Latest / Authentic Living / Sustainable Leadership and Relationship ROI with Joseph Grimaldi

Transcript

Sustainable Leadership and Relationship ROI with Joseph Grimaldi · Authentic Living

• 0:01
  Welcome to Authentic Living with Roxanne, a place where we have conscious conversations
• 0:08
  about things that really matter in our lives.
• 0:12
  And now here's your host, Roxanne Durhaj.
• 0:42
  Hi, everyone.
• 0:42
  It's Roxanne Gerhach for with Authentically Living with Roxanne.
• 0:46
  So thanks again for tuning in again.
• 0:48
  Today, I bought, someone that's quite special in, in leadership and has had quite the
• 0:55
  extensive, time in leadership, and his name is, Joseph Grimaldi.
• 1:00
  Hi, Joseph.
• 1:00
  Nice to have you on.
• 1:01
  Afternoon, Roxanne.
• 1:02
  It's a pleasure.
• 1:03
  Thank you for having me on your podcast.
• 1:05
  I appreciate that.
• 1:06
  Well, so we're gonna have a bit of a talk.
• 1:08
  I gotta tell you a little bit about Joseph, but this is not gonna do any justice to some of the
• 1:12
  things that he's done.
• 1:13
  He's worked a lot in health care p 3 projects, which is his private public partnerships,
• 1:19
  pharmaceuticals, industrial, and operation sectors.
• 1:23
  Like, I often I I think it's always so important to know how you kinda got to where
• 1:29
  you are today.
• 1:32
  Fair enough.
• 1:33
  Thank you.
• 1:33
  Thank you again, Roxanne.
• 1:34
  Well, it you know, basically my my degree is in chemistry.
• 1:38
  I taught for for several years in the Catholic system, but then I because it's in chemistry, I
• 1:44
  I ventured into pharmaceuticals and whether it's sales and marketing.
• 1:49
  And then I basically from there, I went into more design and development of mental health
• 1:55
  hospitals with Honeywell.
• 1:57
  And then I transitioned 5 sites in Ontario from the P3 secondtor, from a construction site to
• 2:05
  basically operations and a live building.
• 2:07
  So that brought me eventually to Denmark where I was in charge of, constructing a 1,000,000
• 2:14
  square foot facility for medical cannabis to supply the European market.
• 2:18
  Again, because of my pharma background, I thought it was a great fit and a way to go to
• 2:23
  to Europe and on this massive project.
• 2:26
  That kind of went sideways with that whole industry.
• 2:29
  And then I came back and I volunteered at the Good Shepherd.
• 2:32
  It was basically, a soup kitchen for for the homeless men, and they found out I had a
• 2:38
  project management background.
• 2:40
  They hired me.
• 2:40
  I thought it was just only gonna be temporary.
• 2:42
  I was there for almost 4 years, where we basically transitioned, facilities to
• 2:49
  accommodate some of the homeless.
• 2:51
  We retrofitted, our, my old high school here in Hamilton for a 100 men, take them off the
• 2:56
  streets, during COVID.
• 2:58
  And then we later transitioned another a 100 women off the streets, and transitioned them
• 3:04
  for, for that care.
• 3:05
  And what happened there is after, the funding went through and I decided to look with my
• 3:11
  experience in Denmark because the sustainability they're the leaders,
• 3:14
  Scandinavians.
• 3:15
  My work with the Danes, the Dutch, the Swedes, and some of the Fins there really, really
• 3:23
  strengthened my, my, my direction for, for sustainability.
• 3:28
  I attended Rotman University Toronto School of Management, and, I took a course in
• 3:33
  sustainability leadership.
• 3:34
  So that's what brought me to where I am now with CarbonRx.
• 3:38
  Carbon RX is a company out of, Saskatchewan.
• 3:42
  And what they do is they work with First Nations people and regenerative farmers.
• 3:47
  And they have whether it's in grasslands, forestry, or regenerative agriculture, They
• 3:54
  what we do here now is my role here is in Ontario is to we have all the emitters here for
• 4:00
  carbon, and we're we're aligning them with the First Nation lands.
• 4:04
  So they're buying credits here in Ontario and in Quebec.
• 4:08
  And, we're partnering with First Nations, out west in the prairies to offset the carbon.
• 4:14
  So if you're buying 10,000 tonnes of carbon here, we offset it in the prairies with 10,000.
• 4:20
  For example, in 3 d 4 in Saskatchewan with some of the band leaders there.
• 4:24
  I was there in Saskatchewan in September.
• 4:26
  I met some of the the chiefs and the elders there.
• 4:29
  I'm really impressed by the relationship that CarbonRx is.
• 4:33
  For example, Marty and and Neil and Carson, part of the teammates there, they really have
• 4:38
  the trust of of those peoples, and that's where we are today.
• 4:42
  And that it's it's a big piece.
• 4:44
  You know about, you know, carbon neutral and net 0 2030 and the United Nations, you know,
• 4:50
  sustainability development goals.
• 4:52
  So it's a it's a big space, a growing space.
• 4:56
  And Canada, we're fortunate because geologically, we can carbon capture a lot of
• 5:01
  this emitting carbon from from all over.
• 5:04
  And ours is more of a natural base.
• 5:06
  So we're really working with our partners, like I said, First Nations out west and regenerative
• 5:12
  agricultural farmers to really help this.
• 5:15
  So that's basically what we're doing now.
• 5:17
  So
• 5:18
  So you've had you've had a fascinating career, like you said, starting off in chemistry and
• 5:24
  kinda going into suit pharmaceuticals and now from there, kinda going into sustainability.
• 5:30
  Tell me as a leader, as a young leader.
• 5:32
  Right, you've you've been in different environments, you've been in different
• 5:35
  cultures, you've been in, obviously, North American culture, coming from Hamilton all the
• 5:39
  way off to Denmark and Europe.
• 5:41
  What's what's the difference between our leadership or the leadership styles here in
• 5:47
  North America compared to, the European kind of leaders?
• 5:51
  So I could that's a really good question, Roxanne.
• 5:54
  I could tell you that, for example, in Denmark, it's it's a it's horizontal leadership.
• 6:00
  So you could be sitting with the president in one room and having contact.
• 6:05
  Whereas, when I was working for Honeywell, for example, you know, for me to get to the CEO and
• 6:10
  white and In Honeywell, there's, like, 7, 8 layers.
• 6:16
  Yes.
• 6:17
  In Denmark, it just seems that, you know, they you could you turn around and and, you know, we
• 6:23
  would have lunch.
• 6:23
  We always had lunch, And he's cleaning the table right alongside me with, like it just
• 6:30
  their focus is on relationships and the strengthening of the relationships.
• 6:34
  And I guess that's the main difference because when it comes down to business is all about
• 6:39
  relationships.
• 6:40
  And it's for my experience here, for example, in Honeywell, I would work with the architects,
• 6:45
  the designers, the engineers, but then I'd be working with the contractors, you know, the
• 6:50
  electricians and plumbers, etcetera, like that.
• 6:53
  And for me, it's about building relationship.
• 6:55
  Doesn't matter where they are in the company.
• 6:57
  Yeah.
• 6:58
  Build strong relationships regardless of your title.
• 7:01
  I think what happens is you really create a bond.
• 7:03
  It's almost like creating a family atmosphere, and everybody works together collectively.
• 7:08
  But that was the biggest difference.
• 7:10
  I noticed that I could speak to the president of the company in Denmark, whereas in
• 7:14
  Honeywell, it took me a few layers
• 7:16
  They get they're getting in trouble to see the guy that's up top in it.
• 7:19
  They're going to the principal's
• 7:20
  up.
• 7:20
  Not that the CEO wants to see you.
• 7:22
  You're like, oh, I'm not
• 7:23
  so sure.
• 7:24
  You know, that's fascinating.
• 7:25
  Right?
• 7:26
  So you're talking I talk it I I call it shoulder to shoulder leadership where you know?
• 7:31
  And my dad was, an executive all my life.
• 7:33
  Like I told you earlier, I'm from Trinidad, Tobago.
• 7:36
  Mhmm.
• 7:36
  And he would say to me, you know, even as a little girl.
• 7:39
  So I grew up kinda like with people, you know, a lot of people working in the oil, you know,
• 7:43
  oil industry, a lot of business people, those types of things.
• 7:46
  I remember him saying, you know, you know, and you're picking up things as a child.
• 7:50
  Right?
• 7:50
  And he would say, you would always pee treat everybody the same.
• 7:54
  He says whether it's the janitor sweeping the floor or the guy in the, you know, the big
• 7:58
  office behind the glass, he said, you treat everybody with the same because we they all
• 8:03
  deserve the same respect.
• 8:04
  And it's interesting honestly.
• 8:06
  Yeah.
• 8:07
  And I I, you know, I even say that now.
• 8:08
  And, basically, you know, culturally, and I talk a little bit about the impact of my
• 8:13
  culture and kind of what I ended up wanting to do for a living.
• 8:16
  But, ultimately, that's that was such a value for for me as a child because then really, you
• 8:21
  know, as you went through different environments, then you realized, well, that's
• 8:24
  so true because people are people.
• 8:26
  Right?
• 8:26
  And we all wanna feel special at work.
• 8:29
  Right?
• 8:29
  Like, whatever we're doing, you know, as a leader, I I've always kept that space in my
• 8:34
  mind that we all wanna bring the best versions of ourselves to work.
• 8:37
  100%.
• 8:38
  Yes.
• 8:38
  I agree.
• 8:39
  And connection does that.
• 8:41
  Right?
• 8:41
  You know, if you're the leader that's cleaning off the, like you said, the, you know, the
• 8:46
  tables and the Yes.
• 8:47
  You're gonna you're gonna get to know things versus kind of our, you know, kind of typical
• 8:52
  water water cooler kinda conversations.
• 8:54
  You know what you kinda see?
• 8:56
  And I've worked with industry, small, large, all across industry in my corporate career,
• 9:01
  that you would kind of symbolically know.
• 9:04
  I said there was 2 touch points.
• 9:05
  I don't know if this makes sense for you, but I would also always know the temple of the
• 9:09
  environment I was going into when I waited in the lobby.
• 9:13
  Yes.
• 9:15
  And also when I you know, on in leaders, when the leader entered the team or the people
• 9:20
  around the water cooler, how would there there be a shift in conversation?
• 9:23
  Okay.
• 9:24
  And peep leaders that kinda like, to your point, you keep talking that you know you're
• 9:28
  doing something right because people are just not treating you differently.
• 9:32
  Yeah.
• 9:32
  You're the leader, but they're also inclusive versus when you kinda the leaders that say,
• 9:37
  give me give me that respect, give me that that autocratic kind of space, people shut down.
• 9:42
  And then it's it's everything it's almost like people scatter, and they they start or they
• 9:46
  start talking about things that really are not intimate anymore.
• 9:51
  No.
• 9:51
  It's so true.
• 9:52
  And and to your point is when, when I'll use the Danish example, because it, it speaks to
• 9:57
  what you were saying is when we had meetings there, we were, we were the majority
• 10:02
  stakeholder, but they would say, oh, the boss is here.
• 10:05
  I said, no, there's no boss here.
• 10:06
  I said, we're all part of the team.
• 10:08
  And, and that's part of it, but, but we would have meetings there.
• 10:11
  And my background's Italian.
• 10:13
  So we love food like the trinidanias.
• 10:15
  You love your food.
• 10:16
  Oh my goodness.
• 10:16
  Italian food.
• 10:17
  I don't know.
• 10:18
  Pretty, pretty darn good.
• 10:19
  Well, what I would do is, you know, the odd time we had kitchens in the meeting area, so I
• 10:24
  would make sauce in the morning.
• 10:26
  So that I can make lunch for all of us, but we still have our meetings.
• 10:30
  So what had happened is we brought both cultures together, right?
• 10:33
  The Danish Yeah.
• 10:34
  I and the Canadian.
• 10:35
  And that really, because that really allowed me to be part of their circle because it's their
• 10:43
  country.
• 10:44
  And and one step further is when we would have meetings, I would say to the engineers there, I
• 10:50
  said, we have to the major points have to be discussed in English because I have to
• 10:54
  understand.
• 10:54
  I I spoke a little Danish, but not much.
• 10:57
  But after we have the main points and I understand the concepts, then you then I said,
• 11:03
  you know, speak in your own language because it's their country.
• 11:05
  I'm not gonna tell them not to speak in their language.
• 11:08
  Right.
• 11:08
  So that really, really made a big difference in in shifting over the bust part.
• 11:13
  Right?
• 11:13
  The transparency.
• 11:14
  And the odd time would say, you gotta remember I know a little bit Danish.
• 11:18
  So be careful what you say.
• 11:20
  So
• 11:21
  Don't say too many things that I I really get some
• 11:23
  hear, Aksa.
• 11:24
  And they would turn to me and goes, well, we're not talking about you.
• 11:26
  I said, okay.
• 11:27
  But what it is, it goes back to relationships.
• 11:30
  Right?
• 11:31
  Yeah.
• 11:31
  I broke down that barrier across, you know, cross border barrier, and and they welcome me
• 11:37
  in, and I think that's what we need to do more so.
• 11:40
  The bat the doesn't matter what culture you're from, what you're upbringing.
• 11:44
  What you do is celebrate the best of each other's cultures, but make everybody feel at
• 11:49
  home.
• 11:49
  So when they would come to Canada, you know, I would take them to different facilities.
• 11:53
  We're out west.
• 11:54
  You know, went to go see a hockey game.
• 11:56
  You know, the teams like hockey, we like hockey.
• 11:58
  So we went to a western hockey league in Medicine Hat.
• 12:01
  So, you know, you really build that bond.
• 12:03
  And it's unfortunate how the project went because of the scenario in the in the medical
• 12:07
  cannabis space.
• 12:08
  We did complete the a retrofitted 300 square foot facility, which is still running and
• 12:13
  supplying the European market.
• 12:15
  But it's they're still my friends.
• 12:17
  I still speak to my friends in Norway and Denmark.
• 12:20
  And just because the project dissipated doesn't mean you don't have those ongoing
• 12:25
  relationships.
• 12:26
  So and it it goes back to family, like you were saying, Roxanne, with your situation with your
• 12:31
  dad, is you treat everybody the same.
• 12:34
  And in the end, it's like a big family.
• 12:37
  You ask your sister to do something, your brother, your dad, you're going like, that's
• 12:41
  that's cons that's who your teammates are.
• 12:43
  And when I look at something like that, I look at I use always a football analogy is it's like
• 12:49
  being in a huddle.
• 12:51
  Right?
• 12:51
  We have a play that has to be called from the coach, CEO, for example, and we have to
• 12:56
  execute.
• 12:57
  You know, you have to block like, there's strategies, But you work for the person beside
• 13:02
  you, on the left of you, on the right of you.
• 13:04
  And and it's like, you know, a brotherhood, a sisterhood, whatever you wanna call it.
• 13:09
  And that really makes a difference.
• 13:11
  I guess it's putting a human in humanity.
• 13:13
  Right?
• 13:13
  So
• 13:14
  Right.
• 13:14
  And you said something earlier before we got online, and you said, we're starting to
• 13:19
  recognize that it's yes.
• 13:20
  It's a this the shareholders are important, but they're not now we're recognizing the
• 13:24
  stakeholders as being as important.
• 13:27
  That, I would say, definitely, Joseph, has been the shift.
• 13:30
  Like myself, I started, you know, in this field of psychology in my twenties.
• 13:34
  Mhmm.
• 13:35
  And back then, it was kinda like, you know, you had to be unwell for people to think about on
• 13:40
  the psychological elements.
• 13:41
  But I think what has happened since, you know, my early years in the field in corporate
• 13:47
  consulting is that I remember quite graphically, I remember, you know, working long
• 13:52
  hours and all those things.
• 13:54
  And even at the, health and wellness company that I worked at, I remember people saying,
• 13:57
  well, you know, you can't you can't have a lunch today because we have this major project
• 14:01
  due.
• 14:02
  And that would be unheard of now today.
• 14:05
  Like like, you know, kind of or, you know, at that time, my son was young, and I would, you
• 14:10
  know, you know, I'd say, well, I have a commitment or whatever, but you literally would
• 14:13
  kinda tiptoe around to say, I've gotta leave because he's got hockey practice practice or
• 14:18
  whatever.
• 14:18
  And now, you know, the acceptance that we are, you know, the god of the day where you bring
• 14:23
  the, you know, the personal Joseph when he hit the front door of the office No.
• 14:27
  No.
• 14:27
  That professional Joseph enters and personal Joseph stays home with your your kids and your
• 14:32
  wife and all that.
• 14:33
  And then you enter into this arena and you become a thing, and we're recognizing that that
• 14:37
  the best version of yourself is just the best version of yourself.
• 14:41
  Exactly.
• 14:41
  It's authenticity.
• 14:42
  That's who you are.
• 14:43
  Right?
• 14:44
  And someone mentioned, I forget who it was, say, you know, we spend the first 50 years of
• 14:49
  our life really entertaining the eagle, building character, trying to climb the ladder,
• 14:54
  etcetera like that.
• 14:56
  But the last 50 years of your your career, you start to develop the soul.
• 15:01
  And now you're you're feeding the soul.
• 15:03
  And then this is why a lot of these projects with First Nations, like, I I spoke about the
• 15:07
  good shepherd.
• 15:08
  This is where you're really satisfying the soul.
• 15:10
  You're helping people.
• 15:11
  You know what I mean?
• 15:12
  Because we're on this planet.
• 15:14
  This is only my opinion is is to serve.
• 15:16
  And the more you serve people, the better this world will be.
• 15:20
  And and it's about kindness.
• 15:22
  Like kindness is not a weakness.
• 15:23
  It's actually a strength.
• 15:25
  And people should look at at because I'm I'm choosing to be kind.
• 15:29
  I I cannot be kind, but I'm choosing to be kind.
• 15:32
  What's the expression?
• 15:34
  Whether to be right or to be kind, always choose kindness.
• 15:39
  Something along those lines.
• 15:40
  But but I think what happens is when you to your point, when you bring your authentic self,
• 15:44
  this is who I am and I contribute in certain way.
• 15:47
  And going back to sports analogy, we all play to our strengths.
• 15:51
  Roxanne, you you excel in one field, I excel in another field, but as a team we're stronger.
• 15:56
  Right?
• 15:57
  And and that's what makes a good team is in and and I think we're starting to get that and
• 16:02
  which is great.
• 16:03
  I've always knew that from my sports background and and being in other corporations and, you
• 16:09
  know, my my ethnicity.
• 16:11
  Right?
• 16:11
  So it's about the family building a unit and helping each other out, like and helping to
• 16:16
  help, not not forgetting anything in return.
• 16:19
  And I think people really need to get to the authentic part of themselves and not be
• 16:24
  punished like we did in the past, Roxanne.
• 16:26
  Like you said, you had to leave your your personal side at the door going because, you
• 16:31
  know, to be kind, it takes it it's it's not as complicated.
• 16:35
  Just just be kind.
• 16:36
  It doesn't mean you're not effective.
• 16:38
  Like, I'm I'm a project manager.
• 16:40
  I get I'm on task.
• 16:41
  It's my Yeah.
• 16:42
  You're you're me by the scope.
• 16:43
  I probably gonna be the opposite of you, Joseph, because you're like that background.
• 16:47
  I'm more the big picture.
• 16:48
  And guess what?
• 16:49
  I need people around me that can tether me
• 16:51
  Yeah.
• 16:51
  To help me with the microscope because that's not my strength.
• 16:54
  But guess what?
• 16:55
  When I was in corporate in my twenties, thirties, guess what I would do?
• 16:58
  I would, like, you know, decompensate, like, feel like something was wrong.
• 17:02
  And then when I really started to do, like, different leadership proficiencies and stuff
• 17:07
  like that, and I realized, you know, that's just that's that's not one of my strengths.
• 17:11
  But it doesn't I don't have to be ashamed for the fact that I'm not not as microscopic as the
• 17:16
  people maybe that are in scientific backgrounds or pro project managers, you give them a Gantt
• 17:21
  chart and you just step aside and, you know, they make you look good.
• 17:24
  Right?
• 17:24
  Like, so I think it's that to your point, it's about, you know, the term that I love is that
• 17:30
  when you lead, you can lead without people even knowing that you're leading.
• 17:34
  Right.
• 17:34
  Those people have the ears.
• 17:37
  Yeah.
• 17:37
  Because they're, you know so whether it's me that needs the help with the microscopic or
• 17:42
  whatever or somebody that's not as big strategically, it's praying to people's
• 17:46
  strengths and accentuating that, but not having people feel less than if they they they're
• 17:51
  trying to increase in the areas they've not that's not their that's not their wheelhouse.
• 17:57
  But and you you like you said, when you're in that hubble, right, you're trying to figure out
• 18:01
  who's good at what, who can leverage against who, who can recreate alliances with, and then
• 18:07
  kind of allow us to say, you know, we could be the best versions of ourselves acting
• 18:11
  collectively versus kinda being insular, which is what a lot of autocratic leadership is.
• 18:17
  Right?
• 18:17
  It's not about the team.
• 18:18
  It's less about that and more about the individual.
• 18:21
  Yeah.
• 18:21
  We have to knock down these silos because they don't work.
• 18:24
  Absolutely.
• 18:25
  Absolutely.
• 18:25
  They work in grain farms, but not in in in the industries.
• 18:29
  Right?
• 18:29
  So that we that we're in.
• 18:31
  And the more in an essence, you know, like business is all about relationships, but then
• 18:35
  it it gets to the point where it's all about communication and having communication.
• 18:39
  You know, I used to I used to cringe when people are emailing back and forth, and they're
• 18:43
  in the same office.
• 18:44
  I said, get up, Go go a 100 feet down the hall Yeah.
• 18:48
  And go talk to that person.
• 18:51
  I I said, because in 5 minutes, 5 minutes, you're gonna resolve 20 emails, half a day of
• 18:59
  wasted time, like, time Yeah.
• 19:01
  You know what it is beyond that, Rox?
• 19:03
  I joke in a in a way, but I'm serious.
• 19:06
  But what it is is you're building a relationship and rapport with that person.
• 19:10
  You're not doing it over the email.
• 19:11
  I understand emails are very important.
• 19:13
  Phone calls are very important.
• 19:15
  But when you have that human connection, it goes beyond that.
• 19:19
  And and that's what I think is is gonna is prevalent now.
• 19:23
  Thank God it's it's come that way.
• 19:25
  It's because people need to and then, you know, this is from the pandemic.
• 19:29
  I think that's one of the lessons is that we need this face to face, whether it's being in a
• 19:33
  hybrid situation at work or not.
• 19:36
  We really need to get to our authentic self and build these bonds with each other.
• 19:40
  You know, not 40 emails back and forth.
• 19:43
  Again I know.
• 19:43
  And then you're like, you cc the world and then you kinda think, oh my goodness, where do I
• 19:48
  begin?
• 19:48
  Where do I end?
• 19:49
  What what was I trying to get at the beginning and now I'm I'm stuck in this.
• 19:52
  Now let's let's jump because I know, you know, we have limited time.
• 19:55
  Let's talk about working with sustainability and kind of you know, it's interesting.
• 20:00
  We're talking values.
• 20:01
  You're talking, you know, your Italian background.
• 20:03
  I'm talking about my Trinidadian background.
• 20:04
  My some of the my my book is actually dedicated to my father, because I always you know, I said
• 20:11
  it's so much of it is culture, but so much is is what you kind of put out there.
• 20:15
  And one of my best friends wrote a prose, a poem to dedicate the book to him because it was
• 20:20
  so important for me to kind of give back.
• 20:23
  But going to that whole element of culture and values, I wanna talk to you a little bit about
• 20:27
  the sustainability world.
• 20:29
  With all these things that you're talking about and the First Nations culture, it sounds like
• 20:34
  that must be an a pretty interesting space to be in even though you'll be doing big work that
• 20:40
  we all need, but you're bridging the gap between what I hear is traditional North
• 20:46
  American values, big business, obviously, clearly.
• 20:50
  But we're into sustainability, but you're entering, you you know, the indigenous value
• 20:55
  system.
• 20:55
  So I'm curious about what that's like and any kind of kind of words of wisdom that or things
• 21:00
  that you've learned, what it's it's been like for you.
• 21:03
  So I was after I finished my course at Rotman, I was invited to it was the First Nations
• 21:09
  Global Conference on on carbon in Regina.
• 21:12
  So I did meet a lot of these the chiefs and the elders, and I saw the respect amongst the room.
• 21:18
  And with specifically my colleagues, you know, Marty's CEO, Neil, the vice president, and
• 21:24
  Carson, the marketing director.
• 21:26
  And I see the relationships that they had, and it got it went beyond that because when I spent
• 21:32
  time in Denmark and Europe and understanding sustainability and they're, you know, they're
• 21:37
  the leaders, I saw that there's not only a moral commitment to the to, you know, to that
• 21:43
  approach, but it's part of of their brand.
• 21:47
  You know, when you look at sustainability, you right away, you think of Scandinavia, the
• 21:51
  Danes, the, you know, the Dutch, the Norwegian, the Swedish, defend Fins, for example, is
• 21:57
  because they get it.
• 21:58
  And it it's respect it's respect for the environment.
• 22:02
  And that's the same thing I see for the 1st nations here in Canada.
• 22:07
  Because they talk about 7 generations and preserving the lands for 7 generations.
• 22:12
  And they're the stewards of the land.
• 22:13
  And and I and I and there was a unilateral understanding between that the Scandinavian
• 22:20
  philosophy about respecting the the planet.
• 22:22
  And it and that brought me over into working with, Carbon Rx and how they think of things
• 22:28
  and aligning as a partnership with regenerative farmers there and First Nations.
• 22:33
  So, you know, they're they're the lungs.
• 22:35
  The prairies are the lungs of our country, like the Amazon forest.
• 22:39
  Yeah.
• 22:39
  Unfortunately, here in Ontario, we're the we were we're the polluters.
• 22:44
  My dad worked at Stilco for 35 years.
• 22:46
  Oh, goodness.
• 22:47
  Yeah.
• 22:47
  Yeah.
• 22:47
  Yeah.
• 22:48
  Yeah.
• 22:48
  You know, and I remember my bedroom window and seeing those smoke stacks, and I'm like Yes.
• 22:52
  When you when you hit the skyway and you see it, you're like, oh, yes.
• 22:56
  So, you know, it's not only, you know, a moral obligation for to help the planet and see what
• 23:01
  we can do because because it's not it's not a one solution, you know, one method solution of
• 23:06
  solving this.
• 23:07
  There's gonna be a lot of things that people have to do, but this is one piece.
• 23:11
  And Canada, we're very fortunate to be blessed with natural resources, and we have vast
• 23:16
  amounts of land mass and geologically positioned to help with carbon capture.
• 23:23
  So it all makes sense from the European model, the Scandinavians, the first nations here in
• 23:28
  the west, for example.
• 23:30
  That's what really brought me and and married the two concepts together.
• 23:35
  And to the first nations pieces, like, when we're buying these per, credits, these
• 23:41
  companies here, for example, in Ontario and Quebec, that those monies go directly to
• 23:45
  communities for health care, social programs.
• 23:48
  So they're seeing the results from them right away.
• 23:50
  Plus they're taking carbon out of the atmosphere, right, and helping our planet to
• 23:55
  reduce their carbon footprint.
• 23:56
  So it all makes sense.
• 23:58
  You're building relationships.
• 24:00
  And instead of giving them a a handout, you're giving them a helping hand because you know
• 24:05
  what?
• 24:06
  They they have a the purpose is there.
• 24:08
  We all have a sense of purpose and that really goes after the purpose.
• 24:13
  And it's about, you know, spreading positivity and positivity and possibilities.
• 24:19
  Right?
• 24:19
  These are all possibilities.
• 24:20
  And and and that's what what basically why we're why we're
• 24:24
  I like that.
• 24:25
  Positivity and possibility.
• 24:27
  What what a what a nice way to put it, Joseph, because it's so true.
• 24:30
  Right?
• 24:30
  Like, at the end of the day, right, like, we're all in business.
• 24:33
  Right?
• 24:33
  We will we're out there and we, you know, work hard and but to be able to to do it in a way
• 24:39
  that is kind and and gentle to the environment that we're in.
• 24:42
  Right?
• 24:42
  Because, like, to your point, for, you know, the generations to come, right, if you're
• 24:47
  thinking 7, most of us are just thinking maybe, you know, this generation, the next generation,
• 24:51
  maybe the maybe your grandchildren.
• 24:53
  Right?
• 24:53
  But then past that, we're not really thinking past that.
• 24:56
  But really, we we really have to start to think along those lines because what we do now
• 25:01
  impacts the future generations and the possibility of what this world will be like
• 25:04
  down the road.
• 25:05
  And and I borrowed that from, Tony Chapman.
• 25:07
  He has a podcast, Chatter That Matters.
• 25:10
  And Yeah.
• 25:11
  He's always got guests who overcome obstacles.
• 25:14
  But you're right.
• 25:15
  It's it's about down the generation, and they do think that, you know, whether it's First
• 25:20
  Nations or the Scandinavian countries.
• 25:22
  And that's really important.
• 25:23
  And we could do that here.
• 25:25
  Like, you know, we're blessed with fossil fuels.
• 25:28
  Fossil fuels will never go away.
• 25:29
  But for example, Europe is already 50% plus in in renewable resources already.
• 25:36
  They passed
• 25:36
  that threshold.
• 25:37
  Percent.
• 25:37
  Wow.
• 25:38
  We should we can do that here.
• 25:40
  We have clean green energy that we can utilize.
• 25:43
  There's a lot of different technologies like hydrogens in their carbon capture we talked
• 25:47
  about.
• 25:48
  But there's a lot of technologies that, you know, nuclear, it's safe.
• 25:52
  It's not the old nuclear.
• 25:53
  And there's a lot of technologies and a lot of facets that really can help our globe, and we
• 25:59
  really need that.
• 26:00
  So
• 26:01
  So, you know, I'm I'm I often say and, you know, with this my new book, I've told you that
• 26:07
  it's called ROR, which is return on relationships.
• 26:09
  So I I often say you gotta know how to communicate, you know, gotta know how to
• 26:14
  connect, you gotta know how to make morally based decision making.
• 26:18
  That is so your decisions should should ultimately be in alignment with kind of your
• 26:24
  morals, recognition.
• 26:26
  Right?
• 26:27
  And, you know, so it's all good things so that the leader kind of is grounded within him or
• 26:33
  herself Yeah.
• 26:34
  So that that that force field around them kind of permeates back what they're about.
• 26:39
  And when I work with leaders and their teams, that's what I say.
• 26:42
  It's like, you know, you becoming the best version of yourself allows others to become
• 26:46
  best versions of themself.
• 26:48
  And guess what?
• 26:49
  Like I said earlier in the podcast, we all wanna do we all wanna feel good at work.
• 26:54
  We all wanna do something significant.
• 26:57
  That legacy piece, right, is a big thing So that when you're no longer there, that, you
• 27:02
  know, you're talking about carbon, imprint.
• 27:04
  I talk about legacy imprint.
• 27:06
  Like, what is it that will be be remembered about Joseph when he's no longer, involved in
• 27:11
  the sustainability project or whatever you did at the p three projects.
• 27:15
  Those the same with me.
• 27:17
  When I'm no longer here, what is it that will be left behind that I can feel good about to
• 27:21
  know that I've impacted, you know, the people in whatever way with my message that I leave
• 27:26
  behind?
• 27:27
  Well, Joseph, this has been a case Sorry.
• 27:29
  It's like you said, it goes back to what's the purpose.
• 27:32
  It's Simon Sinek's your why, you know.
• 27:35
  Yeah.
• 27:35
  Knowing your why.
• 27:36
  Absolutely.
• 27:37
  The reason, Roxanne sorry I cut you off.
• 27:39
  That's
• 27:39
  okay.
• 27:40
  That's okay.
• 27:41
  I have one nephew and 3 nieces.
• 27:42
  It's for them Yeah.
• 27:43
  To give them a better time.
• 27:45
  We broke the planet.
• 27:46
  We broke it.
• 27:47
  We just need to clean it up so they can enjoy it and and so on and so on.
• 27:52
  So
• 27:53
  Yeah.
• 27:53
  And I have one son, and I I often say, it's like, okay.
• 27:56
  I'm doing this so that, you know, grandchildren, great grandchildren, well, those
• 28:00
  types of things.
• 28:01
  And but you're trying to kind of impact who you can now.
• 28:04
  And one one kind of funny thing that I do with CEOs is I say to them, you know, when they're
• 28:09
  talking about their stressful time.
• 28:11
  Like, we all have stressful times in our business.
• 28:13
  I say, you know and they say, well, you know, I'm okay with my stress.
• 28:16
  I'm fine.
• 28:16
  I'm the same.
• 28:17
  I said, okay.
• 28:17
  Well, go to your youngest child.
• 28:19
  Yeah.
• 28:20
  Don't start with the oldest, because the oldest is gonna tell you what you need to hear in the
• 28:23
  format that you need to hear it in.
• 28:25
  Go into the youngest child and interview that youngest child about what mommy and daddy is
• 28:30
  like when they're really, really, stressed.
• 28:33
  And tell them to describe what you're like when you interact with others.
• 28:38
  I said, because that's quite part and a lot of them come back and they go, wow, Roxanne.
• 28:42
  I can't believe the information I got from that child.
• 28:45
  And then I go then take that back to your team with that knowledge and think, what am I really
• 28:50
  like when I'm stressed?
• 28:52
  I might think I'm or perceive that I'm leading a certain way, but in fact, what that youngest
• 28:57
  child is probably giving you an insight to how you interact with others.
• 29:00
  And it's a it's a quite powerful kind of exercise in a lot of them.
• 29:04
  That's a really good method.
• 29:05
  I like that.
• 29:06
  And Yeah.
• 29:07
  Because, you know, it's the people closest to us.
• 29:08
  Right?
• 29:09
  We can Sure.
• 29:10
  Oftentimes be behave the the, you know, least graceful with the people that are closest to
• 29:14
  our heart, and then they're the ones that kinda go, yeah.
• 29:17
  Well, you're a little bit too direct or you're too down the line, when you're when you're
• 29:21
  stressed, and that's not very nice kind of thing.
• 29:23
  So, but sometimes it's hard for people to go and, you know, get that true feedback from
• 29:28
  their team.
• 29:29
  And it's part and it ties into the mental health piece because, like I said, the 5 I
• 29:34
  transitioned 5 different mental health facilities in Ontario, and I see what the end
• 29:39
  result is.
• 29:40
  So you should get help because I know I know where you're gonna go if you don't get help.
• 29:46
  Yeah.
• 29:46
  And and mind you, those are great facilities to help people because they really need it,
• 29:50
  whether it's, you know, cognitive, chemical, whatever.
• 29:54
  But it's so important.
• 29:55
  We just need to talk about things.
• 29:57
  And it you know what I mean?
• 29:58
  I think Simon Sinek says something and he says, you know what?
• 30:01
  If I how are you doing?
• 30:02
  Like, really?
• 30:03
  Like, you know, you're
• 30:04
  How how are you really not the how are you and then, oh, I'm fine fine and move on.
• 30:08
  But how are you really doing, right, to really take that extra point, that time to say, and to
• 30:14
  know something about yourself.
• 30:15
  Right?
• 30:16
  Like, to really know someone, something in that person's life that really would be the kind of
• 30:21
  the fluff that most of us get to at work, and I think that that's really what what makes a lot
• 30:26
  of difference.
• 30:28
  So, Joseph, for people that maybe are intrigued by these conversations or would want to connect
• 30:33
  or chat or talk about some of the initiatives that you have going on, where where can people
• 30:39
  Well, I'm on LinkedIn under Joseph Grimaldi and Carbon RX, and you can look at our website,
• 30:44
  www.carbonrx.com.
• 30:47
  And, like, if they have any questions, they can get linked with me, connect with me on
• 30:52
  LinkedIn.
• 30:52
  And I'd love to help a lot of these companies transition and help because a lot of them need
• 30:57
  sustainability plans because that's what the mandate is, and we can help them along the way.
• 31:02
  And in the meantime, they feel good about what they're doing, not only an ethical standpoint,
• 31:07
  but it's part of the branding of their company and they're helping.
• 31:10
  They could see they're helping people our own peoples out in the west and the prairies.
• 31:14
  So it's it's a nice feel good situation.
• 31:16
  So yeah.
• 31:17
  Absolutely.
• 31:18
  And that was it's been a pleasure speaking with you, and then I I wish you would
• 31:22
  Thanks for thanks so much for hanging out with us.
• 31:24
  So what am I learning?
• 31:25
  What am I taking away with our little chat?
• 31:28
  I think I love the fact that you're saying, you know, you gave the example of the the the
• 31:33
  Danish, CEO was who was cleaning off the table because to me, that aligns with really what I
• 31:39
  talk about, which is, you know, people are people.
• 31:42
  We all want I will bring in the the concept of gratitude and love into work, and now we're
• 31:47
  allowed to talk about that, right, like, at work.
• 31:50
  So that's what I'm walking away with today from talking to you just about, you know, are you
• 31:54
  leading from a place of alignment from what's most important to to you?
• 31:59
  And if you're not, maybe listen to this podcast, review things, and think a little bit
• 32:04
  more about how you could be in alignment with what you value.
• 32:07
  So for everyone you know, if you wanna know if you're more authentically connected to your
• 32:11
  leadership, there's a a quiz that you can go to at roxandrehodge.comforward/quins.
• 32:16
  You just fill out those just a couple of questions, and we'll send you a mini report
• 32:21
  with some recommendations.
• 32:22
  So, So, again, Joseph, thanks so much for everybody.
• 32:26
  Thanks for tuning in to Authentic Living with Roxanne, creating the space for positive
• 32:31
  healthy change.
• 32:32
  Roxanne is a keynote speaker, psychotherapist, and coach.
• 32:36
  To work with Roxanne, visit roxannederhage.com/blueprint.
• 32:43
  We'll see you next time on Authentic Living with Roxanne.
• 32:52
  I'm always grateful that you hang out with me, and we'll chat with you again next week.
• 32:56
  Thank you.
• 32:57
  And remember, thrive in 2025.
• 33:00
  I see.
• 33:01
  Thrive in 2025.
• 33:03
  I love it.
• 33:03
  Okay, everyone.
• 33:04
  Take care.
• 33:05
  Thank you, Roxanne.
• 33:06
  Okay.