Kendra J.

The Venned Group

The Venned Group specializes in cultivating the next generation of leadership. Through high-touch, cohort-based training programs, we partner with senior leaders to develop their mid-level counterparts. Our unique approach ensures that tomorrow's leaders are equipped with the necessary skills to effectively guide their teams, influence peers, and communicate seamlessly with top-tier executives.

What sets The Venned Group apart is our laser focus on personalized cohort-based training. Unlike generic, one-size-fits-all programs, we understand that each organization has its unique DNA. Our programs and workshops are adaptable, ensuring that your leadership challenges are addressed head-on, resulting in sustainable growth and improved organizational dynamics.

Founder

Boardy

Connector

Orion's Reach

Orion’s Reach is a Not-for-Profit organization comprised of passionate volunteers dedicated to helping aspiring professionals acquire the skills and knowledge required to REACH their career goals.

At Orion’s Reach our approach to mentorship is different. Professionals are looking to learn from different perspectives in-order-to transform into someone who is ready to REACH for the stars. As a result, we match each Mentee with multiple Mentors based on desired skills they would like to learn as well as interests. With this approach, individuals can develop leadership and presenting skills at the same time from two different experts. Our approach also provides the opportunity for individuals to learn about a specific industry from multiple perspectives.

Advisory Board Member

Chase Hospitality Group

•	Started as Event Coordinator, promoted to Event Manager in March of 2016
•	Corresponded with the client on all details of event from décor to food and beverage pairing
•	Worked closely with the Executive Chef to create custom menus; includes costing and idea formation
•	Coordinated any necessary rentals with preferred suppliers
•	Accommodated client’s provided event budgets ranging from $500 to $30,000
•	Lead, grew and motivated event 'team leads'
•	Executed events from start to finish
•	Accommodated client’s provided event budgets ranging from $500 to $30,000

Event Manager

Donaleighs Irish Public House

Managing all Social Media platforms and organizing annual events such as the Annual Golf Tournament and Charity Calendar production process from start to finish.  Handle all reservations and aid with large party catering requests.

Social Media & Events Manager

I’m bringing real human connection back to the workplace.

You've likely heard this before, but I’m not just talking about it—I’m making it happen. Here’s how ⬇️:

Four ways I can help you:

-> Tailored soft skills-based workshops for global brands
-> Curated events that bring leaders together to connect on soft skills-focused topics (DM me to see if we're coming to a city near you soon!)
-> Global speaking engagements on the power of soft skills to enhance hard skills and maximize performance
-> Our S.P.A.R.K. Assessment & 1-1 coaching to optimize working styles & improve collaboration

Why do I do what I do?

I care deeply about human connection. In today's tech-saturated world, the lack of genuine interaction is destroying performance, well-being, and efficiency across teams. That’s why I’m on a mission to help organizations maximize their potential by leveraging their existing resources.

Do you think we'd have a good chat? Send me a DM!

If my dad knows I'm driving somewhere, he asks the same three questions.
Did you gas up the car?
Do you have your phone charger?
Will you text me when you get there?

In my 20s, it used to drive me nuts.
"I'm an ADULT, Dad. I know these things."
I'd answer with the exact tone that communicated...I've got this handled, you can stop now.

But he never stopped.
Gas. Charger. Text when you arrive.
Every single trip, into my 30's it's something I proactively update him on now.

It took me years to understand what he was actually saying.
He wasn't asking if I had gas in the car. 
He was saying, "I need to know you're safe."
He wasn't checking if I was competent. 
He was managing his own worry the only way he knew how.

In one of our past cohorts, a CEO and her team sat down to review their S.P.A.R.K. assessment results.

Her entire team rated her as a 'definite' collaborative style, every single person.
The assessment showed she was 100% flexible in her leadership style, meaning someone who could read her team and adjust in real time.

The room went quiet when they saw the gap between her intent and their experience.

Then she told her side of the story...

"I care so much about you. I don't want you to burn out. I'm just trying to catch things before you're drowning."

She wasn't micromanaging. 
She was adjusting constantly to make sure no one fell through the cracks.
But because she never named it, her care landed as control.

Gas. Charger. Text when you arrive.
Did you finish the report? Do you need help? Are you sure you're okay?

Care has its own language.
And when we don't translate it, people hear something else entirely.

Every week, I write about these patterns for middle managers and the senior leaders who support them, like how care gets mistranslated and what it costs when we don't name what we actually mean.

Newsletter in the comments.

P.S. Tomorrow's my dad's birthday. Gift ideas from (or for) the fathers out there?

Kendra Johnson

Canada’s leading soft skills expert | Creator of The S.P.A.R.K. Method™ | 1900+ managers upskilled | The Peak’s 2025 Emerging Leader | Get weekly tips👇

I turned 35 this week, so here are 35 reminders I've noted throughout this past year.

1. People really do want to help you. Get out of your own way and ask
2. Learning what you want and stating it gets you farther much faster
3. Highs and lows are part of business. The more people you talk to, the more normal it becomes
4. Your mindset makes or breaks your day. Choose it intentionally
5. What someone does is the most boring thing about them. Why they do it matters more
6. The world is big. Get outside your bubble often
7. Stop building for the fantasy workplace. Meet people in the actual chaos
8. Clarity about guardrails beats confidence coaching every time
9. A good mentor changes everything. Find one. Be one
10. Your worst moment probably taught you more than your best one
11. People talk a lot. Be the one that takes action
12. Burnout is a choice you make by not saying no
13. Ask for what you need. State what you want. Watch how fast things shift
14. Simple acronyms beat complex systems every single time
15. Dogs will always say hello. People won’t. Be more like dogs
16. If a situation happens more than once, that’s a lesson. It’s up to you to change the pattern
17. Sometimes you really do just need a hug from your mom
18. As much as you might not want to, getting a good sweat will fix you right up
19. Finding the right partner will change your life
20. Maintain your individuality and let your partner do the same
21. Don’t mistake ignorance for malice
22. Dress for the type of day you want to have, not the way you feel
23. Skincare is important
24. The gap between theory and reality is where actual business happens
25. One-size-fits-all anything is corporate theater
26. Transformation happens when someone takes the time to actually know you
27. Sometimes the best leadership move is stepping back
28. There is always a solution, you just have to be willing to think outside the box
29. Say thank you more often
30. Record the small moments, those are the ones you’ll hang on to
31. A day of rest doesn’t mean you’re not productive
32. Knowing where your time and energy are best spent is a superpower
33. You don't have to hang onto things that no longer serve you
34. Every day can be a fun adventure if you let it
35. Smiling can change your mood, especially when shared

And as Ricardo Ulises Hernandez Gomez added, last but not least, wear sunscreen. 

Which of these did you need to hear today?

Finding skilled talent is hard.
Integrating that talent successfully is harder.

The Toronto Region Board of Trade recognized this gap and decided to address it directly. 

They brought together 90 employers & PSI's all there with the same intention, to run strong WIL programs and develop skilled talent pipelines. 

I ran a workshop focused on what WIL actually looks like and how to create a successful process from employer onboarding through to providing feedback to students.

Here were some of the key takeaways from the room: 

1. Soft skills are the gap.
Students come in with strong technical abilities. 
What they lack is how to communicate. 
How to problem-solve. 
How to navigate a workplace. 
That's what employers actually need to train.
You're not just training on a task, you're training on a culture.
How you show up, how you handle mistakes, how you receive feedback. 
That's what gets transferred whether you know it or not.

2. Know your capacity before day one.
Who's taking the lead? 
What does success look like at the end? 
What will they actually learn?
Answer these ahead of time and the whole engagement changes.

3. Managers need to get good at feedback.
This is where most programs fall apart. 
Managers hesitate or they soften the message. 
They don't know how to be direct without discouraging. 
When you improve this skill in your full-time staff, your WIL success transforms.

This applies whether you're onboarding an intern or hiring a new manager. 
The fundamentals are the same. 
Intentionality, clarity & communication.

Thank you to my fellow presenters Derek Newton, Amanda Brown, Jason Fung Architect Inc., Peter Odle, Andrew Bieler, and everyone in that room who came ready to think differently.

A big thank you to Saad Usmani, Anahid Najafizadeh & Laura Tocker for putting on an incredibly valuable program! 

Conversations like this are what strengthen a region.

--------------------
At The Venned Group we partner with organizations to upskill managers who can set expectations clearly, give feedback that lands, and create cultures where people actually want to show up. 

If this is on your priorities list for 2026, send me a DM with the word Spark.

There's a line in Hamilton that's been stuck with me.

'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.'

(Yes, it's a nod to Newton's third law of motion...but it's more memorable when sung)

I've seen that musical more times than I'll admit, and it's served as a constant reminder of how I'm showing up.

Over the years, I've become more and more aware of how my energy creates a response in those around me.

Ex. When I bring stress into a meeting, I feel stress reflected back.

If you're the leader, all eyes are on you.

Your team reads your energy before you even open your mouth.

I started asking myself three questions before every team meeting or client call:

1. What energy am I bringing? Clarity or chaos? Confidence or stress?

2. What do I want them to feel when we're done? Inspired? Clear? Confident? Name it, clearly.

3. Are my actions & my energy matching my words? Urgency & stress through a half-a**ed smile saying 'everything's fine' never lands well.

Many times, the reaction you're getting is information about what you're putting out there.

→ If you're facing resistance, consider how you're presenting ideas.
→ If there's confusion, check whether you're giving direction or just enthusiasm.
→ If there's disengagement, pulse check your energy first.

Self-awareness is never about being perfect OR (and let me be very clear) taking responsibility for everyone else's actions.

It's about recognizing when you're part of the dynamic, and choosing to show up differently.

This is your Monday morning reminder as you head into a fresh week to check how you're showing up. 

Your energy sets the tone. What an opportunity you have ahead of you!

This morning I was unwillingly thrust into someone else's feedback conversation.

I was at a coffee shop, noise-cancelling headphones on, minding my own business...but when you can still hear every word of a performance conversation from three tables away, you've become an involuntary witness to a trainwreck.

The recipient sat with shoulders hunched, eyes down, trapped in a public space while strangers absorbed every detail of her professional shortcomings. 

The manager had her feet crossed under her on the bench, casual and comfortable, seemingly unaware of the damage unfolding.

Sentence after sentence, the same hedging pattern, "I'm not saying YOU do this, but just so you know..." Which of course means you absolutely do this, but I'm too uncomfortable to say it directly. 

Then came the gossip about someone else on the team. The unspoken message of, I'm on your side, we both know Sarah is the real problem here.

Most managers have never been taught that feedback starts with reflection, not delivery. 
What's your intent? 
What outcome are you trying to create? 
What environment supports that outcome? 

Skip this, and you end up hedging, gossiping, and performing care while your team member walks away confused about what actually needs to change.

A few takeaways:
→ Spatial awareness & etiquette matter as much as self-awareness. 
→ Difficult conversations belong in private rooms, not public stages. 
→ And direct, specific, depersonalized feedback isn't unkind, it's the kindest thing you can do.

The leaders I work with are often shocked to discover they've been "giving feedback" for years without ever actually giving it. 

Our S.P.A.R.K. framework starts with that reflection piece because without it, you get frameworks paired with coffee shop disasters.

How much clarity & progress is your team losing to feedback that never actually lands?
-----
Ps. This conversation didn't take place at Wallace Espresso as the photo suggests, but it IS one of my favourite places in the city for coffee & their seasonal London Nog.

You hired someone, gave them a role description, walked them through their responsibilities and by three weeks in, you're already frustrated...

They're not getting it.
Except what is "it"?

You told them what to do. 
You might have even told them how. 
But did you tell them what doing it well looks like in your specific environment? 

With your pace, your culture, your unspoken rules about what matters most when everything's on fire?
Probably not...

And now you're sitting with the disappointment, you engineered yourself.

This is the gap that kills placements, tanks new hires, and makes leaders assume they have a people problem when they actually have a clarity problem.

You can't course correct something you haven't defined. 
You can't praise progress toward a standard that only exists in your head.

In our S.P.A.R.K. Leadership Program, this is where we start. 

Not with 'how to provide difficult feedback' right away.
Not with simply naming expectations (any leader can do that). 
We dig into defining what measuring those expectations actually looks like. 

Building the criteria that turn "figure it out" into "here's what success is."

It's difficult work, especially for middle managers trying to translate senior leadership's vision into measurable criteria they can actually enforce. 

When they get this clarity right, their conversations become remarkably simpler. They finally have language for what they've been trying to articulate and an objective lens for performance.

The disappointment you keep running into is fixable. 
It just requires you to clarify the target before you ask someone to hit it.

Give your team the gift of clarity, this holiday season...send me a DM to see which of our solutions best suits your teams needs!

* Offer Business Solutions /  Services (a "capable right hand")  to clients who require support on a contract or full-time basis, allowing them to focus on their core business requirements
* Provide operational and organizational support to C-Level Executives and Entrepreneurs 
* Specialize in business start-ups and small to medium enterprises
* Create and implement new systems/processes to improve organizational efficiency and reduce   operating costs
* Streamline Business Processes
* Human Resource Management; Office management: Sales support
* Financial Management (budgets, cashflow, expense tracking)
* Vendor selection and management
* Special Projects (Office Relocation, Special Event Co-ordination)

HR Generalist / Business Solutions

ThinkOn Inc.

Developed and implemented foundational HR processes and policies for rapidly growing IT firm.  Managed HR function, with emphasis on onboarding, employee advocacy/engagement, training & development.

Human Capital Manager

Curated Properties Inc.

Curated Properties specializes in boutique residential development in Toronto, building design inspired excellence since 1987.   www.curatedproperties.com

•	Managed for operational efficiency and excellence
•	Designed and implemented operational processes and structure to position company for
       growth and provide discipline around best practices
•	Financial Management for head office and associated companies 
•	Project Management (multiple construction projects at various points of completion)
•	Interacted with Owners, Construction Project Manager, Trades/Vendors, Property Managers,
       Suppliers

Director, Operations

C&R Realty Inc.

Office Manager (Part-time / Contract)

Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators

Provided executive support to the office of the CEO, including oversight of HR issues, the Board of Directors and other CAPR committees and work groups.

Executive Assistant To Chief Executive Officer

Open Access Limited

•  Managed 5 administrative and IT staff to support a Financial Services Firm of 25 people.
•  Managed Human Resources, Administration, IT, and Sales & Marketing Support, continuously
  introducing efficiencies. Created Business Continuity Plan. 
•  Completed office relocation on time and under budget. 
          o Led project team with IT, Operations, and Executive Management representation. 
          o Identified location though a site selection and hired space planner to organize new office.
      o Created RFP to source moving company and space planner.
•  Devised innovative ways to grow the organization and reduce costs. 
      o Introduced video conferencing software (i.e. Webex) resulting in greater customer reach, 
             improved service, and reduced travel costs. 
      o Maximized resource talent and championed marketing effort by promoting receptionist
             with graphic design background and eliminating the need for a new staff member.
• Formalized performance appraisal process by rolling out performance management software (Sonar 6), making it easy to track, align/reward performance, monitor top talent and return on investment. 
• Managed special projects such as compliance (i.e. Bill 168 for office code of conduct), special events and technology/vendor research.

Manager, Business Administration

Avyd Leadership Performance

Involved in the start-up of an Executive Leadership Coaching Company, from the ground up.  Created the infrastructure and managed the daily operations and continuity of the business.

* Member of core Management Team involved in decision making and setting business strategy
* Managed a community of 40 certified Executive Leadership Coaches.  Forged and developed key strategic relationships with Coaches, Clients, Suppliers and acted as "main hub" for the Team
* Drew upon existing network of service providers / professionals to assist Avyd with key priorities
* Created and implemented processes to improve operational efficiency
* Financial management - accounts payable/receivable, banking, cashflow and expense tracking
* Premises management - acted as prime liaison for Landlord and Tenants

Director of Operations

A resourceful Business Administrator / HR Generalist with demonstrated experience working with C-level Executives and their management teams in a vast range of business environments.

Highly regarded for ability to build effective organizational structure and supporting processes from scratch. Continually finds opportunities for growth, improvement and cost reduction. 

Offer an array of business solutions  (a “capable right hand”) to clients allowing them to maintain focus on their business development and growth.

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