From Hustle to Heart

On this episode of The Stellar Talk Show – GTA’s #1 podcast for real stories and real strategy – we sit down with Shawn Allen: serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, political leader, and the powerful force behind one of Canada’s fastest-growing financial firms.

Born to hustle and raised to serve, Shawn has mastered the balance between building wealth and giving back — from business awards to launching community housing summits and advocating for seniors, families, and new immigrants. Now running for City Council in Scarborough, he’s bringing that same fire to local leadership.

If you’re a first-time home buyer, newcomer to the GTA, or someone chasing purpose through entrepreneurship or service — this episode is your roadmap.

👉 Watch till the end for a 🔥 Lightning Round that’ll leave you inspired, challenged, and ready to lead

#StellarTalkShow #GTALeadership #NewImmigrantsCanada #FinancialFreedom #CommunityBuilders #WealthWithPurpose #TorontoPodcast #ScarboroughStrong #ShawnAllen #FirstTimeHomeBuyers #CanadaPolitics #ViralPodcast #InspireAndBuild #NumberOneRealStoryPodcast #NumberOneRealStoryTalkShow #NumberOneRealStrategyPodcast #NumberOneRealStrategyTalkShow #NumberOneRealStoryRealStrategyPodcast #NumberOneRealStoryRealStrategyTalkShow #scarborough #tamil #canadatamil #community

Chapters

• 0:00 Understanding the Value of Community
• 0:39 Introduction to the Stellar Talk Show
• 1:26 Meet Shawn Allen: Entrepreneur and Community Builder
• 2:21 Shawn's Early Life and Entrepreneurial Journey
• 4:00 Growing Up in Scarborough
• 5:38 From Entrepreneurship to Community Leadership
• 8:39 Community Programs and Initiatives
• 11:42 Challenges and Opportunities in Housing
• 17:16 Financial Advice for New Immigrants
• 22:47 Entrepreneurial Mindset: Viewing Business from Different Angles
• 23:47 The Reality of Entrepreneurship: Hard Work and Rewards
• 24:52 Networking and The Ripple Effect: Insights from a Co-Author
• 27:27 Advice for First-Time Home Buyers in the GTA
• 31:20 Building Financial Resilience: Diversification and Investment
• 33:12 Political Aspirations: From Business to Community Impact
• 36:43 Family and Legacy: Personal Motivations and Goals
• 39:01 Lightning Round: Quick Insights and Reflections
• 44:55 Conclusion: Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Transcript

 And I think at that point is when I kind of understood the value of community. Yeah. When you say Scrabble has your heart, I hear that I've grown through the systems, I've seen people fall through the cracks, and I've seen the gaps, and you have walked the walk. In that city. So you may not directly benefit today mm-hmm.

From the efforts that you put in. But down the line, all of those things connect. And at the end of the day, if, if you can't live for more than yourself, then what's the point of living? Like you need to learn to not lead with emotions, but with strategy. Yeah. And also with the heart. They say build your own dreams or someone will hire you to build theirs.

But what if I told you no matter where you're starting from, you can build both wealth and community right here in the greater Toronto area. Welcome to the Stellar Talk Show, your number one show in the GTA for real stories, real strategies and real success where we help new immigrants, first time home buyers and ambitious entrepreneurs turn their fresh start into a probable.

I'm your host. Ella Ra, a mother entrepreneur award-winning realtor, and your go-to guide for turning vision into action. I know what it feels like to start over to grind every day with a dream in your heart and a budget in your hand, but I also know the power of strategy, support, and smart planning. And today's episode is a game changer.

We are sitting down with Sean Allen, a serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, financial strategist, and a community builder who's not only built a growth 500 ranked business, but is now stepping into political leadership right here in Scarborough. If you want to learn how to build wealth in Canada from scratch, how to make smart real estate and financial decisions, how to turn your story.

Into strategy and your paying into power. Don't go anywhere. Stick with us until the end because this episode isn't just advice. It's your blueprint. Let's dive in.

Hi Sean. Welcome to the show. Good morning. How are you? Good morning, or after this afternoon? It's 1218. It's perfect. Good. Good to have you, Sean. You have built businesses. I have heard a lot about you. You have done a lot of things in the community. Um, tell me where did this all start from? Um, to be honest, I, uh.

I was born in Scarborough. Mm-hmm. And, you know, I was raised in Scarborough and I had an entrepreneurial spirit. Mm-hmm. Ever since I was seven years old, that's when I first had my first real taste of being an entrepreneur. Mm-hmm. Um, and I had a choice. Right. I, I, I, I went to school for database administration.

Mm-hmm. I got a job, um, coming outta school with the skills that I learned. Mm-hmm. Um. But my company at the time was moving. I lived in Scarborough practically all my life. That company was moving to Oakville mm-hmm. On South Down Road, and I didn't want to make the move, I wanted to stay in Scarborough. Um, so I looked at opportunities, you know, then I, I saw, you know, real estate as an opportunity to get into that.

Mm-hmm. Um, a friend of mine, uh, brought me a booklet, and that booklet was to get into the mortgage industry. Mm-hmm. And I took it. And, and that's kind of my first real official taste of entrepreneurial, uh, I guess my entrepreneurial spirit. And one of my first clients was mm-hmm. One of my coworkers, right?

So I was looking at it, I was like, you know, I put in a little bit of effort. I got a pretty decent return on that, uh, mortgage transaction. And I was like, wow, this is something I could do. So I really liked, you know? Mm-hmm. The independence and the, the flexibility of, of doing that. So I think that was kind of like the point I could say, oh wow.

That's when I started. Amazing, amazing. So tell me a little bit about your growing up in Scarborough. Like, you know, uh, your family was, was, were they new to Scarborough at that time or, yeah. So. I was born at Centenary Hospital, which is a part of Scarborough Health Network. Mm-hmm. And, uh, I, I lived all over Scarborough from Agent Core to, you know, VIN Scarborough Rouge Park.

Mm-hmm. And, you know, I went to school there, elementary school, high school, you know, worked there. I, and I still reside there. So, you know, my family came from Guyana. Mm-hmm. And, uh, my mother came here in 67. Mm-hmm. And my father came shortly after. And, uh. You know, everything was built right there, right?

Yeah. And I, I branched out and it gave me an opportunity to, you know, do a lot in the community. So I actually moved outta Scarborough in 2008, moved back in 2016. Mm-hmm. And, um, I think that's when I moved back is when I started to really hone in on mm-hmm. You know. Being from Scarborough, because there was a time where, mm-hmm.

You know? Mm-hmm. You say you're from Scarborough. It was like a bad thing. Right. And even now, Scarborough's getting a bad rap where people still, you know, the city in itself is. You know, not really giving Scarboroughs fair share when it comes to taxes and services, and even Scarborough doesn't have a hotel.

Mm-hmm. Even up to this day. Right. So, you know, just being able to, uh, represent the community that I'm, you know, born and raised in is, is very impactful. Yeah. When you say Scarborough has your heart, I hear that. With the explanation there. Yeah. Yeah. That's amazing. For sure, for sure. Yeah, most definitely. So tell me about, uh, your, uh, your part in the community in Scarborough.

Where did, what was the pivoting moment from you to shift from entrepreneurship in your business into community leadership? Yeah, so I think when I moved back in 2016. It gave me a different lens to focus on. I joined the Scarborough Business Association. Mm-hmm. And I think at that point is when I kind of understood the value of community.

Mm-hmm. So I was on the board, um, you know, I think from 2017, I think I joined, I joined the Chicago Business Association in December. Mm-hmm. And, uh. I was a director, and then I became the president for, for 18 months. From 2023. Mm-hmm. When the previous, uh, president ran mm-hmm. In the Scarborough Gil area.

And, and she won. And then I took over the presidency. I was vice president at that time. Mm-hmm. And during that, you know, six and a half year tenure, I was able to have dialogue and relationships with other institutions. Mm-hmm. Such as the zoo, the university, the hospital. Different food banks and different community organizations, and it gave me a real sense of community.

So I actually took time out of my businesses mm-hmm. To work on that full-time as a volunteer. Yes. And it really gave me an opportunity to connect with people in the community. Mm-hmm. And, um, you know, now I'm, I'm running, you know, to be city council in that area, so it all, it all comes back full circle.

Yeah. That's, that's amazing. You know, how have you pivot there? So, um. In, in that journey, uh, like, you know, what are some highlights that you have experience that you would like to share with us? Um, you know, like it's a very unique place at 600,000 people. Mm-hmm. Lived there from all different walks of life, all different places.

Mm-hmm. You could actually tour. The whole world. Mm-hmm. You know, culturally, food wise, you know? Mm-hmm. Religion, you could tour with 630,000 people. You know, Scarborough is actually, you know, if it was a city on its own, it would be the 10th largest city in Canada. Mm-hmm. And you know, as a fact check, it's actually larger than Atlanta, right?

Mm-hmm. So when you put that into perspective, you, you have the ability to really. Submerge yourself into culture. Mm-hmm. In Scarborough. And I, and I think that, you know, that's probably the most impactful piece of, of living in this particular part mm-hmm. Of the city. And it has its challenges, it has, you know, a lot of challenges.

But I think, you know, just being there and understanding, being born there and understanding the, the cultural dynamic and the makeup of the community, it gives me a very good perspective on how to make the community better. Because I've grown through the systems, I've seen people fall through the cracks, and I've seen the gaps.

Yes. And I think it's an opportunity for me to come in and really support, uh, those in the community. Yeah, absolutely. And you have walked the walk in that city, so you know what you need to do to achieve your mission. That's amazing. That's amazing. Um, Sean, you have, uh, created community programs like the Business and Housing Summit and everything, um, and also the senior fair.

Right. Tell me a little bit about your goals there and what, what's your part? Yeah, so there was, uh. We started with the Toronto Business Summit. Mm-hmm. Uh, which the, the next one is happening September 10th to 12th at the University of Toronto. But that originally started, um, as a pilot that we did at Humber.

Up in, uh, Otoko. Mm-hmm. And we moved it to Scarborough because the Humber project was more of just a, you know, small gathering of about a hundred people. Mm-hmm. 120 people. Mm-hmm. And that was just about, you know, getting businesses. Back online coming out of COVID. Mm. Mm-hmm. Um, there was a lot of programs that were available to people, but they just didn't know where to get the information or how to access the information or who to talk to for clarification.

Mm-hmm. Um, so we said, okay, let's put this summit together and provide a resource to businesses. Mm-hmm. We had a good response at a hundred, 120 people, but that wasn't where we wanted to be, so we brought it to the University of Toronto. They're a great partner. Mm-hmm. Um, in providing us the space to host the event.

And then we had 2200 people when we hosted it in September. Three hours ago. Oh, amazing. Right. So we did the first one in June, second one in September, 20, 200 people. So now we're like, okay, this is where we want to go. And we had a lot of, uh mm-hmm. Collaborations with the city of Toronto, B-D-C-D-C, Uber.

Mm-hmm. Google. Um, and the list goes on was a lot of great collaborations and it provided a framework for, you know, business to business or business, government to business. Um, an ecosystem where. You know, there's a framework for information to be disseminated to the local businesses to help them thrive.

Mm-hmm. That was outside of the downtown core, right? Mm-hmm. So we wanted to make sure that, you know, we hosted that in Scarborough to support Scarborough. One of the takeaways that we've seen in our, in our, uh, in our, I guess what, what would I call it? In, in our intake of, of data in our, in our data. Mm-hmm.

Um, was that. Not only were we getting people from Scarborough, but we're getting people from Brampton. We're getting people from Mississauga. We were getting people from Marco. Mm-hmm. We were getting a lot of people from Durham and they were coming in and because it was. Toronto focused, but in Scarborough.

Mm-hmm. The programs that people were talking about didn't relate, at least from the city perspective. Mm-hmm. Um, didn't relate to those other communities. So they were kind of left out of the picture of the whole development. So now this year, what we're doing is we're including elements from all the other regions so that when people come to it mm-hmm.

They're gonna get other elements that could support. Oh, that's amazing. Right. So we're trying to make it a little bit, bit, a little bit bigger. Yeah. A more impactful That's it's a regional Yeah. Um, reach as opposed to just a local reach. So that's one of the things that we're putting forward. That's, that's amazing.

That's, yeah. So as we were doing that, um, business summit, then we came up with the concept of doing the housing summit. Mm-hmm. So the housing summit. Was more geared to supporting the affordable housing conversation. Mm-hmm. Because, you know, as a realtor, you're a realtor. I'm a realtor as well. Um, and then on the mortgage side, what I was noticing was that housing was getting, uh, you know, more distant for people.

Mm-hmm. Um, and people were having a hard time. Maintaining or holding onto their property. Mm-hmm. Uh, rising interest rates, uh, rising taxes, cost of, you know, living is going up. Mm-hmm. People are refinancing more. Reverse mortgages, for example Yes. Are up quite a bit. Mm-hmm. And you know, specifically for the reverse mortgages, that's our population that is.

Primarily at the end of their mm-hmm. You know, working years. Yeah. Um, you know, their income is relatively fixed. Mm-hmm. And there's not much movement, um, or the ability to earn extra cash. Mm-hmm. So we see that and then we start to have conversations and we say, okay, how do we allow for people to gain more out of their property?

Um, we did the housing summit and at the time we had, uh, a lot of participation from all three levels of government. And, you know, we talked about the A DU strategy, which is the garden suite traditional doling units. Mm-hmm. Um, which we've been advocating to get on, uh, the platform for quite a long time for people to be able to do that.

Mm-hmm. Um, there was a push for that, but then, you know, the city was like, yes, you could add them. But the banks weren't financing them, so there's a gap. Mm. So we said, Hey, we need to talk about this. Then when we opened up that door, then we talked about modular construction, right? Mm-hmm. Then we say, okay, well this is a way that we could, you know, build homes faster.

But there was a gap with the different labor units saying, well, if you're gonna build modular, then mm-hmm we're missing out on these jobs. 'cause now you have unskilled people doing work for construction. Now we're missing out. So it's just a whole lot of, you know. Misaligned, uh, theories and thought processes, um, that are building, you know, gaps or, or making red tape for the development of, of property.

So then the government started to pick up steam on the conversation. So now we were slightly ahead of the, of the media on, you know, the, the conversation about housing, but then it's just start to build momentum. It's not, everyone's talking about it now. CM, HC is involved in side, but there's still gaps that we need to address so that.

Summit. Mm-hmm. The, both the business summit and the housing summit. Mm-hmm. We subsequently had it. Mm-hmm. Another year. So we, last year was our, our second year having it. Mm-hmm. And then this year is our third year. And now it's like everyone's talking about housing, everyone's talking about support for businesses now.

Yeah. You know, we we're talking about, you know, terrorists, right. And we were talking about terrorists two years ago. Yeah. Right. We're talking about diversifying. So I created an organization called the Canadian Africa Comp Business Trade Association. Mm-hmm. To do bilateral trade with, uh, Canada, African, the Caribbean, because I felt that, you know, it's one thing to just try to put all your resources and trading with America, but then now there's all these other countries Yeah.

That we could do business with. So I had the foresight and vision to kind of. Lead to that. Yes. And that's kind of the, the thought process and that's amazing. And making that connection properly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then even talking with the seniors, that whole conversation came out of my, you know, looking at the data and seeing that the reverse mortgages were mm-hmm.

Increasing in popularity. And, um, you know, I have a great relationship with the Minister of Seniors and I talked to his assistant. Mm-hmm. And, uh, she said, yeah. We're thinking about having a seniors event. Mm-hmm. You know, September seniors month. I said, great, let's put something together. So they had an idea.

Mm-hmm. I had an idea. We put it together with the Chinese Cultural Center. We had over a thousand seniors come out Wow. To that event. So, you know, we're making big impact. That is big impact. Most definitely. Most definitely. So, you know, it's amazing. You know, while listening to you, I'm thinking, oh my God, what an impact they're making in the community.

And then you're not doing it together, you're doing it, doing it with. Like-minded people Yeah. Who are partnering with you and you know, especially coming from entrepreneurship into community leadership right now. Why do you think, you know, not only wealth building, but giving back to the community is also a must?

Yeah, it's very important because, you know, you have a strong community, have a strong system that's gonna grow and help the community stay functional and secure. Mm-hmm. Um, if you don't have that. Then you're gonna have issues like, you know, increased crime, increase poverty. Mm-hmm. Um, drug addiction, mental health addiction, all those things spiral out of a community that's not fully functioning.

So I think it's very important to make sure that we have leadership in place. Yeah. That could talk to and address. These issues that make every community great. Mm-hmm. And I think, you know, just with my relationships that I've had with various community stakeholders and others that are outside the community but could also come in and benefit mm-hmm.

Um, and share in the success of the community, I think it puts me in a well positioned place to really. Go and put my foot forward to, to, you know, run and, you know, compete for a position that's very vital. Yes. Um, and making sure that the community is driving. And I think that's why I wanted to put my name in the hat to, to run for city council.

Mm-hmm. But, um, win or lose, I'm still working on, you know, activities that mm-hmm. If I, if I don't win the city DC I'm still doing things in the community regardless. Yes. But if I win the CDC, it's gonna enhance my ability to, you know, support the community and the things that I could do. That's the mission at heart, right?

Most definitely. Yeah. Um, so let's talk, let's change gears a little bit. We'll talk about, uh, financials and in though, and some advice focused. So you've been in the community for so long. Yeah. And you have seen the people. I know Scarborough is a very rich community with immigrants. Yeah. Um, so tell me a little bit about your part in that side of the community.

Um, you know. My parents are immigrants. I was, I was born here in Canada. But, you know, coming from immigrant parents, I understand that, you know, there's some gaps in language that create barriers. Mm-hmm. Um, especially in healthcare too, right? Yeah. Uh, for seniors especially because now you, you, you know, medical misdiagnosis is the number three killer in the world.

Mm-hmm. Um, but now imagine if you have people from different ethnic backgrounds coming into your community mm-hmm. And then they're unable to communicate and you send them into a hospital setting. It could create issues, right? Yeah, that's true. Which could then spiral out of control. Mm-hmm. Creates mental health issues that could potentially increase to other things.

Mm-hmm. Um, so just being able to relate and, and have dialogue with different communities. I think it's very, very valuable. Mm-hmm. In the sense that, you know, like I said, Scarborough's a place where you have multiple, you know, ethnic groups and in my area, Scarborough Rouge Park. Mm-hmm. Um, we have a thriving Tama Bangladesh, Guyanese, Trinidad, Jamaican.

There's all these different. People that call that place home and practice their religion. Mm-hmm. Uh, in a free and safe environment. We don't have any issues that, you know, that are, that are prevalent to say that, you know, um, you're unable to live safely. It's, for the most part, a very safe community among the police association board for 43 division.

Yeah. And, you know, religious crime is not really at the top of the list. Mm-hmm. Um, you have, you know, car theft and you know. Like petty crime and stuff like that, but you know, you don't really have religious crimes or things like that. So I think for the most part, the community is safe, but we have to work to make the community safer for all to live and practice their religion safely and walk freely in the streets.

Mm-hmm. And that's some of the things that I want to focus on. Yeah, most definitely. That's a great area to focus on when you come here, trying to like build that community together. Most definitely. Yeah. And uh, many new immigrants that come to Canada with dreams, but. They face roadblocks, as you mentioned, due to language barrier and things like that.

Uh, what financial or mindset shifts that they need to make to thrive in this, um, economic today in Canada? Um, you know, I think the main thing that. Uh, you know, not only in Scarborough, but in, in general mm-hmm. Is, um, understanding the Canadian landscape for taxation. Mm-hmm. Um, and realizing what supports are there.

There's a lot of community organizations that exist. Mm-hmm. Um, and I think it's important that we get their messaging out to, to the masses because, um mm-hmm. You know, it's very important to, to adjust. I was talking to someone the other day and uh, when I was out door knocking and, uh, he was a guy from Mexico mm-hmm.

And he said. Regardless of the high taxes, Canada's still the best company country to live in. Mm-hmm. I said, why you say that? He's like, oh, I'm from Mexico. And you know, people are really, really, uh, you know, going through it down there, even though a lot of people are trying to say, Hey, invest in Mexico.

Mm-hmm. And this, that. Mm-hmm. It's like I came from there. I know what it is, where true poverty lies. Not to say that true poverty doesn't exist here, but our standard of living is much higher than that of other places, even though people complain. Yeah. Canada's still a great place to live and I, and I, I think it's very important that we.

As a community, support each other mm-hmm. And uplift each other. 'cause you, you want to make sure that community's healthy and a healthy community, a community that supports each other, of course. And I think that's the number one thing that we have to get the message across, um, through various social programs that are out there.

Mm-hmm. I think it's very important to bring awareness and provide people access to those programs. So it's all about access and, and resources that are available. Exactly. And asking the right questions at the right time. Yeah. From the right people. Right, exactly. So that is very, very important. So especially people like who are coming here with a big dream.

Yeah. And we know we don't want them to, uh, face roadblocks, but what we want them to face is, uh, people encouraging them to be what they want to be in their life. Right. You know, what I, what I like to tell people is like in Canada, if you have a will, that's definitely a way you just have to. Find it, be out there, ask the right question, meet the right people, and be in that circle of influence to get you there.

Yeah, a hundred percent. Most definitely. So you, you have a real estate background as well. You, you've been a realtor for many, many years. Mm-hmm. And, um, and you have built like many, uh, businesses that has been very successful. Mm-hmm. So tell me a little bit about. Uh, no. During the, during the start of that career, what are, what are the roadblocks that you, uh, faced and, you know, how did you overcome, what are, what were your strategies at that time and mindset?

Um, I don't think I really had roadblocks that prevented me from excelling. Mm-hmm. Um, I feel that the experiences that. Taught me to be better. Mm-hmm. Um, one of the things that I went through, which many people may not like or may be fearful of, I had several audits. 'cause I had, I started my mortgage brokerage first.

Mm-hmm. Then I started my real estate brokerage, and then I started my private lending firm. Mm-hmm. Within 18 months, all three of them were audited. Right. So for me, I looked at it as, Hey, you know, my company's growing. I was honored to be audited. Because now I look at it like, wow, I'm doing things correctly.

Because I had someone come in to say, Hey, this is the way you do things. And I think that was kind of like the defining point Yeah. To say, Hey, I'm on the right track. Mm-hmm. Right. But some people, you know. Um, they may look at that as, wow, I'm being audited. What's the problem? Why am I, why me? Mm-hmm. You know what I mean?

So it is kind of like you have to look at things a little bit differently in order to put yourself in this position to win. Mm-hmm. Um, the most important piece that I find is that, you know, when you're operating a business, you always have to look at things from a different perspective and a different.

A vantage point. Mm-hmm. Other than that. Mm-hmm. That you think that you're doing the best thing, you're the best realtor, you're the best business, whatever. Mm-hmm. You have to remove yourself from the equation. Mm-hmm. And look at the business from the outside. And I think that's kind of the point at which I realized that we're on the right path, but it's a lot of work to run a business and I.

You know, encourage everyone to be entrepreneurial in some fashion. But not everyone is built that way. Some people like to take orders, some people like to give orders, some people like to listen, some people like to speak. Um, running a business is a little bit of all of that, right? Because you have to listen to your consumers, you have to listen to your staff.

Mm-hmm. But you have to be able to make informed decisions and execute on those decisions. Being an entrepreneur, some people think I'm gonna work for myself and it's gonna be so easy, but you actually work harder. When you're an entrepreneur and even for yourself, you know, as a realtor, yes. You may think, oh yeah, you know, I used to work at a job and now I'm working for myself.

It's gonna be easier. It's actually putting in more time and more effort. But your rewards are much different. Yes. Right. You may not directly benefit today mm-hmm. From the efforts that you put in, but down the line, all of those things connect, right? Mm-hmm. That you have to be able to decipher how these items connect, and then make sure you do the moves that make them.

Profitable for, and that's the part that I like about being an entrepreneur. Mm-hmm. Um, it, it, it allows you the flexibility to be individual. Mm-hmm. But it gives you the framework to be unique. Right. And I think that's the best way to put it. That's true. That's amazing. I, I love the words that you used there.

Yeah. Um, and also like, you know, I, I would like to add to what you said, like, you know, when it comes to entrepreneurship, like you need to learn to not lead with emotions, but with strategy. Yeah. And also with a heart. A hundred percent at the same time. And that's how that you can thrive and move forward.

Yeah, a hundred percent. Most definitely. Um, I wanna talk about the book that you authored. Yeah. I know it's a bestseller. Tell, tell us a little bit about that. Yeah, so that book, I'm actually a co-author. It's called The Ripple Effect, by David Ucci, is a former cabinet minister. Okay. And Mark Huey. Um, also too, um.

You know, two great people that I look up to, uh, dearly, especially on the political side. And there's, um, 18 authors in that book. Mm-hmm. Uh, some from the political space. Mitzi Hunter as well. Uh, former minister of, uh, associate Minister of Finance for the Liberal party. And, uh, minister of, I think she was in the health department as well.

Education, I can't remember which one. Mm-hmm. But there's other great people in that book. Mm-hmm. Um, I haven't met everyone. I met a lot of them, but I haven't met all of them. But that book is just about networking. Right. So David Buchi, who I have the most respect for, he included me as part of that, uh, publication.

Mm-hmm. Um, and that book is about networking and my vantage point on how I view networking, which I think is very, very important. Mm-hmm. Um, I talk a little bit about, you know, memberships and being part of networks and, and how that plays, um, with respects to building out your brand and how you can. You know, assist people, but also be assisted and, and, and, and networking with purpose as opposed to going out and filling out your Rolodex.

You want to meet people with intention and follow up with those people and, and that that's what that book is about. And uh, right now it's a best sell. I think we're in five countries in four languages. That's amazing. Um. Yeah. And it's, it's a great opportunity. Um, a lot of people have the book, um, you know, they brought, uh, they brought the book to many places where they have book launches, and I'm, I'm, I'm planning to do a book, uh, signing at the Business Summit as well in September.

Nice. Um, but it's a great opportunity to, to engage with people. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, as a author of a book mm-hmm. Uh, it put me into a realm that I never once. Thought I could be it. And that's through the engagement of, you know, networking with people. And I think it provides an opportunity. I think people should, you know, write things down and, and, and.

Try to write a book too, because it, it lays a framework for, for where you are today and it provides a blueprint for where you want to go. So I think it's very, it was a very endeavor. Yeah, definitely. And, you know, reading that can, you know, uh, light a fire in someone who wants to take that path as well.

So that's definitely important. And that's amazing that you have took the time out of. Everything that you do to put pen to paper. Yeah. Um, and, you know, have that, uh, precious, um, book out there for anybody who wants to grab. So we're gonna leave the details in our comments so as well, so you can definitely check it out.

Um, I wanna, um, also, um, you know, talk a little bit about, uh, first time home buyers in today's economic in the GTA like Scarborough or the GT area. Um. We know a lot, lot, lot is happening right now with trades, with interest rates, with the, you know, with everything going on. What is, uh, your advice to anybody who's thinking about buying their first home in the GTA in 2025?

Um, to be honest with you, um, my business was never really built around. People buying a home. Mm-hmm. My business was built on people that own a home that were looking to get equity. Mm-hmm. Um, because in any market up, down left right, there's more homeowners than home buyers. Mm-hmm. Um, I think right now there's 6 million homeowners, and I think last year we had just 500,000 purchases across the country.

Yeah. So, you know, in that respect, um, you know, first time home buyers, you know, wasn't really my bread and butter. Mm-hmm. However, one thing I could suggest right now, there's no better time to buy than today. Mm-hmm. Whether it's. This market or last year's market or three years ago's market, it's always a good time to buy when it's good for you to buy.

Mm-hmm. Um, I personally, you know, think that if you're gonna buy, um, you know, you should buy. Something that you can, you know, have multiple shoes of income. Mm-hmm. Uh, the city of Toronto recently passed a a, a bylaw that allows for, you know, people to have six units on their property. Um, as families grow, um, you know, it's gonna be more, and as the.

As a population of Canada grows as well in Toronto specifically, or the GTA or GTHA, whichever you please. Um, it's gonna be more and more challenging for people to get into real estate. So I think if you buy something that you have the ability to rent out a portion or have a a, an opportunity to have a generational home.

Yeah. Where your whole family could live in the house and grow together. Um, I think that's the way to go. Mm-hmm. Um, right now, I think the days of a single family detached home, um, are, are waning down because of the functionality of those types of homes people are trying to age in place. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, and I think what needs to happen is there needs to be more stock of those types of properties where I have five kids.

And, uh, you know, my kids live in the home and I don't see them, you know. In this market going out mm-hmm. To purchase because there's so much uncertainty with tariffs and, you know, job stability and even, you know, cost of living. Mm-hmm. All of that stuff is on their lives. So it makes more sense for, you know, for, for people to get into a property mm-hmm.

That they could all, a whole family could live and, and, and thrive together maybe in individual quarters. Mm-hmm. Um. But all in the same property under one roof. And I'm a big fan of that. I'm a big family person, and I think that's, that's the type of structure that I think would be beneficial. But, you know, sometimes people wanna move out on their own and there's nothing wrong with that.

Mm-hmm. But the cost of living is so burdensome on, on just the Canadian pocketbook, um, with taxes and, you know, affordability, rising food costs, rising energy costs. Um, I, I'm not a. I'm not gonna come out and say, yes, you should go out as a first time home buyer and, and leave the nest if you have to.

Mm-hmm. Great. Um, there's a lot of options, um, but just put yourself in a position that you have the ability to earn a little bit of extra income from the property, whether it's renting on a basement or renting on a room, or having the flexibility to have those types of options available to you. I think that's something that would be worth, uh.

Giving us a piece of advice. Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah, that's absolutely right. Um, you know that taking the time to evaluate your profile and how to improve that to get into what you can the sooner. Mm-hmm. Um, and building on that Yeah. Is the mindset that you need to thrive on. Most definitely. Um, Sean, you have mentored so many people in your journey and, um, and you, you, what's your number one rule when it comes to, uh, building financial resilience, um, in today's economic.

Diversification, diversification. Um, you, you gotta diversify and, and, you know, I, I've gained success and I, I've had failures too, right? Mm-hmm. I've, I've been in a place where, you know, I've diversified so much that I was down to my last $2,000 and mm-hmm. You know, I had, uh. A house in Markham and you know, I had a choice and that choice was, you know, invest in myself or pay my mortgage payment.

Mm-hmm. So, you know, there's no shame in, you know, investing and, you know, taking a loss here and there, but you have to have resilience to be able to come back. Mm-hmm. And I think that's the most important thing. You can't have fair to invest, especially if you're investing in yourself. Um, just like you invest.

In yourself, right? Mm-hmm. You have to be able to know within yourself, your abilities and you know how to gain, I guess, notoriety and, and, and, and build yourself as a brand. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, investment is, is risky. Mm-hmm. So you have to be calculating and gain a lot of support. Uh, from people that have done it before, gain some mentorship.

Mm-hmm. Um, but don't be afraid to invest in investing in yourself, I think is the most important thing. And if you understand how to, you know, put your best foot forward and, and really trust and believe in your abilities, I think you'll be fine in any investment that you do. Yeah. Financial with with financial.

Interesting. Most definitely. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's important. Because in today's economy, when we are talking about money or wealth building, it's about long term. It's not like in the olden days, you know, it's about, you know, you're going to work and you know, making sure we have enough for the family. But right now the mindset is long term.

It's about building legacy. So having the. Financial literacy from a, from the beginning, um, that'll give you a lot of time to get to where you want to get. Yeah, a hundred percent. Most definitely. Um, so just gearing back into your vision in the political aspects of things, um, do you think with your experience in the entrepreneurial world, does that influence in your decisions when it comes to political?

In what sense? What do you mean? Uh, like in, in community building or the, the strategies that you have, um, amplified in, uh, in the entrepreneurial world. Yeah, a hundred percent. And, and I think, you know, if you asked me six months ago if I'd be running for city council, I'd probably said no. Um, but the only reason why I'm at this position now is because I looked at the field and I, you know, the person that was there before me mm-hmm.

Um, ran an Ajax and went under, under, uh, the federal government. So, you know, the position became available. So I feel that, you know. Me putting my name in the ring provided me an opportunity to hit the ground running because I already had the relationship. So most definitely, it's gonna tie into the work that I've already been doing.

Mm-hmm. Um, for example. You know, I have a, I have an ambition to host, um, you know, fifa mm-hmm. Uh, in Scarborough, right? Mm-hmm. Scarborough doesn't have any hotels. I'm on the economic development community for the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization. And, you know, one of the things that we talk about is lack of hotels, lack of resources.

But I think, you know, there's a, there's an application that's open right now to allow for, um, different. Um, wards mm-hmm. In Scarborough, one ward per one, um, grant per ward. Mm-hmm. To do an activation for fifa. When I talk about activation, it could be a watch party, it could be, you know, some sports night or whatever.

So I said, I looked at this and I looked at the field of people that are running for city council and I was like, okay, well I don't think any of these people are gonna think like that. Mm-hmm. Right. So this is something that I'm saying, okay, well look. Scarborough needs economic development. Yeah.

Scarborough needs jobs. Mm-hmm. Youth unemployment is high. Why don't we, you know, leverage the funding that the city has in place. Mm-hmm. And then create activations across Scarborough Rouge Park in particular, because each ward gets their own set of funding. And then we could provide economic activity for the region and people could benefit because it is an ethnically diverse mm-hmm.

Community. There's all different, you know, backgrounds and cultural reference. Um, we should be able to watch the game with our, with our kids in a peaceful place. Um, we should be able to watch the games outside, um, and we should be able to watch the games with community. So I said, okay, well why don't we reach out to the zoo?

Why don't we reach out to the Pan Am Center? Why don't we reach out to mm-hmm. You know, different communities within, within the ward and start doing some activations or watch parties. So that's something we're putting together right now. Mm-hmm. Um. The obligation deadline is September the 17th. We're actively putting that together.

Talking to the community stakeholders. Yeah. So that we could do that type of activation. So that's the forward thinking. Mm-hmm. So if someone didn't have a business mindset, yeah. They may not be thinking like that. Mm-hmm. Right. So this is where I say what I'm hitting the ground running. I'm actually hitting the ground running because I have the mindset to put us into that place.

And this is not happening until next year. Yeah. But you gotta start planning today. Planning today. Most definitely. And I think the cornerstone for that planning comes from networking and being present in that community. Yeah. And, and in that mindset to evolve from there. Correct. That's amazing. That's amazing.

Most definitely. And also just to talk about your family life, Sean. Mm-hmm. Um, I know that you're a father, a family man. Mm-hmm. Tell me a little bit about your role there. You mentioned your kids. Yes, I got five kids, four girls, one boy. My, my oldest is 30 and my youngest is 16 going on 17. Your oldest is 30?

Yeah. Oh my God. Okay. Right. So it's, um, you know, it's great. Like it is the motivation that you need to mm-hmm. Make sure that you know, when you have a hard day, and it is not hard, it's not easy. Right. It's not easy to, to run a business. Some days are great, some days are not. Um, some days are profitable.

Some days you are losing, you know, thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars, right? Yeah. So at the end of the day, when you have your kids in your corner, um, and you have your family structure in your corner, it, it makes it. That much more, you know, meaningful because you're doing it for somebody, right?

Yes. You're doing it for purpose, right? Mm-hmm. So, you know, I think it's, um, I think it's the driving force that keeps me going and keeps you, you know, getting up because you want to be able to provide for your family. Mm-hmm. And I think that's the most important piece. Yeah. And being consistently. Uh, being the best role model that you can be for that?

Yeah. Yeah, most definitely. Most definitely. That's, that's very wonderful. And, uh, what legacy do you think that you would love to leave for your family and for anybody who's looking up to you in the community? Um, there's, there's quite a few. Like, even right now, I, I have a star on the Scarborough Walk of Fame.

Mm-hmm. Um, so that's a nice legacy piece, but there's more to be done. And I think, you know, when it's all said and done and you know, my time has come, I want people to know me as, you know, someone that really gave back. Really try to support, and I think that's the most important thing because mm-hmm. You know, you have to live for more than yourself.

Right? And, and, and at the end of the day, if, if you can't live for more than yourself, then what's the point of living? Because none of this could come with you, right? Mm-hmm. So as long as you're giving back. Giving back wholeheartedly and providing full service to, to people. I think that's what people want and I think that's the best thing you could do for, for yourself and for your family and for your community, is to give back.

Yeah. And to give back wholeheartedly. And I think that's the most important thing. Yeah. That's, that's. Wonderful. That's a very good legacy to have. Yeah. Yeah. That's actually, um, you know, gives us a very good, um, lens of, you know, what you're doing, your, your strategy and your goals in the community and also, uh, in, in your journey in your life.

That's amazing. I'm gonna run into the right, uh, lightning round. I'm gonna ask you five quick questions, the shortest, but very, uh, straight answers.

Um, the first one, uh, biggest lesson Scarborough taught you. Uh, community for sure. The biggest lesson is, uh, love your neighbor. Mm-hmm. And, um, really provide, you know, service for people and, and, and be there to help people because, you know, helping your neighbors is, is, is critical and really getting an understanding of who you are and you know, how you build.

Build your network and your community. So I think helping your neighbor and building that is, is very important. Yeah, absolutely. And the next one, uh, one thing every immigrant should do in their first 90 days in the GTA. Uh, come to Scarborough and eat some food. That's the best thing. Oh, I love the food.

Scarborough's the best for food. The best for food. There's so much variety, I think, you know, and I'm always gonna promote Scarborough. That that's my place. I love Toronto. They, I love the food. No, I know. I don't argue with that. I mean, they have the amazing food, you know, especially for my community too. I think big part of my community lives in, uh, Sri Lankans.

Live in, um, Scarborough as well. I live in Scarborough Rouge Park, my area. Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I love the food there. So the food is the best. Yes, most definitely. Um, a code that fools you every day. A code that follows me. I don't know. I don't know. I, I don't know. Let's come back to that one. I'll come back to that one.

You're gonna come back to that one? Yeah. Okay. Let me think about that one. That, that's an important one. Yeah. If you, if you gotta choose between city council or boardroom. Where do you think your heart is at? That's a good one too. Um, but, you know, I've been in a, I've been in boardrooms, uh, quite a bit and I've been in boardrooms that, you know, they didn't really have that much diversity.

Mm-hmm. Right. Um, you know, there's a lot of people pushing to have more diversity mm-hmm. In, in boardrooms, but I think, you know, there needs to be diversity in government as well. Mm-hmm. Right. And I think, you know, it's either you're at the table or you're on the table, and I think that might be the quote right there.

It's either you're at the table or you're on the table. Yeah. Previous question. Yes. Yeah, that's for the previous one. So, but it's either you're at the table or you're on the table. So I think being at the table, um, you know, provides an opportunity to represent, you know, a hundred and, you know, 5,000 people mm-hmm.

As a city council for Scar Ridge Park. Um, but being in government. Because I've never been there before. This is my first time running. Mm-hmm. I think it will provide a different lens mm-hmm. For, you know, engagement and opportunity because now you're speaking for a community as opposed for a company or just a small group of people that you're representing at the boardroom table.

Mm-hmm. Um, you know, some countries aren't even 105,000. Yeah. You see what I'm saying? So when you look at it like that, um. It gives you a whole different perspective as to what impact this role has. Mm-hmm. And I think once you start layering back, you know, the levels of, um, I guess the levels of responsibility mm-hmm.

Then you realize how important the position is, right? Yes. And I think that, I think that is why. Mm-hmm. Uh. I really am looking forward to, you know, a successful campaign and, and really putting myself in a position to win for the community. And, and that's why I put my name in. Yeah, no, I, I see that, I see that with this conversation.

I completely see that. Yeah. Yeah. Must, and I wish you all the best with that. My last question to you though. Sure. Uh, what would you title your next book if you are ordering one? That's a tough one. Um, I never. To be honest, I never even thought about being a part of the first book. You know what I mean? So I, I, I would have to think mm-hmm.

Um, you know, maybe open for business, open for business, open for business. And I think the reason why that is because coming from a business mindset. You know, as the past president of the Scarborough Business Association and you know, the impacts of, you know, the global economic crisis that we're in and how it ties locally to mm-hmm.

You know, the kitchen table conversations and how that impacts, you know, the cost of living and, you know, the decisions to, you know, either go out with. The family for dinner tonight, or stay home and make, you know, a home cooked meal or, you know, pay for Netflix or, you know, pay for YouTube streaming.

Mm-hmm. Um, I think, you know, open for Business provides a lot of opportunity for economic development. Mm-hmm. And it ties directly to your, your kitchen table conversations. And I think, you know, just, you know, from my business mindset and I'm in no way a business grew. I, I won and failed, like I said, but at the same time.

You have to be open to dialogue. And I think, you know, coming in from that mindset gave me an opportunity to be who I am today. Mm-hmm. And I think that would probably be. The, the, the name of a book that I open for business. Yeah. Right. Because you have to be open to communicate, you have to be open to dialogue, you have to be open to conversation.

You have to be open to take some wins and take some losses too. So open for business might be Yeah, most definitely. And be like you, your favorite quote was, um, you are even at either at the table or you're on the table. Yeah. Yeah. And all if, if you don't belong there, just go and create your own table. Go and create your own.

Yeah. So for that, of course you need to be open for business. You need to have that open mindset. Yeah. Networking. Talking to people and creating the opportunity that you truly deserve. Correct? Yeah. Must of. Sean, it's been a wonderful pleasure having you in the talk show. You know, sharing your mission with us today has inspired most of our audience and also the Scarborough region residents.

So we look forward for a successful, um, outcome for you this year. Thank you. It's so good talking to you. Great. Same here. Same here. Thank you. Alright. Thank If this episode sparks something in you, don't keep it to yourself. Share it. Tag a friend. Leave a comment and don't forget to subscribe because the journey to wealth, impact, and personal freedom starts with conversations like this.

This is still around your host, a mother, entrepreneur, and your trusted GTA realtor reminding you the brain is real, but so is the glow up. Until next time, keep showing up, keep growing, and never stop believing in what's possible for you. You are watching the Stella Talk show. We don't just talk, we transform.

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