August 20, 2025 • 25 mins
Rob Chung shares his journey from Christian school graduate to corporate retail leader, revealing how purposeful listening and genuine care became the foundation of his leadership approach. He discusses pivotal moments that shaped his impact on colleagues and executives alike, demonstrating how faith can meaningfully integrate with business leadership.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome to the Leader Impact Podcast.
We are a community of leaderswith a network in over 350
cities around the world,dedicated to optimizing our
personal, professional andspiritual lives to have impact.
This show is where we have achance to listen and engage with
leaders who are living this out.
We love talking with leaders,so if you have any questions,
comments or suggestions to makethis show even better, please
let us know.
(00:26):
I'm your host, lisa Peters, andour guest today is Rob Chung.
Born and raised in Toronto,ontario, rob was blessed with a
close family who loved the Lordand instilled in him values and
principles which have guided himthrough his life.
He graduated from YorkUniversity with a degree in
political science, then entereda career in corporate retail
with companies such as Bata andCanadian Tire, with roles
(00:47):
varying in marketing, purchasingand public relations.
In tandem with his businesscareer, he always had a passion
to invest into the lives ofothers and see them grow in
their spiritual walk.
Being involved with variousministries at his church, such
as the Alpha, outreach andDeveloping Discipleship Programs
, eventually led him to LeaderImpact.
This is where Rob feels he canuse his talents to mentor
(01:08):
business leaders to find purposeand meaning and inevitably
influence their world for Christ.
Welcome to the show, rob.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Thank you for having me, Lisa.
It's great to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
It is great to meet you.
I don't believe we've ever metbefore at any point.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
No, just a couple emails back and forth, but it's
great to put the name in theface.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yes, well, I'm excited to hear your story, more
about your professional story.
I gave a little bit of it inthe bio, but what I'm really
looking for is sort of thosepivotal moments, you know that,
really those snapshots thatchange your life, change the
direction, or whatever you got.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Do you have any?
Let me think I think I have afew.
I think I have a couple.
Um, yeah, I have.
I'm giving this some thoughtand it's really good that I can
share this with so many outthere and, um, hopefully,
influence some people for thebetter.
And, uh, I've had, uh, aninteresting journey and, as you
um, as you so described in mybio raised in a Christian home,
I was born and raised in Toronto, so Toronto is my home and I
(02:11):
live just north of Toronto andwent to school here, went to a
Christian school and went to allmy life.
So I have some lifelong friendsfrom grades one to 13.
And I went to this school andit was just a wonderful
experience in a chunk of my lifethe formative years.
And then I went to YorkUniversity and it was an
interesting area.
It was an interestingenvironment to be in because it
(02:33):
was the first time I had everbeen in a secular environment a
secular environment to say thatI had friends now who weren't
like myself, coming from aChristian home, christian school
.
They were coming from all kindsof belief systems and we were
studying together, we were doinglife together in those
(02:53):
university years and it wasthere that I really had a
passion to impact people in theworld around me, and I really
had.
I don't know if it was asensitivity or just a yearning
to reach out to thoseindividuals who were asking
questions and learning for themeaning and purpose in life, but
I think that's where it startedfor me.
So, even before business, I wasin the educational sector and
(03:16):
it started to spark in me thatyou know what these people not
only do they need a friend do,they need community, but they
need purpose and they needmeaning.
And we serve a God who providesall of that.
And how can I be a part of thatstory?
So I graduated from York and Istarted with a company called
the Bata Footwear Company, andthat's very Canadian, so if we
(03:39):
are speaking to a Canadianaudience here, those from a
generation past might understandand know that name.
So I went into that companyGreen, I was out of university
and I had a political sciencedegree and I also had public
relations under my belt and Istarted in the marketing
(04:00):
department and I worked my waythrough that company and I found
exactly the individuals that Iencountered at York University
in that office and they becamegood friends.
They were colleagues, they wereco-workers and we just had a
great connection.
And you know what, Lisa?
I was able in the Bata companyto start some small community
(04:24):
groups within the office whereand it wasn't leader impact, it
wasn't alpha, but we were ableto talk about life together and
and and just just journeythrough different experiences in
a corporate setting, buttogether.
And eventually I went from apart-time position, I went from
(04:44):
a part-time position, I went toa full-time position and, like I
said, in marketing andmerchandising, in-store setup,
online development, all of thosedifferent parts of the company,
and I eventually worked side byside by being Thomas Vada's
advisor.
He's the global, he was theglobal company architect of the
(05:05):
whole company and I worked withhim and his family.
We traveled the world.
I lived in Prague, czechRepublic, for six weeks and
studied the company there andyou know, it was just amazing to
see how the Lord had his handon me and that position to not
only influence colleagues andfriends alike, but the owner of
(05:26):
the company and havingopportunities to have some
really candid chats with him.
So I would say one of thepivotal moments for me along the
journey is coming from a smalllittle Christian school to
working alongside executives and, eventually, the leader of the
company, the CEO himself and Iwas able to have real life
(05:50):
conversations about life and Godand what it all means to be a
Christian and a Christ followerwith those individuals and
having the opportunities to dothat.
So that really changed thetrajectory of where I was going.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, I love that.
You know you first start withfriends and community, because
that's where it starts, is thetrust, and then you know,
working where you're at.
When you went to, when youtraveled to, countries like
Prague and Czech Republic, didyou, were you able to do
anything there, or was it moreof an in-out?
It was very quick, sort of, orwere there leadership teams
there that you got to sit with?
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Oh, absolutely Almost every day.
Yeah, there were leadershipgroups that I was able to sit
with and network with and thenform.
We actually formedsubcommittees out of those
groups.
So we were there to brainstormhow do we grow the business and
in making connections with thoseindividuals, we were also
growing the business, so we were.
(06:48):
It was like a a two prongedapproach when we got into those
meetings, but it was great and Istill can contact those
individuals today and we have astrong connection.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Wow, Great Pivotal moment.
Yeah, Coming from a Christianschool to where you know York,
where your account you're, youencounter everything you really
do, really do.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Yeah, you really do.
And you have to come.
When I walked into that arenaif I could call it an arena that
that, that university of 40,000, I came from a school of 300.
And now you're in a, you're ina form of 40,000.
You really have to.
You meet a lot of personalitiesand you really have to know how
to pivot relationships veryquickly and form them and take
(07:33):
people at face value and justmeet a lot of characters.
So it was interesting but again, like I said, just so enriching
for me personally.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Great story, rob, thank you.
Our next question is about yourbest principle of success, if
you have one, and maybe a storythat illustrates that.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
My best principle of success.
I was on the job and I'm goingto kind of couple this with also
a small failure as well and I,yeah, and I because the success,
the failure, led to the success, okay, and I realized I was
working on a project and I wasuh working with a team and I
(08:15):
started to do some some worksolo and I started to I wouldn't
say I went rogue, but I'm thekind of guy that I like to uh to
, to brainstorm, and I like tobranch out and do things um and
experiment a little.
And I was I think I was I wasmaybe biting off too much, like
too much, biting off more than Ican chew, and I was taking all
(08:36):
too much on my plate.
And I recognized, you know I'm,I'm part of a team here.
Why don't I utilize theresources with my other fellow
teammates?
And and it was a light bulbmoment, it was a wait a minute.
Have you ever had those moments, lisa?
Wait a minute.
(08:56):
We're doing this thing and I andI and I went out on a limb and
I tried a few things and somethings work, but a lot of things
did not.
And one of the reasons and I'mglad for that, because it taught
me some life lessons and one ofthe reasons it did not work is
because I did not collaboratewith others and my out of that
(09:17):
failing moment came a successmoment, because then I was able
to turn to other people and sayhey, you know what?
I need some help with this.
Hey, can you shoulder?
Can you shoulder this part ofthe journey, this leg of the
journey with me?
Can we do this together?
And when I did that, I foundthat not only did my success in
(09:39):
the project also enhance, but Ialso found that I was deepening
relationships with other peoplebecause I was collaborating with
them.
Deepening relationships withother people because I was
collaborating with them, notonly in the business and the
project we were doing, but I wasgetting to know them better and
they were getting to know mebetter and we were playing off
each other's strengths andcharacters and characteristics.
(10:01):
So that was a turning pointwith me that work together as a
team.
Remember that you're not doinglife alone, and you are here to
encourage, help and strengthenother people, and they're here
to do that to you as well.
So try not to be an island andtry not to be independent, and
that was really one of thefailing moments that turned into
(10:23):
a success story and even tothis day, I enjoy, thrive and
encourage team building andteamwork.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Yeah, it's very hard when you are in a failure to
know that this is the greatestplace to learn.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
It was tough at the moment, but when I look back in
hindsight, it was the besttraining ground for me, because
it taught me some life lessons,and not only what to do, but
what not to do.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah, this morning I was in a uh uh my leader impact
group meeting and we're studyingthe difference maker by John
Maxwell.
This morning we were talkingabout change and you know, and
at our age, you know, uh, I'm a55 year old female and talking
about my, and at our age, youknow I'm a 55 year old female
and talking about my my abilityto want to change is less, and
(11:13):
why, and the fear and everythingyou know it.
It really just goes back to alot of fear of I don't, I don't,
I've already done.
A lot of bad things havealready happened and I know I
learned, but I'm kind of donethat and it's, it's an attitude,
and that that's the book is.
Just it's your attitude ofchange.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely Totally on, totally
on point.
And if I can just referencethis tag on to what you said,
lisa, our leader impact group isstudying a book by John Acuff
called Soundtracks.
How can?
Speaker 2 (11:45):
we pause.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, how can we pause and hit stop to the
negative soundtracks andplaylists that sometimes replay
in our mind and how can we pressplay on the biblical truths
that should solidify in ourlives?
You know that the Lord has aplan and a purpose for us, that
he's always with us, will neverforsake us, put on the mind of
(12:08):
Christ, do not have fear,anxiety and worry and all of
those playlists that we shouldhave in life and should play
over and over and over in ourheads, but sometimes don't,
because we revert back to ourhuman nature, don't we?
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Yeah, it was funny because when I did this when I
lead these, I always am tryingto look for a conversation and I
went on to chat and I wasasking questions like why do I
fear change so much?
And just a personal questionand it said that I would, that
people would rather flight thanfight, they would rather run
from change than actually sit init and and take the fear on, or
(12:48):
take the change on, or, ohpardon.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
You got to embrace it Eh.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
So, um, yeah, great, uh, and even when you talk about
collaboration, it's just uh,versus telling them, don't tell
people, ask them right.
Collaborate with a team andyou'll get more out of everyone
out of yourself, out of yourteam?
Yeah, so I know we talked aboutlearning more from our mistakes
(13:17):
and failures.
Did you have another one youwanted to share?
Or was that because I'd love toyou know?
Just talk about how you're.
Oh, move on, is what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, that's one of the bigger ones.
That's one of the bigger ones.
That's one of the bigger onesthat I um, I really learned, I
um, I've had some moments whereI have and they all go back to
teamwork because I always try tofind I always try to find
strength with people, with otherpeople.
The lord is, is the guidinglight, he's the north star, he
is the compass of my life andand, and I always revert to him
(13:49):
first.
But he also puts people in ourpath to help us, doesn't he?
Yes, always brings people andand and for the specific season
that you might be in.
So, when I have fallen flat andthere have been some times that
and not only just in business,but emotionally and you, just,
you just feel like you're spentand you have nothing else to
give.
And I was, I remember, and Iremember speaking to a friend
(14:11):
and he said these exact wordsand it's probably what I meant I
needed at that moment in mylife.
He said stop and just allow theLord to surround you and just
feel held by him.
And I thought that was awesome,because we're so busy moving
and we want to keep you know, wewant to get things done.
(14:33):
He said stop, just feel theLord around you and just be held
by him, and I thought that wasso profound and so scripturally
true.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
It sounds so easy, but you just said how we're so
busy and we don't stop.
We have to, and sometimes weneed a friend it's who we're
surrounding ourselves and wedon't stop.
We have to, and sometimes weneed a friend it's who we're
surrounding ourselves with tojust say stop absolutely we're
prone to wander, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
But the verse says be still and know that I am god,
but you can't be still, youcan't know that he's gone until
you're still first yeah you needto be still first.
That's the equation, and thenyou can know he's god and he's
in control.
Good share, good, that Good.
That's good preaching there,lisa.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Yeah, so you're obviously with Leader Impact.
You know we want people to growpersonally, professionally,
spiritually, to increase impact.
So I'm wondering if you have awilling to share an example of
how the spiritual makes apractical difference in your
life as a leader.
I feel like you've been sharingthat all along, but I feel like
you are a wealth of wisdom.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
You know well it's a growth process and if I ever
feel like I've achieved, thenthat's my danger zone.
If I ever feel I've arrived,then I better get out of that
camp of that tent and keepmoving because I'll never arrive
.
So, absolutely, my spiritualcontinually helps my
(15:53):
professional and personal and Ilove the model of leader in fact
because of that, because it'sso true and it's so practical
and it really does allow me tobe a rounded individual.
So when I'm in business andwhen I'm negotiating, or when
I'm in business and when I'mnegotiating, or when I'm in a
meeting, or when I'm withcolleagues and so forth, I am
(16:14):
always asking the lord to guideme and to help his light shine
through me so I'm able to be,like the bible says, salt and
light to the dark world.
And and when you got to take himat his word, you know, when you
ask um for him to come near and, like I said, my friend said,
just stop and allow the Lord tosurround you.
(16:34):
That means in front, behind, tothe left, to the right and
everything in between.
When you ask for that, he does,he does step into those moments
.
So, continually using thespiritual sphere and I'm using a
little bit of the leader impactmodel here to infiltrate and
inject into that professional.
And asking the Lord to guideyou where I'll be at a meeting
(16:58):
you need to make a decision, weneed to get a project done, we
need to make a deadline or weneed to just collaborate as a
team.
Then ask the Lord to be inthose moments and you know what
he's a practical God.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
He will step into those moments and help you where
you need it the most.
It's not always the way youwant it?
Speaker 1 (17:20):
No, it isn't, is it?
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Right, and that's the hard part.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
You made a comment about when you have arrived.
You know you need to get out.
If you know you have arrivedsomewhere, it's like I need to,
I need to do more.
I want you to acknowledge, or Iwant you to just to comment on,
because sometimes women, we, wenever feel enough, and I'm sure
guys feel that too.
But right, we, we hit, we gotthe job, we got the promotion.
(17:45):
It's not enough.
We, we arrived, but it's notenough and we keep striving and
I think sometimes we don't knowwhen to stop.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
When have you arrived ?
Speaker 1 (17:59):
It's a good question, lisa.
Have you ever had those momentswhere you feel like, am I there
, lord?
Am I there and do I need tokeep moving?
Lord, am I there and do I needto keep moving?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
And I think, I feel, I think I'll call it growth,
like I think I'm just alwaysgrowing, I'm going to go with
that that I just.
You may have arrived somewhere,and I think there's always
growth in that, Right it's.
I think wherever you are iswhere you're supposed to be.
I believe that.
(18:30):
I'm exactly where I'm supposedto be right now.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Absolutely, I don't have an answer.
Do I have an answer?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
No, no, that's a great answer, no.
And he guides you to thoseplaces that you need to be for
different seasons of your life.
Because I've seen doors closein my life and at the time I
wondered here's the human rub?
So, lord, you brought me tothis.
Why'd you close it?
Like I was doing well, I wasthriving, like we were making
(18:58):
great connections, we weremaking strides in this area, and
suddenly the doors closed.
It could have been throughCOVID, it could have been
through loss, it could have beeneven like.
I've gone through consolidationsof companies and you know where
.
You know positions are moved inother areas and you're out in
left field and you're like, okay, now I have to pivot.
(19:19):
What do I do?
And you realize, when you goback to God's word, you realize
that, yeah, everything does havea season and you're not always
kept in the same place andthat's for a reason because he
needs to grow you somewhere elseand and I always, I always
think of being uprooted as aopportunity to kind of bloom
(19:40):
somewhere else and to flourishand to blossom.
You know, you have.
I love gardening and I lovelandscaping and when you're
outside, you uproot a plant aperennial, let's say and you
move it into another space.
You cultivate that soil and youenrich it so that new home is
perfect for it to thrive.
(20:02):
You give it sunlight, you giveit sufficient water and moisture
, but you give it an environmentwhere it can thrive.
And once you do that and onceyou're open to seeing it grow,
it will.
And that's where you need tohave an open heart.
It's easier said than done, butyou really need to have an open
heart.
You know when you're moved andyou experience change.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Yeah, and it's always easier when you close the door
versus it being closed on you.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Absolutely, Because you don't see that door when
it's closed and you don't closeit.
You don't see it coming and ittakes you by surprise.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
And I mean I'm going to say I'm going to allow myself
a 24 hour pity party on thedoor on the closing of the door,
and then we have to pullourselves out but just
acknowledge that it sucks when adoor closes and you didn't
expect it.
But it's not Right.
Look at the opportunity, yeah.
Awesome, that's not Right.
Look at the opportunity, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Awesome, that's great .
Speaker 2 (20:52):
So at Leader Impact, we are dedicated to leaders
having a lasting impact.
So, as you continue throughyour own journey, have you
considered what you want yourfaith legacy to be when you
leave this world?
Speaker 1 (21:06):
I think I would like my faith legacy to be that I
stopped and I listened to othersand I truly cared.
I think that that is whatmatters.
When you listen to the voice ofGod, when you listen to his
heart and when you see the storyof Jesus in action, you
(21:28):
recognize that it was aboutmeeting people where they are
showing them you truly care andthen allowing the Holy Spirit to
do the work.
But I would like my legacy tobe you know, rob was a guy who
really cared, he stopped and helistened.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Yeah Well, just listening to your story, from
graduating a Christian school toYork University, where you
stopped, you listened, you builtconnections, you became friends
, trust.
Moving on to Bata, to CanadianTire, I think you are that guy.
So you're well on your way toleaving a great legacy.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Thank you, lisa.
Well, this is an encouragingdiscussion and I love giving
back.
You know it's even when I'mdoing this I'm giving back.
You know I love giving back andpouring into the lives of
others and seeing people findpurpose and meaning.
Once upon a time I found that,and I love seeing other people's
eyes open to that, whether itbe through Alpha.
(22:21):
You know who was Jesus and whydid he die, and how can I be
sure of my faith and leaderimpact?
You know I how can I be, uh,impactful in my sphere of
influence and how can I, um,have an impact and a lasting
impression on those around me?
I think it's just so inspiring.
It's one of the reasons I thinkwe're put on this planet.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Yeah, you know, inspire others, leave an impact
yes, um, when I said thismorning about, uh, this, we had
this conversation on change andI'm googling chat and it talked
about resisting change and howwe can get over that, and it
talked about giving in your life, you know, give to your
community.
(23:02):
And it also talked aboutsharing your story.
So I just want to thank you forjust jumping on with me today
and sharing your story.
I never know what's coming.
I didn't know you before Ipicked up my paper and I mean I
heard that I should talk to Rob.
But it's just, you know, I showup here every week to learn and
(23:23):
to hear stories so that I canlearn a little bit more.
This is part of my growth.
So I hope others have enjoyedthe last half hour with you, rob
, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Thank you so much, lisa, and thank you for taking
this time and really engaging ina really, really inspiring and
encouraging conversation.
I'm so privileged to do this.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Awesome.
Now, if anyone wants to contactyou, find out more about you,
do they find you through LeaderImpact or LinkedIn, or how can
they reach you?
Speaker 1 (23:51):
through Leader Impact or LinkedIn or how can they
reach you?
Yeah, they can.
Actually.
They can find me on LeaderImpact and they can email me.
They can text me and I'm anopen book, so I'd love for
individuals to contact me anyway they can, and let's do life
together.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Awesome.
Thank you, Rob, for joining ustoday.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Thank you so much, lisa, you're welcome.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
All right.
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(24:31):
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Welcome to the Leader Impact Podcast.
We are a community of leaderswith a network in over 350
cities around the world,dedicated to optimizing our
personal, professional andspiritual lives to have impact.
This show is where we have achance to listen and engage with
leaders who are living this out.
We love talking with leaders,so if you have any questions,
comments or suggestions to makethis show even better, please
let us know.
(00:26):
I'm your host, lisa Peters, andour guest today is Rob Chung.
Born and raised in Toronto,ontario, rob was blessed with a
close family who loved the Lordand instilled in him values and
principles which have guided himthrough his life.
He graduated from YorkUniversity with a degree in
political science, then entereda career in corporate retail
with companies such as Bata andCanadian Tire, with roles
(00:47):
varying in marketing, purchasingand public relations.
In tandem with his businesscareer, he always had a passion
to invest into the lives ofothers and see them grow in
their spiritual walk.
Being involved with variousministries at his church, such
as the Alpha, outreach andDeveloping Discipleship Programs
, eventually led him to LeaderImpact.
This is where Rob feels he canuse his talents to mentor
(01:08):
business leaders to find purposeand meaning and inevitably
influence their world for Christ.
Welcome to the show, rob.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Thank you for having me, Lisa.
It's great to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
It is great to meet you.
I don't believe we've ever metbefore at any point.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
No, just a couple emails back and forth, but it's
great to put the name in theface.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yes, well, I'm excited to hear your story, more
about your professional story.
I gave a little bit of it inthe bio, but what I'm really
looking for is sort of thosepivotal moments, you know that,
really those snapshots thatchange your life, change the
direction, or whatever you got.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Do you have any?
Let me think I think I have afew.
I think I have a couple.
Um, yeah, I have.
I'm giving this some thoughtand it's really good that I can
share this with so many outthere and, um, hopefully,
influence some people for thebetter.
And, uh, I've had, uh, aninteresting journey and, as you
um, as you so described in mybio raised in a Christian home,
I was born and raised in Toronto, so Toronto is my home and I
(02:11):
live just north of Toronto andwent to school here, went to a
Christian school and went to allmy life.
So I have some lifelong friendsfrom grades one to 13.
And I went to this school andit was just a wonderful
experience in a chunk of my lifethe formative years.
And then I went to YorkUniversity and it was an
interesting area.
It was an interestingenvironment to be in because it
(02:33):
was the first time I had everbeen in a secular environment a
secular environment to say thatI had friends now who weren't
like myself, coming from aChristian home, christian school
.
They were coming from all kindsof belief systems and we were
studying together, we were doinglife together in those
(02:53):
university years and it wasthere that I really had a
passion to impact people in theworld around me, and I really
had.
I don't know if it was asensitivity or just a yearning
to reach out to thoseindividuals who were asking
questions and learning for themeaning and purpose in life, but
I think that's where it startedfor me.
So, even before business, I wasin the educational sector and
(03:16):
it started to spark in me thatyou know what these people not
only do they need a friend do,they need community, but they
need purpose and they needmeaning.
And we serve a God who providesall of that.
And how can I be a part of thatstory?
So I graduated from York and Istarted with a company called
the Bata Footwear Company, andthat's very Canadian, so if we
(03:39):
are speaking to a Canadianaudience here, those from a
generation past might understandand know that name.
So I went into that companyGreen, I was out of university
and I had a political sciencedegree and I also had public
relations under my belt and Istarted in the marketing
(04:00):
department and I worked my waythrough that company and I found
exactly the individuals that Iencountered at York University
in that office and they becamegood friends.
They were colleagues, they wereco-workers and we just had a
great connection.
And you know what, Lisa?
I was able in the Bata companyto start some small community
(04:24):
groups within the office whereand it wasn't leader impact, it
wasn't alpha, but we were ableto talk about life together and
and and just just journeythrough different experiences in
a corporate setting, buttogether.
And eventually I went from apart-time position, I went from
(04:44):
a part-time position, I went toa full-time position and, like I
said, in marketing andmerchandising, in-store setup,
online development, all of thosedifferent parts of the company,
and I eventually worked side byside by being Thomas Vada's
advisor.
He's the global, he was theglobal company architect of the
(05:05):
whole company and I worked withhim and his family.
We traveled the world.
I lived in Prague, czechRepublic, for six weeks and
studied the company there andyou know, it was just amazing to
see how the Lord had his handon me and that position to not
only influence colleagues andfriends alike, but the owner of
(05:26):
the company and havingopportunities to have some
really candid chats with him.
So I would say one of thepivotal moments for me along the
journey is coming from a smalllittle Christian school to
working alongside executives and, eventually, the leader of the
company, the CEO himself and Iwas able to have real life
(05:50):
conversations about life and Godand what it all means to be a
Christian and a Christ followerwith those individuals and
having the opportunities to dothat.
So that really changed thetrajectory of where I was going.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, I love that.
You know you first start withfriends and community, because
that's where it starts, is thetrust, and then you know,
working where you're at.
When you went to, when youtraveled to, countries like
Prague and Czech Republic, didyou, were you able to do
anything there, or was it moreof an in-out?
It was very quick, sort of, orwere there leadership teams
there that you got to sit with?
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Oh, absolutely Almost every day.
Yeah, there were leadershipgroups that I was able to sit
with and network with and thenform.
We actually formedsubcommittees out of those
groups.
So we were there to brainstormhow do we grow the business and
in making connections with thoseindividuals, we were also
growing the business, so we were.
(06:48):
It was like a a two prongedapproach when we got into those
meetings, but it was great and Istill can contact those
individuals today and we have astrong connection.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Wow, Great Pivotal moment.
Yeah, Coming from a Christianschool to where you know York,
where your account you're, youencounter everything you really
do, really do.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Yeah, you really do.
And you have to come.
When I walked into that arenaif I could call it an arena that
that, that university of 40,000, I came from a school of 300.
And now you're in a, you're ina form of 40,000.
You really have to.
You meet a lot of personalitiesand you really have to know how
to pivot relationships veryquickly and form them and take
(07:33):
people at face value and justmeet a lot of characters.
So it was interesting but again, like I said, just so enriching
for me personally.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Great story, rob, thank you.
Our next question is about yourbest principle of success, if
you have one, and maybe a storythat illustrates that.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
My best principle of success.
I was on the job and I'm goingto kind of couple this with also
a small failure as well and I,yeah, and I because the success,
the failure, led to the success, okay, and I realized I was
working on a project and I wasuh working with a team and I
(08:15):
started to do some some worksolo and I started to I wouldn't
say I went rogue, but I'm thekind of guy that I like to uh to
, to brainstorm, and I like tobranch out and do things um and
experiment a little.
And I was I think I was I wasmaybe biting off too much, like
too much, biting off more than Ican chew, and I was taking all
(08:36):
too much on my plate.
And I recognized, you know I'm,I'm part of a team here.
Why don't I utilize theresources with my other fellow
teammates?
And and it was a light bulbmoment, it was a wait a minute.
Have you ever had those moments, lisa?
Wait a minute.
(08:56):
We're doing this thing and I andI and I went out on a limb and
I tried a few things and somethings work, but a lot of things
did not.
And one of the reasons and I'mglad for that, because it taught
me some life lessons and one ofthe reasons it did not work is
because I did not collaboratewith others and my out of that
(09:17):
failing moment came a successmoment, because then I was able
to turn to other people and sayhey, you know what?
I need some help with this.
Hey, can you shoulder?
Can you shoulder this part ofthe journey, this leg of the
journey with me?
Can we do this together?
And when I did that, I foundthat not only did my success in
(09:39):
the project also enhance, but Ialso found that I was deepening
relationships with other peoplebecause I was collaborating with
them.
Deepening relationships withother people because I was
collaborating with them, notonly in the business and the
project we were doing, but I wasgetting to know them better and
they were getting to know mebetter and we were playing off
each other's strengths andcharacters and characteristics.
(10:01):
So that was a turning pointwith me that work together as a
team.
Remember that you're not doinglife alone, and you are here to
encourage, help and strengthenother people, and they're here
to do that to you as well.
So try not to be an island andtry not to be independent, and
that was really one of thefailing moments that turned into
(10:23):
a success story and even tothis day, I enjoy, thrive and
encourage team building andteamwork.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Yeah, it's very hard when you are in a failure to
know that this is the greatestplace to learn.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
It was tough at the moment, but when I look back in
hindsight, it was the besttraining ground for me, because
it taught me some life lessons,and not only what to do, but
what not to do.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah, this morning I was in a uh uh my leader impact
group meeting and we're studyingthe difference maker by John
Maxwell.
This morning we were talkingabout change and you know, and
at our age, you know, uh, I'm a55 year old female and talking
about my, and at our age, youknow I'm a 55 year old female
and talking about my my abilityto want to change is less, and
(11:13):
why, and the fear and everythingyou know it.
It really just goes back to alot of fear of I don't, I don't,
I've already done.
A lot of bad things havealready happened and I know I
learned, but I'm kind of donethat and it's, it's an attitude,
and that that's the book is.
Just it's your attitude ofchange.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely Totally on, totally
on point.
And if I can just referencethis tag on to what you said,
lisa, our leader impact group isstudying a book by John Acuff
called Soundtracks.
How can?
Speaker 2 (11:45):
we pause.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, how can we pause and hit stop to the
negative soundtracks andplaylists that sometimes replay
in our mind and how can we pressplay on the biblical truths
that should solidify in ourlives?
You know that the Lord has aplan and a purpose for us, that
he's always with us, will neverforsake us, put on the mind of
(12:08):
Christ, do not have fear,anxiety and worry and all of
those playlists that we shouldhave in life and should play
over and over and over in ourheads, but sometimes don't,
because we revert back to ourhuman nature, don't we?
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Yeah, it was funny because when I did this when I
lead these, I always am tryingto look for a conversation and I
went on to chat and I wasasking questions like why do I
fear change so much?
And just a personal questionand it said that I would, that
people would rather flight thanfight, they would rather run
from change than actually sit init and and take the fear on, or
(12:48):
take the change on, or, ohpardon.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
You got to embrace it Eh.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
So, um, yeah, great, uh, and even when you talk about
collaboration, it's just uh,versus telling them, don't tell
people, ask them right.
Collaborate with a team andyou'll get more out of everyone
out of yourself, out of yourteam?
Yeah, so I know we talked aboutlearning more from our mistakes
(13:17):
and failures.
Did you have another one youwanted to share?
Or was that because I'd love toyou know?
Just talk about how you're.
Oh, move on, is what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, that's one of the bigger ones.
That's one of the bigger ones.
That's one of the bigger onesthat I um, I really learned, I
um, I've had some moments whereI have and they all go back to
teamwork because I always try tofind I always try to find
strength with people, with otherpeople.
The lord is, is the guidinglight, he's the north star, he
is the compass of my life andand, and I always revert to him
(13:49):
first.
But he also puts people in ourpath to help us, doesn't he?
Yes, always brings people andand and for the specific season
that you might be in.
So, when I have fallen flat andthere have been some times that
and not only just in business,but emotionally and you, just,
you just feel like you're spentand you have nothing else to
give.
And I was, I remember, and Iremember speaking to a friend
(14:11):
and he said these exact wordsand it's probably what I meant I
needed at that moment in mylife.
He said stop and just allow theLord to surround you and just
feel held by him.
And I thought that was awesome,because we're so busy moving
and we want to keep you know, wewant to get things done.
(14:33):
He said stop, just feel theLord around you and just be held
by him, and I thought that wasso profound and so scripturally
true.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
It sounds so easy, but you just said how we're so
busy and we don't stop.
We have to, and sometimes weneed a friend it's who we're
surrounding ourselves and wedon't stop.
We have to, and sometimes weneed a friend it's who we're
surrounding ourselves with tojust say stop absolutely we're
prone to wander, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
But the verse says be still and know that I am god,
but you can't be still, youcan't know that he's gone until
you're still first yeah you needto be still first.
That's the equation, and thenyou can know he's god and he's
in control.
Good share, good, that Good.
That's good preaching there,lisa.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Yeah, so you're obviously with Leader Impact.
You know we want people to growpersonally, professionally,
spiritually, to increase impact.
So I'm wondering if you have awilling to share an example of
how the spiritual makes apractical difference in your
life as a leader.
I feel like you've been sharingthat all along, but I feel like
you are a wealth of wisdom.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
You know well it's a growth process and if I ever
feel like I've achieved, thenthat's my danger zone.
If I ever feel I've arrived,then I better get out of that
camp of that tent and keepmoving because I'll never arrive
.
So, absolutely, my spiritualcontinually helps my
(15:53):
professional and personal and Ilove the model of leader in fact
because of that, because it'sso true and it's so practical
and it really does allow me tobe a rounded individual.
So when I'm in business andwhen I'm negotiating, or when
I'm in business and when I'mnegotiating, or when I'm in a
meeting, or when I'm withcolleagues and so forth, I am
(16:14):
always asking the lord to guideme and to help his light shine
through me so I'm able to be,like the bible says, salt and
light to the dark world.
And and when you got to take himat his word, you know, when you
ask um for him to come near and, like I said, my friend said,
just stop and allow the Lord tosurround you.
(16:34):
That means in front, behind, tothe left, to the right and
everything in between.
When you ask for that, he does,he does step into those moments
.
So, continually using thespiritual sphere and I'm using a
little bit of the leader impactmodel here to infiltrate and
inject into that professional.
And asking the Lord to guideyou where I'll be at a meeting
(16:58):
you need to make a decision, weneed to get a project done, we
need to make a deadline or weneed to just collaborate as a
team.
Then ask the Lord to be inthose moments and you know what
he's a practical God.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
He will step into those moments and help you where
you need it the most.
It's not always the way youwant it?
Speaker 1 (17:20):
No, it isn't, is it?
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Right, and that's the hard part.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
You made a comment about when you have arrived.
You know you need to get out.
If you know you have arrivedsomewhere, it's like I need to,
I need to do more.
I want you to acknowledge, or Iwant you to just to comment on,
because sometimes women, we, wenever feel enough, and I'm sure
guys feel that too.
But right, we, we hit, we gotthe job, we got the promotion.
(17:45):
It's not enough.
We, we arrived, but it's notenough and we keep striving and
I think sometimes we don't knowwhen to stop.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
When have you arrived ?
Speaker 1 (17:59):
It's a good question, lisa.
Have you ever had those momentswhere you feel like, am I there
, lord?
Am I there and do I need tokeep moving?
Lord, am I there and do I needto keep moving?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
And I think, I feel, I think I'll call it growth,
like I think I'm just alwaysgrowing, I'm going to go with
that that I just.
You may have arrived somewhere,and I think there's always
growth in that, Right it's.
I think wherever you are iswhere you're supposed to be.
I believe that.
(18:30):
I'm exactly where I'm supposedto be right now.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Absolutely, I don't have an answer.
Do I have an answer?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
No, no, that's a great answer, no.
And he guides you to thoseplaces that you need to be for
different seasons of your life.
Because I've seen doors closein my life and at the time I
wondered here's the human rub?
So, lord, you brought me tothis.
Why'd you close it?
Like I was doing well, I wasthriving, like we were making
(18:58):
great connections, we weremaking strides in this area, and
suddenly the doors closed.
It could have been throughCOVID, it could have been
through loss, it could have beeneven like.
I've gone through consolidationsof companies and you know where
.
You know positions are moved inother areas and you're out in
left field and you're like, okay, now I have to pivot.
(19:19):
What do I do?
And you realize, when you goback to God's word, you realize
that, yeah, everything does havea season and you're not always
kept in the same place andthat's for a reason because he
needs to grow you somewhere elseand and I always, I always
think of being uprooted as aopportunity to kind of bloom
(19:40):
somewhere else and to flourishand to blossom.
You know, you have.
I love gardening and I lovelandscaping and when you're
outside, you uproot a plant aperennial, let's say and you
move it into another space.
You cultivate that soil and youenrich it so that new home is
perfect for it to thrive.
(20:02):
You give it sunlight, you giveit sufficient water and moisture
, but you give it an environmentwhere it can thrive.
And once you do that and onceyou're open to seeing it grow,
it will.
And that's where you need tohave an open heart.
It's easier said than done, butyou really need to have an open
heart.
You know when you're moved andyou experience change.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Yeah, and it's always easier when you close the door
versus it being closed on you.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Absolutely, Because you don't see that door when
it's closed and you don't closeit.
You don't see it coming and ittakes you by surprise.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
And I mean I'm going to say I'm going to allow myself
a 24 hour pity party on thedoor on the closing of the door,
and then we have to pullourselves out but just
acknowledge that it sucks when adoor closes and you didn't
expect it.
But it's not Right.
Look at the opportunity, yeah.
Awesome, that's not Right.
Look at the opportunity, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Awesome, that's great .
Speaker 2 (20:52):
So at Leader Impact, we are dedicated to leaders
having a lasting impact.
So, as you continue throughyour own journey, have you
considered what you want yourfaith legacy to be when you
leave this world?
Speaker 1 (21:06):
I think I would like my faith legacy to be that I
stopped and I listened to othersand I truly cared.
I think that that is whatmatters.
When you listen to the voice ofGod, when you listen to his
heart and when you see the storyof Jesus in action, you
(21:28):
recognize that it was aboutmeeting people where they are
showing them you truly care andthen allowing the Holy Spirit to
do the work.
But I would like my legacy tobe you know, rob was a guy who
really cared, he stopped and helistened.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Yeah Well, just listening to your story, from
graduating a Christian school toYork University, where you
stopped, you listened, you builtconnections, you became friends
, trust.
Moving on to Bata, to CanadianTire, I think you are that guy.
So you're well on your way toleaving a great legacy.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Thank you, lisa.
Well, this is an encouragingdiscussion and I love giving
back.
You know it's even when I'mdoing this I'm giving back.
You know I love giving back andpouring into the lives of
others and seeing people findpurpose and meaning.
Once upon a time I found that,and I love seeing other people's
eyes open to that, whether itbe through Alpha.
(22:21):
You know who was Jesus and whydid he die, and how can I be
sure of my faith and leaderimpact?
You know I how can I be, uh,impactful in my sphere of
influence and how can I, um,have an impact and a lasting
impression on those around me?
I think it's just so inspiring.
It's one of the reasons I thinkwe're put on this planet.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Yeah, you know, inspire others, leave an impact
yes, um, when I said thismorning about, uh, this, we had
this conversation on change andI'm googling chat and it talked
about resisting change and howwe can get over that, and it
talked about giving in your life, you know, give to your
community.
(23:02):
And it also talked aboutsharing your story.
So I just want to thank you forjust jumping on with me today
and sharing your story.
I never know what's coming.
I didn't know you before Ipicked up my paper and I mean I
heard that I should talk to Rob.
But it's just, you know, I showup here every week to learn and
(23:23):
to hear stories so that I canlearn a little bit more.
This is part of my growth.
So I hope others have enjoyedthe last half hour with you, rob
, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Thank you so much, lisa, and thank you for taking
this time and really engaging ina really, really inspiring and
encouraging conversation.
I'm so privileged to do this.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Awesome.
Now, if anyone wants to contactyou, find out more about you,
do they find you through LeaderImpact or LinkedIn, or how can
they reach you?
Speaker 1 (23:51):
through Leader Impact or LinkedIn or how can they
reach you?
Yeah, they can.
Actually.
They can find me on LeaderImpact and they can email me.
They can text me and I'm anopen book, so I'd love for
individuals to contact me anyway they can, and let's do life
together.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Awesome.
Thank you, Rob, for joining ustoday.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Thank you so much, lisa, you're welcome.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
All right.
If you're part of Leader Impact, you can always discuss or
share this podcast with yourgroup.
And if you're not yet part ofLeader Impact and would like to
find out more and grow yourleadership, find our podcast
page on our website atleaderimpactca and check out our
free leadership assessment.
You can also check out groupsavailable in Canada at
leaderimpactca or, if you'relistening from anywhere else in
(24:31):
the world, check outleaderimpactcom or get in touch
with us by email.
Info at leaderimpactca and wewill connect you.
And if you like this podcast,please leave us a comment, give
us a rating or review.
This will help other globalleaders find our podcast.
Thank you for engaging with usand remember impact starts with
you.
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