execuserv plus inc.’s Self-employment program is focused on providing budding entrepreneurs with the tools to make their new business a success. An intricate part of this process is having facilitators who not only know the topic matter but are successful entrepreneurs. We have facilitators that are over 25 years in business sharing their knowledge with our participants.
We also ensure we bring in government or financial specialist to prepare our students for any regulatory challenges them may face.
We only hire the best facilitators and that is why this program has consistently been
the flagship of Self-employment programs in Alberta
Meet our team
Gillian Nish
She comes by many names, The Grand Puba, The Boss, Chief Honcho, Chief Cook and Bottle Washer …
That’s Gillian Nish, a true entrepreneur in starting a home-based business in 1988, then moving into a storefront and, in 1999 bidding on and successfully receiving the contract to be the service provider of this Self-Employment program. She has continuously been granted this contract.
Her expertise extends to being qualified to present all of the sessions in the program but focuses primarily in helping participants understand the importance of developing business goals.
When selecting facilitators, Gillian believes it is not only important but essential that the facilitators have “walked the walk” of entrepreneurship.
The facilitators you will read about here practice what they preach. They are experts in their chosen fields. They present topics from the “textbook of entrepreneur life” as well as sharing their enthusiasm for being a self-employed professional.
As you will see when you read Gillian’s detailed Bio, she is the ultimate entrepreneur and the perfect person to have consistently operated this Self-Employment program.
Jason Bacon
Jason’s first entrepreneurial experience was in the fifth grade when he and a friend collected tadpoles from the hills around Peace River and took them to school to sell to classmates. Then the principal found out and shut it down, giving him his first experience with regulation.
After moving to Lethbridge he attended the University and obtained a Bachelor of Management with a major in Finance.
Since then his professional career in the finance industry has been focused on the support of entrepreneurs. From lending and risk management to advising and educating.
From there he started his own business, Sunstone Strategic, which guides entrepreneurs forward in their business. This is done by focusing on entrepreneur mindset. A part of this includes being a partner in the administration and delivery of the Self Employment Training Program across southern Alberta.
In addition to this, Jason is the author of “Entrepreneur-ish: Inspirations and lessons in entrepreneurship from vikings, pirates and samurai.” A book which pulls inspiration from history to help individuals become better entrepreneurs.
More about Jason …. https://www.sunstonestrategic.com/
Judy Stolk-Ingram
Judy is passionate about career development and for many years has enjoyed the privilege of supporting youth and adults to create their own unique pathways. She recognizes that entrepreneurship is one such unique pathway and appreciates the ingenuity, courage and dedication on the part of those who pursue this path.
A certified True Colors facilitator, Judy looks forward to delivering this workshop, which will help new entrepreneurs to identify strengths and communicate more effectively with others, including customers, vendors, and funders. Be prepared to start this comprehensive training program by laughing and learning about yourself and those around you.
Morley Belle
Morley has been presenting the Business Plan and Cash Flow component for many years at execuserv plus. With over thirty-five years of helping entrepreneurs Morley loves working with people who have stepped out of their comfort zone and have chosen to become entrepreneurs. Over the years Morley has experienced all the good things about being an entrepreneur and has also
experienced the bad things. He can identify with and relate to what’s going on with startup entrepreneurs as they struggle to make their businesses viable.
Morley is a graduate of Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge.
He complimented his education by going through the training for accreditation as a Small
Business Advisor. He had to accomplish over 400 hours of business counseling and to learn how to facilitate 105 business competencies. The program was recognized in fifteen countries.
Morley has facilitated many courses at the college and university level. He was a national trainer for Chrysler North America and lives the customer service principles he facilitated. For many years he worked in high-risk business financing and helped hundreds of entrepreneurs open their doors. Much of Morley’s business experience has been as an entrepreneur. His first business was an Advertising Agency and over the years he went from a consultant approach to being a facilitator. Morley brings a wealth of experience and depth to the program at execuserv. More information can be found at http://www.sunvikthor.ca
Trevor Miller
Trevor has been in public practice since 2016 and is the newest partner at Insight LLP. After acquiring his CPA designation, he furthered his education and completed the CFP designation allowing him to better help clients in all financial aspects. Starting a business can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. It should be an exciting process and Trevor and the Insight team are here to help entrepreneurs through that process.
Jody Woodroffe
Jody is the Bookkeeping Supervisor at Insight LLP. She is a certified QuickBooks Online Pro-Advisor. She takes charge of training both new staff members and business owners. She found her passion for all things numbers and accounting through her education at Lethbridge College and subsequent years in the industry. There is nothing more fun than solving a puzzle, whether it be putting together a jigsaw or finally getting those accounts to balance. She is excited to get down to all things QuickBooks with you!
D’Arcy Kavanagh
D’Arcy has been a facilitator for the Self-employment program since 2016. He trains participants in Customer Service and his presentation style includes impressions of famous actors.
He has spent four decades working in journalism, starting as a reporter, moving into being an editor, teaching journalism at Lethbridge College and toiling as a freelance writer with markets in Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
He’s still writing but now he produce five mystery novels featuring an ex-pro cyclist who lives and works in Europe. All the books are set in areas that D’Arcy has travelled extensively.
“Working as a freelancer for more than 25 years and running WOWTours has provided me a ton of experience about the trials, tribulations and triumphs that go with being an entrepreneur,” he says. “I love sharing that experience and knowledge in the classroom, especially when I see others learning from it.”
D’Arcy also plays semi-professionally as a Celtic musician. “Everything I do work-wise is about connecting to people which is the essence of entrepreneurship.” and Lynda Kavanagh
Lynda has been a facilitator for the Self-employment program since its inception, and finds great satisfaction in helping the participants start their businesses. For the program, she trains participants in marketing research, branding, sales, company name creation and developing a networking statement.
Her business is WOW Communications & Training Corp. and specializes in Brand Development, Marketing Strategy and Sales techniques. She started the business in 1994 and provides help through face-to-face meetings, online meetings, published books and business webinars.
She has worked with mom and pop businesses and companies with over $10 million in gross sales. She has written two business books: Be the Unicorn – it starts with your brand!© and Sales Suck… now what?© .
She is also a part-owner with her husband in a Travel Consulting business called WOW Tours International. Since 2,000 these services have been offered through face-to-face meetings, “Bucket List Webinars” and online meetings.
She is currently working on a humorous travel book for women called ABroad Escapes©.
Tania Stilson
Tania is a first-generation Canadian, and in her nearly 30 years as an entrepreneur, she has successfully built businesses in the travel industry, life / living benefits and general insurance.
She enjoys start-up businesses, particularly in industries undergoing disruption, and then applying her commitment and talents for fast growth. Tania combines her ideas and inspirational leadership capabilities with a pragmatic, analytical approach to growing business.
She is strongly aware of what she is best at and happily draws on the strength of the overall team. Her leadership style and genuine deep care for others are well known, as is her ability to be innovative and find solutions that benefit clients, team and growth. Tania was a recipient of the Women Creating Legacy in Insurance Scholarship, a cross-Canada search for women in insurance who have a strong record of demonstrating vision, leadership and entrepreneurial spirit.
She has also been awarded the YWCA Women of Distinction in Leadership & Management, Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award, Uniglobe Travel Spirit Award, and Rotarian of the Year. She has been involved in the Southern Alberta community as a long-term Rotarian and a member of the Original Lethbridge Business Breakfast Club. She has been a founding member of several fundraising committees. She is a board member of the Give One Legacy Foundation.
Dawn Leite
Dawn developed a passion for the arts early in life, studying clarinet in her hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, at a young age. She earned her degree in Music Education at the University of Lethbridge in 2004, and upon graduating, taught music for three years. Following her teaching career, Dawn worked in senior management positions with the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra and Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge between 2007 and 2020.
Dawn has experience in all areas of arts management, including strategic planning, fundraising, operations, finance, marketing and promotions, programming, special events, board relations, governance and external relations, having worked with several performing arts organizations in a variety of capacities as well as served with many community groups.
Following a career spanning 15 years working in arts management, Dawn leaped into the fascinating world of general insurance. Many skills developed through arts management – educating, advocating, selling, and client relations – transferred seamlessly to the insurance world. Dawn takes pride in the service she provides her clients, many of whom have expressed appreciation of Dawn’s clear, concise, and thorough explanations of the coverages in a policy. Dawn has experience in both personal and commercial lines of insurance, working with many entrepreneurs in various stages of their business cycle.
She lives with her husband Gregg (himself a tuba player in the LSO) and their two four-legged children of the canine variety, Samson and Bella. Still passionate about music, Dawn performs with the Lethbridge Community Gold Band and Polkaholix, and teaches clarinet clinics. Dawn is very excited to be part of the roster of facilitators with execuserv plus inc. and looks forward to working with the many new entrepreneurs in Lethbridge.
Kevin Pack
Kevin Pack has been an accountant since the late seventies. He’s worked for real estate firms, retail jewelry businesses and manufacturers. He was in public practice for ten years in Northern Alberta prior to signing on with the Federal Government, CRA, formerly Revenue Canada. In his twenty-seven years with CRA he spent twenty in Client Services and an additional seven in GST Audit.
Part of Client Services duties was answering questions both in person and on the toll-free line. Additionally, Kevin answered queries in writing by responding with ruling and interpretation letters. Kevin most enjoyed the outreach part of his job, facilitating seminars and workshops for realtors, lawyers, accountants and the general public on subjects such as GST both for new business and real property, Income Tax and payroll.
Kevin had a working relationship with many tax professionals from here in Lethbridge to as far away as Niagara Falls Ontario. Kevin has been instrumental in the “in-house” training program for CRA auditors in Lethbridge, Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton.
Finally, Kevin was responsible for coordinating the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program for over 15 years.
Richard Haynes
Richard Haynes was born and raised in Southern Alberta. He married Andrea in the year 2000 and they have 5 wonderful children who bring so much joy to their lives. They love sharing life’s adventures with them.
For more than a decade Richard has earnestly studied leadership, communication and people development. In 2010 he decided to pursue an MBA in order to develop his own leadership skills and it was through this program he discovered coaching and his aptitude and passion for it. He completed his coaching designation with the International Coach Federation in 2015 and has been coaching since; pursuing it full time since 2018.
Richard’s personal mission statement is to help others achieve their potential in life and to have fulfillment of their dreams, their hopes and aspirations. If there is any concept or principle that will help him do this, he wants to learn it and be involved. Stress management is one of these areas, he loves teaching and helping others develop a plan to manage how they interact with the various forces in the world around them.
Gayle Hiscocks
Gayle’s has been presenting since 2019 and talks with the participants about legal concerns. She is a lawyer at Stringham LLP.
Gayle is very involved in the community serving for years in the non-profit community, spending time working with the Downtown Business Revitalization Zone and the Lethbridge Symphony. Gayle first studied Philosophy at the University of Lethbridge, and then went on to graduate with a law degree from the University of Calgary in 2005. Gayle loves the law and loves that she can use her training to help people.
Gayle is also an avid lover of music. She has travelled across Canada performing in a band, and now enjoys being involved in local musical theatre. She volunteers with various theatre groups.
Gayle is very active in the Lethbridge community, and has served as a volunteer with Operation Red Nose, Safety City, Legal Guidance, the Lethbridge Bar Association, and numerous other charities and causes. More details on Gayle can be found at https://stringam.ca/our-team/ Service Panel
The service panel is a group of business advisors, that change from time-to-time, discussing topics relevant to becoming self-employed. Some topics that have been discussed by members of the service panel have been:
- Blue Cross
- Safety Consulting
- Business Networking International
- Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses
- Chamber of Commerce
- RINSA