TLS032 Cassie Krygsman – Curiosity Box
People hate waiting for things. We want to get rich quick, lose weight in weeks, and get our food prepared in minutes. Two decades ago, most people didn’t know what an email was, let alone how to send one. Today, emails are one of the most common forms of communication on the planet. Just over 42% of the world’s population has access to the internet, which equates to slightly more than 3 billion people. Take into account the 1.75 billion smartphones present on the planet, and you can see how commonplace email has become in our lives. Because of the shift away from paper mail to email, the former now has a nostalgic feel and a high level of affection from those of us who live in technologically dependent society. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that getting a letter or package in the mail gives me a great deal more excitement than getting an email. Part of this is due to the novelty of the experience, but a substantial portion of it comes from the delayed gratification and the anticipatory response generated by waiting.
Anticipation has actually been suggested as a significant driver of happiness, and this effect can be employed to help businesses achieve a greater commitment from consumers as a result of increased consumer happiness. Think back to how excited you got as a kid in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Despite how much we may have hated waiting anticipation of the day made it that much more special.
As our culture of convenience took precedence in the 1950s with the advancement of technology and supply chain efficiencies, firms chose to cater to then need for immediate gratification as their primary selling motive. In the past decade, consumer tastes have shifted away from those associated with mass society, like big box stores or fast food, and towards a more “authentic” product approach, like gourmet diners or local markets.
Getting parcels in the mail is a more authentic practice, as it harkens back to a time when most individuals in Western society had to order most of their consumer goods through a catalog and wait for their order to arrive by post.
For example, the Sears catalog surged in popularity so much in the 1920s that it was soon referred to as the “consumer’s bible”. The catalog contained hundreds of products for sale, and with the addition of the first credit agency in 1919 by Henry Sloan of General Motors, purchasing consumer goods became incredibly attractive for most Americans.
As buying on credit became the wildly popular method for consumers to purchase their goods, big box stores expanded their business. Soon, basic necessities such as food, clothing, and utilities were being outsold by appliances, entertainment, and automobiles; frivolous purchases that helped declare a consumer’s status were viewed as more important.
The shift away from ordering by catalog and waiting on purchases in the mail towards quick, convenient methods at chain stores dominated the Western economic culture from the 1950s onward, but now the tastes of savvy consumers have shifted back towards receiving goods via post. The care package is a common sight across university campuses, but now companies exist that take care of the hassle of assembling and shipping for you. Numerous companies have popped up that cater to college students, but also to mothers, children, and even military spouses.
This shift in consumer tastes has led to the success of care package-based businesses like Curiosity Box. Curiosity Box is the vision of Cassie Krygsman, who turned her love of crafts, scrapbooking, baking, and other creative hobbies into a legitimate business that enabled her to share her passions with other parents and their children. Creativity is something that every child should be encouraged to develop, and each Curiosity Box comes packed with a variety of activities to cater to a child’s natural curiosity and penchant to play and explore.
The anticipation of the arrival of each new Curiosity Box in the mail will make 1 day a month like a mini-Christmas, and the contents are designed to keep children entertained for weeks. Creativity is something that will never go out of style, and the savvy business model captured by Ms. Krygsman will ensure that her passions will be passed on to many more parents and their children in the future.
TLS031 Mike Sherlock – KnightHunter.com
When Mike Sherlock decided to found KnightHunter.com in 2000, he had no idea that the website would become a mainstay in the London area recruiting industry. Major players in the job listing game like Workopolis or Monster had the numbers, but they were lacking a streamlined, local focus and the personal approach to business that KnightHunter provides for businesses in the London area.
Because Mr. Sherlock runs KnightHunter.com exclusively by himself (with a bit of technical help from external contractors), he is able to offer a better value for companies who wish to list on KnightHunter instead of a large job bank site. He can keep costs lower due to smaller staff, and he can offer a faster turnaround time with a more personalized approach. KnightHunter currently has job postings from many high profile companies in London including Nestle, Western University, and Ranstad Engineering.
Mr. Sherlock notes that manufacturing and IT are the two strongest job sectors listed on KnightHunter, so if you’re an employer in the London area looking to list or if you’re currently seeking a job in the London area, check out KnightHunter.com today!
www.KnightHunter.com
TLS030 Crystal Carter – Lead Dog
http://markyourterritory.ca/ 
Many of us have experienced it before: there is a change in management at our job and it affects our job satisfaction, workplace culture, and even our career trajectory. Crystal Carter experienced this very same situation, but instead of accepting the less-than-desirable situation or avoiding it entirely by simply quitting, Crystal used the management change as an opportunity to launch her freelance sales generation business, Lead Dog.
Lead Dog is a natural evolution of Ms. Carter’s experience in sales and marketing. She began her freelance business by retaining a few old contacts from her old corporate job, and she built her business from there. Starting with a few freelance projects, Ms. Carter soon expanded enough to turn her freelance lead generating and marketing skills into a bonafide small business. Lead Dog has now been in business for over 11 years. Ms. Carter cites her most important tools as customer databases, LinkedIn, and picking up the phone, the latter of which has become somewhat of a lost art in today’s world. It all depends on who your client is: sometimes social media or email is the best way to engage, but if your client is a bit more “old-fashioned”, such as those in the trades or manufacturing sector, a phone call may get you much farther than an email ever could.
TLS029 Susan Dinner – Custom Art Jewelery
Jewelry can tell you a lot about the person wearing it. Among the expressive of all of our possessions, jewelry has long been used to convey status (such as a wedding ring), organization (such as an engineer’s iron ring), or simply to convey wealth. Jewelry can also be used as an artistic expression of one’s personality, which can be achieved with an extravagant necklace or a subtle, yet elegant bracelet.
Custom jewelry takes that level of personalization to a whole new level. Susan Dinner, a graduate of the nationally-renowned Ontario College of Art & Design (more commonly known as OCAD), honed in on her passion for design and eye for detail and decided to start designing her own line of custom jewelry eight years ago.
Major events can help put our lives in perspective by causing us to expand our focus. Susan attributes the time in her life when she became a widow that shifted her perspective and made her realize that she should follow her passions and make a living doing something that makes her happy. Ultimately, our lives are a constant pursuit of happiness, and that is a big part of what being an entrepreneur is. Susan recognized that what made her happy was creating beautiful pieces of jewelry, and also the looks on the faces of satisfied customers when they don one of her creations.
Susan takes her passion for jewelry and helping people one step further by contributing a great deal to philanthropic efforts, including assisting in foreign micro-finance projects and local fundraising galas for the arts. Above all else, Susan is the embodiment of what an entrepreneur should be: dedicated and passionate. Find out more about Susan at www.susandinner.com
Audio Only Version:
Right click this link and save the .mp3 file to your favourite device.
TLS028 Rob Aitken – Music Central Entertainment
www.musiccentral.ca
For most people, their wedding is the single most important day of their life. Young girls daydream about their wedding day and plan out all the intricate details: her dress, the venue, the colours, and what her husband will be wearing. Reality TV stations have built up quite a following for popular shows such as Say Yes to The Dress or 4 Weddings. The focus is mostly on the components listed above, but what is often overlooked is arguably the most important component: the music!
Rob Aitken has been a DJ for almost 30 years, and while most may think of DJing as a young man’s game, Mr. Aitken has built an entire entertainment business around his passion for music. Music Central specializes in bringing professional DJ services to weddings to ensure the most important evening of a couple’s life doesn’t disappoint. They have even opened a DJ school called School of Spin to help introduce the craft to aspiring youngsters. (more…)
TLS027 Mr. Eman The Mystery Man
Mr. Eman’s first wedding performance came by chance. He was living in Banff at the time and his neighbours had heard about his magical performances and thought magic would be a welcome addition to their elaborate wedding. This wedding was an eye opener! From the postcard picturesque mountain scenery, to the beautiful outfits of the guests and the amazing food. A month later, the footage from this wedding appeared on FoodTV! on an episode of ” I do…Let’s eat” From this experience it was learned that weddings can be very entertaining if you let them be and magic almost always has a place. Since then, Mr.Eman came back to London and earned an engineering degree from UWO. During that time, Mr. Eman has been performing part time for local, public and private events.
For more details about Mr. Eman please visit http://www.mr-eman.com/
TLS026 Whitney Sanders – Sensational Smiles
Whitney Sanders is a Dental Hygienist that has started her own business called Sensational Smiles. Thanks to a new law she can run her own business without being attached to a dentist. Find out more about Sensational Smiles at
http://sensationalsmiles.ca
TLS024 Hanna Lafferty – Selah Vie Hair & Makeup Artistry
I hope you like the upgrade! This marketing experiment is proving to be more profitable then I thought. But what am I marketing? Media services! So if you want to start a vlog or podcast or simply need a website, that’s what we offer at Carter Creations. The Londonpreneur Show is just one production of a bigger plan ;)
So enough about me, have you met Hanna Lafferty? She is the owner of Selah Vie Hair & Makeup Artistry and we met at the London Wedding Professionals networking events. She is the perfect example of ‘walk the talk’ marketing. Every time I see her hair is beautiful and her makeup is flawless. We get a little distracted by the new sound quality too. :D
The next Wedding Pros Networking event will be coming up on Feb 11th, 2015 and starts at 7 pm. It will be hosted at the Ukrainian Club at 247 Adelaide St. S., London, Ontario.
RSVP via Facebook here. And for a complete lists of Wedding Shows visit TheWeddingRing.ca here
Right click this link to save the .mp3 file to your favourite device.
TLS023 Jim McCormick – All Stage & Bender
I just love reconnecting with my SEB classmates. Jim shares the same vision for our city of London, Ontario as I do. One that is united and organized with great community spirit. However, Jim’s niche of expertise is the music industry. With his vast experience he noticed an opportunity to combine all the music events, concerts and venues into a convenient website that could help to promote a large population of local talent. Have you checked out AllStage.ca yet? Next time you are looking for something to do in London, check their events calendar :D
http://allstage.ca/
Listen to the Audio here:
Right Click here to download the .mp3 to your favourite device.
TLS022 Susan Brady – The make 6 figures working from home coach.
I first met Susan at a London Mompreneur Empower lunch. She had passion and was not afraid to share it! She has taught me that “what other people think of you is none of your business”. How often am I debilitated by what others think of me or how they will judge me. It was a major obstacle I had to overcome to create this podcast and then to move up to vlogging. But here those words reassures me every day. There is a bigger purpose for me to serve and what others think of feel cannot keep me from becoming the person I am meant to be.
Show Notes www.susan-brady.com
Bob Proctor & The Secret
“Progress is better that perfection” ~ Susan Brady
“You become the average of the 5 people you hang around with” ~ Jim Rohn
Right Click here to download the .mp3 to your favourite device.
TLS021 Andrea Coulter – Wholistic Health Care
If any of you know me, I am an obsessive horse lover and that is how I first met Andrea. Then I recognized her as a familiar face at the Western Fair Farmer’s Market one Saturday. I was excited to learn that Andrea also has her own business and had to invite her on the show. She has had a great journey in life and the holistic industry when she decided to create her business Wholistic Health Care. Enjoy her interview and find out more about what Wholistic Health Care can offer you during this cold and flu season.
www.wholistichealthcare.ca
Listen to the Audio here:
Right Click this link to save the .mp3 file to your favourite device.
TLS020 Michelle Kaplan – KapCan Business Services
I met Michelle during my networking and at first I really didn’t like her. Here was this tall, good looking, confident woman who seemed to have it all. Everything that I wanted, and I was jealous. After I shook my head at my ego, the Entrepreneur in me started looking for opportunity. Maybe if I got to know this business leader better some of her confidence would rub off on me. :D Then, as you will soon learn in our interview, I learned her story goes deeper. You can also check Michelle as the MC for the Women In Business Conference this Friday Jan 23, 2015 for more details about that, visit: www.wibusiness.net
Find out more about KapCan Business Services at www.kapcan.ca
Listen to the interview here:
Download the .mp3 file by right clicking on this link and save to your favourite device.
TLS019 Jennifer Grigg – Social Dragon Marketing
Do you have questions about hiring a social media strategist? Are you interested in using social media for you marketing but don’t know where to start? Have you met Jennifer Grigg yet? She is an expert in her field with years of experience providing solutions to businesses. I learned some key insights about how to use twitter and where Linked In is headed in the future. For more details about Jennifer please visit:
www.SocialDragonMarketing.com
Audio Only
Right click this link to save .mp3 file to your favourtie device.
Do you have any questions you would like ask about this episode? Comment below and Jennifer or I would be happy to answer them!
TLS018 Amy McNall – Unmistakably You Boutique Wedding Planning
I just love meeting new people in all types of industries. I met Amy at a new networking group called the London Wedding Professionals created by Rebecca Nash Emerson who has already been on the show. Amy has a beautiful showroom that she has added to her home and makes you feel inspired as soon as you enter. In this interview Amy shares what she loves about her business as well as her struggles with money mentality. Also, if you are thinking about becoming a wedding planner you need to listen to Amy’s extremely important advice. It could just save you years of stress and heartache.
To find out more about Amy, please visit her website:
www.UnmistakablyYou.com
Are you part of the Wedding industry? What did you like most about our discussion?
TLS017 Joe Ornato – O’Joe Coffee and Food
Hey guys thanks again for listening to my podcast. I can’t wait for it to go to video and I can really provide some great value! My guest today is Joe Ornato who was referred to me by Patrick Dunham from episode 15. Joe just started his coffee and food business and is also following the similar relationship marketing model that Patrick does. He really enjoys providing his attention to his customers I think the a huge value opportunity to capitalize on. Plus it just makes doing business good for the soul!
Question for you listeners, would you like to see a show with Patrick and Joe where they talk about coffee and the local food & restaurant industry?
http://www.ojoecoffee.com
TLS016 Colleen McCauley – Earth to Business Marketing
Who doesn’t love marketing? I know I have found an inspiring interest in the topic since starting my own business. Then I met Colleen McCauley at a Networking event. My first reaction was admiration for the amount of passion she also shared on the topic. Colleen also has a passion for the environment and helping people protect themselves from being misled by what is now called ‘greenwashing’. I also heard her speak at the Entrepreneurs of London lunch on this very topic and you can find out more about Colleen by listening to this interview.
Colleen offers a wide variety of marketing services and you can find out more at:
http://earthtobusinessmarketing.com
TLS015 Patrick Dunham – Patrick’s Beans
I must say, the Entrepreneurs of London have had some amazing guest speakers that I just couldn’t wait to sit down and get to know them a little better. That is where I met Patrick Dunham. Patrick has had a lot of experience in the coffee business and finally decided to start his own brand and do business they way he enjoys doing it. Face to face from wholesale to customer. This guy understands the meaning of relationship marketing. He makes sure that he reconnects with each person he does business with on regular basis. I can’t wait to get my hands on some of this Chocolate Covered Cocoa Coated Coffee Confections.
To find out more about Patrick’s Beans you can visit his website at www.patricksbeans.com
or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Patricks-Beans/935472286468167
Entrepreneurs of London www.entrepreneursoflondon.ca