Episode 3: Jim Estill

Stella Millis is already close to FirePower Capital, as a Director of Private Equity at FirePower herself. But how did she reach that position? What is it about Stella that made her the person she is today, and that made her suited for the roles that she has today? In today’s episode, you’ll hear what Stella has to say about growing up in a Greek immigrant family, what kinds of obstacles Stella faced, and how her core values played a role in bringing her to where she is today.  Topics Discussed in This Episode Stella’s professional background Stella’s childhood What role Stella’s obstacles played in making her the person she is today What gave Stella the interest in engineering Stella’s core values How Stella moved into forensic accounting Advice for someone considering a radical shift in their life Whether we’re a product of genetics or upbringing Advice Stella would give to women in industries like engineering How listeners can find Stella  Related Links  Stella Millis  Quotes From the Show  “At the end of the day, people are people.”  “I was one of the youngest individuals who graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music when I was 16.”  “You gotta have a set of values. They’re developed from when you’re really young.” ...

How does someone find their way from working in politics and policy into the cannabis field? Today’s guest is Jay Rosenthal, and his interesting work history has taken him from the political field to entrepreneurship and now into the cannabis industry. Listen in to hear Jay’s thoughts about what sparked him to go into entrepreneurship, what Canadian businesses can learn from American businesses, and what characteristics you need to succeed in the cannabis industry.   Topics Discussed in This Episode   Jay’s origination story What was in Jay’s background that led him to his career path What brought out Jay’s entrepreneurial spark Jay’s thoughts on the mentality that an entrepreneur has to have What Canadians can learn from the way Americans do business How it took so long to legalize cannabis How the War on Drugs camouflaged racism Where to double down if you’re interested in becoming a cannabis entrepreneur The next domino after cannabis to fall What characteristics you need to succeed in the cannabis industry Why entrepreneurs should get involved in politics   Related Links   Jay Rosenthal Business of Cannabis   Quotes From the Show   “The arc needs to be having it work. There’s going to be hiccups along the way, because not everything works especially when you’re building something new.”   “When I got into politics or working for elected officials, it didn’t seem like a stretch.”    “The war on drugs in the US – and to a lesser extent here – it really only put black and brown people behind bars in the US.”   “I just don’t see where you would be able to go into a store and buy mushrooms.” ...

What is the future of coding, and why is this skillset so important to the younger generations and those that will follow them? Today’s guest has some strong feelings about why it’s so important for all different types of people to learn these skills and have access to jobs in the tech industry. Heather Payne is the CEO of Juno College. Listen in to learn about what Juno College does, why Heather believes it’s so important, and what led her to become an entrepreneur and found a college. Topics Discussed in This Episode What Juno College does What Heather’s early life looked like Heather’s time in China Heather’s experience working for McDonald’s What Heather tells other women who are looking for leadership roles Where Heather’s self-awareness comes from Why Heather thinks other women, in particular, may feel jealous or resentful How Heather feels about supporting children without glossing over failures What Heather gains from exercise Where Heather sees the trajectory of coding careers What parents should be doing with their children early on Good decisions that Heather has made in her life What Heather got from an executive coach and a therapist that she couldn’t have gotten from mentorship generally Heather’s views on nature vs. nurture What Heather expects Juno to look like in five years Where listeners can find Heather Related Links Heather Payne on Twitter Heather Payne on Instagram Juno College  Quotes From the Show “We’ve got deep McDonald’s roots in our family.”  “What I think has been great, especially in recent years, is that there’s a real movement that I have seen and it’s been visible, of women supporting women.”  “As soon as we have people at the table who represent different types of folks, different walks of life, different backgrounds, everything about our product has become better.” ...