The Business Development Podcast

Ten weeks after Trevor Muir became CEO of Surepoint Group, the bank swept $400,000 from the company’s account and froze its line of credit. Surepoint could not make payroll. Trevor had already turned down the job twice. Now he had to decide what to tell the people whose livelihoods depended on the company.
In Episode 368 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy speaks with Trevor about telling his team the truth, asking employees and vendors for help, and rebuilding a company around the principle of caring for people. Trevor also shares how a period of depression changed the way he led, why Surepoint’s leaders gave up part of their pay during the pandemic, and what inspired his Someday to Today initiative.
Content note: This episode includes a discussion of depression and suicidal thoughts.
Chapters
00:00 Trevor’s story and introduction
05:05 Growing up on an Alberta farm
17:27 Building Surepoint with nine friends
20:43 Why Trevor turned down the CEO role
25:29 The bank freeze and the threat to payroll
27:49 Trevor’s personal crisis and decision to seek help
34:39 Learning to care for himself, too
40:41 Rebuilding Surepoint through honesty
46:54 The pandemic puts “We Care” to the test
55:29 Surepoint’s growth after the pandemic
59:18 The meaning behind Someday to Today
1:08:38 What Trevor is doing next
Key Takeaways
Trevor took the CEO role because he felt responsible to the people who had believed in Surepoint.
When the company faced possible collapse, he told employees how serious the situation was and asked for their help.
Seeking help during a personal crisis changed Trevor’s understanding of vulnerability and leadership.
During the pandemic, Surepoint’s leaders accepted substantial pay cuts as part of a plan to support the wider team.
Trevor believes caring for people helped Surepoint rebuild its culture and grow.
Someday to Today is a reminder to make time for the people and experiences that matter while we can.

Connect with Trevor Muir
Trevor works with leaders and organizations through speaking, coaching and advisory work.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-muir-b7231356/
Support Foxx and Our Family
Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer. If you are able to donate or share our GoFundMe, our family would be incredibly grateful.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-shelby-kelly-during-foxxs-fight-against-cancer
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Thank you to Colin Harms for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast. We are also grateful to Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab for helping us continue to bring these conversations to listeners.
Hypervac Technologies builds professional duct cleaning equipment, including duct trucks, portable vacuums and tools for contractors in the field.
https://hypervac.com/
Hyperfab provides custom fabrication and specialized solutions for industrial applications.
https://hyperfab.ca/
Join The Catalyst Club Community
The Catalyst Club brings business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals together for live sessions, recorded conversations and practical support. Trevor is part of this community and brings the same openness to its conversations that you hear in this episode.
https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
If Trevor’s story stayed with you, follow The Business Development Podcast for more conversations with leaders who speak honestly about what it takes to build and lead.
Mentioned in this episode:
Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

What if the people closest to the work understand what needs to change better than the leaders making the decisions? In Episode 367 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Karli Grove, founder of Kantency Consulting, organizational change strategist, speaker and workshop facilitator, to explore why meaningful transformation rarely begins with immediate action. Karli shares her journey from growing up in small town Alberta and building experience across insurance, community organizations and local leadership to buying a one way ticket to New Zealand, living from a campervan and eventually creating a business devoted to helping organizations navigate change more intentionally.
Karli explains why organizations often become overwhelmed by what appear to be thousands of different problems when many of them originate from the same underlying issue. She shares how her Step 0 approach helps leaders pause, step back and map the entire system before deciding what needs to change. Kelly and Karli also discuss the dangers of top down decision making, why employees resist changes they were never invited to understand and what leaders can learn from the people closest to the work. As Karli explains, if you want to understand where waste exists inside an organization, sometimes the first person you should speak with is the janitor.
The conversation also examines the importance of shared language, continuous feedback and human connection during periods of uncertainty. Karli introduces her Water Cycle Framework, which uses familiar images such as storm clouds, rivers and waterfalls to help teams communicate the scale, pressure and emotional reality of change. She explains why feedback should be gathered throughout the entire process rather than only at the end, how involving employees during the brainstorming stage creates stronger buy in and why the rise of artificial intelligence may ultimately make genuine human connection even more valuable. Karli also shares how Kantency supports leaders and organizations through speaking, facilitation, coaching and immersive mapping.
Key Takeaways:
Resistance to change is often a response to being blindsided, excluded or ignored rather than a rejection of change itself.
If implementing change is Step 1, Step 0 is the pause required to understand the complete system before taking action.
Organizations may appear to have thousands of different problems when many are different expressions of the same root issue.
The people closest to the work often possess critical information that leadership cannot see from the top.
Leaders make better decisions when they involve employees during the brainstorming process rather than after the decision has already been made.
Shared language helps teams recognize when they are discussing the same issue from different perspectives.
Metaphors can communicate the scale, pressure and emotion of change more effectively than conventional business language.
Feedback should be collected throughout the entire change cycle because waiting until the end means missing the information needed to adjust.
Loyalty inside a smaller organization can be powerful but fragile because leadership decisions feel deeply personal to employees.
As technology becomes increasingly available, authentic human connection, empathy and in person experiences may become even more valuable.

Connect with Karli Grove
Learn more about Karli Grove and Kantency Consulting, explore the Step 0 approach and discover how Karli helps leaders and organizations map the bigger picture, strengthen communication and navigate change with greater clarity and confidence.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karligrove
Kantency Consulting: https://kantency.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtWcw78iQvqjc0mdViZotQ
Support Foxx and Our Family
Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer, and our family is navigating a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead. If you are able to donate or simply share our GoFundMe with your network, we would be incredibly grateful for your support.
❤️ Donate to Support Foxx and Our Family
🎸 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 and 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
The Catalyst Club is so much more than a community. It is a growth platform for business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals who want to sharpen their mindset, expand their leadership and learn directly from people who have been there.
Members get immediate access to more than 40 recorded Catalyst Sessions from incredible experts like Nausheen Chen, Carmen Leibel, Pia Silva, Joel Zeff, Wayne Lee and many more, along with weekly live sessions, growth conversations and practical business development support from Kelly Kennedy and other leaders.
If you are serious about growth, leadership, business development and surrounding yourself with people who are committed to becoming better, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.
Learn more here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Mentioned in this episode:
Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

What allows some people to remain clear, composed and effective when the pressure is at its highest? In Episode 366 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with entrepreneur, sales leader and performance coach Alex Marr to explore how structure, skill set and mindset work together to create consistent high performance. Alex shares his journey from selling pottery at childhood craft fairs and working in a car dealership at 16 to building an international career with Xerox, leading businesses in Dubai and eventually bringing the globally recognized Red to Blue performance framework to Canada.
Alex explains how early sales training at Xerox transformed him from an average salesperson achieving approximately 80 percent of his target into a consistent President’s Club performer. He explores why most traditional sales training is quickly forgotten, how the human brain responds under pressure and why complex systems must be made simple enough to use in the moment they are needed. Kelly and Alex also discuss the four stages buyers move through when making decisions, why selling is ultimately about creating trust and peace of mind, and how understanding a buyer’s real drivers can shorten the sales cycle and prevent conversations from becoming price negotiations.
The conversation also examines the growing role of fractional executives and why small and medium sized businesses should not need enormous budgets to access experienced leadership. Alex explains the difference between consultants who provide recommendations and fractional executives who become embedded within an organization and execute the work. He shares how Fractional Execs Canada gives companies access to experienced CROs, CFOs, CMOs, chiefs of staff and other leaders for a fraction of the time and cost of a full time executive. Alex also introduces the company’s expanding technology division, including AI supported business development, customer onboarding and business intelligence tools designed to give leadership teams a single source of truth.
Key Takeaways:
Mindset is not simply a personality trait. It is a skill that can be developed, practised and measured.
High performers recognize when pressure is pulling them into a reactive state and redirect their attention toward the next useful action.
Sales training only creates value when people can remember and apply it during real conversations.
The sales cycle is actually a buying cycle because the final decision takes place in the buyer’s mind.
Successful selling begins by understanding the customer’s drivers and requirements before presenting a solution.
Buyers are ultimately looking for trust and peace of mind, regardless of the product or service being sold.
Anticipating comparison, perceived risk and anxiety allows sales professionals to address objections before they prevent a decision.
Fractional executives differ from traditional consultants because they become embedded within the business and help execute the strategy.
Experienced fractional leaders can often accomplish in 60 or 90 days what may take a new full time executive six months to deliver.
The best fractional leaders bring experience without ego, transfer their knowledge and leave stronger systems behind.

Connect with Alex Marr
Learn more about Alex Marr, Gazing Canada and Fractional Execs Canada, and discover how Alex helps individuals, leadership teams and growing businesses improve performance, strengthen decision making and execute under pressure.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexmarrfractional
Gazing Canada: https://gazingcanada.ca
Fractional Execs Canada: https://www.fractional-execs.ca
Support Foxx and Our Family
Our one-year-old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer, and our family is navigating a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead. If you are able to donate or simply share our GoFundMe with your network, we would be incredibly grateful for your support.
❤️ Donate to Support Foxx and Our Family
🎸 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 and 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
The Catalyst Club is so much more than a community. It is a growth platform for business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and high-level professionals who want to sharpen their mindset, expand their leadership and learn directly from people who have been there.
Members get immediate access to more than 40 recorded Catalyst Sessions from incredible experts like Nausheen Chen, Carmen Leibel, Pia Silva, Joel Zeff, Wayne Lee and many more, along with weekly live sessions, growth conversations and practical business development support from Kelly Kennedy and other leaders.
If you are serious about growth, leadership, business development and surrounding yourself with people who are committed to becoming better, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.
Learn more here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Mentioned in this episode:
Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums

What can today’s content creators learn from someone who has spent more than three decades producing television designed to capture and hold the attention of millions? In Episode 365 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Emmy-winning executive producer, showrunner and director Carl Buehl to explore the evolution of television, storytelling and content creation. Carl shares his journey from radio and music to producing some of television’s most recognizable programs, including The Amazing Race, America’s Most Wanted, Supernanny, Celebrity Fit Club, My Lottery Dream Home and Undercover Billionaire.
Carl explains why successful content begins with character, how television producers use hooks to keep audiences watching and why authenticity must also be relatable to the audience. Kelly and Carl discuss the disruption created by YouTube, podcasts and short form content, why creators no longer need traditional networks to build enormous audiences, and how businesses are increasingly being asked to operate like media companies. Carl also shares why long form content requires greater structure, why production can overwhelm business owners, and how working backward from the desired outcome can help creators build stronger stories and more sustainable content strategies.
Key Takeaways:
Great content begins with compelling characters and people the audience can understand.
The modern content hook is television’s traditional tease adapted for a faster media environment.
Authenticity matters, but a story must also be relatable to hold an audience’s attention.
Content creators can now build trusted audiences without relying on traditional television networks.
Strong storytelling is more important than achieving Hollywood-level production quality.
Businesses must determine which content format best supports their actual goals.
Short form success does not automatically translate into compelling long form content.
Consistent content creation requires significant time, structure, resources and production support.
Brands can build trust by creating meaningful stories instead of forcing products into the spotlight.
Effective producers begin with the desired outcome and reverse engineer the story from the end.

Connect with Carl Buehl
Learn more about Carl Buehl, Cre8TV Spot and his work helping brands, creators and production companies develop compelling content through authentic storytelling.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlbuehl/
Cre8TV Spot: https://cre8tvspot.com
Support Foxx and Our Family
Our one-year-old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer, and our family is navigating a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead. If you are able to donate or simply share our GoFundMe with your network, we would be incredibly grateful for your support.
❤️ Donate to Support Foxx and Our Family
🎸 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 and 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
The Catalyst Club is so much more than a community. It is a growth platform for business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and high-level professionals who want to sharpen their mindset, expand their leadership and learn directly from people who have been there.
Members get immediate access to more than 40 recorded Catalyst Sessions from incredible experts like Nausheen Chen, Carmen Leibel, Pia Silva, Joel Zeff, Wayne Lee and many more, along with weekly live sessions, growth conversations and practical business development support from Kelly Kennedy and other leaders.
If you are serious about growth, leadership, business development and surrounding yourself with people who are committed to becoming better, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.
Learn more here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Mentioned in this episode:
Hyperfab Midroll

What happens when a startup achieves extraordinary growth, but the founder is not prepared for the pressure that comes with it? In this episode of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with serial entrepreneur, investor and strategic growth advisor Phil Neil to explore his journey from sales and pharmaceutical work to scaling Neobex Medical to more than $70 million in revenue in just eight months. Phil shares the extraordinary rise of the company, the founder conflict and burnout that followed, and the devastating setbacks that ultimately transformed his understanding of entrepreneurship.
Phil explains why the root cause of startup failure is often not a lack of capital, strategy or opportunity, but a founder’s inability to sustain decision quality under pressure. Kelly and Phil discuss the emotional shadow of entrepreneurship, the difference between perseverance and adaptive intelligence, why founders must manage their energy instead of simply managing their time, and how clarity can prevent reactive leadership. Phil also shares his perspective on personal branding, AI, long-term planning and why lasting success begins by understanding who you want to become.

Key Takeaways:
Startup failure often begins when founders lose the ability to make quality decisions under pressure.
Rapid growth can expose weaknesses in leadership, communication and founder alignment.
Entrepreneurial grit requires founders to learn, adapt and improve, not simply persevere.
Clarity creates meaningful progress, while uncertainty often creates unnecessary motion.
Self-regulation helps founders prevent fear and pressure from driving reactive decisions.
Managing your energy is just as important as managing your time.
Founders do not need to fight every fire or react to every problem immediately.
Keep your purpose stable while remaining flexible about how you achieve it.
AI can support business decisions, but it cannot replace founder clarity and judgment.
True transformation requires founders to redefine what success means to them.

Connect with Phil Neil
Learn more about Phil Neil, his work with founders and his approach to building stronger, more resilient entrepreneurs.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippe-neil/
Phil Neil: https://philnel.com
Founders Compass: https://founderscompass.com

Support Foxx and Our Family
Our one-year-old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer, and our family is navigating a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead. If you are able to donate or simply share our GoFundMe with your network, we would be incredibly grateful for your support. (gofundme.com)
❤️ Donate to Support Foxx and Our Family

🎸 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
The Catalyst Club is so much more than a community. It is a growth platform for business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, and high-level professionals who want to sharpen their mindset, expand their leadership, and learn directly from people who have been there.
Members get immediate access to over 40+ recorded Catalyst Sessions from incredible experts like Nausheen Chen, Carmen Leibel, Pia Silva, Joel Zeff, Wayne Lee, and many more, along with weekly live sessions, growth conversations, and practical business development support from Kelly Kennedy and other leaders.
If you are serious about growth, leadership, business development, and surrounding yourself with people who are committed to becoming better, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.
Learn more here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Need Business Development Advisory? www.kellykennedyofficial.com
Mentioned in this episode:
Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums