In this episode of the Polestar Podcast, we will talk about:

• Ricky Zhang's Journey: From passionate traveler to founding Prince of Travel, a leading platform for Canadians to maximize credit card rewards for luxurious travel.
• Practical Tips: Advice on optimizing credit cards and rewards programs to get the most value from travel spending.
• Unlocking Premium Travel: Ricky shares how to convert points into airline miles and hotel stays, making premium flights and accommodations affordable.

About the Guest - Ricky Zhang

Ricky Zhang first had the idea to start a travel blog in 2016, inspired by his growing passion for traveling the world using points and miles. After graduating and starting a corporate job with one of the Big 5 banks, Ricky felt unfulfilled, despite the stable position.

Encouraged by his then-girlfriend, now wife, he decided to pursue his passion. After months of searching, he finally landed on the name "Prince of Travel" and launched the blog. Today, Ricky has shared hundreds of stories, inspiring others to travel the world in style for less.

Prince of Travel is a team of expert travellers dedicated to educating, informing, and inspiring readers on maximizing the power of Miles & Points to travel the world at a fraction of the price.

About the Host – Rob Wallis

Rob has provided senior financial planning and advice to VELA clients for over 15-years. He excels at working with entrepreneurial professionals and business owners to define their individual ecosystems and establish meaningful life and financial goals. He has specialized expertise in guiding healthcare professionals who are building multi-location, and specialist clinics. To read more, please visit the VELA team page.

Podcast Highlights:

• Discover Skipper Otto's values on sustainability and the importance of preserving Indigenous finishing practices.
• Explore how Skipper Otto has reimagined the "farm-to-table" experience to connect customers to the stories of fishing families.
• Listen to Sonia discuss the role of a system-oriented approach in enabling sustainable practices and how it was essential to becoming a B-Corp Certified corporation.
• Familiarize yourself with Sonia's perspectives on entrepreneurship and business ownership, emphasizing the significance of incremental progress to prevent feelings of overwhelm and ultimately achieve greater success.

About the Guest – Sonia Strobel

Sonia is a visionary leader and entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Co-founder of Skipper Otto Community Supported Fishery, an innovative solution for home cooks to source premium, wild seafood directly from independent, Canadian fishing families. Under her leadership Skipper Otto has grown both in size and scale, helping to transform the way Canadians eat local seafood.

Sonia is also a sought-after speaker on sustainable fisheries and local food systems. She relentlessly advocates for the rights of independent small-scale, community-based fishers and seeks to protect their way of life in Canada. Her ability to synthesize and communicate about complex issues in the fishing industry enables her to consistently engage Canadians to advocate for meaningful change. Sonia’s leadership continues to earn her many accolades including winner of Coralus (formerly SheEO) in 2015; Veuve Cliquot Business Woman Award 2018 Canadian finalist; winner of the Forum’s 2019 Pitch Finale; Inc Magazine's list of the top 100 female entrepreneurs of 2020; and finalist in the BC Food and Beverage Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2023 and frequent invitations to speak at the House of Commons and major decision making tables.

About the Host – Kevin Parton

Kevin Parton, CFP professional, specializes in personal and business financial planning, tax reduction, and estate planning. Kevin diligently concentrates on client education as a powerful strategy for building financial certainty. As no financial situation is the same, Kevin and his team monitor clients’ plans and implement personalized strategies to reduce their personal and corporate taxes, and protect their income, assets, and loved ones against the financial consequences of a serious illness, injury or death, ensuring clients maintain financial certainty and peace of mind. To read more, please visit the VELA team page.

Podcast Highlights:

• Discover the begining of the Flavelle family's ownership of Purdys Chocolatier in 1963, initiated by Charles Flavelle and Eric Wilson.
• Karen shares her journey into business, influenced by her father's success from a young age, leading her to pursue her passion for business and marketing.
• Learn about Karen’s determination to become a part of the family business despite initial challenges and rejections and how her passion propelled her to becoming the powerhouse of Purdys.
• Learn about the enduring values of quality, sustainability, and philanthropy at Purdys.

About the Guest – Karen Flavelle

Many different experiences have provided the toolbox for Karen to successfully lead Purdys, the largest Chocolatier in Canada, a BCom from Queen's, living in Japan and Asia for 2 years, speaking fluent French, being trained in classic packaged goods marketing at General Mills, developing innovative new products at Product Development Partnership in the UK, and growing a popular chain of 140 restaurants: Swiss Chalet.

Karen's personal mission is to help people connect, to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones. At almost 117 years old, Purdys Chocolatier is a delicate balance between tradition and innovation, giving customers their favorites while exciting them with new ideas and new chocolates. In addition, Purdys contributes to many, local Canadian organizations focusing on helping children and their families.

About the Host – Jason Boudreau

Jason has built VELA Wealth into an established life and estate planning firm, guiding families as they make meaningful choices at the intersection of life and wealth. Jason’s areas of expertise include intergenerational wealth transfer and estate planning with a focus on advanced insurance-based solutions that incorporate philanthropy and legacy planning. Leveraging these specialties, Jason brings a fresh perspective and outside-the-box thinking to the strategic planning process. To read more, please visit the VELA team page.