The Cherry Kicks Show

Alexis Santacruz: OpenWorks

Alexis Santacruz grew his Colombian company from 100 to 600 people off one conversation. Then the government changed the rules and it all came apart. Jude and Tom sit down with the founder of OpenWorks to dig into the weirdest sales data he ever found (the best phone salesperson wasn't the hungry 25 year old techie, it was a woman with one kid), what it actually takes to restart from zero in a new country, and how a half marathon and his EO Forum ended up catching his cancer in time. Honest talk about clarity, resilience, and knowing when AI helps and when it just wastes your time.

Trina Parnell: Alignment Coach

What if the patterns quietly running your life were never actually yours to begin with? Trina Parnell (TP Coaching) is an Alignment Strategist who became obsessed with that question after her own long mental health battle — and built a coaching practice around helping people see what's really going on beneath the noise. Jude and Tom dig into why fear is a signal not a direction, why micromanagement is just fear in a suit, the BDC stat that 90% of entrepreneurs are quietly struggling, and the wildly creative "Donna GPT" Trina built using a Suits character to reconnect to her own sense of self.

Kevin Smith: Maple Leaf Adventures

What happens when a bunch of school bus-sized humpback whales break the surface together, mouths wide open, herring jumping everywhere — and you forget to press the shutter button? Kevin Smith (Maple Leaf Adventures) has spent 25 years captaining expedition cruises through BC's Great Bear Rainforest, and his stories of "charismatic megafauna," COVID-era coastal cleanups, and why 40 million Canadians can't all see this coast will make you rethink what adventure tourism actually means.

Robyn Radcliffe: The Raptors

She called a bald eagle from three-quarters of a kilometer away—and it landed on her arm. Robin Radcliffe, Director of Pacific Northwest Raptors, joins Jude and Tom (with a spectacled owl named Elton in tow) to talk about the "landscape of fear," why your cat is the number one threat to songbirds, and what it's like to buy a family business your mom funded for a decade. We also hear about the time Robin's eight-year-old had to hold an eagle in the backseat during a heat dome rescue—and why she still dreams about horses most nights. 🔗 Connect with Robin: https://the-raptors.com/ [https://the-raptors.com/]

Kael Campbell: Red Seal Recruiting

Why is it getting harder to convince top talent to switch jobs in 2026? According to recruitment expert Kael Campbell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaelcampbell/] (Red Seal Recruiting), it isn’t just about the money—it’s about the "Best Friend" factor and a shifting sense of economic risk. In this episode, Jude and Tom dive deep with Kael into the "micro-markets" of the Canadian labor force, the "epidemic of loneliness" in remote work, and why your About Us page is actually your most important sales tool. We also get personal. Kael shares a harrowing story about his son falling overboard in winter waters and how a "Navy-level" approach to communication can save a business (and a life). Plus, we explore The Marriage Habit and how a "safe word" for conflict can improve your relationships with your spouse and your clients. Key Takeaways: * The Risk of the Move: How falling housing markets and rental rates are freezing the talent pool. * Onboarding is Make-or-Break: Why candidates decide to quit within the first two hours. * The "Navy" Standard: Why repeating orders back (Communication Loop) is a masterclass in leadership. * Conflict Hacks: Using pattern-interrupts to handle heated business (and personal) conversations. Resources Mentioned: * Book: The Marriage Habit * Safety: Mustang Survival Life Jackets * Connect with Kael: Red Seal Recruiting [https://redsealrecruiting.com/]