336 | Marcus VandenBrink | From Student Works to Serial Entrepreneur

Leaders Of Tomorrow Podcast

In today's episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, we're excited to bring you a special re-release of a podcast from 2019, featuring an enlightening conversation between Chris and Marcus VandenBrink, CEO of Business View Publishing and a serial entrepreneur.

Since the 2019 release, Marcus' business has grown remarkably by 58%, earning a spot on the prestigious Inc 5000 list and being a finalist for the Inc Top Employers award in 2023. Additionally, the company's outstanding Glassdoor reviews, with an average rating of 4.4, reflect his exceptional achievements and dedication to the program, for which we sincerely appreciate his ongoing support.

In this episode Marcus shares his background, recounting his journey from a hardworking child displaying signs of entrepreneurship to navigating the confusion and loss of focus that many of us experience in high school. Through his involvement in the Student Works program, Marcus regained clarity, and he highlights the significance of continuous learning on the path to becoming the best version of oneself.

He also delves into the fascinating details of his first entrepreneurial venture, Swifttrade, the pioneering direct access trading platform in Canada. He shares valuable insights into how Swifttrade emerged as one of the fastest-growing companies in Canada and discusses his decision to sell a highly profitable and thriving business.

Marcus shares how his Student Works network led him to the energy business with Energy One Canada after selling Swifttrade.

After his successful venture with Direct Energy, Marcus explored real estate before becoming an Executive VP and successfully turning around an international publishing company's North American operations. He highlights the power of transferable skill sets that allowed him to excel in diverse industries.

Additionally, Marcus reveals the importance of building and retaining a dream team for his latest venture. The podcast concludes with valuable lessons learned from his past failures. Tune in and enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• How transferable skill sets can lead to success in diverse businesses.
• The importance of leveraging your network to uncover lucrative business opportunities.
• Strategies for building and maintaining a dream team.
• The biggest challenges Marcus had to overcome in our program and the lessons he learned from them.
• And so much more…

Resources:

Student Works