Managing a media company and not sitting in one place for too long
Guest: Andrew Lawton (talk show host, author, and journalist)
Andrew Lawton has to make up his job title sometimes, because he has worn so many hats. He manages a media company called True North, hosts his own show, writes books, and has started a journey in event management. Sitting in one place for too long is not his M.O. To him, he tries to find different things to do and not settle into a routine.
For anyone who lives in British Columbia, everyone knows the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), the Crown corporation that handles public auto insurance. As its leader, Jason McDaniel is tasked with balancing insurance coverage with affordability – in fact, he sees affordability as his top concern. That means having a very lean team and having work on his mind beyond the normal office hours. His path to his role is not straight, but it was the result of simply giving opportunities a chance when they came.
What does it mean to lead an artificial intelligence company? For Louis Dron, CEO of Redwood AI, it means everything – helping his company and workers get grants, fundraising, making sure the technology works, and more. While his team is small, it is also heavily networked with universities, academics, and government agencies. Much like the industry itself, his role requires constant innovation.
Can “encourager” be a job? For Joe Roberts, that is how he sees himself in a world full of change and uncertainty. In his Push For Change Foundation, he seeks to better protect kids so they don’t fall through the cracks. And he isn’t just all talk – he draws on his own struggles with being a homelessness youth in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. On top of his foundation, he also does public speaking at conferences, where he uses his empathy to understand how to speak to each audience.
Being a politician isn’t easy. According to Yuri Fulmer, it means a lot of travelling and talking to people face-to-face. As a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of British Columbia, it is vital for him to get to know the people he seeks to represent – no matter where in BC they live. While this is a tall task for anyone, this was not something Yuri thought he’d do, while growing up in Australia. What started as a 3-week journey in Canada ended up being 34 years – starting with a humble job at A&W, he learned how to lead through franchising a location in New Westminster and developed the entrepreneurship skills that shaped who he is today.