
The Insider's Guide To Finance
The Insider’s Guide To Finance brings you stories from the front lines of financing public and private companies.
We host seasoned CEO's, fund managers, bankers, brokers and business experts who answer your questions about how to properly finance opportunities and build outstanding success stories.
We dig into the educational ‘how to’s' and mechanics of structuring good deals. You’ll also hear about strokes of luck, tense negotiations, the pressures of closing, as well as how to best engage investors and navigate the private and public markets.
Latest episodes

Oct 26, 2022 • 55min
Defying the NHL Odds w. Aaron Volpatti
Do you sometimes wonder where to find the will power to overcome adversity? Aaron has an inspiring story that defies the odds that is full of determination and powerful visualization practice.Today, we speak with former NHL player turned cognitive performance coach, Aaron Volpatti. He played for the Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.He has lived through many life-changing events and has used deep visualization as a tool to overcome extreme adversity. You’ll hear how powerful your thoughts can be and get a glimpse into what it’s like to play as a pro hockey player.Now retired from the ice rink, Aaron works with other pro athletes, entrepreneurs, and executives to help them overcome their anxieties and self-doubt by using visualization techniques. Aaron believes that to unlock true grit, the mindset needs to be fortified. His work and advice are applicable to athletes, business owners, and entrepreneurs. Join us today for some actionable insights from an expert in visualization and performance!Check out some of our most popular episodes:Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xCLeadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5GugCanada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9For more information on our sponsor, please visit Olympia Trust CompanyStay in the know and follow along:Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6ZSpotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7SmrConnect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42oVisit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUrSign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLWFollow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7wSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxUSubscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Oct 12, 2022 • 1h 2min
$500 Million to Decarbonize Real Estate w. Michael New
Michael New, Principal at Fifth Wall, joins us to talk about their recent close of a $500 million dollar real estate venture fund. Michael tells us about the surprising obvious opportunity their firm has identified for decarbonizing the real estate industry.During our conversation, he shared the opportunity he identified to build a Venture Capital fund with a focus on real estate. You’ll hear who the world’s largest carbon contributor is and you’ll also gain insight into Michael’s own investment decisions for the firm. Michael discusses relationship building, business leadership, investor behaviour, and the impact technology can have in the real estate industry. Listen to today's insightful episode – it's one you won't want to miss.Check out some of our most popular episodes:Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xCLeadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5GugCanada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9Stay in the know and follow along:Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6ZSpotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7SmrConnect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42oVisit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUrSign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLWFollow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7wSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxUSubscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Sep 28, 2022 • 58min
Investment Advising and Deal Financing w. Darrin Hopkins and Grant MacEachern
Most of us would feel uneasy about lending money to someone we don't know. Yet when it comes to investing in companies, we rarely apply the same attitude. If you want to get to know a company and invest with confidence, then you need to do the work and go the extra mile. For today’s guests Darrin Hopkins and Grant MacEachern, that has been the guiding principle. Both Darrin and Grant work as portfolio managers for Richardson Wealth. They head up their own division, the Hopkins MacEachern Council. Grant and Darrin have drawn on their combined years of investment experience to build a process for identifying and investing across various sectors. We chat with Darrin and Grant, who share their methods for performing due diligence so you can invest with confidence and approach your investment decisions from a place of understanding.They expand on The Capital Pool Company (CPC) Program, what they have learned from helping companies go public, and what they look for when identifying companies. Darrin and Grant cover a range of topics and offer special insight when making your investment decisions. Make sure you tune in for an eye-opening conversation!Check out some of our most popular episodes:Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xCLeadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5GugCanada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9Stay in the know and follow along:Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6ZSpotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7SmrConnect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42oVisit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUrSign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLWFollow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7wSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxUSubscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Sep 14, 2022 • 51min
Leadership and Legacy - The Triple Flag Story w. Shaun Usmar
Shaun Usmar is the Founder of Triple Flag Precious Metals, an NYSE listed company. Triple Flag Precious Metals is a royalty and streaming company deploying capital to select investments in the mining industry. Shaun is the kind of exemplary leader that major investors feel comfortable betting on. He has C-suite experience with Barrick Gold Corp., Xstrata, and other major industry players. He not only saw them through the good times but more importantly, guided them through the tough times. He applies the lessons he learned from his mistakes to building Triple Flag. He has had to make difficult and dispassionate decisions along the way but he has the heart and passion of an entrepreneur. Team, culture, and sustainability are at the core of Shaun’s business philosophy, which he elaborates on during the course of our discussion. We touch on the value of constructive conflict and patient capital from an institutional perspective. Shaun shares why he believes that ESG is good for business plus so much more! Check out some of our most popular episodes:Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xCLeadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5GugCanada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9Stay in the know and follow along:Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6ZSpotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7SmrConnect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42oVisit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUrSign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLWFollow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7wSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxUSubscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Aug 31, 2022 • 50min
Capitalizing on Carbon Credits w. Justin Cochrane
Today, you’ll hear from Justin Cochrane, Director and CEO of Carbon Streaming. Carbon Streaming is a unique ESG company that offers investors exposure to carbon credits.As we already know, climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying. There is significant and immediate capital needed to achieve climate goals. One of the ways to do this is by putting a price on carbon emissions with carbon credits. Individuals, corporations, and institutions use them to offset their emissions. Carbon credits are a key instrument needed in order for corporations to achieve carbon neutral and net-zero climate goals. Justin has built his career on financing companies through the streaming and royalty model. Now, he is applying the model it to the world of carbon credits. He and his team have been able to raise over $140 million to invest in carbon projects that will yield carbon credits in the future. To learn more about how you can invest in a low carbon future, keep listening!Check out some of our most popular episodes:Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xCLeadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5GugCanada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9Stay in the know and follow along:Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6ZSpotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7SmrConnect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42oVisit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUrSign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLWFollow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7wSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxUSubscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Aug 18, 2022 • 1h 1min
How to Create Winning Momentum and Keep It Going w. Scott Sinclair
Scott Sinclair is the president and founder of Sinclair Range, a company that helps troubled businesses become thriving companies. He is a turn-around expert who identifies, restructures, and recapitalizes businesses so they can truly succeed.No two businesses are alike, whether they’re thriving or struggling. There are key indicators that can help you determine a company’s status; you need to know where to look. When you’re in the business of turning troubled companies around, it becomes important to identify the elements that aren’t working. Along with what needs to change if you’re going to be successful. Scott shares how he went from being an accountant to excelling at entrepreneurship. He tells us how he’s been able to work with so many diverse businesses. Scott shares key variables he focuses on when he needs to turn a company around.He also gives a detailed account of how to create winning momentum, impact of losing that momentum, and why every company he’s ever worked with has been resistant to change. Scott has had a fascinating career and is a treasure trove of knowledge. Tune in for key insights and invaluable takeaways and learn why these lessons can benefit any company that wants to improve its operations! Check out some of our most popular episodes:Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xCLeadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5GugCanada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9Stay in the know and follow along:Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6ZSpotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7SmrConnect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42oVisit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUrSign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLWFollow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7wSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxUSubscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Aug 10, 2022 • 52min
How to Make Peace with Entrepreneurial Setbacks and Grow w. Mike Paton
The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), is a foundational framework that any business owner can implement. We get to go deep into EOS with Mike Paton, who is the former Visionary and CEO of EOS Worldwide. He is the author of multiple books on the subject too. He currently works full-time as an implementor and facilitator of the EOS system! In our chat with Mike, we get into his personal journey, family history in the entrepreneurial space, and defining moments of his career. Mike underlines the importance and impact of failure. He discusses how recovering from setbacks can offer some of the most vital moments for us to experience. We also get into the six key components of EOS, with Mike providing specific attention to the elements about process and people. Get ready to take notes and enjoy this episode! Check out the show notes and links to conversation topics here: https://www.creativereturn.ca/post/mike-patonCheck out some of our most popular episodes:Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xCLeadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5GugCanada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9Stay in the know and follow along:Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6ZSpotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7SmrConnect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42oVisit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUrSign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLWFollow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7wSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxUSubscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Aug 3, 2022 • 52min
Making Gold Mining Sustainable Using the Blockchain w. Phil Rickard
Gold mining is problematic since most of the world’s gold is never used. The extracted gold is stored at a secure location for preservation as an investment. What if, instead of storing your gold in some obscure vault, you could invest without ever having to extract it? Today, you’ll hear Phil Rickard, Founder of Nature’s Vault. Nature’s Vault is making, an ethical mining company looking to disrupt the mining industry by prioritizing sustainability along with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria. He discusses how he started the company, what they stand for. He also chats about how they are using blockchain technology to support their Legacy token and promote investment. We unpack why an Avoided Mining Protocol is superior to carbon offsetting and what Nature’s Vault is doing to promote this protocol globally. If you’d like to learn more about the merits of green gold, the Legacy Token, and much more, then make sure you tune in for this groundbreaking topic!Check out some of our most popular episodes:Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xCLeadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5GugCanada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9Stay in the know and follow along:Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6ZSpotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7SmrConnect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42oVisit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUrSign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLWFollow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7wSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxUSubscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Jul 20, 2022 • 59min
How Women Can Succeed on Wall Street w. Dani Hughes
Dani shares her experiences of being a woman on Wall Street. She explains why it’s important for women’s voices and perspectives to lead certain conversations. Dani shares her thoughts on choosing an appropriate investment banker, the role of investment bankers as translators, and why it’s critical to have a five-year plan. We delve into the importance of digital messaging. As well as the ways in which technology has transformed the world of finance and investment banking.We find out the type of company she considers to be the ideal client and her take on the financial environment in the United States. Tune in to hear Dani Hughes’ insights and astute pieces of advice for women in the industry.Check out some of our most popular episodes:Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xCLeadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5GugCanada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9For more information on our sponsor, please visit Olympia Trust CompanyStay in the know and follow along:Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6ZSpotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7SmrConnect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42oVisit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUrSign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLWFollow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7wSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxUSubscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf

Jul 6, 2022 • 45min
Sustainable Finance in an Inflationary World w. Yrjo Koskinen
No matter your industry, sustainable finance is a hot topic. Before COVID-19, it was clear that green investments were on the rise. But how has this trend shifted more than two years into the pandemic? Will investor appetite for ESG change going forward? Today, we sit down with Dr. Yrjo Koskinen. He is a Professor of Finance and Associate Dean of Research and Business Impact at the Haskayne School of Business. In our conversation, we dive into sustainable finance, one of Yrjo’s areas of expertise. What does sustainability mean given today's inflation and is it attainable in our post-pandemic world? His other research interests include climate change and the energy transition, corporate finance and governance, corporate social responsibility, and the effects of limited liability on corporations.You’ll gain insight into profit-maximizing interests that corporations have to be sustainable. Yrjo shares some demonstrated sustainable finance success stories. We dive into the growing responsibility that ESG investors have to consider. Human rights, democracy, and geopolitics. It's not only about climate change!As per Alex Edmans in Grow the Pie, Yrjo believes that companies that don’t try to maximize profits, can generate meaningful long-term returns with a higher purpose. You'll walk away with some valuable observations about sustainable finance. We hope you enjoy this episode.Check out some of our most popular episodes:Chicken S#!it CEOs w. Mogens Smed: https://bit.ly/3M7c4xCLeadership Lessons from Louis Vuitton, Samsonite, and Now, EVCP Growth Equity: https://bit.ly/3LN5GugCanada’s Best Venture Partner w. Bruce Croxon: https://bit.ly/3ppCAt9Stay in the know and follow along:Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes - https://apple.co/43d7C6ZSpotify - https://spoti.fi/43d7SmrConnect with our host, Cory Cleveland on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Lti42oVisit The Insider’s Guide to Finance Website: https://bit.ly/3ANacUrSign up for our free 5-part master class Investor Marketing 2.0: https://bit.ly/42C0FLWFollow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/42grK7wSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/411XXxUSubscribe to The Knowledge Bank Letter - a periodic letter of actionable insights, interviews, and quality curations: https://bit.ly/3pgdAVf