A leaders responsibility is to ensure the organization survives and thrives. Drawing on the insights of industry leaders and the TRAITS psychometric assessment tool, this podcast explores the lessons these experts offer on building higher performing organizations.
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Founder Mistakes That Slow Business Growth: Dave Bulloch on the 3 Behaviors Every Owner Must Change Tune in to our latest episode as Dave Bulloch returns for Part 2 of his business life cycle series, this time focused on what happens after a business starts to grow. While Episode 1 covered what founders need to get right before launching, this conversation goes deeper into the behavioral patterns that quietly stall momentum once the business is already moving. The 3 Founder Mistakes Dave Names Directly Dave identifies three specific behaviors that come up in nearly every growing business he wo
https://youtu.be/4pYEKTv_0FU Tune in to our latest episode as Jeff Calibaba, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Game Plan HR, shares a career story that most people would struggle to fit into three lifetimes. From small-town Saskatchewan to becoming the first licensed paramedic in the province, Jeff has never approached a challenge the way everyone else does. Stop Selling. Start Solving. The thread that runs through every chapter of Jeff’s story is entrepreneurial problem solving at its most creative. When he entered the AED market, he did not compete on price. He built the HeartSave Awareness Pro
https://youtu.be/NunYnItDvV4?si=W8BrcPbfefFG0m45 Why Traditional Recruiting Is Broken — and What 13 Years in Hospitality HR Taught Bryan Lee Why traditional recruiting is broken is the central question in Episode 9, as host Mark sits down with Bryan Lee, business manager and executive recruiter at Concord Consulting. After 23 years in hotels and resorts — 13 of them in HR — Bryan has seen first-hand how the industry’s hiring playbook fails again and again. The Resume Arms Race Bryan breaks down a hiring cycle that has quietly become a guessing game: employers use AI to write job descriptions,
https://youtu.be/ITBNKLUrgAc?si=2odn_FGV63XBKpqP Organizational Culture and Belonging: The Secret Behind one of Canada’s Most Admired Mortgage Companies Organizational culture and belonging are not just HR buzzwords at Calvert Home Mortgage — they are the foundation of everything the company does. In Season 2, Episode 8, host Mark sits down with Dean Koeller, CEO of Calvert Home Mortgage, a family-founded company that has grown into one of Canada’s most admired organizations, winning the Waterstone Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Culture award twice. From Family Conflict to Cultural Clarity De
https://youtu.be/_Ki_euh9NJI?si=81fSZHTMyCCrqUqB AI Disruption in Business: Are You Ready for What’s Coming? AI disruption in business is no longer a future concern — it is happening right now, and the organizations that fail to prepare will be left behind. In Season 2, Episode 6 of the podcast, Mark sits down with Joel Thompson, a CPA turned business optimization consultant and founder of Redline Consulting, to unpack one of the most pressing challenges facing leaders today: how to navigate the profound transformation that artificial intelligence is already triggering across every industry. J
https://youtu.be/sNrdH3s06-Q DeWayne shares how decades of experience shaped the science behind leadership and why strategy, people, and structure must evolve together for organizations to endure. In the Season 2 of The TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz and DeWayne Fliss, founder of Concord Consulting, bring the story full circle: exploring the science behind leadership and how decades of research and real-world experience shaped the foundations of TRAITS. After years of helping organizations grow from small teams to multimillion-dollar enterprises, DeWayne noticed a pattern: every successful c
https://youtu.be/3dG7sfGrPsg DeWayne Fliss explores why companies struggle to scale—and how leaders can fix what’s beneath the surface before growth collapses it. In Season 2, Episode 4 of The TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz and DeWayne Fliss, founder of Concord Consulting, take a hard look at one of the most common problems growing organizations face: why companies struggle to scale. Building on his engineering and leadership insights, DeWayne reveals how even the strongest organizations can experience “cracks in the foundation”—early warning signs of misalignment that appear as companies gr
https://youtu.be/CQf-I6xHW9Q Why role fit in leadership matters more than experience, effort, or good intentions Role fit in leadership is one of the most overlooked — and most costly — issues inside organizations. In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, we explore why capable, hardworking people often fail in roles that simply don’t fit how they’re wired to work. Host Mark sits down with Mike Moreau, owner of Concord Consulting, to unpack one of the most practical frameworks for understanding performance: performance orientation. Rather than focusing on personality “types” or generic leadershi
https://youtu.be/H9EaCf6VsgI?si=OMLb1P2A9JiPu6gt How systems thinking and engineering logic shaped DeWayne Fliss’s leadership philosophy—and the lessons that inspired the next step toward TRAITS. Leadership Lessons from Engineering: The Human Equation In Season 2, Episode 2 of The TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz continues the conversation with DeWayne Fliss, founder of Concord Consulting, to explore how an engineer’s approach to solving complex systems evolved into a framework for leading people. This chapter of DeWayne’s journey reveals how leadership lessons from engineering became the buil
https://youtu.be/z5KTyjdVEWI?si=tWwePr8mzCNFfMNr How one engineer’s search for better performance revealed the early foundations of TRAITS and a new way to understand people at work. In the Season 2 premiere of The TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz sits down with DeWayne Fliss, founder of Concord Consulting and the visionary mind behind the TRAITS Assessment, to uncover the early foundations of TRAITS—and how an engineer’s fascination with systems evolved into a passion for understanding people. Long before developing one of today’s most practical tools for leadership and hiring, DeWayne was bu
Transformative Power: Leadership Willingness to Change In this episode of The TRAITS Podcast, host Mark sits down with Bob Outhwaite, a seasoned leader with a career spanning law enforcement, oil and gas, and executive forums for top CEOs. Together, they explore what truly drives leadership willingness to change—and why this single quality often separates good leaders from great ones. Bob’s leadership journey began in the RCMP, where he learned powerful lessons about resilience, accountability, and second chances. These experiences shaped his belief that while personality is naturally resistan
Why great hires start long before the offer letter In this episode, recruitment expert Steve Jones dives deep into the costly pitfalls that many organizations face when hiring and shares how Behavioral Interviewing can be a game changer. Steve explains why traditional interviews often miss the real picture—leading to false positives, where candidates seem perfect on paper but don’t deliver, and false negatives, where great talent is overlooked. He unpacks the importance of crafting clear, outcome-focused job descriptions and aligning organizational design to support hiring success. Steve also
Creating Culture in Organizations: Leadership Lessons from Chaos to Clarity In this episode of the Concord Podcast, host Mark Frentz sits down with Rick Hays to explore one of the most pressing challenges leaders face today: creating culture in organizations. Too often, leaders focus narrowly on processes, profits, or short-term fixes, while overlooking the cultural foundations that drive sustainable growth and employee engagement. Rick opens the conversation by reflecting on lessons learned through his leadership journey, including moments when it felt like “nothing needed improvement.” That
Why Intentional Succession Planning is Essential for Family Businesses and Long-Term Leadership Success In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz welcomes Roberta MacGillivray, President of BGE, a company rooted in quality air filtration in Western Canada. Together, they dive into the critical topic of intentional succession planning, exploring how organizations—especially family businesses—can prepare for smooth leadership transitions that protect culture, sustain growth, and foster strong leadership pipelines. The episode begins with Roberta’s unique story of growing up in an e
How Language in Leadership Shapes Culture, Influences Others, and Strengthens Organizational Clarity In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz sits down with Susan McGee, a seasoned leader who has spent her career shaping organizations and influencing people through the power of words. The focus keyword—language in leadership—frames the entire conversation, as Susan shares how the way leaders communicate not only affects team morale but also drives organizational culture, clarity, and long-term success. The discussion begins with Susan’s journey into leadership, including her rol
In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, Carmine Militano unpacks what it means to be a T-shaped leader and how this leadership model can transform a company’s ability to grow through uncertainty. He shares personal insights from leading in family-owned businesses, facilitating culture shifts, and navigating the complexities of scaling a team. You’ll hear how to identify and develop leaders with both depth and breadth, why soft skills are as critical as technical ones, and how to stay competitive in an AI-driven world. Whether you're facing growing pains or want to future-proof your team, this e
How to eliminate bias, identify the right roles, and use behavioural insights to create long-term team success. In this powerful follow-up conversation, host Mark Frentz and Jason Woodard dive deeper into one of the most overlooked aspects of leadership hiring — using behavioural traits to build high-performing teams. They begin by exposing a common leadership pitfall: positive bias toward your existing team. While well-intentioned, this tendency can blind leaders to performance gaps and development needs. Jason explains how leaders often confuse loyalty and familiarity with readiness for high
Hiring the Right People isn’t just about filling a vacancy—it’s about avoiding costly mistakes, reducing turnover, and building a stronger, more resilient team. In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, Mark sits down with Jason Woodard to explore one of the most pressing challenges in business today: hiring the right people. Drawing from decades of experience, Jason offers hard-earned insights into how organizations can sidestep common pitfalls in the hiring process, align new hires with long-term business goals, and foster sustainable growth. The conversation begins with Jason’s personal journe
Identifying and Eliminating Business Inefficiencies for Sustainable Growth Business inefficiencies can quietly erode profit margins, stall growth, and create unnecessary chaos within organizations. In this episode of our business podcast, Dave Bulloch joins us to break down the root causes of inefficiency and share actionable strategies for turning operational blind spots into competitive advantages. From unexpected market shifts to internal misalignment, businesses face a variety of challenges that can derail even the best-laid plans. Dave, an experienced business leader, walks us through how
How Business Crisis Management Strategies Can Save Your Company from Hidden Risks and Unlock Long-Term Growth In this episode of our podcast, we dive deep into Business Crisis Management Strategies with seasoned entrepreneur and business advisor, Corey Smith. Corey shares candid insights from his own experience navigating the highs and lows of business, including the unexpected “valleys” that can threaten survival—and how to spot trouble before it’s too late. From the outset, Corey reminds us that no business is immune to challenges. Whether it’s market shifts, financial setbacks, or leadershi
How to build stronger leadership teams by avoiding over-promotion pitfalls and focusing on the right development strategies. Overcoming Leadership Challenges is one of the most critical priorities for any growing organization—and in this episode, Stephen Smith, President & CEO of Strike Group, shares a wealth of hard-earned wisdom on how to do it right. Drawing on years of leading a large, complex organization, Stephen unpacks the leadership lessons that have shaped his approach and the practical steps leaders can take to build stronger, more resilient teams. From the start, Stephen emphasizes
How leadership transitions and strategic hiring can make or break your team’s success When leadership changes happen, the ripple effects can make or break an organization. In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, we dive into the challenges and opportunities of leadership transitions and strategic hiring with guest Chris DeCock, whose career spans the demanding restaurant industry and executive leadership roles. Chris shares how he navigated the volatile world of hospitality, where COVID-19 hit the talent pool hard, forcing businesses to rethink how they develop people internally. His insights h
Manager Accountability and Mentorship: How Leaders Can Take Responsibility and Empower Teams for Lasting Success In this episode of our HR and leadership podcast, we dive into the essential but often misunderstood role of manager accountability and mentorship in building thriving, high-performing teams. Our guest, Carmel Macpherson, brings a wealth of leadership experience and offers candid insights on what it truly means for managers to take full responsibility for their direct reports while fostering an environment of trust, openness, and growth. The conversation opens with Carmel’s personal
Unlocking the Value of Remote Teams: Proven Strategies for Culture, Collaboration, and Performance In this episode of the [Podcast Name], we dive deep into the value of remote teams with Kayla Baretta, a key leader at Paper-leaf, a company known for building high-performance teams while fully embracing remote work. Kayla shares a candid look at how her organization has harnessed the power of remote teams to drive business success, build strong culture, and keep clients delighted — without relying on physical proximity. We begin by learning about Kayla’s role at Paper-leaf and how her leadershi
Strategic Planning for Business Efficiency: Polishing Your Business to Shine and Grow Strategic planning for business efficiency is a cornerstone of sustainable growth and operational success. In Episode 12 of the TRAITS Podcast, Stephen Wallace shares his journey of transforming a growing engineering firm into a "shiny business" through focused strategic planning, organizational design, and effective job descriptions. Stephen explains that a "shiny business" is like a well-maintained vintage car—each part polished and working in harmony to present an attractive, high-performing whole. This mi
