Quote: “To shed the fat…Whatever is not serving you and is taking away your time and not helping you get where you want to be, get rid of it. Make it less a part of your life so you can put more into what’s going to help you get there.” Kendal Netmaker
Just how much energy are you putting into creating the speaking business of your dreams? Is it your full-time focus, are you treating it like a side hustle, or is it something you are dabbling in? On this episode of The Wealthy Speaker Show, we are proud to welcome Kendal Netmaker. Kendal is another of our WSS students here to share his Wealthy Speaker Success Story and some tips that you will find invaluable.
Kendal is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and gifted keynote speaker who is on a mission to empower and motivate people worldwide by sharing his story that regardless of where you come from and what challenges you face, with determination and focus, you have the power to enact change.
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Jane Atkinson: Well, welcome everyone to the wealthy speaker podcast today I am sharing another amazing success story with you.
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Jane Atkinson: I love these because sometimes we feel like we're never going to get there, but when you kind of see someone who else has walked in your shoes you just feel like a little bit better with that in mind i'd like to welcome Kendall net maker, to the show welcome candle.
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Kendal Netmaker: Thank you Jane.
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Jane Atkinson: I am so excited to talk to you today, you and i've been working together now for a number of years.
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Kendal Netmaker: In the four years, I think, roughly four years.
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Jane Atkinson: wow that's so cool and I have watched to you know wave from the beginning to now so give us a snapshot of everybody what your business looks like today, and then we're going to go backwards in time.
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Kendal Netmaker: So today it's primarily focused on speaking.
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Kendal Netmaker: I would say, as we peel back the layers we'll we'll talk about the power of focus and so everything I do is around keynotes and everything else comes second after that and so before it wasn't like that, when we first met I was doing a bunch of different things.
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Kendal Netmaker: And so keynotes is the focus and.
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Kendal Netmaker: The adapting to virtual has been a blessing for for me, you know i'm married to children, and so it allows me to be home, which is amazing, and it also allows me to get that that that in person ethics you feel call it that, to.
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Kendal Netmaker: To be around people and whatnot so we're at we're at a really good spot that way right now and allows me to to be me and i'm very grateful for.
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Jane Atkinson: That I loved watching the evolution of you over the last four years, so talk a little bit about how you grew up explain to everybody, where you've come from.
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Kendal Netmaker: Sure, so I I grew up in sweet grass first nation by the battlefields in saskatchewan i'm the oldest of four or four of us and we grew up, like many of.
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Kendal Netmaker: Unfortunately, indigenous peoples in this country it's a blessing to have two active parents in the household for us and.
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Kendal Netmaker: I was very fortunate to have one which is my mom and my grandma who also helped to raising as well, so I was raised around a lot of our ceremonies and whatnot but, before getting to that we grew up in a very.
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Kendal Netmaker: A lot of obstacles, you know we my mom left my father, when I was in kindergarten I remember that day, just like yesterday and we ended up in women shelters for several weeks.
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Kendal Netmaker: bounced around these places, and eventually moving to my mother's home reserve, which was sweet grass first nation and Michael come.
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Kendal Netmaker: My grandmother's will be colored took us in, and so we lived on in her living room on our floor for several months, and she helped raise me.
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Kendal Netmaker: And she would teach me about our values as as the hillock as creep people and, as time went on.
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Kendal Netmaker: Little that I know that that would transform into how I now do a lot of my key notes, you know, during that time, we always saw a struggle struggle struggle, poverty, and so it starts to program your mindset to expect that over time.
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Kendal Netmaker: And so, as I, as I got outside of my show I guess you'd call it that I had to learn the things that I realized weren't serving me anymore like things about the past things about struggle things about.
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Kendal Netmaker: This is how it's always going to be for me and so on and so so much has happened, I don't know if you have enough time to really go through all those details, but you can you can go on my website, you can watch the videos and whatnot about the story.
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Kendal Netmaker: But the most important part is that.
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Kendal Netmaker: There was many helping hands that that helped me and for me sports was a gateway when I was a kid and allowed me to go from my community to playing sports nervous kids do with parents who would help pay for fees.
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Kendal Netmaker: Help arrange for fees rides and so on to my reserve.
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Kendal Netmaker: And that that manifested into going to high school graduating playing sports going to college playing sports going to university finishing two degrees and that's when I started my business career, right after I finish, I thought i'm going to become a present teachers are smiling.
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Kendal Netmaker: And I got into business and then I got into retail I had my own.
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Kendal Netmaker: apparel stores and then that's what you know brought out the speaking career and there's so much happened it's such a such a crazy story.
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Jane Atkinson: So wild it's a wild story, and you talk about growing up with the struggle mindset, I have seen your mindset shift, even in the last four years, my mindset has shifted even in the last couple of years, like I how much do you think.
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Jane Atkinson: That mindset like what was.
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Jane Atkinson: something that happened when you were young didn't you have a best friend who's.
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Yes.
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Jane Atkinson: stepped up for you early on, talk a little bit about that, and how you know, maybe if you're steeped in trouble and then somebody reaches out a hand to you, it makes a big difference.
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Kendal Netmaker: yeah when I was in grade three I was going to sweetgrass elementary school my reserve, but then my mom decided to put me on a different bus one day.
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Kendal Netmaker: And it was a little farming community cold cut and cut knife, he was like my first time leaving my my reserve my home my comfort zone.
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Kendal Netmaker: And when I went there everyone spoke differently everyone talked about farming I didn't even know what a farm was I didn't know what a what what crops were you know that's the kind of.
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Kendal Netmaker: Thought I didn't I didn't understand that they measured rain and all that stuff and so different world.
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Kendal Netmaker: and vice versa, they didn't understand a lot of the rays dynamics the.
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Kendal Netmaker: boat chief and counsel about struggling on reserve and so on, so as I went there I reverted back to autopilot as a kid being raised by my cook on my grandma who would teach me.
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Kendal Netmaker: by listening, I have to listen that all I would have to do is listen I wouldn't speak I wasn't permitted to speak alone.
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Kendal Netmaker: So growing up all I was forced to do was primarily listen so automatically I was a very quiet kid That was my I was very timid very shy growing up.
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Kendal Netmaker: And so, as I was in cut knife I reverted back to autopilot listening to all the conversations at recess during breaks at school.
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Kendal Netmaker: And I realized that they had things that the light, but I also had things I like it was sports and so sports allowed me to go on to the recess one day and cut myself into a soccer match, and I said hey guys, how are your crops doing how much rain you get last night.
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Kendal Netmaker: Looking at me like when I was kid understands us, you know we understand their lingo.
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Kendal Netmaker: i'm like totally oblivious to what i'm talking about but that's what they talked about so friendship was made on the soccer field.
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Kendal Netmaker: What happened from there with something beautiful that I now teach to a lot of my corporate clients that are trying to connect and work with indigenous peoples, and this is the teaching in there, what happened after, that is, they now had the opportunity to not also.
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Kendal Netmaker: befriend me but also, I now became their teacher about michaels.
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Kendal Netmaker: stuff on the reserve.
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Kendal Netmaker: growing up on welfare.
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Kendal Netmaker: being used to that that was all we had the very few people back then had running vehicles, there is no academic no entrepreneurship.
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Kendal Netmaker: Your self reliant on a social assistance paycheck every month, and so that became ingrained in our our peoples and so.
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Kendal Netmaker: Over time, I happen to meet a best friend at that school his name is Johan you're one of his family came to Canada as immigrants, and his dad was a doctor of the local clinic there.
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Kendal Netmaker: We happen to be going to the same school, at the same time both love soccer he was the only kid can say Kendall why aren't you playing soccer after school with us.
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Kendal Netmaker: At the total Johan that my only transportation was the bus to him for my reserve and I told them all the stuff you know the pawn shop was our friend, you know that's a sad reality.
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Kendal Netmaker: Collecting cans and bottles night, you know we we only have our mother to to raise us and I used to watch her budgeting a welfare check on the on the kitchen table.
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Kendal Netmaker: stuff like that, and so he told us parents next day they pay for my fee.
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Kendal Netmaker: Driving a games of practices we become best friends, I met his house almost every single weekend, they have a beautiful three story house and now my mind is expanding i'm thinking wow this is this is what's possible.
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Kendal Netmaker: Is that becomes a mentor to me, and he was the he that's where I got that were driven from was from johanns dead, because everything he did was like that he was so driven he'd wake up he'd be studying he'd be taking care of his kids being a dad being a husband.
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Kendal Netmaker: looking after his body.
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Jane Atkinson: Where we're yohannan his family from North Africa, how can.
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Kendal Netmaker: They came to Canada as immigrants.
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Jane Atkinson: Culture on it, and perhaps they felt like outsiders did they.
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Kendal Netmaker: They need they knew what it was like you know to to to struggle.
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Kendal Netmaker: yeah he saw suddenly me obviously and.
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Kendal Netmaker: few years later, they move to saskatoon and my best friend was meeting, so I was obviously a little sad and serve they gave my mom in 1986 for chrome Victoria that they weren't going to keep.
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Kendal Netmaker: An hour mom is driving me to practices, and you know the rest of the story, so crazy.
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Jane Atkinson: That is something when someone says, I have something for you, you know I feel like that's what's going on in the world, right now, as much as Russia, the Russia, Ukraine situation is incredibly devastating you're seeing a lot of people reaching out their hands cry just thinking about.
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Jane Atkinson: The moms who are leaving strollers for people who have to leave everything behind.
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Jane Atkinson: Yes, and so that their child has something to write in and oh my gosh that's.
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Kendal Netmaker: Challenging really.
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Jane Atkinson: when somebody I mean that literally changed.
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Jane Atkinson: The trajectory of your life, where do you think.
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Jane Atkinson: You would.
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Jane Atkinson: Be today had your hands family not stepped up for you.
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Kendal Netmaker: I could tell you there was multiple times, where I could have been someone you saw on the news from my background.
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Jane Atkinson: Oh.
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Kendal Netmaker: Part of.
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A negative statistics.
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Kendal Netmaker: It could be something like that.
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Kendal Netmaker: yeah.
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Kendal Netmaker: And there was times, where.
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Kendal Netmaker: I would try to be.
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Kendal Netmaker: Part of the bad crew, so to speak, but something would always bring me back like humbled me I guess life would humble me really quickly and so.
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Kendal Netmaker: Over time, I realized I can't be like that I can try to think negative, and so I try to be positive, everything I do now.
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Kendal Netmaker: Because I don't want Karma coming you know walk me around so i'm trying to be positive in everything I do.
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Jane Atkinson: It when you really get Karma how that can change your life yeah.
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Jane Atkinson: Well, I love okay so i've watched the evolution of candle over the last four years, and because you created this clothing line Nietzsche gear.
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Jane Atkinson: Which is an amazing line of quality, clothing, by the way, I bought it for my boys for Christmas before and beautiful things for women as well.
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Jane Atkinson: So you created me to your talk about that and the success of it, and some of the hard decisions you've had to make along the way.
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Kendal Netmaker: yeah so I started Nietzsche here as a full time university student again I was studying to become a teacher.
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Kendal Netmaker: that's what I thought was going to happen, then I had this idea to create a clothing company that would give back to kids.
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Kendal Netmaker: kind of like how Johan in this film he helped me, I want to do that with the clothing brand and so.
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Kendal Netmaker: I didn't know where to start but as as the universe, sometimes has a way of connecting dots for people who kind of are curious or who wants something.
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Kendal Netmaker: I started to see business competitions being posted advertise through campus and throw to sketch, and I thought here's an here's an opportunity.
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Kendal Netmaker: So I go to the free workshops and I didn't know what I was doing, I had no idea what a business plan was so.
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Kendal Netmaker: I would sit in a hoodie everyone else's like from commerce and suits and ties and i'm like I felt so out of place.
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Kendal Netmaker: But I was there and I show up, and I would learn, and I would listen I would I would tell what I was trying to do, and some people took an interest into it always do, and they would.
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Kendal Netmaker: Give me time and I would sit there with a notepad and pen and I figure out how to write a business plan I buy software, I make it look good and then I submitted and then my son is born April 3 2011 and that's when.
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Kendal Netmaker: Things really we're really purposeful know by that time, because now my wife who's who's still not quite done her university.
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Kendal Netmaker: My son is now a newborn and i'm sitting at the hospital I press enter on that business plan.
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Kendal Netmaker: And that was the business plan we every first competed with, and that was where I had to go up and do now, a business pitch on the second piece of it.
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Kendal Netmaker: So kind of like dragons and, in short, think I have to get up on a stage, and to do influence of pitch terrified I wasn't I wasn't a speaker back then, I was so nervous timid shy again right yeah.
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Jane Atkinson: Oh, my gosh.
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Kendal Netmaker: yeah it was challenging so I did one thing, though, that autopilot I learned through stories, so I told the story.
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Kendal Netmaker: And that's how we're able to influence.
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Kendal Netmaker: judges to believe in us and we won money, and I was able to use that to buy T shirts hoodies and I started doing that, on my God my apartment and.
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Kendal Netmaker: That was my first store was that apartment and I used to screen printing out on the kitchen table some days i'd be like Rachel my wife I go why don't you take piano to the rest for the week for the weekend I got some.
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Kendal Netmaker: T shirts of prints right, and so I became a little factory.
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Kendal Netmaker: Almost crazy stuff yeah.
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Jane Atkinson: My gosh I actually worked one of my jobs, I don't even remember where it was in my journey.
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Jane Atkinson: Was or a company called antler river trading company and we made.
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Jane Atkinson: Indigenous art.
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Jane Atkinson: Okay, on some T shirts.
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Jane Atkinson: Like we printed T shirts and then they got into some of the bigger stores and we got.
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Kendal Netmaker: You know.
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Jane Atkinson: It was very interesting I forgot I don't think i've ever told you that that I was part of your world when I was there OPS manager.
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Jane Atkinson: Okay.
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Jane Atkinson: I mean, how you even decide to start giving is so you create needs, because you want to give back yeah and here you haven't really even made your mark yet or started to make money for yourself.
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Jane Atkinson: But you have some success with that and people start to take notice and they asked you to speak is that how you're speaking.
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Kendal Netmaker: To a while it took a while.
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Kendal Netmaker: I would say in the beginning, so this is how the speaking came in so in 2012 so 10 years from there you'll was my first presentation I they used to ask me to go to to high schools to do.
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Kendal Netmaker: Their entrepreneurial story, so I would go that'd be like well they couldn't really afford to pay me anything so i'd be like, can I just sell some stuff at the back of the room.
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Kendal Netmaker: So all I do is I call all these bins into the every high school, I would even I.
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Kendal Netmaker: I do like a keynote and I would final people to the back of the room.
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Kendal Netmaker: The speaker so that's what they call it now, and so that was how I got into speaking and so many events from 2012 to 2014 I never got paid, but I would speak to sell in the back of the room so.
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Kendal Netmaker: that's how I got the I guess the launch of Nietzsche gear was out of many of those events and then that went from our apartment to a little office from the office to a kiosk to our own store.
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Kendal Netmaker: And we did pop up stores, we did wholesale we did a we have our e commerce and customers for corporations and then it then it got into more focus.
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Kendal Netmaker: I want to have a speaking business now 2015 is when I decided to do that and and yeah it's just been every year since then it's been like okay narrower and narrower and narrower and so every year is becoming more focused in an area.
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Jane Atkinson: I feel like we've both been doing the same thing we have a lot of offerings and yeah start pairing them back pairing.
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Jane Atkinson: And I love that okay so some tough decisions.
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Jane Atkinson: were made you had a retail store at one.
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Kendal Netmaker: And that's when we first started coaching was.
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Kendal Netmaker: I was at the remember doing a lot of articles from there.
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Jane Atkinson: You have a lot of.
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Jane Atkinson: A lot of balls in the air and in.
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Jane Atkinson: When we first started in a lot of the things we talked about in our first year together we're probably around time management and narrowing the focus.
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Kendal Netmaker: yeah I think a lot of it was the mindset and trying to narrow the focus within the mind.
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Kendal Netmaker: Right remember at that time I was, I was speaking on the side it wasn't my main focus, because I had my retail store and I was trying to distribute and like anything you have to pick something.
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Kendal Netmaker: If you have a big dream, you have to pick something and go after that thing everything all your energy and at that time I wasn't following that teaching, so I had to make a decision in.
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Kendal Netmaker: Years at.
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Kendal Netmaker: To Okay, I need to get out of retail and i'm going to focus on speaking so 2019 comes up and I was able to find someone to take over my lease and then all of a sudden.
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Kendal Netmaker: i'm out of out of that and I felt like whoa i'm at home, today, I met you know I couldn't believe that I like because I was, I was always leaving every day, and so, and then a year later, the pandemic hits and it was like.
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Kendal Netmaker: Oh wow luckily I did it at that time.
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Kendal Netmaker: yeah That was really good timing, I thought on your part, to say okay and make the tough decisions as a leader.
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Jane Atkinson: yeah i'm times you need to make the tough decisions, sometimes I think what I wonder don't we hang on a little longer than we should.
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Jane Atkinson: it's.
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Kendal Netmaker: In my definitely did I definitely did I should I should have been the reason I move my location from 2015 to a new location in 2016 I was less traffic busy, so to speak.
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Kendal Netmaker: Was I was already preparing my mind to get into speaking and I needed an office to work on this stuff that's what really when I should have did it was, but again, you will learn so.
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Jane Atkinson: yeah that's really and i'm sure Dan years we're having a totally different conversation both so narrow I hope.
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Jane Atkinson: Well there's two things that I believe are the keys to success number one 100% belief in your dream and number two consistent action.
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Jane Atkinson: And you got into the speaking business and I don't know that you would have had the same belief back then that you would have today and what's possible did you ever see yourself like dreaming about a million dollar speaking business in the beginning.
00:18:46.260 --> 00:18:47.580
Kendal Netmaker: Actually Jane I did.
00:18:48.540 --> 00:18:50.040
Jane Atkinson: that's cool I was already.
00:18:50.190 --> 00:18:55.500
Kendal Netmaker: planted I just didn't have my life set up for that yet, and I could just take it a long time to.
00:18:56.070 --> 00:19:03.360
Kendal Netmaker: As I call, I think I told you, the last call to shed the fat, so to speak, that's what I call it to whatever is not serving you and taking away your time and not.
00:19:03.750 --> 00:19:10.170
Kendal Netmaker: Helping you to get where you want get rid of it, you know, make it less part of your life so you can put more into what's going to help you get there.
00:19:10.860 --> 00:19:11.430
Kendal Netmaker: And so.
00:19:11.940 --> 00:19:16.950
Kendal Netmaker: You know the more I do that the more we're getting closer to that and so we're we're getting.
00:19:17.700 --> 00:19:28.950
Jane Atkinson: And, and the idea behind a belief being 100% is that you don't always know exactly how you're going to get there.
00:19:29.250 --> 00:19:30.150
Kendal Netmaker: Right right.
00:19:30.210 --> 00:19:36.540
Jane Atkinson: that's that's not something that may be clear to you on day one, and it certainly wasn't clear to you.
00:19:37.890 --> 00:19:47.280
Jane Atkinson: Sir growing up the way that you did I can imagine that it would have taken a lot of mindset work to even wrap your mind around a seven figure business.
00:19:47.490 --> 00:19:49.710
Kendal Netmaker: I had to talk to my mom about this because.
00:19:50.340 --> 00:19:52.230
Kendal Netmaker: My mom was one of those people who.
00:19:53.730 --> 00:19:58.320
Kendal Netmaker: unintentionally with telling me that you know we weren't meant to prosper, otherwise it would have happened, but no.
00:19:59.010 --> 00:20:05.250
Kendal Netmaker: So, as I grew up and, as I got into my business I started to realize the change, I was doing within my own small business at that time.
00:20:06.030 --> 00:20:13.500
Kendal Netmaker: And now that I was going to speak and I said man there's so much more I could do know like i'm going to meet a lot of people and I meet a lot of influential people all around the world.
00:20:13.830 --> 00:20:21.330
Kendal Netmaker: Managing the good, we can do with this, and so I told my mom I said I said mom i'm going to have a multimillion dollar business.
00:20:22.470 --> 00:20:30.420
Kendal Netmaker: And I just want you to know that I know that it's probably not aligned with our beliefs, however, I feel i've been chosen to do some good with this.
00:20:30.780 --> 00:20:44.670
Kendal Netmaker: And i'm in a responsible mindset at this time in my life to acknowledge that and whenever that time comes, i'm gonna i'm going to do what I can to help our people and so that's a that's how I learned the purpose with it.
00:20:45.810 --> 00:20:51.870
Jane Atkinson: Now, when you first started in speaking I feel like it was candle suit and tie guy.
00:20:52.620 --> 00:20:56.850
Jane Atkinson: Yes, yeah like I need to fit into this world and.
00:20:58.800 --> 00:21:04.230
Jane Atkinson: And and tell me about at what point did you say I am going to.
00:21:05.460 --> 00:21:11.430
Jane Atkinson: kind of be my most authentic self and things have been happening for you in the background, as well.
00:21:11.730 --> 00:21:13.260
Jane Atkinson: You untapped.
00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:20.940
Jane Atkinson: For and tell me if i'm saying this wrong tribal leadership and you are being groomed, for that is that accurate.
00:21:21.180 --> 00:21:36.210
Kendal Netmaker: yeah I would, I would say i'm a helper in ceremony and and continually being utilized in there, and so that requires attention there to aside from speaking on the weekends and whatever that those events are home and so it's two different worlds and.
00:21:37.980 --> 00:21:46.320
Kendal Netmaker: it's it's definitely it's like you're walking through a totally different door every every on the weekends on during the weekday and so on, like so.
00:21:46.980 --> 00:21:56.640
Kendal Netmaker: different way of thinking, different way of mindset and so i'm continually going on off change, you know and so it's it's it's it's challenging but i'm working at it.
00:21:57.030 --> 00:22:05.610
Jane Atkinson: And what I think is so valuable for the leaders who sit in your audiences is that they are getting the best of both worlds.
00:22:05.670 --> 00:22:06.060
Kendal Netmaker: Right.
00:22:06.270 --> 00:22:14.430
Jane Atkinson: Right your indigenous culture brings things to the table that leaders have not thought of.
00:22:14.490 --> 00:22:32.520
Jane Atkinson: Yes, and yet you understand this other world as well, you can marry that i've been in business yourself, and you can bury that and I love, like the new I was looking at your website i'm actually going to bring it up to refresh my memory.
00:22:34.740 --> 00:22:49.620
Jane Atkinson: I love that you have gone kind of all in because I don't know that you it a first one we'd see your promise it was about helping leaders and mindset and things like that.
00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:58.440
Jane Atkinson: And today, your new promises helping leaders prepare for the future of individualized work, am I saying that right indigenous.
00:22:59.070 --> 00:23:12.600
Jane Atkinson: And the future of work we know is really, really hot here in Canada, especially, I would say that that is a topic that people are interested in and they're leaning into, and they want.
00:23:12.600 --> 00:23:15.390
Jane Atkinson: to know more about how to lead.
00:23:15.780 --> 00:23:26.160
Kendal Netmaker: mm hmm yeah it's been I would say, a year ago it wasn't even in my thought process to focus on that this past summer.
00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:32.610
Kendal Netmaker: You know I think influence of ceremony at that time, for me, and also the demand, as it was coming.
00:23:33.450 --> 00:23:44.310
Kendal Netmaker: It felt like the right time to focus there, and as I made that commitment again jumping to feed and things started to progress, you know bureau started to hear about it and we started to build relationships even further.
00:23:44.940 --> 00:23:54.600
Kendal Netmaker: All of a sudden we've been I would say, a half at one at one of every two keynotes is focused on indigenous areas that's crazy, you know and so.
00:23:55.560 --> 00:24:04.440
Kendal Netmaker: it's it's amazing what when you put to feed into something what that can do for you and also aligning with what you feel that the world needs did the people that you're serving.
00:24:05.070 --> 00:24:09.150
Jane Atkinson: And if you were fearful Oh, if I put this word.
00:24:09.240 --> 00:24:10.680
Jane Atkinson: on my website.
00:24:11.310 --> 00:24:26.850
Jane Atkinson: People who want this over here will not come to me, instead, you have established 100% belief now it's, not to say that that this idea may not change in your speaking will evolve.
00:24:26.850 --> 00:24:34.620
Jane Atkinson: into something else and morph, but I just love that you did that in such a fearless way that must have been a little bit of trepidation on their.
00:24:34.620 --> 00:24:35.370
Jane Atkinson: part to go.
00:24:35.520 --> 00:24:40.020
Kendal Netmaker: Changes like that every change is like a second guessing you go through the second guessing you doubt yourself.
00:24:40.560 --> 00:24:48.990
Kendal Netmaker: yeah but I always just do experiments and they just try, if it doesn't work, then you can always change it, so the more experiments you do you're going to find something that works for you, but.
00:24:49.650 --> 00:24:51.300
Jane Atkinson: A lot of people they stopped before trying.
00:24:51.600 --> 00:24:52.170
Kendal Netmaker: And so.
00:24:53.280 --> 00:25:01.320
Kendal Netmaker: Thankfully, you know, being in retail every day was an experiment, so I was forced to be like that, back then, and thankfully it helps with the speaking as well.
00:25:01.770 --> 00:25:11.190
Jane Atkinson: So you being okay with failure is really a part of this whole idea that belief is number one and consistent action is number two.
00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:24.330
Jane Atkinson: The thing that drives consistent action you try something it doesn't work you try something else it doesn't work you try something else you know, and I know in retail you're like moving around the store all the time.
00:25:25.650 --> 00:25:32.130
Jane Atkinson: you're like okay let's see if this sells and see if this sells, and that is just a beautiful like ground.
00:25:32.550 --> 00:25:36.840
Jane Atkinson: To try fail try again and.
00:25:38.280 --> 00:25:45.270
Jane Atkinson: What would you say was the most difficult thing that you've had to kind of get up and dust yourself off from.
00:25:46.980 --> 00:25:52.680
Kendal Netmaker: I would say the biggest obstacles in the startup business will say to now was.
00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:57.180
Kendal Netmaker: In the beginning I wasn't prepared for the.
00:25:59.220 --> 00:26:11.340
Kendal Netmaker: The harsh words and what I mean by that is I was the first First Nations brand in this country to go and set themselves up for success selling their own stuff in the mainstream setting in a mall.
00:26:12.210 --> 00:26:19.500
Kendal Netmaker: And so, as I became the first and being on a kiosk 10 years ago there was nothing like that we were the first ones.
00:26:19.860 --> 00:26:21.150
Kendal Netmaker: So I.
00:26:21.330 --> 00:26:30.510
Kendal Netmaker: wasn't expecting to hear every conversation that was negative passing me all the people that were non indigenous and what they had to say.
00:26:31.050 --> 00:26:39.900
Kendal Netmaker: And so, over time, that really hurt Oh, my goodness, like, I remember shedding tears because of the stuff i'd here, and it really affected my self confidence back then, and so.
00:26:40.500 --> 00:26:53.730
Kendal Netmaker: That was one of the things that really pushed me to get into a store because it motivated okay i'm going to have my own store, whereas didn't stop However, the second part I wasn't prepared for the second part, was the lateral violence from our people.
00:26:54.810 --> 00:27:00.030
Kendal Netmaker: and seeing a young First Nations men succeeding and their own.
00:27:01.590 --> 00:27:02.070
Jane Atkinson: Is it.
00:27:02.430 --> 00:27:02.880
Kendal Netmaker: Your own.
00:27:03.060 --> 00:27:04.170
Jane Atkinson: crabs in the bucket.
00:27:04.350 --> 00:27:06.810
Kendal Netmaker: exactly like I wasn't prepared for that exactly.
00:27:06.900 --> 00:27:16.680
Kendal Netmaker: So the combination of those two was tough challenging but there was a third component, the third component was when you mix close family members into that or close friends that really hurts.
00:27:17.910 --> 00:27:29.670
Kendal Netmaker: But, over time, I feel like it helped me to not only get what you'd call thick skin, but also to deal with people in an effective way to come from kindness and love from forgiving and so on.
00:27:30.090 --> 00:27:32.820
Kendal Netmaker: And that came from Michael come, thankfully, she taught me that as a kid.
00:27:33.090 --> 00:27:38.040
Kendal Netmaker: And if I didn't learn that I probably be reacting to everything I probably be fighting with people online, you know and so.
00:27:39.090 --> 00:27:42.090
Kendal Netmaker: Teaching forced me to see that it's not me it's them.
00:27:43.110 --> 00:27:45.240
Kendal Netmaker: it's what other people are going through you don't have to take it on.
00:27:46.260 --> 00:27:49.980
Kendal Netmaker: And little to no I would now teach that in corporate audiences when I speak about.
00:27:51.210 --> 00:27:53.520
Kendal Netmaker: Working with people working with clients and customers.
00:27:54.810 --> 00:28:05.640
Jane Atkinson: This the thought model that i'm learning right now and have been studying for a few years now is that all of your pain comes down to a thought.
00:28:05.880 --> 00:28:11.550
Jane Atkinson: That you're having and so now, when someone says something negative.
00:28:11.730 --> 00:28:12.810
Jane Atkinson: about you.
00:28:14.130 --> 00:28:15.990
Jane Atkinson: You can decide what to think.
00:28:16.020 --> 00:28:17.130
Kendal Netmaker: Yes, yes.
00:28:17.790 --> 00:28:18.330
and
00:28:19.380 --> 00:28:19.530
Kendal Netmaker: You.
00:28:19.950 --> 00:28:34.590
Jane Atkinson: can decide, based on what you think is going to help you feel something differently, and I have to practice this all the time and i've not mastered it i'm not 100% that's for sure.
00:28:34.950 --> 00:28:50.670
Jane Atkinson: i've had some thoughts in the last few weeks, because you know what we try things and they fail or things happen with your team, or whatever doesn't go as you would like it and you feel some bad feelings, as a result of that and i'm really.
00:28:51.120 --> 00:29:02.580
Jane Atkinson: here's what I really think now candle is that if we are okay with feeling pain with feeling disappointment that a launch didn't go as we wanted.
00:29:03.930 --> 00:29:08.940
Jane Atkinson: With feeling pain of rejection of not getting a big contract that we wanted.
00:29:09.180 --> 00:29:09.630
Kendal Netmaker: Yes.
00:29:09.840 --> 00:29:13.530
Jane Atkinson: If we can get okay with feeling those feelings.
00:29:13.830 --> 00:29:17.160
Jane Atkinson: yeah you may come unstoppable.
00:29:17.190 --> 00:29:25.020
Kendal Netmaker: Yes, you become part of the current now you become the card of that current of life, instead of resisting everything, yes, absolutely totally.
00:29:25.740 --> 00:29:33.420
Jane Atkinson: brilliant so here you are you one I was such a proud moment top 40 under 40 in Canada.
00:29:33.600 --> 00:29:35.910
Jane Atkinson: That was that must have been a really.
00:29:37.050 --> 00:29:39.000
Jane Atkinson: amazing for you.
00:29:39.420 --> 00:29:47.130
Kendal Netmaker: That was pretty crazy because I wasn't expecting the process to go as like I felt like I was getting interviewed from like for like a sea level position they.
00:29:49.110 --> 00:29:54.150
Kendal Netmaker: They got references they had to submit this this you know all the follow up.
00:29:56.190 --> 00:29:57.930
Kendal Netmaker: If I was going to be part of that and so.
00:29:59.340 --> 00:30:08.760
Kendal Netmaker: yeah it was it was it was good, and I would say Jane like a lot of that stuff is cool it's not, why do you think it's it's I focused on.
00:30:10.410 --> 00:30:25.020
Kendal Netmaker: Creating results for people, but also helping beyond just me and so that's why i'm I consider to live in those two worlds I talk about I go help in our culture, our ceremonies, but I also try to help with how we're meant to help over here and I feel that's part of why i'm here is.
00:30:26.430 --> 00:30:29.820
Kendal Netmaker: To bring a spark to help change and to.
00:30:31.110 --> 00:30:33.000
Kendal Netmaker: Try to help people work together in a good way.
00:30:33.540 --> 00:30:49.620
Jane Atkinson: Talk about how you marry the mindset you obviously are a person who wants to help people you're coming from a very beautiful place in your heart, how do you marry that with and I also want to earn a seven figure.
00:30:49.860 --> 00:30:50.190
Jane Atkinson: yeah.
00:30:50.490 --> 00:31:00.030
Jane Atkinson: I want to have a seven figure business, how does your brain say it's okay to make a lot of money and live in a big beautiful house.
00:31:00.090 --> 00:31:03.270
Jane Atkinson: yeah and help people at the same time.
00:31:03.450 --> 00:31:04.710
Kendal Netmaker: what's your it's like.
00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:13.080
Kendal Netmaker: it's like as long as you're coming from a good place right your mind is as pure as you possibly can make it what I mean by that is your intentions are pure.
00:31:13.530 --> 00:31:20.790
Kendal Netmaker: you're doing the best you possibly can, when you're hired to do something and you're doing giving everything you can into that contract that speaking engagement, whatever that might be.
00:31:21.960 --> 00:31:29.520
Kendal Netmaker: The opposite of that is, we also have a responsibility as humans to make a world better and it starts at home, it starts with our grandkids.
00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:40.110
Kendal Netmaker: But also, if you're blessed to have an abundant amount of resources, whether it's it could be something like like, for example, money, for example, if that is allowed to come into your life.
00:31:41.220 --> 00:31:43.290
Kendal Netmaker: it's good to help with that as well to help.
00:31:43.350 --> 00:31:56.340
Kendal Netmaker: Beyond if you see a problem out there, that you can help solve or beach, the solution to go and help there that's part of your legacy that's part of what's also going to drive your business because when you help over here it comes back to you.
00:31:56.790 --> 00:31:57.750
Kendal Netmaker: Whether people see it or not.
00:31:57.960 --> 00:31:59.130
Kendal Netmaker: But it has to start you.
00:31:59.670 --> 00:32:00.810
Kendal Netmaker: If you do it just for that.
00:32:00.900 --> 00:32:03.060
Kendal Netmaker: it's not going to work has to start here.
00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:07.560
Jane Atkinson: You know, and when you earn more you can give more.
00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:14.130
Kendal Netmaker: So you've got to think about it that way, I just think that there are some people who use.
00:32:16.920 --> 00:32:31.710
Jane Atkinson: Some sort of barrier about money, as there is an excuse not to go as far as they possibly could because it via you know I think there are times when we grow up thinking that rich people are bad or.
00:32:31.740 --> 00:32:34.650
Kendal Netmaker: Yes, there's there was a lack of mine work had to do with that stuff.
00:32:35.790 --> 00:32:36.060
Kendal Netmaker: yeah.
00:32:37.350 --> 00:32:45.870
Jane Atkinson: I mean you probably didn't even grow up with those things, because you were getting you are worried about the basics not.
00:32:45.930 --> 00:32:46.740
Kendal Netmaker: lucky to have.
00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:49.110
Kendal Netmaker: Any brand anything.
00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:59.130
Kendal Netmaker: We We grew up with second hand clothes, you know, like the oldest might we had upon belongings just to make sure we had lunch food for my for my siblings and so.
00:32:59.970 --> 00:33:11.040
Kendal Netmaker: We weren't thinking like that, but as I left, and I was exposed to the world, so to speak, and that comes with continually educate educating yourself and, for me it started university and I was grateful to be there.
00:33:11.670 --> 00:33:18.480
Kendal Netmaker: I was, I was exposed to more opportunities and as your your mind expands it wants to be nourished with more of that.
00:33:18.900 --> 00:33:28.680
Kendal Netmaker: So it doesn't go back to how it was, and so the more you expand your mindset into possibilities your mind will find ways to fill up that gap, so it keeps expanding and so.
00:33:29.310 --> 00:33:43.920
Kendal Netmaker: that's how you know I never used to think oh yeah I want to have a multimillion dollar business, but as I look at what i'm trying to grow into now that's going to be required for the future, I cannot do the work i'm required to do in the future if that business isn't there.
00:33:45.060 --> 00:33:48.630
Kendal Netmaker: Because that's where i'm going to be able to fund things in the future, you know, and so on, so.
00:33:49.380 --> 00:33:50.640
Kendal Netmaker: that's how it all ties in for me.
00:33:51.060 --> 00:34:00.510
Jane Atkinson: I like that you have even expanded my own mindset in terms of what fees are possible within we all here.
00:34:01.650 --> 00:34:05.820
Jane Atkinson: have decided that we have limits on ourselves and.
00:34:06.060 --> 00:34:07.170
Kendal Netmaker: Certainly, certainly there.
00:34:08.160 --> 00:34:17.100
Jane Atkinson: would be that if you wanted to charge 15,000 in Canada, that you had to be a celebrity when I first got into the business that was the way it was.
00:34:17.490 --> 00:34:28.590
Jane Atkinson: And I love that you're just kind of blowing through that ceiling that somebody created for us that we decided was in place because it's not true.
00:34:29.820 --> 00:34:34.620
Jane Atkinson: Whatever be the expert commands is what the fee.
00:34:34.680 --> 00:34:38.280
Jane Atkinson: Is as long as they see the value then you're good.
00:34:39.450 --> 00:34:42.780
Kendal Netmaker: Absolutely we've been very fortunate I think when we first started speaking I was.
00:34:43.860 --> 00:34:48.870
Kendal Netmaker: I was maybe 5000 getting that for in person before and.
00:34:49.500 --> 00:34:51.150
Kendal Netmaker: It will much has happened since that.
00:34:51.240 --> 00:34:56.370
Jane Atkinson: wasn't really like a locked in five either is like, if you have the budget.
00:34:58.080 --> 00:35:09.150
Jane Atkinson: Because when you have a charitable heart yeah it's really easy to so you probably have charity over here set aside, which is really helpful when you do that.
00:35:10.230 --> 00:35:18.420
Jane Atkinson: A charitable heart just wants to get out and speak to anyone who will listen but you've evolved past that to a place where you have these.
00:35:18.690 --> 00:35:19.590
Kendal Netmaker: This business first.
00:35:20.100 --> 00:35:28.890
Kendal Netmaker: always a business first this first and you do your charity work, but I when you've completely separate that it's so helpful don't you yeah.
00:35:28.950 --> 00:35:33.090
Kendal Netmaker: Like we have our own nonprofit that's a charity so it's two different things.
00:35:33.390 --> 00:35:34.380
Kendal Netmaker: If I take from.
00:35:34.440 --> 00:35:43.590
Kendal Netmaker: here to over here, sometimes to help people so yeah that's that's also a good way of negotiating you can tell people you know where.
00:35:44.100 --> 00:35:53.670
Kendal Netmaker: This also helps people over here, you know, sometimes i'll take a fee and i'll put it over here into helping to create educational bursaries for indigenous youth and so.
00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:58.530
Kendal Netmaker: it's it becomes again more purposeful for why you show up to the.
00:36:00.630 --> 00:36:15.570
Jane Atkinson: candle you have been just wonderful to watch and I can't wait to see what happens in the next four years, my friend tell everybody how they should get in touch with you, if they would like to connect, whether it be website sharing both.
00:36:15.690 --> 00:36:21.630
Kendal Netmaker: yeah go go to linkedin candle maker not like Kendall Jenner with one l.
00:36:23.160 --> 00:36:30.540
Kendal Netmaker: What a candle maker.com ke n D L and et ma ke are calm or indigenous speaker calm.
00:36:31.050 --> 00:36:33.690
Kendal Netmaker: i'm always on every platform so reach out anytime.
00:36:34.530 --> 00:36:52.380
Jane Atkinson: Beautiful Thank you so much for being here and if you've tuned in and something has struck you hey, let us know send me an email Jay not speak our launcher calm I would love to hear your feedback and with that we will say see you soon wealthy speakers bye for now bye everyone.
Highlights you won’t want to miss:
- Learning family values. [2:00]
- How a helping hand changed everything. [5:00]
- Making the hard decisions. [11:00]
- Creating a business to give back. [14:30]
- The possibilities are endless. [18:30]
- Aligning to your purpose. [20:00]
- Learning to deal with negativity. [26:00]
- Pure intentions result in abundance. [31:00]
Kendal is a leading entrepreneur whose passion to succeed is contagious. To date, Kendal has founded and invested in 5 businesses. One of them is Neechie Gear – a lifestyle apparel brand that gives back a percentage of its profits to go toward funding underprivileged youth to empower them to take part in sports. He is the author of Driven To Succeed and has won over 25 business awards, including being named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and runner-up at the YBI Global Entrepreneur of the Year.
If you could use some inspiration and great ideas to help guide you on your speaking journey, you simply can’t afford to miss this episode!
I hope you’ll download and learn.
Links:
Kendal’s website
Neechie Gear
Kendal’s LinkedIn profile
Jane’s LinkedIn profile