In Episode 319 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Jamie Crozier, an entrepreneur who did something most people only dream about. He bought the company he once worked for. Jamie shares his journey from stocking shelves at a dollar store to building his career in industrial sales, eventually acquiring Thunder Bay Hydraulics and expanding through the acquisition of Custom Hydraulics and the founding of Atlas Elite Lifts. His story is a powerful reminder that ownership is not about where you start, but about the moment you decide to bet on yourself and step into uncertainty.

This episode dives deep into the realities of acquisition, the emotional weight of taking over a legacy business, and the resilience required to build and scale manufacturing companies in Canada during a time of tariffs, competition, and global uncertainty. Jamie also shares his innovative approach to transparency in service businesses and his vision for building premium, design-driven lift solutions across North America. This is a conversation about risk, responsibility, and the identity shift that happens when you stop working for someone else’s future and start building your own.

Key Takeaways:

1. Ownership starts as an identity decision before it becomes a legal one.
2. If you are going to be an entrepreneur, you have to get comfortable accepting risk and believing in yourself when everything depends on you.
3. When acquiring a business, build your own relationships with your bank, accountant, and lawyer because those relationships will carry you through the process.
4. Vendor take back financing can make acquisitions possible by aligning the seller with the future success of the business.
5. Trust and personal relationships matter more than numbers because without trust, the deal will not happen or succeed.
6. Buying a competitor requires patience, respect, and confidentiality because pushing too hard can destroy the opportunity.
7. The emotional commitment to ownership begins before the deal closes, and the fear of losing the opportunity can be as powerful as the responsibility itself.
8. Starting a company from nothing is far harder than buying one because you must build reputation, customers, and trust from zero.
9. Transparency with customers during difficult times strengthens relationships and turns challenges into partnerships.
10. Great companies differentiate themselves by solving real customer problems and making the experience easier, clearer, and faster.

Check out Thunder Bay Hydraulics and learn more about the incredible work Jamie and his team are doing:

https://thunderbayhydraulics.com

Learn more about Custom Hydraulics:

https://customhydraulics.com

Explore Atlas Elite Lifts and their premium automotive lift solutions:

https://www.atlaselitelifts.com/

You can also connect with Jamie directly at...

In Episode 318 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Jemia and Tim Zagiel, Co-Founders of Pacific Ropes, to explore what it truly means to build a business in an environment where courage is not optional. What began as a small operation run from their living room grew into an industry-leading rope access company that helped modernize safety and training standards across Western Canada. Tim shares how his early experiences working on ropes without proper systems sparked a mission to professionalize the industry, while Jemia reveals how her transition from film into entrepreneurship helped shape the culture, operations, and leadership foundation that drives the company today.

This episode goes far beyond rope access and into the mindset required to lead through uncertainty, fear, and constant external change. Jemia and Tim open up about surviving economic downturns, learning not to rely on a single client or industry, and the importance of diversification, relationships, and long-term thinking. At its core, Episode 318 is a powerful conversation about entrepreneurship, partnership, and the defining moments every leader faces when standing at the edge of the unknown and choosing to move forward anyway.

Learn more about Tim and Jemia and their work with Pacific Ropes: www.pacificropes.com

Key Takeaways:

1. The moment before you go over the edge is where growth lives, and success often requires committing fully despite fear.
2. Safety, preparation, and mindset are what allow people to operate confidently in environments where mistakes are not survivable.
3. Building an industry does not require inventing everything yourself, it requires learning from others and bringing proven ideas into your market.
4. You cannot build a resilient business with a single client or industry, diversification is what allows you to survive external shocks.
5. Culture is built on trust and shared responsibility, especially when your team’s lives depend on each other every day.
6. Mindset is the foundation of resilience, and the ability to stay calm and find solutions during uncertainty determines long term survival.
7. The best leaders are willing to ask for help and continuously learn, rather than pretending they already have all the answers.
8. Partnership strength comes from respecting differences, where vision and caution work together to create sustainable growth.
9. Fear never fully disappears, but learning to act despite fear is what separates those who build meaningful things.
10. Success in business and life requires intentional boundaries, because achievement means nothing if you lose yourself or your family along the way.

Special thank you to our 2026 Title Sponsors, Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab.

Hypervac continues to set the standard across North America for air excavation, bringing innovation, safety, and precision to some of the most demanding infrastructure projects in the world. Alongside them, Hyperfab represents the next generation of manufacturing excellence, delivering world-class...

Episode 317 is a three year anniversary reflection on what it actually takes to build something that lasts. Kelly shares how impossible 300 plus episodes felt at the beginning, how the early days were full of uncertainty and scrambling for guests, and how planning ahead became the foundation that made consistency possible. He breaks down how podcasting and entrepreneurship change you, why growth comes from staying in motion, and why the further you go, the more you realize you still have to learn.

He then delivers ten hard-earned lessons that apply to podcasting, personal branding, and building a business: share what you are afraid to share, lean into your unique perspective, expect your impact to outgrow your imagination, and commit to routines that keep you showing up. Kelly also talks about rituals and habits that make a show yours, why listener messages matter more than you think, and why your show is never “good enough” if you want it to keep improving. He closes with gratitude for the Rockstars, a major shoutout to Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab for supporting the mission, and an update on the upcoming launch of I Used To Work There.

Submit a story for I Used To Work There: HR@IUSEDTOWORKTHERE.com

Key Takeaways:

1. The world needs what you are afraid to share, and the moment you step into that fear is the moment your real impact begins.
2. Your unique experience is your greatest asset, and it is not about why you should do it, but why the world is waiting for you to.
3. Your impact will grow far beyond what you can imagine if you stay consistent and keep putting your message out into the world.
4. Showing up every week will reveal strengths, capabilities, and growth you never would have discovered otherwise.
5. Building something consistently will naturally build your personal brand, even when that was never the original goal.
6. Your podcast, your business, and your identity will evolve over time, and that evolution is proof that you are growing.
7. The habits and rituals you create around your work become the foundation that makes long term consistency possible.
8. The messages you receive from the people you help will remind you why you started and give you the fuel to keep going.
9. Consistency is not accidental, it is the result of planning, preparation, and making the decision to show up no matter what.
10. Your work will never be finished, and staying humble, improving constantly, and refusing to settle is what keeps you moving forward.

This episode is proudly brought to you by our 2026 Title Sponsor, Hypervac Technologies, and I want to take a very special moment to recognize the man behind it all, Colin Harms.

Colin, your belief in this show means more than you know. You didn’t just sponsor The Business Development Podcast, you invested in the mission. You invested in the Rockstars. You invested in the idea that business development knowledge should be shared freely with the world, and because of that, this show continues to grow, evolve, and reach leaders in over 150 countries.

Hypervac Technologies is North America’s...

Episode 316 of The Business Development Podcast features Aaron Lambert, mining technology innovator and founder of RIINO, a company developing a modular electric rail haulage system designed to transform how mines move rock, equipment, and eventually people. Aaron takes us deep into modern mining, explaining how underground operations have evolved, why development has become slower and more expensive over time, and how safety, logistics, and economics are constantly in tension.

We then explore the RIINO breakthrough. Aaron explains why moving rock is one of the most expensive parts of mining, why rail is the most energy efficient method of transport, and how RIINO is engineering a hybrid electric system capable of operating on incline while integrating both grid power and onboard batteries. He also shares the entrepreneurial journey behind building deep tech from scratch, collaborating with industry leaders, navigating funding and grants, and pushing forward through uncertainty to turn a bold idea into a real world pilot with global potential.

Check out this incredible mining technology! www.riino.com

Key Takeaways:

1. Mining becomes a completely different world once you are inside it, with its own language, realities, and way of operating.
2. Modern mining is safer than decades ago, but underground work is still dangerous and seismic events can happen without warning.
3. The way mines are built is shaped by the tools available, and bigger equipment often forces bigger tunnels, more ground support, and higher costs.
4. In some regions, mines were being developed faster 20 years ago because smaller equipment and smaller tunnels allowed quicker progress.
5. Mining is fundamentally a logistics game, and moving rock is one of the most expensive parts of the entire operation.
6. Rail is the most efficient means of transportation for heavy material, which is why RIINO is built around electric rail haulage.
7. RIINO is combining proven tech from outside mining, like electrified transit concepts, and adapting it to mine conditions with a system that can climb inclines using traction solutions beyond steel on steel.
8. If you are building something that has never been done, there is no single right answer, and the product you start with will not be the product you finish with.
9. The real path of entrepreneurship is not linear, and the only way through is one step at a time, adapting constantly, and not quitting when the plan changes.
10. Big innovations require deep collaboration, a support network, and partners who believe in the purpose and help shape the system so it actually works in the real world.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Hypervac Technologies, North America’s leading vacuum truck manufacturer.

Hypervac doesn’t just build equipment. They engineer performance that professionals trust when uptime and precision matter most. Designed and manufactured for rugged job sites across utilities, infrastructure, oil and gas, and industrial sectors, Hypervac trucks deliver durability, power, and reliability operators depend on every...

Episode 315 dives into a conversation Canada needs to be having right now. Erin Benjamin, President and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, breaks down why live music is one of the most powerful and misunderstood economic engines in the country. This episode goes far beyond concerts and culture, unpacking how live music fuels jobs, tourism, talent attraction, and city growth, while contributing billions to Canada’s GDP. Despite its impact, the industry remains largely undervalued and underinvested, not because it lacks potential, but because business and policy have failed to fully recognize what’s already working.

Drawing from more than three decades in the music industry, Erin Benjamin explains what it will take to unlock the next phase of growth and why Canada is standing at a critical inflection point. From de-risking promoters and venues to integrating live music into economic development and tourism strategies, this episode makes a compelling case for why now is the moment to act. If Canada wants stronger cities, better talent retention, and globally competitive cultural industries, this conversation makes it clear that investing in live music isn’t optional anymore, it’s strategic.

Rockstars, I just want to say thank you.

Three years ago, this show started as an idea and a conversation I felt needed to exist. Today, it exists because you kept showing up, listening, sharing, challenging ideas, and supporting the journey week after week. Your support has turned this podcast into a global community, and I’m incredibly grateful for every download, every message, every conversation sparked because of it.

Here’s to the last three years of growth, learning, and momentum and to what we’re building next. If you’ve been here since day one or you just joined us recently, know this: this show doesn’t happen without you. Appreciate you all more than you know. 🔥🎙️

Key Takeaways:

1. Live music is not just entertainment, it is a serious economic engine driving jobs, tourism, and city growth across Canada.
2. Canada’s live music industry generates billions in GDP and supports over one hundred thousand jobs, yet it remains largely undervalued and underinvested.
3. The biggest missed opportunity is not talent or demand, it is the lack of coordinated policy and business investment supporting live music infrastructure.
4. Venues, promoters, and festivals are the backbone of the industry, and without protecting this infrastructure, artist development and touring collapse.
5. De-risking live music is not about bailouts, it is about enabling smart growth and allowing promoters to take calculated chances on emerging talent.
6. Live music plays a critical role in attracting and retaining talent, making cities more competitive places to live, work, and build businesses.
7. Music tourism is one of Canada’s most underleveraged advantages and has the potential to scale economic impact far beyond ticket sales.
8. COVID exposed how fragile the live music ecosystem was, but it also proved what is possible when government, business, and industry align.
9. Business leaders have far more to gain from supporting live music than they realize, from brand alignment to employee experience to city...

Episode 314 features Adam Danyleyko from AMII (the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) breaking down what AMII actually does and how they help organizations move from AI curiosity to real adoption. Adam explains AMII’s foundation in world class research and how the institute translates that research into industry impact by supporting everyone from startups to large corporations through training, shared AI language inside teams, roadmap building, and hands on proof of concept work.

The real lesson of the episode is that adapting to AI starts with clarity, not hype. Adam walks through how the “right tool for the problem” mindset changes everything, why data strategy matters especially for startups, and why AI projects often require experimentation with no guaranteed outcome the way a typical software build might. He also touches on where AI is headed next through more efficient models, edge computing, and practical real world constraints, plus how AMII screens work through a principled AI lens focused on impact, fairness, and responsible use.

Additional note: This episode also marks three years of The Business Development Podcast.

Follow Adam Danyleyko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-danyleyko/

Learn more about AMII: https://www.amii.ca

Key Takeaways:

1. AI is not a strategy on its own; it only works when it supports a clearly defined business problem.
2. Starting with the tool instead of the bottleneck almost always leads to wasted time and stalled initiatives.
3. Businesses need a shared AI language internally before they can successfully adopt or scale it.
4. Data readiness matters more than model choice when it comes to real-world AI outcomes.
5. AI projects often require experimentation, iteration, and learning rather than guaranteed deliverables.
6. The right AI solution depends on context, constraints, and environment, not what is trending.
7. Building internal capability is more sustainable than outsourcing all AI decision-making.
8. Responsible AI requires intentional choices around fairness, impact, and long-term use.
9. AI works best as an amplifier of good processes, not a fix for broken ones.
10. Organizations that adapt to AI successfully treat it as infrastructure, not a magic product.

This episode of The Business Development Podcast is proudly sponsored by Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab, our 2026 Title Sponsors. We’re incredibly grateful for their continued support of the show and the work they do building world-class industrial solutions right here in Canada. Hypervac and Hyperfab represent innovation, reliability, and execution at the highest level, and we genuinely appreciate them being part of this journey.

If you’re in the industrial space, we highly encourage you to check them out at www.hypervac.com.

If you’re the kind of...

In episode 313, Kelly shares a hard lesson from a time he tried to “help” a client by booking a series of account management meetings he was not going to attend. The introductions were easy because the trust and credibility were already built, and the prospects said yes because of Kelly’s relationship with them. But once the client missed one meeting, then another, Kelly realized the damage was landing on his name, not theirs. Instead of doing business development, he found himself apologizing, rescheduling, and working to repair relationships that took years to earn.

The core message is simple and sharp: if you are not accountable for the outcome, you should not be booking the meeting. Kelly breaks down exactly what went wrong and how quickly credibility can be spent when you put yourself in the middle of a process you do not control. He closes with clear principles to protect your reputation: only book what you are willing to own, control the first impression, treat your network like equity, remove yourself as the middleman, and ensure accountability before opening doors.

Key Takeaways:

1. If your name is on the meeting, you are accountable for the outcome whether you attend or not.
2. Credibility is currency in business development and every introduction spends a little of it.
3. Never book meetings you cannot personally control or confidently stand behind.
4. Acting as the middleman without authority puts all the risk on you and none of the control.
5. First impressions set the tone for the entire relationship so be present to guide them.
6. Good intentions do not protect your reputation. Boundaries do.
7. Relationships built over years can be damaged quickly by missed expectations.
8. Accountability must exist before opportunity or you are gambling with trust.
9. Your network is equity, not loose change. Treat every intro like it costs something.
10. Protecting your reputation is more important than trying to help or say yes to everything.

This episode of The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by our 2026 Title Sponsor, Hypervac Technologies, North America’s leading manufacturer of industrial vacuum and hydro excavation trucks. If you are looking for world class equipment built for performance, reliability, and the toughest job sites, check them out at www.hypervac.com and see why so many companies trust Hypervac to power their operations.

Got a wild, funny, unbelievable, or unforgettable story from your time at work? Submit your story to I Used To Work There and you might be featured on the show. Email us at hr@IUsedToWorkThere.com and we’ll send you the quick intake form and recording options. We review every submission and would love to hear yours.

If you want to connect more directly, ask questions, and grow alongside other driven leaders, join The Catalyst Club. It’s Kelly Kennedy’s private leadership and business development community built for leaders by leaders, with live sessions,...