Bruce Linton has “The Knack”. The Knack for “growing” businesses and taking them “higher” (PUNs intended).


As CEO of Tweed and it’s aptly named parent company Canopy, some of the hottest corporations on the planet right now, Bruce is riding the wave of policy change in Canada where Recreational Marijuana use is about to become legal. Bruce has taken Tweed and Canopy from nowhere to a $6 Billion Powerhouse. And with Corona Beer’s Parent company Constellation Brands just announcing a $4 Billion investment into Bruce’s company, things just got real!


Bruce Linton is a humble, feet on the ground, very approachable man. But don’t take his easy disposition for granted, this is a mover and a shaker who has “The Knack” for turning things he touches to gold - or should we say green?! In the 90s Bruce was a Director at CrossKey Systems, taking them public with IPO’s on the Nasdaq and TSX. By 1999 he founded WebHancer, to which Microsoft eventually acquired the data-set rights. Bruce also served as the G.M. of Computerland.ca, an Advisory Board Member for Foreign Affairs, Trade & Development Canada, a Board Member at SiteBrand and a representative to the World Bank for their Water Sanitation Program. 


“Find the money, higher great people and then get everyone aimed in the same direction”


Since 2013, Bruce has been at the helm of Martello Technologies, providing performance management capabilities to unified communications companies and multi-vendor networks. Martello has been a massive success story here in Ottawa red-hot Tech Sector for sure. Around then he also founded one of the most controversial companies around, Tweed, producing prescription-based marijuana for medical patients. Then, Justin Trudeau was elected Prime Minister in Canada based on a platform that included legalizing Recreational Pot! Bruce Linton and his company Tweed were ideally positioned to take off like a rocket sled on rails.


During this candid interview, Bruce Linton talks about his successes and his failures, helping us appreciate the Growth Mindset that has proven incredibly valuable for him. He also talks about how and where he has managed to find extraordinary opportunities, and how he has capitalized on them.

If you want your career to go “high”, take 20 minutes to learn from this incredibly successful business leader. Click Play to hear this amazing episode of Inspiring Leaders.



LINKS
Our Sponsor: Daylite by Marketcircle 
Bruce Linton on LinkedIn 
Tweed Website 
Martello Website 
Canopy on Twitter

“Your net worth is your network”


We're exploring Networking For Leaders with the Guru of Networking, Michael J. Hughes. For nearly 30 years, Michael has been a thought leader and best practice presenter when it comes to Networking. In fact, he's become known far and wide as “North America’s Networking Guru”. 


Through his highly acclaimed and sought-after firm, Networking For Results, Micheal has come to specialize in helping organizations and professionals increase their results by improving their ability to develop, maximize and leverage relationships. Over the years, Michael has extensively researched, and become a specialist in networking as a business strategy and a professional competency. 


“We buy people first, ideas next and projects last”


Michael has also become an in-demand public speaker, travelling the world while proclaiming the art, science and importance of basic human connections in this hyper-drive new millennium. His long client list includes brand-names organizations like Dell, Staples, Scotiabank, NHL Hockey Teams, Society for Human Resource Management and the Telfer Executive MBA Program. 


One of the most telling stories of Michael’s networking business success is that he has taken his own company from an idea to a six-figure international consulting and training practice using networking as his sole marketing vehicle. Talk about a compelling reason to tune into this podcast episode!


LINKS
Support Our Sponsor: Daylite by Marketcircle  
Michael on LinkedIn 
Michael’s Email 
Networking For Results Website 

 
Are you prepared for the REAL threat?


While we’ve all been sleeping soundly, Steve Day was keeping us safe from threats. As the former Commander of our elite counter terrorism and covert operations task force, Steve knows a thing or two about threats, leadership and being prepared. On this week’s Inspiring Leaders, Steve Day surprises us by revealing that the REAL THREAT may not be what we thought it was.


Steve Day served as a Combat Engineer at the Troops and Squadron levels back in the 1990s. A year before 911, Steve became a leader within Canada’s National Counter Terrorism Task Force, respected and known internationally as Joint Task Force 2, or simple “JTF2”. Within JTF2, Steve earned advancement, eventually leading a team off over 150 multi-disciplinary garrison team of military, public service and contracted experts. For over a decade, Steve led covert operations, special missions and top secret, mission-critical initiatives that have kept this planet safe from deadly threats and security risks at the National and International level. 


In 2012 Steve attended the U.S. Army Strategic Leader Development Program (SAMS) in Fort Leavenworth, helping educate U.S. Armed Forces Leaders, Key Allies and U.S. Interagency at the graduate level to become more agile and adaptive leaders, capable of thinking critically while seeking solutions to complex, ambiguous problems up to the national security level.


Today, Steve is the President of Reticle Ventures, a Security Operations Prime Contractor and Security Risk Management Consultant. From his new spoke & hub compound in Ontario, he supports and trains special operations personnel from around the planet in security solutions and best practices, including police forces, security teams and organizational leaders on how to think clearly and make critical decisions under high-stress situations. 


Join us for this rare opportunity to converse with a globally respected security expert and discover what the real threat really is. 




LINKS
Show Sponsor: Daylite by Marketcircle 
Steve Day on LinkedIn 
Steve Day’s Email 
Reticle Ventures Website 
Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2) 

Favouritism is a widespread practice that usually has a significantly negative impact, whether you’re a victim or the favourite. Georgetown University’s School of Business found that 92% of senior business executives believe that favouritism is a contributing factor in most employee promotions, but only 25% of the polled executives admitted to practicing favouritism themselves. So there is a problem, but most people won’t admit that they are part of it.


This sounds all too familiar. A small group of employees get close to the boss, either by choice or by being Volun-Told for the role. This small subset of the team are chosen to handle the better, more senior, higher visibility projects. Obviously this makes others who are equally or more qualified feel as if the boss is not playing fair. Favouritism can be fairly benign in many cases, but it can be a lot more serious in other circumstances, developing into a hostile, toxic environment for those who are left out in the cold. 


Surprisingly, favouritism has fairly honest roots. We’ve all been taught that we should all have preferences. But when the boss gives a friend the office with the best view based on no observable criteria, and this has become a noticeable trend, well now they have crossed into the realm of favouritism. 


When favours are presented without transparency, other suffer. This is often perceived as an abuse of power by the boss. Also, by not treating everyone equally, a manager is fostering a sense of resentment and separation that can de-motivate employees and damage team unity, so the boss is not allowing the team or company to grow. There is a very real risk that the organization will lose good people, so the biggest loser is often the organization itself. 


So what can people do if they find that they are working for a boss that plays favourites? During this episode, the Leadership Brothers present 7 tactics to survive favouritism:


    1. Determine if it really is favouritism
    2. Speak Up (the right way)
    3. Just Say No (again, there's a right way to do this)
    4. Stay Professional
    5. Maintain Trust
    6. Resist Resentment
    7. Be “Calmfident”


Don’t just settle for reading these 7 points, listen to the episode where we elaborate on each tip so you get all the empowering details! And keep in mind that if it is really bad we are here to help. Reach out to us and know that everything that we talk about will be kept absolutely confidential. 


LINKS
Terry Lipovski’s Email
Ubiquity Coaching Website
Pat Lipovski’s Email
Envision Group Website


NEXT WEEK’S SHOW
Inspiring Leaders returns with Steve Day, the Former Joint Task Force 2 Commander for Counter Terrorism and Special Operations. Steve joins us to talk about “The Real Threat”, which will surprise you, guaranteed. Trust us, you do NOT want to miss this episode