April 17, 2024 • 21 mins
Are you a fan of seafood?
Are you curious about the fascinating world of lobsters?
Then you definitely need to tune in to our latest podcast episode featuring Ron Caudle, the inspiring entrepreneur behind Caudle's Catch. Ron has been a successful and influential business leader in the Kitchener-Waterlo area for over 40 years.
Join us as Ron shares his decades of industry experience, taking us on a journey beyond just seafood. We'll hear about the innovative ways he's navigated the business world pre-social media, and how community connections have been crucial to his success. Plus, Ron tells us his favourite seafood recipes that are sure to make your taste buds dance!
Bake Ron's Easy Seafood Recipe
But it's not all about the food - Ron also has a passion for giving back to his community. From taking an icy plunge to support the Special Olympics to uplifting entire communities through his work with the Grand River Hospital Foundation, Ron shows us the power of giving back.
So, if you're interested in entrepreneurship, community engagement, and, of course, delicious seafood, be sure to listen to our chat with Ron Caudle. You won't want to miss it!
Resources
Caudle's Catch
Grand River Hospital Foundation
The Waterloo Region Record
Special Olympics
Ron's Rare Orange Lobster Story
What did you think of today's episode? We want to hear from you!
Thanks for tuning in to Curious Conversations! We hope you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed creating it for you. Don't forget to stay connected with us on our website and Instagram for more exciting content. Also, make sure to hit that follow/subscribe button and leave us a rating to help us grow and reach more people like you.
Enjoy another curious conversation for teens by teens!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ron (00:00):
The charity does go hand in hand with the business, because
I always thought it was a goodway for our company to give back
and then it was a win becauseyou're giving back to the
community but you're alsomarketing your company.
So I would encourage youngentrepreneurs to align
themselves with some charitiesand then it's a win for the
community.
(00:20):
It'll help your business besuccessful and it will help the
charity be successful.
Community.
It'll help your business besuccessful and it will help the
charity be successful.
Xavier (00:28):
Hi, welcome to Curious Conversations, a podcast for
kids, by kids.
I'm one of your hosts.
Emma (00:39):
Xavier, and I'm your other host, emma, and we're so
excited to bring you anotherseason of interesting
discussions with people from allwalks of life, to learn about
their passions and what inspiresthem.
Xavier (00:51):
We are still as curious as ever, and we hope you will
join us on our journey.
Today we have an awesome guestthat you guys are going to love.
He's been a successful businessleader in the
Kitchener-Waterloo region forover 40 years.
His name is Ron Cottle and heis the owner of Cottle's Catch,
a seafood business that sellsall over Canada.
He also has a very big passionfor giving back to his community
.
He's been involved with so manydifferent organizations,
(01:13):
including the Grand RiverHospital and the Special
Olympics.
Ron has some amazing stories totell, and we talk about some of
the weirdest lobsters he's evercame across and some crazy
tales about polar plunges.
Plus, he's got some awesomeadvice for young entrepreneurs
who are just starting out.
Emma (01:30):
Welcome, Ron.
Thank you for being on thepodcast.
Ron (01:33):
Thank you for having me, of course.
Xavier (01:36):
So the first thing we wanted to ask you about is that
orange lobster that you found.
What was it like to find it,and did the Toronto Aquarium
take it?
Ron (01:45):
No, the Toronto Aquarium take it.
No, the Toronto Aquarium didn't.
We're in contact with anotheraquarium on the East Coast in
Pictou, nova Scotia, sohopefully they're going to.
I've been in the seafoodbusiness for 39 years and it's
very rare to see something likethis.
I think we had one like 10years after we opened, so like
20 something years ago.
We also had a big lobster.
(02:07):
I think it was the second yearwe were open.
It was over 25 pounds.
Wow, if you can imagine what 25pounds a regular lobster is
like a pound and a quarter, apound and a half, so it was like
20 times that big and it was inthe bottom of a crate and we
ended up going internationalwith radio stations and stuff.
And it was in the bottom of acrate and we ended up going
international with radiostations and stuff and we
(02:28):
actually flew the lobster backfirst class on Air Canada.
My brother put him back in thewater because he's a diver.
So that's a cool lobster storythere.
Xavier (02:37):
You were talking about some other stuff that you found
that are really rare.
What is the rarest creaturethat you have found?
Ron (02:44):
really rare.
What is the rarest creaturethat you have found?
Probably the 25 pounder.
I've never, ever seen one again.
They're very rare that theywould actually catch them and
send them to us, becausenormally we just order, like I
said, pound and a half lobster.
So for them to send that up, Ithink it was a mistake by
somebody, and then it's the onlyone I've ever seen over 10
(03:05):
pounds in my whole life and I'veseen millions of lobster over
the last 40 years, so that wasvery rare to see that.
Emma (03:13):
So let's take it back to the beginning.
You're from Halifax and came toKW and started in 1986, started
Coddle's Catch.
What were some of thechallenges you faced when you
first started the business?
Ron (03:26):
So I was born in Halifax, went to school down there and I
went into retail management.
I was very successful in it,but they wanted to send me to
Toronto and I didn't want tolive in Toronto.
So the reason we opened aseafood business was because
every time I went back home allmy friends up in Kitchener asked
me to bring lobster and salmonback.
(03:47):
I said you know what that mightbe a good idea?
Maybe there's not enoughseafood around here.
So not just that I was fromHalifax, but we did some
research and said you know what?
I think there's an opportunityto open up a seafood store and
it was very hard at thebeginning.
The biggest challenge wasmarketing, like letting people
(04:08):
know in Kitchener-Waterloo thatwe actually opened a store
because, unbeknownst to you guys, there was no social media back
then.
So we didn't have any freemarketing.
We had to, you know, spend ourmoney wisely, whether it was TV,
radio, newspapers, magazinesand that was the biggest
challenge that we had when weopened our first retail store.
Emma (04:30):
You remember what was the most impactful way to advertise?
Ron (04:36):
I think it was probably the newspaper, because back then
again everybody read thenewspaper every day.
I would suspect 90% of thehouseholds.
Back in 1986 got the Waterlooregional record and so that was
the best way and cheapest way toget in front of people.
Xavier (04:53):
So, on the other side, what was the most fun you had
when you started the business?
Ron (04:58):
Getting to meet other business people, other
entrepreneurs like we joined thechamber of commerce and just to
talk to some peers that werealso in the process of opening
businesses or had someexperience that they could pass
on to me, and I think the otherthing was meeting customers for
the first time and talking abouthow to cook seafood properly.
(05:19):
Those were probably the twobest things when we opened the
business.
Emma (05:24):
What do you think was the most valuable thing you learned
from the people you met at theearly stages of your business?
Ron (05:29):
Again, I would go back to talking to peers, joining
business groups, the Center forFamily Business, the Chamber of
Commerce and just getting outthere and talking to people.
Some other ways was joiningcharity organizations or boards
and getting to meet other peoplethat were volunteering at the
same time.
So valuable lessons from peoplethat were older than me, and
(05:54):
some were very helpful.
Emma (05:55):
You have lots of fresh seafood and live lobster, so how
do you acquire these items andhow do they stay fresh?
Ron (06:02):
Yeah, a lot of people don't know the logistics.
So, modern logistics now thetemperature is never sacrificed,
whether it's on an airplane orin a refrigerated truck from the
East Coast.
So a lot of our not asperishable stuff gets sent to
Moncton, new Brunswick.
So from Newfoundland and BEI,nova Scotia, it all gets sent to
(06:23):
Moncton, new Brunswick and itgets put on a refrigerated truck
and is delivered to usovernight in 20 hours right to
our back door.
So it's super fresh.
Other ways we do it is flystuff in Air Canada cargo or
cargo jet into Hamilton and ofcourse that is a two-hour flight
and we have refrigerated trucksand a refrigerate receiving
area, a huge cooler that's like4,000 square feet and a freezer.
(06:44):
And we have refrigerated trucksand a refrigerate receiving
area, a huge cooler that's like4,000 square feet and a freezer.
And we also have a marineaquatic system that holds up to
10,000 pounds of live lobster.
Emma (06:54):
Wow.
Ron (06:55):
So, yeah, you got to come in and see it, sometimes Pretty
cool.
Xavier (06:58):
What is your favorite type of seafood?
Ron (07:00):
My favorite type of seafood probably salmon, shrimp, trout,
tuna, lobster, crab.
I don't really have a favoritebecause there's so many of them
that I like, I think on a weeklybasis, would be salmon and
trout.
And when we entertain, ofcourse, when anybody comes over
the house, they expect lobsterand shrimp.
So, we always do a little bit ofsurf and surf or surf and turf,
(07:22):
so it's been fun to get intothe knowledge of cooking all the
different types of seafood,because everybody thinks we know
how to cook seafood so they'realways asking questions on
what's the best way to do itthere.
Codfather.
Xavier (07:38):
We watched the Godfather a couple of months back.
That's really funny.
Ron (07:43):
So my dad called me the Codfather.
That's kind of my handleeverywhere.
Emma (07:49):
What is your favorite type of seafood recipe to prepare
and what's your favorite type toeat?
Ron (07:54):
Probably one of the nicest ones is tuna.
So we bring in yellowfin tuna,we fly it in twice a week.
It's kind of like a restaurantmeal, so people don't really
expect it at home.
So you get a nice thick steak,about an inch and a half, two
inches thick, and you rub itwith a little bit of olive oil
and you pat it in some ontoasted sesame seeds and then
(08:16):
you just sear it in a little bitof olive oil on every side.
So all you're doing is toastingthe coconuts and the inside is
rare, just like at a Japaneserestaurant.
And then I make a little bit ofmixture, a soy sauce and a
teriyaki sauce.
You warm that up and then yousee a side cut the tuna, so you
see all the rare center and thenyou drizzle the teriyaki and
(08:40):
soy sauce over top of it andit's I usually put it on like a
Japanese slaw or something, soit looks even better and tastes
even better.
So that's one of my favoritethings to make.
Xavier (08:51):
Wow, that sounds really delicious.
Ron (08:54):
It is.
Xavier (08:55):
But what would be an easy seafood recipe, like an
easier one that we could cook inour own house?
Ron (09:04):
So a simple recipe and I've taught my own kids this is to
take a piece of salmon, wash itoff in ice-cold water and then
you pat it down with a Dijonmustard.
So you rub the whole top withthe Dijon mustard so it's
completely covered everywhere.
And then the fun part you getto drizzle brown sugar on it.
Oh, so the Dijon mustard andthe brown sugar kind of
(09:28):
complement each other.
So then you put it on a cookiesheet, on some parchment paper,
in the oven at 375.
You bake it for 10 to 12minutes, depending on the
thickness of the salmon, andthen at the very end I like to
put it under a low broiler toget a little bit of crust with
the brown sugar, and it tastesfantastic.
(09:48):
It's only two items that youhave to add to it and it's
really simple to cook and tastesdelicious that sounds so good
it's fun and it's healthy ohyeah
oh well except for maybe alittle bit of the brown sugar
that's okay.
Emma (10:02):
Everyone needs a bit of brown sugar exactly for anybody
else who wants to make it, we'llput the recipe in the show
notes.
You were very involved in thecommunity and support so many
different charities, so what wasthe first charity you got
involved with and why?
Ron (10:17):
The first one was with the Grand River Hospital Foundation,
and I actually volunteeredthere with your mom, oh yeah.
So we were on a committee andfrom that committee I went to
the board and from the board Iwas the board chair for five
years and I'm still associatedwith the Grand River Hospital as
(10:38):
an ambassador.
Emma (10:39):
What does it mean to be an ambassador with the hospital?
Ron (10:42):
So you just spread the good news, so we get fed all the
proper information on what'sgoing on at the hospital and
what's going on in thefoundation.
Because, believe it or not,even though that was over 10
years ago, people still think Irun the hospital Because I was
there for so long.
And when people see me out atbusiness events or social events
(11:04):
they go hey, ron, what's goingon at the hospital, what's new,
what's exciting?
So I make it a point to get asmuch information as I can and
then just be goodwill ambassadorfor them it's good, awesome to
hear.
Xavier (11:17):
So we saw online that you recently did a polar plunge
to raise money for the specialolympics that was cold so what
was it like to?
To jump into the freezing waterso it's.
Ron (11:30):
I've been doing it for six years now, and um the first time
we did it, uh, the air wascolder than the water, so they
put ice in the water, but it wasminus 35 with the wind chill
that day oh my gosh so, comingout of the water we literally
got frostbite on our fingers andtoes, like like preliminary
frostbite, so just tingling andall that stuff.
(11:53):
So it's for such a good cause,though, like for Special
Olympics, we get to meet some ofthe Special Olympic athletes
and their families, and when yousee how much it means to them,
you know jumping in the coldwater for a couple of minutes is
really nothing.
So it does start to bother me.
I'll admit, 24 hours before Ihave to do it, I start thinking
(12:13):
about how cold the water isgoing to be.
But it's for such a good causeI look forward to doing it every
year, and I was the largestindividual fundraiser in Ontario
this year.
Emma (12:25):
Oh my gosh, that's awesome .
There's a lot jumping in thatcold water can do.
Ron (12:30):
Well, I email all my friends, Emma, and ask them,
because I said if I'm jumping inthe cold water and you're not,
you should be sponsoring me.
I email all my friends.
Xavier (12:40):
So we started to do some ice baths a couple months ago.
Oh cool, it's definitely not ascold.
It's only about like 10 degrees, I think, but it's still really
cold.
Ron (12:51):
Well, that's a good start, Xavier.
So next, next year, maybe I'llget you to do the polar puns
with me.
Xavier (12:56):
Yeah, oh my gosh, I would love to do that.
Ron (12:58):
Right, it's very fun.
Emma (13:00):
Yes, how long do you stay in there for?
Ron (13:03):
The fun thing is you come up with like an outfit that's
unique to you, so it can be likewhatever you want, like a fish,
or whatever.
You're standing on the podiumand they announce your name and
then you just jump in the water.
There's divers in the water incase something happens, they'll
get you out right away.
So you're only in there forlike seconds, like 10, 20
seconds, and they actually havea hot tub now that you can jump
(13:26):
into afterwards.
Emma (13:26):
So it's like a hot, cold bath 10 to 20 seconds is
definitely feels a lot longerwhen you're in the water.
Ron (13:32):
It does, it does, I would definitely do that.
Xavier (13:35):
That sounds really fun.
Emma (13:37):
What was your outfit last year, though?
Ron (13:39):
I did the cod quader this year.
Oh, yeah.
Emma (13:57):
That's awesome, so I had my hat on and sunglasses and a.
Oh yeah, special Olympics.
We talked to Constable JohnBurke that is an episode coming
in later who is in charge of theSpecial Olympics.
So can you tell us how you andthe Polar Plunge are involved in
the Special Olympics.
Ron (14:13):
Yeah, so I was on the committee back in 2020.
And because we're bringing thisOntario Spring Games to the
Waterloo region, but COVIDstopped that.
So now we're doing the springgames this year May 23rd to 26th
, and I just did a fundraiserdinner with John last night at
Deer Ridge.
We had 50 people in for a surfand turf dinner that I sponsored
(14:35):
and we raised over $15,000 forSpecial Olympics so again.
It's you know, once you meet theathletes and the families and
see the difference you can makein helping them.
It means so much to them toparticipate in the Special
Olympics, it's like thehighlight of their year.
And you know, for us to do acouple of things to help raise
(14:56):
some money to support them seemsso small in the reality of
things.
So we're just glad that wecould do it.
Emma (15:03):
It's really amazing to see the impact that it has on the
athletes.
Ron (15:06):
It is.
Xavier (15:07):
We heard that you recently joined the Council for
the Royal Highland Fusiliers.
Can you tell us a little bitabout that?
Ron (15:14):
Yeah, it supports a regiment of reserve in Cambridge
.
It's been around for a longtime I think over 100 years and
because my dad was in the ArmedForces I grew up in an Armed
Forces base.
It was kind of near and dear tomy heart and when I talked to
Jane Klugman about it she saidyou would be a great fit for
(15:36):
that with your communityinvolvement and your enthusiasm
and the history of living on anArmed Forces base.
So it really was a no-brainerfor me and I'm really glad I did
it and to bring some knowledgeto the local community about
that.
You know these people actuallyserve in wars Some of our
(15:56):
reserves have been over inAfghanistan and peacekeeping
missions and they have to trainto the highest level to be ready
for this stuff and it's reallygood to be involved in that and
to let the community know whatwe do right here in the Waterloo
region.
Emma (16:10):
So you mentioned that you are on the council, so what is
the role of someone on thecouncil as part of the RHFS?
Ron (16:17):
It's really about raising funds and bringing awareness to
what the Royal HighlandsUsulaires do, and they have a
whole bunch of community members, business people that volunteer
to do that, and somebody likeJean has rose up to the honorary
lieutenant colonel for thecouncil, so that's a really big
role like lots of time.
(16:39):
But we have galas andfundraisers.
We advise them on stuff to makethem viable, so we're really
just helping them what they dobest and that's be ready for
peacekeeping.
Xavier (16:51):
So you talked about living on an army base.
What was it like to live there?
Ron (16:57):
So it was actually a naval air base.
I grew up on Halifax Harbor andI can remember as a young boy
seeing submarines and aircraftcarriers, like we had an
aircraft carrier called theBonaventure.
I've been on most of the shipsbecause my dad was on a lot of
them, so to be able to get atour and walk around on a Navy
(17:20):
ship that has helicopters on itand stuff was really awesome as
a young person and I feel veryprivileged to have had that
opportunity to see and do someof the boats and some of the
aircrafts.
Xavier (17:32):
Were you ever able to ride any of the like helicopters
or fighter jets?
Ron (17:37):
No, because of insurance things, we weren't allowed to go
up in them.
Ed did all of them.
I got to go on the ships and weactually went outside of
Halifax Harbor on a ship beforeand that was pretty cool.
To see some of the guns and theradar and all the neat
technology that they have onthem is pretty awesome.
Xavier (17:56):
That sounds so fun.
Ron (17:58):
Mm-hmm, growing up on Halifax Harbor was an experience
yourself.
I don't know if you guys haveever been to Halifax.
Xavier (18:05):
Yeah, we actually went a couple years.
Guys have ever been to Halifax.
Yeah, we actually went a coupleof years back here to Halifax
and around.
Ron (18:09):
So you know what it's like then.
Like you know the cruise shipsand the Coast Guard and the Navy
ships and the oil rigs, it'slike watching a movie when
you're in Halifax the harbor isso active all the time.
Xavier (18:20):
It's a really nice harbor.
Emma (18:29):
What do you think the biggest?
Ron (18:30):
difference is not even just in the seafood business but
just in the area of where youare now and Halifax.
That's a great question.
So the East Coast you guys havebeen there is a little bit
different vibe.
Down there the people are alittle bit more relaxed.
I want to say it's not thehustle and bustle of the 401 all
the time.
I definitely think that's true,yeah, yeah, so, but I miss Nova
Scotia a lot.
It's my mother still lives downthere she's 89.
(18:52):
And I have two brothers downthere and lots of friends, and I
brainwashed my kids my twodaughters and my son that Nova
Scotia is the best place, sothey always want to go there too
.
Emma (19:05):
It's a fun spot for sure.
Ron (19:06):
Yes.
Emma (19:07):
Do you have any advice for young people, either starting a
business or how to get involvedwith a charity?
Ron (19:13):
Okay, kind of two different things.
Starting a business I wouldencourage them to do as much
research as they can in whateverfield they're thinking of
starting the business.
I really believe that you haveto have a passion for whatever
it is so like.
If you didn't like seafood,don't open a seafood business.
Also, for the businessdefinitely have a business plan
(19:34):
and get advisors, which issomething I didn't really do.
I just had a lot of passion anda lot of knowledge of seafood,
but I would have been a lotbetter off with a more formal
business plan back then too.
So I'd encourage people to dothat.
Charities the charity does gohand in hand with the business,
(19:54):
because I always thought it wasa good way for our company to
give back and then it was a winbecause you're giving back to
the community but you're alsomarketing your company.
So I would encourage you knowyoung entrepreneurs to align
themselves with some charitiesand then it's a win for the
community.
It'll help your business besuccessful and it will help the
(20:14):
charity be successful.
Xavier (20:17):
So thank you so much for being on the podcast.
We had so much fun talking toyou and we learned so much.
Ron (20:23):
Cool, cool.
Well, I encourage you to comeover to the store sometime and
I'll give you a tour and showyou the lobster tanks and some
of the products that we bring inevery week.
Xavier (20:33):
I would love to do that.
I would love to.
I love lobster so much.
Ron (20:38):
Oh, nice, nice.
One of my favorite things is tomake lobster rolls.
Emma (20:43):
Oh, those sound delicious.
Ron (20:44):
So you can imagine I could have lobster every day of the
year if I wanted to, every dayof the week if I wanted to, but
I really only have live lobstercooked about four times a year.
And then I do lobster tailsprobably about eight times a
year, but I do lobster rollsabout 12 times a year, so
they're definitely my favorite.
Emma (21:04):
Oh yeah, those sound good.
Ron (21:06):
Yes, they are.
Emma (21:07):
Thank you so much.
It was a lot of fun.
Ron (21:10):
Good Thanks for having me and I look forward to seeing you
soon.
Emma (21:16):
Thank you for listening and I know all the shows.
You probably listened to saythis, but if you enjoy this
episode, please follow and ratethe podcast.
Xavier (21:23):
Also, we would love to connect with you and hear your
thoughts about our episodes.
You can find us on Instagram orvisit our website.
The links are in the show notes.
Thanks for tuning in.
Bye.
The charity does go hand in hand with the business, because
I always thought it was a goodway for our company to give back
and then it was a win becauseyou're giving back to the
community but you're alsomarketing your company.
So I would encourage youngentrepreneurs to align
themselves with some charitiesand then it's a win for the
community.
(00:20):
It'll help your business besuccessful and it will help the
charity be successful.
Community.
It'll help your business besuccessful and it will help the
charity be successful.
Xavier (00:28):
Hi, welcome to Curious Conversations, a podcast for
kids, by kids.
I'm one of your hosts.
Emma (00:39):
Xavier, and I'm your other host, emma, and we're so
excited to bring you anotherseason of interesting
discussions with people from allwalks of life, to learn about
their passions and what inspiresthem.
Xavier (00:51):
We are still as curious as ever, and we hope you will
join us on our journey.
Today we have an awesome guestthat you guys are going to love.
He's been a successful businessleader in the
Kitchener-Waterloo region forover 40 years.
His name is Ron Cottle and heis the owner of Cottle's Catch,
a seafood business that sellsall over Canada.
He also has a very big passionfor giving back to his community
.
He's been involved with so manydifferent organizations,
(01:13):
including the Grand RiverHospital and the Special
Olympics.
Ron has some amazing stories totell, and we talk about some of
the weirdest lobsters he's evercame across and some crazy
tales about polar plunges.
Plus, he's got some awesomeadvice for young entrepreneurs
who are just starting out.
Emma (01:30):
Welcome, Ron.
Thank you for being on thepodcast.
Ron (01:33):
Thank you for having me, of course.
Xavier (01:36):
So the first thing we wanted to ask you about is that
orange lobster that you found.
What was it like to find it,and did the Toronto Aquarium
take it?
Ron (01:45):
No, the Toronto Aquarium take it.
No, the Toronto Aquarium didn't.
We're in contact with anotheraquarium on the East Coast in
Pictou, nova Scotia, sohopefully they're going to.
I've been in the seafoodbusiness for 39 years and it's
very rare to see something likethis.
I think we had one like 10years after we opened, so like
20 something years ago.
We also had a big lobster.
(02:07):
I think it was the second yearwe were open.
It was over 25 pounds.
Wow, if you can imagine what 25pounds a regular lobster is
like a pound and a quarter, apound and a half, so it was like
20 times that big and it was inthe bottom of a crate and we
ended up going internationalwith radio stations and stuff.
And it was in the bottom of acrate and we ended up going
international with radiostations and stuff and we
(02:28):
actually flew the lobster backfirst class on Air Canada.
My brother put him back in thewater because he's a diver.
So that's a cool lobster storythere.
Xavier (02:37):
You were talking about some other stuff that you found
that are really rare.
What is the rarest creaturethat you have found?
Ron (02:44):
really rare.
What is the rarest creaturethat you have found?
Probably the 25 pounder.
I've never, ever seen one again.
They're very rare that theywould actually catch them and
send them to us, becausenormally we just order, like I
said, pound and a half lobster.
So for them to send that up, Ithink it was a mistake by
somebody, and then it's the onlyone I've ever seen over 10
(03:05):
pounds in my whole life and I'veseen millions of lobster over
the last 40 years, so that wasvery rare to see that.
Emma (03:13):
So let's take it back to the beginning.
You're from Halifax and came toKW and started in 1986, started
Coddle's Catch.
What were some of thechallenges you faced when you
first started the business?
Ron (03:26):
So I was born in Halifax, went to school down there and I
went into retail management.
I was very successful in it,but they wanted to send me to
Toronto and I didn't want tolive in Toronto.
So the reason we opened aseafood business was because
every time I went back home allmy friends up in Kitchener asked
me to bring lobster and salmonback.
(03:47):
I said you know what that mightbe a good idea?
Maybe there's not enoughseafood around here.
So not just that I was fromHalifax, but we did some
research and said you know what?
I think there's an opportunityto open up a seafood store and
it was very hard at thebeginning.
The biggest challenge wasmarketing, like letting people
(04:08):
know in Kitchener-Waterloo thatwe actually opened a store
because, unbeknownst to you guys, there was no social media back
then.
So we didn't have any freemarketing.
We had to, you know, spend ourmoney wisely, whether it was TV,
radio, newspapers, magazinesand that was the biggest
challenge that we had when weopened our first retail store.
Emma (04:30):
You remember what was the most impactful way to advertise?
Ron (04:36):
I think it was probably the newspaper, because back then
again everybody read thenewspaper every day.
I would suspect 90% of thehouseholds.
Back in 1986 got the Waterlooregional record and so that was
the best way and cheapest way toget in front of people.
Xavier (04:53):
So, on the other side, what was the most fun you had
when you started the business?
Ron (04:58):
Getting to meet other business people, other
entrepreneurs like we joined thechamber of commerce and just to
talk to some peers that werealso in the process of opening
businesses or had someexperience that they could pass
on to me, and I think the otherthing was meeting customers for
the first time and talking abouthow to cook seafood properly.
(05:19):
Those were probably the twobest things when we opened the
business.
Emma (05:24):
What do you think was the most valuable thing you learned
from the people you met at theearly stages of your business?
Ron (05:29):
Again, I would go back to talking to peers, joining
business groups, the Center forFamily Business, the Chamber of
Commerce and just getting outthere and talking to people.
Some other ways was joiningcharity organizations or boards
and getting to meet other peoplethat were volunteering at the
same time.
So valuable lessons from peoplethat were older than me, and
(05:54):
some were very helpful.
Emma (05:55):
You have lots of fresh seafood and live lobster, so how
do you acquire these items andhow do they stay fresh?
Ron (06:02):
Yeah, a lot of people don't know the logistics.
So, modern logistics now thetemperature is never sacrificed,
whether it's on an airplane orin a refrigerated truck from the
East Coast.
So a lot of our not asperishable stuff gets sent to
Moncton, new Brunswick.
So from Newfoundland and BEI,nova Scotia, it all gets sent to
(06:23):
Moncton, new Brunswick and itgets put on a refrigerated truck
and is delivered to usovernight in 20 hours right to
our back door.
So it's super fresh.
Other ways we do it is flystuff in Air Canada cargo or
cargo jet into Hamilton and ofcourse that is a two-hour flight
and we have refrigerated trucksand a refrigerate receiving
area, a huge cooler that's like4,000 square feet and a freezer.
(06:44):
And we have refrigerated trucksand a refrigerate receiving
area, a huge cooler that's like4,000 square feet and a freezer.
And we also have a marineaquatic system that holds up to
10,000 pounds of live lobster.
Emma (06:54):
Wow.
Ron (06:55):
So, yeah, you got to come in and see it, sometimes Pretty
cool.
Xavier (06:58):
What is your favorite type of seafood?
Ron (07:00):
My favorite type of seafood probably salmon, shrimp, trout,
tuna, lobster, crab.
I don't really have a favoritebecause there's so many of them
that I like, I think on a weeklybasis, would be salmon and
trout.
And when we entertain, ofcourse, when anybody comes over
the house, they expect lobsterand shrimp.
So, we always do a little bit ofsurf and surf or surf and turf,
(07:22):
so it's been fun to get intothe knowledge of cooking all the
different types of seafood,because everybody thinks we know
how to cook seafood so they'realways asking questions on
what's the best way to do itthere.
Codfather.
Xavier (07:38):
We watched the Godfather a couple of months back.
That's really funny.
Ron (07:43):
So my dad called me the Codfather.
That's kind of my handleeverywhere.
Emma (07:49):
What is your favorite type of seafood recipe to prepare
and what's your favorite type toeat?
Ron (07:54):
Probably one of the nicest ones is tuna.
So we bring in yellowfin tuna,we fly it in twice a week.
It's kind of like a restaurantmeal, so people don't really
expect it at home.
So you get a nice thick steak,about an inch and a half, two
inches thick, and you rub itwith a little bit of olive oil
and you pat it in some ontoasted sesame seeds and then
(08:16):
you just sear it in a little bitof olive oil on every side.
So all you're doing is toastingthe coconuts and the inside is
rare, just like at a Japaneserestaurant.
And then I make a little bit ofmixture, a soy sauce and a
teriyaki sauce.
You warm that up and then yousee a side cut the tuna, so you
see all the rare center and thenyou drizzle the teriyaki and
(08:40):
soy sauce over top of it andit's I usually put it on like a
Japanese slaw or something, soit looks even better and tastes
even better.
So that's one of my favoritethings to make.
Xavier (08:51):
Wow, that sounds really delicious.
Ron (08:54):
It is.
Xavier (08:55):
But what would be an easy seafood recipe, like an
easier one that we could cook inour own house?
Ron (09:04):
So a simple recipe and I've taught my own kids this is to
take a piece of salmon, wash itoff in ice-cold water and then
you pat it down with a Dijonmustard.
So you rub the whole top withthe Dijon mustard so it's
completely covered everywhere.
And then the fun part you getto drizzle brown sugar on it.
Oh, so the Dijon mustard andthe brown sugar kind of
(09:28):
complement each other.
So then you put it on a cookiesheet, on some parchment paper,
in the oven at 375.
You bake it for 10 to 12minutes, depending on the
thickness of the salmon, andthen at the very end I like to
put it under a low broiler toget a little bit of crust with
the brown sugar, and it tastesfantastic.
(09:48):
It's only two items that youhave to add to it and it's
really simple to cook and tastesdelicious that sounds so good
it's fun and it's healthy ohyeah
oh well except for maybe alittle bit of the brown sugar
that's okay.
Emma (10:02):
Everyone needs a bit of brown sugar exactly for anybody
else who wants to make it, we'llput the recipe in the show
notes.
You were very involved in thecommunity and support so many
different charities, so what wasthe first charity you got
involved with and why?
Ron (10:17):
The first one was with the Grand River Hospital Foundation,
and I actually volunteeredthere with your mom, oh yeah.
So we were on a committee andfrom that committee I went to
the board and from the board Iwas the board chair for five
years and I'm still associatedwith the Grand River Hospital as
(10:38):
an ambassador.
Emma (10:39):
What does it mean to be an ambassador with the hospital?
Ron (10:42):
So you just spread the good news, so we get fed all the
proper information on what'sgoing on at the hospital and
what's going on in thefoundation.
Because, believe it or not,even though that was over 10
years ago, people still think Irun the hospital Because I was
there for so long.
And when people see me out atbusiness events or social events
(11:04):
they go hey, ron, what's goingon at the hospital, what's new,
what's exciting?
So I make it a point to get asmuch information as I can and
then just be goodwill ambassadorfor them it's good, awesome to
hear.
Xavier (11:17):
So we saw online that you recently did a polar plunge
to raise money for the specialolympics that was cold so what
was it like to?
To jump into the freezing waterso it's.
Ron (11:30):
I've been doing it for six years now, and um the first time
we did it, uh, the air wascolder than the water, so they
put ice in the water, but it wasminus 35 with the wind chill
that day oh my gosh so, comingout of the water we literally
got frostbite on our fingers andtoes, like like preliminary
frostbite, so just tingling andall that stuff.
(11:53):
So it's for such a good cause,though, like for Special
Olympics, we get to meet some ofthe Special Olympic athletes
and their families, and when yousee how much it means to them,
you know jumping in the coldwater for a couple of minutes is
really nothing.
So it does start to bother me.
I'll admit, 24 hours before Ihave to do it, I start thinking
(12:13):
about how cold the water isgoing to be.
But it's for such a good causeI look forward to doing it every
year, and I was the largestindividual fundraiser in Ontario
this year.
Emma (12:25):
Oh my gosh, that's awesome .
There's a lot jumping in thatcold water can do.
Ron (12:30):
Well, I email all my friends, Emma, and ask them,
because I said if I'm jumping inthe cold water and you're not,
you should be sponsoring me.
I email all my friends.
Xavier (12:40):
So we started to do some ice baths a couple months ago.
Oh cool, it's definitely not ascold.
It's only about like 10 degrees, I think, but it's still really
cold.
Ron (12:51):
Well, that's a good start, Xavier.
So next, next year, maybe I'llget you to do the polar puns
with me.
Xavier (12:56):
Yeah, oh my gosh, I would love to do that.
Ron (12:58):
Right, it's very fun.
Emma (13:00):
Yes, how long do you stay in there for?
Ron (13:03):
The fun thing is you come up with like an outfit that's
unique to you, so it can be likewhatever you want, like a fish,
or whatever.
You're standing on the podiumand they announce your name and
then you just jump in the water.
There's divers in the water incase something happens, they'll
get you out right away.
So you're only in there forlike seconds, like 10, 20
seconds, and they actually havea hot tub now that you can jump
(13:26):
into afterwards.
Emma (13:26):
So it's like a hot, cold bath 10 to 20 seconds is
definitely feels a lot longerwhen you're in the water.
Ron (13:32):
It does, it does, I would definitely do that.
Xavier (13:35):
That sounds really fun.
Emma (13:37):
What was your outfit last year, though?
Ron (13:39):
I did the cod quader this year.
Oh, yeah.
Emma (13:57):
That's awesome, so I had my hat on and sunglasses and a.
Oh yeah, special Olympics.
We talked to Constable JohnBurke that is an episode coming
in later who is in charge of theSpecial Olympics.
So can you tell us how you andthe Polar Plunge are involved in
the Special Olympics.
Ron (14:13):
Yeah, so I was on the committee back in 2020.
And because we're bringing thisOntario Spring Games to the
Waterloo region, but COVIDstopped that.
So now we're doing the springgames this year May 23rd to 26th
, and I just did a fundraiserdinner with John last night at
Deer Ridge.
We had 50 people in for a surfand turf dinner that I sponsored
(14:35):
and we raised over $15,000 forSpecial Olympics so again.
It's you know, once you meet theathletes and the families and
see the difference you can makein helping them.
It means so much to them toparticipate in the Special
Olympics, it's like thehighlight of their year.
And you know, for us to do acouple of things to help raise
(14:56):
some money to support them seemsso small in the reality of
things.
So we're just glad that wecould do it.
Emma (15:03):
It's really amazing to see the impact that it has on the
athletes.
Ron (15:06):
It is.
Xavier (15:07):
We heard that you recently joined the Council for
the Royal Highland Fusiliers.
Can you tell us a little bitabout that?
Ron (15:14):
Yeah, it supports a regiment of reserve in Cambridge
.
It's been around for a longtime I think over 100 years and
because my dad was in the ArmedForces I grew up in an Armed
Forces base.
It was kind of near and dear tomy heart and when I talked to
Jane Klugman about it she saidyou would be a great fit for
(15:36):
that with your communityinvolvement and your enthusiasm
and the history of living on anArmed Forces base.
So it really was a no-brainerfor me and I'm really glad I did
it and to bring some knowledgeto the local community about
that.
You know these people actuallyserve in wars Some of our
(15:56):
reserves have been over inAfghanistan and peacekeeping
missions and they have to trainto the highest level to be ready
for this stuff and it's reallygood to be involved in that and
to let the community know whatwe do right here in the Waterloo
region.
Emma (16:10):
So you mentioned that you are on the council, so what is
the role of someone on thecouncil as part of the RHFS?
Ron (16:17):
It's really about raising funds and bringing awareness to
what the Royal HighlandsUsulaires do, and they have a
whole bunch of community members, business people that volunteer
to do that, and somebody likeJean has rose up to the honorary
lieutenant colonel for thecouncil, so that's a really big
role like lots of time.
(16:39):
But we have galas andfundraisers.
We advise them on stuff to makethem viable, so we're really
just helping them what they dobest and that's be ready for
peacekeeping.
Xavier (16:51):
So you talked about living on an army base.
What was it like to live there?
Ron (16:57):
So it was actually a naval air base.
I grew up on Halifax Harbor andI can remember as a young boy
seeing submarines and aircraftcarriers, like we had an
aircraft carrier called theBonaventure.
I've been on most of the shipsbecause my dad was on a lot of
them, so to be able to get atour and walk around on a Navy
(17:20):
ship that has helicopters on itand stuff was really awesome as
a young person and I feel veryprivileged to have had that
opportunity to see and do someof the boats and some of the
aircrafts.
Xavier (17:32):
Were you ever able to ride any of the like helicopters
or fighter jets?
Ron (17:37):
No, because of insurance things, we weren't allowed to go
up in them.
Ed did all of them.
I got to go on the ships and weactually went outside of
Halifax Harbor on a ship beforeand that was pretty cool.
To see some of the guns and theradar and all the neat
technology that they have onthem is pretty awesome.
Xavier (17:56):
That sounds so fun.
Ron (17:58):
Mm-hmm, growing up on Halifax Harbor was an experience
yourself.
I don't know if you guys haveever been to Halifax.
Xavier (18:05):
Yeah, we actually went a couple years.
Guys have ever been to Halifax.
Yeah, we actually went a coupleof years back here to Halifax
and around.
Ron (18:09):
So you know what it's like then.
Like you know the cruise shipsand the Coast Guard and the Navy
ships and the oil rigs, it'slike watching a movie when
you're in Halifax the harbor isso active all the time.
Xavier (18:20):
It's a really nice harbor.
Emma (18:29):
What do you think the biggest?
Ron (18:30):
difference is not even just in the seafood business but
just in the area of where youare now and Halifax.
That's a great question.
So the East Coast you guys havebeen there is a little bit
different vibe.
Down there the people are alittle bit more relaxed.
I want to say it's not thehustle and bustle of the 401 all
the time.
I definitely think that's true,yeah, yeah, so, but I miss Nova
Scotia a lot.
It's my mother still lives downthere she's 89.
(18:52):
And I have two brothers downthere and lots of friends, and I
brainwashed my kids my twodaughters and my son that Nova
Scotia is the best place, sothey always want to go there too
.
Emma (19:05):
It's a fun spot for sure.
Ron (19:06):
Yes.
Emma (19:07):
Do you have any advice for young people, either starting a
business or how to get involvedwith a charity?
Ron (19:13):
Okay, kind of two different things.
Starting a business I wouldencourage them to do as much
research as they can in whateverfield they're thinking of
starting the business.
I really believe that you haveto have a passion for whatever
it is so like.
If you didn't like seafood,don't open a seafood business.
Also, for the businessdefinitely have a business plan
(19:34):
and get advisors, which issomething I didn't really do.
I just had a lot of passion anda lot of knowledge of seafood,
but I would have been a lotbetter off with a more formal
business plan back then too.
So I'd encourage people to dothat.
Charities the charity does gohand in hand with the business,
(19:54):
because I always thought it wasa good way for our company to
give back and then it was a winbecause you're giving back to
the community but you're alsomarketing your company.
So I would encourage you knowyoung entrepreneurs to align
themselves with some charitiesand then it's a win for the
community.
It'll help your business besuccessful and it will help the
(20:14):
charity be successful.
Xavier (20:17):
So thank you so much for being on the podcast.
We had so much fun talking toyou and we learned so much.
Ron (20:23):
Cool, cool.
Well, I encourage you to comeover to the store sometime and
I'll give you a tour and showyou the lobster tanks and some
of the products that we bring inevery week.
Xavier (20:33):
I would love to do that.
I would love to.
I love lobster so much.
Ron (20:38):
Oh, nice, nice.
One of my favorite things is tomake lobster rolls.
Emma (20:43):
Oh, those sound delicious.
Ron (20:44):
So you can imagine I could have lobster every day of the
year if I wanted to, every dayof the week if I wanted to, but
I really only have live lobstercooked about four times a year.
And then I do lobster tailsprobably about eight times a
year, but I do lobster rollsabout 12 times a year, so
they're definitely my favorite.
Emma (21:04):
Oh yeah, those sound good.
Ron (21:06):
Yes, they are.
Emma (21:07):
Thank you so much.
It was a lot of fun.
Ron (21:10):
Good Thanks for having me and I look forward to seeing you
soon.
Emma (21:16):
Thank you for listening and I know all the shows.
You probably listened to saythis, but if you enjoy this
episode, please follow and ratethe podcast.
Xavier (21:23):
Also, we would love to connect with you and hear your
thoughts about our episodes.
You can find us on Instagram orvisit our website.
The links are in the show notes.
Thanks for tuning in.
Bye.
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