The Open Concept with Brandon Smith

Mike Freedman, host of the Measure Twice Cut Once Podcast and the man who helped Brandon Smith get his first microphone plugged in, joins Brandon for a full-circle conversation that is equal parts inspiring, honest, and deeply human. From working shoulder to shoulder with Dr. Dre and Gene Simmons to becoming one of the most respected voices in the BC construction industry, Mike brings a rare persp...

Joe Dunaway, Marine Corps veteran, CPA, and founder of VG Financial, joins Brandon for a raw and energizing conversation about leadership, purpose, and what it really takes to build a business that runs without you. From eight years in the Marines to building a fractional CFO firm for purpose-driven founders, Joe brings a level of intensity, heart, and hard-won wisdom that you won't find anywh...

Ephraim Egbele , CPA and founder of EFS Group, joins Brandon for a straight-talking conversation about what most business owners get completely wrong about their finances — and how the right accounting team can change everything. From starting a tax business after getting laid off in 2009 to building a fractional CFO firm serving ambitious founders across the country, Ephraim breaks down the real...

Travis Price, internationally recognized architect, author, educator, and environmental pioneer, joins Brandon for one of the most expansive and thought-provoking conversations the Open Concept Podcast has ever had. From coining the term "passive solar" in the New Mexico desert to building the world's largest solar building, teaching students to construct sacred spaces in remote corn...

Abi Horton, hospitality professional and founder of Aros, joins Brandon for a refreshingly honest conversation about breaking into real estate investing with limited capital, building a business around a genuine need, and why midterm rentals might be the most overlooked opportunity in the market right now. From buying her first house in Ohio while living in New York to building a platform that con...

Mike Brown, founder of Unbreakable Wealth and author of Be Rich Now, joins Brandon for one of the deepest and most honest conversations the Open Concept Podcast has ever had. From flying F-18s in the Navy to building an eight-figure company, losing it all, and rebuilding with purpose. Mike unpacks the real relationship between money, identity, and what it actually means to feel wealthy. If you&#39...

Jessica Lauren Vine , author of No Permission Required and founder known as the Bottleneck Buster, joins Brandon for a candid and energizing conversation about what actually holds founders back in business and in life. From escaping Rumination Nation to building systems that free your team to operate without you, this episode is equal parts tactical and deeply human. If you've ever been the bo...

Mo Ekujumi, founder of Skill Hat, joins Brandon to break down how he’s helping everyday professionals transition into high-paying tech careers—and now into ownership. From bootstrapping an ed-tech company to $100K/month to empowering students to generate $20M+ in collective income, Mo shares the real playbook behind closing the gap between education and opportunity. This episode dives into AI’s ro...

Jynafer Yanez, founder of Archimedes Books and storytelling strategist based in Orange County, joins Brandon for a wide-ranging conversation about the power of story in books, in business, and in life. From helping authors find their audience to the hero's journey we're all living, this episode explores what makes stories land, why marketing and creativity belong together, and how killing...

Lisa Hoglund, CEO of the Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation, joins Brandon for a powerful conversation about what it really takes to build better healthcare in a growing community. From a $180 million long-term care center caught in a government pause to a brand new MRI campaign launching soon, this episode pulls back the curtain on the funding, advocacy, and storytelling that keeps De...

Elizabeth Lecerf, founder of SafetyComply and health & safety professional based in Calgary, joins Brandon to break down why construction safety doesn't have to be overwhelming — and why ignoring it is costing small businesses more than they realize. From building a culture of safety from the top down to turning compliance into a competitive advantage, this episode reframes safety as a bus...

Natasha Falcone, founder of Falcone Capital and multifamily real estate investor based in South Florida, joins Brandon to break down how everyday entrepreneurs can start building real wealth through real estate — without millions in the bank. From understanding asset classes and finding the right operator to cash flow strategy, conservative financing, and building a team you can trust, this episod...

Rob Julien, founder of Fair Market and seasoned M&A advisor, joins Brandon for a straight-talking conversation about what it really takes to sell a trades or home service business — and why most owners wait too long to think about it. From building transferable value and finding the right buyer to legacy planning, key man risk, and the tax advantages most Canadians don't know they have, th...

Mark Manderson, mental health entrepreneur and founder of a 26-year addiction recovery practice, joins Brandon for a raw and energizing conversation about purpose, identity, and what it actually takes to break free from the mental prisons we build for ourselves. From seasonal purpose and manufactured adversity to the neuroscience of habits and the trap of certainty, this episode will challenge how...

Manja Horper , author of Pass the Torch in the Trades and founder of a workforce development consultancy, joins Brandon for a raw conversation about the crisis quietly building inside the trades industry. From vanishing craftsmanship and broken apprenticeship models to leadership gaps and generational shifts, this episode tackles what's really at stake — and what owners, leaders, and young wor...

Dr. Maureen “Dr. Mo” Gibbons , physician, entrepreneur, and founder of AMS Lifestyle Medicine joins Brandon to unpack the hidden forces driving performance, burnout, and behavior. From “phoenix energy” vs. “allowing” to the real biology behind habits and stress, this episode challenges the grind mentality and reframes what it actually takes to grow. If you’ve been stuck between pushing harder and...

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Lyndon Smith , founder of Expansive Edge, to break down how businesses can scale by capturing what actually makes them work. From tribal knowledge to AI-powered SOPs, Lyndon shares how to turn chaos into clarity through systems, ownership, and process design. If you’ve ever felt like your business depends too much on you (or a few key people), this episode s...

Live from the trade show floor, Brandon sits down with Barry Hartman to tackle real questions from trades and home service business owners across North America. From getting stuck at $700K to scaling past $1M, they break down what actually holds businesses back—and how to fix it. This episode is packed with practical advice on delegation, systems, sales, and building a business that doesn’t burn y...

Construction expert Bradley Novakowski joins Brandon to pull back the curtain on the high-stakes world of home renovations. With over a decade in the trenches and hundreds of projects under his belt, Brad brings a "scientist's" precision to the common headaches every homeowner faces. From the "wild west" of contractor quotes to the brutal reality of permitting in cities lik...

Luke Schnacker , a leader in the off-road and overlanding space, to talk about building a business during chaos and the leadership lessons hidden inside failure. From Portland’s shifting business climate to scaling Ironman 4x4 during the COVID surge, Luke shares how disciplined systems, calm leadership, and learning from bad examples shaped his approach. The conversation dives into growth under pr...

Angela Brown is the Executive Publisher of SLUG Magazine (Salt Lake Underground) and the founder of Craft Lake City , a nonprofit elevating Utah’s creative culture. In this episode, she shares how a life-changing decision to stay in Salt Lake City transformed both her career and the local arts scene. From building a 37-year independent media brand to creating a thriving creative economy, Angela ex...

JP Rinylo (a "recovering corporate athlete" and high-performance coach) joins Brandon from a snowy New Jersey to break down why true fitness isn’t about a wedding date—it’s about preparing for life’s heaviest lifts. This episode gets real about the "leap and the net will appear" philosophy: navigating career pivots, the grit of the CrossFit Open, and the "machine mode&quot...

Entrepreneur and festival producer Billie-Jo Aasen joins Brandon to unpack the real story behind building global music festivals—and using that platform for good. From growing up in small-town BC to producing major events across Canada and Abu Dhabi, Billie-Jo shares the grit, risk, and resilience behind her success. This episode dives deep into mentorship, bold action, mental health advocacy, and...

Architect and author Talor (Taylor) Stewart , founder of Conscious Home Design in Vermont, joins Brandon to unpack how the built environment quietly shapes our habits, health, and happiness. This episode reframes home design as more than “style”—it’s about creating spaces that reduce friction, support relationships, and help you live in flow. You’ll hear practical ways to apply this thinking even...

Teresa Vozza (a “recovering executive” and former Chief HR Officer at Allianz) joins Brandon from Toronto to break down why most leadership training doesn’t stick—and what to do instead. This episode gets real about the human side of leadership: triggers, conflict, feedback, and regulating yourself under pressure. You’ll hear practical ways to ask better questions, read the room, and lead with cla...