He retired, started a business, retired again. Ran a triathalon, got his bike stolen, bought a bar and the rest is history. Blair Wilson is the Founder of Forbidden Spirits. We wouldn't have met him if Peter Boyd didn't drag us to the Kelowna Farmer's Market. Find Blair here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairwilsonforbiddenspirits/ shop Forbidden s…

We take a tour of Pealow's Your Independent Grocer with Brian Pealow. We're blown away by his focus on local, and helping the community out. Surprise surprise, he knows Peter Boyd. Pealow YIG is here: https://www.yourindependentgrocer.ca/store-locator/details/1734 Find Brian here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-pealow-b-b-a-h-130a844a/…

Rochelle teaches us about kombucha. Phil meets Oprah. MotherLove Ferments is a Kelowna-based business that is dedicated to creating healthy and tasty ferments. We had a great talk with Founder Rochelle to learn more about their story. Shop MotherLove here: https://www.motherloveferments.com/ Find Rochelle here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelle-…

Stephanie Horman has a plan to give back. It's called Cabin 5 granola, and it's awesome. This was recorded during our last trip out to Kelowna at the end of August, and we're sorry it took so long to get this out. check them out here: https://cabin5granola.ca/ Find Stephanie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-horman-a9046759/…

Cam Bruce, owner of Famous Foods in Vancouver talks about coming to retail late in life, and what it takes to be successful as an independent grocer. Shop Famous Foods here: https://www.famousfoods.ca/By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

From 1 to 150. Ben Osmow talks about the Osmow family hustle, building a business from scratch and introducing Ontarians to shwarma. If you're from Ontario, "chicken on the rocks" is like a whopper or a big mac. You have the Osmows to thank for that. check out Osmow's here: https://osmows.com/ find Ben Osmow here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benosm…

We talk to Kurstin Leith and Christine about helping brands, how to know when you're ready for expert help like Agency Brand Management. Find Kurstin Leith here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurstin-leith-68832131/ Find Christine De Biasio here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-de-biasio-1444a914/ Check out Agency here: https://agencybrands.ca/…

We hung out with Marie Morden and Haddas Lederman to talk about Ontario Made. A pandemic initiative that has been growing like crazy and creates a lot of exposure for SMBs. This podcast is produced in Ontario, but without amazing Canadian made brands, we wouldn't be here ❤ Find Marie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-morden-61529814/ Find Had…

There's always time to talk about coffee. Founder of Smoking Gun Coffee Brandon Liton talks about moving from social work to roasting coffee. Connect with Brandon here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-litun-739b242b0/ Find the cafe and Smoking Gun products here: https://smokingguncoffee.com/By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

We get a chance to talk to the guy who might make the best butter we've ever tasted. Bill van Nes talks about his transition to organic farming and the establishment of his creamery, St Brigid's butter. Wondering about the dairy industry? Heard about the milk quota but don't know what it is? Bill talks about this. We learn a ton about the dairy ind…

We get a whole episode this time with Tareq Hadhad, Founder of Peace by Chocolate. check out Peace by chocolate here: https://peacebychocolate.ca/ You can find Tareq here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tareqhadhad/By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

"All tomato school stories stay in tomato school." Dwayne Boudreau talks about challenges for brands growing up in Atlantic Canada. We talk about his experience from HJ Heinz, Cavendish Farms, Nestlé Foods, and Greco Pizza and celebrate some of the amazing brands that have come out of Atlantic Canada. Find Dwayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d…

In 1999, it all started as a labour of love with Nova Scotian entrepreneurs Gerry McConnell and the late Dara Gordon. Head Winemaker Jean-Benoit Deslauriers talks about the process of setting up a "new" winery, and how long it takes for great wine to take hold. Thank you to Food and Beverage Atlantic for connecting us with Benjamin Bridge. To find …

We're walking the show in today's episode. If you ever wanted to know what retail folks talk about during show walks, this is the episode for you. Come along with us, we're going to walk some aisles with some of our friends. Thank you to Izzy (Izabella Shaker), Christine De Biasio and Coby Palidwar for walking us through some of their really cool b…

Paloma & Andrew created a place where culture, quality and respect come together as Paz Bakery. As the maker of the ball-shaped Cheese Dots, Lara and her husband Andrew Hoto have spent a good amount of time distinguishing between their Brazilian-inspired snack and that sedate, spherical milk product taking up space on charcuterie boards or the deep…

Like many pet food companies, Rob & Geraldine Brouwer didn't start out thinking they would create a dog food company. They started by simply trying to feed their dog the best food possible. Big Country Raw started d2c and never looked back. Check out Big Country Raw here: https://bigcountryraw.ca/ Check out Ontario made here: https://supportontario…

Michael Clark is the Winemaker, General Manager and co-owner of Clos du Soleil. We stop to sample some beautiful wines, talk about the winery, how Michael approaches wine making, and what consumers should know about the wine business in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valley Check out Clos du Soleil here: https://www.closdusoleil.ca/…

We're on a roadtrip. We get some real feedback on wine in the Okanagan valley, and the BC Fruit Grower's situation. If you're curious what we're doing, head to our instagram to check out where we are and what we're doing. Thank you for Paul Martin from Peter's YIG, Avi and Binne from Farming Karma and of course, to Peter Boyd, Peter's YIG for setti…

David Giffin shares his journey in establishing a hemp business. We talk about the challenges of hemp - the launch of the Earthli brand, addressing marketing challenges and consumer misconceptions about hemp. Find David here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-giffin-899947163/ Find Earthli foods here: https://earthli.ca/…

Andrew Elliott, former President of Foley's Chocolates comes on to talk about growing companies and the importance of leadership. This was our first live podcast, filmed and recorded at JJ Bean's in East Vancouver. You can find Andrew here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-elliott-936bba26/By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

A coast to coast podcast. Patrick Griffin, the Founder of the Oat Company joins us from Newfoundland. We talk about Patrick's move from public policy to oat maker, the logistics of manufacturing product from the east coast and trying to make it across the country. Check out the Oat Company here: https://www.oatcompany.com/ Find Patrick here: https:…

We catch up with Michael Mazur, President at Freshfield Naturals, Inc. Freshfield won the 2024 CHFA Launchpad award in Vancouver To check out Freshfield, head to https://freshfield.life/ To reach Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micmazur/By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

Spreading the popcorn gospel. Tanner Townsend talks about switching crops, and becoming Canada's largest popcorn grower. check out Uncle Bob's popcorn here: https://www.ontariopoppingcorn.com/ Tanner isn't on Linkedin much, but he's here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanner-townsend/By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

Retailing is an art and a grind. Kristina Cavallari has both - the art to retailing and the grit to grind it out in retail. We talk about Aura Natural Market, how Kristina thinks about retail and serving her customers. In case you're wondering what the store looks like...we filmed a tour. https://youtu.be/Pshrw-SMKbk To find Kristina: https://www.l…

We got together with Todd Fisher from KC and Sukaina Sumar-Ebrahim from Foodbanks Mississauga to talk about the partnership they've built, and the new challenges that a "temporary" solution like a food bank is supposed to solve. To find out more about Mississauga Food Banks: https://www.foodbanksmississauga.ca/ Find Sukaina here: https://www.linked…

We get into it, and totally forget to introduce Steve Rad, CEO of Abacus. We get into AI, how Steve is using AI and how he and Abacus thinks about AI and the future. Check out Abacus brands here: https://www.abacusbrands.com/ Find Steve Rad here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-rad-5959943b/ Thanks to Gainops for sponsoring this episode. www.gain…

This episode is a little overdue. Carmen Wakeling, Co-Owner of Eatmore Sprouts comes on to talk about sprouts and turning the tide on a 25 year old incident. Find Carmen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-wakeling/ Find Eat More Sprouts here: https://eatmoresprouts.com/By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

We're building some ties here in case you're wondering. Last week, you heard from Mike Nunn on security. This week you're hearing from Sam Wong, Data executive at Marc Anthony leading organizations to work smarter with Data and AI. Phil has known Sam for a long long time. Fun fact, Sam was Phil's pianist at his wedding. You can find Sam here: https…

Max's store is interesting enough that Kenny would drive there. Max saw the future of trading cards before we all caught on. A fascinating take on a childhood past time that has grown into something for grown-ups Check out Max's website: www.zephryepic.comBy Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

Mike Nunn is the CEO of TLC Solutions. We talk about how to keep yourself cyber safe, and the things that brands and businesses should worry about Find Mike here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikednunn/ Find TLC solutions here: https://tlcsolutions.ca/ Mike has a webinar hosted by BC Food & Beverage on Sept 19th. We'll post about this when we get th…

It's a good time to continue the conversation about having a good time in the summer and have options on beverages. Mitch Cobb is the founder of Libra Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer. We talk about his experiences "crossing over" from Upstreet Craft Brewing to the non-alcoholic side. To find Mitch : https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchacobb/ To find Libra: h…

Michelle Mckay-Prychidny is the CRO at Shelfgram. She talks about super-charging the store visit, and the new thing they've built for students. To find Michelle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-mckay-prychidny-b6b0492/ Shelfgram is here: https://www.shelfgram.com/ Congratulations to the teams at Shelfgram and Fieldagent - this is a great match…

"Why can't I have a craft (non-alcoholic) beer with my friends?" Diagnosed with Crohn's disease, having a kid made him give up alcohol. Being mocked and derided for asking for non-alcoholic choices at bars and restaurants made Ted Fleming make his own. check out Partake here: https://drinkpartake.com/ Find Ted here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-…

Special episode today. We named him "Amazon Master" but in truth, Deepak is really really good at Amazon. We usually save thursdays for industry experts that can help you build, solve and grow your business. Find Deepak here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pateldpk/By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

Kristin Matthews, CEO of Tom&Sawyer comes back to tell us about her new partnership and product launch with Dr Joe Inglis. To find Kristin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinlmatthews/ To find Dr Joe Inglis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeinglis/ Check out Vetchef here: https://www.vetchef.pet/By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

Always be ready. Toronto based Shop Shndy got discovered in Scarborough, and is being featured in Paris Fashion Week 2024. Shindy Gu shows off some old fashioned work ethic and customer service skills to retain and grow her consumer base. Find Shindy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shindy-gu-92a895164/?originalSubdomain=ca Check out Shop Shndy he…

We meet up with the remarkable Winnie Hsu. Founder of Vision2Reality Foundation & CEO of NexGen Accounting takes a few mins to catch us up on her amazing journey from having no skills to running an organization to help people start their dreams. Find Winnie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/winniehsu-v2rf/ Check out Vision2Reality here: https://www…

We catch up with the amazing Corwin Hiebert. We talk about his podcast, the work he does and how to stay focused on your consumer. Find Corwin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corwinhiebert/ Check out Aisle 42 podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/aisle-42/id1709520061By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

John Doherty has to put up with us city mice. Stonepost Farms’ mission is to farm ethically, to produce nutrient dense food using ethical and regenerative farming practices that are both economically viable and sustainable for future generations. Check out Stone Post Farms here: https://stonepostfarms.ca/…

Mitch needs a hug. The founder of Rviita talks about starting in the CPG world from scratch. Connect with Mitch here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitch-jacobsen-p-eng-89277649/ check out Rviita here: https://rviitalize.com/By Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

Our first food scientist! Lara Tiro comes on to talk about our favorite topic...FOOD! Lara talks about how she helps brands and how she thinks about food development. Lara's Linkedin is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laratiro/ Her website is here: https://rebelbotanica.ca/ Lara and her partner DID launch their first episode. You can find it here…

We can still taste their cider. Val Steinmann and Brent Klassen moved from Toronto to get back farming. Kieran and Brent talk about what it takes to run a farm in southern Ontario, their amazing Heartwood Sparkle, and what it takes to be in a family based business. Check out Heartwood Farms here: https://heartwoodfarm.ca/ Find Kieran Klassen here: …

Jared talks about: being a dad, an ex-CPG founder, relationship builder, researchers & strategist. We do not talk about him being a really tall guy Find Jared here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredkligerman/ Subscribe to our emails to stay connected to more things: www.thiscommercelife.comBy Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci

They planted 36 acres of cottonwood trees and then the papermill shut down. Melanie MacInnes talks about being flexible, nimble, the irrational fear of losing the farm. Locality Brewing talks about going field to glass, and what they've had to do to stay open. Check out Locality Brewing: https://www.localitybrewing.ca/ You can find Melanie here: ht…

Jan Stenc, Co-Founder and Head Distiller at Copperpenny Distilling Co. teaches us about gin, and also sorts of yummy alcoholic things. To reach Jan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-stenc-9651a955/ To find Copper Penny: https://copperpennydistilling.com/ Thank you to our sponsor today. The Food Executives Club of Vancouver https://fecov.com/…

Aeryon came on to talk about lady bits and chlamydia. We had some internet issues, but the CEO of Aeryon Wellness Nutraceuticals was super informative and lots of fun! Find Aeryon here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeryon-ashlie-027040105/ check out the website here: https://www.aeryonwellness.com/ You can find Aeryon's podcast, Friends you keep her…

He's fixated on data. We know how hard it is to get good data - Nimesh finds your data, fixes it, and helps you tell the story. CEO of Gainops, Nimesh Jaspal talks about what does the data tells us. to check out Gainops: https://www.gainops.com/ to find Nimesh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimesh-jaspal-462615/…

Happy 10th birthday to Moonshine Mama's! Mel Divers talks about putting summer in a bottle. I could have sworn I produced it, but I can't find it!(Phil) Check out Moonshine Mama's here: https://moonshinemamas.ca/ Melinda is here on Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinda-divers-75a32259/ Her episode on Hearts & Carts is here: https://podcast…

He has 18+ years of real estate development, and he knows music spaces. But now, he knows kitchens too. COO of Coho Collective Kitchens, Amrit Maharaj talks about one of our favorite subjects - food! check out Coho Commissary here: https://www.cohocollectivekitchens.com/ Find Amrit here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amrit-maharaj-00334b193/…

This one is a different episode. Daniel Rabu is an aquaculturist. We didn't really know what that was. Daniel talks about his work with First Nations, he talks about growing seaweed, abalone, oysters, sea cucumbers and many more things. You can find Daniel here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-rabu-177b3b16/?originalSubdomain=ca…