Pete Stoddart joins Levi and Colby to talk about what coaching actually looks like when it is done well and how it can change the way entrepreneurs lead, listen, delegate and make difficult decisions. Drawing from 25 years in hospitality and his own transition into executive coaching, Pete shares how coaching helped him navigate succession, build courage and eventually step into a new chapter with Vision Coaching.

The conversation also explores the difference between coaching and mentoring, the importance of curiosity and vulnerability in leadership, how AI may shape the future of coaching, and what it takes to build a business that can grow beyond the founder.

Connect with Pete: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petestoddart

Connect with Levi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levilawrence

Connect with Colby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colby-jardine

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction
Levi and Colby welcome Pete Stoddart from Vision Coaching.

01:22 – Meet Pete Stoddart
Pete shares the values, relationships and experiences that have shaped his life and career.

05:42 – From Hospitality to Executive Coaching
How 25 years in hospitality eventually led Pete toward coaching and a partnership with Vision Coaching.

10:11 – Finding His First Coach
Pete shares how coaching helped him navigate succession, uncertainty and leaving the business he had built.

16:33 – Is Coaching Worth the Investment?
Levi and Pete discuss professional development, formal coaching education and investing in yourself.

20:32 – What Coaching Education Changed
Pete reflects on Royal Roads, vulnerability, self-awareness and becoming a better listener, parent and leader.

25:27 – Listening, Curiosity & Better Conversations
Why asking one more question can deepen relationships, uncover real problems and improve change leadership.

30:40 – AI and the Future of Coaching
Pete shares where he believes AI can strengthen coaching — and where human connection still matters.

37:42 – Coaching vs. Mentoring
Pete breaks down the difference between transferring your knowledge and helping someone uncover their own path forward.

43:00 – Coaching as a Leadership Skill
Why coaching is underused by leaders, and why the person being coached has to be ready for the work.

46:36 – Building a Business Beyond Yourself
Pete discusses delegation, EOS, building a strong team and moving beyond being the most important technician in the business.

55:08 – Where to Find Pete & Vision Coaching
Pete shares how to connect with Vision Coaching and learn more about its coaching skills programs.

Greg Crabtree has spent decades studying the financial performance of privately held businesses and helping entrepreneurs understand the handful of numbers that really matter. In this episode, Greg joins Levi and Colby to unpack profitability, labour efficiency, return on invested capital, cash, and why revenue alone can give business owners the wrong picture.

They also dig into what Greg is seeing across hundreds of businesses right now, from AI and changing labour markets to why operational excellence may matter more in the next few years than it has in decades.

Greg also turns the conversation back on Levi and Colby, offering some practical perspective on Iron House Pro’s positioning and their new bookkeeping service.

Connect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-crabtree-simple-numbers/

Connect with Levi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levilawrence/

Connect with Colby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colby-jardine/

Books Mentioned

• Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits — Greg Crabtree
• Simple Numbers 2.0 — Greg Crabtree

Time stamps:

00:00 – Introduction
• Levi and Colby welcome Greg.

02:05 – Meet Greg Crabtree
• Greg shares his background and approach to business.

07:33 – Billing by the Hour
• Why Greg moved to fixed-price services.

12:09 – What Makes a Good Business?
• The numbers Greg believes actually matter.

19:37 – Numbers That Change Behaviour
• Using financial data to drive better decisions.

33:00 – Return on Invested Capital
• The overlooked metric Greg believes owners should know.

43:44 – Making the Numbers Simple
• Helping business owners understand complex financials.

46:41 – Four Numbers to Know
• Greg shares four key business metrics.

52:22 – What the Data Shows
• Patterns Greg sees across hundreds of businesses.

56:23 – Building a Business That Lasts
• Greg discusses succession, purpose and retirement.

1:07:08 – Iron House Pro’s Approach
• Levi and Colby share how IHP has evolved.

1:09:25 – Three Rules for Business
• Greg breaks his business strategy down to three things.

1:16:09 – What’s Coming for Business
• AI, labour and demographic change.

1:19:00 – Bring Back Scrappy
• Why businesses need more discipline around investment.

1:26:31 – Separating From the Pack
• Why operational excellence matters more than ever.

1:29:19 – Why Profit Still Matters
• Greg explains why every organization needs profit.

1:35:24 – Advice for Bookkeeping
• Greg shares advice for IHP’s new bookkeeping service.

1:38:44 – Final Thoughts
• Greg leaves listeners with a few things to chew on.

#BuiltToLastPodcast #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #BusinessFinance #Profitability #Leadership #SmallBusiness #GregCrabtree

In this episode of Built to Last, Joshua Counsil, co-founder of Good Robot Brewing, joins Levi and Colby for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, identity, business partnerships, and building a company without losing yourself along the way.

Joshua shares his path from engineering to opening a brewery with his university friends, growing Good Robot through major change, and discovering a new creative outlet through keynote speaking. The conversation also explores founder identity, working with different partners, defining clear roles, listening to customers, building an authentic brand, and learning when to say no as a business grows.

Resources:

Good Robot Brewing Company: https://goodrobotbrewing.ca/
Iron House Pro: https://www.ironhousepro.com/

Connect on linkedin:

Joshua - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuacounsil/

Colby - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colby-jardine/

Levi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/levilawrence/

00:00 – Introduction: Business, Identity and the Person Behind It
• Levi introduces the conversation and its focus on building both sustainable companies and sustainable lives.

01:22 – From Engineering to Good Robot Brewing
• Joshua shares his unconventional path from wanting to design Disney rides to opening a Halifax brewery.

04:15 – Keynote Speaking and Finding a Personal Outlet
• Why speaking became a creative pursuit separate from Joshua’s responsibilities at Good Robot.

11:31 – Building an Identity Beyond the Business
• The danger of tying your entire identity to one company, career or achievement.

20:51 – Why Entrepreneurs Need Feedback, Validation and Hope
• Joshua explains why shorter feedback loops can help founders endure the uncertainty of building a business.

28:33 – Reframing Memories and Acting Through Discomfort
• Mood-congruent memories, authenticity and moving according to your values even when uncomfortable feelings remain.

33:31 – The Disney Interview That Changed Joshua’s Path
• Joshua tells the story of the unusual answers that likely cost him a job at Disney.

38:10 – Managing a Three-Founder Partnership
• How self-awareness and different strengths shape the relationship between Good Robot’s three founders.

44:01 – Clear Roles and Creating Order From Chaos
• Why directors, defined responsibilities and an organizational structure helped the company mature.

48:49 – Why Founders Need Outside Challenge
• Good Robot’s original brand identity and the advisors who challenged the founders’ assumptions.

55:28 – Building a Diverse Advisory Board
• Joshua explains why a useful board needs both industry knowledge and genuinely different perspectives.

59:44 – How Customer Feedback Saved Diablo Beer
• A simple change in messaging helped turn a struggling product into Good Robot’s leading seller.

1:02:41 – One Brand or Two? Good Robot and Beverage Manufacturing
• Joshua reconsiders whether Good Robot’s consumer brand and co-packing operation should remain separate.

1:12:14 – Escaping Founder Bubbles and Listening to Customers
• Why entrepreneurs can misread the market when they rely on their own circles instead of real customer behaviour.

1:20:41 – Start Small, Learn Fast and Avoid Premature Scale
• The advantages of farmers markets, direct feedback and gradual expansion for new consumer brands.

1:25:42 – Saying No and Accepting You’re Not for Everyone
• Why turning down large opportunities can demonstrate maturity, focus and strategic discipline.

1:29:29 – Authentic Speaking and Stronger Personal Brands
• Joshua discusses negative feedback, polarizing audiences and showing up as yourself on stage.

1:35:17 – Bringing More Personality Into B2B Marketing
• LinkedIn, comedy and the opportunity to make professional content more creative and human.

1:41:03 – Where to Find Joshua and Closing
• Joshua shares where listeners can meet him and the upcoming events where he plans to speak.

#BuiltToLastPodcast #Entrepreneurship #FounderJourney #BusinessLeadership #AuthenticLeadership #BusinessGrowth #BrandStrategy #CanadianBusiness