Chris Simair

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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_00: It's Calgary's Podcast on the Canada's Podcast Network.
[00:07] SPEAKER_00: Hello, this is Mario Toniguzu coming to you today with Calgary's Podcast, a member
[00:12] SPEAKER_00: of Canada's Podcast Network, where we talk to the entrepreneurs who are making it happen
[00:17] SPEAKER_00: in Calgary, Alberta, so you can listen, discover, and engage.
[00:22] SPEAKER_00: Today's guest is Chris Samarit, who is managing director of Harvest Builders in Calgary.
[00:28] SPEAKER_00: Thanks for joining us today, Chris.
[00:31] SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me, Mario.
[00:33] SPEAKER_00: So, let's start just a little bit about telling me what Harvest Builders is, what it does.
[00:40] SPEAKER_01: Sure.
[00:41] SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm going to start a few years back.
[00:43] SPEAKER_01: Back when I was a kid growing up in Prince Elvis's Saskatchewan.
[00:46] SPEAKER_01: Now, a lot of people in Toronto and Ottawa may not know where it is, but it's very similar
[00:51] SPEAKER_01: to many small towns in the prairies.
[00:53] SPEAKER_01: And what's like growing up in those towns is that you really don't have a lot of opportunities.
[00:58] SPEAKER_01: That you would have in Toronto, London, New York.
[01:02] SPEAKER_01: And growing up, my aspiration was to work in the oil patch, the West, or become a doctor,
[01:07] SPEAKER_01: or become a accountant, to know the traditional paths.
[01:09] SPEAKER_01: So, for me and my family and my siblings, we always were inspired to, towards having the opportunities
[01:15] SPEAKER_01: one day at home, that dude's just a big place.
[01:18] SPEAKER_01: So, fast forward many years, we're now in a position where we're able to create these opportunities.
[01:23] SPEAKER_01: And Harvest Builders is really a way to take the lessons learned if there are experiences that skip the dishes,
[01:29] SPEAKER_01: our careers, and be able to make a playbook that can be used for a lot of entrepreneurs in the prairies to have much more successes.
[01:37] SPEAKER_00: Okay, super.
[01:38] SPEAKER_00: A little bit of the history, Chris, when did you start Harvest?
[01:42] SPEAKER_01: Harvest, so it came information after we exited skip the dishes and handed that off.
[01:48] SPEAKER_01: So, really when you started up with a plot project here in Calgary, as of last summer,
[01:55] SPEAKER_01: and now we're in the process of trying to secure headquarters, other in Calgary, South Dakota, Winnipeg,
[02:01] SPEAKER_01: but we do expect to be able to have the prince of all those cities.
[02:04] SPEAKER_00: Okay, so you mentioned skip the dishes, you were a co-founder of that company.
[02:09] SPEAKER_00: Tell me what you learned through that experience that out entrepreneurship and being an entrepreneur.
[02:14] SPEAKER_01: How many hours have you gotten, Mario?
[02:16] SPEAKER_01: I mean, I think the whole time.
[02:20] SPEAKER_01: I think the biggest takeaway that if I just sum up for a lot of people in the prairies here in Calgary,
[02:26] SPEAKER_01: I think that well-learned is that Canadians, we just think too small,
[02:30] SPEAKER_01: and we are almost too modest to a fault when it comes entrepreneurship.
[02:34] SPEAKER_01: And how do you ask me, and the very first thing that we expect the dishes to be the world stage that it is,
[02:40] SPEAKER_01: I would say yes, we did, but did actually believe that we had the capability to do that in Winnipeg.
[02:46] SPEAKER_01: In Calgary, South Stoon, I'd say probably no.
[02:48] SPEAKER_01: So, but I think what my found through the experience is that by finding people who are aligned to that mission vision,
[02:54] SPEAKER_01: putting these dishes in the map, you can create something special, you can create something world class,
[02:59] SPEAKER_01: and I really hope it can be a hope to open the minds of other entrepreneurs to think bigger.
[03:04] SPEAKER_00: Okay, super then.
[03:05] SPEAKER_00: Now, doing business in Calgary these days, tell me what the benefits are that you've found.
[03:12] SPEAKER_01: Well, I think a lot more to Calgary, to Canada.
[03:16] SPEAKER_01: I think Canada is a strong grant, a very strong innovation, I guess, culture,
[03:22] SPEAKER_01: and it's no different in Calgary as well.
[03:25] SPEAKER_01: What Calgary brings to table is that you have an environment where you have a rich, rich deep-pulled talent,
[03:32] SPEAKER_01: you have a very strong economy still today, even with the up and downs compared to a place such as East Coast,
[03:41] SPEAKER_01: or Winnipeg, but you don't have a lot of diversity.
[03:45] SPEAKER_01: So, what that means is that when you have these boys, these kind of gaps in the ecosystem, it creates opportunity.
[03:50] SPEAKER_01: And in Calgary, I think the next chapter will be looking towards other entrepreneurs, corporations,
[03:56] SPEAKER_01: even government can evolve to help fill those gaps and in catch up, there's the world.
[04:01] SPEAKER_01: Okay, what are you most excited about when it comes to harvest these days?
[04:06] SPEAKER_01: The people, Mario, it's exciting that it thrills me, is it about building teams at scale and achieve large goals.
[04:13] SPEAKER_01: So, is this the potential, and I'm not going to be potential, how these men market.
[04:18] SPEAKER_01: And if we can activate the talent here in Calgary, we imagine that if we can activate all the cities in the men markets,
[04:23] SPEAKER_01: but set a Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, Canada can basically double itself in terms of innovation.
[04:28] SPEAKER_01: And the world, just on, maybe the whole world can activate that for us.
[04:31] SPEAKER_01: So, it's really exciting that Calgary can be a birthplace for a lot of innovation.
[04:34] SPEAKER_00: What's been your biggest challenge, just setting up harvest?
[04:39] SPEAKER_01: There is many obstacles because anytime you're in the world entrepreneurship,
[04:44] SPEAKER_01: you really, by definition, you're peeping you ground.
[04:47] SPEAKER_01: So, the biggest challenge you have is just about changing the normal way of building things.
[04:51] SPEAKER_01: So, that means talking to politicians, to government bodies, to academia, to corporations that entrepreneurs in the city.
[04:57] SPEAKER_01: And being able to do a new path, and that means a lot of friction change.
[05:03] SPEAKER_01: People are inherently good at change, but sometimes it's also more difficult sometimes if you use a certain way of doing it.
[05:08] SPEAKER_01: So, a lot of the obstacles and hurdles that I face every day is about trying to be people along the journey in.
[05:13] SPEAKER_01: And finding allies who are already ahead of me on that, and teaming up together.
[05:18] SPEAKER_01: So, it's trying to get that culture shift, I think is a big obstacle, the opportunity for coming.
[05:22] SPEAKER_00: So, over the years, you're obviously talking to a lot of people.
[05:26] SPEAKER_00: Tell me what you think may have been the best piece of advice you've ever received about being an entrepreneur.
[05:33] SPEAKER_01: I sort of sum up.
[05:35] SPEAKER_01: You know, you hear all the cliches, things like fail forward, iterate, you know, keeping spine stuff, and you're all true.
[05:42] SPEAKER_01: But the biggest thing I think applies to people is the Calgary and the Prairies is that we need to think bigger,
[05:50] SPEAKER_01: and to think bigger, you need experience.
[05:52] SPEAKER_01: So, I think it's always a bit of a focus trying to retain talent.
[05:56] SPEAKER_01: Now, I'm in a diverse kind of opinion.
[05:59] SPEAKER_01: I'd say it's not trying to keep talent here.
[06:01] SPEAKER_01: Just try to create opportunities, and let people let down flow.
[06:04] SPEAKER_01: So, I encourage people, younger generations, to leave.
[06:07] SPEAKER_01: Go ahead, experience.
[06:08] SPEAKER_01: Like this, there's a week, a self before you start to skip.
[06:11] SPEAKER_01: That was incredible.
[06:12] SPEAKER_01: And if you don't fail early on, and you know how I deal with failure, you're going to have a hard time when you're trying to face.
[06:19] SPEAKER_01: Trying to scale your business, so get the experience.
[06:22] SPEAKER_01: But then don't forget about home, come back, and it'd be part of the change, and see the opportunity that we see.
[06:27] SPEAKER_01: Okay, super.
[06:28] SPEAKER_00: Tell me a little bit about yourself, you know, when you're not doing business, what kind of things do you like to do, and spend your time with?
[06:36] SPEAKER_01: Well, for me, I view work a life of one thing.
[06:39] SPEAKER_01: I don't even believe in balance.
[06:40] SPEAKER_01: I think that that's just one stream.
[06:42] SPEAKER_01: And so, whether that means I'm going for run, should shine with some of the entrepreneur, you know, or another student.
[06:48] SPEAKER_01: So, I get involved that way.
[06:50] SPEAKER_01: It's all part of one direction.
[06:52] SPEAKER_01: So, a lot of my life, I get a steer towards, it's just a long-term goal of trying to elevate innovation and ecosystem development.
[06:58] SPEAKER_01: So, that can take to me for many forms.
[07:01] SPEAKER_01: So, it can be through the Azure Active Building Company, so, you know, through a thought leadership,
[07:06] SPEAKER_01: working government for maybe a skim and skate back there, or it can be through sports.
[07:10] SPEAKER_01: So, I think it is not a big belief that sports are a great foundation to learn those team skills.
[07:14] SPEAKER_01: And, feeling from a running background and a volleyball back to myself, I still try to take actually,
[07:20] SPEAKER_01: to talk whenever I can, to put it in a course.
[07:22] SPEAKER_00: Okay, super, then.
[07:23] SPEAKER_00: If you had one word to describe Chris yourself, what would it be in white?
[07:30] SPEAKER_01: I don't know, it's many words.
[07:32] SPEAKER_01: I'm like, white has many choice words, too, to go with it at the same time.
[07:37] SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's hard to put it in me, but I think, I guess, do we give you,
[07:43] SPEAKER_01: a little sense of where I think, I just sort of believe it that you really have just a kind of years in your life,
[07:50] SPEAKER_01: if you're lucky, you know.
[07:51] SPEAKER_01: And it's all about trying to figure out ways to make an impact, and you use the time the best way you feel fit.
[07:56] SPEAKER_01: So, for me, I'm always hungry, I believe a good word, competitive, excited,
[08:02] SPEAKER_01: and if not, then if you don't have to have an environment and change your environment.
[08:06] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
[08:07] SPEAKER_00: In your personal life, you know, outside of, say, Calgary right now, is it any place that you'd love to travel to,
[08:15] SPEAKER_00: that's been time that?
[08:17] SPEAKER_01: I want to, anywhere in the world, just for me, what I like most about travel is about
[08:22] SPEAKER_01: it's different cultures, different people, and that good vibration, and seeing new ways of doing things,
[08:28] SPEAKER_01: approach and problems.
[08:29] SPEAKER_01: No one really comes up with novel ideas ever.
[08:32] SPEAKER_01: It's always as a continuation of layer and pond layer of previous apprentices.
[08:36] SPEAKER_01: So, what I like most about travel is just to be exposed to new things and shocked a bit.
[08:41] SPEAKER_01: So, my travel illusion is through the work I do.
[08:45] SPEAKER_01: So, it's going somewhere apart from opportunity, you get a chance to visit things along the way,
[08:50] SPEAKER_01: and my wife's very much the same thing too.
[08:52] SPEAKER_01: So, we try to get a screen and travel where we can.
[08:54] SPEAKER_01: We make know the focus is on building things to the parries, but through that,
[08:57] SPEAKER_01: I mean, why can't we just create connections with South America, you know, with China,
[09:01] SPEAKER_01: the places.
[09:02] SPEAKER_01: So, I really excited about it.
[09:04] SPEAKER_01: It's really not kind of a few birds on stone all the time, so that's a way of usual.
[09:08] SPEAKER_01: Excellent.
[09:09] SPEAKER_01: So, do you have a daily routine at all?
[09:13] SPEAKER_01: I like to think I do, but the moment you wake up, maybe you thought last thing to go to the window.
[09:18] SPEAKER_01: So, I have a new approach, I'd say.
[09:21] SPEAKER_01: I like to approach the critical path every minute of my days.
[09:26] SPEAKER_01: So, I try to figure out working out the most value always.
[09:28] SPEAKER_01: Sometimes, that goes as planned for the day.
[09:31] SPEAKER_01: You have meetings call us like this set up, other times, you just pivot.
[09:35] SPEAKER_01: But my first reward is being flexible and nimble as it becomes at me.
[09:39] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I guess that's a key for being an entrepreneur too, right?
[09:42] SPEAKER_00: Being the flexibility of being nimble, as you say.
[09:45] SPEAKER_01: It's different styles.
[09:46] SPEAKER_01: I mean, each entrepreneur brings their own favorite to it,
[09:49] SPEAKER_01: but I think what's successful entrepreneur is that it's a ability to work with other people
[09:53] SPEAKER_01: and to complement your unique style.
[09:55] SPEAKER_01: So, I mean, I'm really cracked at certain things and really good other things,
[09:58] SPEAKER_01: but it's all about trying to kind of people who can work with me to balance me out.
[10:02] SPEAKER_00: Okay, super.
[10:03] SPEAKER_00: So, Chris, I'm going to present to you a scenario and just get your thoughts on.
[10:07] SPEAKER_00: Okay, so just imagine this, we're going to drop you off on a tropical island,
[10:12] SPEAKER_00: beautiful tropical island, middle of the ocean somewhere.
[10:15] SPEAKER_00: It has zero technology on there, except for one phone booth.
[10:21] SPEAKER_00: Okay, so we're going to drop you off.
[10:23] SPEAKER_00: You could make one phone call back to us to get us to come and pick you up.
[10:29] SPEAKER_00: First of all, how long do you think we would last there?
[10:32] SPEAKER_00: And what do you think you'd do while you were there?
[10:35] SPEAKER_01: I used to, I get to visit my own private island in the city.
[10:39] SPEAKER_01: And I get to go to a lot and that's just a right for area for disruption.
[10:42] SPEAKER_01: I mean, I would probably build a resort to start with.
[10:44] SPEAKER_01: Not going to be too big a big destination place.
[10:48] SPEAKER_01: And with a focal map, I'd say call a merchant ever to come to the island
[10:54] SPEAKER_01: and it's built into a special there.
[10:56] SPEAKER_01: So, I mean, yeah, that's something exciting.
[10:57] SPEAKER_01: Let's stay there for a long time.
[10:59] SPEAKER_00: Okay, well, that's good.
[11:00] SPEAKER_00: Most people wouldn't be able to handle that, but obviously you would.
[11:04] SPEAKER_00: You can't handle it.
[11:05] SPEAKER_01: You can't handle it.
[11:06] SPEAKER_01: The chase of the boat, Merit.
[11:08] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.
[11:09] SPEAKER_00: Hey, Chris, is there anything you'd like to add before you leave us today?
[11:13] SPEAKER_01: I just want to thank you, personally, for taking the, I guess,
[11:16] SPEAKER_01: the flag here in terms of trying to push innovation as well.
[11:20] SPEAKER_01: So, thank you for the time to hear our winners and share the story.
[11:23] SPEAKER_01: I think Canada needs to do a better job of posting about successes
[11:26] SPEAKER_01: and getting the word out there.
[11:28] SPEAKER_01: We hear too much about Silicon Valley.
[11:29] SPEAKER_01: We hear too much, okay, a good way to Waterloo.
[11:32] SPEAKER_01: I love it.
[11:33] SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
[11:33] SPEAKER_01: I can't tell you a bit at the same stage.
[11:35] SPEAKER_01: So, I guess, thank you for your time, too.
[11:37] SPEAKER_00: Hi, here we are.
[11:38] SPEAKER_00: Thanks for being our guest today on Calibri's podcast, Chris.
[11:41] SPEAKER_01: Have a very nice day.
[11:43] SPEAKER_00: Hey there.
[11:44] SPEAKER_00: Thanks for taking the time today to listen to Calibri's podcast on Canada's podcast network.
[11:51] SPEAKER_00: We hope you enjoyed the show today.
[11:53] SPEAKER_00: Make sure you sign up for our newsletters and write a review for us on iTunes
[11:58] SPEAKER_00: and then connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn at Canada's podcast.
[12:05] SPEAKER_00: You can also check out what other entrepreneurs are doing across the country.
[12:10] SPEAKER_00: See you next time.