The Circle of Life Model in Business and Health

What happens when a family crisis inspires a completely new way to do business?

In Episode 06 of Rooted Here, we sit down with Leon Ferguson, the CEO of Stream Group. Leon went straight into the workforce after high school, but his entire perspective shifted during COVID-19 when his mom and sister were both diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Living at the hospital, he saw firsthand how overwhelmed families struggle to understand complicated medical care. He decided to use his business background to fix it.

This is a powerful conversation about building a business that directly takes care of regular people and underserved communities. 

Connect with Stream Group:
🌐 Website: https://streamgroup.ca/

This episode is presented by The Bamboo Podcast Network.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

And then our viewers will get a little more idea. Yeah. What the options are and how you you can help them and what. You bet. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And let your passion come through. I know you're very passionate. Let that come through.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

I don't know why people say that. It makes me worry. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Well those I I guess i i it it it kinda euphemism in the old days of very passionate. Yeah. Passionate. Uh what was it that what legal term uh crime of passion? Yeah. Oh passion, okay, all right. Yeah, what are you talking about here, man? Okay, all right. Okay. Rooted Here, Business and Leadership Podcast. Welcome to Rooted Here, the Business Leadership Podcast. My guest today is Leon Ferguson from the Stream Group. Hi, Leon. Good morning. How you doing? Awesome. Feeling good? Fantastic. All right. Well, it's good too. I'm doing good. I'm feeling good. Yeah. Um, I'm ready to go. Let's get to the first question. Leon, for listeners, just meeting you. How would you describe who you are and what drives you today? Who am I?

SPEAKER_02 1:03

I'm uh passionate.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

The word passionate, yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:08

No, I'm I'm I'm I'm the kind of guy that always wants to do the right thing and try to do as much as I can for everyone, really. Um sometimes that's a great thing, and sometimes it's uh you know, you need to keep that in control because you can do what I've been doing and being uh a busy guy. And I think though, um at the end of the day, uh, you know, you do the right things for the right reasons and the right things happen.

unknown 1:29

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:30

That's kind of my MO, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Yeah. And what was your next question there?

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Uh well the next question, yeah. Well it'll be uh sorry, I thought there was two in there. Well, no, it was just one. Uh uh the next one will be um can you take us back to your early life? Uh and what experience shaped your perspective growing up? All right, okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:54

Well, my moon boots. Your moon boots, yes. The moon boots.

SPEAKER_00 1:59

We just talked about a little story earlier on with Leon. Uh it's kind of interesting. Oh, yeah, right. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:03

So yeah, no, I think really um what shaped me was you know, just the whole aspect of being able to be a part of many different situations, you know, from childhood into uh adolescence and adulthood, and you know, I didn't go your traditional way, you know, go to high high school and university, and then go out. I didn't do it that way. I kind of did it the other way. So I went to work right off the hop and learnt a lot of practicum, right? Not the theory. So I did it kind of backwards.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Right.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

Uh but as a result, I was able to, you know, get to where I am today. Um, but that took a lot of hard work. And I think, you know, sometimes when you're when you're challenged in the when you're at young age is right, like when you have to really grind, and you know, resilience is one thing, but perseverance is another. Right. I think that's kind of what I learned going through and trying to get to where I wanted to be. And right, and that was you know, high expectations. Um I always had that with both myself. I was never settled, I was never no, it was never good enough. I was on myself, you know, like I was, yeah. I I I always tell the people the teams and stuff, I say, hey, we can you guys do something and you want to like and it's it's something to celebrate, take a minute and celebrate it because I didn't do that. Right. I just kept going. I'm like, oh, that's great, and then went just off I went. And uh now I look back and like, ah, you know, we should have took a minute there and had a minute with it.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Well, you know, that's kind of the thing we all kind of regret being young and having the way I guess you call it the piss and vinegar. You just you want to go, go, go, go, achieve the that brass ring and do and make get out there and leave your mark on the world and all that stuff. Yeah, that's right. But you know, you kind of forget to step back and uh smell the roses, so to speak, and enjoy some of those some of those fruits of your labor. Yeah. Um next question. Uh was there a defining moment when you realized you wanted to pursue the kind of work you're doing now?

SPEAKER_02 4:02

Yeah, there was actually. Um it's interesting for me because I have the the two different um organizations and then the foundation, so they all kind of stem together. Uh when I started the the butt uh the business firm, it was to help harmonize high performance. Because when I came out, there was a lot of you know turbulence and people weren't sure what was going on, and it was it was hard times. Um actually it was right during COVID.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:32

That's how smart I am. I I decided to start my own thing during COVID.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

Well, you were brave and bold.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

Often, you know, I just felt the need was there, and uh, you know, I was I was fortunate enough to to you know have some people that saw that in me and saw the track record and said, you know, we want to have that too. Um and then unfortunately what happened with my family, you know, my mom getting sick and then uh having to spend some time with her, uh, you know, with the I don't even know, decade or more of health uh experience in administration, executive level administration. So I kind of had an understanding of that side of the health sector.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

Um, but I wasn't much dialed into the clinical side. Right. So when my mom was sick, that that kind of gave me that exposure, and I recognized there was a big gap between you know the patient and the professional healthcare teams.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

Okay, well, let's get into more of that, and then that's gonna lead into the next uh grouping of questions uh regarding the filing of stream and why we got there, what would it need? Go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

Yeah, no, I was where I was going with it, is that there was no it and the thing is is unfortunately like the health system is getting such a bad rap, like the people in it, you know, like the the all the professionals, and it and it really it's not their fault. Um I was witnessing it because then my sister got sick. So, you know, they're both terminally they have cancer and stage four, so there was a lot of intensity there.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

That must have been very uh tough on you. You you two family members to uh just struggle with this terrible disease.

SPEAKER_02 5:59

Yeah, no, it was never, you know, I mean, everybody I think has somebody or knows somebody that's gone through it now, and it's unfortunate and it's brutal actually. But uh when it happens to you, you're just never ready for that. And no, you know, it you go you think you're going in for something and you're coming out with it all, right? And it's you think you're going in with a pinched nerve and you're coming out with a you need to get your things in order. Like whoa, that's a bit of a switch. And then you know, that happened to my both my mom and my sister, so within about eight months of each other.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Yeah, so I was pretty much living at the hospital at that time, and that's when I recognized me being there was adding value because I was that constant, right? I was there to help the the health professionals and my family, like explaining things to my family in a way that they needed to understand it, because you can't, you know, some people will hear it a medical term and they don't know what that is, but they're too, you know, they don't want to ask. Um, and then the nurses and doctors, they don't have a lot of time to be explaining everything, you know, and sometimes you need to explain it two, three, four times, right? Especially when you're giving that kind of a news. It's like the and then it's you know, the person that's hearing that, and the families are typically it's it's Charlie Brown's teacher at by that time, right? Like you they're not hearing you. Yeah, absolutely. So there's got to be somebody there to kind of capture what what's being said, um, and then support both sides, right? So you could be able to talk to the patients and and their supporters and families, and then you can be able to transfer your methodology and speak with the health professionals in the way that they need the information, so that now everybody's starting to there's a conduit there, right?

SPEAKER_01 7:30

Right.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

Yeah, so be and it's nice and cohesive. So the conflict comes down, and then the information sharing is accurate. Um I found that that was really helpful. So as a c as a result, I ended up looking at it as a potential opportunity, and it took me about two two years to do the business feasibility.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

So this was you you saw a need there or a lack of uh certain things that kind of influenced you into starting the the stream foundation found. Uh well, stream health, yeah. Stream health. So explain how that works then. The stream health.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

Yeah, so essentially uh it it's it's based around uh um advocacy and navigation. So if you if you have a family member, let's say they're here but you're out of town, right? Well then you just call us and we would be there as part of the family. I like to call them care bears. Our care bearers will be there. Yeah, but it's just that kind of that's the vibe I want to put out there. And I mean it it's it's a really special time to be able to be trusted like that by both sides, you know. Um it's a lot of responsibility, but it's really powerful stuff when you can help others. I mean, we helped a lady the other day, and uh you know, unfortunately, because it starts to to normalize, and we we have to be mindful of that. But uh an elderly senior lady uh um went in and and unfortunately she wasn't going home. Oh, okay. So there was a major pivot, and I mean I can't imagine somebody telling me I can't go home.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_02 8:58

And she was done. She's like, I'm not I'm not going anywhere, I'm going home with my cat. Like this cat was her life. Oh, which I make that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 9:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

I'm pretty sure my mom would have tick picked our dog over me. Yeah, you know, for sure. I think that would happen. Um so we found a place, uh, took us like they don't give you much time because they can't. There's just no room. Um, so we found a place for her within I think three days. So we did all the work, got our nice place, they got they kept the cat.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:25

Yeah, so and actually uh she fell about she was in the place for about three or four days. And she fell. Oh, she's still here is because we got her into that place that was that has nursing staff that check in and see how everybody's doing. So they found her. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

Fascinating.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

Yeah, it's little things like that.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

So so that that's one facet of the stream group. Um what's the what are the other facets? You you you got into the other sectors now.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so I've got the business firm, so we're we're all over the place there. Uh I do a lot of work, you know. Um, I'm really blessed uh to support indigenous communities with economic development and then small to medium-sized businesses, but also larger firms. You know, um we're we've got a suite of offerings for like all the professional services. You know, it's a perfect place to come if you're you have an idea, right, but you don't know what to do with it. Okay, you know, and then you can come in and we kind of take you in and see what's going on and work it through with you and then um go through those phases, steps, right? Interesting. And then yeah, and then launch it out for them and see, make sure that they're go doing well. You know, everything from funding and uh governance to you know marketing and sales.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Wow, so it's kind of a one-stop you sound like they don't have to go anywhere else, you just come in with your idea, your business plan, whatever.

SPEAKER_02 10:43

And don't even have a business plan, we'll do that for you. Wow. Yeah. I think sometimes like being an entrepreneur myself, uh when you've never done them, it's it's not easy. No. But when you've done a lot, it's like it gets easier.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

You guys should just give it on.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

I've done a couple of my times, so I I mean I don't want to see entrepreneurs get discouraged because they're caught up in the in the jam. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

Like let's let us do it for you. It'll take us half the time and you can keep that flow going, and that's important to for a visionary, yeah, you know, to keep that vision and not be discouraged by it. Because a lot of times you just you know, who knows how to do ratios?

SPEAKER_00 11:20

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 11:22

Right? Like, okay, but in order for us to get you the funding, you've got to have those things. Um and it makes things easier for them. So yeah, uh it it it's really cool to be able to see some of these cool ideas coming in too. But at the same time, we do fractional work too. So like some of the small businesses and medium-sized businesses, they they don't have much of an appetite for the the having a C-suite person coming in full-time. And and I don't think they need it. Um, but having someone come in for three months, uh, and then give them that opportunity to, you know, uh help them um gain some knowledge and experience from that side and then kind of set them up and then you know circle back every few months, see how they're doing, that's helpful. You know, that's within a budget. That can be that could be attainable. Um and that way they are able to, you know, uh hit their deliverables and their goals within a certain timeline, and they're successful there too. And that's that's awesome to watch when you see them making making it happen.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

Wow. So the uh primary community you got stream service services is uh the first basic community that's primary, or no, I wouldn't say that.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

I I would just say that um you know I'm passionate about it uh just because of my ancestry, but um at the same time, you know, it's it's everyone, you know, and that's part of the values. It's there's no one specific area. Um I just know that some of the economic development that's going on is really exciting. There's lots happening.

SPEAKER_00 12:45

There is a lot happening.

SPEAKER_02 12:46

Yeah, and you know, sometimes we get so stuck in the negative stuff, right? And and I mean there's a fair share of that out there right now, but I try to balance that off with some of the good stuff too.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

Okay. Um why is the work you're doing so important, especially in a place like Saskatoon?

SPEAKER_02 13:04

Well, I think you know it's it helps the greater good. You know, the way I've set it up is it's called the circle of life. And uh the way we've got the organization, so the stream group, right, you know, and then we've got the stream business and then health. I found the two interlock, right? But then I thought there was something missing. And what it was was the community. And I'm big in the community. I do I love to make sure our community is sorted out taken care of, and especially our underserved uh times like this. So I felt like we needed to do something there, and that's when I put the foundation together. So the nonprofit foundation, and and then I determined that we would uh uh commit to a significant part of our net profits from the two uh business and health companies that go into the foundation to keep it sustainable, and then some funding partners. Um and uh so we're gonna work through that phase right now, getting that started up, and um so when you do that, you have the this cool model and and I call it the circle of life because now we're able to help a person, right, right, in business or health, a partner or supporter, because lots of times on the health side, the supporters need the help too, because they're trying to help, they don't know what to do. Right, right. So lots of times we'll bring somebody in, like an expert, you know, that one of the nonprofits have, like they have it's incredible, or they do, and uh I I don't want to replace that. That's what we're doing. We're there doing or we're enhance that, right?

SPEAKER_00 14:29

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

Uh so if there's another organization that does that already, well we'll let let's collaborate. And as a result, what we'll do is fund that uh organization. So when people are investing in stream, they're investing in these nonprofit organizations and community, you know, and then plus we'll do it with the foundation, and then the foundation is the same model as the others. So the money that is coming in is actually streaming out in four different ways. Wow. So as a result, we're helping people, their supporters, families, and then we help the uh the communities, and then employers, okay, and then we help the social uh systems, programming, and then overall ecosystems. Wow. So as you as it goes around as a circle, and that's uh we've got that covered off.

SPEAKER_00 15:15

Fascinating. Uh so if someone wanted to get a hold of you and stream, um, how would they go about it?

SPEAKER_02 15:20

How do you oh it depends on your genre or your age group, right? If you're old like me, then you just pick up the phone. But uh, you know, most people nowadays they're on the the websites and stuff, I just laugh at one of my the director of finance and marketing. He's he's a wizard, you know. I I I just start it makes me feel old, but uh you can do something on that thing 15 seconds, take me 20 days. Yeah. Uh uh, but yeah, just going online. I think under what? What what's it like? Stream Group, Stream Health, Stream Health, Stream Health.ca, Stream Group.ca, okay uh stream advisory.ca, and then stream foundation. Yeah, maybe maybe we can put that up uh on the screen uh that'd be great later. Yeah, I mean that's one thing about this whole thing I've learned is the websites are never done.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

No, never never done. Updates and changing and refreshing them and all that stuff. So yeah. Um let's get into your leadership style here. Uh what would you describe your leadership style in a few words? Okay, or can you describe it in a few words, your leadership style?

SPEAKER_02 16:23

Yeah, I I would say uh trust and validate. Yeah. Yeah. Um lead with examples, you know, um and s and be supportive.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

Yeah. Yeah. That's pretty good. Yeah, absolutely. Um has your approach to leadership changed over time? If so, what shaped that evolution?

SPEAKER_02 16:45

Oh yeah, it's changed lots. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

It would.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Yeah, I mean, i i I had such a great I was so blessed to be able to, you know, uh grow and professionally and personally and and in in so many different ways. Uh I started when I was pretty young. Um so you learn things by lessons. Anybody I don't know, in my mind, if you haven't failed, you haven't learned. Absolutely, I agree with that. If you're not winning, you're learning. And I think when I was younger, I just beat myself up when I when something didn't work the way I thought it should. I was like, oh, but now it's like, hang on a minute, what do we learn from that? Can we pivot? Um and so I always set something up so we, you know, plan, do, plan it, let's do it, let's check it, yeah, and adjust it. So how do you check it? You get your systems involved and things like that. So it's you know, those are the kinds of things that I picked up along the way. And I had some amazing mentors. Like it wasn't just me thing.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

Yeah, it's actually what the uh the question I was gonna ask you. Uh who were, if possible, to name some of the mentors, or uh was there uh advice or tips that uh a mentor had given you in the past that really has helped you along the way as far as running your own organization and in life.

SPEAKER_02 18:00

Yeah, I know I'm blessed. I'm blessed. Um well that right now we have an advisory board, there's 15 of us across the country. Wow, yeah, so there's yeah, there's a few of them in there, and um you know, I think at the end of the day, it it's about um never giving up. You know, keep going and um do what you say you're gonna do, finish what you start, show up on time, say your pleas and thank yous, and always have a smile on your face. You know, that's a pretty it's pretty straightforward, right? Until you get going. And it's like, okay, I just committed to doing that, I gotta get that done. Oh yeah, right, I gotta get that done. And then, oh man, I gotta be there on I'm already late. And then you know what I mean saying. So it's a pretty cool way of saying, you know, be well-rounded, but have integrity.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Um how do you um gain trust in people that have never dealt with streaming uh it's it's multifaceted uh. How do we gain trust? Oh well, how how do you gain trust of uh new clients? Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_02 19:01

You know, I I have this philosophy of uh and the reason why I started uh the Stream Health was that I noticed that humanity and harmony was kind of starting to get sli missing. You know, it was becoming very transactional only because everybody's just jammed up.

SPEAKER_00 19:16

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 19:17

We're in a crisis state, they don't have the time, they want to be, and they're trying to be, everybody's trying, um, but without that minute, uh it's hard. So for us, uh our focus is harmony, um, humanity, uh so respect and safety and cultural and and those things. Um, and then heart-centered. I think we really need to be bringing back that human, heart-centered approach when we're listening and talking. I agree. Yeah. One of the things that uh I learned, and it was a game changer, um, was this is back when I was on my way up and as vice president, and I mean anybody out there that's got a vice president scenario, or even in in that leadership role per se, or or whatever, it doesn't even need to be that. But when you have a lot of things coming at you, uh you forget one big element, and and that's the ability to take second and listen with the intent to understand and not respond. But listen, like understand what they're saying, you know, be present. Yeah, be present with them and and ask those questions. Because a lot of times when you do that, you get to that root cause, and then ooh, okay, that's a problem. We got that. So then now we're dealing with it, and it's way better. Like conflict resolution. I lots of times nowadays when you got all these different ways to communicate.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

That was actually going to be uh the next question. You're pretty in tune here. That's that's pretty good. Look at the I got a mirror in the back. Yeah, I got to see the question. Yeah, uh the next question was gonna be uh um how do you handle conflict uh uh whether within your team or with clients?

SPEAKER_02 20:42

Yeah, you know, to me it's it I I don't ever see it really as a c a conflict per se. I see as it as an opportunity to get to know each other or figure out a an issue, right? I I and I always say let's not uh never attack the people. Just attack the problem or attack the policy or attack, you know, what it is. Um like for the internal teams, a lot I uh 99.9% of the time, it's a policy. And it's one person is they're all everybody's trying to do the right thing. Right. One person's staying in the policy, they're not moving it, and the other person's wanting to bend it, you know, or they're not 100% sure about it. But then it goes into, you know, now I'm mad at you because we haven't talked it out. We're we're doing this through email. Yeah, we're doing it through email, there's no tone, there's no understanding, it's just you know, I get to say what I want, and then and to me I always say if it goes back and forth more than three times, it's time to pick up the phone, right? Um, or people come to the office and I'll say, Okay, what's what are we talking about? Um, and then I'll do the five whys. So you ask why? Why is that happening? And then they'll be like, Oh, listen that. And okay, you can already tell they're both on the wrong page. Um, and then okay, well, why is that? And then you do that five times. I've never gotten to the fifth before we get to the root cause. And then they both figure out I thought you were doing no, no, I wasn't. To do that, oh now now they're buds. You know, now you got a really close bond because we walked through it. Um, and the same with clients, you know, sometimes that happens. It happens, you know, and it's about how do you handle it. It's one thing if you you don't care. You know, I've been around that, and it's like that's different. But when you show that you care and you're doing everything you can do and you're not leaving the situation, uh you commit, you've committed to something, you're gonna stick with it. Uh, I think that makes a big difference with and you communicate.

SPEAKER_00 22:29

I think so too. And and and when people feel uh they're being heard, being valued, they're more in a better position to give you the best they can give you of of themselves. They'll go they'll go that extra yard extra yard, extra mile to help you out. Yeah, to meet you somewhere and meet you halfway.

SPEAKER_02 22:46

Creating a safe space is is really important, especially, you know, I did a lot of work with psychological health and safety.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Okay, let's get into that. You mentioned that once before that was kind of your background, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_02 22:56

Yeah, I spent some time there, yeah. It's interesting. It ages me because um, you know, I'm 22. Yeah. Right?

SPEAKER_00 23:02

Uh I can see it, yes.

SPEAKER_02 23:04

So I uh I and I I'm not gonna say I, we as a team, um, because it was brought to me as an opportunity and I I looked at it, and at the time I was with the health service company and we were working on rehabilitation, we weren't really focused on prevention. And I and I figured there's something missing, but I didn't wasn't sure. So the team came in and said, no, I think we could what about this? And I looked at it, I'm like, this might be it. And yeah, so we rallied around that and uh rebranded the the organization and put psychological health and safety in it. And yeah, we were there before Bell Let's Talk Day and all those kinds of things. Like before it was like mainstream, it was easy to talk about. Well, okay. It was still a big stigma, and you know, really kind of hush-hush. And so there's a lot of sensitive and confidential conversations coming in, you know, from leaderships and talking to us about how do we get past that. So as a result, we put it together a bunch of different programs, um, literacy programs, supports, so on and so forth, built a uh help build an app to help people and their supporters and stuff. So all of that uh we went international, I think, within about a year and a half. And then we were able to provide the the program programming that was customized to these indiv partners or sorry, the um yeah, partners, customers. And they ended up doing fantastic, and some of them were winning like innovation, safety innovation awards and and things like that. So it was really cool, yeah, yeah. Big organizational organizations and stuff. So we knew we were onto something there, and as a result, when I was going through that journey, I I recognized, you know, there's a lot of things I can get from this, and one of them, you know, is creating that safe space. And and how do you do that? Well, to me, as a leader, uh, you don't know all the answers, so don't act like it. Absolutely, right? Be okay with not knowing. You know, uh to me, I I was always uh just you know, um I think people will gravitate to you if they see that you're you're not that person. You know, if you if you if you kind of try to think your way through it, sometimes it's like why do you bother? Like, why don't you just ask? Because I try to build a team that I'm the eight and everybody else is the elevenths. Yes. You know, if I'm the smartest guy in the room, that's not good.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

No, absolutely, I fully agree with that. Um what's one leadership mistake you've made and what did you and what did it teach you? Well, maybe you make no mistakes at all. Oh, there's so many, which one do we do?

SPEAKER_02 25:31

Yeah, yeah. No, I think uh for me, um two to uh I had to recognize that I'm n different than like my drive. Okay. Everybody's different. Right. So we had to make sure that we were all it's like a like a band or an orchestra. You had to be in tune with each other, right? Um and sometimes I was the drummer and not the maestro. Uh so I I I had to figure that out. Um and that I think is you know part of evolution, you know. You anybody I always had a C on my jersey or an A on my jersey, but I was never the best player. Okay, right?

SPEAKER_00 26:13

All right.

SPEAKER_02 26:13

So that came from the younger ages, but I think it's about relatability to people um moving forward with uh that state of vulnerability, being forward being clear on what we need to get done, um, and then helping like getting the team to help you get there. Because then now you have buy-in because you're not coming up with all the solutions. I was trying to do that. I was trying to come up with all the solutions, print provide all the answers, do everything on my own. The solver. No, that was just not, you know, that was yeah. So once I got figuring that out, well, then we really started cruising.

SPEAKER_00 26:42

Beautiful. Um what advice would you give to emerging leaders who would uh want to make a difference in their communities? Hmm.

SPEAKER_02 26:51

Balance.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

Balance?

SPEAKER_02 26:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 26:53

Yeah. In what way? Uh, you know, if you're gonna commit to something, um, make sure it's within your means. You know, it's easy to get caught up in it. I know I did a lot of uh a lot of work when I was younger. Okay. Um and yeah, there was times where it was like, whoa, I said I was gonna do this now, it's like I'm stretched out. So to me, it would be take on what you can. Okay. Um do something you're passionate about. You know, I think it's important to because the community needs everyone right now, and everyone could help. And and and you know, in some ways are helping. Uh, but if you're doing something you're not passionate about, I don't know, are you getting something out of it or is are you giving it your best to the community?

SPEAKER_00 27:34

Okay, wow. Um what's something people often misunderstand about the communities about the communities you serve? Misconceptions of those communities.

SPEAKER_02 27:46

Uh lack of communication. Okay. The ability to communicate with each other, I think is the biggest thing. I think we're at a precipice right now that um if we could get on the same page and start talking with each other with the intent to understand and not respond. Right. I set up a uh one time I set up a couple of years, um, workshops in Gala for mental health. Okay. It was a nonprofit initiative called Breaking Barriers. It was um and it was something I thought, well, I it was again, it was a team initiative. Um we're driving to regeneral, never forget it. I'm like, why can't we not get everybody just talking to each other, right? Like all these silos. And we came up with this idea about bringing everybody together. So we brought all the silos together into one building and we had everyone speak about their silos. And next thing you know, everybody's like, hey, we're kind of on the same page here. And wow, look at that. We started getting some fundamental you know platforms figured out, and uh it was really cool that way. So then we had speakers come in and help with that aspect. So um, yeah, no, I think it's just a matter of uh staying connected and and um and and doing those kinds of things.

SPEAKER_00 28:52

Okay. Uh looking ahead, what's your vision for the stream group over the next five to ten years?

SPEAKER_02 28:58

Oh, yeah, we'll be international and big conglomerate. Good. Looking forward to it. Yeah. Uh no, I really want us to get to you know um the next stage. Right now, we're still in that in to see kind of getting it all sorted out. But um, excuse me. But uh I'm really looking forward to getting that foundation going, um, getting our funding partners there and uh really you know, getting our programs out there, supporting team um communities. The nice thing about us is we can come into a community and help with governance, right? We can help structure, we can help do all those things that that the minutiae, but it's so important, you know, and at the same time, we can then provide the services and programs. But what I like to do is to try to do it that way at the same time with the initiative to uh the end games to employ their their community, right? So bringing people in from the community and learning how to do it, and uh, and then all of a sudden, okay, that's that's that's good. Okay. And then once we get them going, then they're self-sustainable and and and we we move on to the next one. Beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 30:03

Uh what legacy do you hope to leave through your work? Oh, that's a good question. Legacy, that's a big one, eh?

SPEAKER_02 30:10

It is, you know, it really is a big word. It is, yeah, yeah. I think it's just about being kind, you know, and and being yourself. Um I think if we can do more of that, being that genuine, you know, um person, uh and not being judged. I think that we'll start creating safe spaces, and then all of a sudden you watch how people start talking. You know, that's pretty special stuff. So I hope my legacy is around that communication and you know, the ability to communicate and and uh I don't know, when you talk with me, it's a little different. It might be, eh.

SPEAKER_00 30:43

Uh you were telling me that uh you uh have just uh finished your first book. Yeah, that's a little more about that. Yeah, yeah, I don't know what I'm doing. I uh Yeah, but you author here on the on the show. I'm on the show, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 30:56

Okay, no, no, it's been a good it was a great experience. Yeah, yeah, it was really a great experience. I uh I oversimplify a lot of things. Yeah, and so I thought I'll just put this together. And I I honestly I didn't really want to talk about my life. You know, I didn't I didn't think it was really necessary. I thought I'm just one of millions, right? I think that's a normal thing too. Yeah, yeah. So I was really quite not sure if this would be like why would somebody read my book? But then you got talking to people about what I've been through and what I've accomplished and what I've done.

SPEAKER_00 31:24

So it's like a it's like a memoir that's it's it's a memoir.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

And on each chapter, it's gonna have um awareness and education and then some tools and some supports on that segment, right? So each each chapter has a little bit of something to come out of it. And it's uh it's a it's a it's kind of a fun book. It's a it's there's a lot of depth to it. Okay. Um well, my kind of depth, but um the intent was to really create that that uh underlining uh feeling of you're s you're gonna be okay, uh and uh you know just uh keep moving forward, um be kind to yourself and be kind to others. Okay. Um and uh at the same time in my mind, uh the quality of your life will be indicated by the way you communicate to yourself and to others. So if you're talking to yourself negatively all the time, which we all do, um it's pretty hard to to be optimistic and you know think about things like there's a lot of things going on right now around transformation and manifestation and transcendence and you know that is part of the that was part of the book.

SPEAKER_01 32:35

Right.

SPEAKER_02 32:35

But I'm not talking I'm not telling it from an ivory tower. Like I'm I'm telling it while I'm in the trenches with someone who's lived is someone who's trial and tribulations of life.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

Yeah, it's all it's all I can say in a way it kind of sounds like it'd be uh a book of uh I mean strategies or tools to that big life, yeah, from your experience.

SPEAKER_02 32:51

Yeah, yeah. And then I try to have some fun with it too, because if you know me, I got a a quirky side of me. So I like to have a little humor, a little fun. Fun loving. Yeah, yeah. So I we'll see. I mean, uh some big publishers have looked at it and I was like, oh you know, you okay. It's one thing to write one, it's another to let others read it.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

Yeah, put it out there and be vulnerable, right?

SPEAKER_02 33:12

Especially when it's about yourself. Yeah. If it was just about my moon boots back and live long, it'd be one thing, but it's not. It's it's part of the book. But uh so now I've actually had some some readers look at it and stuff, and then and everybody's coming back, so I'm pretty excited about it. Okay. I'm starting to get excited about it. Nervously excited.

SPEAKER_00 33:28

I'm excited about it. I can't wait to get a copy there. Yeah, I wish I had one for you right now.

SPEAKER_02 33:32

Read it, yeah. We're yeah, we're in the editing space, and I don't know if anybody's ever wrote a book, but uh I thought I was done.

SPEAKER_00 33:38

Well, hey, I tell you what, uh what would it uh would you actually have get it all finished up and squared away and published? Uh we're gonna bring it back on. We'll bring you back in and we can talk about the book and stuff that too. Anytime I come speak with you, that's pretty. Um we're actually at the end of the uh show here, and this is the part I love. It's the uh rapid fire round. That's just a series of questions. You just quickly answer them. Okay, and uh don't think too hard on them. Let's see uh one word to describe your journey. Exciting. Okay. A book that impacted you. No, it's on the tip of my tongue. Don't see a mad magazine. Yeah, mad magazine.

SPEAKER_02 34:16

Uh how to win friends and influence people.

SPEAKER_00 34:18

Good one. That's a good one. Uh a habit that keeps you grounded.

SPEAKER_02 34:25

Do what you say. Yeah? Yeah, finish what you start.

SPEAKER_00 34:31

Okay. Uh biggest lesson lesson from failure. Don't overcommit. Don't overcommit. Okay. Uh someone you admire. That's it could be living or past.

SPEAKER_02 34:49

I want to say JFK Muhammad Ali. Oh, yeah, that was a good one. Icons. There's so many. Oh, there's I'm big on that stuff. I'm always reading on the icons and learning from the history and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 35:01

Um, a place to Saskatoon that makes you feel at home.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

Oh, everybody. Or like home. You know, that's the thing with Saskatoon, is it's a pretty it's a pretty cool place to be. It is, you think about it. It is. I uh I've been able to I've been blessed to travel all over the world, and it's something else when you when you land and you're back in Saskatoon. Everywhere you go, kind of thing. It's it's a you got that little bit of a vibe, but you're good. You know? So yeah, to answer that, that's a tough one. Everybody's here is pretty friendly, um, doing their best. So yeah, I don't know. That's a great question. Overall, I guess the whole city I guess.

SPEAKER_00 35:35

I mean, yeah, I guess it's just that, except when we start driving around, then it gets a little bit, you know. River Bang, the restaurant, cafe, whatever.

SPEAKER_02 35:40

Yeah, we got a beautiful city here. We do. Yeah, I mean, um Canada's a beautiful place.

SPEAKER_00 35:44

It is overall. Music you turn to when you need clarity.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

Oh, that's a great one. Um, you know, I'm a big Eddie Vatter fan.

SPEAKER_00 35:55

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:55

I am I saw them live. No, come on.

SPEAKER_00 35:57

So I'm live back in '93 in Vancouver. It's PE. Shout out. Hey, right. That's good. So that's gonna be that's on my bucket list.

SPEAKER_02 36:05

Um but yeah, no, I think it's just keeping things um on the same same vibe, yeah, or pulling you out of a vibe to get you into something else. Okay. You know, there's times I'm open my genres are all over the place.

SPEAKER_00 36:18

So we are one piece of advice to your younger self.

SPEAKER_02 36:25

There's one. Patience. Patience. Yeah, yeah. Don't try to do it all in one day.

SPEAKER_00 36:31

Okay. Uh final one. What does rooted here mean to you?

SPEAKER_02 36:38

Commitment.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

Commitment.

SPEAKER_02 36:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 36:40

Yeah. Beautiful. Rooted here means you everybody pitches in, right? It's how you grow the trees. Plant the seed, but you've got to have the water and everything else.

SPEAKER_00 36:48

Yeah, absolutely. Beautiful. Perfect. Yeah. Well, thank you, Leon. Thank you. Thank you for coming down and agreeing to be on the podcast. Absolutely. Thanks a lot. Looking forward to having you back and when we talk about the book when it comes to the city.

SPEAKER_02 36:57

Yeah, I'm really excited and nervous about that.

SPEAKER_00 36:59

I mean, I'd get to read it. Yeah, I'm going to have to begin now because you've got to be a pretty big guy here. Get on your schedule now.

SPEAKER_02 37:05

It's a little nuts lately, but no, I always have time and uh anything I can do to any for anybody. You know, um, I I really enjoy doing that. So perfect. Yeah. All right, thanks. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 37:14

Rooted here, business and leadership podcast.