Account Login
Don't have an account? Create One
Earlier this year, BrainWorks Marketing co-founder Brad Leblanc officially took hold of things from fellow co-founders David and Lorrie Hawkins, moving from a 95% to 100% equity stake in the company. BrainWorks is currently celebrating a few outside nods, for its work to date, but Leblanc says there’s even greater excitement about the year ahead.
He told Atlantic Business Magazine changes are coming for the Moncton-based company’s benefit offerings and teased that, in terms of projects, the company is working on a few he expects could become talk of the town in 2023.
The final 5% equity stake for LeBlanc was settled at the end of the company’s 10th fiscal year. It was the cap on a succession plan that began with years of knowledge transfer, then started to be planned in earnest about five years ago. The first related transaction was in 2020.
Since the close, LeBlanc said, he has been quietly speaking to people about private capital, to support expansion plans.
“To be clear, I haven’t asked anyone to invest,” he said, saying offers have come his way. He is settling on exactly what the next steps will be.
“The question is which one (opportunity), in which order. But there’s an element of that that is likely to be geographic,” he said.
The company is already working on several client projects for the year ahead. “I would just say there will be one if not two stadium (speaking) events for people to look forward to,” he said, without releasing further details yet.
BrainWorks does have experience in live events that draw a crowd, including the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council’s 70th anniversary event featuring former President of the United States Barack Obama. The company assisted the council in everything from protocol to marketing materials to event videos.
Meanwhile, the company was recognized this week by B2B service provider online marketplace Clutch as part of the Clutch 1000, a list of top B2B firms on the platform. According to a press release, it represents the top 1% of companies on the platform globally.
“That award is 100% from every client that ever believed in us from the very first one (…) and all the team members we’ve ever had,” Leblanc said, also thanking people who have championed the company’s work.
He didn’t want to go too far into the details of plans around changes to arrangements with staff in relation to compensation, wanting to speak with staff first. He did say he has a goal of seeing new elements whereby, looking at corporate goals, the closer the company gets to achieving its specific goals, the greater the piece of the pie seen by staff. “We’re a private sector company but we really run ourselves with a cooperative spirit,” he said, insistent that remains.
More of BrainWorks’ story was featured in the January/February 2022 edition of Atlantic Business Magazine.
• For more Web Exclusives, click here.
Comment policy
Comments are moderated to ensure thoughtful and respectful conversations. First and last names will appear with each submission; anonymous comments and pseudonyms will not be permitted.
By submitting a comment, you accept that Atlantic Business Magazine has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner it chooses. Publication of a comment does not constitute endorsement of that comment. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.