Spare Parts & Gasoline

Don't miss our next Life After BigCo (LAB) event. This time we're taking LAB: On Tour to mesh conference, at Platform Calgary on April 29 and 30. mesh is a national innovation event and meetup series. Industries collide at mesh to spark new ideas, partnerships, and solutions. The event brings together founders, corporate leaders, policymakers, researchers, creatives, and investors — not by industry, but by a shared belief that real innovation happens when perspectives mix. Today’s biggest challenges won’t be solved alone, so we mesh. We will have a booth space on-site, so please come and visit us! Also, on April 30, 2025, we'll be hosting a panel discussion with the following theme: Career transitions can be messy and are sometimes unpredictable. But what if your transition turns out to be the best possible thing that could have happened to you? What if it's an opportunity to build a purpose-driven professional life? Join us for Life After BigCo (LAB): On Tour's engaging session featuring inspiring stories of personal and professional transformation, along with helpful perspectives and tips for using your career change to craft a different future for yourself. You'll hear from the following panellists, who are joining panel moderator Julie Baron, COO, Spare Parts & Gasoline, for the discussion: Denyelle Fraser, equity design consultant and founder of More Than Enough Consulting Tammy Arseneau, founder and CEO of Cortical Consulting & Coaching Shaun Guthrie, president and chair of the CIO Association of Canada Register here today: https://lnkd.in/gGSaWeYj #digitaltransformation #meshcon

Calgary's entrepreneur and innovation ecosystem is continually getting stronger, most recently with the addition of a new executive director at the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking - UCalgary who has a bold strategic direction for this important organization. SP&G's Shawn Mahoney and Julie Baron, MBA, ABC had the opportunity to work with Guy Levesque and his team earlier this week as they translated their strategy into action. Through a pre-mortem exercise, the team worked through what they could do today to future proof their strategy in an uncertain world. Bold thinking, "no sacred cows", creativity, teamwork and camaraderie dominated the session. Cultivating the country's predominant entrepreneurial talent pipeline is no small task, and we're confident Guy and his team are up for it. Thank you, Guy, for asking us to be a part of your important day. 

We learned a thing at Tuesday's Life After BigCo: Hangout. Actually, a few things. It turns out that favours are contagious in the best possible way, our community has an incredible ability to leverage their talents and passions to help others, and Alforno Eau Claire has an amazing lineup of baked goods. Actually, we knew that bit about Alforno, but it bears mentioning...so yummy!   We ran a "speed dating" networking session using favour cards as the conversation starters. Favour cards are a simple way to connect people, while also lifting others up. Everyone at the event wrote a favour they could do for others on the front of the card, and their contact information on the back. The favours are meant to be something attendees can do in 30 or 40 minutes of their time, like going for a walk and exchanging networking ideas, or helping someone out with their website by running an SEO report. They also make networking purposeful and connect attendees with their talents and each other.   We used the cards to introduce ourselves and, as people were talking and connecting, we saw the favours start to morph and spread. People were making up favours on the spot, asking one another for help, and sharing contact information. It was humbling, inspiring, and uplifting. Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to the Teatro Group for hosting us in their beautiful cafe.    If you'd like to join our next LAB: Hangout in June, please register for updates on the LAB website: Uhttps://lnkd.in/gxkx47tC   Also, we hope to see you at mesh conference, where we'll be running a LAB panel and doing an on-site activation. Here's where you can register: https://lnkd.in/g2iZdZGN Julie Baron, MBA, ABC, Shawn Mahoney, CJ Wasylkiewicz, Tami Hutchinson, Tim Chan, MBA, CPA, CIA

In case you missed it, join us at mesh conference, April 29 and 30. We are a sponsor and will be there in a few different ways! We are looking forward to this event…always great content and it’s wonderful to connect with our network. Thanks, mesh conference, for the shout out.

Our next Life After BigCo (LAB): Hangout is on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. At our last Hangout, we talked about what participants took from BigCo and what they left behind (we still think "Tupperware" was our favourite answer to what people left behind! So much Tupperware!). This time, we need some help and feedback from our community because we're scaling LAB up...and we want you to be a part of its growth. This was a popular event and this Hangout is already sold out! But you can add yourself to the waiting list! LAB Hangout Details: When: April 8, 4:00-6:00 p.m. Where: Calgary, AB What: We want to workshop an idea we have for some upcoming LAB activations. Come prepared to discuss what your strengths are! There will also be plenty of time for networking. Calgary's startup scene is booming, enriched by the influx of talent from large corporations (BigCo). This event is your chance to connect, share experiences, and engage with individuals on the same journey. We are keeping tabs on our waitlists. If you miss this one, you'll be given early access to register for the June session. https://loom.ly/yCPHe7Y

Have you met Life After BigCo (LAB)? What started as an idea is now a movement, and we're honoured to officially launch its website today. The Life After BigCo idea was sparked late last year following the realization that swaths of BigCo layoffs have greatly benefitted Canada's entrepreneur and startup community. In fact, they were a shot in the arm of incredible talent, deep expertise and unstoppable purpose. The LAB spark has now become a movement that will make a resounding impact by creating innovators, changemakers, and entrepreneurs. And this purpose-driven community will generate employment and economic opportunities across industries and geographies. Some of us are at BigCo, some of us have left BigCo (voluntarily or otherwise) and others have never worked at BigCo. While we are from different backgrounds, we have one thing in common. We've always been innovators at heart...people who have big ideas they want to bring to the world, and changes they want to empower in those around them. Join us today and sign up on the website to get notified of upcoming LAB activations. A special thank you to our earliest LAB partners for joining us to help this movement take off: Jotson, Deliver Digital Inc., Social Launch Labs, The Tech Translator, and The Ally Co. https://loom.ly/-40Ngj4 #LifeAfterBigCo #inspiration #innovation

Happy first day of Spring! Spring is a favourite for us because it’s all about transformation and change. Here’s to new beginnings, taking chances, and growing—just like nature does, but in our own kicka$$ way. #FirstDayOfSpring #Transformation #BusinessGrowth

During our last "Life After BigCo" (LAB) Hangout, we asked people to share what we've taken with us from our corporate journey and the things we've decided to leave behind. The conversation was an interesting mix of lessons learned and connections made. Here are a few things that emerged from our "what did you leave behind?" conversation: * Sunday Scaries * Fear * Office Politics & Hierarchy * Stress * Money $$ * B.S. * Tupperware * Stress & anxiety * Constraints * Performance Reviews We're curious...What have YOU left behind from your corporate experiences? #LifeAfterBigCo #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerReflections #Networking

Back in the early 2000s when the entertainment world was flipping on its head, Netflix, first known for its DVD mail rentals, was leading the charge. Since 1997, Netflix has been all about looking forward and shaking stuff up. In 2007, Netflix switched from mailing out DVDs to starting a streaming service. As we know now…what a game-changing innovation! It made binge-watching a thing, and completely changed how we watch TV and movies—anytime, anywhere. When other streaming services started to pop up, Netflix made another big swing and started making their own shows and movies. Hits like "Stranger Things" and "The Crown" didn't just win our hearts but showed Netflix could hang with the big Hollywood studios. One of the coolest things Netflix did? They used data and analytics to figure out what you love to watch and used it as input for their production house. And of course their recommendation system feels like it's reading your mind, making it way easier to find your next binge-watch. Netflix has a legacy of innovation, data-driven decision-making, and adaptability. It's a little reminder of how businesses can thrive by embracing change, and that innovation is all around us. #innovation #analytics #gamechanger

During our last "Life After BigCo" (LAB): Hangout, we asked people to share what they took with them from their time at BigCo and what they left behind. We loved the personal reflections and gratitude in the room and wanted to share them more broadly. This week, we're sharing some of the "what did you take with you" themes. * Friendships & connections * Best practices & templates * Organizational management insights * Leadership do's & don'ts * Importance of efficient procedures * Human-centered design principles * Experiential learning & culture building * Recognizing the critical role of integrity & culture * Strategies for effective execution * Clarity & focus in achieving goals The discussion also highlighted crucial learning moments, like recognizing ineffective internal consulting strategies and understanding that no one person holds all the answers. We're curious to know - what have YOU taken with you from your time at BigCo? And stay tuned...registration for our next LAB: Hangout opening soon! #LifeAfterBigCo #Transitions #CareerReflections