Businessinsights's Podcast

Please Join me for my conversation with David Elliott, owner of Elliott Insurance Services in downtown Port Hope. David shares the story behind joining the family business, what he really learned while completing his MBA, what consumers should consider when purchasing insurance and selecting a broker & why generations of staff have proven to be their competitive edge. 

for my conversation with Robert Keyes, retired business owner. Rob has over forty years of management and marketing experience in consumer, commercial and industrial businesses. His successes as an employee provided him the opportunity to purchase the business he worked for, which Robert sold years later, after successfully turning the company around.

Please listen into my conversation with Lucy Hillman, owner of Raw Animal Diet Inc. RAW 101 in downtown Cobourg. Lucy's efforts to troubleshoot her dog's health issues lead her to creating her own raw dog food. After great results, Lucy shared the product with friends & began to attract customers, eventually launching a home-based raw dog food business. Fast forward & the business now operates from a retail location in downtown Cobourg, with plans for more expansion. Lucy's story is a must-listen for anyone interested in starting or growing a small business, and of course, also features lots of great advice for dog lovers.

Luke is an Illustrator by training, and graphic designer by trade. Luke has recently transitioned into the world of landscape painting. He draws inspiration from the varied landscapes both natural and artificial in his home region of Northumberland County. Luke’s expressive brushwork captures the fleeting light and movement of everyday scenes we might otherwise take for granted. This episode will be of interest to anyone who is looking for a career or attending higher education in graphic design or art. 

This week’s guest is David Tsubouchi, author & former Solicitor-General of Ontario. David and I discuss growing up as Japanese-Canadian & his family's experience with internment camps, his introduction to business & politics, why he feels volunteering is important and his tips to assembling effective Boards of Directors. David's storied career has included time as a lawyer, city councillor and Member of Provincial Parliament, including serving as Ontario's Solicitor-General. David has also sat on many high-level business & non-profit Boards. David's story is outlined in his book, ‘Gambatte' is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.ca/Gambatte-Generations-Per…/…/1770411313.

This week’s guest is Mike Barry, co-owner of Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning. Mike was working at a local gas company after college when an opportunity for a new role opened. The opportunity led Mike to discover his passion for sales. Mike's sales acumen and ambitious nature took his work all over Canada, eventually inspiring him to start his own heating and cooling business in Cobourg. Mike's story is a great listen not just for homeowners seeking advice about his expertise, but to entrepreneurs who are interested in starting or growing a business.

My Guest this week is David Smith, Owner of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors Quinte-Hastings-Northumberland.  David spent much of his career with Home Hardware, starting as a teenager at the Port Hope store and working his way up to a corporate job at head office. David also owned a Home Hardware in Brooklin, Ontario, which he eventually sold to open his Pillar to Post franchise.  This is an enlightening conversation that would be of interest not just to prospective & existing homeowners, but to anyone interested in exploring entrepreneurship through a franchise model.

Please join me this week for my guest Adrian Szamreta, owner of Old Smoke Clothing Co. After high school, Adrian was awarded a baseball scholarship which led him to upstate New York to pursue his studies. Just down the road from where he went to school was the famous horse racing track, Saratoga Race Course and this is when Adrian fell in love with horse racing. It wasn’t until years later when contemplating a career change that Adrian discovered that there was a huge gap in the market for horse racing apparel. After several conversations with a good friend of his he decided to take the plunge and start his own clothing company. This episode will be of interest to anyone who is looking to start an e-commerce business and really emphasizes the importance of finding your niche. In a short period of time Adrian and his business partner have experience great success. Episode 28: Adrian Szamreta

I’d like to introduce my guest this week, Summer Bellamy, Ambassador with Rodan + Fields, a global leader in the skincare industry.  Summer took an alternative path, opting not to attend college or university after high school, instead finding a passion for the hospitality industry. Her career growth lead to a transition to working with a high-end women’s club, where she really began to investigate & develop her entrepreneurial spirit. We also learn how Summer’s desire to find a good balance between work, family & self lead her to her current success in business. Episode 27: Summer Bellamy  

I would like to introduce my guest this week, Thalita Murray, owner of The Learner Observer. She is an interior designer, blogger & influencer. Join us for our conversation to hear how Thalita turned blogging as a creative outlet into a business. Hear how buying a home & moving to Cobourg took her influencing to the next level. Thalita also offers great advice to families who want a kid-friendly & stylish home. This is a great episode for anyone interested in blogging, interior design & e-commerce. Episode 26: Thalita Murray

I would like to introduce my guest this week, Nicole Beatty Nic Bea. She is the owner of NicBea & Co. Nicole is a great example of someone who turned her passions into a career. She moved back to Cobourg 6 years ago to create an advisory business for not-for-profits. Nicole has had a large impact in our community helping charities and not-for-profits develop and excel. Episode 25: Nicole Beatty

My guest in this episode is Anna Mastin, owner of Anna Mastin – Vocalist and Teacher.  Anna has a Bachelor of Music in Jazz performance from the University of Toronto. She was the only signer accepted to this prestigious program in 2002. Anna is currently a faculty member at Metalworks Institute in Mississauga and has her own recording/teaching studio at her home in Cobourg. She teaches private lessons, classes and workshops at all levels. Anna and I had a great conversation about her career path, and we were able to learn a ton about this profession. I hope you enjoy! www.annamastin.com Episode 24: Anna Mastin

My guest this week is Bill Bickle, owner of Fordelm, a business consulting firm. Bill has an interesting path. He was a career employee at RBC, moving up the corporate ladder while building his knowledge & skills, eventually leading him to starting his own consulting firm. Bill specializes in helping businesses & organisations ‘get healthy’ and shares valuable advice that should not just resonate with business owners, but assist with the professional development of employees & volunteers as well. https://fordelm.com/ Hope you enjoy the show! Episode 23: Bill Bickle

Please join me for to my conversation with Oliver Steins, Owner of Ganaraska Art & Framing. In this episode of Business Insights, we get to know Oliver both professionally and personally. We start with his journey in school and early career, then his eventual migration out to Northumberland County where he started a new chapter in his life, raising a family and ultimately becoming a business owner. Oliver also opens up about his recent struggle with ALS and what that means for him & what he has done to make sure his business continues. I hope you enjoy the show! Episode 22: Oliver Steins

This week I had the opportunity to interview MuchMusic Hall of Famer Rob Quartly. We talked about how a weekend at the Montreal Grand Prix led to a career in film making. Rob also discusses how he found himself at the birth of music videos and the impact this had on his path. Rob’s current project is Grief Stories (www.griefstories.org). “Helping grief make sense one story at a time.” Episode 21: Rob Quartly

Heather Norris is the Executive Director of the Northumberland United Way. Heather discusses her career before getting into non-profit work, her move to Northumberland, working with Cornerstone & the Hospital Foundation, her growth into leadership at the United Way and her overall impressions of charity & non-profit work in this community. Episode 20: Heather Norris

Todd is the owner and founder of Different Matters. Todd is a strategic Coach who has worked with many companies to help integrate positive change in their organizations. Please check out his website https://differentmatters.com/ Episode 19: Todd Attridge

Matthew is the retired owner of Acero Stainless. I particularly like this episode as Matt discussed his journey from musician to owner and operator of a steel fabrication company. Matt demonstrates how perseverance and attention to detail proved essential in his success. He also high-lighted how he was able to redefine his path several different times. Episode 18: Matthew Clayton

In this episode of business insights with John Racine my guest Kathryn Harrison and I discuss her journey to becoming an author, illustrator and publisher. Kathryn Harrison is author of Weeds in Nana’s Garden, I Smile for Grandpa and owner of Flipturn Publishing. Kathryn takes us on a journey from completing her undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, her MBA at DeGroote School of Business – McMaster University, pursuing a career in advertising and marketing to subsequently exploring the artistic world, earning a diploma of fine art at the Toronto School of Art. Episode 17: Kathryn Harrison

In this episode of business insights with John Racine my guest Bob Clark and I discuss urban and rural planning. Bob is the owner of Clark Consulting Services in downtown Port Hope with over 40 years experience in his field and is a leader in the field of Agricultural planning in Ontario. During this interview we discussed how Bob excelled in his field and subsequently decided to start his own consulting business. Episode 16: Bob Clark