Embrace Unexpected Experiences: Interview with Rhiannon Rosalind, President and CEO of The Economic Club of Canada

I recently went one on one with Rhiannon Rosalind. Rhiannon is the President, CEO and owner of The Economic Club of Canada, founder of the Jr. Economic Club of Canada and co-founder and CEO of The Global Institute for Conscious Economics (GICE). Rhiannon has been named one of Canada’s Change Agents by Canadian Business Magazine, one of WXN Canada’s TOP 100 Most Powerful Women in Business three times, and became the youngest ever WXN “Hall of Fame” award winner in the fall of 2018.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Rhiannon: I started at The Economic Club of Toronto as an entry-level event coordinator straight out of university. I took the job because I wanted to understand more about business and the economy as my background was more deeply rooted in the humanities. I never imagined that I would end up leading the national rollout of The Economic Club of Canada platform, and eventually becoming the CEO and owner. It’s a wild story that requires a longer conversation, but If I could keep it simple, I would say that I am in my position today, because I have deep sense of my personal values and I am willing to take risks to embody those values out in the world. I deeply believe that wisdom comes from living life, making mistakes, getting hurt and then getting back up and trying again and again. I am successful today because I am willing to fail. I struggled growing up, there was trauma and disfunction in my early years that impacted me deeply. I rebelled, I flunked out of high school and almost lost my true sense of purpose. As 15, I took a chance at building a different life for myself, I got my education and step by step, I overcame my personal challenges. I would not be here today without those experiences. My first project was myself and I had to get pretty innovative in order to rise up. Innovation and creativity are central to my personal and professional story.  

Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling an organization?

Rhiannon: Ha! It’s funny you ask, because I’ve made many mistakes when it comes to growth and scale over the years, the worst being my lack of delegation in the early years. In order to scale and grow you need a strong, supportive team around you, a solid but flexible plan, and a well-defined market need. A well-defined market need is everything, in my opinion. A lot of companies raise a lot of capital and put out products that consumers don’t actually want. I’ve boot-strapped my way forward because I have always been willing to use the capital and momentum that already exists within the company.

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Rhiannon: Humility, Empathy, Authenticity, Emotional Intelligence and Vision. These are the most important leadership skills for the new economy. 

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Rhiannon: Do you own self-work. So many of the decisions we make in our lives, both personally and professionally are driven by our subconscious beliefs, many of which were rooted in childhood. When we tune into ourselves through self-reflection, meditation, therapy and personal development, we can uncover the things that block us or limit us from being powerful and passionate leaders.  

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders? 

Rhiannon: 1) Get really good at listening, it can teach you more than talking ever will.

2) Don’t be afraid of conflict or disagreement. It’s healthy to debate and disagree and it doesn’t have to be personal. We have lost our ability to do this effectively and it inhibits our ability to innovate.

3) Do one thing each month that is totally out of your comfort zone, and that doesn’t mean jumping out of a plane. Go to an art gallery, volunteer at a community event, visit with an elderly person. Innovation is born when we merge curiosity with unexpected experiences.  

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Rhiannon: The hardest part of any business is people. Finding great people, keeping great people and helping people grow and perform at their best. I’ve made many mistakes when it comes to leading and managing a team, but the one aspect that’s never failed me is love. I care about the people that work with me and I express that as often as possible. When we develop honest, loving and truthful relationships with people, we can endure the inevitable setbacks and challenges that will always come our way. Great leadership isn’t about being perfect, its about being real.

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing and branding?

Rhiannon: My best tips for sales, marketing and branding is truth and authenticity. The more real you can be and uniquely who you are, the more you can stand out. I think brands shouldn’t be afraid to have personality and neither should business leaders. The new economy is about genuine connection. When we believe in what we are selling and marketing, and ensure that it’s a match to our personal values systems, we can achieve greatness.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Rhiannon: You don’t have to be the best dressed, most educated, talented or wealthiest person in the room to make an impact, all you have to be is the most prepared person in the room. If you can try and be prepared, deeply, for each encounter you can make a valuable contribution beyond measure. I learned this from the great Ted Rogers before he passed away, its always been a special piece of advice that I cherish.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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