Professionalizing the industry one business at a time.

When Igor and his family came to Canada from war-torn Sarajevo, he had an epiphany: you can achieve anything in North America by working hard. And so he did; turning a struggling College Pro franchise into a $48,000 revenue generator within two years. After obtaining an Accounting and HR honours degree at the SFU Beedie School of Business, Igor decided to wave goodbye to accounting to become the GM at College Pro, overseeing half the franchises in B.C. and building a $2.5-million painting business by hiring great people (many of whom are now BTA employees). With an interest in start-ups, Igor then co-launched SHACK SHINE, a house detailing company, and within 18 months grew it into a full-scale franchisor that was eventually acquired by 1-800-GOT-JUNK.

Armed with his scaling skills, Igor teamed with friend and former colleague Danny Kerr and in 2015 founded Breakthrough Academy, to help other high performers meet their fullest potential. Today the company works with more than 400 contractors across North America, manages over $1-billion in revenue, and was rated Canada’s 106th fastest growing company by The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.

A lifelong sports enthusiast who credits competitive basketball for helping develop his ability to lead, Igor can be found during his off-hours flying down ski runs, ripping up the tarmac on his bike, or enjoying new cultures and people in far-flung parts of the world.

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From a young age, Danny learned two important things: to work hard and stay humble. Having lost his dad at an early age and growing up on welfare with his mom he was forced to create his own success in life. As a Dyslexic student, Danny struggled at school – he was treated differently, and his potential was questioned by everyone around him. These barriers fuelled his desire to push boundaries and prove anything is possible. After graduating with a 4.0 GPA, Danny started his own contracting business at 18 years old – a venture that earned him enough to buy his first home. By 20 he was leading a franchise company and grew sales by 225% in one year, ultimately helping to expand the organization’s presence in Western Canada ,while growing the team to over 150 staff. But this was just the beginning of a career in which he would use his skills to help entrepreneurs overcome adversity and reach their full potential.

After spending his 20s scaling businesses, Danny in 2015 co-founded Breakthrough Academy as a vehicle for other contractors to grow their profitability and take back control of their time. Today, BTA works with more than 400 contractors across the continent, manages over $1-billion in revenue, and was rated as Canada’s 106th fastest growing company by The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.

Danny lives in Chilliwack, B.C. with his wife and three beautiful daughters. When he’s not helping prospective BTA members he can be found climbing more mountains, only this time in his Jeep.

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After two years of growing her first business in Calgary as a College Pro franchisee, Ashley was tasked with expanding College Pro Window Cleaners franchises across Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.

After completing a degree in mechanical engineering, Harold left his home country of The Netherlands and joined the family business. At the age of 24 he managed a $4-million revenue seasonal waterpark in Eastern Canada, overseeing a staff of 150. He took that experience and moved west, where he transformed another waterpark into a multi-million dollar corporate entity. In 2018, he opened the largest waterslide on the Canadian west coast.

As a Business Coach & Blueprint Facilitator at Breakthrough Academy, Harold uses his experience in scaling business for mass growth by giving contractors the tools and systems necessary to level up. He enjoys nothing more than helping to serve and inspire entrepreneurs and positively impact their business and personal lives.

Vancouver-based Harold is a true multiculturalist: he and his wife Nerissa are teaching their three kids Mina, Feyo, and Kobus to learn English, Dutch, and Cantonese. An active family, they are likely to be found exploring their passions including their faith, the gym, soccer, ripping it up on their bikes or snowboards, or relaxing on a boat and enjoying fine local cuisine.

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Brayden’s career began inauspiciously: he sold pest control door-to-door in Colorado during university to rid himself of a speech impediment. But within four years he had not only conquered his stutter, he had become the company’s youngest Sales Manager and trained over 100 other staff. Then, at 23, he co-founded a residential cleaning service company in Vancouver and in five years grew it to a staff of 30 in that city and on Vancouver Island.

Brayden’s experience building businesses from the ground up serves him well as Business Coach for Breakthrough Academy, as does his determination to help others achieve their dreams. Brayden is also inspired by his colleagues: having been a stand-out on many teams in the past, he is now among a host of all-stars – and motivated to constantly be better in his daily task of nurturing entrepreneurs.

Brayden, his wife Sonja, and their two sons IIija and Luka live in Port Coquitlam, B.C. and love seeking adventure close to home as well as abroad. Brayden is also a Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast and keeps himself limber at the gym and on the basketball court.

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After two years of growing her first business in Calgary as a College Pro franchisee, Ashley was tasked with expanding College Pro Window Cleaners franchises across Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. During that three–year stint, Ashley undertook certification programs for coaching, facilitation, conflict, communication, situational leadership, and priority management. This in turn enabled her to lead a community–based program aimed at making connections and building relationships in her new home of Vancouver, before joining Breakthrough Academy in 2017.

At BTA, Ashley uses her knowledge as a psychology/economics Honours graduate and her leadership, coaching, time management, and organizational skills to help entrepreneurs create the businesses and lives they have always dreamed of. As a Accelerator Coach Lead, she is passionate about developing strategic plans and the journey towards achieving them.

Outside of work, Ashley and her husband Jeremy’s lives are enriched by their two daughters, Rosie and Claire; together, they love discovering and experiencing all that B.C. has to offer. Ashley also practices yoga and enjoys spending quiet time leafing through the pages of a good book.

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After running a hugely successful painting business in Vancouver, B.C. with Student Works, Thomas went on to become District Manager where he coached, consulted, and mentored more than 30 franchise operators across the province. Taking a position in Management Consulting, Thomas was able to help provide entrepreneurs with the tools to scale businesses, while also completing an MBA in Business Administration.

As a Business Coach at Breakthrough Academy, Thomas is able to bring a strong balance of business acumen and practical entrepreneurship to help contracting leaders grow both personally and in business, and to affect positive change in the construction industry overall.

Outside of work, Thomas is a true West Coast boy: you are likely to find him competing in beach volleyball, taking “lethal” strikes on the soccer pitch (which he insists is open for debate), carving fresh lines on his skis, lake swimming, camping out under the stars, or soaking in new cultures in far flung places.

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When Ryan worked for FedEx and Enterprise, he specialized in creating dynamic systems and protocols that, along with his leadership skills, propelled large teams towards success. But Ryan was always driven to build something of his own, and with his experience in operations management, coaching, and recruitment he put those skills to the test with Good Life Juice, the first cold pressed juice company on Vancouver Island – and grew it to the point where he could comfortably step back and let others manage the business.

His well-rounded knowledge of the intricacies of entrepreneurship and a passion to help others makes Ryan an invaluable Breakthrough Academy business coach. Plus, his role enables him to get to know BTA members and their businesses on a personal level, ensuring they don’t learn every lesson the hard way – as he did.

During his off hours, Ryan loves travelling and staying close to home in equal measures. When he’s not getting lost in a Central American jungle or climbing through a box canyon in Arizona, he enjoys exploring the wilderness near his home base of Nanaimo, B.C., drinking coffee, and playing board games.

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Graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce, Mike started his career with a large organization working as a key account manager. He quickly established his core goals centred on providing a high-level of service and delivering a cohesive project environment. He enjoys collaborating with others, working as part of a team, and prides himself on creating great relationships with the people around him as he works hard to ensure efficiency and success. Over the past eight years, Mike gained a wealth of knowledge by building a thriving landscape construction and trucking company from the ground up. He worked with a wide variety of projects; from small residential to large commercial landscape jobs.

Mike came to Breakthrough Academy with the desire to help business owners find solutions to their challenges and achieve their goals. He loves getting involved in BTA causes, such as the referral trip in Mexico where he and other BTA members helped build two homes for underprivileged families.

Mike recharges his batteries by keeping active in and around his home of Nanaimo, B.C., hiking with his partner Julie, and enjoying anything related to motorsports.

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Ian’s fascination with bringing the academic and practical worlds together in his own life has resulted in a remarkable career. He obtained degrees in finance, international business, and the sciences during his seven-year stint at university, and then spent 20 years in the construction industry heavily involved in the general contracting, concrete, and landscaping sectors. As a College Pro franchisee, he also set every record for revenue, quality, profit, and tech productivity in the company’s near 50-year history.

As a Breakthrough Academy Business Coach & Lead Facilitator, Ian is motivated by his colleagues, the clients he serves, and the opportunity to change the contracting industry for the better. Having watched his father toil too many hours for not enough money, Ian is proud of the personal development and business improvements he facilitates.

In his spare time, Ian enjoys reading and writing, travelling, music, horses, boxing, snowboarding, photography, vehicles, and most sports – as well as world travel. He’s extremely committed to family and friends and keeps health his primary focus through fitness, faith, and continuous learning.

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Shane is the epitome of a good old fashioned success story, having worked his way from a boots-on-the-ground employee to becoming a shining example of a great and impactful leader. During his 16 years with Flight Centre he went from selling travel to eventually becoming an area leader overseeing 15 shops in Toronto with a staff of 130. In fact, the VPs in Australia were so impressed by his numbers and people skills that he was given a monumental task: to uproot his family for two years and move to Australia to an area that was seeing a $700,000 annual loss. In less than one year, he turned it around to become a $1 million net profit business; the fifth most improved area in the entire world. During his time at Flight Centre Shane became involved in everything from recruiting, onboarding and training to marketing and brand development.

Having worn so many hats and with his solution-driven mindset Shane is perfect for his role as business coach for BTA. He loves nothing more than helping people become the best version of themselves. Working together on unique solutions and then holding each other accountable in order to bring those ideas to life and ensure personal and business success is what gets him out of bed in the morning. For Shane, his passion lies in changing lives, for both the leaders and their employees.

Travel is obviously in Shane’s DNA, plus, he has worked in four countries (Canada, the U.S., Australia, and the U.K.) which gives him a unique global insight into the business world and different cultures. When he’s not hopping on a plane, you will find Shane at a Toronto Raptors game (he’s a season ticket holder), playing basketball in what he jokingly calls “the old mans’ league,” and spending time with his wife Janet and their two kids, Alexis and Reid, in their hometown of Toronto. When you chat with him, don’t forget to ask him about his huge sneaker collection!

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If you are looking for a complete understanding of the construction industry built on an unbelievably varied life of experience, you would be hard pressed to find someone more suited than Owen. Since beginning his career as a rodman on a survey crew, he has worked in a variety of construction-related businesses, including consulting engineering, utilities, construction and land development. He has held many roles ranging from draftsman to chief operating officer. That resume is absolutely incredible, and throughout all of that experience, the strands of leadership, team building and operational excellence have been continuously upheld. Because of his deep understanding and desire to help others become their best selves, Owen is the ideal mentor for the BTA Community as they embark on their entrepreneurial journey.

To put it simply, people are what drive Owen. Despite his introverted personality, he enjoys coaching, mentoring and guiding others in achieving success when they are unsure of how to get there. Everywhere he has been, he has been a mass driver for growth in order to reach as many people as possible. Taking one company from 200 to 2400 team members in the span of 10 years. Owen is thrilled to share his knowledge and experience in a way that helps our Members find their success and allows them to forge their own path forward. With a deeply held belief that everyone has the extraordinary inside them, he is ready to help everyone he connects with in our community to find it.

To match his amazing career accolades, Owen also has a truly amazing family, with his wife and two children, who are his true passion in life. He also loves getting out on the golf course, running a new trail or out to the water to fish. Owen has always enjoyed challenging himself. He became a triathlete, forcing himself to learn to swim. Later he became a coach, helping triathletes to find their best.

Sometimes, while challenging himself, he has taken the path less traveled. Maybe TOO less traveled. Since, on separate occasions, he has actually found himself face to face with moose, mountain lions, wolves and black bears and lived to tell the tale!