Michael Wallace of TIMIA Capital joins Mario Nigro for an enlightening discussion of TIMIA's role as a lender to early-stage companies in the technology and software space. For many smaller businesses, firms like TIMIA are valuable sources of non-dilutive capital that can otherwise be difficult to find in the Canadian market. Michael and Mario discuss TIMIA's growth and prospects, with special attention to the things looked for when making lending decisions.

Thank you for tuning in to Views from the Market.

🔗 To stay connected and receive the latest updates, subscribe to our podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
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🔗 For more information and resources, visit: stikeman.com/viewsfromthemarket

Episode 131 - TIMIA Capital: An Alternative Lender to Early-Stage Tech Companies

Hosted by Kim Le of Stikeman Elliott, this podcast is the first in a two-part series recorded at the firm's M&A 2025 Forecast and Trends Seminar. The Seminar focused on cross-border M&A and particularly on the role of private equity investors on both sides of the Canada-U.S. Border. Moderated by Stikeman Elliott's Mario Nigro, Part I of the discussion features Karen Fisman of PwC, Kevin Overby of Chicago-based Keystone Partners, Chris Hutchinson of EY, and Mike O'Brien of Valspring Capital, based in Boston. Topics of discussion included the impact of tariffs on cross-border deal flow, opportunities in Canadian healthcare, and the recent shift in interest toward the industrial sector. Part II of the Seminar will be posted on March 31st. 

Private Equity 2025: Canadian and U.S. Perspectives (Part I)

RYG# 152: From Solo to CEO

Hosted by Kim Le of Stikeman Elliott, this podcast is the second in a two-part series recorded at the firm's M&A 2025 Forecast and Trends Seminar. Kim moderated the discussion with panelists Andrew Walton from Ironbridge Equity Partners, Rieshdah Gabier from FirePower Capital, Hai Tran-Viet from the Canadian Business Growth Fund, Ryan Farkas from BDO, and Shannon Martin from OPTrust. They explore the current state of the transactional market, how their portfolio companies are responding to the current tariff landscape, and how deal processes might change as a result. 

Private Equity 2025: Canadian and U.S. Perspectives (Part II)

Burnout is not a rite of passage. It is a warning light—and this week’s Monday Morning Pep Talk is here to make sure you never ignore it again.

In Episode 274, Jim Miller gets personal and tactical. He unpacks the real reason most real estate advisors and entrepreneurs crash: they don’t schedule rest—they collapse into it. This episode outlines how to prevent burnout before it starts, with a business and life strategy that is both practical and sustainable.

If you’ve ever promised yourself, “this year will be different” but found yourself right back in the grind by April, this episode will show you how to finally break that cycle.


💡 Key Takeaway:
If you do not control your time, your business will control your life. The best advisors don’t just plan their work—they plan their recovery.

🧭 Your Mission
Start planning your business around your life—not the other way around. Be honest about your capacity. Build SOPs. Hire below your pay grade. Protect your downtime.

Because burnout doesn’t just cost you professionally.
It will cost you your joy, your health, your relationships, and your ability to lead.

"This industry will take everything you’re willing to give—and then it will ask for more." – Jim Miller
📲 Stay Connected

📩 Join My Weekly Email List:
www.askjimmiller.com

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www.instagram.com/askjimmiller

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www.linkedin.com/in/jimmillerchicago

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www.youtube.com/@askjimmiller


🔥 Avoid Burnout at All Costs | Monday Morning Pep Talk #274

In this podcast, David Ritchie shares the story of CFO Hive, which provides businesses with contract CFOs on a fractional, full-time, or project basis, leveraging a network of experienced CFOs to offer expertise that matches client needs. Contract CFOs can add value in four ways: (i) help growing companies professionalize their finance functions, (ii) stabilize distressed businesses, (iii) assist companies during transactions, such as IPOs and M&A, and (iv) address resource gaps. The discussion emphasizes the evolving role of CFOs, particularly in M&A, as drivers of growth, and the growing interest among mid-career and older CFOs in contract assignments. 

Thank you for tuning in to Views from the Market.

🔗 To stay connected and receive the latest updates, subscribe to our podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
🔗 Follow Stikeman Elliott on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/stikeman-elliott-llp
🔗 For more information and resources, visit: stikeman.com/viewsfromthemarket

Episode 132 - Contract CFOs: A Perfect Fit for Many Midmarket Businesses

In this episode, Danielle Miller Olofsson and David Elder join Rachel Zuroff to discuss recent and upcoming developments in privacy and data protection laws. First up are some major legislative changes in Québec, including the introduction of the mobility right in Law 25 and the Regulation respecting the anonymization of personal information. The discussion also touches on Québec’s new personal health information legislation and the Act to establish a legal framework for information technology. Shifting to the federal level, David Elder provides insights into key privacy reforms, including the status of bills C-26 (Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act) and C-27 (replacing PIPEDA, among other things) in light of the prorogation of Parliament, and discusses the implications of these changes for businesses, together with new and proposed Alberta privacy legislation. The episode concludes with predictions for future developments in privacy laws and a discussion of their pros and cons. 

Privacy Legislation Round-up and Forecasts for the Future

Joining Mario Nigro for this episode is Wandrille Lefèvre of EC2, a Québec-based consulting firm that provides specialized M&A and corporate finance advice to midmarket companies. According to Wandrille, the Québec market, like other Canadian markets, is driven by factors like baby boomer retirements and a need for technology investment. The range of buyers in the province includes a similar mix of private equity and strategics as is found elsewhere. Even in the uncertain tariff environment, EC2 is seeing steady interest from potential sellers, with the caveat that those sellers are deliberating more about how to proceed, while buyers are looking more intently at the tariff exposure of potential acquisitions.

Thank you for tuning in to Views from the Market.

🔗 To stay connected and receive the latest updates, subscribe to our podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
🔗 Follow Stikeman Elliott on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/stikeman-elliott-llp
🔗 For more information and resources, visit: stikeman.com/viewsfromthemarket

Episode 133 - State of the Québec Midmarket: Adjusting to Changing Economic Times

In this episode, David Elder and Danielle Miller Olofsson join Rachel Zuroff to discuss how Québec and other Canadian jurisdictions regulate the use of biometrics by businesses. While many organizations see benefits in the use of biometrics for efficiency and security purposes, regulators such as Québec’s Commission d’accès à l’information (“CAI”) have been actively investigating the impact of biometrics implementation on the privacy rights of citizens. As regulation in this area continues to evolve, businesses should be cautious about the adoption of biometric technologies to remain compliant with regulatory requirements.

Businesses Using Biometrics: Key Privacy Compliance Issues in Québec and Across Canada

Representation and warranty insurance (“RWI”), a growing presence in Canadian M&A transactions, is the subject of Mario Nigro’s conversation with Rishi Dhir of Willis Towers Watson’s Transactional Insurance Solutions group. Rishi discusses the increased adoption of RWI in the Canadian midmarket, noting that it is now commonly used in transactions with enterprise values as low as $5 million. He explains that the premiums and deductibles for these policies have decreased, while also highlighting the broad coverage provided in deals of all sizes. Recent developments highlight RWI providers’ increased scrutiny of supply-chain flexibility and reliance on international customers in response to the tariff landscape.

Thank you for tuning in to Views from the Market.

🔗 To stay connected and receive the latest updates, subscribe to our podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
🔗 Follow Stikeman Elliott on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/stikeman-elliott-llp
🔗 For more information and resources, visit: stikeman.com/viewsfromthemarket

Episode 134 - The Growing Midmarket Presence of Representation and Warranty Insurance

Procurement is often seen as the final hurdle in a deal — a price-focused gatekeeper that slows things down. But what if engaging procurement early could actually help you close bigger, more profitable deals?

In this episode of B2B Sales Trends, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Mike Lander — former procurement director turned sales advisor — to rethink everything you thought you knew about working with procurement. From qualification strategies to trust-based negotiation, Mike shares practical advice that helps sales teams avoid the common traps and unlock meaningful growth through smarter stakeholder alignment.

Whether you're chasing enterprise deals, navigating complex buying processes, or looking to protect your margins, this episode will challenge your assumptions and leave you with actionable tactics you can use today.

53. How Procurement Helps You Win Bigger Deals

In high-stakes, complex sales, success often hinges on what happens before the RFQ ever goes out. In this episode of B2B Sales Trends, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Shari Begun — VP of Global Sales — to unpack what it really takes to win large deals in today’s environment.

From account planning and roadmap conversations to stakeholder mapping and value defense, Shari shares practical strategies sales teams can use to shape buying decisions early, avoid competing on price alone, and close bigger deals with more predictability.

Whether you’re managing a long enterprise cycle or just looking to sharpen your RFQ approach, this one’s packed with takeaways you can use right now.

54. Winning the RFQ Game: How Sales Teams Can Shape Deals Before They’re Written

Andrew Walton of Ironbridge Equity Partners joins Mario Nigro to discuss the current state of midmarket private equity and M&A in Canada. Ironbridge’s substantial portfolio includes industrial, manufacturing, and distribution businesses across most regions of Canada. Unsurprisingly, the discussion focuses on the ongoing impact of tariff-induced market uncertainty. Even transactions that are proceeding tend to move slowly, thanks in part to longer diligence processes and a go-slow attitude among many buyers. However, as Andrew notes, while tariffs cannot be avoided, some strategies that can partially mitigate their impact are already being deployed.

Thank you for tuning in to Views from the Market.

🔗 To stay connected and receive the latest updates, subscribe to our podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
🔗 Follow Stikeman Elliott on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/stikeman-elliott-llp
🔗 For more information and resources, visit: stikeman.com/viewsfromthemarket

Episode 135 - Midmarket M&A and Market Uncertainty: Thoughts from a Top Canadian Dealmaker

In episode 37 of the Window Wisdom podcast, we sat down with Sr. Territory Manger for Infinity from Marvin, Bob Long, and spoke with him about his faith in God after a life-altering experience. Bob discusses his journey of forgiveness and reflects on how his perspective on life has changed.

God's Grace In A Gunshot, the Bob Long Story | Ep. 37

Professor Marc Busch of Georgetown University joins Mario Nigro for a discussion on the impact of tariffs on M&A. Professor Busch explains how current U.S. trade policy is affecting global commercial dynamics. While some moderation may be expected as “deals” are negotiated, sectoral tariffs may become a permanent fixture of U.S. trade policy. From a Canadian perspective, companies are adapting to U.S. tariffs by reshaping their supply chains and production strategies while hoping that a renegotiated CUSMA agreement will restore predictability to the marketplace. Professor Busch presents a range of scenarios regarding future trade agreements, suggesting that new trade barriers – particularly tariffs invoked on “national security” grounds – will continue to impact business planning for the foreseeable future. 

Thank you for tuning in to Views from the Market.

🔗 To stay connected and receive the latest updates, subscribe to our podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
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🔗 For more information and resources, visit: stikeman.com/viewsfromthemarket

Episode 136 - M&A in an Era of Uncertainty: A U.S. Expert Assesses the Impact of Tariffs

In this episode, Rachel Zuroff, Danielle Miller Olofsson, and David Elder discuss deceptive design patterns (sometimes known as “dark patterns”), their growing importance for privacy regulators, and whether their potential to impact consumers' privacy rights has been over-stated.

Thank you for tuning in to Perspectives.
🔗 To stay connected and receive the latest updates, subscribe to our podcast on Soundcloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
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🔗 For more information and resources, visit https://stikeman.com/perspectives

Deceptive Design Patterns: Canadian Privacy Regulators Take Aim

FULL TRANSPARENCY ABOUT GYM REINFORCEMENTS
Today we get fully transparent and talk about the top concerns we hear from Gym Owners about working with GR.

It's a honest talk about why Gym Owners are concerned about getting started with us.

And we share our honest responses to those valid concerns.

Hang out with KIm and I as we get real, raw and honest on this weeks episode.

RYG# 162: Full Transparency! The Top Fears Around Working with Gym Reinforcements

🎙️ “Data che?!” – Il podcast che ti farà leggere i numeri… con occhi nuovi!
Siamo davvero sicuri di sapere cosa significano quei numeri che ci circondano ogni giorno?
🧠 Spoiler: se usi Excel, leggi report, o gestisci persone… stai già lavorando con i dati.
Ma puoi farlo molto meglio.

Nel nuovo episodio del nostro podcast, parliamo di:

✅ Come riconoscere i diversi ruoli nel mondo dei dati (data worker, analyst, engineer, scientist...)
✅ Perché la data fluency è la vera competenza trasversale del futuro
✅ Come usare strumenti come Excel, SQL, Power BI non solo per “fare report”, ma per prendere decisioni reali
✅ E soprattutto... come raccontare storie con i numeri che ispirano azione, strategia e cambiamento

🎯 Se ti occupi di HR, marketing, operations, finance, o sei semplicemente curioso, questo episodio è per te.

I Dati_ dal Racconto all'Automazione

In this podcast, Karen Fisman of PwC joins Mario Nigro to discuss recent midmarket M&A trends – specifically the significant decline in deal flow caused by the trade wars. Karen explains that the deals that are proceeding tend to involve smaller, tariff-resistant services businesses selling to buyers that are highly familiar with the businesses’ market niches. Karen believes that we may start to see premium valuations for tariff-resistant businesses as PE firms compete for a reduced number of investment opportunities. While a market recovery is unlikely in the remainder of 2025, Karen remains optimistic about 2026, anticipating that stalled processes will resume as clarity improves and the need to deploy existing capital drives activity.

Thank you for tuning in to Views from the Market.

🔗 To stay connected and receive the latest updates, subscribe to our podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
🔗 Follow Stikeman Elliott on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/stikeman-elliott-llp
🔗 For more information and resources, visit: stikeman.com/viewsfromthemarket

Episode 137 - Midmarket Deal Flow: Down but Definitely Not Out

Stikeman Elliott provides creative Canadian legal services to clients around the world.

In this series of podcasts, a wide range of business professionals, including Stikeman Elliott specialists, discuss Canadian legal issues that are relevant to business.

Stay in touch with the latest legal updates: https://bit.ly/3RXyoLr

Jim Miller is a success mentor and life coach who guides top real estate brokers from around the country while managing 2.3B+ in sales production as Designated Managing Broker with Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty in Chicago, Illinois.  He is also recognized as a top real estate coach to top Sotheby's International Realty brokers in 35 luxury markets.

Your guide to replacement windows and more!

This podcast is dedicated to sales leaders in the B2B space, where we share conversations about innovative and successful sales transformations to keep you up to date on the latest trends that will help you to effectively tackle the challenge of constructing and executing a profitable and sustainable sales process.

Dustin Bogle has 20 years experience in the fitness industry and has owned 6 gyms in California. In this podcast he's helping Gym Owners scale their business with his proven strategies and frameworks. 

📘 Order his book "Reinforce Your Gym" on Amazon
📲 Book a call with him at FreeCallWithDustin.com

Stikeman Elliott provides creative Canadian legal services to clients around the world.

In this series of 15-minute podcasts on private equity and midmarket M&A, with a focus on Canada, a wide range of industry participants discuss the deal market trends that they’ve been seeing. The host and originator of the series is Mario Nigro, M&A partner at Stikeman Elliott in Toronto.

Read more about Mario Nigro: https://bit.ly/3IkJsPJ

🔗 To stay connected and receive the latest updates, subscribe to our podcast on Soundcloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
🔗 Follow Stikeman Elliott on LinkedIn for more insights
🔗 For more information and resources, visit stikeman.com/viewsfromthemarket

New tracks tagged #BusinessPodcast