The Profit or Pivot Podcast

Who you know in business is critical to your success, especially as a startup. And meeting the right people whether its best employees, partners, customers, and investors often requires networking and meeting new people in person.

But what if you're an introvert like me and dread networking and meeting new people in person?

There are a few simple and easy steps you can implement to overcome your fear, get out of your comfort zone and start meeting new people.

This advice is not limited to business events, but can be implemented more broadly, such as social events. This advice is borne out of my own experience as an introvert after realizing early on that in order to achieve my business and financial goals, I would have to get out of my comfort zone, and meet new people in person at scale. And its worked wonders for me!

Max Abergel signed one of the most influential rappers in the world without an intro, a résumé, or permission. He literally slipped past security and walked into a green room.

That moment led to a long-term partnership with Waka Flocka Flame, an artist with diamond-certified records, collaborations with Nicki Minaj and Drake, and a brand that stretches far beyond music into business, philanthropy, and politics.

But this episode isn’t about celebrity. It’s about the operators behind the scenes, the people who turn influence into a business.

And Max didn’t come from music. He came from tech.

That initial pitch in the green room turned into an 11-year partnership spanning:

• Touring and brand deals

• Business operations and management

• Investments and exits

• Building businesses around a personal brand without diluting it

Waka Flocka Flame isn’t just a rapper, he’s a cultural force.
Platinum records. Global tours. One of the defining voices of modern trap music. And someone who understood early that brand > product.

We get into:

• The wild story of how Max met Waka and why it worked

• How to turn proximity into partnership (without being transactional)

• Why brand affinity matters more than follower count

• The difference between selling hours vs. building leverage

• Lessons from working with one of the biggest artists in the world

• Why authenticity compounds over time

• What “escaping the matrix” actually looks like in real life

• Why most people miss opportunities that are right in front of them

• Why Wocka endorsed Trump for President before it was cool

If you’re a founder, creator, or operator trying to build something that lasts, this episode is a real-world lesson in how relationships become platforms.

Every brand is trying to influence you but only a few succeed. Why? Because great brands understand human psychology better than their competitors.

In this episode of the Profit or Pivot Podcast, I sit down with Rena Nickerson, the General Manager of the Quaker and Sabra brands in Canada, who has spent her career understanding how people think, what motivates them, and how to turn that into real business growth.

We go deep into the mechanics of brand building, behavioral influence, and the subtle line between persuasion and manipulation. How do you shape perception? How do you create emotional attachment? Why do some brands scale to millions while others burn out?

Rena also opens up about her own corporate path: learning she was going to be fired, the wake-up moment that forced her to rethink her leadership style, and how that experience reshaped how she approaches communication, team dynamics, and personal identity and being Jewish in the corporate world today.

If you care about marketing, growth, influence, or building something that actually lasts, this episode is for you.

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About Rena Nickerson

Rena is a respected leader within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. As General Manager, Quaker Canada, she has led a national team of 650 since 2023. Prior to that, she was GM, SodaStream Canada for 7 years, tripling the business.

Prior to joining PepsiCo as a GM, Rena started her career as a marketer on top brands such as Colgate, Campbell and Kraft. You can find her on LinkedIn, where she spends way too much time.

LinkedIn

Matan joins the founders at the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute to answer their many questions about building startups, raising money, and standing out. 

 

Q1 What do I look for in a startup when investing

Q2 Thoughts on "impact investing"

Q3 What do I do when a company is failing

Q4 How to break into VC

Q5 How would I redo my career / life if given the option 

Q6 Dealing with failed founders trying again

Q7 Differences between Canadian and Israeli founders

Q8 Options for a failed business

Q9 SAFEs vs equity deals

Q10 How much control do VCs want and need

Q11 What do I get excited about when meeting founders

Q12 How to leave a lasting impression

Ever wondered how the Russian oligarchs were made? This episode gives you a glimpse into that world… through someone who lived it, built through it, and survived it.

In this episode of The Profit or Pivot Podcast, Matan speaks with Marat Ressin, an entrepreneur who built and bought over 30 businesses after the fall of the Soviet Union, escaped the rising control of the KGB to Canada, and went on to build the #1 ranked university-linked business accelerator in the world.

Marat shares his unbelievable journey:

• Becoming the 22-year-old director of a government venture before the USSR collapse
• Buying Soviet factories about to go bankrupt and turning them into profitable businesses
• Facing pressure from the KGB to sell his companies and become one of their men
• Building major real estate and business turnaround projects in Canada
• Creating the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (YEDI) and training 2,000+ entrepreneurs
• His core lessons on communication, raising money, problem-driven business creation, and AI

This is one of the most insightful, candid, and inspiring founder stories you’ll hear.

About Marat Ressin

Marat is the founder of the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (YEDI), a globally top-ranked university-linked accelerator, professor, turnaround specialist, real estate developer, and serial entrepreneur with 30+ business acquisitions across multiple industries.

Learn more about YEDI

Connect with Marat

By his mid 20's, Ryan Henry became Head of Engineering for a fast growing mobile game developer. It was his first exposure to scaling a tech company, which he later leveraged at Freshbooks, a Canadian "unicorn" startup (over $1 billion valuation). At Freshbooks, Ryan hired 100 engineers in 1 year, a real rocket ship. He shares his insights on scaling a business, hiring the best people, how AI will change the tech landscape, and other important learnings.

Ryan also launched a startup and now runs a VC fund, Sand Hill North, where he invests in Seed stage companies in Canada and the US.

In this conversation, we focus a lot on what is considered a venture scalable business, how VCs think through an investment, and why entrepreneurs need to adopt a VC scalable perspective if they choose to raise money.

Entrepreneurs and investors will gain a lot from hearing Ryan's perspective.

Don't miss out!

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About Ryan Henry

Ryan manages venture investments at Sand Hill North, focusing on pre-seed and seed B2B software in Canada and the US. They invest in day-0 companies with a particular focus on robotics, energy and AI. Previously, Ryan co-founded Wisely, an AI-powered fundraising enablement platform for charities, and scaled FreshBooks from their series-A.

With over a decade of leadership experience, Ryan has built SaaS, AI, fintech, mobile games and AR apps and worked with brands like Disney, Mattel, and McDonald's.

Connect with Ryan

Website 

LinkedIn 

X: @IAmRyanHenry

Geoff became an accidental entrepreneur building a 150 employee business and becoming a prolific angel investor with investments that include a $500 MILLION exit.

Geoff's journey illustrates the unpredictable path of entrepreneurship, highlighting the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and being open to unexpected opportunities. Geoff and I discuss how to build a business, the many tough choices one has to make, and the big mistakes entrepreneurs make in their journey.

We also discuss how to more effectively raise venture capital, pitfalls to avoid, and whether or not VCs rely on luck or skill to succeed themselves. If you're an aspiring VC investor or entrepreneur, you don't want to miss out on Geoff's insights! 

Connect with Geoff:

LinkedIn 

Looking for an accelerator:  altitudeaccelerator.ca

By age 22, Alex Siplyarsky failed in his 1st business, was $40,000 in debt, and had his 1st child on the way.

Life looked bleak and he didn't know how to dig himself out of this deep hole. However, Alex defied the odds. Initially struggling with sales, he transformed his life by understanding what makes buyers tick and how to overcome an initial "no" and influence people to buy.

Starting with the humble beginnings of selling chocolates in middle school, Alex honed his sales skills through telemarketing and even selling diamonds. These experiences taught him how to build confidence, handle rejection, and thrive.

Alex developed his GRAC principle, which is his philosophy of selling:

Give value first, Resilience, Accountability, and Continued growth.

💡 His journey is a masterclass in entrepreneurship, focusing on relationship-building, marketing insights, and knowing when to pivot.

Alex offers practical advice. If you are building a business, looking to develop your sales skills, or looking to be inspired, you don't want to miss this episode!