The 60 Second Podcast
Big insights. One question. 60 seconds.
Hosted by TEDx speaker and 3X founder Matt McCoy, this podcast delivers fast, punchy interviews with the world’s top leaders — from billion-dollar CEOs to bold startup founders.
Each episode asks one powerful question to uncover the mindset, tactics, or story behind game-changing success — all in under a minute.
Perfect for ambitious listeners who want real answers, really fast.
The 60 Second Podcast
Annie Laplante - CEO, Groupe MMI & IGO Inc.
In this powerful and deeply human episode of The 60 Second Podcast, host Matt McCoy sits down with Annie Laplante, CEO of Groupe MMI and IGO Inc., to explore what leadership really looks like when you put people first.
Annie shares a story from her team that brought an entire room to tears - a reminder that behind every job title is a human being, a family, and a reason for showing up every day. From immigration and sacrifice to dignity in work, this conversation goes far beyond cleaning services and into the heart of purpose-driven leadership.
This episode is a masterclass in Humans First leadership, and a reminder that the work we do is often just the vehicle - the real impact is on lives.
We interview leaders shaping the future of business - in 60 seconds or less.
00:00 – Matt McCoy
What’s a story from your team that still sticks with you and makes you proud of the work that you do?
00:03 – Annie Laplante
You know what? It’s really about the team members and where they come from.
I had this one team member — he was from Mexico — and he had been working with us for a while. During one of our annual meetings, he came up to me and shared his story.
Back in Mexico, he was a dental surgeon. A very prestigious profession. But there were gangs, and one day a gang leader came to him, pointed at his 12-year-old daughter, and said, “She’s next. I choose her to be my girlfriend.”
So he made the decision to leave everything behind and move to Canada to protect his family. He ended up working with us as a cleaner. He always kept his dental chair in his basement — a reminder of who he once was.
One day, while sitting in his basement feeling sorry for himself, his daughter came downstairs, hugged him out of the blue, and said, “Thank you, Daddy. Because of you, I’m safe. I’m so proud of what you do — even if it’s just cleaning.”
When he shared this story at our annual meeting, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
That’s when we realized why we do what we do. Cleaning is just the vehicle. The real purpose is making a difference in people’s lives.
In our organization, there are so many stories like this. That’s the strength of our group. We could be doing anything — we happen to do cleaning, and we want to do it very well — but it’s all about the people. The people we serve, and the people on our team, and their stories.
