Owners Circle

In this episode of The Owners Circle Podcast, Shawn Hass sits down with renowned cardiologist Dr. Sayeh Zielke to discuss her unexpected journey from advanced cardiac training in Calgary and England to becoming one of the driving forces behind cardiac care expansion in Southern Alberta. Dr Zielke shares how a series of locum visits to Lethbridge revealed not only a tremendous medical need, but als...

In this episode, we sit down with Susan Burke Hogan.  She has carved a growing niche helping Canadians with the non-financial aspects of retirement.  She shares a very intimate story about her own mother's struggles as she transitioned into retirement.  Her program is based on ensuring retirees pay special attention to their health, purpose and social circles as they embark on retirement.   She ha...

In this episode, we sit down with Rob & Mac Van Wielingen.  Mac is the original founder of ARC Financial and Resources and is an inductee of the Alberta Business Hall of Fame.  Rob is President & CEO of Viewpoint Investment Partners and a CFA Charterholder.  This dynamic father son duo share the details of their relationship.  They give a unique insight into how they have successfuly expanded thei...

In this episode, we sit down with Shawn Kanungo , one of North America's most sought after speakers, a globally recognized innovation strategist and bestselling author.  With 12 years of experience at accounting behemoth Deloitte, Shawn brings unparalleled insights into disruptive trends and opportunities. Shawn opens up about how a traumatic loss in his early days shaped his life and current traj...

Shawn and David start by briefly sharing their experience on a recent trip to Mexico with Homes of Hope  https://www.ywamhomesofhope.org/mexico#baja   David is candid about the mistakes he made as a young CEO of Dominion Construction and reflects on the necessary traits great leaders need to focus on acquiring.     David shares how his grand dad designed the largest building in the British empire...

We start our adventure with a strange twist on a multi-million dollar project bid that the company lost the moment we arrived to record this episode. Colin then takes us back to the company's roots and shares the important lessons his dad and company founder Cecil shared with him in those early days.  Colin reveals his favourite project from the many iconic buildings the company has built over the...

A pilot, city councillor, member of the Italian military and partner in NXGEN Payments, Giuseppe shares how he and his business partner, Tom Napitopili, built an international payment powerhouse based in Whitefish, Montana.  He shares the values their company follows for hiring and attracting high-quality employees.  Giuseppe gives insights into what giving up ownership control felt like for he an...

Shawn gets the back story on Jack DeHeer's time at The Lake Placid Olympic hockey tournament, as well as entertaining stories on how Jack's wife, Laura, acted as his hard line agent.  This story goes much beyond the game of hockey, and shares how Jack and Laura ventured back to Canada to take over Jack's second-generation family print business.

Shawn engages in a dynamic conversation with Doug Lipp the man responsible for running Disney University and launching Tokyo Disney.   Doug's wisdom from inside one of the most creative, customer centric companies of our era will provide valuable lessons for all entrepreneurs.

We get the skinny on how Serfas Farms has evolved over the past three generations.  Kevin Serfas shares his thoughts on the future of farming and gives some background into the rationale for their newest project, a 40,000 head feedlot in Southern Alberta that opened earlier this year.

Find out how entrepreneur Joelle Faulkner of Area One Farms is partnering with medium size farm operations to ramp up their growth.  See why her investors take an uncommonly patient and long term approach that gives her a unique edge in agriculture.

Ken Hitchcock, the third-winningest coach in NHL history shares his valuable experiences having coached the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, and most recently the Edmonton Oilers. Hitch shares lessons he learned from other sports including NFL football coach Andy Reid and Hall of Fame baseball manager Tony Larussa. In this episode, Ken reveals how you know...

In 1993, Keith moved his family to Lethbridge to start a new adventure; owning and operating the local Humpty's Family Restaurant. Years later, Keith and his family are still providing customers with excellent food and exceptional service. Last March, COVID-19 forced them, like many businesses, to adapt. A shift in their marketing allowed them to continue playing an important role (while different...

As a fourth generation owner of Lethbridge Ironworks, Dylan Davies watched his grandfather, and then was mentored and able to work closely with his father and uncle as they transitioned leadership responsibility to him.  Dylan began his career at Lethbridge Ironworks very young, cutting the grass during the summer months and then gaining hands on experience by working part time within the foundry...

Even when he began building his new business in the basement of his home, Kim Moody always dressed for success.  Kim doesn't just stand out due to his sense of style. Today, with over 25 years of experience, Kim not only has a thriving business but is highly sought-out by clients. Chief Executive Officer of Moodys Tax and author of  Making Life Less Taxing , Kim knows a thing or two about tax and...

From South Africa, Moulaye knew what it looked like to have nothing. Loving soccer, he always felt that he would remain loyal to the sport, that is, until he was introduced to basketball. However, as he grew into a young teenager, he wasn't able to purchase a pair of size 13 shoes in his town, let alone play professional basketball. That is, until he met Greg Winston.  Join us as Moulaye shares hi...

While Jeff and his partner were working as nutritional consultants, they noticed a very specific need that their customers had, which wasn't being filled within the industry. After reading the book Blue Ocean Strategy , Jeff began to understand how the feed industry was locked into repeating the same process, rather than innovating - opening the opportunity to start a company More Than Just Feed i...

Having worked for Reebok in his early career, Justin demonstrated the drive that it took to grow within the industry. However, when Adidas took over Reebok in 2006, Justin found himself laid off and at a crossroads in his career. Seeing the slide market share increasing, Justin came up with the concept of ISlide , a company that allows customers to customize slides, to provide more meaning to thei...

A live interview with Mike Davis of the Davis Auto Group from the 2020 Tiffin Agricultural Conference.     In this episode, we talk about: A fire in Fort MacLeod brought Mike's dad John home to start their entry into the auto business. The dynamic of working in the family business motivated Mike to work hard and ensure he wasn't labelled the "entitled dealers son" All the brothers worked for many...

In this episode we sit down with Lynn Thacker of LTAC Farms, a specialty crop producer from Bow Island, Alberta In this episode, we talk about:  Lynn's business partner and wife Ute Thacker's impact and role as such an integral part of their operation The evolution of pivot irrigation and how that allowed their farm to grow more innovative crops The Canadian Wheat board's monopoly and how it force...

This episode we turn the microphone on Canada's leading Agriculture expert Shaun Haney of  RealAgriculture.com . In this episode, we talk about:  Picture Butte, Alberta's unique and competitive landscape of corporate farming Themes of the best managed farms: Clear division of responsibilities Clear communication of strategy and operational direction Not crossing the line of Business vs. Family Ign...

This episode we sit down with Stuart Johnson; past automotive dealership owner in Brooks Alberta. In this episode we talk about: Best part of being in business; great customers and friendships with employees Economies of scale: Combining Chevrolet & GM dealerships to fuel growth. HR and personnel issues being the toughest part of the industry Benefits and challenges of being part of a franchise "G...

This episode we sat down with Adam Legge; author of the book Making Remarkable . In this episode we talk about: The book: The 5 Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lenceoni . Choosing Likeability vs. Accountability Purpose, People, Platform Brand is the bedrock of your company Millenials are just another version of the hippy boomer generation Social Disruption via income inequality - Silicone Valley v...

This episode we sit down with Robb Bloos who was one of the founders of the Chatters Hair Salon and Tommy Gun's Franchises. In this episode, we talk about: How moving to a wholesale distribution really made things take off. Securing great locations was a key driver of growth Dealing with the changing consumer landscape Focusing on key profitability indicators Keeping numerous partners focused on o...