Episode Full Transcript

Length: 01:24:09
Host: Patrick Francey
Guest: Corrie George

• 00:00 | Patrick Francey

  Hi there, and welcome to the Everyday Millionaire Podcast. My name is Patrick Francey, and I am your host.

  Thank you for listening.

  On this show, I have conversations with seemingly ordinary individuals who have achieved extraordinary results in business and life. My goal is to inspire, educate, and help you grow by exploring how my guests have overcome challenges, achieved success, and continued pushing forward.

  Today’s guest is Corrie George, a Canadian entrepreneur, sales strategist, and founder of YESSA, one of North America’s fastest-growing sales leadership organizations.

  Corrie’s journey began at age eleven, rebuilding a broken minibike through door-to-door work. That experience shaped a belief he still carries today: nothing is given, everything is earned, and sales creates opportunity.

  He later rose through the world of direct sales, becoming the youngest executive in LeadCore history and helping generate more than $100 million in revenue. His path was not without adversity. Corrie battled addiction, survived a life-threatening illness, and emerged with a renewed perspective on leadership, business, and personal responsibility.

  After building Grant Cardone Canada into the brand’s top-performing global franchise, he founded YESSA and scaled it into a business generating more than $40 million in annual revenue.

  This conversation explores sales, leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship, and what it truly takes to create opportunity.

  Corrie George, welcome to the Everyday Millionaire Podcast.

• ---

  02:24 | Corrie George

  Thanks, Patrick. Thanks for having me.

• ---

  02:26 | Patrick Francey

  I often begin with a simple question because biographies never tell the whole story.

  When someone meets you today and asks, “Corrie, what do you do?” how do you answer?

• ---

  02:47 | Corrie George

  I’ve refined that answer quite a bit over the years.

  Today, I run a sales academy and client acquisition business. We help companies acquire customers, but we’ve transformed that business into something much more than a sales organization. It’s essentially a practical school where people learn sales while doing real work.

  I also own a home defense company.

  Most people think home security means alarms and cameras. Those things are useful, but they don’t actually stop someone from getting into your house.

  Our company focuses on making homes burglar-resistant. We reinforce doors, strengthen windows, and create physical barriers that make homes dramatically harder to break into.

• ---

  03:32 | Patrick Francey

  That’s fascinating.

  There are certainly parts of Canada and the United States where demand for that is increasing.

  Let’s talk about the sales side.

  If a company comes to you and says, “We have a good product, we have marketing, but our sales process isn’t working,” is that where your organization traditionally stepped in?

• ---

  04:10 | Corrie George

  That’s how it started.

  Earlier in my career, I worked for a company called LeadCore. Around 2013, they approached me with an interesting challenge.

  They were building fiber infrastructure for TELUS.

  Most construction companies simply build the network and hand it back to the telecom provider. LeadCore wanted something different. They wanted to build the network and fill it with customers before handing it over.

  So I built the sales organization.

  Over time, that team grew to about 250 people. We sold TELUS services while technically working for LeadCore.

  That experience opened my eyes.

  I realized there were many businesses with great products that struggled to build effective sales organizations.

  I saw an opportunity to become exceptionally good at selling other people’s products as a stepping stone toward eventually selling my own.

  Today, we’ve largely made that transition.

  Last year, our teams sold approximately $280 million worth of telecom services.

  At some point, I realized if we could generate that much revenue for someone else, it was time to begin building and owning more of the products ourselves.

• ---

  06:05 | Patrick Francey

  That’s a significant evolution.

  Did sales training become part of your business model as well?

• ---

  06:15 | Corrie George

  Absolutely.

  When I left LeadCore, I launched what became YESSA.

  Originally, the acronym stood for Young Entrepreneurs Sales Academy.

  One of our first major businesses involved representing Grant Cardone and Cardone University in Canada.

  We sold sales training, leadership training, and management development programs to businesses.

  For six years I served as President of Cardone Canada.

  That business taught me a tremendous amount.

  One of the challenges with selling sales training is that there is nowhere to hide.

  If you’re selling a BMW and the salesperson makes mistakes, customers still want the car.

  When you’re selling sales training, every interaction becomes a demonstration of your expertise.

  If your sales process is weak, customers immediately question the value of your training.

  At the same time, we were building telecom sales organizations.

  Eventually I began applying everything I learned from Grant Cardone’s systems into our own companies.

  What emerged wasn’t just a sales company.

  It was a school.

  People spent time learning, practicing, drilling skills, and then immediately applying those skills in real sales situations.

  That combination became incredibly powerful.

• ---

  08:24 | Patrick Francey

  I love that.

  It sounds less like traditional sales training and more like a practical apprenticeship model.

• ---

  08:33 | Corrie George

  That’s exactly what happened.

  Most sales organizations are built around recruitment.

  They hire people quickly, throw them into the field, and replace them when they fail.

  We took a completely different approach.

  My background included corporate leadership experience and structured training systems.

  So instead of building a revolving-door sales company, we built an educational institution disguised as a sales company.

  Today, we think of ourselves as an alternative pathway to traditional business education.

• ---

  12:29 | Patrick Francey

  One thing I believe strongly is that sales is a life skill.

  Whether you’re selling a product, an idea, a service, or yourself, everyone is selling something.

  How did you structure the educational side?

  Was there a specific framework you developed?

• ---

  13:05 | Corrie George

  The first thing we discovered was that most people don’t have a sales problem.

  They have a learning problem.

  Many young people arrive carrying negative experiences from traditional education.

  They’ve been taught theory but not application.

  So before we teach sales, we teach learning.

  Our onboarding program lasts four weeks.

  The industry standard is often two days.

  One day of product training.

  One day of shadowing.

  Then people are thrown into the field.

  We don’t do that.

  The first two days of our program have nothing to do with sales.

  We teach people how learning actually works.

  We compare it to sports.

  Nobody becomes a great basketball player by reading about basketball.

  You study the game, but you also practice.

  You drill.

  You perform.

  You get feedback.

  Sales is exactly the same.

  13:05 | Patrick Francey

  You’ve clearly built a framework around this. Walk me through it.

• ---

  13:08 | Corrie George

  The first thing we discovered is that most people don’t struggle with sales because they’re incapable.

  They struggle because they’ve developed limiting beliefs around learning.

  A lot of people come through traditional education systems feeling like they’re not smart, not capable, or not good learners. The reality is that many of them simply weren’t taught in a way that matched how they learn.

  So before we teach sales, we focus on rebuilding confidence in the learning process itself.

  Our onboarding program is four weeks long.

  The industry standard in direct sales is often one day of product knowledge, one day of shadowing, and then you’re thrown into the field.

  We do the opposite.

  The first two days have nothing to do with sales.

  We teach people how to learn.

  We explain that sales is a skill, just like basketball, martial arts, or any other performance-based activity.

  You don’t become a great basketball player by reading a book about basketball.

  You study the game, but you also drill fundamentals, practice repeatedly, receive coaching, and gradually improve through repetition.

  Sales works exactly the same way.

• ---

  14:22 | Patrick Francey

  So you’re teaching fundamentals before tactics.

• ---

  14:25 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  We break sales down into individual skills.

  In basketball, you don’t start by playing a full game.

  You learn dribbling.

  Passing.

  Shooting.

  Footwork.

  Then you combine those skills.

  We do the same thing.

  Prospecting is a skill.

  Communication is a skill.

  Handling objections is a skill.

  Closing is a skill.

  Each component gets isolated, practiced, tested, and then integrated into a complete sales process.

  People don’t move forward until they’ve demonstrated competence.

• ---

  15:18 | Patrick Francey

  I love that.

  This isn’t virtual training. You’re physically working with these individuals every day.

• ---

  15:25 | Corrie George

  Absolutely.

  We have facilities, houses, and teams operating across Ontario, Quebec, Ohio, and Connecticut.

  Many of these young people are living away from home for the first time.

  We provide structure, accountability, training, and support.

  The houses themselves function almost like mini-academies.

  There are standards.

  There are systems.

  There are expectations.

  We’re teaching sales, but we’re also teaching responsibility, discipline, communication, and life skills.

  For many people, it’s the first environment they’ve experienced that combines all of those elements.

• ---

  16:12 | Patrick Francey

  Would it be fair to say you’re teaching sales first and product second?

• ---

  16:17 | Corrie George

  That’s exactly right.

  Sales is sales.

  The product changes.

  The principles don’t.

  Now obviously there are different approaches depending on whether you’re selling a low-ticket consumer product or a high-ticket business solution.

  But the fundamentals remain consistent.

  What we’ve learned is that the fastest way to develop someone is through repetition.

  If you’re selling directly to consumers, you’re speaking with dozens of people every day.

  That volume accelerates learning.

  You gain experience quickly.

  You develop confidence quickly.

  You learn how to handle rejection quickly.

  Those lessons transfer into every future sales environment.

• ---

  17:22 | Patrick Francey

  And the onboarding process itself?

• ---

  17:24 | Corrie George

  The first week and a half is essentially a prolonged interview.

  Anyone can impress you for forty minutes.

  It’s much harder to maintain standards over multiple days.

  During that period, we’re evaluating communication skills, coachability, professionalism, willingness to learn, and effort.

  We train public speaking.

  We train introductions.

  We train handshakes.

  We train how to present yourself.

  We train objection handling.

  We train sales fundamentals.

  Then we test everything.

  If someone can’t demonstrate competency, they don’t move forward.

  If they fail repeatedly, they’re released.

  This isn’t a social program.

  We’re making a serious investment in people and we need commitment from them as well.

• ---

  19:12 | Patrick Francey

  What I find fascinating is that this seems to address a bigger problem than sales.

  It addresses personal development.

• ---

  19:20 | Corrie George

  It absolutely does.

  Sales is simply the vehicle.

  The deeper challenge is helping people become capable.

  Helping them build confidence.

  Helping them learn how to think.

  Helping them learn how to improve.

  Those are transferable skills.

  Whether they stay with us or not, those skills remain valuable.

• ---

  25:22 | Patrick Francey

  One thing I’ve observed over decades of teaching real estate investors is that the information itself isn’t usually the issue.

  Thousands of people can receive the exact same education.

  Some go on to achieve extraordinary results.

  Others never take action.

  Why do you think that happens?

• ---

  25:45 | Corrie George

  Because of who they listen to.

  That’s one of the biggest factors.

  Most people are taking advice from individuals who haven’t achieved the results they’re trying to achieve.

  We built an entire course around this concept.

  One of the first things we teach is evaluating your sources of advice.

  Who influences your thinking?

  Who influences your decisions?

  Who shapes your beliefs?

  Most people have never consciously examined that.

  They default to family.

  Friends.

  Social media.

  Culture.

  News.

  But they don’t ask whether those sources are qualified.

• ---

  26:38 | Patrick Francey

  That’s a powerful distinction.

• ---

  26:40 | Corrie George

  Think about sports.

  If you wanted to become a professional MMA fighter, would you take fighting advice from your mother?

  Of course not.

  You’d seek out someone who has actually succeeded in that field.

  Yet when it comes to careers, finances, entrepreneurship, or sales, people often ignore that principle.

  They seek guidance from individuals who have never achieved the outcomes they want.

  Then they wonder why they’re stuck.

• ---

  27:25 | Patrick Francey

  So you’re intentionally helping people challenge those influences.

• ---

  27:29 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  We call it stripping away opinion leaders.

  We’re helping people identify where their beliefs came from and whether those beliefs are serving them.

  If you want financial success, who are your financial role models?

  If you want career success, who are your career advisors?

  Most people discover they’ve never intentionally selected those influences.

  They simply inherited them.

• ---

  29:02 | Patrick Francey

  That’s probably uncomfortable for some people.

• ---

  29:05 | Corrie George

  Very uncomfortable.

  Because it forces people to ask difficult questions.

  But growth often starts with uncomfortable questions.

  You have to evaluate reality honestly.

  You have to identify what isn’t working.

  Then you have to be willing to change.

• ---

  30:10 | Patrick Francey

  What characteristics do you see in people who ultimately become top performers?

  Not necessarily personality traits, but deeper qualities.

• ---

  30:21 | Corrie George

  The biggest one is selective listening.

  They don’t accept every opinion equally.

  They’re open-minded with trusted mentors.

  They’re closed-minded toward random negativity.

  That sounds harsh, but it’s true.

  The world is full of opinions.

  Successful people learn how to filter them.

  When a prospect tells them something discouraging, they don’t automatically accept it as truth.

  When society tells them something limiting, they don’t automatically accept it as truth.

  They evaluate information critically.

  They think independently.

  That’s a huge advantage.

• ---

  31:55 | Patrick Francey

  So confidence isn’t necessarily the deciding factor.

• ---

  31:58 | Corrie George

  No.

  I’ve seen quiet introverts become exceptional salespeople.

  I’ve seen charismatic extroverts fail.

  The differentiator is usually mindset.

  It’s their ability to maintain perspective.

  Their ability to continue learning.

  Their willingness to take responsibility.

  Those traits consistently outperform personality type.

• ---

  34:15 | Patrick Francey

  Let’s talk about your story.

  You’ve built an impressive business, but nobody starts there.

  When you look back, was entrepreneurship something you were born with, or was it something that developed through your environment?

• ---

  34:29 | Corrie George

  I think it’s both.

  There were definitely natural tendencies that showed up early. Looking back, there were skills and instincts that came naturally to me. Over time, those became refined through experience and practice.

  But environment played a huge role too.

  I grew up in a middle-class family.

  My father was incredibly entrepreneurial. He ran automotive restoration and import businesses. He also worked alongside my grandfather, who immigrated from Greece and helped build several restaurants.

  My grandfather and family operated restaurants for decades.

  My dad was one of those people who could build almost anything. He was extremely detail-oriented and highly skilled when it came to delivering a product or service.

  My mother worked in sales at IBM.

  So I grew up surrounded by hard work, business, and customer service.

• ---

  35:18 | Patrick Francey

  Sounds like there were strong influences on both sides.

• ---

  35:22 | Corrie George

  Absolutely.

  My parents also believed in putting me to work early.

  When I was eleven years old, my dad bought me a minibike.

  Then he basically told me, “If you want money, go earn it.”

  So I started knocking on doors.

  At twelve, I was cutting grass.

  By fifteen, I was waiting tables in the family restaurant.

  I worked as a short-order cook.

  I served customers.

  I cleaned.

  I learned how to deal with people.

  Most importantly, I learned that work and reward were connected.

  Nothing was handed to me.

• ---

  36:08 | Patrick Francey

  That lesson stays with you.

• ---

  36:11 | Corrie George

  It really does.

  I also worked a variety of sales jobs.

  I sold bicycles.

  I sold barbecues.

  I sold computers and warranties.

  Every one of those experiences taught me something.

  I was constantly interacting with customers, solving problems, and learning how to communicate.

  At the time I didn’t realize it, but those experiences were laying the foundation for everything that came later.

• ---

  36:45 | Patrick Francey

  At some point you made a decision to leave college.

  Tell me about that.

• ---

  36:50 | Corrie George

  I was enrolled in business studies, and one day a friend said something that really stuck with me.

  He asked, “Why don’t you just study successful people?”

  It sounds simplistic, but it made me think.

  I looked around and realized many of the people teaching entrepreneurship had never actually built businesses.

  I started questioning whether I was getting the education I needed.

  Eventually I decided to leave college and pursue a different path.

  My plan became simple.

  Read books.

  Attend seminars.

  Study successful entrepreneurs.

  Learn directly from people producing real-world results.

  That became my education.

• ---

  37:40 | Patrick Francey

  And around that same time things also went off track for a while.

• ---

  37:44 | Corrie George

  They did.

  I went down a pretty destructive path.

  Drugs entered the picture.

  Alcohol entered the picture.

  By the time I was around twenty years old, I was partying constantly.

  I was arrested three times before I turned twenty-one.

  I was spending most nights intoxicated.

  I was surrounded by people who were making terrible decisions.

  At the time it felt normal because everyone around me was doing the same thing.

  But eventually reality catches up.

• ---

  38:18 | Patrick Francey

  Was there a defining moment?

• ---

  38:20 | Corrie George

  A few things happened.

  One friend died.

  Others were getting arrested.

  I started looking around and realizing where that road was leading.

  The future was obvious if I continued.

  So I made a decision.

  I quit everything cold turkey.

  No gradual transition.

  No easing into it.

  I completely changed my environment.

• ---

  38:45 | Patrick Francey

  You physically removed yourself from that environment.

• ---

  38:48 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  I took a sales job on the other side of the country.

  I intentionally moved away from the people and influences that were pulling me down.

  I also signed what was essentially a brutal work contract.

  I committed to working almost every day for months.

  The structure helped.

  The work helped.

  The new environment helped.

  And over time I rebuilt myself.

• ---

  39:20 | Patrick Francey

  That’s a powerful lesson.

  Sometimes changing your environment changes everything.

• ---

  39:24 | Corrie George

  It absolutely does.

  People underestimate how much their surroundings influence them.

  If everyone around you is pursuing growth, discipline, and improvement, that affects you.

  If everyone around you is self-destructive, that affects you too.

  Environment matters.

• ---

  39:48 | Patrick Francey

  And that was when door-to-door sales became a major part of your life.

• ---

  39:52 | Corrie George

  Yes.

  I became heavily involved in competitive door-to-door sales.

  Most people don’t even know those competitions exist.

  There are actual sales leagues and competitions where individuals and teams compete based on performance.

  I was selling property maintenance services.

  Driveway sealing.

  Window washing.

  Lawn aeration.

  I would sell the work, then perform the work myself.

  While doing the work, I’d listen to audiobooks.

  Then I’d go back out and sell again.

  Study.

  Sell.

  Study.

  Sell.

  That became my routine.

• ---

  40:40 | Patrick Francey

  That’s an incredible education.

• ---

  40:43 | Corrie George

  It really was.

  Every day I was learning and applying.

  There wasn’t a delay between theory and execution.

  I’d hear a concept in an audiobook.

  An hour later I’d be standing on someone’s doorstep testing it.

  That immediate feedback loop accelerated growth tremendously.

• ---

  41:12 | Patrick Francey

  One thing I’ve observed over the years is that commission salespeople often develop stronger skills because their livelihood depends on performance.

  Do you agree with that?

• ---

  41:24 | Corrie George

  Generally speaking, yes.

  Even today, I’m still effectively on commission.

  My income is tied directly to performance.

  Our salespeople receive a base salary because I don’t believe people should be desperate while learning a craft.

  But the majority of their income is performance-based.

  In my view, that’s healthy.

  It aligns incentives.

  It rewards growth.

  It encourages accountability.

• ---

  42:05 | Patrick Francey

  And it teaches responsibility.

• ---

  42:07 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  You learn very quickly that results matter.

  Effort matters.

  Consistency matters.

  There’s no hiding from reality.

  The marketplace gives feedback every single day.

• ---

  42:28 | Patrick Francey

  One thing that’s interesting about your model is that it seems heavily focused on younger people.

  Why is that?

• ---

  42:36 | Corrie George

  Partly because of the type of selling we’re doing right now.

  A lot of our opportunities involve direct-to-consumer environments where you’re physically active and interacting with many people every day.

  That naturally attracts younger individuals.

  But long term, that’s not the full vision.

  The bigger vision is creating a progression path.

  Someone learns foundational sales skills.

  Then moves into larger-ticket sales.

  Then into business-to-business sales.

  Then potentially into leadership, management, or ownership opportunities.

  As we continue acquiring businesses, we’ll be able to create more opportunities for people at different stages of life and career.

• ---

  43:28 | Patrick Francey

  So it’s really an ecosystem.

• ---

  43:31 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  The sales academy becomes the engine.

  Then the businesses become opportunities for graduates.

  It’s a long-term strategy designed to create growth opportunities at every stage.

• ---

  44:00 | Patrick Francey

  One thing we’ve done in our retail business for years is gamify sales.

  We’ve found that when you make it fun, create some competition, and put points on the board, people engage differently.

  Do you find the same thing?

• ---

  44:14 | Corrie George

  Absolutely.

  Competition changes everything.

  Our company operates almost like a sports league.

  Half the year we run what we call the National Sales League.

  The first month is training camp and tryouts.

  Just like sports, we don’t throw everyone into the same competition.

  We evaluate people first.

• ---

  44:35 | Patrick Francey

  How do the tryouts work?

• ---

  44:38 | Corrie George

  We test everything.

  People perform objection handling.

  They present pitches.

  They demonstrate their sales process.

  They go through drills in front of judges.

  We score them.

  Then we combine those scores with their actual sales results.

  From there we determine which division they belong in.

  We separate people by performance level because it doesn’t make sense to have a rookie competing against a veteran.

  The goal is development, not discouragement.

• ---

  45:18 | Patrick Francey

  That makes sense.

• ---

  45:20 | Corrie George

  Once the divisions are established, competition begins.

  We create bonus pools.

  We create team competitions.

  We create individual competitions.

  People track performance.

  They follow standings.

  They want to win.

  And what surprised me was that the biggest benefit wasn’t the competition itself.

  It was what happened afterward.

• ---

  45:45 | Patrick Francey

  What do you mean?

• ---

  45:47 | Corrie George

  For years I was trying to convince people to train.

  I’d say:

  “Read the material.”

  “Do the drills.”

  “Invest in your future.”

  Some people would do it.

  Most wouldn’t.

  Then we introduced competition.

  Suddenly someone else was holding the trophy.

  Someone else was getting recognized.

  Someone else was standing on stage.

  Now people wanted to train.

  Not because I told them to.

  Because they wanted to win.

  Competition solved a problem that motivation couldn’t.

• ---

  46:28 | Patrick Francey

  That’s fascinating.

• ---

  46:30 | Corrie George

  It changed the culture.

  Training became desirable.

  Improvement became visible.

  People started pushing each other.

  They began holding themselves accountable.

  That was a major breakthrough for us.

• ---

  46:52 | Patrick Francey

  You also mentioned another competition format.

• ---

  46:55 | Corrie George

  Yes.

  The second half of the year we run something called the Ultimate Sales Championships.

  That’s much more individual.

  Instead of team versus team, it’s salesperson versus salesperson.

  We create divisions similar to combat sports.

  Lightweight.

  Middleweight.

  Heavyweight.

  People compete against others at similar performance levels.

  Again, the objective isn’t just winning.

  The objective is growth.

  But competition accelerates growth.

• ---

  47:30 | Patrick Francey

  Let’s shift gears.

  Where does AI fit into your future?

  Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence right now.

  How are you using it?

• ---

  47:42 | Corrie George

  We’re using it heavily for training and operations.

  One of the things we’re building is AI-based customer simulations.

  Imagine a salesperson being able to practice with hundreds of different customer personalities before ever speaking to a real prospect.

  That’s what we’re creating.

• ---

  48:05 | Patrick Francey

  Interesting.

• ---

  48:07 | Corrie George

  We’ve collected enormous amounts of sales data over the years.

  We’ve knocked on millions of doors.

  We’ve had millions of customer interactions.

  That allows us to identify patterns.

  Different personality types.

  Different objections.

  Different buying behaviors.

  Now we’re using that information to create AI simulations.

  A salesperson can practice against difficult customers.

  Friendly customers.

  Skeptical customers.

  People who hate telecom companies.

  People who dislike door-to-door sales.

  Whatever scenario we want.

  The system can evaluate their responses and provide feedback.

• ---

  48:52 | Patrick Francey

  That’s an incredible training tool.

• ---

  48:55 | Corrie George

  It really is.

  The other major area is operational efficiency.

  There are countless repetitive administrative tasks inside every business.

  AI is extremely effective at handling many of those.

  We’re using it to automate processes, improve workflows, and reduce administrative burden.

  That allows us to focus more attention on growth.

• ---

  49:25 | Patrick Francey

  Do you think AI replaces salespeople?

• ---

  49:29 | Corrie George

  Not anytime soon.

  I think sales will be one of the last professions replaced.

  People have a remarkable ability to recognize when they’re interacting with something artificial.

  Human communication contains nuance.

  Emotion.

  Empathy.

  Timing.

  Authenticity.

  People can sense when an interaction feels scripted.

  Even when a salesperson is human, if they sound too rehearsed, customers pull away.

  The same challenge exists for AI.

• ---

  50:06 | Patrick Francey

  So the human element remains critical.

• ---

  50:08 | Corrie George

  Absolutely.

  AI can support sales.

  AI can train salespeople.

  AI can handle administrative work.

  But true human connection is still incredibly valuable.

  At least for the foreseeable future.

• ---

  50:32 | Patrick Francey

  Let’s talk about expansion.

  You mentioned you’re currently in Florida.

  What does the future look like for the company?

• ---

  50:40 | Corrie George

  We’re expanding aggressively into the United States.

  We still have significant operations in Ontario and Quebec.

  Our primary headquarters remains in Oakville.

  But we’ve opened facilities in Ohio and have additional expansion underway.

  We’ve also established executive operations in Florida.

• ---

  51:02 | Patrick Francey

  Why the move?

• ---

  51:04 | Corrie George

  A few reasons.

  The first is growth opportunity.

  The American market is significantly larger.

  The second is economics.

  The cost of expansion is dramatically different.

  Commercial real estate costs less.

  Capital goes further.

  Investment incentives are stronger.

  Tax treatment is more favorable.

  Those realities matter when you’re trying to scale.

• ---

  51:40 | Patrick Francey

  You also mentioned building a physical training academy.

• ---

  51:43 | Corrie George

  Yes.

  That’s one of the projects I’m most excited about.

  We’re creating a comprehensive training environment.

  There will be classrooms.

  Drilling spaces.

  Fitness facilities.

  Cold plunges.

  Saunas.

  Study areas.

  Presentation rooms.

  Everything designed around personal and professional development.

• ---

  52:12 | Patrick Francey

  Almost like a modern performance academy.

• ---

  52:15 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  One thing we’ve discovered is that success isn’t just about sales skills.

  People need culture.

  They need exposure to ideas.

  They need physical discipline.

  They need strong habits.

  We’re building an environment that supports all of those things.

• ---

  52:40 | Patrick Francey

  And I imagine that creates stronger leaders over time.

• ---

  52:43 | Corrie George

  That’s the goal.

  We’re not trying to create salespeople.

  We’re trying to create capable people.

  Sales happens to be the vehicle.

  Leadership is the destination.

• ---

  52:58 | Patrick Francey

  One of the realities many entrepreneurs are facing today is deciding where and how they want to grow their businesses.

  You’re now spending significant time in the United States.

  What led to that decision?

• ---

  53:10 | Corrie George

  Ultimately, it came down to growth.

  We’re still heavily invested in Canada. We employ a large number of Canadians and continue to build businesses there.

  But when I started looking at where future expansion would occur, the United States became difficult to ignore.

  The market is larger.

  Capital is easier to deploy.

  The cost of expansion is lower.

  The incentives for growth are stronger.

  When you’re reinvesting aggressively, those differences matter.

• ---

  53:45 | Patrick Francey

  As somebody who studies economics and business conditions closely, I find that frustrating.

  Canada has incredible entrepreneurs, but it often feels like we’re making growth more difficult rather than easier.

• ---

  53:58 | Corrie George

  That’s certainly been my experience.

  And I say that as someone who genuinely wants Canada to succeed.

  This isn’t about abandoning Canada.

  It’s about recognizing reality.

  When you’re responsible for hundreds of employees and their families, you have to make decisions based on what creates the greatest opportunity for long-term stability and growth.

• ---

  54:45 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  And again, I’m not interested in turning this into a political conversation.

  I’m interested in outcomes.

  Entrepreneurs respond to incentives.

  Businesses respond to incentives.

  Capital responds to incentives.

  That’s simply reality.

• ---

  55:18 | Patrick Francey

  You’ve built a company called Canada First and continue employing Canadians.

  Yet you’re also creating opportunities elsewhere.

  That’s an interesting balance.

• ---

  55:28 | Corrie George

  It is.

  And honestly, there’s a sadness that comes with it.

  I know many Canadian entrepreneurs who have relocated or expanded into the United States.

  Not because they dislike Canada.

  Because they feel they have greater opportunities there.

  That’s a difficult reality to acknowledge.

• ---

  56:05 | Patrick Francey

  At the same time, you’ve proven that success is still possible.

• ---

  56:10 | Corrie George

  Absolutely.

  And that’s important.

  I never want people listening to think external conditions determine their destiny.

  We’ve built our company through challenging economic environments.

  We’ve built through uncertainty.

  We’ve built through adversity.

  Success is still available.

• ---

  56:32 | Patrick Francey

  You mentioned adversity.

  One of the major challenges you faced personally was a serious health issue.

  Tell me about that.

• ---

  56:40 | Corrie George

  In 2018, I became extremely ill.

  I lost roughly seventy pounds in about a month.

  At one point, doctors believed I had a tumor.

  Eventually I was diagnosed with severe Crohn’s disease.

  It was one of the most difficult periods of my life.

  Physically.

  Emotionally.

  Mentally.

  Everything changed.

• ---

  57:08 | Patrick Francey

  How did that affect your perspective?

• ---

  57:11 | Corrie George

  It forced me to simplify.

  When your health disappears, you gain clarity very quickly.

  You realize how many things you worry about that don’t actually matter.

  You become more intentional.

  You become more grateful.

  You become more disciplined.

  At least that was my experience.

• ---

  57:36 | Patrick Francey

  And today?

• ---

  57:38 | Corrie George

  Today I’m healthy.

  No surgery.

  No medication.

  No special protocols.

  I’m grateful for that.

  It was a long road, but it taught me a tremendous amount.

• ---

  57:58 | Patrick Francey

  Then COVID arrives.

• ---

  58:01 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  So after overcoming that health challenge, COVID arrives.

  Our business gets hammered.

  Like many entrepreneurs, we were forced to adapt quickly.

  But we rebuilt.

  And that’s one of the points I always try to emphasize.

  People focus on obstacles.

  I focus on responses.

  Obstacles are inevitable.

  The question is always: what are you going to do next?

• ---

  58:32 | Patrick Francey

  That’s really the entrepreneur’s job.

• ---

  58:34 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  Every entrepreneur faces uncertainty.

  Every entrepreneur faces setbacks.

  Every entrepreneur faces conditions they didn’t choose.

  The difference is how they respond.

• ---

  58:52 | Patrick Francey

  One thing I hear repeatedly in your story is personal responsibility.

• ---

  58:57 | Corrie George

  It’s probably the single most important principle I believe in.

  That doesn’t mean life is fair.

  It doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen.

  It doesn’t mean systems are perfect.

  But responsibility is still your greatest source of power.

  The moment you become a victim, you surrender that power.

• ---

  59:24 | Patrick Francey

  That’s a powerful distinction.

• ---

  59:27 | Corrie George

  People consume information all day.

  News.

  Social media.

  Podcasts.

  Videos.

  The question I always ask is simple:

  Is this information making me more capable?

  Or is it convincing me I’m powerless?

  If the information consistently tells you that you’re a victim, it’s not helping you.

  Regardless of whether it’s technically true or not.

• ---

  59:58 | Patrick Francey

  That’s worth repeating.

• ---

  1:00:01 | Corrie George

  People often assume they’re staying informed.

  Sometimes they’re simply staying discouraged.

  There’s a difference.

  Gather information.

  Make decisions.

  Create a plan.

  Then get back to work.

• ---

  1:00:20 | Patrick Francey

  That ties into something we often discuss.

  What can you control?

  What can’t you control?

  Focus on the things you can influence.

• ---

  1:00:31 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  You gather data.

  You evaluate reality.

  You create a strategy.

  Then you execute.

  What doesn’t help is obsessing over problems after you’ve already identified them.

  Once you’ve made your decision, move forward.

• ---

  1:00:54 | Patrick Francey

  In other words, don’t keep re-reading the same problem.

• ---

  1:00:58 | Corrie George

  Exactly.

  If I identify an issue in my business and create a plan to solve it, I don’t need someone bringing me the same problem every day.

  We’re already working on it.

  People often do that with information.

  They keep consuming the same negative stories repeatedly.

  At some point, you have to move into action.

• ---

  1:01:25 | Patrick Francey

  For someone listening today who’s trying to build a business, build a career, or improve their life, what would you want them to remember?

• ---

  1:01:38 | Corrie George

  First, be careful who you listen to.

  Second, invest in skills.

  Skills create freedom.

  Skills create options.

  Skills create confidence.

  Third, stop waiting for perfect conditions.

  They don’t exist.

  Every generation faces challenges.

  Every entrepreneur faces challenges.

  Progress comes from action.

  Not certainty.

• ---

  1:02:10 | Patrick Francey

  That’s excellent advice.

• ---

  1:02:13 | Corrie George

  And I’d add one more thing.

  No one is stopping you from becoming better.

  You can learn.

  You can train.

  You can improve.

  You can read.

  You can build relationships.

  You can develop your craft.

  Those opportunities are still available to everyone.

• ---

  1:02:36 | Patrick Francey

  Corrie, thank you for joining me today.

  I’ve really enjoyed this conversation.

• ---

  1:02:42 | Corrie George

  Thank you for having me.

  I appreciate it.

• ---

  1:02:46 | Patrick Francey

  To everyone listening, thank you for joining us for another episode of The Everyday Millionaire Podcast.

  Until next time, keep learning, keep growing, and keep moving forward.