Serenity Now for Entrepreneurs

The Art of Patience: How Waiting 5 Years to Buy the Right Business Paid Off

"Five years of patience, 90 days of listening, and 10 years of success."

Josh Rottenberg's journey from corporate executive to business owner offers invaluable lessons for anyone considering buying an established business.

In this intriguing episode of Serenity Now for Entrepreneurs, Josh shares how he waited five years to find the right business, then spent his first three months doing "nothing" but asking questions and observing—a strategy that proved remarkably effective.

Josh reveals his practical criteria for acquisition (including his memorable "one bridge" rule for commuting), discusses how firing two employees established his leadership, and shares his biggest mistake: over-relying on engineers for product development.

His "happy, humble, hungry" framework for evaluating talent and his advice on due diligence are worth their weight in gold for prospective business buyers.

Whether you're considering buying a business or leading through a transition, this episode offers honest insights from someone who's successfully navigated the journey.

 

Following the Money: How Private Equity Shapes Canada's Economy and Your Daily Choices

In long-term care homes owned by private equity firms, there's a 50% increased likelihood of patient sedation alongside higher mortality rates and costs. Yikes!

This eye-opening episode of Serenity Now for Entrepreneurs features Rachel Wasserman, whose background in law, investment banking, and M&A gives her unique insight into how private equity operates and impacts our communities.

What makes this conversation essential listening:

• Learn how PE firms use leveraged buyouts that saddle businesses with crushing debt
•  Discover which industries are being rapidly consolidated (dental practices, vet clinics, daycares, and more) 
• Understand how your Canadian pension funds are heavily invested in PE firms 
• Explore alternatives like Employee Ownership Trusts for business owners considering exits

As Rachel points out: "Who owns our companies, who owns our economic engines matters for our country, for our economy." Who owns the businesses you are spending your money with? 

Entrepreneurs, consumers, and professionals —this affects us all. Awareness is the first step toward better choices.

Don't miss the latest episode. 

From Launch to Exit: A Serial Founder's Survival Guide

The middle of a marathon is where dreams go to die. Startups are exactly the same.

Serial entrepreneur Craig Martin has launched 6 tech startups over two decades, and his candid insights on the recent Serenity Now for Entrepreneurs podcast are pure gold for founders.

While everyone loves the excitement of launch day, Craig reveals the often-overlooked fundamentals that determine whether you'll make it to the finish line:

• The first call you make matters: Most founders race to product development, but Craig insists your first two calls should be to a corporate lawyer and accountant. The structure you choose on day one determines your freedom years later.
• The unconventional funding roadmap: Before approaching VCs, Craig leveraged creative grant programs that required zero equity dilution to fund his MVPs. Only then did he approach larger investors with proof of concept.
• The question that saved his companies was, "What's your number?" Craig asked every potential co-founder for their specific selling price before partnering. This "philosophical alignment" prevented countless founder disputes when acquisition offers arrived.
• The silent saboteur: "People go crazy when there's money on the table." Craig's most valuable advice? Keep potential acquisitions completely confidential, even from your team, until the paperwork is signed.

For every founder who's felt the mid-journey exhaustion of building something from nothing, this conversation offers both tactical wisdom and the reassurance that yes, there is a finish line.

Listen to the full Serenity Now podcast episode to hear Craig's unfiltered reality of startup life—from protecting your IP to knowing exactly when it's time to move on to your next venture.

Breaking the Nonprofit Stigma: How One Leader is Changing the Game

Michelle Hordal, founder of Adapt Abilities, transformed a teacher's side hustle into a $6.8M organization serving families with diverse abilities and shared all the details on Serenity Now for Entrepreneurs.

What makes this conversation different? Michelle tackles the uncomfortable truths about nonprofit leadership that nobody talks about:

 

•     Why she hates the term "not-for-profit" and what she calls it instead

•     How she went from making $3/hour margins to building a sustainable   enterprise

•     The reality check about overhead costs and why paying competitive salaries matters

•     Her bold move: offering performance add-ons as a charitable organization

 

This isn't your typical nonprofit story. It's a conversation in social entrepreneurship that challenges everything we think we know about running mission-driven organizations.

 

Whether you're in the social impact space or running a traditional business, this episode offers fresh perspectives on sustainable growth, talent retention, and authentic leadership.

From Employee to Owner: How 6 Colleagues Transformed Their Career Path

"After building someone's company for 16 years, we had nothing to show for it. So six of us made a bold move that changed everything."

 

That's how Kingsley Leung begins to share his unconventional path to business ownership on the latest episode of Serenity Now for Entrepreneurs.

 

Rather than rage-quitting or starting from scratch, Kingsley and his team engineered one of the most elegant business transitions we’ve heard. Their solution? Moving as a unified team of six to Agility Forex, negotiating not just jobs but ownership stakes.

 

The result? The original owners now call it "the best decision they could have made." Talk about validation.

 

Key insights from Kingsley's journey:

 

•     Why 'buying in' can be smarter than 'starting up'

•     How a team transition can multiply your negotiating power

•     The importance of having growth-aligned vision between buyers and sellers

•     The power of bringing proven systems and expertise to the table

 

What's fascinating is how they've since doubled their sales force and expanded across Canada, from Vancouver to Montreal.

 

For anyone thinking about business succession or transition, this episode is required listening. With 76% of Canadian businesses set to transition in the next decade, the timing couldn't be better

Sell Your Business or Walk Away? Inside the Great Canadian Business Handover

The "$2 Trillion Business Succession Tsunami" is coming to Canada - are you ready?

A staggering 76% of Canadian small business owners plan to exit within the next decade. Whether you're a potential buyer looking for opportunity or an owner planning your exit, this episode of Serenity Now for Entrepreneurs is packed with insider insights from our Serenity Sisters who've navigated these waters.

 

Key takeaways:

 

•     Why most sales fail (and how to avoid common pitfalls)

•     The surprising truth about business valuation

•     Creative strategies for employee buy-ins

•     Real stories from business owners who've "dated" potential buyers

•     Why starting your exit planning 5 years early is the new standard

 

Plus, discover why one expert says: "You're trying to sell a car, but nobody can see the car" - and what that means for your business's future.

Don't miss this candid conversation about one of the biggest wealth transfers in Canadian history. Whether you're looking to buy, sell, or just stay informed, this episode is your roadmap to navigating the coming succession wave.

 

From Farm Girl to Fearless Entrepreneur: The Knotty Cowgirl's Journey

"2.5 million people drive past my store each year. The name makes 80% of them turn around."

Every business has a story, but few are as authentic and inspiring as Kasha Thomson's journey. In our latest episode of Serenity Now for Entrepreneurs, this fourth-generation farmer shares how she transformed a recovery hobby into a thriving Western lifestyle brand.

What started with making hemp necklaces during knee injury recovery evolved into a mission to empower others. The name "Knotty Cowgirl" (with a K for knots!) has become more than clever wordplay – it's a rallying cry for resilience.

Key moments from our conversation:

• Building a business while battling self-doubt
• Creating a safe space beyond retail
• Transforming personal loss into purposeful growth
• The courage to pivot and prioritize your own vision

A powerful quote from Kasha: "Vulnerability is so scary until you realize it's a strength."

Whether you're an entrepreneur, building a family business, or navigating personal challenges, Kasha's story reminds us that sometimes we all need to "knotty up" and keep pushing forward.

Click below to check out the episode.

 

Click here  to check out the Knotty Cowgirl 

I think you should write a book

Writing a book is a daunting task… but it’s worth the effort. Robert Puharich, associate producer of the Specified Growth Podcast, had access to unique insights and wanted to condense the knowledge to help others, so he wrote his first book.

 

In this episode of Serenity Now for Entrepreneurs, Robert discusses why you should consider writing a book, breaks down the process into simple and attainable steps, gives tips on how to be successful in your journey, and more.

 

From marketing content to personal development, Robert describes the value in going through the process, creating marginal gains for yourself, and having a product to further your business. This may be the inspiration you need to get started, don’t miss it.

Breaking Down AI: How It Works and How to Use It in Business

LLM, AGI, and prompt are terms we hear daily, but what in the world do they mean? Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing our lives without many of us understanding how. We brought on an expert, Nafaa Haddou of Nu Terra Labs, to bring us up to date with the technology.

 

On the latest episode of Serenity Sisters, Nafaa breaks down AI terms into simple language, describes how AI can help us grow, provides practical uses for AI in business, and more.

 

The future is changing very quickly. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn about this fascinating technology.

Crafting the Blueprint: Documenting for Sustainable Growth

Documenting is crucial to a business’s growth, yet it often doesn’t get done. Why? There are many reasons a company can give, but it’s not done in the end. How can you fix this problem?

On the latest episode of Serenity Now for Entrepreneurs, the Sisters discuss how to overcome issues around systems and documentation, share the impact of implementing technology to assist the process, discuss change management, and more.

Change is never easy, but sometimes it builds the foundation for the future. Listen to how it worked out for our Serenity Sister.