Kelley Keehn

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[00:00] SPEAKER_02: It's Edmonton's Podcast on the Canada's Podcast Network.
[00:18] SPEAKER_02: Hello, this is Bonnie LG coming to you today with Edmonton's Podcast, a member of the
[00:24] SPEAKER_02: Canada's Podcast Network, where we talk to the entrepreneurs who are making it happen
[00:28] SPEAKER_02: here in the city of Edmonton, Alberta. Edmonton's own Kelly Keane is an award-winning and best-selling
[00:35] SPEAKER_02: author of nine books and counting on personal finance and fraud protection. She is also a
[00:42] SPEAKER_02: personal finance educator and the consumer advocate for F.P. Canada.
[00:48] SPEAKER_02: Money is Kelly's second language and it's her mission to make Canadians feel good about
[00:53] SPEAKER_02: their money. Kelly, welcome to the show and thanks for taking the time to be here today
[00:58] SPEAKER_01: for all of our listeners. It's my pleasure, Bonnie, thanks for having me.
[01:03] SPEAKER_02: Well, I'm really looking forward to your chat today as I'd like to learn more about your
[01:06] SPEAKER_02: own personal successes and entrepreneur, but I imagine giving your work you'll also
[01:11] SPEAKER_02: have some great insights for our listeners. So why don't we just jump in and can you tell
[01:16] SPEAKER_02: us a little bit more about yourself and about the business that you've personally built
[01:21] SPEAKER_02: as an author, speaker and financial educator?
[01:24] SPEAKER_01: Sure, okay, so I've been an entrepreneur a couple of times now. I started out in the financial
[01:30] SPEAKER_01: industry quite a while ago, over 20 years ago. I practiced for a small firm and saw what it
[01:37] SPEAKER_01: was like for him to be an entrepreneur and then I joined a large bank and had an interesting
[01:43] SPEAKER_01: few years of my career there. And then I opened my own firm, Keane Financial, in the year 2000.
[01:49] SPEAKER_01: I have that for about five years and it was certainly a huge challenge coming from a bank with
[01:57] SPEAKER_01: really a generous salary, a very generous expense account to now having none of that when I
[02:04] SPEAKER_01: opened my own firm. And then in 2005, I started studying the psychology of money as a non-psychologist
[02:10] SPEAKER_01: and saw how really best out my clients were about money and I wrote my first book and I decided
[02:16] SPEAKER_01: to sell my firm in 2005 and so that's been about 14 years, 15 years. And so it's been quite the
[02:24] SPEAKER_01: journey over those years of, you know, being an author, the different clients I've served,
[02:29] SPEAKER_01: having a TV show for some of those years. So it's been a really fun couple of decades.
[02:36] SPEAKER_02: And I think you've done a tremendous job just building your own personal brand now for
[02:41] SPEAKER_02: your books and all of the things that you're doing in the speaking and key notes and that realm as
[02:47] SPEAKER_02: wildly. You're such a well-respected educator and expert in your field. Thank you. Thank you.
[02:54] SPEAKER_02: Money is a big challenge for entrepreneurs and I'm wondering, Kelly, do you have some tips or
[03:00] SPEAKER_02: resources that you could suggest to someone who is either looking to start a business or maybe wanting
[03:07] SPEAKER_02: to grow and build on the success they've already achieved? Where could our listeners go to get
[03:13] SPEAKER_02: some resources that could help them be more effective with their financial planning and money
[03:18] SPEAKER_01: management? Yeah, well, there's one site that I love and I mean it's part of the organization,
[03:22] SPEAKER_01: the nonprofit organization that I'm with as well, FPKANDA and that's financial planning for
[03:27] SPEAKER_01: Canadians.ca. I think it's an important body. I mean, as individuals, people are not planning
[03:33] SPEAKER_01: and looking at the numbers and entrepreneurs are very keen about the numbers, it's for sure, but
[03:38] SPEAKER_01: I think that we have to be even more understanding and not just having that business plan,
[03:44] SPEAKER_01: the marketing plan, but also having that financial plan because the the personal that this
[03:50] SPEAKER_01: is start to blend so easily when you're starting out of business. Often you cannot get credit in
[03:56] SPEAKER_01: your company's name. It has to be from your credit standing, your credit card or line of credit
[04:03] SPEAKER_01: or loan or what have you. So it's essential for the entrepreneur to have that plan. Also, when you're
[04:11] SPEAKER_01: dealing with variable income, I know some new business owners, they might not be getting any
[04:17] SPEAKER_01: income back for months or even over a year. How are you going to handle that? Where is that going to
[04:22] SPEAKER_01: come from? So it really you need someone on your side like a certified financial planner that
[04:27] SPEAKER_01: specializes in working with entrepreneurs with business owners that really understands
[04:34] SPEAKER_01: all of the demands financially otherwise that are going to happen.
[04:40] SPEAKER_02: And, Kelly, what are some of the common mistakes or challenges that you've seen entrepreneurs
[04:45] SPEAKER_01: make when they're starting out in terms of money? Well, I think one of the biggest things is
[04:51] SPEAKER_01: is if you're lucky enough to be at a salary position is a lot of people have the dream of
[04:58] SPEAKER_01: owning a business and becoming an entrepreneur and that's fantastic, but they really haven't
[05:04] SPEAKER_01: thought out past maybe a couple of months of cash flow. And it's those that that make it,
[05:11] SPEAKER_01: it's all about cash flow. It's all about, you know, that business being able to sustain itself
[05:17] SPEAKER_01: and you being able to sustain the hard times. And, you know, it's tough for a lot of Canadians right
[05:23] SPEAKER_01: now. 50% of Canadians are $200 away from not being able to pay their bills. And it might seem like
[05:28] SPEAKER_01: a great idea to go and start a business and you're going to go and get all this funding and people
[05:32] SPEAKER_01: investing in you and then you find out that it didn't happen. So it's so important to do your
[05:38] SPEAKER_01: research up front. If you are at a job and thinking about opening up a business or going on
[05:44] SPEAKER_01: the entrepreneurial side, doing that planning making sure you can do it, maybe you need to state
[05:50] SPEAKER_01: your job a little bit more, maybe you need to kind of ease into the entrepreneur side, you know,
[05:57] SPEAKER_01: going from full time to part time and as the business grows, that is the, you know, the fire
[06:05] SPEAKER_01: started to get you over their full time. And then, excuse me, also realizing that you could have
[06:12] SPEAKER_01: been with a company earning a salary, let's say for 10 years or 20 years or what have you. But as far
[06:18] SPEAKER_01: as the bank is concerned, the second you don't have a job, you don't have a job and they, they might
[06:25] SPEAKER_01: not see how amazing your company is going to be in fact or in all of those things. So if,
[06:31] SPEAKER_01: you know, you do need a line of credit or you do want to loan and you're probably going to have
[06:36] SPEAKER_01: to put your personal guarantees behind it anyway, if you are lucky enough to be coming from a
[06:41] SPEAKER_01: salary position, do that before you actually take the lead and start your business.
[06:49] SPEAKER_02: Well, that's great advice. Thank you for that. I'd like to shift gears a little bit, Kelly,
[06:55] SPEAKER_02: and talk a bit more about your own personal success and the fact that you are based out of
[07:02] SPEAKER_02: Edmonton and we're talking about, you know, what are some of the great things that you've seen
[07:07] SPEAKER_02: and experience being an entrepreneur based out of Edmonton? I know you work across the country
[07:13] SPEAKER_02: and across North America, but can we get you to focus locally for a bit? And what would you say
[07:18] SPEAKER_02: to entrepreneurs who are considering Edmonton as a location for their business?
[07:23] SPEAKER_01: Well, Edmonton is really, I think really changed over the last 20 years. I think it was a little
[07:28] SPEAKER_01: harder years ago to be an entrepreneur. There was that kind of mentality that if you were from
[07:34] SPEAKER_01: Toronto or from Vancouver, you were somehow better. And that's really changed. I really see
[07:38] SPEAKER_01: that change. Our foods, seniors, amazing or texting or, you know, video production, there's,
[07:44] SPEAKER_01: there's so many incredible people doing amazing things and choosing to call Edmonton their home
[07:49] SPEAKER_01: for their business. I've been on so many tours of job shares, you know, excuse me, office
[07:56] SPEAKER_01: share space and collaborative work spaces that are exploding in the city, which is so cool because
[08:02] SPEAKER_01: one of the things people don't realize is being an entrepreneur gets super, super lonely, you know,
[08:08] SPEAKER_01: especially in those early, lean years, you might not have the money to hire staff, you might not have
[08:13] SPEAKER_01: anyone to bounce ideas off of. And now we have like an explosion of all these fantastic places.
[08:18] SPEAKER_01: There's the brown house at Ratwick, you can get an office there, you can just like rent a desk
[08:25] SPEAKER_01: and just be around other people that are kind of going through the same thing, have a coffee with
[08:30] SPEAKER_01: them, feel like you have a community. Also, there's a real pride that's grown in Edmonton that because
[08:36] SPEAKER_01: we do have so many incredible stories coming out of here, so much innovation that we are feeling
[08:42] SPEAKER_01: that, you know, self-esteem, if you will, the people in Edmonton are doing amazing things and
[08:48] SPEAKER_01: that certainly makes you feel better as an entrepreneur and that the city is welcoming you and valuing
[08:57] SPEAKER_01: that you're here because you want to be not that you have to be. I'm curious, Kelly, do you have
[09:03] SPEAKER_02: a favorite spot in Edmonton that you like to go maybe just to kind of decompress? I know you have
[09:09] SPEAKER_02: crazy hectic schedule. Can you share a couple of your favorite spots in the city?
[09:15] SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, I have lots of favorite spots. Kind of quite honestly because I'm on the road so much,
[09:19] SPEAKER_01: my favorite spot is like my backyard with my husband, which every book idea, every business
[09:24] SPEAKER_01: I think is happening. But I love the patio and the hotel map. I think it's maybe the one of the most
[09:29] SPEAKER_01: breathtaking places in Edmonton. We love a lot of the patios as well that you can just take your,
[09:37] SPEAKER_01: you know, it's such a friendly city that I feel like I can just take my laptop and hang out at any,
[09:42] SPEAKER_01: you know, any coffee shop with its credo on a 124th street or if it's where the farmer's market
[09:48] SPEAKER_01: went downtown. You know, the brewery district is one of my favorites. I live in Old Blanora, so
[09:55] SPEAKER_01: the brewery district is a hip-hop and in part, Tanna, I love the vibe that you walk into the Starbucks
[10:00] SPEAKER_01: there and you can't even get a seat because there's so many people in their laptops and just
[10:05] SPEAKER_01: interacting. And it's just a really friendly city that, you know, it's just open to so many
[10:11] SPEAKER_01: spots to get up some of your home office and interact with other people.
[10:16] SPEAKER_02: Ritines and rituals are often really important to entrepreneurial success. And I'm curious,
[10:21] SPEAKER_02: do you have a ritual or a certain order in terms of how you like to start your day and get yourself
[10:28] SPEAKER_01: set up for success? Oh, absolutely. Now I'm constantly changing that and it depends what city or
[10:34] SPEAKER_01: what projects I have going on. But as a general girl, I get at a ridiculous hour usually because
[10:41] SPEAKER_01: I've got morning media and one of the challenges for me when I am in the West is that most of my,
[10:49] SPEAKER_01: you know, a lot of my work is for Toronto. So that might mean getting up at 233 in the morning,
[10:54] SPEAKER_01: but probably the latest on a work day is 4am. I start my morning just kind of figuring out if
[11:01] SPEAKER_01: there's any fires to put out. And then very quickly, once that's done, there's always time for
[11:07] SPEAKER_01: meditation or a workout, even if it's some quick routine that my personal trainer has given me that
[11:13] SPEAKER_01: I can do right in my home office or my hotel room. And then it's getting super, super clear with what
[11:20] SPEAKER_01: it is that I want to achieve for that day. And you know what? I think the most important thing is
[11:26] SPEAKER_01: your mindset. The routine is very important, absolutely to start your day, but just really stepping
[11:33] SPEAKER_01: back and having this enthusiasm for what you do, they can shirt everything that you're doing is
[11:38] SPEAKER_01: infused with fun and passion, love whatever drives you or purpose or your mission. But just
[11:45] SPEAKER_01: remembering that you get to do this, the whole reason you wanted to become an entrepreneur is because
[11:51] SPEAKER_01: you wanted to drive your day, you wanted to design it, you want to be in control. And sometimes
[11:58] SPEAKER_01: you get clients that are top or you get situations that are top or financing is coming in or
[12:03] SPEAKER_01: sometimes not paying you or what have you. But just really, you know, dusting yourself off. And I
[12:09] SPEAKER_01: think there's, I think it was Churchill that said, you know, the definition of success is going
[12:13] SPEAKER_01: from failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm. Like you have to have that kind of attitude
[12:20] SPEAKER_01: last minute failure, yes, your base failure, whatever, you're not going to start your next day,
[12:27] SPEAKER_01: your next hour, your next 10 minutes without a new, sensitive enthusiasm.
[12:32] SPEAKER_02: What podcasts or books or audiobooks do you listen to or what would you recommend to our listeners,
[12:40] SPEAKER_02: you know, that can maybe help build that that positive mindset? Do you have some favorites that
[12:45] SPEAKER_01: you would recommend? Oh my gosh, yes, I literally do not spend a second working out on a plane,
[12:53] SPEAKER_01: sitting around, you know, driving in traffic. There's not one minute that I do not have a podcast
[12:58] SPEAKER_01: for an audiobook that I'm listening to because, you know, I said that the definition of insanity is
[13:04] SPEAKER_01: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. But we can't help but
[13:09] SPEAKER_01: be a product of our own thing thinking and then we just get to same results. So that's why, as I
[13:14] SPEAKER_01: said, the co-share spaces are so important. But yeah, you can listen to anyone right now for
[13:19] SPEAKER_01: free or for little. So I have tons and tons of books on my audible and lots of podcasts I listen to.
[13:25] SPEAKER_01: What I've really worked very hard to do is to listen to a broad range of topics from
[13:33] SPEAKER_01: stilicism to, you know, managing your finance, like your, your corporate finances to positivity,
[13:39] SPEAKER_01: to health, like you don't want to just have one thing. So some of my stand-out ones are that I'm
[13:44] SPEAKER_01: loving right now is mind-hacking. It is fantastic. It's a fantastic audio book on how to hack
[13:51] SPEAKER_01: your body and how to really get past those comfort levels, which is so important as an entrepreneur.
[13:56] SPEAKER_01: I also think it's really important that you're going to be working probably more than you ever worked
[14:01] SPEAKER_01: when you started business. You think that you're going to have all this freedom, but you really don't.
[14:05] SPEAKER_01: You're going to be pouring your life into it. So it's important that you think of yourself as an athlete
[14:09] SPEAKER_01: and you understand your body, you understand your mind. So I'm really big into Aubrey Marcus and
[14:16] SPEAKER_01: his podcast on Spotify. I'm really big into Tim Ferriss. A lot of entrepreneurs are really
[14:22] SPEAKER_01: understanding optimal peak performance. Also, Dave Asprey, the Bulletproof Guys, really important.
[14:30] SPEAKER_01: And then I've got to go to a go-to audio program and I go through probably a dozen a month at
[14:38] SPEAKER_01: least, but one that I've been listening to for years and years and years and I put this on all
[14:43] SPEAKER_01: the time, especially if I find a big speaking gig I'm nervous about or a big TV appearance or I just
[14:49] SPEAKER_01: want to get that negative voice out of my head and it's called Relentless. It's by Tim Rover.
[14:56] SPEAKER_01: And he was the trainer for Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade. I'm not even a basketball
[15:03] SPEAKER_01: fan. I don't even know if I've watched a full game of basketball, but this guy just gets you.
[15:08] SPEAKER_01: This book is incredible. I actually have a quote on my desk. I'm looking at it right now.
[15:13] SPEAKER_01: I think about it every single day if I'm in my office or not and the quote is, do you want it easy
[15:18] SPEAKER_01: or do you want it great? Because there's going to be so many times you've got an opportunity to
[15:23] SPEAKER_01: take a shortcut or not put all your love and and cash it into what you're doing. And this book just
[15:30] SPEAKER_01: has you thinking at a different level. So I've been listening to that book for years. There's probably
[15:34] SPEAKER_01: not a week that goes by that I don't put that audio book on and make sure I'm feeling super positive.
[15:41] SPEAKER_02: I've written it down. I'm definitely going to check it out. So thanks so much for sharing that.
[15:46] SPEAKER_02: Are you able to tell us a little bit about your next book project or what you're working on right now?
[15:53] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I can tell you a little bit about it. We haven't come up with an exact working title yet. I was
[15:58] SPEAKER_01: very blessed and honored to have my 10th book be published by Simon and Schuster. That's super excited.
[16:04] SPEAKER_01: There were so many failures that went into getting back contracted. I can't even tell you.
[16:10] SPEAKER_01: It's really a book about understanding the major lessons in life that are going to trip you up and
[16:17] SPEAKER_01: cost you a lot. So for example, car shopping, buying a home, co-habitating, how do you split
[16:23] SPEAKER_01: up finances and things of that sort? And then we've got each chapter has an archetype that
[16:29] SPEAKER_01: kind of talks about where they went wrong, all of the lessons and then they're happy ending. So
[16:36] SPEAKER_01: really excited about this book. It should be up in January 2020. So not that long away.
[16:43] SPEAKER_01: But yeah, the manuscript is all done. We're dispensing edits and I'm super excited about it.
[16:49] SPEAKER_02: Well, we'll definitely be watching for that. Kelly, I'm interested. You have a really busy schedule
[16:55] SPEAKER_02: and you've got a lot of things on the go. Do you have any specific tools that you use to help
[17:01] SPEAKER_02: keep yourself organized either online or offline? Like how do you manage your schedule and all of
[17:08] SPEAKER_01: your commitments? Yes, this is a real challenge. It's been a huge challenge and I can't say I have
[17:14] SPEAKER_01: the perfect system down past. I oscillate between paper and digital. I oscillate between paper
[17:20] SPEAKER_01: digital on my computer, digital on my phone. I have to say, though, by investing in a general manager
[17:27] SPEAKER_01: about a year and a half ago and it's revolutionized my business. I have no idea how I lived without
[17:34] SPEAKER_01: her before. And I know that's a really tough leap for a lot of entrepreneurs is when you actually
[17:40] SPEAKER_01: hire someone. How do you trust them? How do you train them? It's really, really challenging. But
[17:47] SPEAKER_01: for me, it's key. I cannot drop a meeting. I can't miss a life. And not only do I have to
[17:55] SPEAKER_01: juggle my own schedule, but I have several publicists who are booking my calendar as well from
[18:00] SPEAKER_01: different cities. News is breaking. Media want interviews like literally in the next eight minutes
[18:07] SPEAKER_01: and are you available and you have to get prepped. So for me, I have to literally be on during
[18:13] SPEAKER_01: several time zones during my work day constantly and being prepared for that because if I miss one
[18:20] SPEAKER_02: interview, that usually is a killer in my business. Do you ever take a step back and think if I
[18:28] SPEAKER_02: wasn't doing this, what you would be doing? I've been asked that a lot and I've tried to get
[18:34] SPEAKER_01: out of the financial industry many times. And it just kind of kept calling me back. And when I left,
[18:41] SPEAKER_01: when I broke my first book, I was like, that's it. I am out of the financial industry. And I thought
[18:47] SPEAKER_01: I was just going to have this different career. But it's interesting that yes, I became a writer
[18:51] SPEAKER_01: and a TV personality and doing all these different things. I had never done a media interview before.
[18:56] SPEAKER_01: I have never wanted to write a book. I had never intended on doing any of those things.
[19:01] SPEAKER_01: But yet, they were still focused on finance. So I so often will hear from someone who's a lawyer,
[19:10] SPEAKER_01: who's some, you know, maybe a teacher or something of that sort. And they just want to get out and do
[19:14] SPEAKER_01: something totally different. I get it. I get it. But could you maybe be doing something totally
[19:20] SPEAKER_01: different with the skills and abilities and education experience that you already have?
[19:25] SPEAKER_01: So if somebody dropped $10 million in my plate and said,
[19:30] SPEAKER_01: could you do, like if you could do anything and money wasn't an issue, I really wouldn't be doing
[19:35] SPEAKER_01: anything else. I might be doing it at large scale. I might be adding a few more things. I might
[19:40] SPEAKER_01: be investing in more companies, more startups, more other entrepreneurs. But at my car, my mission
[19:46] SPEAKER_01: would still be waking up every day for Canadians to feel good about money. Kelly, we can really sense,
[19:51] SPEAKER_02: you know, your passion and commitment for what you do. If you could pick a couple words to
[19:58] SPEAKER_01: describe yourself, what would those be? It would be really driven and really excited. Like,
[20:07] SPEAKER_01: I'd love to be excited. For me, if a project is going to be boring, well, I mean, there are times
[20:13] SPEAKER_01: where things are boring, right? Especially at a for an entrepreneur, you have to have a library
[20:20] SPEAKER_01: stage of your project from the exciting first part to the middle frustrating part. But just,
[20:26] SPEAKER_01: I really try to infuse everything that I do with love for myself, for the people that I serve,
[20:32] SPEAKER_01: for our country, for our city. And that really drives a lot of my decisions, it drives my energy.
[20:38] SPEAKER_01: But I just wake up every day, just super excited to start the day. And quite honestly,
[20:45] SPEAKER_01: I'm kind of fighting with myself to go to that at night and can't wait to start all over again.
[20:49] SPEAKER_01: The morning, and I know that sounds trite and cliche. A lot of people say that. And you know,
[20:53] SPEAKER_01: it hasn't always been that way for me. I remember waking up morning's dreading that it was Monday,
[20:59] SPEAKER_01: couldn't wait for the weekend, just couldn't wait for a holiday or to get a wait from it all. So for
[21:04] SPEAKER_01: me, that's a real barometer that if ever one day again, I have that feeling that I am not super
[21:11] SPEAKER_01: jazzed to just jump out of bed at the three o'clock in the morning, then I will take a silver look
[21:17] SPEAKER_01: in the mirror and find something else to do. But that's not the case right now.
[21:23] SPEAKER_02: You've kind of alluded to this, but my next question is, you know, we hear about a lot of
[21:28] SPEAKER_02: entrepreneurs who really have a time kind of shutting down at the end of the day and getting
[21:32] SPEAKER_02: enough rest. So are you the person that, you know, it is hard to get to sleep at night or
[21:38] SPEAKER_02: there worries and anxieties that keep you up at night? Yeah, I mean, it's really, I've, you know,
[21:45] SPEAKER_01: have been asked by a lot of people like, oh, what about burnout? What about, you know, taking
[21:50] SPEAKER_01: the breaks and all of that? And I mentioned a few minutes ago, I really think of myself as an
[21:55] SPEAKER_01: athlete and I think entrepreneurs have to. Now, for me, yes, it's very hard to get to bed. I don't
[22:01] SPEAKER_01: have anxieties and worries. I can read those, but I'm just so excited. I don't want to shut the day down.
[22:06] SPEAKER_01: So you need to balance it out. That's where I balance it out with meditation, with, you know,
[22:12] SPEAKER_01: booking my workouts with having a personal trainer to hold me accountable to take me also to the next
[22:18] SPEAKER_01: level. I have tons of coaches and supports for everyone from, you know, nutritionists to
[22:25] SPEAKER_01: business coaches to perform as coaches to you mean it. So I think that it's, you really need to
[22:34] SPEAKER_01: make sure that, you know, your life is supporting you and you're supporting your work. But for me,
[22:39] SPEAKER_01: there isn't a division. Like, literally, I wake up writing things in my head and if I have an
[22:45] SPEAKER_01: anxiety, there's probably a reason for it. So, you know, I'm not one of those people that are trying
[22:51] SPEAKER_01: to find more time off. I'm trying to find more time for my work. But again, you asked me about some
[22:58] SPEAKER_01: of the books that I've read and when that really stands out to me is called the Happiness Hypothesis.
[23:03] SPEAKER_01: And one of the salient points from that book was, you know, do you want a job? Do you want a career
[23:09] SPEAKER_01: or do you want a mission in life? And when you're on a mission as I am, it's, you know, you want every,
[23:17] SPEAKER_01: like, even when I book time with friends, I'm booking time with friends because I know that's
[23:21] SPEAKER_01: important and I'm booking time to spend with my husband or take a vacation. It's important. But
[23:25] SPEAKER_01: really at the end of the day, it's all to support, you know, my mission.
[23:30] SPEAKER_02: So, what's ahead for you? Do you have a few things on your, we'll call it your inspired lifeless
[23:37] SPEAKER_02: or a few goals that you've set for the next few years? Oh my gosh, yeah. And these change all
[23:44] SPEAKER_01: the time too. I do have a goal because I spend so much time trying to understand my brain, trying to
[23:50] SPEAKER_01: stand, understanding more effective and being in what's called flow. There's so much research
[23:56] SPEAKER_01: coming out that if you're in something called flow, this is a very optimized way of thinking and
[24:03] SPEAKER_01: being and there's actually booked from the 1980s called flow, that you can get done more. From
[24:09] SPEAKER_01: Monday, we're going to two o'clock in the afternoon, here at flow state, then you would actually do
[24:15] SPEAKER_01: all week long. And so I'm super, super obsessed with trying to get in flow and make sure when I'm
[24:21] SPEAKER_01: sitting at my desk, when I'm working, I have 100% there. But what I also know from the research
[24:26] SPEAKER_01: is that novelty is very, very important to induce flow. So that means doing different things.
[24:32] SPEAKER_01: That means challenging yourself. That means also being uncomfortable and all that type of stuff.
[24:37] SPEAKER_01: So yes, some of my big goals are I really want to spend, my plan next year is to spend a month
[24:44] SPEAKER_01: immersed in a new culture. And ideally, I don't know if that will happen or not, but I would love to
[24:50] SPEAKER_01: try to book off a month each year to be in a totally new country and immersed in their culture
[24:56] SPEAKER_01: just to really make sure that I'm not getting stale and shaking things up. So certainly travel's
[25:02] SPEAKER_01: important. But again, bringing it all back to the business thing. I do have some possible opportunities
[25:09] SPEAKER_01: for some leadership programs. We'll see what happens there if those come through or not.
[25:14] SPEAKER_01: And I'm also working on another book as well with with a gerontologist and a certified financial
[25:21] SPEAKER_01: planner where it's kind of an estate planning book, a later life issues book. And really just
[25:26] SPEAKER_01: that there's always a lot of projects in the go. So I think the hardest thing is saying no,
[25:32] SPEAKER_01: tell that exciting projects, especially because I'm more senior in my entrepreneurship than maybe
[25:37] SPEAKER_01: some of your listeners might be, that there does come a time where you don't want to be spread to
[25:42] SPEAKER_01: thin. Unfortunately, you have to say no or not yet. So I'm just juggling a few of those
[25:48] SPEAKER_01: projects to figure out which ones are yeses and which ones are not yes. Well, I we've so
[25:54] SPEAKER_02: appreciated your time today, Kelly. And I just have a couple more questions for you to wrap things up.
[26:00] SPEAKER_02: Drawing things back and thinking specifically about the Edmonton business community,
[26:06] SPEAKER_02: do you have any advice that you would give to somebody who's looking to start a business in Edmonton
[26:10] SPEAKER_02: or some tips as far as how they can get connected in to the business community there?
[26:15] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely. Joining that Edmonton Chamber of Commerce is a brilliant first start.
[26:20] SPEAKER_01: They have so many networking opportunities. I remember going to all of them when I first started
[26:25] SPEAKER_01: back when I was 18, you know, connecting. And really something too that I think is so important.
[26:31] SPEAKER_01: As you're doing that networking, making sure that you've got the great networking skills,
[26:35] SPEAKER_01: like giving your card out and all of that, but also sending to think, you know, it's the handwritten
[26:38] SPEAKER_01: thing. You know, it's not forgetting that those things have not gone out in fashion. I can't tell
[26:43] SPEAKER_01: you how few thank you notes. People send out these days, but they're always appreciated when you do.
[26:49] SPEAKER_01: And really doing the things to stand out. One of the things that I know is supporting me in Edmonton
[26:54] SPEAKER_01: and really in other cities that have worked in is something called the mastermind group. And that's where
[26:58] SPEAKER_01: you get, you know, people who are not like you, you invite them and you can meet them at your
[27:04] SPEAKER_01: networking and let them know what you're working on. Tell them about it. It's a hand.
[27:08] SPEAKER_01: Wanting to set up a mastermind group. And ideally, you meet maybe once a month for, you know,
[27:13] SPEAKER_01: a couple of hours. You have maybe eight to 12 people. That's usually a great number for,
[27:20] SPEAKER_01: to allow everybody to get their, their ask and their, their messages out and have some accountability.
[27:28] SPEAKER_01: And you ideally want that group to be super diverse. You know, you don't want it to be people
[27:32] SPEAKER_01: just like you. You don't want it to be, you have a couple of mastermind groups. You could have one
[27:36] SPEAKER_01: that's just entrepreneurs, but very different entrepreneurs. And you've learned so much from hearing
[27:43] SPEAKER_01: out of people's struggles and shares and what it is they may help from the group. But then I encourage
[27:47] SPEAKER_01: you also to maybe have a second one where it's very diverse people. Maybe you have a neurosurgeon
[27:53] SPEAKER_01: and a lawyer and a, you know, somebody that owns a bakery shop and a nurse or whatever. Like you just
[27:59] SPEAKER_01: have people that think totally different than you, which can be really uncomfortable. But you're
[28:05] SPEAKER_01: going to stretch yourself and grow and learn so much more. And these people are just going to be
[28:09] SPEAKER_01: incredible advocates for each other and for you. And I've had many mastermind groups over the years.
[28:16] SPEAKER_01: To set them up yourself, they're free. Maybe you just go to a local restaurant or something
[28:19] SPEAKER_01: and that sort. But I can't stress enough how valuable those can be.
[28:24] SPEAKER_02: Well, I think that's that's great advice regardless of what city you're in. So thank you so
[28:29] SPEAKER_02: much for sharing that Kelly. So our last question today is a hypothetical one we ask all of our guests
[28:35] SPEAKER_02: on all of the podcasts across Canada. So I'd like you to imagine for a minute that there's a small
[28:42] SPEAKER_02: tropical island off of Fiji. It has a phone booth, the old-style phone booths, but no internet.
[28:49] SPEAKER_02: So we're going to drop you off there. You won't have any of the digital tools or items that you
[28:55] SPEAKER_02: usually use day to day like a laptop or a smartphone or any of those things. How long do you think you
[29:02] SPEAKER_02: would last? And what would you do before you gave us a call from the old-fashioned phone booth and
[29:08] SPEAKER_00: asked us to come pick you up? Oh my gosh. How long would I last? I guess it depends if there was
[29:17] SPEAKER_00: some kind of an incentive to last, but maybe I would allow our challenge or something that sort of
[29:23] SPEAKER_01: told me that someone lasted this long and I had to beat it. I mean, quite honestly, my first
[29:27] SPEAKER_01: reaction would be I wouldn't last very long. I think it would be like maybe 30 seconds.
[29:34] SPEAKER_02: Okay, that is officially the shortest time I've ever heard of.
[29:39] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, probably 30 seconds. Yeah, I love islands, but I love being connected a lot more
[29:45] SPEAKER_02: unfortunately. Maybe they'll change one day. Yeah, well, how can our listeners connect if you
[29:50] SPEAKER_02: Kelly? Where can they find you and where can they check out your books? How can they find you online?
[29:56] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thanks, Bonnie. They can just go to kelleking.com. That's my website. I'm on Twitter, Instagram,
[30:02] SPEAKER_01: LinkedIn, all that type of stuff, Facebook. If you want to get my books, you can go to my website,
[30:08] SPEAKER_01: click on the books tab. I don't sell any of my books on my website, so it's going to take you to
[30:13] SPEAKER_01: the different Amazon. My last two books were published by the Chartered Professional Accountants
[30:17] SPEAKER_01: of Canada. It'll take you to theirs. I think one of those is back in the bookstores.
[30:24] SPEAKER_01: So yeah, you can get them in bookstores on Amazon and I'd love to hear from you. If you have any
[30:28] SPEAKER_01: burning questions on your computer, just need to share your story. That's what it's all about.
[30:34] SPEAKER_02: Well, Kelly, thank you so much for being a guest today. I've really enjoyed our chat and I've
[30:40] SPEAKER_02: learned a lot from you. I'm sure listeners have as well, so thank you for being with us.
[30:44] SPEAKER_01: Oh, thanks, Bonnie, for your great work in doing these podcasts. You're amazing too.
[30:49] SPEAKER_02: Hey there, it's Bonnie LG. Thanks for taking the time today to listen to Edmonton's podcast
[30:54] SPEAKER_02: on the Canada's podcast network. We hope you enjoyed the show. Make sure you sign up for new
[31:00] SPEAKER_02: letters and if you have a moment, please write a review for us on iTunes. You can connect with us
[31:06] SPEAKER_02: on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn at Canada's podcast. And make sure you check out
[31:12] SPEAKER_02: what other entrepreneurs they do in across the country. See you next time.