Small Business | Big Insights
You’re busy. We know! We cut through the BS and give you straight talk advice whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out. Small Business | Big Insights dives straight to the point on key topics and features interviews with industry experts and successful small business owners who share their deep insights. Tune in each month to gain new ideas and inspiration for your own business.
Hosted by Eric Saumure, CPA, CA (https://ericsaumure.com)
Send us any questions you've got to (podcast@zenbooks.ca)
Check out our website at (https://zenbooks.ca/resources/podcast/)
Episodes
33 episodes
From Refugee to Luxury Brand CEO: Neri Karra Sillaman's Blueprint for Immigrant Entrepreneurs
In this episode of The Small Business Big Insights Podcast, Eric Saumure sits down with globally recognized entrepreneur, author, and Oxford lecturer Neri Karra Sillaman to explore the ideas behind her book Pioneers and what i...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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34:56
Contracts, Clients, and Costly Risks: The Legal Advice Every Small Business Owner Needs to Hear with Margot Pomerleau from MBC Law
In this episode of The Small Business Big Insights Podcast, Eric sits down with litigation lawyer Margot Pomerleau to explore the legal risks that small and medium business owners often overlook. Margot shares why documenting deals matters more...
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45:40
Communication Secrets from a Leadership Coach with Barry McLoughlin from TLC Transformational Leadership
In this episode of Small Business Big Insights, Eric Saumure welcomes Barry McLoughlin, leadership and communications consultant, author, and educator. Barry takes us inside his unique journey from stand-up comedy and television satire to coach...
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51:52
Mayor on the Mic: Small-Biz Lessons from Mayor Mark Sutcliffe
In this episode of Small Business Big Insights, Eric Saumure welcomes Mayor Mark Sutcliffe to explore the intersection of leadership, politics, and entrepreneurship. From his early days as a broadcaster and business coach to his curren...
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39:48
Grants, Growth & Grit: The Real Talk Small Business Owners Need to Hear" (With Nishant Raina, Mastercard Canada)
In this episode of The Small Business Big Insights Podcast, host Eric sits down with Nishant Raina, Vice President of Product Management at Mastercard in Canada. Nishant shares how Mastercard is helping small business owners tackle some of thei...
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35:22
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This One Funding Strategy Could Unlock Millions for Canadian Startups (with David Perry and Paul LaBarge)
In this episode of Small Business Big Insights, Eric Saumure sits down with David Perry and Paul LaBarge—two champions of Canadian innovation—to dive deep into a bold proposal that could reshape the future of early-stage business fundi...
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50:16
From Idea to Published Book: How Sam Laprade become ‘Ottawa Made’
In this episode of Small Business Big Insights, Eric Saumure sits down with Ottawa connector and storyteller Sam Laprade to explore how she co-authored Ottawa Made, a book celebrating local innovation and entrepreneurship. Sam shares the full b...
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30:52
Succession, Power, and the New Rules of Leadership: A No-Fluff Talk (With Monique Goffinet)
In this episode, Eric Saumure welcomes Monique Goffinet, seasoned board leader and governance expert, for an energizing and insightful conversation about board leadership, governance trends, and how business owners can use board involvement to ...
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54:45
Stop Overpaying Your Taxes: Give to Charity Instead with Flow-Through Shares (with Albert Labelle, PearTree Canada)
Today, Eric sits down with Albert Labelle, partner at PearTree and a pro in strategic philanthropy.Albert breaks down flow-through shares—a powerful but often overlooked tax strategy that can help small business owners and individual...
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42:07
Why Montfort Hospital is More Than Just a Hospital (with Robert Rhéaume – Chair, Montfort Foundation)
This special episode is part of the Podcasthon initiative, a global movement harnessing the power of podcasts to drive conversations around important causes. Podcasthon brings together creators, thought leaders, and change-makers to amplify voi...
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36:33
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Automation, AI & Sales Hacks: The Future of Business, Revealed (With David Burden from Arketek)
In this episode, Eric chats with David Burden, Director of Sales and Biz Dev at Arketek, a leading Salesforce consultancy. David drops some great tips on smart sales strategies, using tech to grow your biz, and avoiding common small business pi...
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34:06
Cutting Costs Without Compromise: The Secrets to Slashing Business Expenses Well! (With Shawn Stratton from Schooley Mitchell)
In this episode, Eric sits down with Shawn Stratton from Schooley Mitchell, a business optimization pro who helps small businesses cut costs—on average by 28%—without sacrificing quality. Drawing on his background as an expedition l...
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34:53
Avoiding Common Tax Mistakes: Lessons from an Accountant with Tara Robertson (Zenbooks)
In this episode of the Small Business Big Insights Podcast, Eric welcomes Tara Robertson, a senior accountant at Zenbooks. Tara shares valuable insights on business taxation, her journey in the industry, and even some tax horror stories. ...
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32:47
Navigating Business Law and Succession Planning with Expert Steve Parr
Steve Parr shares his journey from founding and selling a vacation rental company to starting his own law firm, Parr Business Law. In this episode, he breaks down the essentials of business succession planning. Steve highlights why it’s so impo...
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38:48
From Flour to Power: The Surprising Strategy That's Revolutionizing the Bakery Industry with Kayla Rochkin at Bond Bakery Brands
In this episode, Eric interviews Kayla Rochkin, the Chief Growth Officer at Bond Bakery Brands. Bond acquires family and founder-run bakeries without succession plans, helping them continue their legacy. Kayla dishes on everything from keeping ...
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37:59
Pitfalls and opportunities of world class SaaS Businesses (Drew Millington from Nmbr)
Drew Millington is the co-founder of Nmbr, Canada’s first embedded payroll provider. With deep expertise in SaaS and startups, Drew offers insights into key metrics that startups and small businesses should monitor, including the distinction...
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41:01
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Leadership and Innovation in Payroll: Interview with Wagepoint CEO Shrad Rao
Shrad Rao is the CEO of Wagepoint, a payroll software designed for small businesses in Canada. The company, known for its friendly team, aims to make payroll simpler and less intimidating. Wagepoint serves over 25,000 customers and processes pa...
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48:45
Mastering Business Acquisitions and Roll-Ups with Brian L. Shields
In this episode, we dive deep into the world of business acquisitions with Brian Lee Shields, a seasoned business development and acquisition expert based in LA. With 15 years of experience, Brian has a rich background in private equity and has...
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43:27
Avoiding Common Financial Mistakes: Pro Tips from a Seasoned Planner (With Alex Hadjisophocleous from Forest Financial Planning)
Alex Hadjisophocleous is a fee-only/advice-only financial planner at Forest Financial Planning Inc., helping individuals and business owners grow wealth through financial literacy. His unbiased advice is a refreshing contrast to financial advisors...
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45:18
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From Obscurity to Icon: Unveiling Secrets to Crafting a Memorable Small Business Brand (With Robert Smith from Greenmelon)
What are the key attributes of a polished brand? To tackle this question, Eric invites Robert Smith for an insightful conversation on branding. Robert, a branding expert, Adjunct Professor, author, and Chief Creative Officer at Greenmelon Inc...
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45:51
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Secrets to Building a Team That Fuels Your Success: What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know!(With Zach Montroy from The Intention Collective)
Growing and scaling a small business takes strategy, innovation, and above all, great leadership. Zach Montroy, the Founder & CEO of The Intention Collective—a group of consultants specializing in small business growth and scaling—is a Harv...
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36:37
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Unlocking Business Success: How a Punk Rock Lawyer Turned Startup Guru is Transforming 125,000 Businesses(Shane Murphy from Ownr)
Starting a small business involves various legal considerations, many of which can be conveniently addressed online. Shane Murphy, the CEO of Ownr, brings a legal background to the table and shares his entrepreneurial journey, including success...
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41:00
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Unlocking Small Business Potential with IT (With Jeremy Irving from IC360)
Small businesses should not shy away from new technology, but rather use it as a secret tool to drive employee and customer satisfaction and engagement. Jeremy Irving is the Managing Director and Senior Technical Analyst of IC 360 S...
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45:07
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Wealthsimple’s radical employee experience (with Gren Austin from Wealthsimple)
Employee retention is crucial for small businesses, and providing benefits to alleviate financial worries can be instrumental in avoiding turnover. Gren Austin serves as the Head of Wealthsimple Work, overseeing the day-to-day operations of...
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40:44
Using emotions to improve team performance (with Ange MacCabe from Intuity Performance)
In this episode our guest, Ange unpacks the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and its multi-dimensional influence on interactions within teams. Emotionally intelligent leadership is revealed as a catalyst for trust, collaboration, and inno...
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40:18
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