Steal From the Best

Lindsay Knowlton has a long history in golf.  Her dad got her interested in the sport when she was 14 (because he needed a friend to play with!).  Shortly after taking up the game (and finally getting the ball off the ground), Lindsay got the golf bug.  Lindsay started playing in competitive events which earned her a full scholarship to Ohio State University where she was the captain of the team and earned All American Honours.  She was a 3-year member of Canada's National Team, 3 time Ontario Champion and won a silver medal at the 2004 World Championships.   After years of competitive golf, Lindsay moved into the corporate workforce realizing that she wanted to help more women "say yes" to the golf invitations that they were getting.  She started Iron Lady Golf to help empower women and build their confidence out on the golf course.  To date, Iron Lady Golf has taught over 20,000 women how to play golf.  Lindsay is a PGA of Canada Class A Professional, Taylormade Golf Advisory Board Member, Ontario Golf Association Ambassador and most of all, passionate about building community.   Lindsay's sage advice for being the best you in business and life is to "Just keep going!"  

Alyson Walker is the Chief Commercial Officer at OverActive Media, a global esports company focused on building winning franchises and creating unrivaled fan experiences.  Alyson has extensive experience in the sports & entertainment industries and a proven track record for success and leadership as demonstrated in her previous roles.  Alyson was part of the team that brought the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games to Canadians in her role leading digital sales and brand partnerships with Canada's Olympic Broadcast Consortium.  In 2021, Alyson was named Woman of the Year by Bay Street Bull for her role in building the future of esports.  We talk about the importance of bringing solutions and not just identifying problems.  Alyson has a very positive attitude and shares some important lessons for business and life including: being firm but fair, do the hardest things first, and always do your due diligence. 

Wylie McGraw is a former Star Pitcher, Competitive Bull Rider, and 3-Tour Combat Veteran.  It was through those intense experiences that he discovered his crazy superpower of being able to expose blind spots, erupt and eradicate stress, and fully unleash the untapped potential of high achievers.  He's the founder of Radical Performance Acceleration and for well over a decade now he has built his business by being the elite behind-the-scenes force providing life-altering work to powerful CEOs, Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Public Figures, accelerating their performance both personally and professionally.  We have an amazing conversation about achieving success and the attitude of success vs. failure.  There are so many valuable nuggets and we can assure you that you'll get extensive takeaways from our conversation.  Sit back and enjoy this ride, as it's an episode that you don't want to miss. 

Jonathan Fodera is the Founder, Director, and CEO of Integrated Business Financing.  He primarily works with small businesses helping owners grow and scale their businesses.  His experience took him from Wall Street to the world of entrepreneurship and he shares the tales of his journey.  Jonathan is highly skilled in banking, business development, entrepreneurship, and business planning.  We talk about failed partnerships and what can be learned.  Jonathan discusses the importance of helping others and the benefits gained by assisting without expectations.  

Jacob was the 9th overall draft pick in the 2009 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers.  He spent the next 11 years playing professional baseball and spent time at the MLB level with 5 MLB teams.  Upon transitioning out of baseball, Jacob founded JL Strategic Wealth.  They focus solely on helping clients such as athletes, entrepreneurs, and second-generation navigate sudden wealth.  We discuss Jacob's baseball experience, investing, and the importance of communication and always keeping your foot on the gas.    

Since 1988, Hal Johnson has been encouraging Canadians to lead a healthy and active lifestyle under the umbrella of BodyBreak.  Anybody who grew up watching television in the 80s and 90s would be familiar with both Johnson and his wife, Joanne McLeod.  They recorded over 300 90-second episodes of BodyBreak.  The show focuses on how exercise can be incorporated into daily life.  The program was conceived by McLeod and Johnson after meeting in a gym.  It was designed to be different than other fitness shows of the era: friendly, representing the sexes equally, and showing both racial and physical diversity, a result of Johnson's experiences of racism, which helped push him to create BodyBreak as a countermeasure.  Johnson is a serial entrepreneur conducting speaking engagements and has their name on many different product endorsements including a recently launched branded clothing line.  He shares some sage advice including the importance of time and taking advantage of it while you can.  Although you can't see it by listening to the podcast, you really are able to experience Johnson's gigantic smile and positive energy and attitude. 

Steve Holmes is the President and CEO of ICL Management Inc. which provides executive management to numerous operating companies around the world.  One of the key investments is Goba Sports Group where Steve serves as Chief Activity Officer.  Goba's first investment was Springfree Trampoline where Steve serves as Chief Bounding Officer.  Steve is actively involved in charitable services and invests significant time and energy in mentoring young entrepreneurs and business leaders as they develop new and emerging businesses and products.  Steve discusses what it takes to set your employees up for success and how important curiosity is in building your business.

Carl English is a former professional basketball player who had stints across various leagues including the NBA.  Carl represented Canada on the National Team from 2004-2016.  Following the completion of his professional basketball career, he moved back to his roots in Newfoundland and founded CE23 Academy, a leading basketball academy committed to the development and progress of youth in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Carl's story is an incredible journey that started with the tragic loss of his own parents at age 5 and takes twists and turns against all odds and includes the opportunity to guard Kobe Bryant and an NBA draft night that saw him go undrafted.  He's learned from so many amazing life moments and mentors and offers a great, candid perspective on what it takes to succeed in both business and life.

Clive Caldwell is the President and CEO of Cambridge Group of Companies which include the Cambridge Club, Adelaide Club and The Athletic club located in the heart of the financial district in downtown Toronto.  He has established a highly successful company that has continued to improve and flourish after 40+ years. Clive has an incredible entrepreneurial journey that started with real estate investing in a prominent Toronto neighbourhood.  His networking skills are second to none and his ability to tell stories is incredible.  Clive discusses the impact that Covid has had on his fitness business and how he's had to adapt and evolve after being mandated by the government to close the doors of his clubs during Covid outbreaks.  There's so much to learn from Clive's vast experience.  

Our discussion with Greg Brady was so good, that we had to break it into 2 episodes to share all of the wisdom that Greg shares with his well-grounded opinions.  If you haven't listened to the previous episode with Greg, you should hear it before proceeding with this one.  This episode contains a candid conversation where we talk about some of the current events that we're all facing.  Greg is a true, talk radio professional and it really shines through.