The Smith Business Insight Podcast

Episode Archive

Episode Archive

22 episodes of The Smith Business Insight Podcast since the first episode, which aired on October 4th, 2019.

  • Start-up Cycle: Perseverance

    November 29th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  30 mins 9 secs
    entrepreneurship, new business, perseverance, queen's university, resilience, smith school of business, startup cycle, startups, success

    Starting a business is one thing, but how do you keep going when the going gets tough? This episode of The Start-up Cycle explores the topic of perseverance. We hear about new research from professor Jana Raver on the relationship between resilience and entrepreneurial success (yep, they're related) and get a final dose of motivation from Jeremiah Brown, author of The 4 Year Olympian. We will also hear about learning from failure. Your host is Meredith Dault.

  • Start-up Cycle: Sustaining

    November 22nd, 2019  |  Season 1  |  22 mins 9 secs
    entrepreneurship, new business, queen's university, smith school of business, startup cycle, startups

    Too many start-ups hit the ground running, and then sputter out before their time is up. Don’t let it happen to you. This episode focuses on finding ways to sustain your business as it grows. We learn about lean innovation from professor Barry Cross (hint: it’s about focusing your efforts on the stuff that really matters). We also talk to professor Anthony Goerzen about the challenge of maintaining your competitive advantage when you are expanding internationally and get some advice on staying focused from 437 Swimwear founder Adrien Bettio. Your host is Meredith Dault.

  • Start-up Cycle: Scaling

    November 12th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  37 mins 43 secs
    entrepreneurship, new business, queen's university, scaling, scaling your startup, smith school of business, startup cycle, startups

    One of the challenges when you are growing your business is finding the right balance: do you grow the leadership team first, or focus on the sales force? And how far into the future should you be casting your gaze? We tackle these questions and more as we explore the subject of scaling with Eva Wong, co-founder and COO of Borrowell, and professor Jim Hamilton, an expert in sales management who has plenty of his own experience growing start-up companies. We will also hear the management evidence on what makes great entrepreneurial teams tick. Your host is Meredith Dault.

  • Start-up Cycle: Financing

    October 31st, 2019  |  Season 1  |  34 mins
    entrepreneurship, funding your business, new business, queen's university, smith school of business, startup cycle, startups

    You know your business idea is worth a million bucks – now you just have to convince someone to give you the cash to make it happen. But while some say it is easier than ever for start-ups to raise money, one question remains: what’s the best way to do it? We get advice from angel investor Jess Joss, Executive Director of York Angel Investors, as well as from Shyam Ramchandani, an entrepreneur with experience securing VC financing. We will also hear about the unique challenges and opportunities facing female entrepreneurs when it comes to finding funding.

  • Start-up Cycle: Risk

    October 10th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  34 mins 25 secs
    entrepreneurship, new business, queen's university, smith school of business, startup cycle, startups

    Shari Hughson was already a seasoned entrepreneur when she gave it all up to pursue her dream of living off the land in the Canadian wilderness. Unsurprisingly, she knows a thing or two about risk-taking. Now the director of the Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation program at Smith School of Business, she shares some of what she has learned along the way, along with the mantra she believes every young entrepreneur ought to know when it comes to risk. We will also hear from Smith entrepreneurship coach and mentor JP Shearer on the risks every entrepreneur needs to be aware of when starting a business (like the risk of becoming complacent!) and hear insights into how risk perception impacts entrepreneurial success. Your host is Meredith Dault.

  • Start-up Cycle: Discovery

    October 4th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  31 mins 11 secs
    entrepreneurship, new business, queen's university, smith school of business, startup cycle, startups

    Are entrepreneurs born or are they made? And what matters more when you are starting a business - passion or perseverance? This first episode of The Start-up Cycle explores those questions and more.