Across the Yard Podcast

For our 20th episode of the WRLA Podcast, we're tackling two of the biggest issues for any business, Sales and Marketing! How much do you need to spend, and why? What goes into branding? Liz gets the answers to these questions and more this week in conversation with Kirstie Carruthers and Andrea Budd of velvet theory Creative Agency. Like what you hear? The velvet theory team is conducting a FREE...

What does it take to bring your best self to the job? How do high-performance leaders bring their mental best to the challenges they face? We're finding out the answers to these questions and more as Liz is joined by Mental Performance Coach Lauren Johnson, as well as Day Naidoo, Director of Sales for Durabuilt Windows & Doors, and Ken Crockett, Vice President of Star Building Materials. Tune in f...

Liz is joined this week by Tracy Nadiger from All Weather Windows, winner of the best booth at the WRLA Showcase for two years running, and by WRLA's newest team member, Brenda Bourns, who brings a lifetime of event experience with her. They talk about what makes a great exhibition experience, what draws people to your booth, how to keep them there, and why the secret might just be Superman, helic...

Liz welcomes the newest member of the WRLA Board, Colin McColl of Windsor Plywood. They talk about Colin's career, his seemingly natural affinity for making amazing social media posts, and on growing a career in the Lumber and Building Materials industry.

After a long, hot summer, the WRLA Podcast is back in our regular rotation! We're thrilled to introduce you all to Amanda Camara, the newest addition to the WRLA team. Our VP of Business Development & Marketing takes a few minutes to chat with Liz about her career - and why it seems to keep coming back to the building sector! Later, they get in-depth with some exciting programs WRLA is working on,...

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? For most of us, "work in the Lumber and Building Industry" wasn't even on the list. This week, Liz introduces our listeners to three members of the WRLA team: Travis Waite, Director of Finance, Alisa Luo, Graphic Designer Extraordinaire, and Executive Assistant Rebekah Doerksen. They talk about how they came to work in the industry, wh...

Social media expert Sherrilynne Starkie from Prospectus Associates join Liz and Chris from the WRLA team to talk about how social media is helping our "Let's Go Build" campaign reach the biggest audience possible. Find out how and why we're exploring TikTok and Snapchat, and how you can get involved to put the power of social to work for your business! Links mentioned in the show: Let's Go Build:...

Ken Crockett and Helen Smith of Star Building Materials in Calgary, AB join Liz in the studio this week for a great discussion about Ride Through The Rockies. This bike event, organized by Ken and his team at Star, is celebrating its 10th year raising funds for Habitat for Humanity in Southern Alberta. Learn about how this event came to be, and how much it means to so many of our WRLA members. Lin...

Liz is joined by Chris Allinotte for today's episode as they go over the long-awaited findings of WRLA's Labour Study. This comprehensive survey was produced and completed in partnership with the government of Alberta, and has produced some truly compelling results. What did they find out? Have a listen!

This week we're talking to the 2023 Salespeople of the Year. These awards honour the hard work, commitment, and sales results of representatives from across Western Canada. WRLA awards one salesperson each from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Jump into this week's episode and hear from Rob St. Onge and Jil Reid from All-Fab Building Components, as well as Mark Wandy and Jodi...

It's finally here! WRLA is proud to announce our "Let's Go Build" program. Have a listen and find out how we are working to draw new talent to the Lumber and Building Materials industry through this audacious new program. Notes: - The website that's referenced in the episode is: www.letsgobuild.ca - the videos referenced in the episode are on that website in the "Our People" section

What is sustainable manufacturing? What does it mean for a company to change to "green" manufacturing? This week, Liz digs into these topics with the help of special guests, Bernard Lewis from Vicwest (metal roofing and cladding)and Gino Allegro from Johns Manville (insulation). We learn how Vicwest completely transformed its operations to run with dramatically cleaner energy consumption and find...

Happy Earth Month! We're kicking things off with a fantastic episode of our podcast that you won't want to miss! Liz is joined by Derek Nighbor of Forest Products Association of Canada. They talk about the forestry industry's role in driving sustainability, carbon capture, and the challenge of net zero. We also got some fantastic insights into the longstanding US vs. Canada softwood lumber debate...

Martine Yzerman is back! This week she joins Liz for an exciting conversation about the all-new WRLA Academy and our totally redesigned curriculum. Enjoy!

Happy International Women's Day! We're thrilled to share this special edition of the WRLA podcast with you. Liz is joined by four incredibly accomplished women who have built their careers in the Lumber and Building Materials Industry. They sat down for a conversation about their experiences and what the future holds for women joining the industry. The Lumber and Building Materials Industry is hug...

The WRLA Podcast is back with a recap of our week at the WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase. Liz and Chris talk about the show, and we revisit the action through some member interviews recorded live at the event. Thanks to everyone who made this one of our best shows to date! Whether it was through sponsorship, attendance, or working at the show to make sure everything ran smoothly, the whole week...

Happy New Year! We're almost ready to kick off the 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase on January 19 & 20 at RBC Centre in Winnipeg. Jump into this week's episode for a super-quick preview of some of the exciting features at this year's event!

We've got a super-sized episode for you this week! Liz sat down with special guests Sarah Hounslow, President of Burlington Merchandising and Fixtures (BMF) and Marc Atiyolil, co-host of the Marc & Mandy Show. Recorded live at the RBC Convention Centre, home of the upcoming 2023 WRLA Building & Hardware Showcase, the three talked about how bricks & mortar shopping is evolving and how focusing on t...

Liz and Chris are back with another episode of the WRLA podcast. Did you know that out of everyone employed in the trades, just 4% are women? That's just one of the things we learned recently at the Manitoba Women in Trades conference. Join us for a special episode with an interview we taped live at the event. Liz sat down with Carol Paul of the Manitoba Construction Sector Council, who organized...

Martine Yzerman, Director, Training and Workforce Development for WRLA, joins Liz this week and discusses the importance of continuous training and "up-skilling" for our members.

WRLA is on the air! We're thrilled to welcome you to our new podcast. In this first episode, hosts Liz and Chris fill you in on some exciting events coming soon for WRLA members, and we take a few minutes to chat with WRLA Board Chair Andrew Reimer (All-Fab Building Components.) Enjoy the show!