Careers Under Construction

In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Justis Pederson sits down with Alisdair Dickinson, Senior Vice President at Graham Construction and a Chartered Civil Engineer with 25+ years of experience across Canada and the UK, to unpack what truly separates successful projects from failed ones and how contracts, collaboration and people all intersect. From starting his career in Scotland to movi...

What does a full life actually look like? In this episode of Careers Under Construction , we sit down with Grant White, Managing Partner at Endeavour Wealth Management, for a thoughtful conversation about money, freedom and the moments that matter most. Grant is a Winnipeg-based wealth advisor and entrepreneur who has spent his career helping individuals, families and business owners make decision...

In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Loren Remillard, President & CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, reflects on leading through the most unprecedented time and what the pandemic meant for local businesses — COVID, economic uncertainty, inflation and political pressure — and what it takes to keep showing up when everything feels like it’s on fire. Loren shares why the Chamber c...

Jake Karls is known online as the hype man — the Rainmaker behind Mid-Day Squares. But the real story of how he got here goes much deeper and regular therapy has been a core part of that journey. In this episode, Jake opens up about the two rock-bottom moments that reshaped his life: getting rejected from 36 job interviews while pursuing a career he didn’t even want and later burning out while Mid...

We talk a lot about careers — but what about the work that happens at home? In this episode of Careers Under Construction , Justis sits down with Shauna Hewitt — a teacher, family wellness consultant and founder of Roots to Thrive, a coaching practice helping parents and educators build stronger relationships, calmer homes and healthier classrooms. With over 20 years of experience in Canada and th...

Shawn Black is the founder of Sheepdog Brew Co, a Winnipeg-based brand that grew from a church-basement side hustle into a growing business right here in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A former military member and police officer, Shawn left behind a stable career to chase a vision most people told him wouldn’t work. Even his original business partner chose to stay in the police force and handed the keys over...

If you’ve ever felt like you’re capable of more but something keeps holding you back, this episode is the wake-up call you probably need. Dr. Jason Brooks has coached everyone from surgeons to Olympic athletes and he’ll tell you straight: the biggest thing stopping most people isn’t skill or talent or opportunity — it’s the voice in their own head.   In this conversation, Jason breaks down why imp...

From sheet metal worker to Dean of Skilled Trades and Technologies at Red River College Polytech — Derek Kochenash’s career proves there’s no single path to leadership. In this episode, he shares how his dad pushed him into his first job at 6:30 a.m., what it took to balance family life while earning multiple degrees, and how he overcame imposter syndrome to lead more than 70 programs across const...

When Chris Hewitt joined SMS Engineering in 2003, he never imagined one day helping lead it from a 30-person team to a 100-plus-person firm. Now President of SMS, Chris opens up about overcoming imposter syndrome and finding his voice as a quiet and compassionate leader in one of Manitoba’s top engineering companies. He shares how SMS built a culture rooted in mentorship, trust and accountability...

Alex Akman joined Shindico in 2015 as a property analyst, spending three years learning the ropes before being promoted to Vice President of Development and Property Management and later stepping into the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2023. He’s helped lead more than $275M in real estate acquisitions, over $115M in new developments and launched Shindico’s own construction division, SNR Constr...

What happens when you take a family plumbing company and rebuild it around people? Justin and Christina Thorsteinson share how Thor Plumbing & Heating transformed from a small family business into one of Manitoba’s most connected and culture-driven teams on this episode of Careers Under Construction. From literally breaking down walls and creating a staff gym and sauna, to sitting down with ev...

Mike Fata went from dropping out of high school and struggling with his health to building and selling multiple 9-figure companies. He’s the best-selling author of GROW and now dedicates his time to building world-class businesses and mentoring entrepreneurs behind brands like Mid-Day Squares, SmartSweets, Nuts For Cheese, Sol Cuisine and Blume. In this episode, he shares how shifting his mindset...

From working on his dad’s crew at 12 to running one of Manitoba’s top cost consulting firms, Ben Postma’s story is about risk, family and finding your own path. After getting a finance degree, Ben spent years in estimating and project management for major contractors — helping deliver projects wort up to $400 million. Then in 2020, he left a secure six-figure job to take over his father’s two-pers...

Jeremy Read went from political advisor to downtown developer. As CEO of the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation 2.0, he’s helping grow a nonprofit into one of Manitoba’s most active developers — leading projects that are reshaping Winnipeg including Canada’s first net-zero carbon residential high-rise. In this episode, Jeremy opens up about turning down contracts for the right re...

From defending Métis harvesting rights in court after shooting a duck without a license to leading housing solutions for families, Will Goodon’s journey is rooted in resilience. As Minister of Housing & Property Management with the Manitoba Métis Federation, he shares how broken promises still affect Indigenous communities, the importance of culturally grounded housing and why reconciliation m...

From pharmacist to landlord, Kris Thorkelson, Owner of Thorwin Properties, has built one of Winnipeg’s largest rental empires. In this episode, Kris talks about his career shift from pharmacist to property management, the challenges of building in Winnipeg’s unique rental market and what it takes to create homes people want to live in.

What does the future of construction in Manitoba look like? As Executive Director of Workforce and Learning Pathways at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, Marnie Bickerton is helping shape the answer. In this episode, Marnie talks about growing up in a small town, the setbacks that made her tougher, and what it takes to earn respect in a male-dominated field. She gets real about ment...

Tom Sparrow is making history as the first-ever Chief Construction Officer for the City of Winnipeg — and in Canada. After decades of leading multi-billion-dollar projects across the country, Tom came to Winnipeg to oversee some of the city’s most critical infrastructure projects, including the North End Sewage Treatment Plant, as well as future schools, hospitals and roads. In this episode, Tom s...

Before starting his own business, Jaret Horbatiuk got his start in structural steel shop drawings. But when drawing plans wasn’t enough, he built a company to bring them to life — a gamble that paid off and grew into Tractus Projects, now a 20-year success story. In this episode, Jaret shares how he overcame imposter syndrome, what running a small roofing company taught him about cash flow, why he...

David Peters went from building houses to building software. After more than a decade running his own construction company, he sold his tools, his truck — even the business itself — to solve a problem every contractor knows too well: bad timesheets. In this episode, David shares how selling his construction business allowed him to tackle that problem head-on and how the idea evolved into Construct...

Shreeraj (Raj) Patel’s path was anything but straightforward. After failing out of university, he took a year off working retail before finding his footing, returning to school and eventually becoming Vice President at one of Canada’s largest banks. In this episode, Raj shares how mentorship and second chances changed the course of his life, what he learned leading multi-million-dollar portfolios...

From engineering student to COO, Janet Gauthier’s career has taken her from northern project sites to leading one of Canada’s largest real estate developers! She shares how teaching 6 a.m. spin classes shaped her leadership style, why aligning with the right company culture is a game-changer and what it’s really like to climb the ranks in a male-dominated industry. Plus, hear Janet’s take on how A...

With over 30 years in construction, Dom Costantini has seen it all—from finishing concrete at 8 years old to leading major operations across Canada. In our first episode, Dom shares what it really takes to build strong teams, why culture beats strategy every time and how he’s helping the industry evolve through his new consulting work. Plus, hear the story behind his famous “sock collection” and h...

🎙️ Local voices, real stories. Careers Under Construction isn’t just a podcast—it’s a blueprint for resilience and a playbook for building a stronger career. Each week, Justis Pederson sits down with the builders, the leaders and the risk-takers—the ones who’ve faced the chaos and come out stronger. Powered by The Pederson Group , we’re spotlighting the people shaping businesses and the truths beh...