The Reluctant CEO: How Caring Saved a Company on the Brink with Trevor Muir

Ten weeks after Trevor Muir became CEO of Surepoint Group, the bank swept $400,000 from the company’s account and froze its line of credit. Surepoint could not make payroll. Trevor had already turned down the job twice. Now he had to decide what to tell the people whose livelihoods depended on the company.
In Episode 368 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy speaks with Trevor about telling his team the truth, asking employees and vendors for help, and rebuilding a company around the principle of caring for people. Trevor also shares how a period of depression changed the way he led, why Surepoint’s leaders gave up part of their pay during the pandemic, and what inspired his Someday to Today initiative.
Content note: This episode includes a discussion of depression and suicidal thoughts.
Chapters
00:00 Trevor’s story and introduction
05:05 Growing up on an Alberta farm
17:27 Building Surepoint with nine friends
20:43 Why Trevor turned down the CEO role
25:29 The bank freeze and the threat to payroll
27:49 Trevor’s personal crisis and decision to seek help
34:39 Learning to care for himself, too
40:41 Rebuilding Surepoint through honesty
46:54 The pandemic puts “We Care” to the test
55:29 Surepoint’s growth after the pandemic
59:18 The meaning behind Someday to Today
1:08:38 What Trevor is doing next
Key Takeaways
• Trevor took the CEO role because he felt responsible to the people who had believed in Surepoint.
• When the company faced possible collapse, he told employees how serious the situation was and asked for their help.
• Seeking help during a personal crisis changed Trevor’s understanding of vulnerability and leadership.
• During the pandemic, Surepoint’s leaders accepted substantial pay cuts as part of a plan to support the wider team.
• Trevor believes caring for people helped Surepoint rebuild its culture and grow.
• Someday to Today is a reminder to make time for the people and experiences that matter while we can.

Connect with Trevor Muir
Trevor works with leaders and organizations through speaking, coaching and advisory work.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/trevor-muir-b7231356
Support Foxx and Our Family
Our one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer. If you are able to donate or share our GoFundMe, our family would be incredibly grateful.
gofundme.com/f/support-shelby-kelly-during-fox…
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Thank you to Colin Harms for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast. We are also grateful to Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab for helping us continue to bring these conversations to listeners.
Hypervac Technologies builds professional duct cleaning equipment, including duct trucks, portable vacuums and tools for contractors in the field.
hypervac.com
Hyperfab provides custom fabrication and specialized solutions for industrial applications.
hyperfab.ca
Join The Catalyst Club Community
The Catalyst Club brings business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals together for live sessions, recorded conversations and practical support. Trevor is part of this community and brings the same openness to its conversations that you hear in this episode.
kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub
If Trevor’s story stayed with you, follow The Business Development Podcast for more conversations with leaders who speak honestly about what it takes to build and lead.
Mentioned in this episode:
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