Knack 4 Business

Bernie Franzgrote
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to the Knack 4 Business podcast, where we explore business ideas and share those ideas globally. Knack 4 Business is about sharing Knowledge, Networking, Architecture, Connecting and being Kreativ. That is what KNACK stands for. The common threads of any business are people, money, continuous change and information. In a diverse world, we are unique and face the same wins and challenges. In this podcast, we invite you to learn about what is out there and how connecting with people and ideas helps us all succeed. We cover business topics that range from the mind, the body, finances, legal, accounting, real estate, manufacturing, networking, IT, marketing, and social media, and add anything to the list that supports your work. Even your competitors have something to offer you.

  1. 16h ago

    $1M Revenue but Only $25K Profit—Here's Why

    GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Founders managing teams / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear framework for finding where profit leaks, two real business case studies, and a practical diagnostic tool to start fixing what's quietly holding the business back.   Most growing businesses don't have a growth problem. They have a performance problem that growth just made visible. Frances Strickland, founder of VeroLead, joined the Canada Growth Network Power Hour to talk about why businesses that are winning on revenue can still feel impossible to run. She's worked with owners who made a million dollars and kept $25,000. She's worked with founders who built a $5 million business that stopped running the moment they left the room. In both cases, the answer wasn't more customers. It was fixing what was already broken inside. Frances walks through five core business capabilities — customers, value delivery, organized work, people leadership, and profit generation — and explains how growth causes them to collide when they aren't aligned. She shares two real client case studies: a Swiss translation company bleeding money on every engagement, and a manufacturing business losing $1,000 a day from a single unchecked gap. Both turned around not by doing more, but by finding two or three things that actually mattered and fixing those first. Key topics covered: Why growth reveals problems instead of creating them The five capability areas every business runs on Early warning signs long before profit starts to drop Owner dependency — what it looks like and what it costs How commercial discipline turns revenue into real profit The compounding power of small targeted improvements How to use the Profit Pulse Snapshot to find your starting point Connect with Frances Strickland:VeroLead | LinkedIn | Facebook Try Frances's free tool:Profit Pulse Snapshot — plug in one business issue and get strategic starting points instantly. Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — Business connections and a CRM stack for $47/month CAD. Real tools. Real people. East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST. Bring one challenge. Make one introduction. WebIndexer — Turn your website into a 24/7 client-facing assistant. See it live on knack4business.com.   Next Steps Email: info@kreativinsight.com Join Canada Growth Network - $47 CAD/month. Real CRM tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Attend the CGN Monday Power Hour free Past episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation. We share perspectives. You make the decisions. Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there. Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. 1d ago

    Doing Everything Right But Still Failing | Toms Astahovskis

    GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Team leaders / Anyone who's productive on paper but drained in practice WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical framework for personal flow, team flow, and flow culture — plus the one daily question that shifts everything.   Toms Astahovskis helps leaders stop burning energy on the wrong things and start building systems where work actually flows. He's a mindset and flow coach, digital nomad, and founder of Dream Accelerator Toms. Born in Latvia, he's worked as an electronics engineer, web developer, yoga teacher, and hostel manager, and built a coaching method that pulls from all of it. He calls it Tarot Coaching, and it gets to root causes fast. In this episode, Toms breaks down flow at three levels. Personal flow is when you can get in the zone on your own. Interpersonal flow is staying in it when other people are around. And flow culture is when the whole team — the structure, the meetings, the feedback loops — is designed to support it instead of break it. He covers the biggest myth about productivity: that pushing through is faster. It's not. A short pause before acting, he says, is almost always the more efficient move. He also shares why happiness is the clearest signal that flow is working — and why complaining is the clearest sign it isn't. Toms also introduces his Flow Masters community: built for people who want flow as a lifestyle, not just a two-hour work sprint. Key topics covered: Why traditional productivity creates burnout The three levels of flow: personal, interpersonal, cultural How to know if your team is actually in flow The one daily question that keeps you solution-focused How gene keys, human design, and tarot coaching work as diagnostic tools Why emotions last 90 seconds — and what that means for leaders How to build a flow culture without adding pressure Connect with Toms: Website Flow Masters Community LinkedIn Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out exactly where your business is strong and where it's leaking. Canada Growth Network — Real business connections plus a done-for-you automation stack, $47/month CAD. Notionhive — Websites built to perform, not just look good.   Next Steps Email: info@kreativinsight.com Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month. Real tools. Real people. Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation. We share perspectives. You make the decisions. Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there. Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Doing Everything Right But Still Failing | Toms Astahovskis

  3. 2d ago

    Reading People: Why Your Perspective is Costing You Deals | Alan Stevens

    GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & Revenue WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Sales professionals / Leaders building teams WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A practical system for reading people before the conversation goes sideways — using facial features, body language, and micro expressions to communicate in the way each person actually needs.   Most deals don't fall apart because of price. They fall apart because you misread the person across from you. Alan Stevens is an internationally recognized profiling and communications specialist. The Guardian called him the world's leading authority on reading people. He has worked with Disney, Gillette, and Australian law enforcement. He is a bestselling author, media regular, and founder of the Campfire Project, the hashtag We Together, and the Business of Smiles. In this episode, Alan breaks down Rapid Trait Profiling — a system that combines facial feature analysis, micro expressions, body language, and para language to give you a live read on anyone, in real time. No questionnaire. No self-reporting. Just observation. What you'll learn: Why DISC and Myers-Briggs give you a snapshot — and why that snapshot changes every five months How facial features reveal personality before a word is spoken Why micro expressions appear in as little as one twenty-fifth of a second — and what they tell you How to match the way you speak to the way the other person needs to be spoken to Why the same pitch lands differently depending on who's in the room — and how to fix that in real time How Alan used profiling to help a child diagnosed as needing lifelong care go on to live independently and manage a team Alan also shares the story behind the Campfire Project — 700 hours of conversation across cultures, religions, and gender identities, with zero incidents of bigotry or disrespect. Now recognized as one of the most fully inclusive groups globally. Free resource: Alan offers a free 28-minute course at alanstevens.com.au — 14 short modules, no cost, a couple of cups of coffee worth of time. It gives you real traits to go out and test immediately. Connect with Alan Stevens: Website: alanstevens.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/readingfaces Blog: alanstevens.com.au/blogs YouTube: youtube.com/user/FaceProfiler X: x.com/Face_Profiler Instagram: instagram.com/face_profiler Facebook: facebook.com/ReadingFaces Vimeo: vimeo.com/alanstevens Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community where SMBs and solopreneurs get real referral-based connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month CAD. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out exactly what's holding your business back across ten key drivers. Property Wizard Podcast — Fred Crouch makes real estate and wealth building practical — whether you're investing to grow your business or building personal wealth.   Next Steps Email: info@kreativinsight.com Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month plus CRM stack Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation. We share perspectives. You make the decisions. Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there. Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Reading People: Why Your Perspective is Costing You Deals | Alan Stevens

  4. 3d ago

    Rental Income Reporting: The Red Flag Most Accountants Warn About

    GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & Revenue WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Incorporated professionals / Anyone with rental income, business income, or investment activity WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Practical CRA audit-proofing strategies, hard-won accounting insights, and clear guidance on when to stop filing your own taxes   Most business owners don't know they're waving a red flag at CRA until the nine-page letter shows up. Eric Sonego from Côté and Associates Professional Corporation has spent 30 years helping Canadians navigate the tax system — and in this Phoenix Business Exchange session, he tells it straight. CRA relies on computers and co-op students. That combination catches things that look wrong, even when they aren't. And if you're running a business, have rental income, or make investments, the odds of triggering a review go up fast. Eric walks through who should never do their own taxes, why popular tax software is currently facing a class action suit, and how a single mismatched postal code can kick off a full audit. He also covers the charity donation trap, the summer audit delay strategy, the disability tax credit most sick Canadians leave on the table, and why splitting a large donation across five years can keep you completely off CRA's radar. Côté and Associates operates across 11 offices in Canada and the US. Eric and his team handle everything from personal returns to corporate files — and they make sure your personal finances line up with your corporate picture before anything goes to the government. Connect with Eric: Côté and Associates Eric Sonego on LinkedIn CAPROS Blog Video Library Browse all episodes — K4B / ETW / CGN / PBEX   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Phoenix Business Exchange — Join a PBEX session and connect with business owners who get it. Three times a week online, once a month in person. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. No cost. Clear answers. Sterling Grace Technologies — Cybersecurity, IT, and business continuity for Canadian SMBs. Get a check-in before something goes wrong.   Next Steps Email: info@kreativinsight.com Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month plus GoHighLevel  Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Join Phoenix Business Exchange Past episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation. We share perspectives. You make the decisions. Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there. Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Rental Income Reporting: The Red Flag Most Accountants Warn About

  5. 4d ago

    Business Mistakes Every Entrepreneur Makes | Iron House Pro

    GROWTH PILLAR: Leadership & Ops WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Founders preparing to transition / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear look at why businesses stall, how to choose the right tech without getting sold, and what it actually takes to build a business that runs without you.   Most businesses don't fail because of a bad idea. They fail because the systems never caught up with the growth. Colby Jardine and Levi Lawrence are partners at Iron House Pro and co-hosts of the Built to Last Podcast. They work with founders and business owners who have built something real — but find themselves stuck, overwhelmed, or completely unable to step away. Together they bring a rare combination: Levi's background in technology selection, organizational design, and systems thinking, paired with Colby's expertise in habit change, creative strategy, and human behaviour. In this episode they break down the Death Valley Curve — the profitability dip that traps businesses between $2M and $5M — and explain why so many founders hit it without seeing it coming. They talk about artificial profit margin, technical debt, and what a real gap analysis looks like when someone actually knows what they're doing. They cover why people don't know what they need, only what they don't want, and how Iron House Pro acts as a people-first technology company that helps you choose tools based on fit, not sales pressure. Key topics covered: Why habits keep falling apart in business — and what actually fixes them The Death Valley Curve and how to survive it Tech stack selection from an agnostic perspective — no reselling, no stake in the game Artificial profit margin and technical debt explained plainly What a gap analysis looks like at Iron House Pro When to build systems — before the pain or after How to reduce founder dependency and build for transition or sale The difference between what clients want and what they actually need Coaching, peer groups, and the value of not learning the hard way alone Connect with Colby and Levi: Iron House Pro Colby Jardine on LinkedIn Levi Lawrence on LinkedIn Iron House Pro on LinkedIn Iron House Pro on Facebook Iron House Pro on Instagram Built to Last Podcast on Spotify Built to Last on YouTube Built to Last on Apple Podcasts Special thanks to Bernice Williams for making this introduction happen. Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — @Hive — Real-world business networking, in person and online. Starter membership $99 CAD/year. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot. Ten questions. Find out what's really holding your business back. Canada Growth Network — Business connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month CAD. Start your trial for $1.   Next Steps Email: info@kreativinsight.com Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month plus GoHighLevel Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Visit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation. We share perspectives. You make the decisions. Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there. Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Business Mistakes Every Entrepreneur Makes | Iron House Pro

  6. Jul 17

    The Money Problem Every Service Business Faces | Michael Yasny

    GROWTH PILLAR: Sales & RevenueWHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / New business owners / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Real financing strategies, the team of three every business needs, and the cash flow decisions that keep your doors open.   Most new business owners don't run out of ideas. They run out of money — and they never saw it coming. Michael Yasny has spent decades helping new businesses, growing businesses, and businesses in financial trouble find financing they didn't know existed. In this Canada Growth Network session, he breaks down exactly what it takes to set up a business the right way — before you open the door. Michael covers the team of three every owner needs on day one: a corporate lawyer, a business accountant, and a business advisor. Not a coach. Not a general practitioner. The specific people who understand commercial documents, tax setup, and alternative financing. He explains why you should incorporate on day one — and the one question you ask your accountant to find out if they're worth keeping. He walks through how family financing works, what a real loan structure looks like when you pull equity from your home, and why asking for less money than you need is one of the most dangerous things a new owner can do. Michael also covers pricing strategy, what happens when you try to grow too fast into big-box retail, how to handle supplier disputes without burning relationships, and why paying your team more often costs you less. This is a practical, no-fluff session for anyone thinking about starting a business — or anyone who opened one and is wondering why the money keeps disappearing. Connect with Michael Yasny: Website: Money Consultants LinkedIn: Michael Yasny Books: Michael Yasny on Amazon Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Canada Growth Network — A business community where SMBs and solopreneurs get real connections and access to GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month Canadian. Profit10™ — Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back across ten key drivers. Property Wizard Podcast with Fred Crouch — Practical real estate and wealth-building conversations for anyone who wants to put property to work.   Next Steps Email: info@kreativinsight.com Join Canada Growth Network — $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month plus GoHighLevel Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Attend the Monday Power Hour free Past episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation. We share perspectives. You make the decisions. Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there. Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Money Problem Every Service Business Faces | Michael Yasny

  7. Jul 16

    AI Procurement: Win Government Bids Without the Chaos | Jim Overboom

    GROWTH PILLAR: AI & Automation WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Corporate escapees / Leaders building systems WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear picture of how AI-powered procurement works, how to know if a tender is worth pursuing, and how to submit stronger bids in less time — without replacing the human judgment that wins contracts.   Most businesses ignore public tenders. Not because they can't win, because the process feels impossible. Jim Overboom co-founded TenderSeal while finishing his mechanical engineering degree, after meeting a business owner in New Zealand who grew his team from four to sixty people in two years purely through government contract wins. That conversation changed everything. TenderSeal is an AI procurement platform that helps businesses find tenders they qualify for, generate proposal drafts from their own company data, and double-check submissions for errors before the deadline hits. Jim walks through how the platform works, who it's built for, and where most businesses go wrong when they first try to navigate public procurement. Key topics covered: Why most SMBs overlook tenders as a revenue channel — and what they're missing How AI reads, analyzes, and drafts RFP responses without removing human oversight The real cost of a missed deadline or a copy-paste error in a government bid How TenderSeal structures pricing around actual usage — not flat fees What the go/no-go decision looks like and how AI supports it without making it for you The subjective side of tenders — pitch presentations, scoring nuance, and where consultants come in Building a multi-founder SaaS startup across three continents while still in university Connect with Jim Overboom:Website | LinkedIn | Company LinkedIn | Blog Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — Profit10™ — Find out what's really holding your business back. Take the free Profit Snapshot — ten questions, no cost, real clarity on where your business stands. East Trade Winds — Free weekly networking every Tuesday 8–9 AM EST. Bring one challenge, one introduction. No pitch. Real business conversation. Sterling Grace Technologies — Cybersecurity, IT support, and business continuity for Canadian SMBs. If your systems aren't protected, they're exposed.   Next Steps Questions or connections: info@kreativinsight.comJoin Canada Growth Network – GoHighLevel + Network = $1 CAD first month, $47 CAD/month afterSubscribe to the K4B blogSearch K4B episodes by topicRegister as a K4B guestVisit Knack 4 Business Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation. We share perspectives. You make the decisions. Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there. Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    AI Procurement: Win Government Bids Without the Chaos | Jim Overboom

  8. Jul 15

    AI Agents Help Solo Operators | Allan Edmond

    GROWTH PILLAR: AI & AutomationWHO THIS IS FOR: Solopreneurs / SMB owners / Non-technical founders / Leaders building systemsWHAT THEY'LL GAIN: A clear picture of how AI agents work, when to use them safely, and how to start automating your business without breaking anything — or leaking data.   Most solo operators are doing the work of five people. Allan Edmond built a business around fixing that. Allan is the CEO of TechPeace, based in Grimsby, Ontario. He helps non-technical founders turn AI tools and custom software into working business systems — without the security risks that come from building blind. With over a decade of experience across agencies in Singapore, Australia, France, and Canada, and as one of fewer than 50 Glide Certified Experts globally, Allan has shipped 100+ apps for founders who had big ideas but needed someone to make them real. In this conversation, Allan walks through the full arc — from why he left traditional coding, to the no-code era, to what agentic coding actually means for a business owner today. He explains what a personal AI agent is in plain language, why the prototype you built in Lovable might be a security risk, and how to think about local versus cloud AI models depending on your risk tolerance. Key topics covered: What agentic coding is and why it's different from no-code The three things that make an AI agent dangerous — and how to remove them When to build your own tool versus hire someone technical Local AI models vs. cloud models — privacy, power, and the trade-offs How to automate internal workflows without exposing your data What a personal AI agent actually looks like in practice (insurance claims, podcast processing, bookkeeping) The five-year outlook — AI butlers, physical robots, and warehouse automation Allan also writes a daily French-language newsletter — La Toolbox d'Allan on Substack — packed with practical AI tips for business owners who want to stay sharp without getting overwhelmed. Free consultation for business owners exploring personal AI agent setup: calendly.com/allan-edmond/free-consultation Connect with Allan: Website: techpeace.ca LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/allanedmond YouTube: youtube.com/@TheWorldOfAllan Contra: contra.com/allan_edmond A big thank you to Blair Patton from Benchmark Insurance for the introduction. Browse all episodes   — PARTNERS ON THIS EPISODE — @Hive = Real-world business networking in person and online. Starter membership $99 CAD/year. Profit10™ = Take the free Profit Snapshot and find out what's really holding your business back. Ten questions. No cost. Canada Growth Network = Business connections plus GoHighLevel CRM for $47/month Canadian. Start your trial today.   NEXT STEPs Email: info@kreativinsight.com Subscribe to the K4B blog Search K4B episodes Register as a K4B guest Past episodes Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation. We share perspectives. You make the decisions. Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there. Until next time; keep building. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    AI Agents Help Solo Operators | Allan Edmond
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Knack 4 Business podcast, where we explore business ideas and share those ideas globally. Knack 4 Business is about sharing Knowledge, Networking, Architecture, Connecting and being Kreativ. That is what KNACK stands for. The common threads of any business are people, money, continuous change and information. In a diverse world, we are unique and face the same wins and challenges. In this podcast, we invite you to learn about what is out there and how connecting with people and ideas helps us all succeed. We cover business topics that range from the mind, the body, finances, legal, accounting, real estate, manufacturing, networking, IT, marketing, and social media, and add anything to the list that supports your work. Even your competitors have something to offer you.

Information

  • Creator
    Bernie Franzgrote
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    601
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Knack 4 Businesss
  • Show Website
    Knack 4 Business