Jessica West is a bestselling author, podcast producer and mindfulness coach. Follow her story from recovering from brain injury, to starting Northern Ontario’s first Kombucha brewery, and then pivoting into coaching and public speaking.
She talks about scaling her artisanal, passion project into a commercial operation. She explains why she let go of the kombucha business to start something completely new. And Jess illustrates how she makes decisions that fuel her soul.
You can read more about Jess’s experience in the book she wrote with three other women, Manifesting With Purpose: Aligning to Your Soul’s Desires.
Jess publishes a new podcast every week, sometimes more, on her podcast, Empower From Within.
Follow Jess on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tresorhouse.ca
And check out her website: https://www.tresorhouse.ca/
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If you're an entrepreneur at heart, join our Wingspan Entrepreneurs community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wingspanentrepreneurs
Let us know which episode you like most!
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My name is Joel Arndt. I'm a Mortgage Agent Level 2 with Sherwood Mortgage Group Inc. License #12176. I want to show business owners what is possible.
Danny and Tamra Turcotte battled through health scares, years of surgeries, and the pandemic, all to bring their hometown of Mattawa the fun and family environment they envisioned.
They own 4 businesses, Turcotte’s Chipstand, Cones and Cakes ice cream and cake parlour, Crescent Creations, and Danny is a top notch photographer.
This conversation goes deep. They talk about Danny’s health scare, business through the pandemic, almost losing everything, and how they manifested the building their businesses now call home.
Follow their businesses here:
Turcotte’s Chipstand - https://www.facebook.com/Turcotteschipstand
Cones and Cakes - https://www.facebook.com/conesandcakesmattawa
Crescent Creations - https://www.facebook.com/CrescentCreationsByTam
Catch-Light Photography - https://www.facebook.com/catchlightphotography
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If you're an entrepreneur at heart, join our Wingspan Entrepreneurs community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wingspanentrepreneurs
Let us know which episode you like most!
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My name is Joel Arndt. I'm a Mortgage Agent Level 2 with Sherwood Mortgage Group Inc. License #12176. I want to show business owners what is possible.
“Finding the money, it’s out there… Northern Ontario’s got an incredible amount of wealth.”
Northern Ontario Angels is a not-for-profit that connects entrepreneurs with angel investors. So Executive Director, Ian Lane, knows a thing or two about finding money for business. But even before NOA, he was writing grants and helping healthcare organizations find funding.
Ian shares the mentality and attitude needed to attract money and stay successful in business. It's not what you think... We also get some inside baseball on the angel investing process.
Find Ian here:
Website: https://northernontarioangels.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northernontarioangels/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northern-ontario-angels/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northernontarioangel
If you're an entrepreneur at heart, join our Wingspan Entrepreneurs community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wingspanentrepreneurs
Let us know which episode you like most!
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My name is Joel Arndt. I'm a Mortgage Agent Level 1 with Sherwood Mortgage Group Inc. Lic #12176. And I want to show business owners what is possible.
How a chartered accountant builds an off-the-grid ecolodge with her family... Jenn Demille and her husband Tsach met while they were travelling in Cambodia and found an instant connection. Tsach is from Israel. Jenn is from North Bay, Ontario.
One fateful encounter after another and this unlikely couple bought a property in the middle of nowhere, living completely off grid. They've nurtured their community in Mattawa, Ontario for over a decade, now. Jenn shares how they stumbled their way through building Natures Harmony Ecolodge into more than just a business.
Find Nature's Harmony Ecolodge here:
Website: https://naturesharmony.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturesharmonyecolodge/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturesharmony.ca
If you're an entrepreneur at heart, join our Wingspan Entrepreneurs community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wingspanentrepreneurs
Let us know which episode you like most!
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My name is Joel Arndt. I'm a Mortgage Agent Level 1 with Sherwood Mortgage Group Inc. Lic #12176. And I want to show business owners what is possible.
Cameron bought his Buyer's Choice Home Inspections franchise 3 years ago and built it to be the most trusted home inspection service in North Bay, Ontario. And he's a fire fighter... in Toronto... While living in North Bay.
Cam shares how he researched which franchise to buy, how he secured financing to buy, not just one, but 3 Buyer's Choice franchises.
Find Cameron here here:
Website: https://abuyerschoice.com/inspector/cameron-fry/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameron.inspects.abuyerschoice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCHICameronFry
If you're an entrepreneur at heart, join our Wingspan Entrepreneurs community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wingspanentrepreneurs
Let us know which episode you like most!
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My name is Joel Arndt. I'm a Mortgage Agent Level 1 with Sherwood Mortgage Group Inc. Lic #12176. And I want to show business owners what is possible.
“Some mornings I’m feeling bad and I come in here and just think, oh my god, this is mine!” - Jess
Kyle and Jess started making doughnuts and people kept asking for more. It wasn't long before they realized they were in business and a real community was forming around them.
Good Glaze Doughnuts is their gourmet donut shop on Main Street in North Bay, Ontario.
Find Kyle and Jess here:
Website: https://www.ggdoughnuts.com/home
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodglaze/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodglaze
If you're an entrepreneur at heart, join our Wingspan Entrepreneurs community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wingspanentrepreneurs
Let us know which episode you like most!
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My name is Joel Arndt. I'm a Mortgage Agent Level 1 with Sherwood Mortgage Group Inc. Lic #12176. And I want to show business owners what is possible.
From baking scones for a royal dress maker as a kid to opening her own smoothie shop. Dale Luckey started Blendz Smoothie Shop in a 400 sq/ft space behind a yoga studio in Petawawa. Now she has her own space in North Bay, Ontario.
Dale shares her start up story and how she kept the Blendz brand strong, even after moving through 3 cities and a global pandemic.
Find Dale here:
Website: https://www.blendzsmoothies.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blendzsmoothieshop
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlendzSmoothie
If you're an entrepreneur at heart, join our Wingspan Entrepreneurs community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wingspanentrepreneurs
Let us know which episode you like most!
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My name is Joel Arndt. I'm a Mortgage Agent Level 1 with Sherwood Mortgage Group Inc. Lic #12176. And I want to show business owners what is possible.
From secretary to stay-at-home-mom to sales manager to real estate brokerage owner. Sue Symons has vision and her story is an example of carving your own path while relying on the people who actually have your back.
Sue owns and operates Royal LePage Northern Life Realty in North Bay, Ontario. She shares how she bought the brokerage, bought a new office building and built the business all while raising a family and fostering children.
Find Sue here:
Website: https://www.movetonorthbay.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/royallepagenorthernlife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/royallepagenorthbay
If you're an entrepreneur at heart, join our Wingspan Entrepreneurs community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wingspanentrepreneurs
Let us know which episode you like most!
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My name is Joel Arndt. I'm a Mortgage Agent Level 1 with Sherwood Mortgage Group Inc. Lic #12176. And I want to show business owners what is possible.
After spending 16 years as a radio host in North Bay, Ontario, Mike Bissett chose to spend the next 7 years convincing people they could trust him with their retirement savings. And it worked! Hear how Mike built a service business on trust and perseverance.
(And yes, I butcher his last name in the intro. I left that in. It was funny.)
Find Mike here:
Website: https://mikethefinancialadvisor.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebissett/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MikeTheFA/
If you're an entrepreneur at heart, join our Wingspan Entrepreneurs community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wingspanentrepreneurs
Let us know which episode you like most!
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My name is Joel Arndt. I'm a Mortgage Agent Level 1 with Sherwood Mortgage Group Inc. Lic #12176. And I want to show business owners what is possible.
Running a business is like flying…
You need a lightweight frame. The lighter the body, the better. This is your business structure. Are you running lean or do you have a lot of dead weight expenses?
You need a good engine, something with powerful drive. YOU are your engine, your drive.
Then you need a wingspan big enough to keep you in the air. You need wings with depth in airfoil. This is where lift is created. WE are your wingspan. Your network helps you stay in the air, even if your engine stalls or you hit turbulence.
WE are you wingspan.
Entrepreneurs can get locked into lonely silos.
So I’m doing the only thing I know to do to solve that… I’m talking to other business owners.
And I’m recording those conversations.
Thus, we have a podcast, Wingspan Entrepreneurs!
But it’s not just a podcast.
Audio recordings of strangers are not going to give us a true sense of belonging, even if we can identify with their experience.
So we have a Facebook Group too.
I know, still not the most organic setting. But it’s the simplest way to start. And any small business owner knows the biggest hurdle is starting.
So here we are, 7 episodes of Wingspan Entrepreneurs dropped early this morning. And the Facebook group is live with several members already.
If you’re an entrepreneur, or if you want to start your own business, then you are officially invited to the community!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wingspanentrepreneurs
This is Series 1. Series 2 will launch late spring / early summer.
If you know someone who has an entrepreneurial story that needs to be shared, connect us!
Ok.
Thank you. Sincerely.
Time to go make more calls.