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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: It's Calgary's Podcast on the Canada's Podcast Network.
[00:18] SPEAKER_00: Hello, this is Mario Toneguzi coming to you today with Calgary's Podcast, a member of Canada's podcast Network,
[00:25] SPEAKER_00: where we talk to the entrepreneurs who are making it happen here in the city of Calgary, Alberta.
[00:32] SPEAKER_00: Leslie Anne Scorji is founder of Me Best Canada's leading edge, Money School, offering unbiased, one-on-one money coaching, and workplace financial education.
[00:43] SPEAKER_00: She is a best-selling personal finance author, corporate communication strategist, and sought after often by the media for comment.
[00:52] SPEAKER_00: Originally from Calgary, Leslie Anne is now based in Toronto. Welcome to the show Leslie Anne, and thanks for taking the time today to be here for our listeners.
[01:02] SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much for having me.
[01:04] SPEAKER_00: Tell us a little bit about yourself, where you're from, and what your business is all about.
[01:08] SPEAKER_01: Well, growing up in Calgary is definitely where I got my entrepreneurial spirit from, like many Albertans.
[01:17] SPEAKER_01: And in 2014, I decided it was time to take my passion for personal finance, which has been a very active part of my life since I was about 10 years old.
[01:29] SPEAKER_01: But in 2014, I morphed my passion into my business, Me Best.
[01:36] SPEAKER_01: And the thinking behind that was the demand for financial education and a different approach to financial planning and feeling better about your money.
[01:50] SPEAKER_01: The demand was just so high, and the response was Me Best that came out of that demand.
[01:59] SPEAKER_01: And since then, our small and mighty team has been growing, and so to have our happy clients.
[02:07] SPEAKER_00: Did you need financing to start your company, and how has business been for you?
[02:12] SPEAKER_01: Interestingly, we used financing for certain components of our company, and then not with others.
[02:21] SPEAKER_01: So we currently have a service delivery model, where we deliver fee-only unbiased coaching services.
[02:30] SPEAKER_01: But when we first started, we were working on developing a digital financial education platform, and that component of our work definitely required financing.
[02:44] SPEAKER_01: Interestingly, though, we found through that process that our sweet spot was really that one-on-one personal connection, and not so much on the digital side.
[02:54] SPEAKER_01: So we really leaned into where our clients were the happiest, and focused there.
[03:01] SPEAKER_00: Okay, thank you. What is your long-term vision, and what will your company look like in the future? Do you have plans for expansion?
[03:09] SPEAKER_01: Well, I always have plans for expansion. I never stop with that.
[03:15] SPEAKER_01: So the demand for money coaching continues to grow very steadily, and so we're continuing to respond to that.
[03:25] SPEAKER_01: I still think that there is some type of response that is in the digital side, digital financial education.
[03:34] SPEAKER_01: I just don't think the way that we approached it when we first started our business is the way Canadians want to interact online with their finances.
[03:46] SPEAKER_01: So I think from a scalability perspective, that area intrigues me immensely, because digital scaling is certainly a lot more profitable at times, not always, but at times.
[03:59] SPEAKER_01: Then human-based service delivery. But I continue to go back to a fundamental principle where we always ask our clients what would you like?
[04:11] SPEAKER_01: And they tell us every quarter what they like, and then we respond. And to date, they continue to like the one-on-one personal touch with a light touch of digital tools.
[04:27] SPEAKER_00: Now, you got your start as an entrepreneur here in Calgary. I'm going to ask you just about some of the benefits of being an entrepreneur in Calgary for those listeners out there who are aspiring entrepreneurs.
[04:40] SPEAKER_00: What are some of the good points about having a business here? And maybe some of the tough things or challenges that you faced when you were here?
[04:49] SPEAKER_01: And I might also add here that over 50% of our clients are still Alberta-based.
[04:56] SPEAKER_01: I think that might have something to do with the fact that our roots are still in Alberta.
[05:01] SPEAKER_01: The Alberta economy has certainly had its challenges, and we, like most businesses, have suffered through that and had to adjust and take a different tack to overcome some of the loss of the risk of losing the job.
[05:18] SPEAKER_01: And we have a lot of revenue that came with that, and specifically some of our employer programs were the first to be cut as employers were making cuts.
[05:28] SPEAKER_01: So we've had to shift, and I think that that is just normal course for Alberta at the present moment until there's a more sustainable and diverse economy in the province.
[05:42] SPEAKER_01: There's still the ups and downs tied to the oil and gas business.
[05:47] SPEAKER_01: But I have to tell you, starting a business in Alberta as a woman was awesome.
[05:53] SPEAKER_01: I had so much support, and I mean a reference of few banks and institutions that were incredibly helpful, but Alberta women entrepreneurs were almost first to the table to help me with my business planning and to offer financing.
[06:11] SPEAKER_01: Business Development Bank of Canada was the same.
[06:15] SPEAKER_01: Even my personal bank where I was like a personal client, they were so quick to help offer business guidance and advice.
[06:25] SPEAKER_01: There's so many accelerator programs, financing opportunities, mentorship opportunities.
[06:32] SPEAKER_01: I literally could talk to anybody that I wanted to and get advice within minutes.
[06:40] SPEAKER_01: It is just such a fabulous place.
[06:43] SPEAKER_01: And then when I decided to personally move to Toronto, I should say I still spend a lot of time in Alberta.
[06:54] SPEAKER_01: So yes, I live. My permanent address is in Toronto, but I am back and forth between Toronto and Calgary a lot.
[07:03] SPEAKER_01: And when I moved to Toronto, it was a very interesting turn in my business because we were growing in the Toronto and Ontario market.
[07:12] SPEAKER_01: So it's been very helpful for me to be here to scale up here while we're still keeping an eye on making sure our Alberta clients are very happy.
[07:22] SPEAKER_00: We do some of our best work outside the office.
[07:25] SPEAKER_00: Now when you were based here in Calgary and even when you come back, is there a place that you'd like to go to recharge, get inspired or just simply think about your business here in Calgary?
[07:37] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, I am. You know this about me, but I'm a huge fitness nut.
[07:43] SPEAKER_01: And so I am often working out at different facilities or going to spin classes with my friends when I'm in Calgary.
[07:55] SPEAKER_01: And so I just like love thinking about my business while I am doing something that is like a fun physical activity.
[08:05] SPEAKER_01: It's also where I get a recharge from.
[08:09] SPEAKER_01: And then I should mention that I like I'm always busy when I'm in Calgary because there's so much to do.
[08:18] SPEAKER_01: And of course, like my parents want time with me too, but some of that is the best part is seeing everybody in recharging when I'm in a city.
[08:29] SPEAKER_01: And probably my favorite place to work is on my mom's kitchen table with the sunlight streaming in and just having, you know, probably some cookies that I shouldn't be eating off to the side.
[08:46] SPEAKER_00: And I here's a hypothetical question for you. Imagine you were to start all over again and you just moved to Calgary for the first time.
[08:56] SPEAKER_00: You don't know anyone here and knowing what you know now about Calgary about the city itself.
[09:02] SPEAKER_00: What would you do and how would you do it to start all over again as an entrepreneur here in Calgary?
[09:08] SPEAKER_01: You could be busy every night of the week in Calgary.
[09:12] SPEAKER_01: There are so many social events and networking opportunities, business development opportunities, literally every night of the week.
[09:21] SPEAKER_01: You could be busy.
[09:23] SPEAKER_01: And I have to say that would be the place I would start.
[09:27] SPEAKER_01: I would be reaching out to some of those networking groups of which, you know, I still belong to a variety of them in Calgary, more women entrepreneur focused for obvious reasons.
[09:42] SPEAKER_01: But I get so much from those events and I would say it's a fantastic way to meet people, make friends and frankly make the connections that you absolutely need to make money with your business.
[09:57] SPEAKER_01: If you don't do this, you just won't have the exposure to the client base that you probably will need to be tapping in order to stay in business.
[10:08] SPEAKER_00: What does the first hour of your day look like when you get up in the morning? Do you have a specific routine or ritual to get you motivated to start your day?
[10:18] SPEAKER_01: Yes. So I am a breakfast eater and I like to take a moment in the morning.
[10:26] SPEAKER_01: I used to have frantic mornings running to the gym, trying to cram in eight emails, like while I was on the treadmill.
[10:37] SPEAKER_01: And that stopped about two years ago and it became more important for me to have a mindful morning.
[10:46] SPEAKER_01: And so my first hour is a mindful hour where I'm having breakfast, having coffee, thinking about my day, doing what is called bullet journaling.
[11:00] SPEAKER_01: So I jot down what I want to be doing that day, but also just random thoughts that I might have about my business, about my personal life, about anything that's on my mind.
[11:13] SPEAKER_01: And that tends to set a positive nourishing tone for the day, but also focus.
[11:22] SPEAKER_01: So clearing the decks to do the things that I've belitted as top priorities.
[11:29] SPEAKER_00: Do you think entrepreneurs have to be weird or unique, but in a positive sort of way, or just wired differently?
[11:37] SPEAKER_01: I think we're all a bit squirly to be frank.
[11:40] SPEAKER_01: A successful entrepreneur does have an incredibly high capacity for work, interesting work and mundane work, and, or they have people to help them.
[11:54] SPEAKER_01: But I do think I think we're all a little strange sometimes.
[12:01] SPEAKER_01: And also, so high capacity for work is one common characteristic, but a much higher capacity than the average for risk.
[12:10] SPEAKER_01: And it shows up in our businesses, the fact that we take on the risk to even have businesses to take the risk to employ somebody else, you know, those first moments.
[12:23] SPEAKER_01: I remember when I hired my first person into my business, who is still with me today, she's amazing.
[12:29] SPEAKER_01: I was terrified, not of her. I was terrified of me and what would happen if I didn't hold up my end of the bargain.
[12:37] SPEAKER_01: And she had made this commitment to me, and what if I failed?
[12:42] SPEAKER_01: And that is, that's the kind of risk I'm talking about.
[12:45] SPEAKER_01: And then from a financial standpoint, when you're investing in certain components of your business, sometimes you sometimes you mortgage your house, sometimes you clear out your T FSA to make investments.
[12:59] SPEAKER_01: And the average person probably doesn't have a stomach for those kinds of roller coaster decisions.
[13:07] SPEAKER_00: What books are you reading right now? And are there any books you would recommend for aspiring entrepreneurs?
[13:13] SPEAKER_01: I'm laughing because the one I'm reading right now is probably not super appropriate, but it is the subtle art of not giving a fuck, which is a Mark, Mark Manson's first book.
[13:28] SPEAKER_01: Love loving that title.
[13:30] SPEAKER_01: The other title that I'm working on is Stealing Fire. And then I usually have a fiction book on the go.
[13:40] SPEAKER_01: And I'm really into Dan Brown because of the art history in his books.
[13:47] SPEAKER_01: And I absolutely love art and I love travel.
[13:51] SPEAKER_01: But the first two books are very much about like grounding yourself and your own self confidence.
[14:01] SPEAKER_01: And that's the first one, the Mark Manson book. And the second book that's called Stealing Fire is really about finding your flow, which is your sweet spot.
[14:15] SPEAKER_01: It's the moment in the day or the moment in your week where your brilliance comes out.
[14:23] SPEAKER_01: And if you can find those moments or create the conditions for which you can find them more regularly, that's when your genius thrives.
[14:32] SPEAKER_00: And of course, in terms of recommending books for people, you've got your own.
[14:36] SPEAKER_01: I do, I do.
[14:39] SPEAKER_01: My first one, Rich by 30, is still a bestseller here in Canada.
[14:45] SPEAKER_01: And it came out, the first edition came out in 2007 if you can believe it.
[14:50] SPEAKER_01: And then my second book, Well Heeled, is targeted towards young women gaining confidence with their finances.
[14:57] SPEAKER_01: And my third book is the Modern Couples Money Guide.
[15:03] SPEAKER_01: And all three continue to sell very, very well.
[15:07] SPEAKER_01: So I'm very fortunate and I'm always grateful for my readers and their feedback.
[15:12] SPEAKER_01: So thanks everybody.
[15:14] SPEAKER_01: If you've read my books, I really appreciate it.
[15:16] SPEAKER_00: What online or offline tools do you use on a daily basis?
[15:23] SPEAKER_01: Oh, it's a great question.
[15:25] SPEAKER_01: I feel like I use so many, so huge Google Drive users.
[15:30] SPEAKER_01: It just allows us to communicate really well with our clients and most of our clients appreciate flexibility of Google Drive.
[15:39] SPEAKER_01: For some of our major projects, we use Slack, which is like a messaging channel.
[15:45] SPEAKER_01: And it allows us to talk openly about just like a faster way to communicate on highly complex projects.
[15:53] SPEAKER_01: And then I'm always hunting for recipes.
[15:58] SPEAKER_01: So from a personal standpoint, I am on fitness blogs and recipe blogs, probably, oh, at least three times a day.
[16:08] SPEAKER_01: And then from just like a personal well-being standpoint, I like love reading about, like I love reading blogs by women entrepreneurs.
[16:21] SPEAKER_01: And like reading about what they are doing that is so cool or phenomenal or different.
[16:28] SPEAKER_01: So that leaves me down multiple streams of media.
[16:33] SPEAKER_01: There's so many tools.
[16:34] SPEAKER_01: I feel like I touched 12 or 15 tools, like digital tools in the day, including our sites.
[16:41] SPEAKER_01: In the back end and our procurement systems for our site.
[16:46] SPEAKER_00: Okay, you're obviously very busy on the sort of business side and professional side.
[16:53] SPEAKER_00: How do you find that balance between work and your life and how do you relax and not think about work and are there sort of favorite things you'd like to do, especially here in Calgary when you're here in Calgary and were in Calgary before.
[17:08] SPEAKER_01: It's a great question. Balance is something I think has to be viewed in the long term.
[17:14] SPEAKER_01: There's times in your life where you'll have it and times when you don't.
[17:18] SPEAKER_01: And from a personal standpoint, I can't stress enough how important it is to have a partner that understands when you're an entrepreneur.
[17:28] SPEAKER_01: Sometimes things get a little cray cray and they just, you know, having their support is so critical.
[17:35] SPEAKER_01: So balance is just something I always know is something to achieve.
[17:41] SPEAKER_01: I strive for it and I know at the end of the day, I really only have my relationships.
[17:48] SPEAKER_01: And so they're the most important.
[17:51] SPEAKER_01: I recently got engaged to my wonderful fiance who is also from Calgary.
[17:57] SPEAKER_01: We're two Calgaryans transplanted here in Toronto.
[18:00] SPEAKER_01: And I have to say it's probably been the happiest time of my whole life to have met somebody who like fulfills that part of my life.
[18:12] SPEAKER_01: And I can't say that I have had that before.
[18:16] SPEAKER_01: And so I look at balance and I think I have a better understanding of it now because I have such an incredible partner who supports me and cheers me on the loudest from the start.
[18:30] SPEAKER_01: And I think I have a lot of other side lines and participates with me and, you know, lets me bounce all my ideas off of so exciting times in our house.
[18:39] SPEAKER_01: But I can't say like I don't know like I'm not one of those people it just has, you know, meditation at, you know, fill in the blank hour each day.
[18:50] SPEAKER_01: It just does a role like that for me.
[18:52] SPEAKER_01: I try and fit that in, but it's got to be flexible.
[18:56] SPEAKER_00: Now if you weren't doing what you are doing now, like what would you like to do for a profession or career?
[19:03] SPEAKER_01: Well, I love media and I've been writing for so many years.
[19:10] SPEAKER_01: I think I would continue to write as I do.
[19:14] SPEAKER_01: So it's not like it's changing too far off the course.
[19:19] SPEAKER_01: But I also have a fascination being behind the camera as well as in front of the camera on the media standpoint.
[19:28] SPEAKER_01: So I just I love videography and I love photography and travel and maybe something like that.
[19:35] SPEAKER_00: Is there a kind of job that you would not like to do?
[19:39] SPEAKER_01: Oh, I think there's a few.
[19:43] SPEAKER_01: A long, long time ago I worked in a very, very technical financial role and it definitely did not make my heart beat a little faster.
[19:57] SPEAKER_01: So I love, you know, I love people.
[20:01] SPEAKER_01: I love strategy and I love flexibility, but jobs that are rigid are not for me.
[20:11] SPEAKER_00: Okay.
[20:12] SPEAKER_00: In business, is there a favorite word or quote or sentence that you like to use?
[20:18] SPEAKER_01: Um, I love the phrase do more with what you have.
[20:25] SPEAKER_01: And I actually apply it not only to my business, but to my entire life.
[20:30] SPEAKER_01: And I look at things such as the waste we produce as Canadians and how unnecessary it is.
[20:40] SPEAKER_01: And if we all shifted to a more efficient mindset where we are not consuming so much or just really trying to make the most of what we have.
[20:54] SPEAKER_01: I think that would solve a lot of our waste challenges, but then I look at my own business and when I did my MBA and even well before I did my MBA, I always knew because of.
[21:05] SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, makes, I guess my light experience that you always better off to do more with the clients that love you already than to try and chase after a new stream of clients.
[21:20] SPEAKER_01: And I've really built that into my business.
[21:22] SPEAKER_01: We are always wanting to know how can we make our current clients more happy than they are today or fix things that haven't gone right because we know that they are the ones who are going to give us more business and refer us.
[21:39] SPEAKER_01: And so doing more with what we have with our lives, our businesses is really the mantra that I like to bring into all aspects of my life.
[21:50] SPEAKER_00: So on the flip side, is there a leaf, say a favorite word or sentence or quote that you don't like to hear.
[21:58] SPEAKER_01: I hate when people tell me that I have passive income.
[22:05] SPEAKER_01: I laugh, I laugh at that.
[22:09] SPEAKER_01: And I hear it all every, every week, someone tells me about their passive income stream or the tell me that I have one and nothing in this world is a passive income stream.
[22:20] SPEAKER_01: It all has to be built.
[22:22] SPEAKER_01: And so it's probably my least favorite phrase in business.
[22:28] SPEAKER_01: It's just, that is not a thing ever.
[22:32] SPEAKER_01: Unless you are, I guess it, no, it's just, it doesn't exist.
[22:37] SPEAKER_01: That's, that's my theory. It doesn't exist.
[22:40] SPEAKER_01: Unless you win the lottery and then you just earn interest on your winnings.
[22:44] SPEAKER_00: If you had to pick one or two words to describe yourself, what would they be and why?
[22:50] SPEAKER_01: Very passionate, extremely healthy and motivated for others.
[22:58] SPEAKER_01: Those would be descriptors of me.
[23:02] SPEAKER_01: My whole business is built around the passion I have to inspire people to do more for themselves in their lives.
[23:11] SPEAKER_01: And because of that passion, it shows up in a profitable business.
[23:16] SPEAKER_01: And I'm grateful for that every day.
[23:19] SPEAKER_01: But the reason it's profitable is because of my passion for that.
[23:23] SPEAKER_00: Is there anything that keeps you up at night?
[23:26] SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
[23:27] SPEAKER_01: Snoring.
[23:28] SPEAKER_01: Just kidding.
[23:32] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, I'd say with any challenge, I think you lose a little bit of sleep.
[23:37] SPEAKER_01: And I've definitely had my fair share of it in business.
[23:40] SPEAKER_01: And personally, but I'd say the stuff that makes me lose sleep the most is personnel issues.
[23:51] SPEAKER_01: So people, people not getting along, people not happy or not delivering or not feeling like they're getting good value.
[24:00] SPEAKER_01: It is always about relationships.
[24:04] SPEAKER_01: That's the stuff that keeps me up at night.
[24:07] SPEAKER_00: Now, if you had three things on your inspired life list or bucket list, what would they be?
[24:14] SPEAKER_01: Well, travel is always there.
[24:17] SPEAKER_01: So try to integrate that.
[24:19] SPEAKER_01: Gosh, I think just increased flexibility to work one and how I want.
[24:26] SPEAKER_01: And I have a vision for my business.
[24:33] SPEAKER_01: That would allow me to have kind of both of those things.
[24:37] SPEAKER_01: So I guess more flexibility to work one and where I want and have a business that supports that and still makes great money.
[24:47] SPEAKER_00: Do you have any advice that you have received over the years that you can pass along to entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs?
[24:55] SPEAKER_01: Yes, advice that I received from my aunt who is a very successful entrepreneur to the point where she shouldn't be worried about money.
[25:04] SPEAKER_01: She has many, many, many millions of dollars.
[25:08] SPEAKER_01: But she gave me really good advice early and it was to the effect of bootstrap.
[25:16] SPEAKER_01: Bootstrap and stretch your dollars.
[25:18] SPEAKER_01: When you're in business, every dollar that you say goodbye to is one less dollar in your pocket.
[25:25] SPEAKER_01: So figure out your margins, figure out what makes money, drop the stuff that's costing you money.
[25:33] SPEAKER_01: And basically know your business so well that you could recite the margins on everything that's going through your revenue stream each month.
[25:45] SPEAKER_01: And she's been such an inspiration but bottom line is that's how she grew her business into a multi-million dollar business.
[25:53] SPEAKER_01: Was she watched her costs?
[25:55] SPEAKER_01: She got rid of things including people that were drains on her revenue streams or that were bad for clients or bad for business and constantly refining but never, never a waste of dollar.
[26:10] SPEAKER_00: I have a sort of a different question for you here.
[26:13] SPEAKER_00: Imagine a small tropical island just off of Fiji that only has one phone booth there with no internet.
[26:21] SPEAKER_00: We're going to drop you off there and you won't have a computer or smartphone tablet, any sort of a device.
[26:28] SPEAKER_00: You can use the phone booth located there any time to call the boat and we'll come pick you up.
[26:33] SPEAKER_00: How long would you last before you made that call and what would you do there while you were there?
[26:38] SPEAKER_01: It's just like cast away.
[26:42] SPEAKER_01: Well Fiji's not a bad place to be.
[26:45] SPEAKER_01: Having been in that part of the world before I actually think I would probably go a couple weeks without picking up the phone.
[26:53] SPEAKER_01: I'm fairly resourceful and I know from all my girl guides and pioneer girls training how to start fires and fish and I don't know maybe I'd last two weeks.
[27:05] SPEAKER_01: I'd like to think I'd last at least two weeks.
[27:08] SPEAKER_01: The problem for me is I'd probably get so sunburned I'd have to be under a tree most of the time.
[27:17] SPEAKER_00: Leslie Ann, how can our listeners get a hold of you and is there anything you would like to add before you leave us today?
[27:23] SPEAKER_01: Well, I'd encourage all listeners to check out our website, mevest.ca.
[27:30] SPEAKER_01: We have such great financial tips and information on our blog.
[27:36] SPEAKER_01: We also have some tools that are free, some budgeting tools, business road mapping tools, network tools.
[27:43] SPEAKER_01: All of that's free.
[27:44] SPEAKER_01: So check out the site, mevest.ca.
[27:46] SPEAKER_01: And then we have weekly tips that go out on our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
[27:55] SPEAKER_01: So I would also say to check that out.
[27:58] SPEAKER_01: And then personally, I am my name.
[28:02] SPEAKER_01: If you look up my name, you'll find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, at Leslie Scorchee.
[28:11] SPEAKER_00: Okay, thanks Leslie Ann for being our guest on Calgary's podcast.
[28:15] SPEAKER_00: I've learned a lot about you today, your business and I'm sure our listeners have as well.
[28:20] SPEAKER_00: We'll see you next time.
[28:22] SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
[28:23] SPEAKER_00: Hey there, thanks for taking the time today to listen to Calgary's podcast on Canada's podcast network.
[28:31] SPEAKER_00: We hope you enjoyed the show today.
[28:33] SPEAKER_00: Make sure you sign up for our newsletters and write a review for us on iTunes and then connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, at Canada's podcast.
[28:46] SPEAKER_00: You can also check out what other entrepreneurs are doing across the country.
[28:51] SPEAKER_00: See you next time.
