Careers Under Construction

Jaime Mann believes one thing above all else: connection isn't soft, it's strategic. As a keynote speaker, leadership coach and partner in a construction company, she blends psychology, leadership and a little sass to help people lead with more clarity, courage and confidence. In this episode of Careers Under Construction , Jaime shares: Why connection is one of the most overlooked leaders...

In 2019, Jason Tyler McLean put a brand new gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. It jammed. The odds of that happening are one in millions. He woke up the next day, wrote himself a letter and made a promise he has kept ever since. Long before he became a coach, Jason was just trying to make it through each day. Drugs at 13. The streets of Winnipeg at 15. Gangs. A sales career that brought fina...

When Todd Burns took over his dad’s company in 2011, it was a one-man operation running out of a basement. Today, Cypher Environmental sells green infrastructure products in more than 50 countries and Todd is on a mission to replace toxic road salts with better alternatives. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Todd shares: Why he refused to compete on price and focused on building bette...

Amanda Fiebelkorn didn't know what she wanted to do after high school, so she flew to Tahiti. After six months of nannying and teaching English, she came home with a new mindset and a new direction. Today, Amanda is the founder of The Social Manor, working with brands like Canon, Popeye's Supplements, Melted, Don's Photo and other local favourites. In this episode, Amanda shares: Why s...

Three weeks after Nicole Dubé left CTV Morning Live, the role she had just left was eliminated. She didn't know it was coming. She just knew it was time. After 20 years in broadcast journalism, Nicole bet on herself and launched DUBÉ MEDIA, where she helps leaders communicate with clarity, whether it's on stage, on camera or in the conversations that matter most. In this episode, Nicole sh...

Rob Tetrault spent over a decade chasing one number: $1 billion in assets under management. When he finally hit it, he sat at his desk and felt nothing. No confetti. Just the realization that the goal he'd sacrificed so much for didn't change much. Today, Rob is the founder of Tetrault Wealth Advisory Group, overseeing more than $1.2 billion in assets with a team of 16. But the story he sh...

It started with a beer ad during a Jets game. Taiv co-founder & CEO Noah Palansky was at a bar when he noticed the TV was advertising a competitor’s cheaper pint. He realized restaurants had zero control over the screens on their own walls — and built a solution to fix it. A few years later, Taiv is in over 5,000 locations across North America, with around 100 employees and more than $20 milli...

Sandy Shindleman started with nothing and built one of Manitoba's largest privately-held real estate companies. Today, Shindico Realty manages close to 200 properties and $3 billion in assets across Canada and the United States. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Sandy shares: The roles he played in the early days vs now Why he looks at how much he can lose, not how much he can make Th...

Most people don't bet their career on a city. Jim Ludlow did. As President of True North Real Estate Development, Jim has helped shape downtown Winnipeg — the MTS Centre, the return of the NHL, True North Square, and now the $1 billion redevelopment of Portage Place and the Bay. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Jim shares: What it really meant to be "the first hire" at...

Élise Page and Teri-Lynn Friesen met teaching at a local dance studio. One random conversation changed everything. Now they run Fête Ice Cream & Coffee, one of Winnipeg's most loved scratch-made ice cream shops. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Élise and Teri-Lynn share: What Covid did to their numbers and their biggest lessons learned Getting into retail stores like VitaHeal...

He started a landscaping company in his early 20s. One year later, he was diagnosed with stage three melanoma. Matt Bell is the founder of Gellers — a luxury design-build landscaping company in Winnipeg — and co-owner of Shelmerdine Garden Centre. In this episode, Matt opens up about: Going from mowing lawns to running a 200-person company Being diagnosed with cancer at 25 Beating stage four melan...

She started with $40… and a candle kit in her kitchen after surviving an ectopic pregnancy. Three months later, her product was in the Grammys and Oscars swag bags. Amanda Buhse didn’t set out to build a business but what started as a small side project turned into a fast-growing brand, Coal & Canary — a hand-poured candle company known for bold scents and storytelling. In this episode, Amanda...

Katie Hall Hursh walked away from law just three years in. Not because she couldn’t do it — but because she wasn’t fulfilled. Today, as Board Chair of the Health Sciences Centre Foundation, Katie is helping drive real healthcare innovation across Manitoba, including surgical robotics and advanced technology that are improving patient outcomes, reducing recovery time and helping people get home fas...

She’s biking 7,500 km across Canada for cancer. Mady Kennedy spent over 10 years building a makeup brand and growing an audience, then walked away from everything and never posted again as the “makeup girl.” For two years, she felt lost. Then she got sober. Started training. Now she’s biking across Canada. Starting this May. In this episode, we talk about: • Why she’s doing it and how • Losing 30,...

At 21, Maddie Thompson dropped out of architecture school. Today, she runs MAD Social Agency with a team of 30+ and works with 400+ brands. We sit down to talk about: • The moment she decided to drop out • Why taking risks is easier when you’re young • How she went from $80/month clients to $5,000/month • Why personal brand and outbound is the “cheat code” for growth • How she built a fully remote...

Kevin Dandewich started in construction at 15. 30+ years later, he’s leading operations at Gator across Manitoba and Saskatchewan — helping grow the Winnipeg team from 1 to 20 in under 2 years. He’s worked on major builds like the Selkirk Hospital and built his career by learning on site. He’s also the kind of leader who will run to the store if his team needs something. No ego. Just gets it done....

Meet Jasmin Laine: Former Winnipeg morning radio host (Energy 106) turned independent political commentator. When things didn’t go as planned, Jasmin Laine had to make a career pivot. Most people would’ve been terrified to talk about politics publicly, especially as a conservative woman. She did it anyway. In this episode, Jasmin shares: What it really takes to grow online How she broke into a mal...

Weeks after being told he had a fatal brain disease with no cure, Garett Wong nearly drowned in a boating accident. Two close calls forced a bigger question: What do you do with a second chance? Most people would finish the PhD.Garett quit six months before graduating and bought a bankrupt $4,600 duplex in Winnipeg’s North End. Today he’s the founder of Upper Edge Property Management and Systemize...

What actually makes a great leader — and why do so many get it wrong? Allana Schmidt began her career in clinical social work, working directly with individuals and families before moving into business, operations and organizational leadership. Over the past two decades, she has led large-scale workplace transformation and global people strategy across complex, people-intensive industries, includi...

Is Manitoba holding itself back? Carly Edmundson thinks so. She grew up in a small Manitoba town. Today, she leads a 20,000-acre inland port that could reshape Canada’s trade future. As President & CEO of CentrePort Canada, Carly isn’t just talking about economic development — she’s challenging how Manitoba thinks about growth, risk, and bold action. In this episode of Careers Under Constructi...

From being born with a cleft lip and palate to becoming one of the most relentless linebackers in CFL history, Adam Bighill has built a 15+ year professional career, playing over 200 games and winning 3 Grey Cup championships. Today, Adam is both a CFL linebacker and Investment Advisor at Pejovic Bighill Private Wealth, helping families and individuals build long-term wealth off the field. In this...

Iain Crozier began his career far from venture capital, first as a competitive athlete travelling internationally as a professional squash player before entering the business world. After helping grow and exit his family’s business, Iain moved into technology and investing and eventually founded Trillick Ventures, a Manitoba-focused venture capital firm backing early-stage founders and helping bui...

Melissa Cattini is one of Canada’s go-to advisors on franchise law. In this episode of Careers Under Construction , Melissa shares how she went from a criminal justice student to a corporate lawyer, built a national franchise law practice from the ground up and became a law firm partner in just eight years. She opens up about mentorship, imposter syndrome, what big law is really like (not the TV v...

QDoc started with a simple question: why is it so hard to see a doctor? Canada’s healthcare system is under pressure, and startups like QDoc are stepping in to improve access to healthcare and to build technology that connects patients and providers across Canada more quickly. In this episode, the founders share how they built a virtual care platform, scaled from 55 patients to 11,000 a month, and...

Sande Higgins survived a plane crash while serving in the RCMP — an experience that changed everything. Years later, struggling with PTSD, she turned to an unconventional path she never thought she’d take. After 15 years in the RCMP, Sande Higgins was carrying the invisible weight of trauma. In this episode of Careers Under Construction , Sande shares her experience with PTSD, the stigma around me...