quinoa so healthy?
6:47 - Growing the seeds of Quinta Quinoa
10:02 - How do you make a tasty quinoa?
11:54 - The challenges of the quinoa business
15:52 - Planning for the future (of quinoa)
21:17 - Balancing brick-and-mortar and online sales
25:45 - Outro

Amplify Your Business: Bigger Tables, Smaller Fences

For Episode 117  of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by Dan Flatt of Naborino—a synthesis of e-commerce, social media, and hyper-local communications.
As the first few months of the pandemic made life feel smaller (sometimes down to the size of a single room), the connections we kept were made all the more important. By leveraging that feeling of local connection, Flatt’s team is developing a multi-utility application that allows group buys on products and services, meaning more local goods (and memories) for less cost. What’s not to love?
To learn more about Naborino’s development, visit them online!
 
0:00 - Intro
0:49 - What is Naborino?
3:58 - Building communities
6:38 - Growing two sides of the same business
14:03 - Building the minimum viable product
19:30 - Operating in two markets at once
26:26 - Get in touch with Naborino

Amplify Your Business: Managing Expectations

For Episode 116 of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by Salim Dharssi of Managemate—a comprehensive tool for turning everyday condo board owners into high-powered decision makers. There is no shortage of project management tools out there, but Managemate finds a niche where few others go. Inside today’s episode is a success story about listening to an underserved market and setting out to create the best tool possible. And isn’t that just the heart of entrepreneurship?To learn more about Managemate and to schedule your demo, visit them online!
 
0:00 - Intro0:37 - What is Managemate?2:22 - What sets Managemate apart?5:16 - Discovering a unique opportunity6:56 - Starting an entrepreneurial fire9:24 - How hands on is Salim?11:25 - Building a business off the side of your desk13:21 - Learning to take risks19:52 - Getting to the next stage23:14 - Setting the right priorities24:46 - Overcoming marketing challenges

Amplify Your Business: Generating Electric Personalities

For Episode 115 of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by Lindsay White of High Voltage Leadership. If she is magnetic over the phone, just wait until you see how she activates, empowers, and ultimately inspires leaders to be the resource their team needs the most. HR might be a dirty word to many, but as Lindsay shows, a people-focused strategy can still be about your business as a whole.
 
To learn more and to start activating your people, visit High Voltage Leadership online!
 
0:00 - Intro
0:46 - About High Voltage Leadership
3:45 - What it means to be a People Operations Expert
5:45 - The secrets to becoming a High Voltage Leader
7:21 - Navigating leadership development
11:32 - Executing on HR improvements
13:34 - The Positive Intelligence Program
16:05 - A strategic approach to training

Amplify Your Business: Cool Treats in the Dragon’s Den

For Episode 114 of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by Leila Keshavjee of Happy Pops—an all-natural alternative to unhealthy treats. She is here today to show us that when you take the familiar flavours and joys of Canada’s favourite snacks and amplify the best and most inclusive parts, the sky is the limit.
 
For more information and to view our full archive of past episodes, visit amplifyyourbusiness.ca!

Amplify Your Business: Simulating the Unimaginable

For Episode 113 of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by B. McKay Byam of SimTech MD—a company that is using virtual reality to transform the everyday experiences of medical patients, students, and professionals. After all, when you can’t afford to fail in a high-risk environment like healthcare, how else can you safely provide world-class training than in a virtual setting? McKay walks us today through the points of leverage, interest, and challenge for this new type of business.

Amplify Your Business: Food - Down To The Nud

For this episode of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by Julia Kirouac of nud fud inc—a forward-thinking raw snack company that takes the simple into the sublime. At a time of health consciousness where we are more conscious than ever of our nutritional intake, does flavour need to be made second (or third) priority? Julia shows us a way out of the kitchen and back to healthy living.