Event News

LIFT Christmas Social 2021

December 15, 2021 by Leif Jason

We’re in month 53,496 of this pandemic. Or at least that’s what it feels like… but let’s celebrate anyway! It’s Christmas, and LIFT is celebrating a new owner with a new vision, Liz Wootton (who you may know from Human Nature Development) – here’s an invitation from Liz…

Please join us for a virtual gathering on Thursday Dec 16^th at 7pm. It’s a great opportunity to connect, reconnect, and hear a little bit about the new direction LIFT will be heading in 2022. It’s free to attend, and open to everyone (you don’t have to be a current LIFT member).

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it is:

Accept this invitation by texting your name, email and XMAS to (778) 608-5999. Do it!
Show up to Rally, dressed in your festive best (whether that’s decked out in sparkles or hunkered down in pjs)
Make a delicious cocktail/mocktail to flaunt to the other party-goers and share your recipe. Prize for the most interesting. ($25 for Atlas Café)

There might be singing. There will certainly be the opportunity to share any new YOU have.

I would LOVE to see you there..

Liz

We’re excited to be working with Lucky Village Enterprises on WinterpreneurFest4

November 28, 2018 by Leif Jason

Every winter LIFT invites Vancouver Island entrepreneurs, local businesses, and creatives to get together for an evening of business and fun. This year we’re working with Lucky Village Enterprises to create something unique and very special for your enjoyment!

Free for LIFT members until December 31, 2018.

Ready for LIFT VIP benefits?

Ready to upgrade your local business to LIFT VIP benefits – like free events and workshops and award-winning promotions at less than $1/day? Apply today and get free tickets to WinterpreneurFest4.

FMI about LIFT membership please call HPM at 250-792-1408

Keith Ippel keynotes PitchFest3 and #WeAreYQQ Party on Sept 27

September 13, 2018 by Leif Jason

What is PitchFest3?

Throughout the year Vancouver Island entrepreneurs and creatives pitch for help to grow their businesses at 12+ LIFT business development workshops. Every year LIFT invites up to six of these entrepreneurs to pitch at the annual PitchFest event. This is the only annual pitch event that showcases the Islands local, grassroots businesses.

This year’s event features a keynote by Keith Ippel, founder and CEO of global startup school Spring Activator. Spring has a mission to help entrepreneurs change the world through their businesses. That’s a great fit with the LIFT ethos of Island businesses helping each other grow businesses and sustainable local economies.

Who’s pitching?

So much of the startup focus is on “tech.” But while technology is sexy, most Island entrepreneurs are actually working on building businesses in almost every imaginable sector. This year’s PitchFest3 lineup is reflective of this diversity:
Yarrow Willard of Wild Rose College of Natural Healing, Kyrle Symons of Prisym Renewable Developments, Jessica Dorzinsky of Fully Alive, Amie Webster of Motif Music, Sean Elliott of Tap Bike Solutions, and Ryks Davies of Ryks Davies Music.

Who’s judging?

Joining Keith Ippel as PitchFest3 judges are Ramon Ramirez of BDC and Sue Finneron (top Hyundai dealership in Canada in 2016). As well as giving feedback to the pitchers, Keith, Ramon, and Sue’s knowledge of business will inspire participants to up their own business game.

What’s a #WeAreYQQ Party?

LIFT is famous for its parties. Founder Hans Peter Meyer (aka HPM) is no fan of traditional business networking and mixer events. That’s why he asks the #WeAreYQQPartyCrew to make LIFT events more inviting, more useful, and way more fun than your Dad’s business networking event. The result: #WeAreYQQ Parties are considered by some to be the best business mixers on the Island, perhaps anywhere. A big claim. Here’s how that shakes out for September 27.

Music with DJ em.ash. Professional dance instructor Jennifer Walsh, helping participants get their groove on. Social media games with prizes from LIFT member businesses.

Get 50% off tickets when you buy now

Typically over 100 Island entrepreneurs show up for LIFT special events. Often they’re sold out. Use the READERS code to get 50% off.

It’s fun. And your business deserves to connect with the liveliest entrepreneur community on the Island.

I repeat: Do not miss out. Get your tickets now.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

Hans Peter Meyer
Founder and CEO, LIFT and the Vancouver Island Local Business Directory
250-792-1408 / hpm@liftstartups.ca

Apply now and get 2 free tickets to PitchFest3 + #WeAreYQQ After Party!

August 9, 2018 by Leif Jason

PitchFest3 is our annual showcase of Island startups and fundraiser for our local Startup Canada chapters. After a year of BizOnDeck workshops we invite up to seven entrepreneurs to pitch their business to a panel of three judges. You’re invited to join us for the Island’s only grassroots entrepreneur pitch event. Tickets are available online here – but first, here’s how you can get two tickets for free!

APPLY TODAY TO GET TWO FREE PITCHFEST TICKETS

LIFT won Best in BC for Entrepreneur Promotion at the Startup Canada Awards on May 30, 2018 in Vancouver. Then we launched what we think is the best tool for promoting grassroots entrepreneurs on the Vancouver Island: the Island’s first and only social media powered business directory. Our goal: to connect 1000 of the best community-minded, unique and innovative, local businesses on the Island. We’re inviting you to apply today for up to 60 days of award-winning promotion. Plus, when you get listed (and get LIFTed!) you get two free tickets to PitchFest3 and #WeAreYQQ After Party on September 27, 2018.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT PITCHFEST3?

5pm Optional “community throwback” fundraiser dinner for our local Startup Canada community. Just show up and order from the “communty throwback” menu and $5 of your meal goes to support Startup Comox Valley.

6:30pm PitchFest3. Show up early to meet some of the region’s most welcoming entrepreneurs – and to get an early start on winning prizes with our #BCBuyLocal #LIFTVIP social media game. Prizes supplied by these LIFT members: Atlas Café, Bosley’s by Pet Valu Courtenay, BodyNetix, Coastal Coworking, Derm Essentials Medi-Spa, Hornby Island Soap & Skincare, Inner Strength Acupuncture and Health, Panther Workwear, Pure Audio Centre Ltd., Sure Copy Courtenay, Toscano’s, My Tech Guys, The Waverley Hotel – and more (add your business to this social media promotion opportunity here).

AGENDA

Opening remarks by MC and LIFT Solution Sponsor Leif Jason of Mastermynde Strategy

Keynote by Keith Ippel, Founder, Spring Activator global startup school

The pitches:

Yarrow Willard, Wild Rose College of Natural Healing
Kyrle Symons, Prisym Renewable Developments
Jessica Dorzinsky, Fully Alive
Amie Webster, Motif Music Studios
Ryks Davies, Ryks Davies Music
Sean Elliot, Tap Bike Solutions

The judges:

Sue Finneron, Finneron Hyundai and LIFT Solution Sponsor
Adam Speigel, BDC and PitchFest3 Special Event Sponsor
Keith Ippel, Spring Activator and PitchFest3 Special Event Sponsor

Entertainments:

LIFT VIP DJ Em.Ash & the #WeAreYQQPartyCrew! ???? with dance moves instruction by LIFT VIP Jennifer Walsh ????
Signature LIFT social media games with $1000s in prizes

ABOUT OUR PARTIES

Our #WeAreYQQPartyCrew throws the best entrepreneur parties! And that’s important. Business is always better when we’re having fun together.

Thanks to our #WeAreYQQPartyCrew Boss, Leanne Zdebiak-eni of Studio IPF for making our parties special!

Inviting Island entrepreneurs to increase your sales!

March 27, 2018 by Leif Jason

As the CEO of LIFT, my priority is to provide premium value to LIFT members. But the reason I started LIFT was to grow our grassroots Island economy, and that means reaching out to every Island entrepreneur. Because your success helps build a better, more resilient economy. And that’s good for all of us.

LIFT isn’t a fit for everyone. We’re focused on a “hustle the help” approach that emphasizes collaboration, mutual support in our business development workshops and social media marketing, sharing of ideas and inspirations, and constant learning how to do these things better.

While this approach may not fit every business, “increased sales” is a definitely a fit for every business. That’s why I’m inviting Island entrepreneurs to join us for MoneyFest2. On the evening of March 29 we’ll hear from several local “sales stars” – Dave Semple, Sue Finneron, Jenny Deters, Jace Pierson. We’ll entertain you with some magic by Nanaimo’s Craig McKee. We’ll treat to you a keynote by Food.ee’s West Coast Manager of Sales, Larissa Norton. Larissa has taken Food.ee from $5K in monthly sales to $1.5M. Impressive.

A few words about our Friday, March 30 Making Sales Happen workshop

Last year members of our LIFT crew took this workshop, delivered by Chin Hing of Spring Activator in Vancouver. Spring is a global startup school. They work with entrepreneurs in 35 cities around the world (and, they’re a LIFT partner – great for us, and for our entrepreneur community).

Chin’s workshop rocked. In fact, it helped us grow sales by over 100%.

Sales are the lifeblood of our businesses. If we’re going to succeed, we need to grow sales. I want you to experience the kind of growth that we’ve experienced, thanks to Spring. I strongly encourage you to look the event information – and to invest in your growth.

Yes! I want to increase my sales.

Final note: Have you nominated a BC entrepreneur for Startup Canada Awards?

On May 31 LIFT is focusing the national startup spotlight on the Island’s startup community as we host Startup Canada’s BC Regional Awards. If you’re proud of your business or are a fan of someone else’s entrepreneurial success, PLEASE fill the nomination form(s) at http://startupaward.ca/ – before April 3. It will be so cool to see local businesses featured on May 31. Help us make that shift happen!

~ hpm /

Bluebird Pads wins big at PitchFest2!

October 8, 2017 by Leif Jason

40 entrepreneurs packed The Prime Chophouse September 28. The sold-out crowd was there as part of the second annual PitchFest and #WeAreYQQ Party, hosted by LIFT Comox Valley.

Keynote Luke Aulin, CEO of Vancouver’s RTown online social media marketing business, talked about the importance of pitching. Aulin then joined on the judges’ panel, with Mina Haghighi of Futurpreneur, a youth-focused entrepreneur development program, and the owner Canada’s top Hyundai dealership in 2016, Sue Finneron.

PitchFest2 was sponsored by Duncan & Company CPAs and Pacific Coastal Airlines. Generous prizes were supplied by Douglas Magazine, 98.9 The GOAT, TRIO Magazine, and the LIFT organization. It’s the culmination of a year’s worth of businesses pitching at LIFT’s twice-monthly BizOnDeck workshops. LIFT’s Hans Peter Meyer calls these entrepreneurs the “new face of business in the region, the talent that’s changing everything.”

LIFT’s Hans Peter Meyer congratulates the entrepreneurs who pitched at PitchFest2: (front, left to right) Jordan Savard, Matthias Hansen, Denise Ropp, Pieter Vorster, Julian Rendell, (back, l-r) Andrea Postal, Jabin Postal, Danielle Farrant,
photo © Paul M Hansen

Seven entrepreneurs, pitching

Kicking things off was Pieter Vorster, setting a high bar with an enthusiastic description of the online magazine and community calendar at TideChange.ca. Jabin Postal had mouths watering as he garnered support for his already successful BBQ YouTube channel. Danielle Farrant wowed with her tight and cheeky pitch for Bluebird Pads: organic, locally-produced menstrual pads. Julian Rendell impressed with his description of Make it Zone as education and training for the workforce of 2020 and beyond. The growing health sector importance of cannabis and related services by Grow Wise Health was Denise Ropp‘s pitch. Jordan Savard and Matthias Hansen, winners of the Teen Entrepreneur Club “Tycoon Challenge” in June, reprised with an even tighter pitch for their Age-Sex-Location fashion line. Andrea Postal made a powerful pitch for doula services and In Bloom Births.

And the winners are…

The ASL team of Savard and Hansen, and Andra Postal’s In Bloom Births shared second place media advertising prizes. The grand prize, a $3600 package by LIFT that includes branding and photography by McKinnon Photography, digital marketing support by Mastermynde Strategy, PR services by 50th Parallel PR, print services by Sure Copy Courtenay, and content marketing by LIFT, went to Danielle Farrant and Bluebird Pads.

“I’m excited to be working with Danielle and Bluebird Pads,” says Karen McKinnon. “They’re the kind of positive, earth-friendly business that I think is representative of the values of our community here in the Comox Valley.”

As with all of LIFT’s five annual special events, PitchFest2 featured a #WeAreYQQ Party. The focus is on fun – and social media games with over $4000 in prizes, contributed by LIFT member businesses. One of these is The Waverley Hotel, a LIFT Community Partner.

“These kinds of events are an important part of building an entrepreneur culture in our community,” says Don McClellan, owner of The Waverley Hotel. “We need to encourage young entrepreneurs. The Waverley is proud to be part of a welcoming culture, through what we do as a venue for entertainment, and our support of LIFT and its activities.”

For more information about upcoming LIFT events, including the region’s annual Festive Cheer “entrepreneur holiday party” and fundraiser on November 24, see the online listings at LIFTevents.ca

Ready to make shift happen for your business or organization?

Join the LIFT community of entrepreneurs, and grow with over $4000 in membership benefits and perks, plus discounts with digital partners like RTOWN, Spring Activator, OfficeHours, Rebel, and more.

Or contact LIFT CEO and Founder, Hans Peter Meyer (aka HPM), at:

Tel: 250-792-1408
Email contact form
@hanspetermeyer on Twitter and Instagram

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LIFT Christmas Social 2021