You Can Do That Here

Jeff saw the light when it came to building his own new home. He wanted his home to reflect his environmental sustainability values. The first step was moving to a warmer climate in BC from Saskatchewan. Phase two involved tireless research and building of his own efficient home. While we would all like to have efficient, green homes, many of us are scare off from the build or the renovation based on the perceived high cost of going green. As Jeff explains in this episode, the big, sexy silver bullets are not the best way to spend your home efficiency dollars. Have a listen and hear the top two things you can do to build efficiently without spending the big bucks.

Water. It's at the very core of life itself. We need it to sustain our bodies, minds and environment. Wildlife needs it, and our City is obligated to both deliver clean water to our doors and take away our dirty water on the way out. It's safe to say we can't live without it, and working with it as a City can be both expensive and challenging to the local environment. What if there was a way to clean up our water, create healthy habitat for ourselves and wildlife, and reduce the City's cost to manage our water as well? Rachel Roussin and Eva Cameron of Rossland took up that challenge. What started as a weekend workshop became a beautiful pilot project on what can be done to better manage the water in our City environment. Using energy, passion and a grant these two citizens pulled off a great project all on their own. Learn how they did it and how you can too.

Broadband, Fibre, High Speed Internet. Whatever you call it, it is to the present and future economy what roads, rail and power were to the industries of the past. In the past, the Kootenay region could not have flourished if they didn't have the roads to get the gold, silver and timber out. Just the same, the economies of today and tomorrow cannot flourish if we can't get data in and out of the region. Following the great recession it was Roosevelt who started the often imitated economic development stimulus of building roads and infrastructure required to get the economy moving. As recently as the great economic crash of 2008 onward we saw vast billions of dollars going into roads and bridges. Those in the know however understand that to stimulate the economy going forward that money could be better spent installing data highways of fibre optic networks throughout the region. Dan Salekin knows this better than most. He has been involved in greater than a dozen IT start-ups, including the raising of a billi

The exit.  It’s the dream that every tech entrepreneur dreams of. That magical day where someone decides that idea you’ve come up with, nurtured and grown is worth something to them, and they write a fat cheque to buy it from you. Whether selling the next big thing to Google for billions of dollars or simply selling your shares for a decent profit, the Exit is what we’re all working towards. Few businesses survive however and even less have that big exit. What does it take to get there? Once you get there how do you execute and sell that business? Brian Fry of Rossland, BC has launched, run and sold several big tech companies throughout his career. In Part one we learned how he transformed from a downhill ski racer to a tech entrepreneur, from selling computers to fellow students in the 80’s to building the largest cloud provider in the nation. In Part two we look at the second half of the picture, selling the businesses he worked hard to help create. I sat down with Brian at his home office in Rossland, BC t

Go faster. Look ahead. Visualize yourself on the podium and get to the finish line as fast as possible. All of these pieces of advice are perfect for the ski racer standing in the start gate of a gnarly downhill course. They could also be the personal mantra of an entrepreneur seeking to stay at the forefront of technology and dominate a new sector. Brian Fry played both of those parts at various times in his life. Starting out as a downhill racing Crazy Canuck from Rossland, BC, injuries lead him to seek out a new field. The trend of going faster continued as he shifted into the technology industry. From selling computers to fellow students in the mid 80’s, Brian went on to co-found the largest cloud provider in Canada. In this episode we’ll hear his tale from start gates to Bill Gates, and how a couple of guys launched the biggest cloud network in the country.

Investors. They are the beings out there amongst us that with the wave of a wand and the signing of a cheque have the magical ability to help turn ideas into companies, and companies into even bigger companies, when everything comes together. One of the biggest most challenging questions in the business world, is "How the heck do I find my perfect investor?" and "When I find them, how do I convince them to write me a big fat cheque? The simple answer is often a lot of hard work, trying, failing, learning, and trying again until you match the perfect pitch with the perfect investor. That's not always the case though. Jim Firstbrook and Dave Macleod of Thoughtexchange have been running a tech company out of the Kootenays for a number of years now, and have done so successfully. With millions of dollars in revenue and a broad base of clients for their software things look to be going very well. No true entrepreneur is ever happy to settle though, and so Jim and Dave made some critical changes at the company, an

Technology. It’s everywhere, and in every part of our lives these days. As much as reading and writing it’s becoming a critical part of our education system. As much as natural resources and tourism it’s becoming a critical and growing part of our economy. But can a thriving technology sector and economy really take hold in the wilds of the West Kootenay? If so, how do you get it started and accelerate it forward? Just like with any sector, a key piece to growing a thriving community is getting people together of like mind and passion to share ideas, thoughts, projects and more. In an industry like technology where the need to actually get together with other humans is perhaps less than most others, actually getting real people together in a physical space together can be a challenge.   Brad Pommen has taken up that challenge. Moving to Nelson several years ago, he was keen to get to know the people and culture in the area, as well as find other tech-geeks like himself. With an aim to find new work and friend

Lawyers. They are the butt of many jokes, often considered expensive, and not typically an aspect of people’s business or lives that they enjoy working with. On the other hand, law touches every aspect of our lives from marriage to death and everything in between, including the businesses we launch and run. Indeed the perception of lawyers being expensive may well be incorrect, and rather a good lawyer will save many hours of heartache and grief as well as money if used wisely. Yes a good lawyer will help set that foundation for your business, put in place the rules that keep you and your partners happy and functioning well, or separating cleanly if that’s the case. So is that lawyer expensive, or is it perhaps the best money you’ve ever spent as an entrepreneur? Leon Pigott of Pigott &Co. in Nelson BC is a strong example of the type of lawyer that can be that wise investment of your early startup cash. As an entrepreneur himself, having been lured in by Nelson’s lifestyle siren song from bigger centers,

What were you doing when you were 8 years old? Probably going to school, and playing with your friends I would imagine. How about at 13? More of the same perhaps? Maybe having the first idea of wanting to get a job? In your teenage years you were free of responsibility for the most part. You didn’t have a mortgage to pay, you didn’t have kids to feed, and you were free to play as you wished. Now let’s think about some of the reasons we don’t start businesses when we’re older. Fear is the number one thing blocking most people. That fear stems often from the very real responsibility we pick up as we get older. Those mortgages that need paying and kids that need feeding. Knowing that, it would seem that there is really no better time in our lives to take risks, go after what we love, and start our own business than when we’re in our teen years. Of course to do that one would need whole lot of focus and drive not often found until later in life. Maxwell Nicholson is an anomaly in this case. He had that focus, dri

What is the first thing any person does when they get an award, achieve something great or succeed in their pursuits? Ok probably they say thank you first to whoever gave them award, but immediately after they tend to heap gratitude upon those who help them get there. Successful people, among many others are, are often the first to admit that they couldn’t have done whatever they did to succeed without the help and guidance of others. Yes, whether an athlete, an entrepreneur, or simply someone wanting to make the most of life, coaching is a critical element to realizing your full potential. There is an ever growing trend, and it is a trend that podcasting has ridden in a major way of people seeking advice, tips, and how tos from others who have made it in their chosen field. Indeed the self-help industry has perhaps never been bigger than it is today. It seems many of us are looking for others who have done it to tell us how they have done it in such a way that we can simply follow their success manual and re

Content is king! You’ve heard it a million and one times. If you can find a niche that people are keen on, and produce great content you’re well on your way to developing a big audience you can then monetize. Some of the earliest forms of entertaining content were letters sent home from travellers out exploring and enjoying new locations. Yes travel writing has always been popular and remains so in the modern era. Today rather than carrier pigeons, the pony express and snail mail of all sorts, travel media has found a natural home on the web and remains one of the most popular content types.  In the mid 2000’s a couple of guys in Silicon Valley launched new online travel publication called Matador and a forum for travellers to connect. Carlo Alcos of Nelson, BC who happened to be traveling at the time, joined the forum and began reading articles. Shortly thereafter he thought “Hey I could write better articles than this!” Fast Forward eght years and he is the managing editor for the publication as well as dir

Maps. They get us where we need to go, help us discover new places and make the journey from where we are to where we want to be safer. From the earliest days of ancient man wandering beyond his cave, camp or tree to find food, fun and fortunes, knowing where you are in relation to where you need to be has been critical to mankind’s survival. If you’re a backcountry skier, maps can be a direct link between car and super sick lines. They can provide routes to good times as well as be a guide through dangerous terrain. From the earliest days, explorers would set out into unexplored lands, charting their course as they went so that others could safely enjoy those same routes later. While not discovering new colonies, continents or cultures, Trevor Campbell of Nelson, BC has been on a personal lifelong mission to discover new secret stashes of the vertical powder filled variety. What began as collecting data and photos for his own personal backcountry snowboarding bible, eventually morphed into a new business. No

Wastewater, sewage, bio matter… whatever you call it, there is a massive global need to figure out a better way to handle it. For thousands of years indigenous, sustainable man lived in largely closed loop energy systems much the way nature still does today. In such a loop there is no such thing as waste and energy simply transfers from one form to the next. With the advent of so called modern society’s disposable culture, human animal and agricultural wastewater has become a major environmental concern on a grand scale. Indeed more people die from the effects of untreated wastewater per year than AIDS or malaria. Unfortunately poop just doesn’t get the same headline coverage as the other two blockbuster causes. Bill Powell of Grand Forks has had a lifelong attachment to the land whether during his early business years as a rancher in Australia, or living a sustainable lifestyle on his 10 acre plot in the Boundary Country. Several years ago he was turned on to a product that had the ability to reduce disease,

Content marketing. It has been the buzz world of the marketing industry for the last several years. As a strategy it has been around ever since the first person told a story to promote their product, themselves or anything for that matter. Indeed the ability to tell an engaging story to the right people in the right medium at the right time is truly an art unto itself. Mastering it can be the key to unlocking the doors through any wall separating you from your audience. Tammy Everts has been in the content marketing world for two decades, long before it became the current it thing to do. She began as an avid reader, reading everything she could and reproducing the message in succinct digestible forms. From producing the must-read book as a child for girls who love horses through to content director for a silicon valley based company from her home in Nelson BC, Tammy is as valuable a resource you’ll find when it comes to producing amazingly engaging content.

Hi Podcast listeners, today we have another special 7 quick hits section with Colin Payne of Colin Payne Photography. Today we learn why Bob Marley’s revolution songs get him fired up and how he lives his live in pursuit of trusting “It,” even if he’s not yet entirely sure what “It” is.

Brevity, the sound bite, the easily digestible message. However you describe it, one of the key factors in marketing and selling just about anything, is the ability to quickly, concisely and effectively deliver a critical message about your product. As they say, a picture tells a thousand words, so what better way to sell your business than with a truly captivating photograph that sums up the message you’re trying to send in one stunning picture? Knowing how critical and effective a great photo can be for selling, and how great and inexpensive quality cameras have become we should be surprised that we still see anything less than perfect pictures out there. Whether it be on a Facebook Page, Instagram account, company website, brochure or magazine article, simply taking the time to get the perfect shot often gets lost in a super easy point, shoot and publish world. Colin Payne of the South Slocan has first got drawn in to the world of photography on a trip through Europe as a way of documenting his adventures.

Hi Podcast listeners. As you heard in the full episode with Sean Smillie of Planet Fiction studios, chasing after your dream and doing what you love despite what the naysayers may say is critical to success and happiness. In the 7 quick hits section with Sean we explore everything from his favourite video game of all time to how he plans to one day be connected to everyone in the world.

Hi Podcast listeners. As you heard in the full episode with Jenna Raider and Shane Hainsworth from Nelson BC who are in the process of launching their new live broadcast TV show, the lineup, the two have a great energy. IN the 7 quick hits with Jenna and Shane we’ll dive into everything from who motivates them to be awesome, why their parents are their heroes, and how David Letterman, Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres may play a role in the future movie of their lives.

What is it you really love doing? I mean really love doing to the point that you could do it for days on end and not get tired of it? What if you could turn that into your full time job and career? What if you could tell all of the nay-sayers and folks telling you that you can’t do that, you have no training or formal education, “No! This is what I love to do. This is what I am awesome at, and I am going to do what it takes to follow my dreams!” Sean Smillie grew up in Rossland, letting his imagination run wild, being inspired by the beautiful surroundings and awesome skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking that surrounded him. At an early age he fell in love with comics, books and movies, anything that fit with his imagination, creating new worlds, fantasies and adventure.  When he ran out of things to read he began writing his own stories and continuations of comics and stories he loved. That love of writing, untameable imagination and love for gaming stayed with him into his adult life. With perhaps a str

Have you ever wanted to start your own show? Sure at various time throughout our lives whether it was child hood dreaming, sitting back with a beer at the pub or chatting with friends we've all had great ideas for the next TV hit. Of course those dreams were near impossible unless you happened to have your own TV production company and studio, or were able to convince someone who did to make your show. With the advent of high quality inexpensive video and audio recording technology in concert with the proliferation of broadband internet, that dream of making and perhaps starring in your own show is now a reality. Whereas in the past you needed huge resources to back up your big idea, today all it requires is the passion and energy, along with some skill in operating the technology, and you too can be a TV star. Shane Hainsworth, and Jenna Raider have been dabbling in the arts and tech world their whole life. Three years , and a major evolution in technology after their first attempt at a live broadcast show,