In this episode of The Value Blueprint, hosts James Grieve and Shayla McLean sit down with David Munro from the Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) to unpack the latest Workforce Pulse Report and explore how manufacturers are adapting to labour shortages, global trade pressures, and shifting workforce expectations.

Discover how leading companies are using creative HR marketing, community engagement, and employee development to turn industry challenges into opportunities. From highlighting local impact and flexible career paths to investing in training and organizational culture, this conversation reveals what’s really working in today’s manufacturing landscape.

You’ll learn:

• Why companies doing good in their communities are also doing better in business.

• How creative marketing is reshaping recruitment and retention strategies.

• The growing importance of flexible work models and career development pathways.

• How employee training and organizational culture drive long-term competitiveness.

• What the latest data says about workforce stability and skilled trade shortages in Canada’s manufacturing sector.

Whether you’re a manufacturer, HR leader, or business strategist, this episode offers actionable insight on how to future-proof your workforce and strengthen your competitive edge.

Listen now to learn how your organization can transform industry pressure into performance advantage.

Keywords: manufacturing strategy, HR marketing, community engagement, workforce development, employee training, flexible work, organizational culture, skilled trades, career paths, Canada manufacturing industry, EMC, Value Driver, business growth.

Learn how to turn business strategy into execution that drives results. James Grieve and Shayla McLean talk with David Solomon, Founder of SERO Growth, about scaling effectively, aligning leadership teams, setting smart KPIs, and building long-term business value that attracts investors and fuels sustainable growth.

In this episode of The Value Blueprint, host James Grieve and Shayla McLean are joined by Clare Price, CEO of Octain Growth Systems, author of Smart Marketing Execution, and a marketing strategist helping companies stop guessing and start scaling.

Clare unpacks the biggest gaps she’s seen in how businesses approach marketing, and why building systems (not just campaigns) is the key to long-term growth and value creation. She shares how leaders can bridge the gap between strategy and execution, align sales and marketing, and understand customer motivation on a deeper level.

We also explore how AI is reshaping marketing, and how business owners can use it to personalize and add value without losing authenticity.

If you’ve ever felt your marketing wasn’t moving the needle, this episode will show you how to shift from guesswork to growth.

In this episode of The Value Blueprint, host Shayla McLean sits down with entrepreneur Sean Grabowski (founder of Keepers Digital) to explore how to break free from “default settings” and intentionally design both your business and your life.

Sean shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, including the mindset shifts that enabled him to build businesses that support his lifestyle and the practical steps founders can take to do the same. He also delves into marketing strategies that actually work today, emphasizing the importance of SEO and letting data guide your decisions rather than following trends blindly.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur seeking a more intentional approach or a founder looking to align your business with your life goals, this episode offers actionable guidance and inspiration for creating success on your own terms.

When businesses scale, it’s easy to obsess over strategy, systems, and revenue. But what if the real bottleneck is… your people?

In this episode of The Value Blueprint, host Shayla McLean welcomes leadership expert and author Patti Durand to dive deep into the human side of scaling. From role confusion and overloaded leaders to silent culture clashes, Patti helps us uncover what’s really slowing things down and what founders can do to create alignment, clarity, and a team that leads with confidence.

Whether you're a founder stuck in the weeds, a leader feeling the pressure to do it all, or simply curious about how to scale without losing your people or your purpose, this episode is for you.

What we cover:

• What a "people bottleneck" looks like in real life

• Why clarity often crumbles as teams grow and how to rebuild it

• The mindset shift founders need to make from doing to developing

• How to spot misalignment in your org before it becomes a crisis

• Building culture as a shared behaviour, not buzzwords on a wall

• The one question every leader should ask to unlock alignment

Featuring actionable insights, real-world examples, and leadership wisdom from Patti’s experience in farm succession, executive coaching, and team development.

Resources:

• Learn more about Patti: thefutureleader.ca

• Explore more tools from Value Driver: valuedriver.ca

Scaling a business isn’t just about adding more trucks, staff, or revenue it’s about shifting how you lead. In this episode of The Value Blueprint, James and Jeff unpack the uncomfortable truth most founders eventually face: you might be the reason growth is stalling.

From creating cultures of dependency, to mistaking busyness for progress, to chasing growth without clarity this episode dives deep into the hidden patterns that silently sabotage scaling. You'll hear real stories from the field, leadership pivots that worked, and practical tools to get out of your own way.

Whether you're hitting growth plateaus or just starting to expand your team, this conversation will help you lead with more clarity and less chaos.

In this kickoff episode of The Value Blueprint, we take you behind the scenes of Value Driver - why we built it, what we believe about business growth, and the real-world challenges that inspired us to do things differently.

Join hosts James, Jeff, and Shayla as they share personal stories from the trenches of business transformation, what frustrated them about traditional consulting models, and the moments that sparked a better way to scale.

Whether you're a founder navigating growing pains or a leader looking for practical guidance, this episode lays the foundation for the honest, grounded conversations to come.