You Are Going to Be OK and 10 Tips Will Help You Keep the Faith

You Are Going to Be OK and 10 Tips Will Help You Keep the Faith

Kelly Kennedy: What if I told you that no matter what happens, you are absolutely going to be okay On this very special episode of the Business Development Podcast. We go in a completely different direction than I thought we were going to go. Every once in a while a show just writes itself, but this one. It just had to be.

And today we're talking all about the universe as one of my favorite podcasters. Jim Harold always says It's too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence. Today we're talking about the things that just line up the right way and, uh, how to stack the odds more in your favor. Stick with us if you need to pick me up, this is an episode you are not gonna wanna miss.

Intro: The Great Mark Cuban once said, business happens over years and years. Value is measured in the total upside of a business relationship, not by how much you squeezed out in any one deal. And we couldn't agree more. This is the Business Development podcast based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In broadcasting to the world, you'll get expert business development advice, tips, and experiences, and you'll hear interviews with business owners, CEOs. And business development reps. You'll get actionable advice on how to grow business, brought to you by Capital Business Development Capitalbd.ca. Let's do it.

Welcome to the The Business Development Podcast, and now your expert host. Kelly Kennedy.

Kelly Kennedy: Hello. Welcome to episode 291 of the Business Development Podcast, and today I wanted to start this episode with gratitude. When I started this show nearly 300 episodes ago, I had no idea what I was doing, guys, no clue.

Uh, never touched equipment like this in my life. I was a relatively new entrepreneur, a career business development professional, a partner, a stepdad, and I knew that I wanted to give back to an industry that had given me so much. Honestly, at that time, guys, I would've been happy having a listener in the next city, let alone in 152 countries around the world.

Wow. But that's not what happened. Obviously we grew and you all motivated me along the way. Even companies got on board, like Hypervac atWork Office Furniture, Fabled Solutions, Pacific Ropes, and more. I was able to pursue coaching and I found that I had a passion for teaching. From there, we launched the Catalyst Club, a support community for founders, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and business developers around the world.

And none of this would've been possible without you, our rockstar listeners of the Business Development Podcast, you guys are incredible. Thank you so much for believing in me, for believing in this show, for telling your friends and family, and most of all for coming back week over week, month over month and year over year.

As we prepare to head into 2026, I don't know what comes next, but I promise to keep showing up for you. We are already guest recorded at this time to episode 370 and 2026 is shaping up to be our biggest year yet. Thank you rock stars. You are amazing. I deeply appreciate each and every one of you.

Now, if you can't already tell, I'm coming to this episode from a place of gratitude. I actually had a very different show planned than the one you were hearing today. But like any good business, sometimes you have to pivot when the circumstances change. On Friday, I had one of the craziest days as an entrepreneur and a podcaster that I have probably had in the entire year of 2025.

The day started pretty normal. Fridays on the Business Development podcast are both interview and guest show production days. A typical morning looks like this. I get up, I get Jett up, I get 'em something to eat. We put the boys lunches together, we get them off to school, we get our coffee. The day begins. I start prepping for my interviews on this day.

Check check. Boys are out the door, jet is fed, coffee is made and I am sitting down prepping for two massive interviews. And at 8:30 my phone dings. It's a text from one of my top clients and it said this. Hey Kelly, would we be able to pause your services for the next four to five months? Our team is running into challenges, and I don't think we're ready for this at the moment.

Now keep in mind, I have zero context for what's going on for this message, and I have zero time to address it ahead of two huge back, back-to-back interviews with Jake Gold and Douglas Conant. So I did the only thing that I could do in that moment, I got down on one knee. I set a prayer. I asked God for protection for a great interview and for the strength to become the man I was always meant to be.

My first interview of the day was with Jake Gold, the music manager of the Tragically Hip and six season Canadian Idol Judge. To say that I was nervous was an understatement. My second interview was with Douglas Conant of Conant Leadership and the former leader of the Campbell Soup Company, Avon, Nabisco and more.

And yes, I was also very nervous for this one too. Now, as you can imagine, with two big interviews like that, I was already under quite a bit of stress for that day. I could have let that message really get under my skin and tank my morning. It would've been very easy to have done that, but I chose to make a different decision.

I chose to give it to a higher power and ask for help. Instead, I went on to crush Both interviews, had a great time and a smile on my face, and I am pleased to say that both Jake Gold and Douglas Conant are as exceptional in person as they are in the media. Now we have two more amazing shows coming to you in 2026.

Once the interviews were done, I spoke with my client and we both agreed to complete the contract, and as soon as I got off that call, I had another email from a proposal that I was waiting on. And of course, the terms were agreed to. Then I had a meeting request come in from a local entrepreneurship organization chatting about setting up a meeting for 2026 to discuss potential partnerships.

And of course you must be thinking we gotta be done, right? Like this is ridiculous. Nope. Right after that, I got a call from a past client moving into a new position and wanting me to meet his new CEO for yet another potential partnership. From there, I went into probably the most peaceful weekend that I've had in many months, and then on Monday I had all the motivation and the momentum to finally complete and release my updated Business Development Mastery one-to-one program, which I am super, super excited about.

Now, guys. It's gonna sound a bit wild. Believe it or not, this very same thing happened to me about 15 months ago. I had a big contract that I'd worked on for over two years, come to an end fairly abruptly as the company was going through a massive internal transformation and within a couple of days of me finding that out, an opportunity comes in out of the blue one that I didn't see coming, and that opportunity becomes the next stepping stone to where we're at today, no matter what's going on in my life.

In my personal life, in my professional life, or in my business. When I need help, when I need help the most, and that next stepping stone to step on, it always arrives. Does that mean that I don't get scared? Of course not. Guys. I'm scared all the time. Even though great things do you tend to come through, of course you're always worrying about what can come next.

So of course I'm scared. Does that mean that I don't keep trying and putting in the effort? No. I work harder now than I ever have in my entire life, guys. I don't necessarily just wait for good things to fall on my lap. I try to do everything possible to tip the odds in my favor. You know, even with that proposal, like, you know, you think about that, it's like that's the best day possible for a proposal to come back in and say, yeah, we love this.

Let's go. But once again, that doesn't happen if you are not putting in the work. So even though the universe is doing stuff for you, you still have to be out there putting in the effort. What's the saying? God helps those who help themselves. That's what people are talking about when they say that you have to ultimately be putting in that effort, trying to move yourself forward, kicking the stones out into the universe and hoping that some of them come back.

Some of you might be asking, does that mean that we can't fail? And I would say it's not that we fail, it's that sometimes doors close and we're asked to go in a different direction. I want you to think about this. This has happened many, many, many times throughout your life. Whether it be a partnership that went poorly, you know, a girlfriend or boyfriend that didn't work out, a job that didn't work out a deal that fell through a car that stopped working.

You name it. Think about all of those things that just didn't work out for you. Every single one of those things turned you into the person you are today shaped and molded the life you have today. And I would be willing to bet that your life has incrementally gotten better and better and better. And I know for some of us, we can look back at that life and say, man, thank God that didn't happen.

Right. There's a lot of things where in the moment we want something different, but the universe has a bigger plan for each and every one of us. Now, what I do believe guys is this, and once again, your beliefs are your beliefs and yours alone to come to your own decisions. My beliefs are shaped from my own life experience.

I believe that there is a higher power at play behind everything that we do. Whether you call it God, Karma, The Universe, or something else, it doesn't matter. As one of my favorite podcasters, Jim Harold would say, sometimes it's too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence, and I think each and every one of you have moments in your life where you know that to be true.

We are all on our own personal journeys. We all have a purpose, and I believe that when we are on the right path, the universe will provide for you when you need it most. It's weird, guys. It's like if you've chosen to go down a path and you're putting everything you got into that, it's amazing how the things line up for you.

And I get it. You know, it doesn't always work out and sometimes it goes in a completely different direction than you planned. But like I said, I think if you're on the right path. Things are going to line up in the right direction for you. Now, does that mean that it's all lollipops and rainbows? Of course not.

The defining moments of your life tend to be shaped through the hardships that you have overcome. If I look at the Kelly that I am today. Man, it's been molded in fire, guys. Like I've genuinely lost friends, like dead. Um, I've lost jobs. I've had lots of things not go the right way. I've had many relationships fail.

It has not been all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. Um. One of the hardest things that I've ever gone through was quitting smoking. I know there's a lot of you who might be able to hop on board with that, but quitting smoking was an absolute nightmare. And really I do think shaped a lot of my resilience, uh, uh, moving forward.

So there's a lot of things in life that do shape who you become. And most of those things that shape you, they are through overcoming hardship, whether mental hardship, physical hardship, or something else. At 36, like I said, guys, I've lost relationships. I've lost friends. I've lost jobs, I've lost hobbies.

But most of all, it has led me to become the man I am today. All of those things shaped the person talking to you through this microphone right now. And I could never have predicted that I would be where I am or even who I am today. Just five years ago, none of this guys was in the plans. Literally, almost none of it.

And the same is true likely for nearly each and every one of you who are listening here today, I. Your path will never be defined by your five or 10 year plans, and I know that that's a little bit hard to understand because so many of you have been told, make your five year plan, make your 10 year plan, make your vision boards right.

I'm right there with you. Every single year I write out my annual plan. But here's the thing. The best opportunities that have ever happened to me in my life came outta left field, was an opportunity that I didn't see coming where the universe just seemed to line up in the right way. And it was like, there's the choice, Kelly, take it.

Take it. Here it is. I'm gonna lay it out for you on a silver platter. Right? I feel like the best opportunities, they feel that way. You don't see them coming. And at this point in my life, I believe that success in anything. Comes from a belief that no matter what, you are going to be okay. If you are able to say, look, you know, I don't know the path, but I, I have faith.

I know that I'm on the right path. I know that I'm journeying in the right direction. I know where my compass goes. And as long as you know where your compass is pointing. The right opportunities are going to show up and going to become obvious. And all you have to do is say yes to the big opportunities that the universe has in store for you.

Once you take a step in a direction, the next will always be revealed to you. And that's the thing that I notice, guys, no matter what you start, no matter what you start in life, what direction, what project, once you say yes, and I'm going to start in this direction, and you just take one step, and I want you to think about it like the Hobbit, right?

Bilbo Baggins. He's got a big mission. He's gotta go all the way to the mountain and slay the dragon and get the gold right. That's a heck of a journey, isn't it? We know The Hobbit is a heck of a journey. It all started the moment he took a step out of the Shire, and it was one step after another.

But the cool thing about taking a step is that every big journey, every monumental success, every enterprise, every movement. Everything starts with somebody taking one step in the right direction. And the cool thing is, is that once you take that step, the next step becomes obvious and the next step becomes obvious and someone else joins in on the journey.

And now you're not walking alone, you're walking together. It's absolutely incredible. But remember, everything starts from a single step no matter how small Now. Every choice you make will define the opportunities that come your way. So it's not just enough to take steps. We also have to make choices as well.

Now during COVID, I chose entrepreneurship. Things weren't looking super hot at the company that I'd worked at for 10 years. The options were on the table, they weren't good. I basically was going to either need to find another job or take the leap into entrepreneurship, and I chose entrepreneurship over employment, and that path allowed me to perfect my business development process, and once my process was perfect.

It boosted my confidence, which led me to an enterprise contract with a very large Canadian oil and gas maintenance provider. That project provided me with both the time and the money to pursue this very podcast. And of course, when I started to toy with the idea of what if I gave back to the business development and entrepreneurship community, what if I started sharing what I knew about business development and started going down that path?

I had to come up with a name, right? Well, guess what? How is it even possible that in 2023, the name, the Business Development Podcast? The Business Development Podcast was available in 2023? Somehow that very name was available and, uh, divine intervention, anyone. And as you know, that podcast took off and opened the door for both sponsorships and training opportunities with sponsors, which was super cool.

And I learned from that, that I actually loved teaching. And from there, the Business Development Mastery Program was born my very first one-to-one coaching program. And from there I just loved coaching guys. And after coaching many, many people one-to-one, I wanted the opportunity to teach more people.

But I realized that one-to-one coaching is prohibitively expensive. And then from there, my group coaching program. Business Development Mastery Accelerator was born. The podcast and accelerator showed me that there was a giant gap for leadership support, and we decided to build a community for leaders by leaders.

And the Catalyst Club was born. And from the Catalyst Club I saw the need for single issue support. From there, my business development breakthrough was born to solve a single issue in 90 minutes or less. And now you might be asking what comes next? We'll have to take another look in 12 months 'cause my crystal ball still ain't working.

Now, does this mean that I don't have a plan? Absolutely not. Every year, guys, every year I do my annual 12 month plan, and every week I do a move the needle list and annually I write out 50 show topics for the coming year. These all help keep me grounded on track and motivated to keep going however. Like I said, my crystal ball isn't working.

I cannot see the future, and the best opportunities are rarely in my plans. Catalyst Club was not in my annual goals list. Accelerator was not in my annual goals list. Business Development Breakthrough was also not on my annual goals list. These opportunities presented themselves and became so blatantly obvious I had to take action on them.

Your plans and the universe's plans, they rhyme. But trust me, the plans that God has for you are bigger than you could ever dream of. In the words of the great Jake Gold, you still have to be fucking great. And trust me, you are fucking great and your big moment it's coming. So here are some of the tips that I've learned that help me keep the faith in my journey so far.

Number one, you're going to be okay no matter how shitty things look, in a moment, they cannot and do not stay bad forever. Number two, the biggest personal growth comes from your hardest moments, the darker and worse the challenge, the bigger your personal growth on the other side. Number three. The universe actually has your back, the right opportunities.

They're coming and they will show up when you need them the most. Just believe number four, no matter the challenge, how impossible it may seem in the moment you are enough and you absolutely can accomplish it. Number five, you have a purpose. There is something that you are meant to do, likely many things that you are meant to do, and you also have permission to change directions at any time.

It's your life, your path. If you want to go in a different direction, you can. Number six, you are special. You are unique. You have gifts that only you can bring to this world. Number seven. There is no such thing as failure. Once again, there is no such thing as failure, just a choice to do something else.

You learn from everything you do. Number eight, your community will either build you up or tear you down. Who you surround yourself with truly matters. Make sure that you have the right people in your corner. Choose wisely. Number nine, finding and living as your authentic self is the best competitive advantage that you have.

Authenticity is key. It's king, it's everything. It is the secret sauce behind every great leader that I've interviewed on this show so far, and number 10, of course, in a time of AI and robots. Don't lose your humanity. Be human. Wow. Sometimes, guys, this show just writes itself. I did not see this episode coming.

This was definitely one of those episodes. Once again, thanks for believing in me on this journey. We really are in this thing together and I could not be more grateful to have you all by my side. I am very much looking forward to the next 100 episodes with you. And just remember, nobody gets out of this life alive, so make the most of it.

And most of all, I want you to know you are going to be okay. So get to it. Shout outs this week. Colin Harms, Jake Gold, Randy Lennon, Gordon Sheppard, Rodney Lover, Nathan Plumb. Carmen Leibel, Tatsiana Zametalina, Susan Poseika, Steven Langer, Steve Campbell, Micah Dixon, Bradley Perry, Karli Grove, Trevor Muir, Lasse Jorgensen. Jesse Schewchuk, Stephanie Gross, Rico Baffa, Nate Simpson, Daveed Henriquez, and Alex Marr.

Until next time, you've been listening to the Business Development Podcast and we will catch you on the flip side.

Outro: This has been the Business Development Podcast with Kelly Kennedy. Kelly has 15 years in sales and business development experience within the Alberta oil and gas industry, and founded his own business development firm in 2020.

His passion and his specialization. Is in customer relationship generation and business development. The show is brought to you by Capital Business Development, your Business Development Specialists. For more, we invite you to the website @ www.capitalbd.ca. See you next time on the Business Development Podcast.