First job:
My first job was in the Brown Derby Restaurant when I was 13 years old. Conveniently enough, that was across the street from the condo where we lived. I was the bus boy, dishwasher, and general slave-labourer. I learned a lot about how not to treat employees while working there and have been careful to treat my staff with more respect and dignity.

You attribute your success to:
My parents. They both had an unbelievably strong work ethic, and they taught me how to work and how to be responsible for my work.

Businessperson who has impressed you the most:
I have been very lucky in that I have had brilliant people around me. My mother was a ground-breaking woman in her day and an absolute inspiration to me and many others. I followed her in the investment field.  

Other business people I admire include Randy Beattie who I met in my banking days and then became a board member with on the Sask Chamber Board. Also, Bruce Anderson, Shawna Nelson, and certainly, Tim Young. I was Tim’s rugby coach when he was in high school and now I am on the Board with Sean, the eldest. The chamber is great for connecting people in this way, I have learned something from everyone I have come across at the chamber.

Company you most admire:
PFM Capital. Helping the next generation build their wealth and build their business is so important, and PFM does a fantastic job with that.

Person who has had the biggest influence on your life:
My dad is a real go-getter and an exceptionally gifted people person. I would be a multi-millionaire if I were half as charismatic as my dad is. He has an amazing ability to connect with anyone. Virtually all of my favourite hobies stem from learning them from my Dad.

Your ideal dinner guest would be:
Chris Hadfield the astronaut. He’s seen a perspective of the world that’s unique. Hearing about that would be interesting for sure.  

Hobbies:
Hunting, fishing, and canoeing are absolute passions of mine. My passion in winter is skiing. During my first year at university, I was offered a year off to “re-examine my academic priorities” because I had been messing around mostly skiing and playing rugby. So I took that year off and became an instructor at Nakiska Ski in Alberta. That was one of the greatest experiences I ever had. 

Volunteer activities:
Chamber involvement, coaching sport, and we incorporate a lot of charity work into our business.

One fact that people probably don’t know about you:
I’m a very open person, anybody who spends even a little bit of time around me will know pretty much everything about me. I’m an open book!

The last thing you read:
I’m usually reading two or three books at a time, with a bit of fluff in between. I just read Ted Turner’s autobiography “Call me Ted”, and it was absolutely brilliant! “The art of racing in the rain” by Garth Stein is a very poignant book and it’s a very, very good read. It’s one of my wife’s books and I’ve read it twice now, even though we don’t usually have the same taste.

Pet peeves:
I get annoyed with stupidity. Lack of common sense. I just don’t have a lot of tolerance for that.

You find a winning lottery ticket for $100 million, you do this next:
My family would be taken care of forever! And, I’d buy a canoe. A decent canoe! I have virtually everything I could ever want when it comes to camping and fishing gear, but I don’t have that canoe!

Your advice for someone just starting out in business:
First piece of advice is to go out and buy and read a book by Michael Gerber called “The E-myth Revisited - why most businesses don’t work and what to do about it”.  It’s a simple read, but it’s profound. People start businesses all the time for the wrong reasons. Too many people start a business because they are good at something or love doing something, but it can become their whole life. And they might go from doing something they love to doing something they hate.  

The next piece of advice is that you need a team to run a successful business. You need a lawyer who understands business (not a divorce lawyer, although if you get the business wrong you might need that too). A good business lawyer is a very important part of the team. A good accountant is vital too. You need to build the right team of experts around you. You can’t be an expert at everything and if you don’t have a team you can make some very dangerous mistakes.

What is the best investment lesson you’ve had?
When I was 11 years old my mom bought me shares in Irwin Toys (they also made Star War figures). She bought them at $4 a share, and she bought me about $100 worth of these shares. She would never let me sell them. They went up to $210 a share when I was 15, then I sold them. I don’t even remember what I did what that money, but it was a good lesson about patience.

Do you have any habits you think have made you successful?
I have one habit that annoys my partners, but I think it works. I play devils’ advocate, and I try and push the opposite agenda. The thinking is that if you can’t punch holes in the idea then its got to be a good idea! Understanding your key business and adapting is important.

Advice that has had the biggest impact on your life and/or business and why:
My mom taught me how to debate and argue, and not to just accept the status quo.

What do you find inspiring about business in Saskatchewan?
Business in Saskatchewan has changed so much since I came here in 1998 from Ontario. There was some mining but not to this scale, it was more of a small farming place. It has now changed so much and for the good. Business and the economy have diversified so much. There are so many more opportunities out there and people have the chance to be so creative. I’m not sure that people appreciate the complete evolution of business in our province.

How did you come to be on the Board of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce?
Steve called me one day out of the blue, I’m not sure how I came to be on his radar, but I’m honoured to have been a part of it. Being on the Board of the Sask Chamber has been such a privilege. The Saskatchewan Chamber is truly unique, and some of the people who’ve been on the Board are tremendous business people. It blows my mind to have worked with such great people.