Business On The Lake: Lesser Slave Lake Region Leadership and Business Conference

Are you a business owner, manager, business professionals, or aspiring entrepreneur ready to level up your skills and connect with like-minded professionals? Join us at Business on the Lake, an exciting one-day mini conference dedicated to enhancing your knowledge, sparking fresh ideas, and building a supportive business community. Brought to you in partnership with Northern Lakes College and Slave Lake Chamber of Commerce, this event promises a day packed with insights, networking, and practical tools to elevate your business and leadership journey!

📅 Mark Your Calendars:

• When:: Saturday, February 8, 2024

• Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

• Where: Northern Lakes College Gym, Slave Lake

• Cost: $29.95 (includes lunch and snacks!)

Who Should Attend: This conference is tailored for business owners, managers, team leaders, professionals, and anyone who’s passionate about building their business acumen. Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, Business on the Lake has something valuable for everyone.

Why You Should Attend: Business on the Lake isn’t your typical conference. It’s designed for those who want to take charge, enhance their leadership, and gain fresh, actionable strategies. Our focus is on creating an inclusive, empowering environment where professionals from all backgrounds can learn, share, and grow.

Agenda Highlights:

• 9:05 AM: Kick-off the day with Jess Semack, whose keynote will inspire you to break barriers and scale your business with unstoppable momentum. Known for her “find a way” philosophy, Jess brings over 20 years of trailblazing experience to the stage.

• 10:05 AM: Take a breather and focus on yourself in our Self-Care and Workplace Wellness Workshop by Susan Giesbrecht —because taking care of your business starts with taking care of you.

• 10:30 AM - 10:40 AM- Morning Break

• 10:45 AM - 11:15 AM - Elevate your business with Simple Quarterly Reviews- Shane Rebryna

• 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM  Unlock leadership insights with The Seven Sacred Teachings session. This unique approach to leadership will show you how wisdom from traditional values can inspire modern workplaces by Rosemarie Courtereille

• 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM Lunch Break

• 12:30 PM -1:30 PM Dive into our Expert Panel on banking, marketing, insurance, and accounting. Each panelist will share crucial insights to help you solidify the foundation of your business.

• 1:30 PM -2:00 PM Learn from Tom Bidart about strategies to keep employees engaged and motivated. From fostering a culture of growth to recognition, this session will equip you with tools to boost productivity and job satisfaction.

• 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Saving Your Future - Basic Principles for Building a Solid Financial Foundation by Andrew Shupac

• 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM Social media marketing expert Chana Trudel will provide insights into the latest trends in social media, guiding small businesses on what to post to engage their audiences effectively.

• 3:00 PM: Round out the day with a leadership session led by Jasmine Neustater and Angie White. Learn about adaptive and servant leadership, two powerful approaches for inspiring and empowering your team to achieve collective goals.

Our Speakers:

Jess Semack, CEO of Motley Que & Founder of Bite2Brand, for an inspiring keynote that peels back the curtain on her journey from kitchen concoction to multi-million-dollar brand. With a relentless drive, bold vision, and a few epic failures along the way, Jess took a small-batch BBQ mixture and grew it into an award-winning business recognized across the globe. Her story isn’t just about hitting the million-dollar mark—it’s about the grit, passion, and unbreakable belief in a vision. Jess will share the hard-won lessons, tactics, and mindset shifts that turned her brand into a BBQ empire, and show you how to build your own unstoppable legacy. 

Bio:

Jess Semack, the powerhouse CEO of Motley Que and Bite to Brand, who doesn’t just talk business—she lives it. Known for her fiery, no-BS approach, Jess is here to cut through the fluff and serve up real strategies that will ignite your business journey. If you’re looking to build a brand that dominates, makes waves, and connects authentically, buckle up. Jess’s experience as a serial entrepreneur and CPG trendsetter is packed with insights that turn ambition into action.

Get ready for a bold, high-energy session that dives into the guts of brand-building, mindset mastery, and killer marketing. Jess is a true force in the business world, and she’s ready to help you embrace yours. This isn’t a speech—it’s a spark to fuel your legacy.

Shane Rebryna is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified General Accountant.  He is the Managing Partner of Rebryna Dana LLP, a local full-service accounting firm in Slave Lake.  Shane’s goal in public practice is to provide his clients with the best advice for reducing taxes while increasing profits.  When he has free time, a good book is always waiting to be read

Presentation:

Running a business can be a challenging and complex endeavour.  Keeping your hand on the pulse of your finances is key to continuing business success.  In this presentation, we will delve into how to do a simple quarterly review of your financial information and how to use this information to make better decisions for your business.

Susan Giesbrecht is a retired teacher/counsellor with 34 years’ experience. Following retirement Susan pursued her passion; post-secondary studies in Psychology. Susan has a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts-Psychology. Susan offers workshops in the Education, Mental Health and Occupational Health and Safety fields.Susan actively volunteers with the Canadian Red Cross, the Lesser Slave Lake Health Advisory Council, and the Slave Lake Homeless Coalition, contributing her time and expertise to these vital community organizations.

Presentation: Her presentation covers the importance of self-care in the workplace, debunking common misconceptions and highlighting effective practices for maintaining physical and mental well-being. Learn how self-care can reduce stress, boost productivity, and prevent burnout by incorporating healthy habits into your daily routine. Topics include mindfulness, setting boundaries, and creating a supportive work environment for long-term wellness.

Tom Bidart, MBA with extensive experience in both education and business, Tom brings a unique blend of knowledge that will inspire and engage our audience.

He was a Coordinator/Instructor at Northern Lakes College. Prior to NLC Tom Instructed in Turfgrass Management Fairview College in the following areas; Project Management, Budget Management, Accounting, Supervision and Labour Relations, Landscape Design and Construction. His academic credentials span institutions like Texas A&M University, University of Edinburg, the University of Saskatchewan, and a Master Business Administration at Queen's University.

Beyond education, Tom has established himself as a successful businessman with extensive experience in property development, landscape contracting, and project management. His projects range from commercial and residential developments to institutional and industrial buildings valued between $250K and $2.5M, as well as landscape contracting projects worth $50K to $850K. Currently, Tom owns and operates the TA's Asian Grill and Steakhouse along with his wife Anita. 

Chana Trudel

Chana Trudel, the vibrant driving force behind Truly Creative Marketing (TCM) and a seasoned marketing professional with over 14 years of experience. Chana's journey is marked by resilience and innovation, steering TCM to become a beacon of empowerment for women entrepreneurs. As the proud Indigenous Métis founder, Chana's mission is crystal clear: simplify marketing strategies to grant remarkable women entrepreneurs the invaluable gift of time freedom within their businesses. This mission is interwoven into TCM's ethos, where innovation meets with compassion, and marketing becomes a tool for entrepreneurs to flourish. Chana is a trailblazer committed to transforming the marketing landscape, and empowering female business owners by reshaping the narrative of success, one empowered woman at a time.

Presentation: What should you share? Where should you share it? How often should you share? In this quick, action-packed 30-minute workshop, Chana will guide you to the types of content that work best for businesses around our lake, and which social media channels will successfully promote your business online. Attendees will be provided with take-home social media prompts, and captions that can directly be used on your business's social media channels 📲✨

Other Speakers Bio to follow: