Perseverance Starts with Belief: Coaching & Leadership with Alex Salvaggio

<p>What defines perseverance? For Alex Salvaggio, it’s the ability to take one step at a time through challenges — whether climbing a mountain at 17, guiding youth athletes, or navigating the chaos of ERP implementation. His story is about being coached, becoming a coach, and helping others persevere through hard times.</p><p><br /></p><p>Alex Salvaggio, CFO of Thread Collective Inc., shares three defining experiences that shaped his journey: the lessons of perseverance from provincial rugby, the detour of ERP implementation that expanded his executive toolkit, and the joy of coaching youth rugby and hockey. Together, these moments reveal how resilience and coaching culture can create a more complete leader and community contributor.</p><p><br /></p><p>He opens up about:</p><p>• How coaching culture instills perseverance and self‑belief</p><p>• Why ERP detours can strengthen finance executives</p><p>• Balancing family, work, and executive politics during high‑stakes projects</p><p>• The joy and impact of coaching youth athletes</p><p><br /></p><p>Episode Chapters</p><p>00:00 Introduction to Alex Salvaggio</p><p>03:49 When You’ve Bitten Off More Than You Can Chew</p><p>05:50 The Coach Who Inspired Him</p><p>07:44 Locker Room Culture and Accountability</p><p>09:29 How Coaching Culture Has Evolved</p><p>13:00 Doing More Than Your Mind Thinks You Can</p><p>18:37 Does ERP Fit a Finance Career Path</p><p>21:54 Career Detours and Trusting Instincts</p><p>25:38 What an ERP System Actually Is</p><p>27:51 How ERP Opened His Eyes to the Business</p><p>30:17 What It’s Like Working on ERP</p><p>33:11 The Role of Key Users</p><p>34:25 When Alex Saved Mark During ERP at Weir</p><p>39:01 The Upgraded Abilities ERP Gave Him</p><p>40:53 Balancing Work and Family During ERP</p><p>44:08 What He Didn’t Like About ERP</p><p>45:28 Executive‑Level Politics in Big Projects</p><p>47:34 Moving Into Executive Finance Roles</p><p>49:38 The Joy of Coaching</p><p>54:38 A Typical Week of Coaching</p><p>58:39 Giving Tough News to Kids and Parents</p><p>01:02:22 Lessons in Perseverance and Self‑Belief</p><p>01:03:44 Mark’s Gratitude for Alex’s Support</p><p>01:05:36 Closing and Audience Engagement</p><p><br /></p><p>Discovery Optimization</p><p>This episode explores perseverance, coaching culture, resilience, career detours, ERP implementation, and the development of leadership through sport and challenge. Ideal for listeners interested in personal growth, finance leadership, coaching, and stories of becoming a more complete leader through adversity and community impact.</p>