Starting a business means making decisions you’ve never faced. Who will help you make them?

The Unsure Entrepreneur Podcast celebrates its 50th Episode with Rick Spence joining Roger Pierce to talk about why mentors, advisors, and learning belong in your plans before you launch. They also explore why Canada needs more entrepreneurs to serve customers, create opportunities, and help other businesses grow.

“I say entrepreneurship is a team sport,” says Rick, who has spent 35 years working with entrepreneurs as a journalist, author, former editor and publisher of PROFIT Magazine, and now host of the Startup Canada Podcast.

His advice begins with reaching out to people who know your industry. “My favourite entrepreneurs are the ones who build an advisory board before they even start.” That group can include people who understand finances, hiring, and the market you want to enter. Rick says new entrepreneurs don’t need meetings or paperwork — you need people who will answer when you call. He explains how to build those relationships, learn from customer feedback, and test your idea while keeping your day job.

For unsure entrepreneurs, Rick also challenges you to ask for help before spending months developing something customers don’t want. “Entrepreneurship is a do-it-yourself thing, but you don't have to do it by yourself.”

If you’re weighing business ownership, this conversation gives you a starting point: talk to people, ask questions, and use what you learn to decide your next move.

Resources
Startup Canada Podcast
https://www.startupcan.ca/learn/startup-canada-podcast/
Canadian Entrepreneur Blog
https://canentrepreneur.blogspot.com/
Almost A Boss Newsletter
https://www.unsureentrepreneur.com/subscribe
Show Credits
Host & Producer: Roger Pierce | Artwork: Kaitlyn Pierce | Sound Engineering & Editing: Aleksandar Nikolic, FixTheAudio.com

Lubaina shares how she built a Canadian food company around organic date sugar, date powder, and date syrup.

A diagnosis of gestational diabetes during her third pregnancy pushed Lubaina Rakla to rethink sugar. After other sweeteners caused blood sugar spikes and gut problems, she found date sugar. The change helped her balance her blood sugar and improve her health. It also gave her the idea for Liva Foods and she's never looked back. She got the product into Sobeys and Loblaws in the company's very first year. Today, its products are sold through retailers including Metro, Whole Foods, Bulk Barn, Amazon, and Walmart.ca.

Lubaina also talks about her 2023 appearance on the hit TV show Dragons’ Den. She accepted an offer from investor Wes Hall on the show, then chose not to give up 33% of her company. However, the advice she received on the show did change Liva Foods, when Dragons' Den Star Arlene Dickinson urged her to treat the company as an ingredient brand. Lubaina acted on that advice, and now Liva’s wholesale food-service business has surpassed retail.

The conversation covers startup costs, margins, supply problems, negotiation, and the loneliness of entrepreneurship. Lubaina also explains why purpose and passion matters when a business gets hard. “There’s no overnight success,” she says. “It’s just a journey.”

Resources
Liva Foods website https://livafoods.com/ (check out the Dragons' Den clip)
Read Lubaina's story in my new book
https://www.unsureentrepreneur.com/book
Show Credits
Host & Producer: Roger Pierce | Artwork: Kaitlyn Pierce | Sound Engineering & Editing: Aleksandar Nikolic, FixTheAudio.com

Dreaming of starting a business and making it bigger? You'll likely need to hire some help.

Hiring your first employee is a major milestone, but it also brings payroll, legal, and management responsibilities many founders underestimate. Roger Pierce speaks with Sharilyn Vandermolen, founder of HR Collab, a fractional HR consultancy that helps small businesses build strong hiring and people systems.

Sharilyn is a Certified Human Resources Leader, Certified Diversity and Inclusion Professional, and workplace investigator with 15+ years of experience. She has hired over 1,000 employees, reviewed 100,000+ resumés, and advised teams across Canada, the U.S., and Latin America. She also hosts The Resume Whisperer Podcast.

They discuss when to bring in HR support, how to define roles, why hiring based on “liking” candidates is risky, contractor misclassification, and how small businesses on a budget can compete for talent.

Like many small business owners, it's easy to wait until the last minute to hire. “Desperation leads to bad hires,” warns Sharilyn in the podcast, instead recommending clear success criteria, consistent interview questions, and hiring for complementary skills.

Resources
HRCollab.ca
The Resume Whisperer Podcast
Almost A Boss Newsletter
https://www.unsureentrepreneur.com/subscribe
Show Credits
Host & Producer: Roger Pierce | Artwork: Kaitlyn Pierce | Sound Engineering & Editing: Aleksandar Nikolic, FixTheAudio.com