Owner's Roundtable

How do you turn a dental appointment into an experience people genuinely enjoy? In this episode of Owner's Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Amanda Chin, Owner of Norwood Dental — a two-location dental practice in Edmonton she co-owns and runs with her husband, Dr. William Chin. Amanda comes from outside dentistry entirely, running the business and operations side with a perspective shaped m...

What would a buyer actually pay for your business, and do you know the answer before they do? In this episode of Owner's Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Gil Poulin, Owner of The Affordable Business Partner. Gil has bought and sold 42 businesses of his own over 45 years and supported close to 200 others through the sale process. In this conversation they get into what actually determines wh...

What does it actually take to step into executive leadership at a company that was already running before you were born? In this episode of Owner's Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Brendan Thompson, President of Bernie's Electric Supplies Ltd. Brendan is third generation at a company his grandfather founded in 1976, and has been President since 2023. They get into what the executive leaders...

What does it actually take to use AI well in a business, and how do you know when you’re just adding noise? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Matt McKeage, founder of Speaking is Code AI Consulting and StressMed Adaptive Mental Health Training. Matt spent years as a paramedic before moving into AI consulting and mental health training for first responders, two busi...

What’s the real reason your marketing is underperforming? In this episode of Owner's Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Danielle Mohr, Founder and Owner of Fine Point Writing and Editing Services. She talks about her work helping owners translate their brand story into clear, compelling content. Danielle and Jeff explore why most businesses struggle to market themselves effectively, what it a...

How do you maintain steady business growth while building a team and culture that lasts? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with John Watson, CEO of Eager Beaver Moving & Storage. John shares the lessons he’s learned growing a third-generation business into a market leader. No shortcuts–just consistent progress built on strong values, the right people, and a clear un...

What does it really take to go from a stable corporate career to building multiple successful businesses—and still have a life outside of work? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with  Alex Ward, a former banker, then broker, turned serial entrepreneur operating across real estate, franchising, and youth athletics. Alex shares how a forced career pivot became the catalys...

What happens when you start a business in an industry you were never planning to enter? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable , Jeff McLarty sits down with Rea Hailley, co-founder of New Idea Machine, to unpack the unfiltered realities of entrepreneurship, building in the tech ecosystem, and why many founders unknowingly walk into expensive software mistakes. Rea’s journey into entrepreneurship wa...

What happens when you build a business so tightly organized it runs with less stress —then one day you sell it and realize you don’t know who you are without it? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff sits down with Trevor Jones, former co-owner of Badlands Collision Group and now Corporate Director + Head of Training / Franchise Success at Driven Brands. Trevor shares his path from fixing ca...

What does it take to turn world-class academic research into a real, revenue-generating company? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Jack Nicholas, Co-Founder and CTO of Qdot Technology, to unpack his journey from Oxford University’s labs to the front lines of clean aviation. Jack shares how his Ph. D. research in cooling nuclear fusion reactors became the foundation...

What if the thing everyone else throws away is the foundation of your next business? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Tyson Christiansen, founder of Maverick Metal, to unpack a gritty, real-world entrepreneurial journey built on follow-through, sales grit, and the ability to see value where others see waste. Tyson’s path didn’t start with a polished plan. It start...

What happens when you go from “I can manage this place” to “I’m responsible for everything”? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Tara Proskiw, owner of Towne & Countree Kitchens, Towne Renovations, and Redl Edmonton, for an unfiltered conversation about the hidden pressure of ownership. The conversation moves through everything owners in a scaling cycle dread: ca...

What does it take to build a business that survives economic collapse, a global pandemic, and a literal flood? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Rafael Krug, founder of Zero-Defect, one of Brazil’s leading software quality assurance firms. They unpack a two-decade entrepreneurial journey that spans continents, and more than a few hard resets. From fixing Y2K bugs i...

Every successful business has a story that never made the press release: messy beginnings, painful mistakes, near collapses, and game-changing decisions that shaped the journey. In Owner’s Roundtable, host Jeff McLarty has real conversations with real business owners who’ve built, scaled, stumbled, and fought their way forward. This podcast isn’t about polished highlight reels or corporate marketi...