Chatter that Matters

Thirty-eight years in business. No salespeople. How does Jody Steinhauer do that?

By building a team of problem solvers and being a high achiever.

As a child, Jody led the country in Girl Guide Cookie Sales. At 14, Jody talked her way into a job at a women's fashion chain and became the region's top salesperson. Her approach? Instead of selling merchandise, she sold into the moments her customers were dressing for.

She started The Bargains Group with $1,000 and repurposed her dining room table as her office. Nearly four decades later, she still runs her business on what people need.

That instinct also shaped how she responded when her heart broke. She had learned that a man froze to death in a Toronto bus shelter. Jody asked: How do we fix this?  That question became Kits for a Cause, a not-for-profit that connects organizations and individuals who want to give with charities that need support.

So many takeaways from someone who deeply cares about her employees and their collective outcomes.

You'll hear how to:

• Turn a sales conversation into a problem-solving conversation.
• "Mine the gap"—find opportunities to add value instead of cutting your price.
• Make giving back useful for charities, meaningful for employees, and part of how you do business.

At 37:58, I share my idea of the week: Fuel and Friction. Those two compass points can help you navigate a business, brand or career. 

CHAPTERS
00:00 Head, heart, hands—and closing the say–do gap
03:05 Meet Jody Steinhauer
03:19 A top salesperson at 14: "I wasn't selling anything"
04:50 Honest advice that earns lasting loyalty
05:18 Building a company of problem solvers
06:01 Kindness, family, and a drive for efficiency
07:04 Fashion school and an unexpected salary offer
08:23 From high fashion to the discount business
09:39 Starting over with $1,000
10:27 Why suppliers backed a 21-year-old
11:45 Overachievement: superpower or kryptonite?
12:19 A health crisis forces a business rethink
14:06 Motherhood, delegation, and a nursery at work
15:38 Be authentic, be consistent, and give back
18:25 A message from RBC and Futurpreneur
19:50 What charities actually need
20:59 Making donation dollars go further
24:37 The death that demanded a response
25:39 Rethinking how businesses give back
28:29 500 calls in 83 days: building Kits for a Cause
30:16 No salespeople, no advertising—and Amazon
31:13 Giving employees time to give back
33:58 Advice for dreamers and doers
35:03 Write your eulogy—and learn to delegate
35:45 The impact Jody wants to leave
37:58 Tony's idea of the week: Fuel and Friction
40:41 Thanks for listening

What would you risk to build something remarkable?

Andrew Black sold sunglasses from under his bed at Queen's, built a million-dollar business before graduating, and sent his résumé to 500 headhunters before Nike USA gave him a shot. Andrew learned from Phil Knight, joined LEGO when it was struggling, and launched Virgin Mobile Canada after Richard Branson hired him. Today, his firm, BrandProject, has backed 44 consumer brands. Andrew is a winner.

Andrew shares why challengers win by championing the customer, why investors back people before ideas, and what the best builders do when things get hard. You'll also hear Phil Knight's unforgettable parting advice and how Richard Branson once knocked Andrew out of a sailboat to win a race.

His message is simple: "You have to bet on yourself. You only get so many at-bats, and you better make them count."

If you're building a company, considering a career leap, or wondering whether to take your next big swing, this conversation is for you.

Stick around to the end.  I share my three takeaways and a secret: what most successful entrepreneurs do that you can easily follow.

"Go through your day, find something that pisses you off, and fix it."

That might be the best definition of entrepreneurship I've ever heard. It comes from Julie Cole—a "recovered" family lawyer, mom of a growing family and co-founder of Mabel's Labels.

For Julie, necessity truly was the mother of invention. And it served her twice.

First, Julie noticed parents labelling their kids' belongings with masking tape and markers, only to have those labels fall off in the wash, disappear in the dishwasher, or fail somewhere between school and summer camp.

At the same time, Julie's eldest son, was diagnosed with autism at age three. With a toddler and a newborn also at home, she realized a traditional career couldn't bend to meet her family's needs. So she built one that could.

Together with her sister and two best friends, Julie began making labels in her sister's basement long into the evening. Twenty-three years later, Mabel's Labels has been recognized twice by the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards, and Avery successfully acquired the business.

I then end the episode sharing my small-business tip of the week: 

This is Episode 3 of Small Business Matters, a five-part conversation series running throughout October, thanks to the support of RBC.

Next week: Andrew Black.

For decades I've admired Bruce: his integrity, his personality, his intuition and his drive. He helped build Lavalife before most of us trusted the internet, became one of Canada's best-known Dragons on Dragons' Den, and co-founded Round13 Capital. Few people have had a front-row seat to nearly four decades of disruption. Fewer still are this honest about what it takes.

This isn't an interview. It's a masterclass woven into a podcast.  Hard-won lessons from someone who will tell you that anyone who claims to bat a thousand isn't telling the truth.

We will also learn about 13th Round: Fight for Life, which has brought 700 kids into the boxing ring for discipline, belonging and self-esteem and then my Tony Takeaway:  My lesson in life for all who dream and do.

Episode 2 of Small Business Matters, honouring our Small Business heroes, and presented by RBC.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Three kinds of people: who makes things happen
02:57 Curiosity at 65, and what never changes about success
05:21 Lessons from his father: grade eight, $50 and humility
06:50 Dragons' Den: the fame, the brand and why he left
08:43 Lavalife: building trust before anyone trusted the internet
10:19 Why founders fool themselves, and the feedback loop
11:32 Passion vs. introspection: what Bruce looks for first
12:38 The pitch every investor dreams of
14:06 Billion-dollar valuations, AI and getting back to basics
15:39 The 51/49 rule, and Bruce's Achilles heel
19:18 Taking the emotion out of investing
20:25 Why Canada is the best place to build a business
22:52 Celebrating entrepreneurs like hockey players
24:01 13th Round Fight for Life
25:35 The letter Bruce hopes to receive
26:33 Tony's three takeaways
28:15 Stand for something before you try to stand out

If this episode moves you, share it with one person who's building something. A business, a brand or a career.

Round13 Capital: https://round13.com/
13th Round Fight for Life: https://13thround.life
RBC Small Business: https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/business/index.html

What if the greatest threat to your business isn't what's broken but what's working beautifully?  To launch my five-part Small Business Matters series, I sit down with Sid Paquette, Head of RBCx for a powerful conversation about building enduring businesses and Canada's new economy.

Sid explains why entrepreneurs must disrupt themselves before someone else does, how unexpected value turns customers into advocates, and why passion, resilience and execution are essential to attracting exceptional talent. He also explores the importance of embracing failure, hiring people who complement your weaknesses and creating a culture where bold ideas can thrive.

The conversation then turns to Canada's defining economic opportunity: helping homegrown technology companies secure the capital, expertise and connections they need to scale here—and compete everywhere.

I close with an essential lesson for everyone: Attention is the oxygen of every endeavour. In an age of relentless noise, earning attention begins by listening generously and becoming part of your customers' stories, not simply telling your own. 

Whether you're growing a business, building a team or reinventing your career, this episode will challenge you to disrupt what's working, create value no one expects and turn attention into meaningful engagement.

Chatter That Matters is presented by RBC.

To learn more about why RBC Small Business banking works as hard as you do: https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/business/index.html

To learn more about RBCX Ventures: https://www.rbcx.com/portfolio/

RBCx $1.4 billion growth fund: https://www.rbcx.com/investments/rbcx-growth-fund/