The BizzBoosters

Laurel: I've been the owner of two successful consulting companies specializing in technical communication and software development, working with start-ups that employ half a dozen people to large international corporations. I remember the days when the Internet was just starting as a viable business vehicle and putting up a one-page information page was like magic! I'm a professionally trained personal and business coach, and I'm the author of a number of books including Your Career Is Your Business, Why Should They... Three Magic Words for Business Success, Marketing in The Know-Zone, and more.

I'm a sought-after consultant, coach, trainer, speaker and facilitator who has given workshops and presentations at local and international events on business and communication issues. I've spent years working with my clients and colleagues to help them build their businesses. I now focus a good portion of my energy and my business time on being a business consultant-coach-mentor who helps clients make more money and have more free time for what's important in their lives (find out more at www.moremoneymoretimeforlife.com).

Aside from my successful coaching-mentoring-consulting business, I still operate my communication consulting company (Auberon Consulting Limited) and I'm active as a professional real estate investor in another company that I'm a partner in (find out more at www.SASREIG.com).

But aside from all that, the most important things in my life are my husband, my family, my friends and the things I enjoy doing. More on that in On a Personal Note below.

Daniel: I've been in “sales & marketing” in one form or another all of my adult life. And in the last 20 years, I've bought, started, or sold ten different businesses. I've been a professional photographer, a publisher of educational material, calendars and greeting cards, the owner of a framing shop and art gallery, a professional tour guide, an independent distributor of health products, a speaker, a trainer, and a teacher. I've also written two published books; my first one became a Canadian bestseller in 1992. The first printing of my second book—A First Serving of Milk & Cookies for Success—was released in September 2004 and is almost sold out. As well, I've contributed a chapter in the bestselling book 101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life (Volume 2) that featured many celebrity authors like Jack Canfield, John Gray, Richard Carlson, Bob Proctor and Alan Cohen.

My greatest joy in business is writing articles on “The Basics”—the foundational elements of business success that too many entrepreneurs and business owners overlook because they are too busy with “modern-day” technology, tactics, strategies, etc. I love to hear from my readers who have had their mind expanded by one of my insightful articles, and who have “suddenly” realized that building a successful business—like erecting an office tower—is much easier when you have a solid foundation in place.

Goyan: I’m Goyan Goads, butt-kicking business commentator (and Daniel’s alter ego). My name is actually an acronym that stands for Get Off Your Ass Now, Glorious Opportunities Await Diligent Success-seekers. Daniel & Laurel like to “tell it like it is” and make recommendations & suggestions. I, on the other hand, like to “tell it like it should be” and I like to whack people on the side of the head and kick them in the seat of their pants, or skirts, when it comes to making suggestions. I don’t mince my words when it comes to giving my opinion and making my comments (which is why many of my interventions are preceded by the warning “explicit language”. As you’ll soon find out, my favorite sentence is “What are you thinking?!?”

On the topics of “The Basics” that was just addressed, I’d like to add that the most basic of all the basics & fundamentals that we, The BizzBoosters, like to teach is what we call Benefits-Based Marketing. Quite simply, benefits-based marketing is to business success what water is to fish, air to lungs, motor oil to engines—ESSENTIAL! Because we love to see you all succeed to the max, be prepared to be hit hard and repeatedly with that idea. You call it tough love… if you want.

“The dictionary is the only place where it is okay for business to come before people.”
–Daniel G. St-Jean

“First you jump of the cliff, and you build your wings on the way down.”
–Ray Bradbury

“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”

“Don’t do to others what you don’t like others doing to you.”

“Grain by grain a loaf; stone by stone a castle.”
–Yugoslavian Proverb

“You can get everything in life you want
if you help enough other people get what they want.”
–Zig Ziglar

“We will either find a way or make one.”
–Hannibal

“When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail.
If you’re going after Moby Dick, take along the tartar sauce.”
–H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

On a Personal Note
We live in a beautiful townhouse in a very green area in the central part of Ottawa—the capital city of Canada—near the Ottawa River where we like to walk to to witness the sun setting over the water, and right by the main bike paths. We love biking; it’s our favorite mode of exercise and pastime. Our back patio overlooks woods; we are surrounded by trees, birds, and multiple wildlife. (Ever been awakened by a woodpecker at 5:30 a.m. as it pecks out its mating call? We have!)

Our other pastimes include reading (Laurel is an avid reader—she read the seventh Harry Potter book in one day and always has at least five business books and novels on the go!), movies, music, walking, visiting museums and art galleries, attending plays and concerts, cooking (especially on the BBQ), baking, wine (studying, and savoring), and traveling—particularly on a cruise ship. (Over the years, Daniel has toured almost all of North America—he lived in the Yukon for 13 years—while Laurel has visited more countries than she can count in Europe, Africa and the Middle East—and she lived in west Africa for two years).

We do not have children of our own, but we have lots of nieces, nephews, siblings and parents we love to visit and spend quality time with every chance we get.

One of Daniel’s favorite activities is creating new words: business words like Connectworking, Communicaetiquette, Know-Zone, BizzTool, BizzBuilder & BizzBlocker. And adjectives like awesomsational, splendelightful, and wonderFUNtastic.

Our favorite made-up word is Successerenity—attaining it is our ultimate goal in life. We define it this way:

That’s precisely what we are experiencing at the moment. And because it feels so right, we try our very best to help as many people as we can to experience that too.

To your personal and professional success—and successerenity!

Laurel & Daniel
The BizzBoosters