Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable Because it Can Lead To Opportunities!

Entrepreneurs Over Coffee

Joey St-Aubin is the President and CEO of Canlan Ice Sports a TSX listed company. Joey grew up playing high level hockey in the OHL and also played for Team Canada. He did not realize his dream of playing in the NHL, but the experience he gained as a competitive athlete set the stage for a climb to the top. When he returned home from university he began a tournament business and one day decided to go rent ice at a new rink being built in Oshawa for his tournaments. While speaking to them he spontaneously asked if they were hiring! From this point opportunity knocked and he began managing one arena which led to eventually rising up the ranks to become President and CEO. His persistence and willingness to be in uncomfortable in new and unfamiliar situations catapulted his learning and experience. He was mentored at a young age by the then CEO of Canlan and was pulled into many situations where he felt out of his depth. He talks about his first time in a boardroom surrounded by seasoned executives and successful business people. He leveraged this opportunity by noting every word and concept he could not comprehend and then went home and researched everything that was discussed in that boardroom. Eventually this led to him being involved in the conversations to eventually leading the agendas.

Here is a snapshot on what you will hear in this episode:

• Joey tried his hand at many different jobs and side hustles gaining experiences and learning from his failures, he endured all the highs and lows but that’s the name of the game.
• He never managed people before when starting as a GM of a hockey rink in Oshawa. The discipline he gained being a leader in the dressing room and being a competitive hockey player bolstered his never give up attitude. His willingness and drive helped him elevate his personal acumen and knowledge to keep trying new things and adapting his leadership style.
• Throw yourself in the fire without any idea, stretch yourself past your self- limiting beliefs is the only way to grow in your career.
• Always eager to try new things Joey was featured on Undercover boss and leveraged the opportunity to expose the Canlan brand and story, another uncommon experience but executed with no fear.
• His experience taught him to look at his organization from the outside in. It helped him get connected with himself and his team realizing that understanding the human element is the key to success.
• Today Canlan continues to lead in the facility management space and re-engineers the game to co-exist with COVID.
• From the sanitation protocols to putting systems in place to manage traffic and even developing new rules to ensure physical distancing on the bench, the dressing room and the ice. These new rules will increase the speed and excitement of the game and allow them to flex up and down with whatever changes the virus brings to sports facility management and the game of hockey.