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Entrepreneurship Episodes

The Future of Podcasting, Media, and Audience Attention with Paul Riismandel
347
June 2, 2026

The Future of Podcasting, Media, and Audience Attention with Paul Riismandel

In Episode 347 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Paul Riismandel, President of Signal Hill Insights and one of the leading voices in podcast audience research, to explore the future of podcasting, media, and audience attention. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in digital audio, podcasting, advertising, and audience measurement, Paul shares what creators, entrepreneurs, marketers, and business leaders need to understand about where the industry is hea...
Guest: Paul Riismandel
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The Skilled Trades Crisis No One Is Talking About with Manja Horner
340
May 9, 2026

The Skilled Trades Crisis No One Is Talking About with Manja Horner

Episode 340 of The Business Development Podcast features a powerful conversation with Manja Horner, founder of Boost LD, on the hidden skilled trades crisis happening across North America. As experienced tradespeople retire, companies are losing decades of knowledge, systems, instincts, and expertise that were never properly documented or passed down. Kelly and Manja dive deep into workforce development, retention, onboarding, leadership, and why the future of the trades depends on capturing and...
Guest: Manja Horner
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Why Your LinkedIn Content Isn’t Getting You Clients with Charlotte Lloyd
338
May 2, 2026

Why Your LinkedIn Content Isn’t Getting You Clients with Charlotte Lloyd

In Episode 338 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Charlotte Lloyd to break down one of the biggest misconceptions in modern business development: that content alone will bring you clients. With over 20 years in B2B sales and millions in closed revenue, Charlotte shares how LinkedIn is often misunderstood as a content platform when in reality, it’s a conversation platform. She explains why most entrepreneurs struggle to convert attention into revenue, and how the re...
Guest: Charlotte Lloyd
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Canada Is Losing Businesses Faster Than It Can Replace Them with Brianna Solberg
337
April 28, 2026

Canada Is Losing Businesses Faster Than It Can Replace Them with Brianna Solberg

Episode 337 of The Business Development Podcast features a powerful and timely conversation with Brianna Solberg of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, diving deep into what is now being called Canada’s “Entrepreneurial Drought.” Backed by real data, the episode uncovers a troubling reality: more businesses are closing than opening in Canada for six consecutive quarters, marking the worst startup activity outside of the pandemic. Together, Kelly and Brianna break down the mounting p...
Guest: Brianna Solberg
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Your Lead Problem Might Be a Referral Problem with Andrew Z. Brown
336
April 25, 2026

Your Lead Problem Might Be a Referral Problem with Andrew Z. Brown

In episode 336 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly sits down with Andrew Z. Brown, a leading authority in B2B referral marketing, strategic alliances, and sales acceleration, to unpack a powerful truth most businesses overlook. Your biggest deals are not coming from cold outreach, ads, or chasing leads. They are coming from referrals. Andrew explains how a well timed and well informed referral can move a prospect from the top of the funnel to the bottom, often eliminating competitors enti...
Guest: Andrew Z. Brown
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Feel and Grow Rich with Rochelle Carrington
335
April 21, 2026

Feel and Grow Rich with Rochelle Carrington

Episode 335 of The Business Development Podcast features Rochelle Carrington, a former seven-figure sales leader who now helps high performers break through the invisible barriers holding them back. In this conversation, Rochelle introduces the concept of “performance drag,” the accumulated emotional pressure in the nervous system that quietly slows decision-making, clouds clarity, and makes growth feel harder than it should. She challenges the traditional belief that success starts with mindset...
Guest: Rochelle Carrington
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From Tragedy to The Inspired Leader with Ally Stone
334
April 18, 2026

From Tragedy to The Inspired Leader with Ally Stone

Episode 334 with Ally Stone is a powerful journey through leadership, resilience, and what it truly means to put people first when everything is on the line. From building and scaling a multi-million-dollar restaurant group to leading through one of the most emotionally intense moments in business during COVID, Ally shares how real leadership shows up in action, not words. Her decision to feed hundreds of employees when the business shut down, instead of protecting margins, is a defining moment ...
Guest: Ally Stone
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We Knew Before It Happened with Mike Schoenberger
333
April 14, 2026

We Knew Before It Happened with Mike Schoenberger

Some moments in life don’t make sense… but they stay with you forever. In Episode 333 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Mike Schoenberger, CEO of Sunco Communications, for a conversation that goes far beyond business strategy. Together, they explore two deeply personal experiences they’ve never fully been able to explain, moments where they both knew something had happened before they were ever told. What unfolds is a powerful discussion on human connection, intui...
Guest: Mike Schoenberger
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Everyone Needs to Think and Act Strategically with Jeroen Kraaijenbrink
332
April 11, 2026

Everyone Needs to Think and Act Strategically with Jeroen Kraaijenbrink

In Episode 332 of The Business Development Podcast, Jeroen Kraaijenbrink challenges one of the most common misconceptions in business today: that strategy belongs to leadership. With over 20 years of experience across academia and consulting, Jeroen breaks down why traditional, top-down strategy approaches consistently fail and what it really takes to build strategies that stick. His human-centered approach reframes strategy as a shared capability, not a static plan, and introduces the idea that...
Guest: Jeroen Kraaijenbrink
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Why Most People Quit Before It Finally Clicks with Jordan Labelle
330
April 4, 2026

Why Most People Quit Before It Finally Clicks with Jordan Labelle

In Episode 330 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Jordan Labelle, entrepreneur, strategist, and founder of Evergreen Growth Collective, to break down what actually drives long-term success in business. Jordan shares his journey through corporate, startup, and solopreneur life, revealing how each step wasn’t failure, but refinement. Together, they challenge the traditional “hustle harder” mindset and unpack why most founders burn out trying to do everything instead ...
Guest: Jordan Labelle
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Why You Freeze Under Pressure and How to Take Control with Nausheen I. Chen
329
March 31, 2026

Why You Freeze Under Pressure and How to Take Control with Nausheen I. Chen

In Episode 329 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Nausheen I. Chen, 3x TEDx speaker and Fortune 500 communication coach, to unpack why so many capable leaders struggle when it’s time to speak. From the fight, flight, or freeze response to the pressure of being seen and judged, Nausheen explains what’s really happening in your brain when you feel nervous, lose your words, or freeze under pressure. This episode breaks down the psychology behind communication and why ...
Guest: Nausheen I Chen
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Make Fun Your Competitive Advantage with Joel Zeff
327
March 24, 2026

Make Fun Your Competitive Advantage with Joel Zeff

Episode 327 of The Business Development Podcast features Joel Zeff, a nationally recognized speaker, humorist, and work culture expert who has spent more than 25 years helping organizations build stronger teams and better leaders. In this conversation, Joel shares how losing his job became one of the most defining moments of his life when he walked out with a harmonica he did not even know how to play and used that moment to choose energy, humor, and resilience over defeat. That story becomes th...
Guest: Joel Zeff
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I Asked for Help Before I Lost Everything with Chris Yeung
326
March 21, 2026

I Asked for Help Before I Lost Everything with Chris Yeung

Episode 326 of The Business Development Podcast features Chris Yeung, one of Edmonton’s most recognized business leaders, as he shares the defining moments that reshaped his life, career, and perspective on success. From building momentum in business development and entrepreneurship to facing the very real possibility of losing everything, Chris opens up about the pressure, the setbacks, and the moment he was forced to confront his ego and ask for help. What followed was not a quick fix, but a c...
Guest: Chris Yeung
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Why You’re Mentally Strong But Physically Drained with Jodi Barrett
325
March 17, 2026

Why You’re Mentally Strong But Physically Drained with Jodi Barrett

Episode 325 is a powerful conversation with Jodi Barrett that explores the gap between mental strength and physical capacity. As high performers, many of us pride ourselves on pushing through challenges, staying disciplined, and showing up no matter what. But as Jodi shares through her own experience, there comes a point where the body starts to push back. What looks like strength on the outside can hide fatigue, disconnection, and a system that is no longer able to support the pace of life we a...
Guest: Jodi Barrett
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A Story of Survival, Healing, and Purpose with Kris Marks
324
March 14, 2026

A Story of Survival, Healing, and Purpose with Kris Marks

In Episode 324 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Kris Marks, CEO of VIV Mental Health, keynote speaker, and psychological health and safety advisor, for one of the most powerful conversations on the show to date. Kris shares his deeply personal journey from trauma, homelessness, and a suicide attempt to becoming a national voice for mental health leadership and psychological safety in workplaces and communities. His story is raw, honest, and deeply human, revealin...
Guest: Kristopher Marks
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Why Hiring Employees Might Be the Worst Way to Scale with Pia Silva
323
March 10, 2026

Why Hiring Employees Might Be the Worst Way to Scale with Pia Silva

In Episode 323 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy welcomes back entrepreneur, brand strategist, and bestselling author Pia Silva to dive into the philosophy behind her newest book, Scale Solo . Pia shares the story of how building a traditional agency with employees nearly pushed her business into debt and forced her to rethink everything about growth. Instead of chasing the conventional path of hiring more people and increasing overhead, Pia developed a radically different model...
Guest: Pia Silva
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Build a Badass Brand That Commands Premium Prices with Pia Silva
322
March 7, 2026

Build a Badass Brand That Commands Premium Prices with Pia Silva

In Episode 322 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with entrepreneur, brand strategist, and bestselling author Pia Silva to explore what it really takes to build a brand that stands out and commands premium pricing. Pia shares her journey from hustling hourly design work with her husband to building a powerful branding business after facing a moment of crisis when their agency found itself $40,000 in debt with no cash left. That turning point forced them to rethink every...
Guest: Pia Silva
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Why Most Growing Businesses Eventually Break with Ron Szekely
320
Feb. 28, 2026

Why Most Growing Businesses Eventually Break with Ron Szekely

In Episode 320 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Ron Szekely, Co Founder of BOS360 and a veteran marketing executive who helped scale powerhouse brands like L’Oreal and Keurig Dr Pepper. Ron shares what he learned working inside billion dollar organizations and how those lessons translate to founder led companies navigating growth today. He explains why businesses often become more fragile as they scale, how founders unknowingly become the bottleneck, and why clar...
Guest: Ron Szekely
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Buy a Company and Build an Empire with Jamie Crozier
319
Feb. 24, 2026

Buy a Company and Build an Empire with Jamie Crozier

In Episode 319 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Jamie Crozier, an entrepreneur who did something most people only dream about. He bought the company he once worked for. Jamie shares his journey from stocking shelves at a dollar store to building his career in industrial sales, eventually acquiring Thunder Bay Hydraulics and expanding through the acquisition of Custom Hydraulics and the founding of Atlas Elite Lifts. His story is a powerful reminder that ownership...
Guest: Jamie Crozier
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Success Lives in the Moment Before You Go Over the Edge with Jemia & Tim Zagiel
318
Feb. 21, 2026

Success Lives in the Moment Before You Go Over the Edge with Jemia & Tim Zagiel

In Episode 318 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Jemia and Tim Zagiel, Co-Founders of Pacific Ropes, to explore what it truly means to build a business in an environment where courage is not optional. What began as a small operation run from their living room grew into an industry-leading rope access company that helped modernize safety and training standards across Western Canada. Tim shares how his early experiences working on ropes without proper systems sparke...
Guests: Jemia Zagiel, Tim Zagiel
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Reinventing Mining Through Electric Rail with Aaron Lambert
316
Feb. 14, 2026

Reinventing Mining Through Electric Rail with Aaron Lambert

Episode 316 of The Business Development Podcast features Aaron Lambert, mining technology innovator and founder of RIINO, a company developing a modular electric rail haulage system designed to transform how mines move rock, equipment, and eventually people. Aaron takes us deep into modern mining, explaining how underground operations have evolved, why development has become slower and more expensive over time, and how safety, logistics, and economics are constantly in tension. We then explore t...
Guest: Aaron Lambert
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Canada’s Live Music Boom Is Ready to Explode With Erin Benjamin
315
Feb. 10, 2026

Canada’s Live Music Boom Is Ready to Explode With Erin Benjamin

Episode 315 dives into a conversation Canada needs to be having right now. Erin Benjamin, President and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, breaks down why live music is one of the most powerful and misunderstood economic engines in the country. This episode goes far beyond concerts and culture, unpacking how live music fuels jobs, tourism, talent attraction, and city growth, while contributing billions to Canada’s GDP. Despite its impact, the industry remains largely undervalued and und...
Guest: Erin Benjamin
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How AMII Helps Businesses Adapt to AI with Adam Danyleyko
314
Feb. 7, 2026

How AMII Helps Businesses Adapt to AI with Adam Danyleyko

Episode 314 features Adam Danyleyko from AMII (the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) breaking down what AMII actually does and how they help organizations move from AI curiosity to real adoption. Adam explains AMII’s foundation in world class research and how the institute translates that research into industry impact by supporting everyone from startups to large corporations through training, shared AI language inside teams, roadmap building, and hands on proof of concept work. The real l...
Guest: Adam Danyleyko
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Only Book What You’re Willing to Own
313
Feb. 3, 2026

Only Book What You’re Willing to Own

In episode 313, Kelly shares a hard lesson from a time he tried to “help” a client by booking a series of account management meetings he was not going to attend. The introductions were easy because the trust and credibility were already built, and the prospects said yes because of Kelly’s relationship with them. But once the client missed one meeting, then another, Kelly realized the damage was landing on his name, not theirs. Instead of doing business development, he found himself apologizing, ...
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