Cassidy Miller, a Producer at The Idea Suite, reflects on what she learned from four business leaders and entrepreneurs during a recent trip to Vancouver
Vancouver: a city I had long assumed was solely for hikers, runners, and people who loved spending their days in the great outdoors. As a self-proclaimed ‘big city girl’, I had never imagined I’d be spending a week out in BC, much less loving every second of it.
Let’s pause for a moment; why did I travel to Vancouver for a week? Why am I writing for The Idea Suite blog right now? Aren’t I supposed to be in the middle of my second semester of second year at Queen’s University? The answer is yes, but as it turns out, life doesn’t always happen the way it’s “supposed” to.
I made the difficult decision to postpone university at the start of my second year. I can’t really give any explicit “whys” as to how this decision came to be, but it ultimately boiled down to the fact that my set-in-stone plans became a lot less set-in-stone and a lot more “set-in-jello.” I decided to focus on transferring back to university in Toronto, and attending the “School of Life” in the meantime. As luck would have it, I was then able to start working full-time at The Idea Suite in the interim.
Returning to The Idea Suite has given me the opportunity to further my personal and professional development, while also getting to work alongside a talented and passionate team that support and inspire one another on a daily basis. I was also fortunate enough to be supported in pursuing a week-long trip to Vancouver, BC, where I was able to shadow four incredibly successful entrepreneurs and business leaders throughout the week. From home care companies to fitness-forward brands, my time spent with some of Canada’s most inspiring business leaders was filled with learning, connections, and a whole lot of energy.
Given my interest in business growth and entrepreneurship, I was keen to explore the key decisions and strategies that drove the companies I visited. My biggest takeaway came from chatting with the VP of Strategy at one of the companies, who explained that “strategy is choice.” This truly hit home with me, as I realized that making business decisions is a far more complex process than we sometimes credit it with being. Many business leaders are keen to ‘do it all’ and cover every base with their company’s vision. While this is theoretically ideal, it is often unrealistic in practice, and I was able to witness precisely how companies can ultimately be better off when they sit down and set attainable, yet aspirational, strategies that don’t try to do too much at once.
Alongside this, my time in Vancouver also taught me the value of always having efficient business systems in place. While some companies had tightly-scheduled daily ‘huddles,’ others had designated individuals whose sole job in meetings was timing, and ensuring that they were staying on track. These tactics ensured that discussion was concise and powerful, while sticking to the intended purpose of each meeting. As such, they’re an incredibly helpful tool for maintaining operational efficiency - and avoiding wasting people’s time!
In my time spent with business leaders and companies in Vancouver, I also learned a lot about the power of connections. Firstly, the importance of connections between business departments, and secondly, the importance of making meaningful connections with the individuals you work alongside. Seeing how effectively and efficiently different business departments can intertwine was a truly fascinating experience. I was amazed by how seamlessly some of the companies’ PR and Marketing departments worked together to avoid duplication and ensure that their businesses were being represented in the most consistent manner possible. While this may sound like a given for any company, it was truly astonishing to see how some of Canada’s most successful organizations develop thoughtful social media and content development strategies, engaging numerous departments to ensure the most attentive and competent marketing possible. I’m sure we can all think of examples of companies that struggle with this sometimes!
The other key element of connections within a business atmosphere is the individual connections made while working in an office of any size. Since The Idea Suite is a small (yet mighty!) team, I was intrigued to see how the employees of companies of larger sizes would interact. The answer? Not that differently! As it turns out, operating as a larger sized company doesn’t necessarily equate to having less engaged employees and team members. It simply makes it all the more important to make meaningful connections with one’s team members by asking thoughtful personal and professional questions, while demonstrating the utmost respect and compassion for every individual in the organization.
The last, and arguably most important, takeaway from my time in Vancouver was energy. This is something that The Idea Suite is known for, so I must admit that I had rather high standards going into these businesses. And yet, I was truly blown away by what a palpable difference a strong company culture can make in a corporate setting. While this concept is constantly preached about by business experts, you can truly feel when a company does or does not have a great culture and energy. In developing business culture, then, my main take away was the idea of that culture being real, as opposed to simply aspirational. When developing a company or team’s core values that will guide business actions and energy, it is important to consider what the company is, rather than what the company wants to be. Any business can aspire to be a million things, but the best company cultures are the ones that define what their team is, and how they actually behave, rather than focusing on how they wish their team acted.
There are other aspects that set great cultures apart from everyday good ones, too - in particular the body language of team members, and the physical environment that the company is based in. The strongest cultures all had highly engaged employees who demonstrated positive, but not false, body language, with limited phone usage, and strong eye contact being maintained at all times. Similarly, the physical office space made for noticeable differences in the nature of company culture. While not all companies can afford multimillion-dollar office spaces with cafeterias and slides, of course, some small, inexpensive things made big, tangible differences. From sitting together as a team in one communal space where open communication was enabled and encouraged, to having meaningful representations of company culture and history on the walls, it was clear that small environmental decisions have a much larger impact on company energy as a whole than we sometimes give them credit for.
All in all, then, I am incredibly grateful for my time spent in Vancouver. With that in mind, I’d like to express my deep appreciation for Cameron Herold, who helped me to coordinate these incredible meetings and experiences, The Idea Suite, for allowing and empowering me to pursue this once-in-a-lifetime trip, and, lastly, Christopher Bennett, Greg Smith, Brian Scudamore, and Curtis Christopherson, the incredible business leaders and owners who welcomed me into their businesses for a whole day. As I move forward in my personal and professional career, knowing that no two great businesses are alike, I feel genuinely inspired and motivated to pursue what I am truly passionate about.