LIFT Startups

A new way to market and network your local Vancouver Island business!

interview

Talking with Amie Webster about Motif Music Studios – and winning the 2018 #HustleTheHelp Award!

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Amie Webster is a music educator, an entrepreneur, a mother of three young sons, and a social media rockstar. Amie is, in fact, the winner of the #HustleTheHelp Award in 2018, an award that acknowledges the outstanding work she’s done to support other entrepreneurs in LIFT’s Vancouver Island community.

In this podcast we ask Amie about why she is so passionate about supporting other local businesses, and for some tips that others might use to win the award in the coming year.

We also talk to Amie about Motif Music Studios, the business she shares with her husband, Jeff Webster. In the final section we talk about her current reading, favourite places to visit on the Island, and where she likes to eat.

FMI about Amie and Motif Music Studios see:

~ hpm, Founder, LIFT & The Vancouver Island Talent Economy Network

Ps. Ready to get your business LIFTed? Apply now for up to 60 days of free award-winning promotion on the LIFT & The Vancouver Island Talent Economy Network

What is Spring? Keith Ippel talks about helping Island entrepreneurs grow

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Keith Ippel and the folks at Spring Activator are a huge resource for LIFT entrepreneurs and we’re excited to be working with them on helping Island entrepreneurs grow their business. And yes, we’re super excited to have Keith as our keynote for PitchFest3 on Sept 27, 2018.


Buy Your PitchFest3 Tickets Now! (free for LIFT members)

Thanks to Jabin Postal Films for putting this video together. Watch for more in the LIFT video series, featuring LIFT VIPs like Leif Jason / Mastermynde Strategy, Nazaneen Dizai / 50th Parallel Public Relations Inc, and more, with tips and insights on how to grow your business!

Because #WeAreVanIsl ͏͏????

Keith Ippel’s top 5 tips for your Island business success

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On September 27, 2018 LIFT is hosting its third PitchFest event. This event features six Vancouver Island entrepreneurs pitching for prizes to a panel of four judges, and kicking off with a keynote by Keith Ippel, founder and CEO of global startup school Spring Activator. Afterwards, our #WeAreYQQPartyCrew will be hosting another signature “definitely NOT your Dad’s networking event” party.

I interviewed our keynote, Keith Ippel in 2017. This is a re-post of that interview with some additional notes at the bottom. FMI about PitchFest3 and to get your early bird tickets click this button…

Buy Tickets For This LIFT Event

I’ve asked Keith to keynote because I think his value-focused approach to business will resonate with business owners in our region. He’s a four-time serial entrepreneur, and currently the CEO of Spring Activator, a global startup school based in Vancouver. Over the past 10+ years, he’s been an advisor and a mentor to many startups in tech, non-tech, and non-profit sectors. In three years with Spring Activator he’s helped over 300 aspiring entrepreneurs launch over 150 “impact” (social, environmental) businesses, some of whom have reached $1M in sales in that time.

Top 5 tips for startups success

Keith’s fun to be around. I’ve interviewed him several times over the past few years, and I’m looking forward to working more with him and with Spring in the coming months. LIFT and Spring have put together an agreement where LIFT members (aka LIFT VIPs) get a 30% discount on Spring courses. More on that later. For this interview, I asked Keith about his top five things every entrepreneur needs to do to ensure business success.

1. Speed

That doesn’t mean running around like a chicken with your head cut off. It means having a plan A, plan B, and a plan C – and then moving as fast as possible within the bounds of plan and structure to make sure that you’re ahead of the competition. Every business idea has 16 competitors. Those who execute well will win.

2. Know your strengths, know your weaknesses

As leaders, we need to know where we are strong and passionate. But it’s just as important to know the things that we’re not good at. This enables us to build a team of people who have complementary skills and frees us to focus on the most important things. Sometimes the team is in-house. Sometimes they’re consultants. Sometimes they’re advisors and mentors.

3. Spend as little as possible

Time is money. In our early days, we need to be really tight with our budgets, because we want to maximise the amount of time we have to prove that there’s a market for our product or service. We maximise that time by making our money go further.

4. The five Ms: market, management, money, momentum, magic

We need to know explicitly who our target market is. We need to know how to invest in the team that will grow our business. We need to know how to make and raise money. We need to show traction, both to our customers and to the people we’re working with. And the magic? It’s how we’re unique to customers, how we’re different from everybody around us.

5. Learn about “no”

It’s important to know that “no’s” have different meanings. With customers and partners, we can’t take no for an answer. We’ve got to dig deep, understand why people are saying “no,” so that we can get to a “yes.” On the flip side, we need to learn to say “no” to ourselves. We need to use “no” to protect our time so that we avoid distractions and stay focused.

LIFT Special Events: Free tickets when you’re listed on the Vancouver Island business directory!

If you’re a LIFT member, you get free tickets to most of our Special Events (the exception is our Festive Cheer community fundraiser). To sign up for LIFT membership, list your Vancouver Island business on the Island’s only social media-powered directory at wearevanisl.ca

What are #WeAreYQQ parties all about? Here’s a video sampler from our September 2016 #WeAreYQQ PitchFest & Party by LIFT Community Partner Island Soul Films…

Want more information, ideas, and stories about startup success?

Check out 11 Entrepreneurs Stories – Inspiring People That Found Startup Success.

hpm
@hanspetermeyer on Twitter and Instagram

LIFT Podcast: Liz Wootton talks about Human Nature Development – and Liz Wootton

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Liz Wootton is an entrepreneur and former Director of Organizational Development. She owned and ran an award-winning bridal retail business in the UK for many years before moving to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. Her business, Human Nature Development, helps businesses on Vancouver Island and around the world. Find her on the Vancouver Island business directory here.

Liz has a passion for getting the best out of people, which led her towards a career in business and personal coaching. She has worked in industries as diverse as optoelectronics, theatre, and automotive, and coached business leaders across the globe. She has been described as being “the perfect mix of genuine, encouraging and giving a kick up the behind when need be.” She’s also one of the “sharp pencils” in the LIFT community, and contributes significantly to business growth in our region.

In this episode of LIFT Podcasts I ask her about her business, the scariest things she’s ever done and how she’s made it through, her favourite reading as a child, and her favourite places to eat in the whole world – among other things. Her advice for young entrepreneurs on Vancouver Island is worth listening to.

Enjoy!

~ hpm,
Founder of LIFT Startups and the Vancouver Island Business Directory
Winner, Best in BC, Entrepreneur Promotion, Startup Canada Awards, May 2018

Contact Liz

Find Liz Wootton and Human Nature Development on the Vancouver Island business directory here.

More LIFT Podcasts

Terry O’Reilly talks about advertising, radio, and more – and Terry O’Reilly.

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In this episode HPM talks with Terry O’Reilly. Terry was co-founder and Creative Directory at Pirate Radio & TV, he’s the host of the Under the Influence radio show on CBC Radio, and author of, most recently, This I Know: Marketing Lessons From Under the Influence.

FMI see terryoreilly.ca or follow Terry on Twitter at @terryoinfluence

In Part 1, Terry talks about how he got into advertising, why he’s passionate about radio as an advertising medium, and why copywriters are the highest paid people in advertising – among other things.

In Part 2, the focus is on Terry as an individual and as an entrepreneur. Listen to find out about his favourite book as a child, what he’s reading today, and his favourite place to eat in the whole world.

 

The LIFT Podcast series

Our goal with the LIFT Podcast series is to promote your business – and provide leadership, inspiration, and fuel for Vancouver Island entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.

To listen to more LIFT Podcast see liftpodcast.ca

Or, subscribe via iTunes

Are you ready to be featured on a LIFT Podcast? Check out the details here.

 

The new Vancouver Island business directory

Don’t forget to list your business on the new Vancouver Island business directory – and be LIFTed via our award-winning promotions for up to 60 days free!

Leif Jason talks about Mastermynde Strategy – and Leif Jason

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In this episode of LIFT Podcasts we feature one of our LIFT Solution Sponsors: Leif Jason, owner of Mastermynde Strategy. Leif operates a digital marketing business in the Comox Valley, serving customers locally and far beyond. Leif is very active in enhancing the “interestingness” of the Comox Valley – from helping clients be more interesting online, to helping individuals, non-profit organizations, and businesses create a more interesting community.

Contact Mastermynde Strategy

More information about LIFT Podcasts

More LIFT Podcasts are available here on our blog or subscribe via iTunes and get the latest podcasts delivered to your favourite listening device.
If you’ve been a member of LIFT Startups for over 18 months, please put yourself in line for a LIFT Podcast interview. Details here.