The Generation Hustle Podcast

Cannabis. Hemp. Weed. Marijuana. Mary Jane. Devil's lettuce. The Greens. The list goes on. But have you wondered why we have an endless list of names that we use for this plant just to get around the law? It's time to talk about the truth.  Legalization is slowly crawling its way through states while federal decriminalization is still outstanding. But, how did we even get here to begin with? This week’s episode will explore the real reason cannabis was made illegal, the politicians and bureaucrats involved, and how that decision has shaped the country we know today and the industries that drive its economy. Racial tension, political turmoil, corruption, lies, and media embellishment. All this just for a little puff-puff-pass? Puff-puff-click play!

Episode 38 is with Josh Domingues, founder and CEO of Flashfood!  Flashfood is a mobile platform that connects surplus food from grocery partners directly to its users at reduced prices to alleviate food waste. Solving food inequality and food waste is a tall order but the company is well on its way to becoming a household name across North America, with partnerships with Loblaws, Farm Boy, and Meijer. We sit down to speak with Josh about the journey behind the business. He explains the economic and environmental impacts of food waste, the challenges of food inequality, and how he built Flashfood to where it is today. He also breaks down the many ways through which we can reduce our own food consumption and waste every day. This was an eye-opening conversation that really exposes many secrets of the food industry. If you’re looking to save money on your grocery bill, click play and consider downloading Flashfood from your app store! Timestamps 3:10 - The idea behind Flashfood 4:46 - Terrifying Food Standard & Food Waste Stats 8:35 - Best before dates are fake, here’s why… 12:40 - How to reduce your food waste right now 14:06 - What is Flashfood and how are they helping consumers 16:05 - The issue with the Canadian Grocery industry 21:00 - The future of Flashfood 26:47 - The importance of trusting the founding team 29:10 - “We don’t know who developed our app…” 40:20 - Company vision & celebrating small milestones 42:49 - The one thing that fuels start-up growth 48:15 - Lightning Round

Episode 37 is with Gethin Ellis, Founder of Gethin Ellis Coaching & Nutrition! Gethin is a chef based in Wales who left the apron behind to pursue his passion as a Nutritionist and Personal Trainer. In a matter of years, he has completely transitioned his career to work with high profile athletes at the top of their game. With clients like Darren Till and Robert Duran Jr., Gethin is making a name for himself in the fitness space and is only getting bigger. So we sit down for a chat to hear about his journey. He explains how he successfully pivoted his career into the fitness industry, the pros and cons of various diets in the news, and the dangers of the supplement industry. We also discuss the harmful effects of social media on body positivity and mental health. This was a really informative episode, so much so that Gethin secures one of us as a client during the actual conversation! If you’re looking to understand how to become the best version of yourself, then click play. Timestamps 4:15 - Journey from Chef to Nutritionist to Personal Trainer 9:45 - Approaching and Securing a Client 13:00 - Weight Cutting in Sports 18:00 - Competition and negativity in the Fitness space 20:35 - Should Gyms stay closed or re-open? 27:30 - Coaches need coaches too 33:00 - Diets: Keto, Intermittent Fasting, and Vegans 38:16 - Dangers of the Supplement Industry 42:05 - Social Media & Body Positivity 55:00 - Lightning Round

Episode 36 is with Nick Saltarelli, one of three Co-Founders of Mid-Day Squares! Mid-Day Squares started with Lezlie Karls, Nick’s wife, creating homemade fudge bars to solve their afternoon cravings while also keeping the junk away. What started as a home experiment became the seed for an incredible business idea. Today the company has sold over a million units and is available in grocery stores across the country! We sit down for an unfiltered, uncensored, free-for-all chat with Nick to hear his take on the journey thus far. He talks about how they grew the business in one of the most saturated industries on the market, how they manage their work/family relationship, and how being your authentic self is the key to success. This was a fun chat with so many gems throughout, so grab a snack and enjoy! Timestamps 2:37 - The story behind Mid-Day Squares 8:57 - Competition in the Food Industry 12:32 - The series of “Aha!” Moments 15:20 - The best lessons that led to Nick’s success 18:29 - How to successfully work with family members 21:58 - Importance of a Business Coach/Therapist 25:40 - Creative Direction by Lezlie Karls, Branding by Jake Karls 26:54 - The big difference between Marketing & Branding 33:10 - Building trust in your team 44:22 - Lightning Round

Episode 35 is with Marie Chevrier Schwartz, Founder & CEO of Sampler! A proudly Canadian, venture-backed technology company, Sampler is the leader in digital product sampling. Their software helps hundreds of brands like Nestlé, L'Oréal and Kimberly-Clark make their product sampling strategies targeted and measurable. Their approach builds a personalized product sampling experience that gets samples straight to your doorstep and continues to provide better products as they get to know you more.  We sit down with Marie to understand how her early days of handling out samples led to the business idea. She explains her bouts with corporate burnout and how company culture can help keep employees happy and healthy. She also talks about the importance of networking and leveraging the power of people. This was a great conversation with an innovative leader transforming the retail experience, so we hope you enjoy! Timestamps 2:30 - The importance of company culture 7:35 - How leaders can help keep employees happy and healthy 11:30 - Marie’s story of dealing with corporate burn-out 16:19 - How to identify and address burn-out in the workplace 21:30 - How Sampler is connecting consumers and brands with samples 24:57 - The future of Sampler 28:25 - Retail TO and Toronto’s retail ecosystem 31:30 - Your network is the gift that keeps on giving 33:30 - Lightning Round

Episode 34 is with Hongwei Liu, Co-Founder & CEO of MappedIn! Headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, MappedIn is the leading platform for indoor spatial data management, digitizing venues, and building best-in-class indoor mapping experiences. They are at the forefront of the collision between tech and brick-and-mortar, having mapped over 500 million square feet of indoor space in over 30 countries. MappedIn grew from a simple project between friends, to serve shopping malls around the world, theme parks such as Dreamworld, and even the Department of Homeland Security. We chat with Hongwei about the idea behind MappedIn, the challenges of growing a startup as a young entrepreneur, developing leadership skills, and his philosophy of doing things that don’t scale. We hope you enjoy the show! Timestamps 2:45 - Building a business while in school 11:20 - Why you should work at a start-up 20:17 - The idea behind MappedIn 30:35 - Leadership skills for young entrepreneurs 34:22 - Finding the right people for your business 40:33 - Do things that don’t scale 44:50 - Lightning Round

Episode 33 is with Alisha McFetridge, Co-Founder & CEO of RainStick Shower! RainStick is a unique recirculating system that saves 80% water and 80% energy but feels like a high-pressure shower. By using robust filtration, RainStick provides a relaxing, safe and cleansing experience. Water demand is projected to grow by 30% over the next 30 years as the world’s population is expected to grow by more than 2 billion people by 2050. That is an incredible amount of stress on freshwater resources and infrastructures in society. This is where RainStick Shower hopes to challenge the status quo. Their mission is to combat climate change and build a circular economy in Canada by transforming how we use water. We sit down with Alisha as she explains how she co-invented RainStick, the engineering behind the shower, and the importance of addressing the global water supply. Timestamps 3:06 - What is RainStick & How does it work? 9:30 - What if people pee in the shower… 10:29 - Technical Requirements 12:00 - Shower technology has not had innovation since 1810 16:14 - Sustainability sells the brand, but not the product 23:42 - The issue with water supply in North America 26:20 - Is water a private good or public good? 29:45 - The Canadian Tech scene 34:40 - RainStick’s launch this year 36:06 - Lightning Round

Episode 32 is with Dr. Sarah Saska! Dr. Saska is the co-founder and CEO of Feminuity, a management consulting firm that helps companies build diverse teams, equitable processes, inclusive products, and cultures where people belong. Before founding her company, she led pioneering doctoral research detailing the need for technology and innovation that is equitably and ethically designed. She has delivered TEDx and keynote talks around the globe and was named amongst WXN Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2015 and 2017. We sit down with Dr. Saska as she details the importance of diversity and inclusion in today’s world. She highlights the issue of representation at the C-suite level, political correctness, and the need for an intersectional view of individuals. This was an incredibly informative conversation that sets the bar for 2021, the year of accountability as she puts it. We hope you enjoy! Timestamps 2:30 - The importance of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) 13:20 - How is Feminuity addressing D&I in the workplace? 15:50 - How to approach sensitive topics with organizations/employers 23:07 - The lack of diversity at the C-Suite level 27:20 - Polarization of Gender Pronouns 33:27 - Dealing with Employees that reject D&I 40:17 - Lightning Round

Welcome to episode 31 of the Generation Hustle Podcast! This week we're introducing a new segment where we cover important topics and hot button issues in the news. We kick it off with the never ending student debt crisis. Joe Biden advocated for universal student debt relief on his campaign trail which is still to be approved. But is a blanket forgiveness a good idea?  Speaking of Presidential decisions, how about Donald Trump adding a section on UFOs in the latest COVID relief bill? (Yes, we fact checked that). And if that doesn’t have your conspiracy gears grinding, boxing fans have reignited a debate on time travel due to footage from a 1995 Mike Tyson fight that appears to show a man with the latest Android phone in the crowd. This episode was a wild ride from start to finish, so be sure to listen to the method behind our madness! Timestamps  1:25 - What is worth the value of 9 Elon Musks?  8:00 - The reason university/college become so expensive from the 1980s 16:00 - Joe Biden campaigned on student debt relief. Is this a good idea? 22:30 - Trump's COVID relief bill includes comments on UFOs... 34:00 - The Time Traveller from Mike Tyson's fight

Episode 30 is with Jyothee Murali!  Better known by her brand, JYXDI, Jyothee is a self-taught visual artist based out of Toronto. Against societal odds as well as traditional South Asian cultural norms, Jyothee dropped out of school and nurtured her passion for painting into a full-fledged career. In a matter of years, she has grown her personal brand exponentially, collaborating with high-end clients such as 6LACK, OVO, XO, and COACH. Her art ranges from realism, portraits, landscapes and custom fan pieces, with an interest in anime.  We chat with Jyothee as she details her venture into art, her growth strategies, and the importance of prioritizing passion over profits. We hope you enjoy the show!