The Business Development Podcast

In Episode 349 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with mindset expert, transformational coach, and entrepreneur Stacey Berger for a powerful conversation about why external success is never enough if it comes at the cost of fulfillment, purpose, and personal well-being. Stacey shares her journey from growing a corporate subsidiary from a million-dollar balance sheet to $60 million, to realizing that the career she once loved no longer aligned with the life she wanted to create.
This episode explores burnout, leadership, work-life harmony, mindset, purpose, and the hidden beliefs that keep high achievers stuck. Stacey opens up about the hospital wake-up call that changed everything, the decision that helped her double her income while working half the hours, and why success begins by asking better questions. For entrepreneurs, executives, and ambitious leaders, this conversation is a reminder that you can never outperform your mindset, and that building a life you love starts with choosing a different way forward.

Key Takeaways:
You can never outperform your mindset. Your beliefs ultimately determine the actions you take, the opportunities you see, and the results you create.
Success without fulfillment will eventually catch up to you. Titles, income, and achievements are not substitutes for purpose, alignment, and joy.
Burnout often disguises itself as ambition. Many high performers don't realize they're burning out because they view exhaustion as a normal part of success.
The quality of your life is determined by the quality of the questions you ask. Replacing "I can't" with "What if I could?" opens the door to new possibilities and solutions.
Work-life balance is a myth. True success comes from creating harmony between the different areas of your life rather than trying to perfectly balance them.
Your subconscious beliefs are driving most of your decisions. If you want different results, you must first identify and challenge the beliefs that are shaping your behavior.
Purpose does not need to be complicated. Knowing what gives you life, energy, growth, freedom, and fulfillment is often enough to start moving in the right direction.
Success is not about working longer, harder, and faster. Sustainable success comes from combining the right mindset with the right strategy rather than relying on hustle alone.
If you are unhappy, waiting rarely changes anything. Transformation often begins with a decision to stop accepting the status quo and take responsibility for your own happiness.
Life is too short to live someone else's version of success. The greatest regret is often not what we did, but what we failed to pursue because fear, comfort, or circumstances convinced us to stay where we were.

Get in Touch with Stacey Berger
Connect with Stacey Berger on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-berger/
Learn more about Stacey’s coaching, programs, and transformational work:
www.staceyberger.ca
Get your tickets for Passion to Purpose Live, happening in October 2026:
https://staceyberger.thrivecart.com/ppl-super-early-bird/

🎸 Sponsor Shoutouts: Thank You Colin Harms for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast! 🫶
The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by Hypervac Technologies & Hyperfab, 🎸⭐
🔹 Hypervac Technologies: North America’s leader in vacuum truck manufacturing, building high performance hydrovac and industrial vacuum trucks designed for the toughest field conditions. www.hypervac.com
🔹 Hyperfab: The custom fabrication division of Hypervac, delivering engineered solutions and specialized builds tailored to demanding industrial applications. www.hyperfab.ca

Join The Catalyst Club Community
If you are serious about growth, community, leadership, and surrounding yourself with high-level, human-centric thinkers, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.
Join us here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Mentioned in this episode:
Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

In Episode 348 of The Business Development Podcast, Colin Christensen returns for his fourth appearance on the show to explore one of the most fascinating and misunderstood industries in the world today. As CEO of Tidal Care Inc. and a mentor to more than 2,000 founders, Colin shares his journey into the mushroom industry, the differences between functional mushrooms and psilocybin, the emerging research surrounding mental health and wellness, and why entrepreneurs, researchers, and healthcare professionals are paying close attention to this rapidly evolving space.
Throughout the conversation, Kelly and Colin discuss entrepreneurship, mentorship, human potential, innovation, and the future of mushroom-based therapies. From lion's mane and cordyceps to the commercialization of mushroom products and the challenges of building a business in an emerging industry, this episode offers an educational and thought-provoking look at a topic many people have heard about but few truly understand. Whether you're curious, skeptical, or simply interested in learning something new, this conversation will challenge assumptions and expand your perspective.

Key Takeaways:
Entrepreneurship rarely follows the plan you start with. The pieces appear as you keep moving.
Mentorship matters because no founder can see every side of the problem alone.
Wisdom is not about having the only right answer. It is about helping people see more clearly.
Experienced leaders should not simply retire and disappear. Their knowledge needs to be passed on.
Business is still deeply human. You cannot separate life, grief, family, purpose, and work completely.
Impact matters more than ego. The real question is whether you made the world better.
Mushrooms are far more complex than most people realize, ranging from culinary to functional to psychedelic.
Functional mushrooms like lion’s mane, cordyceps, and reishi are gaining attention for focus, energy, and wellness.
Emerging industries require patience, education, regulation, and a real business model, not just hype.
Human potential sits at the intersection of health, mindset, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and the courage to explore new ideas.

Get in Touch with Colin Christensen
If you enjoyed this conversation and would like to learn more about Colin's work in entrepreneurship, mentorship, startup growth, and the mushroom industry, you can connect with him here:
🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinchristensen/
🔹 MYCĀO: https://mycao.ca
Colin has spent more than 30 years building businesses, mentoring founders, and helping entrepreneurs navigate growth, innovation, and uncertainty. Whether you're interested in entrepreneurship, mentorship, functional mushrooms, or emerging opportunities in the wellness space, Colin is a wealth of knowledge and experience.

🎸 Sponsor Shoutouts: Thank You Colin Harms for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast! 🫶
The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by Hypervac Technologies & Hyperfab, 🎸⭐
🔹 Hypervac Technologies: North America’s leader in vacuum truck manufacturing, building high performance hydrovac and industrial vacuum trucks designed for the toughest field conditions. www.hypervac.com
🔹 Hyperfab: The custom fabrication division of Hypervac, delivering engineered solutions and specialized builds tailored to demanding industrial applications. www.hyperfab.ca

Join The Catalyst Club Community
If you are serious about growth, community, leadership, and surrounding yourself with high-level, human-centric thinkers, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.
Join us here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Mentioned in this episode:
Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

In Episode 347 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Paul Riismandel, President of Signal Hill Insights and one of the leading voices in podcast audience research, to explore the future of podcasting, media, and audience attention. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in digital audio, podcasting, advertising, and audience measurement, Paul shares what creators, entrepreneurs, marketers, and business leaders need to understand about where the industry is headed and how audiences are consuming content in 2026 and beyond.
From the myth that everyone skips podcast ads to the reality of audience growth, community building, content discovery, and the evolving relationship between audio and video, this conversation is packed with practical insights and thought-provoking perspectives. Paul challenges conventional wisdom around virality, explains why community matters more than most creators realize, and reveals what successful podcasters are doing differently to build loyal audiences in an increasingly competitive media landscape. Whether you're a podcaster, content creator, thought leader, marketer, or business owner, this episode offers a valuable look at the forces shaping the future of attention and influence.

Key Takeaways:
Audience quality matters more than audience quantity.
One podcast listener is not the same as one passive TV or radio listener.
A hundred downloads can represent a room full of people who chose to hear from you.
Podcasting is a long game, not a viral lottery.
You need to know who your audience is and why they should listen.
Discovery starts by finding the audience, not just finding podcast listeners.
Audio is not dead, but creators need to remind people how and when to listen.
Short form content may be losing some of its hold as people want their attention back.
Community is one of the strongest drivers of podcast growth and loyalty.
Podcast ads work better than many people think because listeners do not skip them as much as they say they do.

Want to learn more from Paul?
Check out Signal Hill Insights and subscribe to Paul's newsletter. If you care about podcasting, media, audience growth, advertising, and the future of audio, it's one of the best sources of industry insights available.
Signal Hill Insights Newsletter

🎸 Sponsor Shoutouts: Thank You Colin Harms for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast! 🫶
The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by Hypervac Technologies & Hyperfab, 🎸⭐
🔹 Hypervac Technologies: North America’s leader in vacuum truck manufacturing, building high performance hydrovac and industrial vacuum trucks designed for the toughest field conditions. www.hypervac.com
🔹 Hyperfab: The custom fabrication division of Hypervac, delivering engineered solutions and specialized builds tailored to demanding industrial applications. www.hyperfab.ca

Join The Catalyst Club Community
If you are serious about growth, community, leadership, and surrounding yourself with high-level, human-centric thinkers, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.
Join us here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Mentioned in this episode:
Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

In Episode 346 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Rudy A. Zacharias and Terry Elkins of About That... to explore one of the most misunderstood topics in business: branding. Drawing on decades of experience helping organizations navigate growth and transformation, Rudy and Terry explain why a brand is far more than a logo. It is the sum total of what people think, feel, and experience when they interact with your company. Together, they unpack the warning signs that your business may have outgrown its brand, the importance of aligning perception with reality, and why successful companies often reach a point where evolution becomes necessary.
The conversation also provides a behind-the-scenes look at About That...'s own transformation from G Squared to its new identity. Rudy and Terry share the intentional process behind the rebrand, the challenges of balancing existing brand equity with future growth, and the critical role of employee buy-in, change management, and communication throughout the journey. Whether you're considering a full rebrand, a brand refresh, or simply want to better understand how your organization is perceived, this episode offers practical insights into building a brand that reflects who you are today and where you want to go tomorrow.

Key Takeaways:
A brand is not your logo. Your brand is the sum total of what people think, feel, and experience when they interact with your company.
The biggest reason companies rebrand is misalignment. When who you are as a business no longer matches how you are perceived in the market, a rebrand may be necessary.
Growth often creates branding challenges. As companies evolve, expand into new markets, add services, or change leadership, their original brand may no longer accurately represent them.
Living things grow and living things evolve. Businesses that remain exactly the same year after year risk becoming stagnant and losing relevance.
Rebranding should never start with design. Before changing logos, websites, or visual identity, organizations must first understand their values, purpose, positioning, and stakeholder perceptions.
Internal alignment comes before external messaging. Employees must understand and believe in the brand before the marketplace ever sees it. Your team becomes your most important group of brand ambassadors.
The truth about your brand is often found through listening. Leadership's perception of the company can be very different from what employees, customers, vendors, and partners actually experience.
A rebrand is not always the answer. Sometimes a refresh, updated messaging, service clarification, culture improvements, or operational changes can solve the real issue without a complete overhaul.
Successful rebrands require change management and communication. If stakeholders do not understand why a change is happening, they will create their own narratives and assumptions.
Values must be lived, not displayed. Trust is built when customers and employees can clearly see an organization's values reflected in its actions, decisions, and relationships every day.

Connect with Rudy A. Zacharias & Terry Elkins
🌐 About That...
Website: www.weareaboutthat.com
📧 Email
hello@weareaboutthat.com
📞 Phone
780-465-0682
💼 Rudy A. Zacharias
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rudyazacharias/
🎨 Terry Elkins
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terry-elkins-23234315/
About That... is an Edmonton-based branding, communications, and marketing agency helping organizations align their brand, strategy, and story to drive meaningful growth.
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🎸 Sponsor Shoutouts: Thank You Colin Harms & Jamie Crozier for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast! 🫶
The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by Hypervac Technologies, Hyperfab, Thunder Bay Hydraulics Inc, and Atlas Elite Lifts. 🎸⭐
🔹 Hypervac Technologies: North America’s leader in vacuum truck manufacturing, building high performance hydrovac and industrial vacuum trucks designed for the toughest field conditions. www.hypervac.com
🔹 Hyperfab: The custom fabrication division of Hypervac, delivering engineered solutions and specialized builds tailored to demanding industrial applications. www.hyperfab.ca
🔹 Thunder Bay Hydraulics Inc: A trusted provider of hydraulic cylinder repair and manufacturing, supporting industries like mining, forestry, and construction with reliable, high quality service. www.thunderbayhydraulics.com
🔹 Atlas Elite Lifts: A premium supplier of automotive lift systems, focused on performance, safety, and long term reliability for shops and garages. www.atlaselitelifts.com

Join The Catalyst Club Community
If you are serious about growth, leadership, and surrounding yourself with high level thinkers, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.
Join us here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Mentioned in this episode:
Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

Episode 345 of The Business Development Podcast dives into a conversation that almost never gets talked about in entrepreneurship: what happens at the end. Kelly Kennedy sits down with Robert Welke, business growth strategist, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, entrepreneur, and Co-Founder of MExit Inc., to explore why so many business owners spend decades building companies only to discover they have nothing they can actually sell. Together, they unpack Canada’s growing entrepreneurial challenges, the reality that more businesses are closing than opening, and why owner dependency may quietly be destroying business value long before owners ever think about exiting.
Drawing from more than 35 years of entrepreneurial and leadership experience, Robert shares a practical framework for building businesses that are scalable, transferable, and capable of surviving beyond the founder. The conversation explores what makes a company truly sellable, why systems and leadership matter more than most owners realize, alternative exit strategies including employee ownership, and why building with the end in mind may be one of the most overlooked business disciplines today. Whether you plan to exit in three years, twenty years, or never at all, this episode will challenge the way you think about growth, legacy, and the future of entrepreneurship.

Key Takeaways:
If you want to sell your business, you have to build it to be sellable from the beginning.
Owner dependency is one of the biggest threats to business value and transferability.
Exit planning is not an event. It is a process that usually takes three to five years.
A business that cannot run without the founder is much harder to sell successfully.
Most business owners are experts at their craft, but not always experts at the business of business.
Systems, processes, people, and leadership structure are what make a company scalable and transferable.
Your employees may be a viable exit path, especially through employee ownership structures.
Revenue alone does not determine business value. Readiness, attractiveness, profitability, and risk matter deeply.
The future of Canadian entrepreneurship depends on helping more owners transition businesses instead of simply closing them.
A great business should survive beyond the founder and continue creating value for employees, customers, and communities.

Connect with Robert:
Robert Welke on LinkedIn
MExit Inc.

🎸 Sponsor Shoutouts: Thank You Colin Harms & Jamie Crozier for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast! 🫶
The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by Hypervac Technologies, Hyperfab, Thunder Bay Hydraulics Inc, and Atlas Elite Lifts. 🎸⭐
🔹 Hypervac Technologies: North America’s leader in vacuum truck manufacturing, building high performance hydrovac and industrial vacuum trucks designed for the toughest field conditions. www.hypervac.com
🔹 Hyperfab: The custom fabrication division of Hypervac, delivering engineered solutions and specialized builds tailored to demanding industrial applications. www.hyperfab.ca
🔹 Thunder Bay Hydraulics Inc: A trusted provider of hydraulic cylinder repair and manufacturing, supporting industries like mining, forestry, and construction with reliable, high quality service. www.thunderbayhydraulics.com
🔹 Atlas Elite Lifts: A premium supplier of automotive lift systems, focused on performance, safety, and long term reliability for shops and garages. www.atlaselitelifts.com
Join The Catalyst Club Community
If you are serious about growth, leadership, and surrounding yourself with high level thinkers, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.
Join us here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

Mentioned in this episode:
Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums