A Huge Success! Cause to Smile’s October Event Wrap-Up

We did it! Our latest Cause to Smile Event: Leadership and Lessons Learned was a major success! Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us, we raised over $2,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area - and we couldn't have done it without you.

A special thank you goes out to our panelists: Mason Raymond, Alison Grafton, and Nicolas Beique as well as our wonderful Moderator and Board Member, Prabhdeep Chahal. They were amazing and provided such valuable insights on their experiences with leadership and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. We were also thrilled to partner with Trolley 5 Brewpub as our venue; The food and drinks were delicious, and their support made the event really shine.

Check out some highlights from the event below.

Mason Raymond's Inspiring Story

Mason Raymond began his career playing junior hockey in British Columbia before being drafted in the second round by the Vancouver Canucks in 2005. He spent seven seasons with the Canucks, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011, before being traded to the Flames in 2012. After six seasons in Calgary, Raymond announced his retirement from professional hockey in 2018.

Since retiring from the NHL, Raymond has been working with various businesses in several different industries - but he says his true passion is helping others reach their potential. "I really enjoy mentorship," he says. "I like helping people see what they're capable of and then supporting them as they work towards achieving their goals." That's one of the reasons why he decided to join Cause to Smile as a panelist - he wanted to help support dental practices in Calgary and area.

Words of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs from Alison Grafton

As the founder and CEO of Rockwood Custom Homes, Alison Grafton has over 25 years of experience in the homebuilding industry. "My biggest piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is to just go for it," she says. "Of course, you need to do your research and make sure you have a solid business plan - but at the end of the day, you'll never know if you can do it unless you actually try."

Alison also believes that it's important to embrace change and be adaptable in today's ever-changing business landscape. "The world is constantly evolving," she says. "If you're not changing with it, you'll get left behind."

Nicolas Beique on What Makes Helcim Successful

Nicolas Beique is the founder and CEO of Helcim, an award-winning Canadian credit card processor that has been recognized as one of Canada's fastest-growing companies for six years in a row by Deloitte Fast 50.

So, what makes Helcim so successful? According to Nicolas, it's all about putting customers first. "We always put our customers first - no matter what," he says. "It's something that I've instilled in every single person who works here at Helcim." This customer-centric approach has allowed Helcim to build strong relationships with its clients - relationships that have been key to the company's success.

About Cause to Smile

The idea is simple--do good beyond the walls of our clinics and leave a positive impact on the local Calgary community. That's what we aim to do at Cause-to-Smile, uniting communities across North America with members that include dentists, teams in industry (whether they're practicing or non), patients themselves as well friends & family all coming together for one mission: giving back!

Thank you again to everyone who came out and supported us at our latest Cause to Smile Event! We are so grateful for your continued support. Stay tuned for more details about our next event - we can't wait to see you there!