About us

O
ur
Story
1979
2023
From left to right: My dad playing for Laurier in the 60s. Me Playing in Kuwait. Me back when I peaked in Novice.
Company Photo
Company Photo
Company Photo

Hey, I'm Ken.

I'm a brand strategist slash entrepreneur with a passion for helping people realize their potential in business.

But, I wasn't always...

I grew up playing hockey at a fairly competitive level, and I believed that life would always be this way. Well, maybe I just didn't want to admit that that stage of my life had an expiry date, and that it was rapidly approaching. I guess the funny thing about sports is, the further you make it, the more it takes over and becomes the sole purpose in your life. Then, in a flash, it gets taken away from you.
Image

How do you prepare yourself for something like that?

Best case scenario, you enjoy a long and exciting career, filled with all kinds of winning and success. Or, maybe you get hurt. Maybe, you age out like I did, not possessing the skills or talent to reach to the next level. In all of these cases, you're retiring young, and you're going to have to figure out what comes next. Retiring between the ages of 20 and 40, isn't nearly as glamorous as it sounds. Even if you have money, you're still going to have to come to terms with the loss of purpose and identity.

I had trouble making decisions about what to do next. I went to university because that's what people in my position were told to do. I didn't do particularly well, but I got through. When school ended, it was back to the drawing board. Again. I tried a few different things, and I eventually fell into teaching. I taught overseas for the better part of a decade, and while I loved the people and the travel, I didn't really love the teaching. I never really felt like I fit in. Like I wasn't doing what I was meant to do. I eventually burned out and quit that job, with no safety net to speak of. I think I was unable to reconcile with the idea that that's what the rest of my life would be like.

... and I was right.

How do you prepare yourself
for something like that?

Best case scenario, you enjoy a long and exciting career, filled with all kinds of winning and success. Or, maybe you get hurt. Maybe, you age out like I did, not possessing the skills or talent to reach to the next level. In all of these cases, you're retiring young, and you're going to have to figure out what comes next. Retiring between the ages of 20 and 40, isn't nearly as glamorous as it sounds. Even if you have money, you're still going to have to come to terms with the loss of purpose and identity.

I had trouble making decisions about what to do next. I went to university because that's what people in my position were told to do. I didn't do particularly well, but I got through. When school ended, it was back to the drawing board. Again. I tried a few different things, and I eventually fell into teaching. I taught overseas for the better part of a decade, and while I loved the people and the travel, I didn't really love the teaching. I never really felt like I fit in. Like I wasn't doing what I was meant to do. I eventually burned out and quit that job, with no safety net to speak of. I think I was unable to reconcile with the idea that that's what the rest of my life would be like.

... and I was right.

Ah ha!

I had been exploring Design as a hobby/side hustle for number of years. I was always really into designing logos, jerseys, and websites for the teams I was playing on. During one of my many conversations about what I ought to do with my life, someone asked me, "Why aren't you just doing this. You're great at it". It made me think. Why wasn't I? It may sound silly, but this was a life changing Ah-Ha! moment for me. Almost like I needed permission to try making a career out of doing something that I loved to do. Crazy, right? Long story short, I started chasing that dream, and I haven't looked back since.

I worked night and day building my design business, which never really felt like work, and now I get to help people make a real impact in their lives and businesses. And I get to do it in my own way, and on my own terms.

Ah ha!

I had been exploring Design as a hobby/side hustle for number of years. I was always really into designing logos, jerseys, and websites for the teams I was playing on. During one of my many conversations about what I ought to do with my life, someone asked me, "Why aren't you just doing this. You're great at it". It made me think. Why wasn't I? It may sound silly, but this was a life changing Ah-Ha! moment for me. Almost like I needed permission to try making a career out of doing something that I loved to do. Crazy, right? Long story short, I started chasing that dream, and I haven't looked back since.

I worked night and day building my design business, which never really felt like work, and now I get to help people make a real impact in their lives and businesses. And I get to do it in my own way, and on my own terms.

Divine Intervention.

As a former teacher, I'm always learning. My favourite place to do that is Chris Do's Futur Pro group. We learn about all things where design and business intersect. We also get to meet a lot of exceptional people in the community. One day, I found myself speaking with an kind and charismatic man, by the name of Errol Gerson. I wanted to learn how I could grow my business, more specifically who I could stand to help the most. Instead of just telling me the answer, he asked me to tell him a story.

I began to tell him about the time I won the Imjin River Cup playing for the Tokyo Canadiens, in Seoul, South Korea, and he stopped me the second my eyes lit up. He said, "That's it. That's who you need to help. No one in the branding and design space will understand hockey players quite like you, because they haven't lived that life. You have." All of a sudden, everything just felt right.

I learned that I wasn't alone in my struggle with life after hockey. Many people experience those same feelings of loss and grief when part of their life draws to an end. Now I'm in a position where I can help them think about things a little differently. I can help them to not waste so much of their time, effort, and money, trying to do what they think other people want for them, when they should be trying to figure out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to go after it.
Divine Intervention.
As a former teacher, I'm always learning. My favourite place to do that is Chris Do's Futur Pro group. We learn about all things where design and business intersect. We also get to meet a lot of exceptional people in the community. One day, I found myself speaking with an kind and charismatic man, by the name of Errol Gerson. I wanted to learn how I could grow my business, more specifically who I could stand to help the most. Instead of just telling me the answer, he asked me to tell him a story.

I began to tell him about the time I won the Imjin River Cup playing for the Tokyo Canadiens, in Seoul, South Korea, and he stopped me the second my eyes lit up. He said, "That's it. That's who you need to help. No one in the branding and design space will understand hockey players quite like you, because they haven't lived that life. You have." All of a sudden, everything just felt right.

I learned that I wasn't alone in my struggle with life after hockey. Many people experience those same feelings of loss and grief when part of their life draws to an end. Now I'm in a position where I can help them think about things a little differently. I can help them to not waste so much of their time, effort, and money, trying to do what they think other people want for them, when they should be trying to figure out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to go after it.
Our Mission
We're on a mission to help former players build a life after hockey, doing something that they love.

#lifeafterhockey is a lofty goal. Transitioning from athlete to entrepreneur requires an incredible shift in mindset. It's something that most players don't even consider until after they experienced the struggle that comes with the loss of identity and purpose. it's our aim to create a positive awareness around this significant life event, and encourage player to explore the idea of starting a business of their own, while providing them with the knowledge and resources they will need to face it head on.

Hockey players have a very unique set of skills. They are often high achievers with incredible determination and work ethic. While they don't often fit into traditional career paths, they make for great leaders. Especially in business.

Our Mission

We're on a mission to help former players build a life after hockey, doing something that they love.

#lifeafterhockey is a lofty goal. Transitioning from athlete to entrepreneur requires an incredible shift in mindset. It's something that most players don't even consider until after they experienced the struggle that comes with the loss of identity and purpose. it's our aim to create a positive awareness around this significant life event, and encourage player to explore the idea of starting a business of their own, while providing them with the knowledge and resources they will need to face it head on.

Hockey players have a very unique set of skills. They are often high achievers with incredible determination and work ethic. While they don't often fit into traditional career paths, they make for great leaders. Especially in business.
Values
We're big believers of the fact that people want to work with people who believe what they believe. They have shared values. That's why communicating our values clearly and transparently are essential to our brand.

Values

We're big believers of the fact that people want to work with people who believe what they believe. They have shared values. That's why communicating our values clearly and transparently are essential to our brand.
People are People.
People come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. They come from different places, they look different, act different, and some of them don't even like pineapple on pizza. Regardless of all of those things, we'll meet them with kindness, curiosity, compassion, and respect. If your approach to people is hateful, dishonest, or intolerant, then this is likely not the place for you. If you're more curious than you are judgemental (thank you Ted Lasso), then you might just be our kind of people.
The System
By "the system" we mean the belief system most of us our raised in. It's engrained into us at a young age. We should go to school, get a job, get a house, have a family, retire, and then sail off into the sunset. This works fine some people, and we wish them all the happiness in the world, but it's not for us. We aren't interested in building someone else's dream, in exchange for an income stream we don't even own. We should be working towards building our own dreams and earning income from a variety of different sources, that no one can take away from us. That's what we want for ourselves, and for the people we work with too.
Quality over Quantity
We're not here to make a quick buck. If that's what you're after, there are plenty of other people that can help you out. We believe that money isn't a goal, but rather a necessary byproduct of a life dedicated to the service of others. We're here to help people build purpose driven brands from the ground up. We want the people we work with to leave the world in a better place than it was in when they found it. We want them to challenge the status quo and disrupt industries that have become complacent and self involved.
Working with us
If you've made it this far, you probably have a good feel for what we're all about. One thing that's big for us, is that you understand, that you're hiring us for our expertise, so you'll trust us to do our thing. We will treat you with this same level respect in return. We're very selective in who we work with, and we feel like things just go smoothly with those who share our values.

Working with us

If you've made it this far, you probably have a good feel for what we're all about. One thing that's big for us, is that you understand, that you're hiring us for our expertise, so you'll trust us to do our thing. We will treat you with this same level respect in return. We're very selective in who we work with, and we feel like things just go smoothly with those who share our values.

Kind Words

Headshot
“
Ken has an incredible ability to identify opportunities for your business quickly. Athletes like to work with someone who was in their shoes, understand their situation. This is one of the reasons why most business consultants fail. They give theories without understanding what someone who lives and breathes sport goes through. Here Ken has a real competitive advantage thanks to his experience in the world of business and hockey. He's also a great guy to talk to, and that makes all the difference.
Jack Bies~ Founder, Jax Branding, Manchester UK
Headshot
“
I think most importantly for me was, he took the time to listen to what, I as a customer, wanted the outcome to be.
Michelle Hunter~ Steelebros, Ontario Canada
Headshot
“
Reach out to Ken - his genius is making the intangible tangible, and moving an idea to action - gently and with great skill.
Heather Hendrie~ True Nature, British Columbia Canada

Curious about starting your own business?

Our quick 60-second assessment will help you uncover some insights into whether this kind of thing is right for you.
Shoot Your Shot!