July 3, 2020
Kennedy Johnston
Kennedy Johnston
Kennedy Johnston, owner of Peter Knippel Nursery in Gloucester, Ont., has been attending LO Peer to Peer sessions for many years. He credits fellow Ottawa-area member, Tim Kearney for inspiring him to involved with the group.
 

“It’s nice to talk to other business owners because you end up having the same issues.”
— Kennedy Johnston

Q. In what ways has being a member of the Peer to Peer Network helped you as a business owner?
A. It’s definitely helped reinforce some of the things we are currently doing or that I think are the right steps to do. It’s nice to talk to other business owners because you end up having the same issues. When you are giving suggestions about what you’ve done, a lot of times you’ll get positive feedback and that reinforces that you’ve probably done the right thing — and the bigger benefit is that you get tons of ideas from what other people have done.

Q. Describe your biggest ‘Aha Moment’ from one of the workshop discussions
A. At the recent workshop in Ottawa, we were looking at a pyramid of how your business is built, and I realized I need to impart more information to my employees. I think I tell them a lot, but in reality, in going through that exercise I realized I probably don’t tell them as much as I think I do. If they don’t know, they can’t help — and they want to help.

Q. How do you feel when you work face-to-face with peers on pressing business issues?
A. I’m always surprised by the number of great ideas that could all work just as well, or even better than my own ideas when we are discussing a particular scenario. It definitely helps you improve upon the things you’ve already started.

Landscape Ontario member business owners can join the Peer to Peer Network for free. Discussions on business-related issues take place online via private Facebook and LinkedIn groups, and several workshops are scheduled across the province each year.
 

Join in on discussions. Get great advice. Offer advice to your peers.
Join the LO Peer to Peer Network.
Email  signup.peertopeer@landscapeontario.com