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Episode #24 - Part 1 - Meet John Hayden, COO Nventure
Welcome back to Ask HR-Dar and to the sixth and final episode in our series, The Business of Managing Your Business. Today, we arrive at the topic of Technology and Innovation.
This is the pillar that often feels the most overwhelming because technology is no longer something “extra” we add onto business operations… it is the backbone that shapes how we communicate, deliver value, serve our clients, and make decisions. Innovation isn’t just about adopting new tools, it’s also about the mindset and the people behind the technology. I am absolutely thrilled to be joined by John Hayden, the Chief Operating Officer at Nventure — a Canadian venture organization with a mission to support economic prosperity, business development and the industries of the future. John brings a wealth of experience in entrepreneurial finance, angel and venture capital, government funding programs, collaborative R&D, IP commercialization, and early-stage technology product development. His work sits at the intersection of innovation theory and real-world commercialization — helping founders transform high-potential ideas into sustainable, scalable businesses.
John isn’t just familiar with innovation — he lives and breathes it and today, he’s here to help us understand where technology and innovation fit into the broader business ecosystem, what investors look for in promising new ventures, and how innovation capital fuels both economic growth and competitive advantage. Contact: https://nventure.ca/ 905-372-8315 | Toll Free 1-866-670-1191
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Episode #23 - Meet Jason Schmidt - Schmidt Law Legal Services
Are you ready? Important Employment Law Changes coming January 1, 2026. It's such a pleasure to welcome Jason Schmidt of Schmidt Law, Legal Services for a timely preview of employment law changes that take effect in Q1 2026, in fact, January 1st, 2026. We’ll discuss what’s changing, how it affects HR practice and hiring, and where employers and employees should look for help. As Jason and I have both experienced in our careers, not knowing is not a defence against failure to comply, so this episode will be of interest to employers and employees alike. While Jason speaks about legal principles and impacts, individual questions and situations are best handled by Jason and his firm for tailored support. Please contact Jason and his team at: https://schmidtlegalservices.com/ and call: 289-436-0113
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Episode #22: New Business Development; The Business of Managing Your Business
When I say new business development I mean building your customer base with a marketing wrap around that includes: networking, current client retention, relationship-selling, and awareness campaigns that engage and fill your sales pipeline with your ideal clients. It’s about expanding your reach, particularly in a world of social media, websites, and changing buyer behaviour and mining for new customer opportunities. Whether you're a service based business or a four-wall store filled with physical products, we will be applying the age old 5P's of Marketing to your business model.
When you truly understand your audience, you build campaigns that not only connect with people, it converts them into paying clients and works to retain clients for the future. As Marie Forleo says: “Marketing is empathy in action.”
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Episode #20 – Lifelong Learning, Local Impact - Meet Carrie Wakeford, E.D. Learning Ontario Central South
Today, we're exploring a topic close to my heart; lifelong learning and the vital role it plays in building thriving communities and resilient local economies. If upgrading your skills, or learning a completely new skill is something you've always wanted to do, but didn't think you have the time or the funding to make it happen, LOCS has you covered. Join us for a deep dive into their brilliant and local resources for helping individual skills learning and development for adults! Whether you're a team leader looking for free training programs for your team, or an individual upskilling on your own, this episode is for you! To learn more visit: https://locs.on.ca or call (705) 313-4385
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Episode #19: Customer Focus - The Business of Managing Your Business
Today’s episode is one of my favourite topics — it’s all about delivering customer service excellence, and you can only do that by understanding and attracting the right customers and then mapping their customer journey through your business.
So far in this podcast series, we've done a lot of business framework leading up to this point; where we're ready to greet our customers. BUT, not every customer is for you and we will dig into that today!
When you and your team are clear on who you serve and how, you stop the temptation of chasing “everyone” and you start building loyalty with the right people — those who value what you offer, who love working with you, and who come back again and again because the experience feels right.
That’s what customer focus is really about — designing a customer journey experience so intentional and consistent that your customers become your best marketers.
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Episode #18: Talking About Teams! - The Business of Managing Your Business
"Running a business is about finding and hiring people smarter than you. Trust them. Give them good work. Then get out of the way." Richard Branson
We're taking a closer look at leading and managing teams; workforce planning, strategic sourcing, onboarding new hires and, equally important, offboard procedures like exit interviews, performance management & talent metrics, professional development that builds succession within your ranks, and how to keep this all organized with compliant HR records. It's A LOT, we know, and why leaders need great people structures and HR support for engaged, happy teams!
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Episode #17: Operational Excellence - The Business of Managing
We're back this week to discuss the second pillar in our six part series on The Business of Managing Your Business - Operational Excellence.
Operational excellence starts with clear documentation of your business to facilitate consistent value delivery, by aligning people, processes, and technology that support your purpose. It’s about being reliable, resilient, and relentlessly improving through Standard Operating Policies & Procedures that define how we do what we do, organization charts and job descriptions to define who does what, process checklists for quality control and reduce error, and training manuals that help your team flex with everyday business needs. Sounds like a lot of work; do you REALLY need to do this? If you haven't started, or need to update old policies and procedures, let this be the "nudge" to start building your operational excellence — one policy, one system, one process at a time. These aren’t bureaucratic tools — they’re the playbook for success.
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Episode #16: Fiscal Accountability – The Business of Managing Your Business
Today, we're diving into the first pillar of The Business of Managing Your Business series - Fiscal Accountability. This is where business owners and division leaders pay the most attention in terms of gauging the health of their companies and organizations.
Today, we’ll explore why following the money is critical, how budgets and forecasts are your best friend, and why zero-based budgeting is the most accurate approach to annual budgeting - even if it feels like a pain in the neck!
Today's episode may be most helpful for small to mid-sized businesses and especially for entrepreneurs who just want to do the "thing," or be hands-on in their business; out in front with your customers and not with their heads in the books!
I know financial management can feel like torture. Learn to love it; we'll talk about why and how on this week's episode!
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Episode #15: The Business of Managing Your Business - A Six Pillar Approach
Today, we’re shifting gears a bit and kicking off a new mini-series designed specifically for leaders and business owners: The Business of Managing Your Business – A Six Pillar Approach.
Whether you’re a start-up founder, a non-profit leader, or part of a Fortune 200 or 500 company, there are six foundational pillars that make up the backbone of every successful business...and within each pillar we craft strategic objectives, goals, and KPI's so we can tell if we’re moving the needle in the right direction—or not.
These are the dashboard gauges I return to again and again in my consulting practice, whether the organization is big or small, for-profit or non-profit.
In my experience, if you take the time to define and review these six pillars regularly, you’ll find it much easier to stay on top of your whole business and, because they’re interdependent, quickly identify the cracks before a pillar falls.
In this episode, I’m giving you an overview of these six pillars. Then, in the coming weeks, we’ll dive deep into each one with practical tools, strategies, and stories to help you grow as a leader and strengthen the areas of your organization that you want to true-up!
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I'm so excited to be in-studio with my dear friend and colleague, Liiz Steele, co-founder of TCB Group, a Cobourg-based consultancy firm that specializes in helping small to mid-sized businesses navigate the complex world of employee benefits! As we continue our series on Fractional HR service professionals working to ensure that Northumberland County is, not only a great place to live, BUT ALSO a rewarding place to work, it made sense to invite Liiz to the mic given her expertise and experience in creating and managing sustainable Employee Benefits program. And, in my HR Consulting world, her particular HR vertical is such an important one in terms of employee engagement and retention.
Liiz is someone who brings a trifecta of experience, advocacy, and community-mindedness to her work in Employee Benefits. So, if you’re an HR Manager or Employer who thinks offering a benefits plan is out of reach—or if you’re wondering how to build a people-first culture without a full-time HR department—this one’s for you.
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Recently, one of my clients introduced me to this very cool Company named Part Time CFO, so it's my pleasure to be in-studio today with Kyle Paterson as part of our series on Business and HR support services here in Northumberland County. In large companies, individuals lead core business departments, with teams of subject matter experts handling everything from Business Operations, HR, Sales & Marketing, Finance and Technology and in small businesses, all of these duties might fall on a handful of overly burdened, "multi-taskers".
Part Time CFO Services LLP, is a firm that’s been helping Ontario businesses and not-for-profits manage, grow, and stabilize their financial operations, for over a decade. Whether you're struggling with cash flow, thinking about succession, or just trying to make smarter decisions with your numbers—this conversation will give you a whole new perspective on what their Team can offer on both a short term and long term project engagement. www.parttimecfoservices.ca
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Why every HR & Business Professional needs a Legal Ally:
I can only speak from my experience; but having a working partnership with my company's legal department was critical to the success of our HR initiatives; even still as an independent today, I value my Labour Law contacts. While HR will have a strong working knowledge of their labour law, we may not be staying 100% up to date on the more nuanced legislation changes and common law that put businesses and / or individuals at risk. I’m thrilled to welcome to the studio, a guest who brings over four decades of legal experience -James McGrath is a tenured lawyer and a key part of Schmidt Law - Legal Services, a Northumberland County based firm that supports employers, individuals and HR professionals across Ontario with legal advice and representation.
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Episode 9: Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile - Personal Brand for Job Search & Networking
Your LinkedIn profile is more than an online resume; it's a dynamic job search engine, a digital portfolio, and a professional networking hub. Is it working hard enough for you or does it need a refresh? Here's how to get the most out of this career platform.
Even if you’re not actively job searching, a strong and professional LinkedIn presence can get you noticed...new opportunities, collaborations, and boosting credibility in your industry. I've got a few power user tips and tricks for optimizing your profile and using this platform to boost visibility, connect with opportunity, and even beat the bots in today’s AI-enhanced hiring landscape.
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In this two part episode, we welcome Stacey Jennings to the studio! Stacey found herself at a professional crossroad and has been navigating a path of change, both personally and professionally. Like so many people at this age and stage of life and career, she knew something needed to shift — but defining what, how, and when was the challenge. Today, she’s here to share her journey — still in motion, still evolving — and how a few key insights helped her take that first brave step forward. I’m so grateful she’s joining us to talk about what it means to be in the middle of the journey and how long term transition takes time!
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Unlocking Your Happy Life: A Coaching Tool that Builds Capacity & Your Potential:
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Aired on:July 17th 2025
Today, I want to talk directly to those of you who are feeling stuck or restless you're staring change in the face you want to be happy and you have no idea where to start. You’re not alone. Change is happening all around us, and sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to begin when everything feels so uncertain. I'm sharing a tool I use every day called Unlocking My Happy Life that helps my clients uncover what truly matters, clarify their readiness for change and identify the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Because coaching people through change isn’t about telling you what to do it’s about building your capacity to choose wisely.
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Episode #6: Strategic Recruiting Services - A Conversation with Lynne Brown, Bentley Staffing Inc
As part of a spotlight series we're doing on Ask HR-Dar, it is my sincere pleasure to welcome Lynne Brown of Bentley Staffing Inc to today's show. My goal is to introduce listeners to the many HR Professional Service providers in our Community; subject matter experts who are available to individuals and employers right here in Northumberland County. What does Bentley Staffing do? In their own words Bentley's mission is clear: "Empowering job seekers and employers to find their perfect match in Northumberland County and beyond!"
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Episode 5: Annual Performance Reviews - Your Career Power Tool
When you hear that it's annual review time, do you get a pit in your stomach, stress at all of the extra work this creates for you as a manager, or do you look forward to it with a sense of opportunity? Here’s something that comes up alot when I'm working with clients: a good many people don't look forward to performance reviews - and that includes your boss. Today, we’re going to flip the annual review conversation on its head and show you how to make it a career power tool—whether you’re the employer or the employee, it's the same tool and the same process for you both!
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Today’s topic builds on our last episode where we addressed Job Hunting in the Age of AI. You’ve submitted a strong application that made it through the AI filters; you’ve been selected to move forward, BUT, before speaking to a human, you're asked to complete an automated phone or video screening or both!. Welcome to the world of AI-powered interviews. We're talking about how Ai is being used as a candidate pre-screening tool and the challenges to candidates to keep it human, while navigating the system that leads to that human recruiter.
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Episode 3: Airs June 19th, 2025 : Job Hunting in the Age of Ai
If you’ve ever hit submit on an online job application and never heard back — you're not alone. Today, we’re going to talk about how online recruiting has changed, what AI screening tools are really doing, and why your cover letter is still your secret weapon.
Why this matters now? With ‘quick apply’ and auto-filled resumes, it’s never been easier to apply — but it’s also never been easier to get filtered out.
So today, we’re breaking down exactly how the new online recruiting environment works — and what YOU can do to make sure your application is not only seen, but strong enough to land you an interview.
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Episode 2: Aired June 12, 2025: Leading Through Change
In this episode we examine how people REALLY react to change and how, as leaders, we need to lean into that knowledge and do the hard work to engage our teams and influence change. We will also look at how leaders balance the reality of constant, competing forces to ensure long-term success.