AmiSights

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we have James Perly joining Ami and Lynn for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, resilience, and the lessons that come from building — and rebuilding — a business from the ground up. James grew up in a third-generation family map-making business in Toronto, one so well known that customers would ask for "a Pearly" instead of a map book by name. When his father passed away suddenly, James took over the company at

Happy Monday! Before your calendar fills up and your inbox takes over, ask yourself one simple question: What will make this week a success? For me, the answer is easy. Today we welcome a new loan advisor to the MultiFunding team. More than anything else on my to-do list, my priority this week is helping her get integrated, feel supported, and start her journey with us on the right foot. As our company continues to grow, I’ve realized that spending time with each individual b

"Be proud of how far you've come, and excited for where you're going." Entrepreneurship has a way of making us focus on what's next. The next customer. The next hire. The next challenge. The next milestone. While ambition is one of the qualities that drives successful business owners, it can also make us overlook how much we've already accomplished. Every setback you've overcome, every lesson you've learned, and every obstacle you've navigated has shaped the leader you are to

One of the things I’ve been thinking about lately is how differently we behave when a crisis is real versus when it’s only hypothetical. When the crisis is in front of us, priorities become remarkably clear. We stop wasting time. We make decisions faster. We focus on what actually matters. We cut through the noise. But when the crisis is something we think might happen six months or two years from now, it’s surprisingly easy to convince ourselves we’ll deal with it later. “I’

There are plenty of milestones in life that bring satisfaction. Building a business. Hiring your first employee. Landing a big client. Paying off debt. Watching your team succeed. But I wasn’t prepared for how much joy I would get from watching my 24-year-old daughter, Charlotte, launch her own entrepreneurial venture, The Loyalty Lane. As entrepreneurs, we spend years solving problems, making payroll, taking risks, and wondering if we’re completely out of our minds. We don’t

I recently came across this Wall Street Journal article about Bending Spoons, the software company behind brands like Evernote and WeTransfer. Last year, they reportedly received around 800,000 job applications and hired just 286 people. Most of us could never be that selective, but the lesson resonates. Every bad hire costs far more than salary. It consumes time, energy, culture, and momentum. I've learned that when we hire because we're under pressure, we often regret it. W

I found this Washington Post article fascinating. Employers say they can't find qualified people, while many recent graduates can't find jobs. The issue isn't simply AI. It's a mismatch between what employers need and what many candidates bring to the table. At the same time, demographic shifts mean the long-term supply of workers is likely to get even tighter. (The Washington Post) It's a good reminder that a diploma is just the starting point. Curiosity, adaptability, commu

If you were building a house, you wouldn't expect a single hammer to do every job. Different stages require different tools, and using the right one makes the project more efficient. Business financing is no different. Yet many business owners start and end their search with a single bank, assuming one lender will always have the best solution. Depending on your goals, whether you're buying a business, purchasing equipment, expanding operations, or strengthening cash flow, an

Over the past few weeks, I’ve worked with two very different companies, one that acquired an existing business and another that launched a manufacturing startup. Different industries and different financing structures, yet both ended up facing the same challenge. Their financing got the deal done, but it wasn’t designed for what came next. One business lacked the working capital to buy inventory despite strong sales, while the other outgrew its line of credit because growth o