The Business Development Podcast

Episode 321 of The Business Development Podcast challenges one of the most common myths in business and life: that success is a future moment we eventually arrive at. In this solo episode, Kelly Kennedy reframes success as something far more powerful and accessible. Instead of waiting for a milestone like wealth, recognition, or a big breakthrough, Kelly explains that success is actually a daily pattern built through forward movement, personal standards, and the decision to keep showing up. If you are learning, growing, solving problems, and continuing to move forward, you are already living a successful life.
Kelly also shares practical strategies to help listeners live in success today, including keeping your word to yourself, defining your own scoreboard, building standards instead of relying on motivation, and staying in the game even when things get difficult. Through personal stories, real-world examples, and a powerful mindset shift, this episode encourages entrepreneurs and leaders to stop waiting for success to arrive and instead recognize the success they are already building every single day.
Key Takeaways:
Success is not a moment you arrive at. It’s a pattern of daily actions and standards you live by.
If you are consistently moving forward, learning, and improving, you are already living a successful life.
Waiting for the world to declare you successful will leave you waiting forever. You must define success for yourself.
Real success comes from keeping your commitments to yourself, especially when no one else is watching.
Momentum beats intensity. Small actions taken consistently create massive results over time.
Motivation fades, but standards last. Successful people operate based on discipline and personal expectations.
Growth rarely happens in comfort. Choosing challenges over convenience is what builds capability.
Most people don’t fail because they lack ability. They fail because they quit too soon.
Gratitude for what you have and ambition for what comes next can exist at the same time.
The question to ask every day is simple: “What would the successful version of me do today?” Then take that action.

Here is a clean show notes sponsor section that combines both sponsors while keeping it professional and appreciative for the episode page.
Sponsors
The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by incredible companies that believe in the mission of educating, inspiring, and equipping leaders and entrepreneurs around the world.
Our Title Sponsor, Hypervac Technologies, continues to lead the way in industrial vacuum excavation equipment and solutions across North America. Their commitment to innovation, safety, and industry leadership has helped power this show for years. A special thank you to President Colin Harms for his continued support and belief in what we are building together.
Learn more about Hypervac Technologies:
https://www.hypervac.com
We are also excited to welcome our newest Roadblock Sponsors, Thunder Bay Hydraulics and Atlas Elite Lifts. These companies are doing incredible work in their respective industries. Thunder Bay Hydraulics is known for delivering expert hydraulic system service, repair, and solutions for heavy industry, while Atlas Elite Lifts is raising the bar with innovative automotive lift solutions designed for professional shops that demand reliability, performance, and safety.
A big thank you to Jamie Crozier, President of Thunder Bay Hydraulics and Atlas Elite Lifts, for getting behind the show and supporting our mission.
Learn more about these companies:
Thunder Bay Hydraulics: https://www.thunderbayhydraulics.com
Atlas Elite Lifts: https://www.atlaselitelifts.com

Join The Catalyst Club
If today’s episode resonated with you, then you belong in The Catalyst Club.
The Catalyst Club is a private leadership community where entrepreneurs, executives, and business development professionals come together to grow, learn, and support each other’s success. Inside the Club you’ll find live expert workshops, leadership discussions, business development training, and a powerful network of people committed to moving forward every single day.
If you’re serious about growth and want to surround yourself with leaders who are building something meaningful, I invite you to join us.
Learn more and become a member here:
www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Success isn’t something you wait for.
It’s something you choose and build every day.
Mentioned in this episode:
Hyperfab Midroll

In Episode 320 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Ron Szekely, Co Founder of BOS360 and a veteran marketing executive who helped scale powerhouse brands like L’Oreal and Keurig Dr Pepper. Ron shares what he learned working inside billion dollar organizations and how those lessons translate to founder led companies navigating growth today. He explains why businesses often become more fragile as they scale, how founders unknowingly become the bottleneck, and why clarity, alignment, and accountability become critical at the next level.
Ron also breaks down the core pillars he believes every company must intentionally build business, brand, and team and how strategy, execution, and culture connect them. He offers practical insights into overcoming founder overwhelm, simplifying complexity, and building systems that allow companies to grow sustainably without losing what made them successful in the first place. This episode is a powerful look at what it really takes to scale a business with purpose, control, and long term success.
Key Takeaways:
Businesses rarely fail when they are small, they break when growth exposes the lack of systems, clarity, and alignment needed to scale.
The same entrepreneur with the same product can experience completely different outcomes depending on whether they follow the right systems and best practices.
Every company must intentionally build three things at the same time a strong business, a clear brand, and a high performing team.
Scaling requires founders to stop holding all the accountability themselves and trust their team to own results, not just tasks.
Growth becomes easier when leadership aligns on a clear vision for where the company is going over the next 10 years, 3 years, 1 year, and quarter.
Your brand is not your logo, it is the reputation, expectations, and experience you consistently create in the market.
Many companies struggle because they try to pursue too many opportunities instead of focusing on the few that truly move the needle.
You can grow a business faster by increasing how often existing customers use your product, not just by finding new customers.
Overwhelm comes from noise and lack of clarity, and taking time to think, write, and prioritize helps founders regain control.
The companies that scale successfully simplify their operations, clarify accountability, and build systems that allow the business to run beyond the founder.

Check out our guest Ron Szekely
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rszekely/
BOS360 Growth Systems: https://bos360.ca
Ron is the Co Founder of BOS360, a business operating system designed to help founder led companies build stronger businesses, brands, and teams.

A huge thank you to our sponsors for making The Business Development Podcast possible. 🙏
Title Sponsor: Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab
https://www.hypervac.com
Hypervac Technologies is a North American leader in hydro excavation and vacuum equipment, manufacturing industry leading solutions that support critical infrastructure, utilities, and construction. Hyperfab, their in house fabrication division, brings precision engineering and manufacturing expertise to every build. ⚙️
Roadblock Sponsor: Thunder Bay Hydraulics
https://www.thunderbayhydraulics.com
Thunder Bay Hydraulics specializes in hydraulic cylinder repair, manufacturing, and precision machining, supporting heavy industry with reliable, high performance hydraulic solutions across North America. 🛠️
Special thank you to Colin Harms and Jamie Crozier. Give them a follow and show them some love for supporting this show. It means the world and helps us continue bringing these conversations to you. 🤝
If you like The Business Development Podcast, you belong with us.
The Catalyst Club is where founders and leaders from across Canada and the US connect, learn, and build together through live events and real conversations.
Join here:
https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
If you know, you’re known. 🔥

Mentioned in this episode:
Hyperfab Midroll

In Episode 319 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Jamie Crozier, an entrepreneur who did something most people only dream about. He bought the company he once worked for. Jamie shares his journey from stocking shelves at a dollar store to building his career in industrial sales, eventually acquiring Thunder Bay Hydraulics and expanding through the acquisition of Custom Hydraulics and the founding of Atlas Elite Lifts. His story is a powerful reminder that ownership is not about where you start, but about the moment you decide to bet on yourself and step into uncertainty.
This episode dives deep into the realities of acquisition, the emotional weight of taking over a legacy business, and the resilience required to build and scale manufacturing companies in Canada during a time of tariffs, competition, and global uncertainty. Jamie also shares his innovative approach to transparency in service businesses and his vision for building premium, design-driven lift solutions across North America. This is a conversation about risk, responsibility, and the identity shift that happens when you stop working for someone else’s future and start building your own.
Key Takeaways:
Ownership starts as an identity decision before it becomes a legal one.
If you are going to be an entrepreneur, you have to get comfortable accepting risk and believing in yourself when everything depends on you.
When acquiring a business, build your own relationships with your bank, accountant, and lawyer because those relationships will carry you through the process.
Vendor take back financing can make acquisitions possible by aligning the seller with the future success of the business.
Trust and personal relationships matter more than numbers because without trust, the deal will not happen or succeed.
Buying a competitor requires patience, respect, and confidentiality because pushing too hard can destroy the opportunity.
The emotional commitment to ownership begins before the deal closes, and the fear of losing the opportunity can be as powerful as the responsibility itself.
Starting a company from nothing is far harder than buying one because you must build reputation, customers, and trust from zero.
Transparency with customers during difficult times strengthens relationships and turns challenges into partnerships.
Great companies differentiate themselves by solving real customer problems and making the experience easier, clearer, and faster.

Check out Thunder Bay Hydraulics and learn more about the incredible work Jamie and his team are doing:
https://thunderbayhydraulics.com
Learn more about Custom Hydraulics:
https://customhydraulics.com
Explore Atlas Elite Lifts and their premium automotive lift solutions:
https://www.atlaselitelifts.com/
You can also connect with Jamie directly at [email protected] and follow Jamie on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-crozier-128177104/

The Business Development Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Title Sponsors, Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab, and by a man who has been instrumental in supporting this show and the mission behind it, Colin Harms.
Hypervac Technologies is a world class Canadian manufacturer, building industry leading hydrovac equipment that is trusted across North America and beyond. Their commitment to innovation, quality, and excellence represents the very best of Canadian manufacturing and entrepreneurship. Learn more about Hypervac Technologies at www.hypervac.com
Hyperfab stands alongside them as a leader in custom fabrication, turning complex challenges into precision built solutions and proving every day that Canadian companies can compete and win on the global stage.
And behind it all is Colin Harms, a leader who believes deeply in people, in business, and in building something that matters. Colin’s belief in this podcast has helped make these conversations possible and has helped us reach leaders around the world.
You can follow Colin Harms and connect with him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-harms-03a27625/
Hypervac, Hyperfab, and Colin, thank you for your continued partnership and for helping elevate the business development community.
Join The Catalyst Club: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Mentioned in this episode:
Hyperfab Midroll

In Episode 318 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Jemia and Tim Zagiel, Co-Founders of Pacific Ropes, to explore what it truly means to build a business in an environment where courage is not optional. What began as a small operation run from their living room grew into an industry-leading rope access company that helped modernize safety and training standards across Western Canada. Tim shares how his early experiences working on ropes without proper systems sparked a mission to professionalize the industry, while Jemia reveals how her transition from film into entrepreneurship helped shape the culture, operations, and leadership foundation that drives the company today.
This episode goes far beyond rope access and into the mindset required to lead through uncertainty, fear, and constant external change. Jemia and Tim open up about surviving economic downturns, learning not to rely on a single client or industry, and the importance of diversification, relationships, and long-term thinking. At its core, Episode 318 is a powerful conversation about entrepreneurship, partnership, and the defining moments every leader faces when standing at the edge of the unknown and choosing to move forward anyway.
Learn more about Tim and Jemia and their work with Pacific Ropes: www.pacificropes.com
Key Takeaways:
The moment before you go over the edge is where growth lives, and success often requires committing fully despite fear.
Safety, preparation, and mindset are what allow people to operate confidently in environments where mistakes are not survivable.
Building an industry does not require inventing everything yourself, it requires learning from others and bringing proven ideas into your market.
You cannot build a resilient business with a single client or industry, diversification is what allows you to survive external shocks.
Culture is built on trust and shared responsibility, especially when your team’s lives depend on each other every day.
Mindset is the foundation of resilience, and the ability to stay calm and find solutions during uncertainty determines long term survival.
The best leaders are willing to ask for help and continuously learn, rather than pretending they already have all the answers.
Partnership strength comes from respecting differences, where vision and caution work together to create sustainable growth.
Fear never fully disappears, but learning to act despite fear is what separates those who build meaningful things.
Success in business and life requires intentional boundaries, because achievement means nothing if you lose yourself or your family along the way.

Special thank you to our 2026 Title Sponsors, Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab.
Hypervac continues to set the standard across North America for air excavation, bringing innovation, safety, and precision to some of the most demanding infrastructure projects in the world. Alongside them, Hyperfab represents the next generation of manufacturing excellence, delivering world-class fabrication built on the same commitment to quality and forward thinking leadership.
These companies are not just sponsors of the show. They are builders of the business community and strong believers in the power of entrepreneurship, leadership, and growth.
Learn more about Hypervac Technologies at www.hypervac.com
Learn more about Hyperfab at www.hyperfab.ca

Last but not least, join The Catalyst Club.
The Catalyst Club is my private leadership community for founders, business developers, and growth minded professionals who are serious about building, growing, and moving forward. It is a trusted room where real relationships are built, ideas are shared openly, and members support each other through the challenges that come with leadership.
If you are ready to surround yourself with people who understand the journey, I invite you to join us.
If you know, you’re known.
Join The Catalyst Club: https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
Mentioned in this episode:
Hyperfab Midroll

Episode 317 is a three year anniversary reflection on what it actually takes to build something that lasts. Kelly shares how impossible 300 plus episodes felt at the beginning, how the early days were full of uncertainty and scrambling for guests, and how planning ahead became the foundation that made consistency possible. He breaks down how podcasting and entrepreneurship change you, why growth comes from staying in motion, and why the further you go, the more you realize you still have to learn.
He then delivers ten hard-earned lessons that apply to podcasting, personal branding, and building a business: share what you are afraid to share, lean into your unique perspective, expect your impact to outgrow your imagination, and commit to routines that keep you showing up. Kelly also talks about rituals and habits that make a show yours, why listener messages matter more than you think, and why your show is never “good enough” if you want it to keep improving. He closes with gratitude for the Rockstars, a major shoutout to Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab for supporting the mission, and an update on the upcoming launch of I Used To Work There.
Submit a story for I Used To Work There: [email protected]
Key Takeaways:
The world needs what you are afraid to share, and the moment you step into that fear is the moment your real impact begins.
Your unique experience is your greatest asset, and it is not about why you should do it, but why the world is waiting for you to.
Your impact will grow far beyond what you can imagine if you stay consistent and keep putting your message out into the world.
Showing up every week will reveal strengths, capabilities, and growth you never would have discovered otherwise.
Building something consistently will naturally build your personal brand, even when that was never the original goal.
Your podcast, your business, and your identity will evolve over time, and that evolution is proof that you are growing.
The habits and rituals you create around your work become the foundation that makes long term consistency possible.
The messages you receive from the people you help will remind you why you started and give you the fuel to keep going.
Consistency is not accidental, it is the result of planning, preparation, and making the decision to show up no matter what.
Your work will never be finished, and staying humble, improving constantly, and refusing to settle is what keeps you moving forward.

This episode is proudly brought to you by our 2026 Title Sponsor, Hypervac Technologies, and I want to take a very special moment to recognize the man behind it all, Colin Harms.
Colin, your belief in this show means more than you know. You didn’t just sponsor The Business Development Podcast, you invested in the mission. You invested in the Rockstars. You invested in the idea that business development knowledge should be shared freely with the world, and because of that, this show continues to grow, evolve, and reach leaders in over 150 countries.
Hypervac Technologies is North America’s leading manufacturer of industrial vacuum trucks, setting the standard for performance, reliability, and innovation across the industries that keep our world moving. And now, with the launch of Hyperfab, they are bringing that same world-class excellence to custom fabrication, laser cutting, and precision welding right here in Alberta. Hyperfab is built for companies that demand the highest quality, the highest standards, and partners they can trust to deliver.
Colin, thank you for standing beside this show. Thank you for believing in what we are building. And thank you for helping make the next chapter of The Business Development Podcast possible.
To learn more about Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab, visit www.hypervac.com.
And if you are ready to take these lessons and apply them alongside a community of driven leaders, join us inside The Catalyst Club, where business development leaders from around the world come together to grow, learn, and support each other every single week. You can join us at www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub.

Mentioned in this episode:
Hyperfab Midroll