This week’s guests are Swish Goswami, and Aanikh KlerSwish Goswami, 24, is the CEO of Surf, a tech company providing brands a better way to engage and understand consumers while compensating consumers for their data. Surf’s brand division provides high fidelity data and commerce enablement opportunities to some of the world’s biggest brands like Netflix, NBA, Sony Music, etc. Swish has given three TEDx talks, has a book coming out this year on youth entrepreneurship, and has set up an angel fund called AGEX Capital. Aanikh Kler is Cofounder and COO of Surf. Aanikh got his start in entrepreneurship at the age of 13 when he created his first business and social venture - UndrTheRadr (UTR). This involved a neuroscience-based ringtone where each consumer download included a charitable donation. Aanikh became one of the youngest app developers in the world to have had a top 3 app. Selected as a National Youth Ambassador for The Next Big Thing Foundation, Aanikh has used the power of public speaking and media to reach millions of people with the message of overcoming challenges and making a difference in the world. Aanikh is a proud recipient of Canada's Top 20 Under 20 Award, a delegate representing Canada at the 2016 G20 YEA Summit, and a member of Adweek's GenZEO Council.Enjoy the episode!---SHOW OUR SPONSOR SOME LOVEMeridian » meridiancu.ca/personalCONNECT WITH THE STARTUP GAMBIT PODCASTInstagram » instagram.com/thestartupgambit/📧 EMAIL US » thestartupgambitpodcast@gmail.com ✨ CONNECT WITH HASTE AND HUSTLEINSTAGRAM » instagram.com/hasteandhustle/FACEBOOK » facebook.com/hasteandhustleTWITTER » twitter.com/HasteandHustleTIKTOK » tiktok.com/@hasteandhustle?✨ KEEP IN TOUCH WITH SHAUNA:INSTAGRAM » Instagram.com/shaunaarnottFACEBOOK » Facebook.com/shauna.arnotttuypTWITTER » Twitter.com/Shaunaclaire✨ KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DEVON:INSTAGRAM » Instagram.com/visualdevon/FACEBOOK » facebook.com/devon.codringtonTWITTER » twitter.com/devoncodrington

This week’s guest is Lynn Smith. Lynn has spent 20 years in journalism covering stories that matter; she's a national media expert and advisor to individuals and corporations alike helping them articulate their message in the media. Lynn pushes people to evaluate themselves, discover their own superpower and determine how to unleash and evoke impact in a room, on paper and of course on screen. This episode covers Lynn's career from starting as a page to being an anchor for CNN Headline News as well as how to discover the key to showing up in an authentic way. And when we say authentic we mean it. We cover the impact being authentic has and the actions you can take to be sure that you're remaining true to yourself.Lynns’ story and presentation is infectious and when the podcast is over you're going to want to know more about her and hear more. The good thing is you can head over to our concierge page or www.Lynnsmithtv.com  and get in touch with her.

This week on the Startup Gambit Podcast we're joined by Dan Spottsville, CEO and Co-Founder of Valynt Digital. Valynt is a digital marketing agency that uses data-driven marketing to help you find your audience and communicate directly with them. Dan’s been running digital campaigns for 12 years and by many is considered a "go to person" when it comes to raising capital using digital marketing for Reg A, Reg D, and Reg CF offerings.We talked to Dan about creating a strategy that can maximize the outputs of data-driven marketing. We also actually talk about the specific boxes that Dan checks when creating data driven campaigns. These details make the difference between a campaign you built by watching tutorials and one that activates (or creates) your full marketing funnel, retargets your ideal person and then converts. You're not going to listen to this episode and not come away having learned something about the power of data and how it's you're likely not leveraging it for your business needs. Listen to this episode and then share it with someone you know that uses this thing that we call the internet.

Season 2 of the Startup Gambit Podcast kicks off with Steve D Sims. Steve is known as The Wizard of Oz by some, procuring whatever experience or item you may need. If you want to visit the Titanic in a submarine, call Steve. If you want to party with celebrities call Steve. If you want to learn how to be an authentic person, you’ve got to do that yourself but watch Steve because he is a master of that. We chat about all the things above and more in this really fun inaugural episode of The Startup Gambit Season 2. We're so glad you're here, enjoy the episode and feel free to check Steve out at https://www.stevedsims.com/ We talk and laugh with Steve about:The power of ignorance – this is a great story, you’re in for a treat.Adaptability being an absolute necessity for entrepreneurs.The pressures of a startup or any endeavor changes as it matures.  Cheerleaders, Challengers and CrabsCheerleaders - support and cheer you on. Crabs - Goad you and criticize but they don't do anything themselvesChallengers - might laugh or ask you why you're doing what you're doing, but it's because they want you to go further. They will follow-up their laugh with advice.Recognize who you’re seeking advice from. Don't focus on your inadequacy, focus on your unicorn! Unicorn!Steve focused everything he had on making his clients happy. Listen to Steve talk about coordinating the Ferrari 50 Anniversary party. It's not to miss. [19:30] The downside of social media. We like to see the arguments and turmoil of others so we can relate to it, it’s a message that never gets old. [35:30] Building your network of people is about cultivating a relationship, not transactions. You've got to find ways to keep your relationships fresh. [40:58] There's never a bad time to reach out to someone whom you'd like to connect with. Something cool that Steve said:"If you want to stand out, first of all you have to stand up"

Paul Fitzgerald is the Founder & CEO of Salt & Pepper Media Inc a PR company specializing in press coverage for startups in Canada and the USA. which operates in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Diego. He’s also a columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine and a bunch of other business and tech publications. We talked to Paul about:Base strategies early stage businesses owners can employ to create a critical mass of good PR?What are some key ways to make a press release get the attention of the media?How to leverage the often forgotten local media as an effective means for marketingWhat are some of the current challenges facing the BIOPIC community in media representation and what can we do to shift that in a positive direction? Find your story, make it dynamic and unique Spend some time solidifying your story. Find what’s uniqueMassage the ideaConnect it to what’s topical. Run it by people you trust to be honest with you Don’t forget the local market. Getting on your local news radar can create a lot of buzz. Local news is a trusted source, and morning shows are always looking for positive stories to share. Pick up the phone.Most people don’t think about making a phone and connecting with those that can amplify your message.  Repurpose your digital content and push it across all platforms, use that to provide credibility when you’re connecting with news sources. Campaign highlight - are you creating jobs, are you funding.  Press Releases are still a thing depending on your business, a few well timed PR leading up to a launch or event can provide coverage to a lot of traditional news wires. Pro Tip: Don’t use technical language unless you’re writing for “rocketenginetoday.com”

This week’s guest on Emile Studham is Founder / Director of Performance by Design. Performance by Design empowers leaders and teams to focus on results provided through facilitated workshops and online training systems. Emile routinely facilitates corporate teams to achieve optimal performance, has helped countless sports franchises dismantle and eradicate poor performance and is more than comfortable speaking on stage to groups of thousands about getting active.Culture is the underpinning of your entire company.Major points for leadership:Ask questions. Ask more questions than you provide answers.Continuously think about how you want to be described and follow that up by deciding the behaviour you need to display.Be the one that gets the most feedback.Create an environment for others to perform.Invest in understanding yourself and what you stand for. Take a psychometric test.As a company leader, schedule regular time with your direct reports, find out what's going on in your company - Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks mystery shopped for 2 years Creating the “Culture Code” by Performance by Design Diagnostics - to determine:Why do we exist?What do we stand for?What are you going to reward as a team? As a team, you’ve got to reward, recognize and challenge each other with a focus on behaviour:Psychometric profiling provides an understanding of communication styles which we can then use to build strong relationshipsImplement review and maintenance of your Culture Code in your workflow.Have regular “Real Talk” sessionRead this book: No Rules Rules Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention - Reed HastingsSomething really cool that Emile said -“The buzz of building your business is really the buzz of watching your people grow.”  Something really cool that was said to Emile - “You’re in our way.”

This week’s guest on the Startup Gambit Podcast is George Khalife. George is a sales & marketing professional with a background in finance and the DNA of an entrepreneur. At 26 George became the youngest Vice President at the Toronto Stock Exchange; he opened up the Chicago office covering the Midwest, with the goal of helping U.S. companies go public in Canada. Previously George led the marketing & business development fintech owl.co and before that led business development for Sampford Advisors, Canada's #1 mid-market M&A firm. Currently, George hosts a top 200 entrepreneurial podcast called Let's Grab Coffee where he interviews successful leaders across different industries and has featured individuals like the Cofounders of Netflix & Starbucks to the Music Video Producer of Drake. Catch up with George at the links below:linkedin.com/in/georgekhalifegeorgekhalife.com@khalifestyle Let's Grab CoffeeWe talked with George about:Key actions a startup must take to prepare to raise capitalStages of fundingWhat sorts of questions should start up founders be asking when meeting with VC?What are the benefits of taking a company public and what are some strategies?Questions to think about when raising capital:Are you in the right sector?Are you targeting the right people? Know your operational numbers.What's the right amount to ask for?Consult someone with a Pitch book licence, get their advice on your raise?The realities after the raise are really important too:What’s your action plan after the raise?How do you spend that money?Is your startup flywheel designed?The stages of raising capital?Pre Seed / Bootstrapping /“Blood equity” /“Sweat equity”You’ve provided all the capital yourself, it comes from friends, family members, credit cards-whatever you can get. This could be as small as $5,000 and as high as $100,000. You’re creating your minimum viable product (MVP)Seed ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 and is often provided by angel investors, and is usually structured as convertible notes or common stock. You’re refining your product and the bet here focuses pretty heavily on the team. Series A - 2M to ~5M -The amounts will vary depending on the jurisdiction. This is the first round of institutional funding for a venture. The aim is to fund a year or two of operation and support growth. Late Stage Funding (B, C, D) - Each round may raise between $5 million and $20 million or more. Series C and D rounds typically come from VC firms and/or strategic/corporate investors. Questions a founder should ask her VCAre they comfortable with leading the funding round?Do they want board seats?Is there follow-on investing?The TSX Venture Exchange is mostly small-cap Canadian stocks with over 1,600 companies listed.Listing provides some cool advantages, shares can be leveraged for mergers & acquisitionsU.S. investors might be able to buy stocks in the TSXV directly through their broker or on U.S. exchanges as American Depository Receipts.Term you may not know:“Data room” your cloud based platform where you store company info.A cool thing George said: “Haste and Hustle brought the sexiness of entrepreneurship to Canada” - George KhalifGeorges favourite quote:“Don’t let other people’s opinion of you become your reality” - Les Brown

This episode of the Startup Gambit podcast we’re joined by Nesh Pillay. Nesh is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker and marketer. She is the founder of Press Pillay - a socially-conscious digital marketing agency based in Toronto. We talked with Nesh about PR and got into the details of essential PR strategies, the difference between marketing and PR and the frequently asked question of how to respond when you’re targeted online.Listen, let us know what you think.presspillay.comPersonal Website - neshpillay.meInstagram - @pillay.neshNesh shared her expertise on:The essential base PR strategies that early stage businesses owners can employ?The difference between marketing and PR?How to create proactive marketing and avoid being reactive?What to do when you are targeted online? The power and intent of PR - it can be socially-conscious.The importance of your reputation:It definitely precedes you, but as a new business owner PR, is the mechanism for creating your reputation when you don’t have oneThe difference between Marketing and PRDo you need a Press Release?The Grapevine MethodWhen pitching your story:Your story is the grape; the existing news cycle is the vine. What’s the stem?The stem connects your news to the vine and it’s what makes you relevant.“Existing isn’t news”.On the pressure to be responsive to controversial issues:Brands need to be authentic with their messaging. It's okay to say you don’t have the answers relating to a certain issue.

This episode of the Startup Gambit podcast is filled to the brim with entrepreneurship gold. Josh Law, CEO of Only Co. and Co Founder of Go Fast Don’t Die, communicates perspective on picking a business partner, the skills needed to be an effective CEO, how to quantify your relationships as assets, creating a community that reliably converts to customers and more. Enjoy the episode, check out the show notes, let us know what stuck out to you and don’t forget to “Risk Happy”.Josh's companies:https://www.theonlyco.com/https://www.instagram.com/theonlyco.gram/https://www.gofastdontdie.com/https://www.instagram.com/gofastdontdie/ We talked with Josh about: How small businesses can leverage creative marketing to make a disproportionate impactWhat brand elements are essential to every business and why?Picking a business partnerThe power of building a community for your existing and potential customersStaying aligned with your core values as you scale. What is the most important trait of a great CEO? On your brand ideology:Go Fast Don’t Die is “Exclusively Inclusive”. It's good to have a cultural enemy, but remember to tear down ideology not people. On finding a business partner:When you have a partner, decisions become discussions. Weight the value of having a partner against what it takes to work with one. The best way to know if you can work with someone is to work with them.Who you work with will eventually overcome what you work onPersonality types shouldn’t be overlooked, here’s some Josh and his team have used.myersbriggs.orgdiscpersonalitytesting.comenneagraminstitute.com On making time for creativity and the entrepreneurship cycles:Take time to flex the muscle of creativity and plan your next steps. Earlier this year Josh took a 2 month sabbatical to think and do nothing (it was hard lol). CEO traits:You can’t test as much when you’re small so when your business is small, CEO’s must think “What is your business model and who is my customer?”The business changes at different levels, often to get to higher levels, someone else gets it there.  As a CEO you need to know the right person/people to get you there. You’ll eventually have to let go of the things you’re good at, this can be hard. Laziness and patience are different things. Books!Lincoln the Unknown by Dale Carnegie Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike Focus on how you can risk being happy. You’ve got to be able to take on risk - that’s how the world changes.

This week we spoke with Erwin Szeto, entrepreneur, Real Estate investor, who at 22 already had 5 investment properties and was also coaching his fellow realtors. Erwin, is deliberate, calculated, knows his numbers and while becoming an “investor-prenuer” employed ingenious marketing to become Mr. Hamilton, galvanizing a city to trust him for investment advice. Listen for tactics on testing ideas to decide what's best for your business, using cash flow properly to grow your business, considering your social impact, crypto and motivation. Erwin Szetorockstarinnercircle.com/podcast/instagram.com/erwinszetomrhamilton.ca/Erwin talked about:Ways that entrepreneurs and new business owners can leverage their cash flow to help grow their businessThings to think about when making decisions - are you okay with the worst outcome?On the popular advice: “Follow your passion and you’ll never work a day in your life…” It’s not advice for everyone, you’re going to have to do what you don’t want to do in order to get the things you really wantHow much risk is too much risk?Roll your profits into something stable - with crypto that’s BTCBooks:The History of Money - Jack Weatherford Who Not How - Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin HardyardyErwin’s charity:Hamilton Basket BrigadeErwin’s key piece of advice for entrepreneurs:“Every entrepreneur needs enough motivation to succeed. Your reason for doing it, must be bigger than yourself.”

Episode four of the Startup Gambit Podcast is our conversation with our dear friend Britt Dixon, a digital creator and social media marketer, specializing in storytelling, video production and business branding. Britt has routinely been able to recognize gaps in the markets and create content that positions the brands she works with as the solution for the formerly vacant space. brittdixon.caConnect with Britt on all the socials!Facebook.com/brittdixonmediaInstagram.com/brittdixonmedia/Pinterest.com/BrittDixonMedia/Twitter.com/brittdixonmediaBritt is a niche finding pro, she discusses:The importance of finding an untapped marketHaving a plan and strategy for social media, but also for your business is key. You should know where you want to go. But always stop, take a look around and adjust for how things are changing around you then, merge your strategy with the changing world around you.Have a strong network when you are starting a business. Keep in touch, create a roster of people that you can count on.Building your reputation in your niche area before you start your business can go a long way to having your first customers stick with you.  Key questions we asked Britt: What are things that all businesses must do from the get go to grow?You have a specific niche.  Is that important for all businesses?How can business owners prioritize which social media platforms to use?What do you do when a campaign isn’t working?Can you outline 5 tactics to build social media following?Know your Niche - don’t try to be an expert in everythingKnow your customerMake sure your social media content provides value - be a source informationShow the human side of your business. Be authentic and let them see the person behind the brand.Use the features or platform that is providing the most exposure. Right now that’s IG Reels“Don’t overthink everything, sometimes what become really popular can surprise you.” - Britt Dixon

In our fourth episode, we got to chat with Jennifer “Jenergy” Striegel. Her nicknames include “Jane of Many Trades” and “Master of Dispute Resolution”. Jennifer shares how she got started in her journey, and how she has ended up pursuing conflict resolution in the marketplace as her purpose. In the mid- and post-covid climate, her role is especially important. In the course of our conversation, Jennifer touched on building a brand on a shoestring budget and bootstrapping some guerilla tactics to get awareness.  She discussed with us the details of her creative process. Here are the questions we grilled her with:What are some key strategies a business can utilize to build a brand with a lower budget?What are a few key things that if you had to spend money on you would?How do you build CSR into a business using a B-Corp structure from the outset?  How does that impact a brand and/or how can you leverage it?Is CSR a pillar of brand building?How do you keep CSR genuine? How do you keep CSR from coming across as marketing?Having worked in and built businesses on six of the seven continents, you’ve seen how location affects how businesses are built. What is one advantage to being in a big city? What’s an advantage of being in a small city or the country? What are some tools a business can use to access larger markets if they live in a rural area?What’s your number one takeaway for the listeners?

This week's guest is Robert Gauvreau, is an award-winning FCPA challenging the status quo within the accounting industry. Unsatisfied with the limitations of conventional accounting, Bob turned down a partnership with a global accounting firm for a life of entrepreneurship. His passion for helping entrepreneurs gain financial clarity and generate greater financial results led him to trade customary for creative, establishing a new kind of firm from the ground up.WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:Gauvreau & Associates on the 2020 fastest growing companies list Being clear on the numbers is a driving force for success. “If you want to get somewhere faster, follow in the footsteps of those that have done it before you. Dedicate a great deal of resources to learning and development.” - Bob GBob’s Key Tips for a good financial foundation for your business. Get yourself set up with an online accounting software. https://www.waveapps.com/ or https://quickbooks.intuit.com/ca/online/ Get your business structure established early onConsider sales tax and factor that into your business plan. Capital requirements can contribute to your HST capital.  Key takeaway > You’re not the only one. Accounting errors happen to everyone. The Gauvre Facebook Group is a wealth of information. Tap into that gem of knowledge today.Dealing with uncertainty:  Survival - resources to stay alive in a crisis. How long can we survive in a crisis? Here’s how:Accept deposits for future workbe open to all forms of paymentMake use of business loansAdaption - Adapt your business model if you need to. Reexamine your fixed costs and your cost for delivering your product or service and see if you can adjust things to squeeze out more profits. Find your break even number. The build your operations to make sure that that number is hit when it needs to be hit. Growth isn’t that important if your financial model is broken.Get ready for future growth - Crisis will force a lot of people out. This is when your cash reserve comes in handy, pounce on opportunity.Major Canadian resources you should take advantage of in the pandemic.BC Bank Business LoanWage subsidy - https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/subsidy/emergency-wage-subsidy.htmlCanada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) - https://ceba-cuec.caThe CEBA program provides interest-free loans of up to $60,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits.Repaying the balance of the loan on or before December 31, 2022 will result in loan forgiveness of 33 percent (up to $20,000). Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) - https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/subsidy/emergency-rent-subsidy.htmlCanadian businesses, non-profit organizations, or charities who have seen a drop in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of their commercial rent or property expenses, starting on September 27, 2020, until October 23, 2021. Bob’s key takeaway:“If you are a business owner, whatever stage you're at whether you're just starting out or whether you're already financially successful and you're wanting to go to the next level, the best way to get to the next level is to find the people and work with the people who've done it or have done it with other people.”Key people that Bob has worked with Tony Robbins - https://www.tonyrobbins.comKieth J Cunningham - https://keystothevault.comJay Abraham - https://www.abraham.com

Our first guest is Espree Devora “the girl who gets it done” A prolific podcaster since 2013, Espree is not just a founding member of the Audio collective, the hybrid live-audio creator community, she’s also a force in the LA tech scene. Host of multiple podcasts, moderator for more than five audio rooms, and one of the first Clubhouse icon faces, Espree has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Harper’s Bazaar, Inc and more. She knows the power of audio after completing over 1000 podcasts and speaking at everything from SXSW to USC, Red Bull to CBS.  All this is probably why people refer to her as the (and I quote) the ‘girl who gets it done’. Espree says she’s more interested in heart and integrity, not job titles. WeAreLATech and Women in Tech WeAreLATech.fm and womenintech.fm www.EspreeDevora.com Find Espree n all socials at:@espreedevora@womenintechshow@wearelatech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/espree/THE STARTUP GAMBIT PODCASTSHOW OUR SPONSOR SOME LOVEMeridian » https://www.meridiancu.ca/personalInstagram » https://www.instagram.com/thestartupgambit/📧 EMAIL US » thestartupgambitpodcast@gmail.com ✨ CONNECT WITH HASTE AND HUSTLEINSTAGRAM » https://www.instagram.com/hasteandhustle/FACEBOOK » https://www.facebook.com/hasteandhustleTWITTER » https://twitter.com/HasteandHustleTIKTOK » https://www.tiktok.com/@hasteandhustle?✨ KEEP IN TOUCH WITH SHAUNA:INSTAGRAM » https://www.instagram.com/shaunaarnott/FACEBOOK » https://www.facebook.com/shauna.arnotttuypTWITTER » https://twitter.com/Shaunaclaire✨ KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DEVON:INSTAGRAM » https://www.instagram.com/visualdevon/FACEBOOK » https://www.facebook.com/devon.codringtonTWITTER » https://twitter.com/devoncodringtonWhat to listen for:“Don't be afraid to promote yourself”BooksJames clear atomic habits, Staying organizedhttps://calendly.comhttps://www.pneumatic.apphttps://www.mindmeister.comhttps://workflowy.comAudio editinghttps://www.usehatch.fmhttps://www.swellpodcasting.comhttps://bouncecast.appVideo editinghttps://www.videomako.comPromotionhttps://www.headliner.appVideo recordingwww.Zoom.comhttps://squadcast.fmMarketinghttps://www.handwrytten.comhttps://www.referomatic.fmhttps://latelysocial.comBuilding your podcast websiteshttps://spore.build