A Dealmaker's DNA with Ilan Jacobson

How does a person become an entrepreneur in the entertainment verticals? Today’s guest can share his experience. Allen Lau is the executive advisor for WEBTOON and Wattpad. He’s a serial entrepreneur, a speaker, and an authority on entrepreneurship, the innovation economy, and the benefits of a diverse workforce. He’s also a leader in Canada’s tech community. Listen to the episode to hear what Allen has to say about how an introvert can succeed as an entrepreneur and leader, how Wattpad came to be in the first place, and what lessons Allen has learned about very high growth. Topics Discussed in This Episode Allen’s origin story and what led to his entrepreneurial journeyHow an introvert can be a leader or entrepreneurWhat Allen’s startup journey looked likeWhat happened after Allen left IBMHow Wattpad came to beWhat network effect means and what people get wrong about itWhen Allen transitioned Wattpad from a mobile reading appThe first lessons Allen learned about really high growthWhy some people are great at storytelling but others are not Related Links Allen Lau

There are a lot of buzzwords out there. One that you may or may not be familiar with is “proptech” what does it mean? You’ll learn more about it by listening to today’s guest, John Asher. John is the president and co-founder of Konfidis. Listen to the episode to hear what John knows about self-teaching, what brought him to the world of startup tech, and what Konfidis is all about. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links John Asher Konfidis Quotes From the Show “You’ve got to put in the work if you ever actually want to see output.” “This company is my midlife crisis, how about that?” “Whatever happens in the U.S. seems to find its way to Canada eventually.”

Why are you working? That’s something that Michael Brown has been thinking about lately: what he’s working for and what his legacy is going to be. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Michael Brown, the CEO and co-founder of Swept. Michael has a somewhat unusual background as an entrepreneur and has managed to do many different things with it. Listen in to hear what Michael has to say about where he got the motivation and determination to hustle, why he decided to go into the kinds of companies he chose, and what his background as a mechanic has to do with his entrepreneurial career. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Michael Brown Quotes From the Show “My summer was very different from everybody else’s” “It’s very rare to have a professor who’s actually done it, successfully, who is teaching you. One of her classes is: You have to start a business for $10” “I want to work hard so I can give more.”

When Drew started out, he had goals of creating things and finding good people to work with, and he’s managed to achieve those goals and more. He’s the CEO and president of INDOCHINO and a serial entrepreneur, and today he brings his story to the podcast. Listen to the episode to hear what Drew has to say about building confidence from childhood, learning lessons from fear, and connecting with people in an authentic way that’s not all about networking. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Drew Green Quotes From the Show “Luckily, I just had the most wonderful grandparents in the world.” “In order to grow, in order to make stuff happen, there has to be movement.” “I don’t want to meet people inauthentically.” "I’ve embraced the desire to be uncomfortable, because when you’re uncomfortable you have to figure things out, you have to solve, you have to create."

Today we revisit an interview with Mo Lidsky that took place in early 2020. Mo is the CEO of Prime Quadrant and is a man with many accomplishments. He is an entrepreneur, an investor, advisor, and author. In a replay of this episode, Mo takes the time to explain how he got to where he is today and what his views are on nature vs. nurture. Listen to the episode to hear what Mo has to say about self-awareness, inspiring children, and promoting alignment among critical people inside of an organization. Topics Discussed in This Episode

Today’s guest invented the concept of the top-line royalty fund after years of experience in his field. He explains today that entrepreneurship is just in his DNA. Sean Morrison is the President and CEO of Diversified Royalty Corporation. In more than 20 years working with franchises and finance, he has a lot to say about his experiences, skills, and how he’s operated in various roles. Listen to the episode to hear what Sean has to say about transparency, how to access skillsets related to door-knocking and cold-calling in the modern environment, and how he developed the idea of a top-line royalty fund. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Sean Morrison Diversified Royalty Corporation Quotes From the Show “I think entrepreneurialism has always been in my DNA.” “I’ve always wanted to be the institutional salesperson versus the retail salesperson, and the institutional one has to have a fact-based sales pitch.” “I would say that if they didn’t spray the firehose, we would have been doomed. Did they overspray? Of course, cause it’s not their money, who wouldn’t overspray?”

What drives a person to begin a private equity firm? How do you come up with a name for a business like that or work with partners within it? These are all topics that today’s guest will touch on in his interview. Listen to the episode to hear from Rob Normandeau as he discusses his degree and previous business experiences, what it’s like to partner with other entrepreneurs, and whether money is the best motivator, as well as what other types of effective motivators for success exist, as Rob discuss his journey, his business, and the future of his industry. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Rob Normandeau Seafort Capital Quotes From the Show “I used to always joke that since I studied law, I wanted to get admitted, do my articles, and get admitted so that my mom could tell the ladies at Bingo her son was a lawyer, and then I could move onto business which I thought was more interesting.” “What we recognized from the start was that if we were successful, if this thing really grew and developed, we would reach a point where it made sense to bring in other investors.” “It’s important to try to aspire to success and to wealth, but you can’t be short-term in your thinking.”

Firepower Capital – Christen Daniels What does a head of customer success and corporate development do? What is it like to work for a fintech company? Today’s guest is Christen Daniels, and she’s the Head of Customer Success & Corporate Development at the fintech company, Georgian. Listen to the episode to hear what Christen has to say about how she ended up in this position, why she’s not a natural risk-taker, how she thinks about risk, and what she has to say about the psychology of transactions. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Christen Daniels Georgian Christen@georgian.io Quotes From the Show “I like having a clarity of path, a clarity of purpose, kind of understanding how the pieces are going to come together, and having a little bit of certainty.” “It was really clear to me that I’m fairly passionate about transactions.” “Deals are really different when you own the results.”

What do you know about the intellectual property laws in the Metaverse? Probably not much, but somebody has to, right? Julie MacDonnell is an intellectual property lawyer by trade, which is a more traditional field, but she’s doing things to disrupt that space. Listen in to learn about Julie’s company, Halloo, what roles that she believes accelerators and incubators have played in her journey and why she recommends them to others, and why she believes that giving back is so important. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Julie MacDonnell Halloo Quotes From the Show “I’ve got this theory that many problems, business problems even, should be approached through a trauma lens. “Any accelerator program that gives you money and doesn’t take equity, I strongly, strongly encourage.” “The barrier to entrepreneurship is so, so low, because what we’re selling and trading and buying in this space is intellectual property.:

How does someone wind up going from a Jewish private school and university, to working in the adult entertainment industry, tp becoming a serial entrepreneur? Josh Garellek is the co-founder of Arctic Leaf Inc and PartnerPortal.io. He’s interested in teamwork, passion, and camaraderie, bringing people who share those things and what they can do together, and how partnerships and relationships affect business and brands. Listen to the episode to hear what Josh has to say about his role in bringing a fraternity to his university and how frat life affected his entrepreneurial path, how Josh identifies his strengths and plays to them, and what Josh thinks about the Metaverse and online risks to children. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Josh Garellek Josh on Twitter Josh on Instagram Arctic Leaf Partner Portal Quotes From the Show “I like sitting down and playing video games with a console controller and all that stuff, but to build the games just wasn’t fun for me.” “Fun fact about the adult entertainment industry is that they created online transactions.” “We’ve gotten to that point where the brand is bigger than my name.”

Firepower Capital – Rob Lydan Entrepreneurs can come from anywhere – including from the trades sector. Today’s guest has a background in trades and is even a qualified welder. He’s also the Managing Director at Phoventus, a company that works in renewable power. Rob Lydan joins the podcast today to discuss how he ended up in renewable power and what factors brought him to this point. Listen to the episode to hear what Rob has to say about what influenced him about the trades, what his professional trajectory looked like, and how to interact with people who are influential in your life. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Rob Lydan Quotes From the Show “You can be the general manager, you get the office right next to the front door, not because it’s most convenient for you, it’s because it’s the shortest walk if you have to leave.” “Seeing the physical object appear is a lot different than doing something that is purely academic.” “That’s why when I look at how I treat people, I decided I’m just going to be nice to everybody. Because what goes around comes around.” “I’m a big believer that there’s probably 100 people that you’ll meet or know if your life, that will determine what happens to you, and how you treat them is the sole determination of how your life will turn out.”

Frank Baylis is an entrepreneur as well as a politician. He’s the president of the medical technology firm Baylis Medical. He also ran for office to represent the riding of Pierrefonds—Dollard in the House of Commons of Canada and was elected in 2015. In today’s episode, Frank will discuss what he’s learned from running a medical technology firm that produces ventilators, what inspired him to get involved in politics, and why having the right business partner is so important. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Frank Baylis Quotes From the Show “We may disagree what’s a priority or where we put the emphasis, but the majority of us, we’re almost in agreement 95% of what we want to do.” “When you become aligned and then find someone that’s aligned and wants to do the same thing you do, that’s the foundation that you build upon.” “There’s no such thing as a self-made man.”

Giving back can have just as much value as getting, so why not make that a focus? Stephanie Shapiro is the COO of Together We Stand, an organization that supports and serves the military families of the Canadian armed forces. In today’s episode, Stephanie will explain why she believes it’s so important to pay attention to what the military does for citizens. You’ll also hear Stephanie’s thoughts on mental health, adversity, and vulnerability, and transitioning from a government job into her current role. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Stephanie Shapiro Together We Stand Mama Needs a Vodka Quotes From the Show “I talk a lot about vulnerability in the workplace. And to me, I’m a huge advocate of that.” “To me, vulnerability within the workplace is where the magic happens.” “The reality is that our Canadian armed forces members and their families and veterans have done so much more than simply serve when there’s conflict.”

Being an entrepreneur means being able to handle some strange and wild circumstances. And if you’re interested in being one, you need to be up to dealing with anything, from one end of the spectrum to the other. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Robin Kovitz, the president and CEO of Baskits, inc. In this episode, she discusses the unusual situations that entrepreneurs have to deal with. She also discusses her lifelong dream of attending Harvard, what criteria she put down as part of the process of deciding what business to buy, and what the value of kindness is in business. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Robin Kovitz Baskits, Inc Quotes From the Show “How you take that failure is at the key, I believe, of being a successful entrepreneur.” “To be good at this job, you have to be willing to do everything.” “I had this vision, because of my entrepreneurial roots, of running a small business. I really enjoyed being with customers, helping employees and team members”

What is the future? How do we affect it? How do we raise kids in ways that help them realize and take advantage of their own abilities to make and shape the future? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Alistair Leyland, a founding partner at Array of Stars. Listen in to the interview to hear his ideas about how to foster innovative mindsets, why storytelling is such an important skill set for entrepreneurs and innovators, and what the next big transformative thing is likely to be. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Alistair Leyland Array of Stars Quotes From the Show “A big part of the Hippocratic oath is finding any and all ways to deliver maximum care for patients.” “Web 3 is essentially the next chapter of the internet.” “I would say you don’t have to look too much further than what Nike is doing, with scooping up shops within the Web 3, NFT space.”

What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and what does that mean for you? What does understanding this have to do with success in building your finances or having a career as an entrepreneur? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Jason Carvalho, entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Carvalho Capital. Listen to his interview to hear what he has to say about how he got into technology in the first place, what the Fourth Industrial Revolution is, what risk really is and how to balance taking risks with the need to be prudent. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Jason Carvalho Jason on Twitter Carvalho Capital on Twitter Quotes From the Show “To be frank, when you start building things, you can see, you understand how it works.” “There’s no stopping the idea of the metaverse.” “In order for you to be disciplined, you have to wake up every single day and realize the system is trying to take money from you.”

Are you running on autopilot? Do you know how to turn off the autopilot? Today’s guest says that people spend more time on autopilot than they’d like to think, and it can prevent them from getting on the right path. Listen in to this interview with Steve Divitkos, an entrepreneur and the former CEO of Microdea. In this episode, you’ll hear about how Steve views entrepreneurship, why introspection is so difficult, and what Steve did right and wrong as a new CEO. Topics Discussed in This Episode Four exercises to help create a set of criteria against which to evaluate potential career paths: Related Links Steve Divitkos In The Trenches Quotes From the Show “The best definition of entrepreneurship that I’ve ever heard is the relentless pursuit for opportunity without regard or resources currently controlled.” “Maybe the better way to put it is I remember the moment where I decided I didn’t want to stay on the path that I was in.” “The concept that…was helpful for me, is this entire concept of being deliberate. Don’t just let life happen to you.” “I think being an entrepreneur, being a CEO, was the hardest thing that I have ever done in my entire life.”

Partnerships are notoriously difficult, but today’s guest has had some notable success with them. Gregory Wade is currently the managing partner of NextBase, but in the past he’s worked for AT&T and with Samsung, to name a few. Listen to the episode to hear what Gregory has to say about how he ended up working with these large brands, what makes a partnership successful, and why Gregory chose to write a book about mentorship. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Gregory Wade Quotes From the Show “Setting objectives and setting goals is so important.” “Imagine being able to bring together two long-time rivals in Blackberry and Samsung.” “It was important for me to understand that space, so in business I could at least understand what the heck… the construct to a contract.” “I worked very very hard, even at young age, to try and set up what I called these building blocks to a career - wanting to ensure that I built as many components of those blocks that were different.”

Why would someone choose to move from investment banking into cannabis retail? Today’s guest is Mimi Lam, the CEO, and co-founder of Superette, a cannabis retailer. Mimi’s backstory includes a conservative upbringing and a work history in investment banking before she moved into the cannabis world. Listen to her story to hear Mimi talk about how people can check in with themselves to determine whether they’re pursuing their passion, how travel factored into Mimi’s life, and how cannabis has factored into her life. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Mimi Lam Superette Quotes From the Show “We don’t really know what we want to do growing up.” “I am not the same person today as I was prior to leaving for Shanghai.” “We looked 2w and said, there’s a big opportunity in retail.” “I’d rather spend every day doing the things that I love than regretting wasting that time because I had a paycheck or because I did something someone else told me to do”

Sometimes, a non-linear path is the best path for the person that’s on it. Today’s guest is a good example of learning and living in a less-than-linear way. In today’s episode, you’ll meet Joelle Faulkner, CEO of Area One Farms. Area One is an alternative asset management firm where Joelle created a farmer-centric private equity model. Listen to the episode to hear Joelle explain what made her pursue varying degrees, what kind of impact her science background has on her business success, and what it was like at the beginning of starting Area One Farms. Topics Discussed in This Episode Related Links Joelle Faulkner Area One Farms Quotes From the Show “If you could ask questions about it, you could probably understand the answers.” “I think engineering and science – it made me really good at math.” “Pick something that will get as close to delighting you as possible.” “If you want kids to really respect money, and respect hard work that makes that money, they actually have to understand it”