The Business Development Podcast

In this very special episode of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Jake Gold, one of the most influential architects of Canadian music and the longtime manager behind The Tragically Hip. Jake takes listeners behind the curtain on what a music manager actually does, not as a hype man, but as the CEO of a complex business where touring, deals, team decisions, merchandising, data, and long term career strategy all run through one leader. He shares the moment he first saw The Tragically Hip live and knew instantly they had to be signed, plus how conviction, detail obsession, and a willingness to say no are what separate career building from chasing quick wins.This conversation is packed with crossover lessons for founders, CEOs, and business developers, especially around standards, positioning, and being relentlessly curious as the market changes. Jake breaks down why the music industry is bigger than ever, why direct to consumer and data matter, and why the barrier to entry being low does not change the one truth that decides everything: you still have to be great. Kelly also acknowledges the human side of legacy, including the grief the country felt around Gord Downie, and Jake shares how he stays grounded and sustainable across decades in a 24/7 industry, while hinting at meaningful plans ahead for what comes next.Key Takeaways: 1. You will know greatness when you feel it and it is an involuntary response, not a logical checklist. 2. Great careers are built by setting the real bar and realizing what “next level” actually looks like the first time you witness it. 3. A great manager is basically the CEO of the band’s company, overseeing every revenue stream, cost, and decision with the artists as the board. 4. Sustainable performance comes from ruthless time protection: knowing when not to get involved, saying no, and avoiding time wasters. 5. If you do not believe in what you represent, you will eventually get bored and move on, so belief is the fuel of long term excellence. 6. The small stuff is the big stuff: details matter because this is the whole business and you do not get paid unless it works. 7. There is no plan B if you want career level outcomes, and if the artist or founder loses belief, the manager cannot save it. 8. Curiosity is a competitive advantage: keep learning, keep reading, and bring new ideas to the table even when you are the most experienced person in the room. 9. Data and direct fan connection are core now, and the winners will understand audiences, demographics, and DTC relationships better than ever. 10. In a world where anyone can publish, the filter is still the same: you have to be great, the cream rises, and longevity is the real proof. Connect with Jake Gold and learn more about his work:The Management Trust (Official Site)https://mgmtrust.ca/Jake Gold on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-gold-92046030/If you know you are built for more, you belong in The Catalyst Club. It is a private, high trust community for founders, business developers, and next generation leaders who want real connection, real support, and real momentum.Join us today: https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

Episode 298 features Jake Karls, co founder and chief rainmaker of Mid Day Squares, breaking down how a kitchen table idea turned into a multimillion dollar brand by winning attention the hard way, through relentless storytelling and real human connection. He explains why attention is one of the most valuable assets in business, why you cannot buy trust with generic marketing, and why your story is the one advantage competitors cannot copy, if you are willing to share the good and the ugly.The conversation also goes deep on the cost of building at full speed. Jake opens up about burnout in a way most founders never do, from chronic fatigue and brain fog to spiraling anxiety and feeling completely out of control, and how stepping away, therapy, and real recovery practices helped him rebuild. It is a powerful reminder that growth is a long game, and the strongest leaders are the ones who protect their health while they keep showing up.Key Takeaways: 1. Attention is one of the most valuable assets now, and you have to earn it, not just pay for it. 2. People do not connect to product claims, they connect to emotion, meaning, and a story that feels real. 3. Your story is the one advantage competitors cannot copy, so treat it like an asset and share it on purpose. 4. Trust is built by showing the good and the ugly, not by trying to look perfect. 5. Impostor syndrome gets louder when you perform for approval instead of showing up as yourself. 6. Comparison is only useful if it inspires you, otherwise it quietly poisons your energy and progress. 7. Overworking for too long is not toughness, stepping back can be the move that lets you go ten steps forward. 8. Therapy is not a crisis move, it is leadership work that strengthens communication, perspective, and resilience. 9. Your business cannot be your identity, because that pressure will break you when life hits. 10. Surround yourself with real people who want you to win, and talk about the hard stuff before it turns into chaos. Follow Jake Karl's on LinkedInCheck out Mid-Day SquaresIf you love this show, you will love The Catalyst Club. It is where founders and leaders take these conversations off the podcast and into real rooms, real relationships, and real support that helps you move faster and lead stronger.Join us today www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub

In this solo episode, Kelly looks back at how business has shifted from the AI explosion of 2023, to the rise of personal branding in 2024, to the wave of raw, human authenticity in 2025, and makes a bold prediction for what comes next. 2026, he argues, will be the year of community, where leaders are no longer satisfied with surface level connections and instead seek real belonging in rooms where they can be honest, supported, and challenged. Drawing on his experience building The Catalyst Club, Kelly shares what he has seen firsthand as leaders open up, share the hard stuff, and finally find a place where people actually get it. From there, he lays out ten clear rules to help you choose the right community in 2026, plus five bonus tips to make sure you get real value from whichever room you join. You will learn how to spot the difference between a group that just talks and a community that actually creates opportunities, what it means to feel both safe and stretched, and why participation is the secret that separates people who grow from people who just lurk. If you want 2026 to be the year your community truly changes everything for you, this episode gives you the roadmap.Key Takeaways: 1. The right community should reflect the future version of you, not just who you are today, so that simply being in the room stretches your growth. 2. Values are non-negotiable: if a community’s DNA doesn’t align with your beliefs about integrity, growth, and how business should be done, you don’t belong there. 3. Activity is everything; you want a room full of people who show up, engage, share wins, and help each other, not a graveyard of ghost profiles and empty feeds.4. Great communities have leaders who are present in the trenches, learning with their people and setting the tone by how they show up, not just what they say. 5. The best rooms make you feel both safe and challenged, giving you space to be human while still expecting you to pursue excellence and tell the truth about where you’re at. 6. A real community doesn’t just talk, it creates opportunities through introductions, collaborations, referrals, hot seats, and shared wins that move everyone forward. 7. Diversity of perspective matters more than demographics; you need people ahead of you, beside you, and learning from you to create an ecosystem that fuels momentum. 8. Structure beats chaos every time; consistent events, rituals, themes, and clear rules create safety, trust, and a rhythm that makes it easier to show up. 9. You should feel seen in your community—when you speak, people respond, and your presence is acknowledged—because a room that doesn’t see you can’t grow you. 10. Your energy is data; if you leave calls drained, you’re in the wrong room, but if you leave buzzing and inspired, you’ve probably found your community for 2026 and beyond.If this episode hit home, and you know 2026 needs to be your year of community, The Catalyst Club is exactly the kind of room we talked about. It is a private, virtual leadership community where founders, builders, and business development leaders show up honestly, share what is really going on, and help each other grow with real support and real strategy. If you are tired of doing this alone and want a community that actually moves you forward, join us at www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub.Want to participate in my new show: I Used To Work There? Email your story and interest to [email protected] for a chance to be featured on the first episodes!Links referenced in this episode:

Unlocking Canada’s Francophone Goldmine with Colin Fagnan

07/12/2025 | 1h 18 mins.

Episode 296 is a first for The Business Development Podcast – we finally dive deep into Canada’s French-speaking community and what most business leaders are missing. Kelly sits down with bilingual consultant Colin Fagnan, founder of Nyloc Consulting (and now Executive Director of the Fort Saskatchewan & Lamont County Regional Chamber of Commerce), to unpack how growing up Francophone in Alberta shaped his worldview, why French is actually on the rise in Western Canada, and how bilingualism boosts learning, creativity, and problem-solving in business. Colin shares his own story of moving between countries and cultures, and why he believes language is a strategic asset, not just a personal skill.From there, the conversation shifts into hard business reality: the sheer GDP locked inside Francophone markets, how tourism and immigration are changing Alberta’s economic landscape, and why so many companies hit an invisible wall when dealing with Quebec or French-speaking clients. Colin breaks down where the real opportunities are, how immersion education has quietly transformed the next generation, and what leaders can do right now to better serve French speakers at home and abroad. If you’ve ever thought “French is only for back East,” this episode will challenge that belief and show you a very real growth path hiding in plain sight.Key Takeaways: 1. The Francophone community in Canada is not just cultural it is a massive, under-served economic market that most businesses simply ignore.2. Bilingualism is a competitive advantage because it helps you build trust faster with customers partners and communities who rarely feel truly seen.3. Language is not just translation it is context nuance and relationship and if you get that wrong you will lose deals you never see.4. Western Canada massively underestimates how many French speakers live work and travel here which means the businesses who serve them well can stand out quickly.5. Immersion and bilingual education are quietly creating a new generation of leaders who think globally and move comfortably between markets and cultures.6. Companies that want to do business in Quebec or with Francophone clients need to show real respect for the language and culture not just slap French on a brochure.7. Tourism and immigration are reshaping local economies and the businesses that prepare to serve visitors and newcomers in both languages will win first.8. If you do not have internal bilingual capacity yet you can start small by partnering with translators consultants or community leaders who understand the space.9. Treat French speaking customers like a primary market not a side note and you will uncover long term loyalty repeat business and powerful word of mouth.10. The real opportunity is not just learning French it is deciding that language inclusion can be part of your business development strategy and then taking action on it.The Catalyst Club is my private community for founders and business development leaders who want real support, real strategy and real momentum together. Join us here:https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclubCompanies mentioned in this episode: Fort Saskatchewan and Lamont County Regional Chamber of Commerce Capital Business Development NYLOC Consulting CDEA Conseil de Développement Économique de l'Alberta Parallèle Alberta National Bank Financial

Episode 295 is a raw and honest reflection on what five years of entrepreneurship have really looked like behind the scenes. Kelly marks the anniversary of Capital Business Development, his own birthday, and his son’s birthday by pulling back the curtain on the fear, uncertainty, and constant change that come with building something from nothing. Instead of a highlight reel, he walks you through the real story of learning to bet on yourself, letting go of rigid long term plans, and accepting that you will rarely feel as if you are fully caught up or in control.Across the episode, Kelly shares the six biggest lessons that shaped his first five years in business. You will hear why version one of your company will almost certainly suck, why you must accept that you do not have all the answers, and why lifelong learning and adaptation are non negotiable. He talks about giving your business the time it actually needs to grow, building a circle that believes in you, and finding community so you do not have to carry leadership alone. If you are in the trenches of building a business, this conversation will help you feel less alone and a lot more prepared for the next five years.Key Takeaways: 1. You will almost never feel “caught up” as an entrepreneur, and learning to operate inside that tension is part of the job.2. Version one of anything you build will probably suck compared to what it becomes, but you cannot get to version ten without shipping version one.3. You do not need to have all the answers to move forward, you just need enough clarity to take the next honest step.4. Long range 5 and 10 year plans are guesses at best, but a focused 12 month plan you actually execute can change your entire trajectory.5. The quality of your business is capped by the quality of your habits, so how you show up day to day matters more than the big goals on your wall.6. Community is not a luxury for leaders, it is oxygen; trying to carry everything alone will quietly choke the business and the person running it.7. The market will always move faster than your plans, so building an identity around adaptability and learning is safer than clinging to a fixed path.8. Saying yes to everything out of fear keeps you small; learning what to say no to is where your real leverage and focus come from.9. Your business will grow in seasons, not straight lines, and the “quiet” seasons often do the most work on your character and foundations.10. The biggest win in entrepreneurship is not just revenue, it is building a life, a body of work, and relationships you are genuinely proud of five years later.If this episode hit home and you are tired of building alone, Catalyst Club is where we keep this conversation going in real time.Join a private room of entrepreneurs and leaders sharing real wins, hard lessons, and their next 12 month moves together.Come plug in at www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub