With Smooth Corners, you get proven, experienced peers who are like seasoned race drivers, skilled at navigating the most challenging terrains. Through personalized sessions, our consultants will help you accelerate your leadership skills, refine your team strategy, and tackle efficiency obstacles head-on.
Here's how our mentoring program works:
Get in the Driver's Seat
Don't let the twists and turns of leadership catch you off guard. Take control of your journey with Smooth Corners and accelerate towards success. Contact us today to learn more about our mentorship program and start your engines on the path to becoming a truly exceptional leader. Smooth Corners: Where Leadership Takes the Fast Lane.
Inspirational Story Telling peppered with life and business wins and of course... humility of sharing failures and lessons learned.
Example sessions:
· Battle Scars: IT Weapons' Journey from Inception through Acquisition
Unearth the gritty realities behind building and growing an IT business. This session takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of IT Weapons, an award-winning Managed Service Provider based in Canada, from its inception to its successful acquisition. Discover the lessons learned, the battles fought, and the strategies that turned challenges into opportunities.
· Beyond the Balance: Navigating the Complexities of Family and Business in Entrepreneurship
While work-life balance is often seen as a simple formula, in an entrepreneurial family, it becomes a much more intricate equation. Ted Garner, founder of IT Weapons, an award winning Managed Service Provider based in Canada, is joined by his wife Vanessa Garner in presenting this session offering an inside look at how building a business alongside raising a family brings unique challenges. From the initial buy-in and commitment to the evolving dynamics as parents and business partners, discover how this family managed the complexities of both their growing business and their home life.
· Powerful Peer Pioneers: Stories of Success through Strategic Partnerships
This session showcases inspiring stories from remarkable peers who have successfully navigated their own entrepreneurial journeys. Discover how strategic peering and partnering played pivotal roles in their success. Learn from their experiences, strategies, and insights on how to forge and nurture powerful partnerships that drive growth and innovation in any business. In today's landscape, we must move beyond the concept of 'vendors' and embrace the power of true 'partners' to thrive.
· Acquisition Realities: Insights and Stories from the Frontlines
Get an insider's perspective on the acquisition process—beyond the headlines. This session not only delves into the complexities, challenges, and opportunities of mergers but also highlights compelling acquisition stories from peers who have lived through them. Gain valuable insights into the realities of merging companies, cultures, and visions for a seamless transition and continued success.
· Tech to Sales: The Evolution of a Technical Founder in the World of Selling
For technically-minded founders, the journey into sales can be both challenging and transformative. This session explores the evolution from a technical background to mastering the art of selling. Learn how to leverage your technical expertise to build trust, communicate value, and drive business growth, all while adapting to the demands of the sales landscape. Discover the strategies that helped turn a technical founder into a successful salesperson.
"Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast" - Peter Drucker
Our premise is that a strong team, a strong culture, is something that will attract and retain more quality members and clients.
Using a proven phased approach, we analyse the composition of a team breaking down the behavioral styles resulting in an understanding of the group dynamics. We also examine the existing management style that is shaping the team's performance. A simple individual profile report is then produced per team member.
Once an understanding of the team's make up is reached, you can begin to see strengths and weaknesses (and potential conflicts). With some mentoring and coaching, team design management can see where complimentary behavioral styles can be added to round out your team.
Ask any stake holder what their biggest obstacle in their business is and most will say "finding people" or more specifically finding the RIGHT people.
At Smooth Corners, we bring decades of business experience from a mid-recession start up, through rapid growth, to award winning recognition and industry leadership. Our team of experts deeply understands entrepreurial stress and inspiration and is committed to helping you achieve your business goals. Beyond formal consulting, we've been informally mentoring peer business owners through community business groups, peer groups, and conference speaking sessions, sharing our insights and supporting growth around the world.
From technical roots through executive growth, I’ve had the privilege of contributing to innovation, operational excellence, and culture architecture. As the founder and president of an IT Services / MSP (IT Weapons) in Canada, I worked alongside a dedicated team for over two decades, striving to deliver quality solutions and build a strong market presence. After selling the company, I continued to learn and grow through transformation projects around the world. More recently, I took on a role as Chief Strategy Officer in Australia, where I focused on transforming a legacy field services organisation into a modern managed services structure as well as driving strategic sales & marketing evolution.
My aim is to share the experiences I’ve gathered and help others on their journey, whether through advising on strategy, mentoring founders & leaders, or offering insights through speaking engagements.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/itwepon1/
As a DISC Behavioral Specialist, I’ve been dedicated to providing DISC behavioral assessments, training, and consulting services focusing on helping organizations build stronger workplace cultures through the application of DISC methodologies as well as enhancing their candidate screening processes ensuring best fit team additions.
The advanced DISC methodology we established played a pivotal role in enhancing the valuation during the acquisition of our MSP business.
I’m passionate about helping our clients harness behavioral insights to enhance team dynamics and drive valuation growth.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-garner-b3bb321b/