City of Champions

We recorded this episode from Manchester, UK the night before the world premiere of our feature documentary, BISPING. We will be doing more of these sessions live with our directors and talent in the ScoreG Productions Discord. Make sure to join to take part and ask questions!

Chris Hayden and Doug Workman are retired, long-serving law enforcement officers. Their collective experience is high-end, covering (but not limited to) surveillance, armed robbery, money laundering, crisis and hostage negotiating, major crimes, and homicide. In 2016 Chris and Doug founded Haywork Secure Driving Service, a secure driving and executive protection service delivered by experienced and highly trained former Law Enforcement, Military and Security Professionals. Their clients run the gambit of Government officials, executives, high net worth individuals, entertainers and professional sports figures. Episode Links Haywork Secure Driving Services

My guest this episode is Victor Valimaki. He was the first Edmontonian to fight in the UFC. Back in 2018 Vic and I were supposed to sit down and talk about his fight career, but he was suddenly struck by a serious medical condition, called Neuromyelitis Optica, which threw his life into chaos. Two and a half years later – not to mention 17 MRI's, 7 spinal taps, two lung biopsies, a brain biopsy, and countless other medical procedures – Vic is doing substantially better and I finally got a chance to meet him face-to-face. Episode Links Victor Valimaki - Facebook | Fight Stats Neuromyelitis Optica

My guest today is Ashif Mawji who is making his second appearance on the podcast. Ashif is a tech entrepreneur and investor. Last time we talked about his incredible life story growing up in Kenya, moving to Canada, and starting his first business ventures. This time around we are focusing on his role as Chair of the Edmonton Police Foundation, how the foundation began, and their current projects aimed at making Edmonton a safer and more prosperous community. Through their Community Solutions Accelerator, and the analysis of datasets, EPF is tackling issues of liquor store theft, first responder mental health & wellness, and homelessness. Episode Links Edmonton Police Foundation Community Solutions Accelerator Ashif Mawji - Bio | Twitter

Amos Kajner-Nonnekesis the founder of DESIGN, et cetera. – a company whose work explores the activation of under-utilized spaces in the city through placemaking, public art, architecture, and urban design in Edmonton. Most recently, they created the Rainbow Road mural just off of Whyte Ave. In addition to making our city more beautiful and livable for everyone, Amos and his group also work with City Hall and various groups to accommodate Edmonton’s marginalized community through strategic and thoughtful design.   Episode Links Amos Kajner-Nonnekes | LinkedIn | Twitter DESIGN, et cetera. Rainbow Road Mural Recover: Edmonton   Your Host, Shane Fennessey | Instagram | Twitter

On February 1, 2019, Dale McFee was sworn in as Edmonton’s 23rd Chief of Police for the Edmonton Police Service. He spent 26 years as a police officer in Prince Albert and 9 years as their Chief of Police. He also spent 6 years as the Deputy Minister of Corrections and Policing in the Ministry of Justice for the Saskatchewan government. From 2011 to 2014 he served as President and Past President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. He has previously held the positions of President of the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, President of the Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers, and Director of the Canadian Police Association. Chief McFee and I talk about the killing of George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, Edmonton’s vulnerable population, social work, data analysis, leadership and culture, plus so much more. His experience, expertise, and ancillary training give him a great perspective to discuss these issues in a dispassionate and levelheaded way. Episode Links Chief Dale McFee | Twitter Edmonton Police Service | Twitter Community Solutions Accelerator Your Host, Shane Fennessey | Twitter | Instagram

Rick Bronson has done it all in the entertainment industry. He's an award-winning comedian, TV Host, Writer, Producer, and the owner of Rick Bronson's 'The Comic Strip' in West Edmonton Mall. In this conversation, with special guest co-host, Derek Stone, Rick hilariously recounts his life as comic on the circuit, with tangents about Jewish Mothers, Bill Clinton, Lance Armstrong, and what he really thinks about political correctness. Episode Links Rick Bronson's The Comic Strip Derek Stone Telus World of Science Edmonton Taproot Edmonton Alberta Podcast Network

My guest today is Evan Gallant. Evan’s main gig is marketing, but he is also big in the Edmonton charity scene, working as the Community Director for the Urban Spirits Rotary Club and co-founding HEALYEG, an Edmonton-based non-profit. Evan’s an incredibly social guy. He’s funny, gregarious, and is always the life of the life of the party out in the Edmonton bar scene. However, Evan reached out to me to shed some light on the darker side of this scene. Evan opened up about his mental health struggles, his drug and alcohol abuse, and about it all came crashing down on him last year. Countless people struggle with these issues. Evan and I both know this will resonate with people, and we hope it helps. Episode Links Evan Gallant HEALYEG Urban Spirits Rotary Club Taproot Edmonton Inventures Canada Alberta Podcast Network

Edmonton Ward 11 City Councillor, Mike Nickel, is a strong advocate for the effective utilization of tax dollars; In other words, he's trying to make your money go farther in government. He brings a lifetime of business experience to City Council, and the passion in which he talks about our city is evident and super inspiring.  Episode Links Councillor Mike Nickel | Blog | Twitter | Mike Check Podcast Unit B Coworking Alberta Health Services Alberta Podcast Network

Kris Harvey is a guy a lot of you know and love. He’s a DJ, event promoter, and the owner and creative mind behind Church of John, one of the city’s most unique and vibrant nightlife spots. Kris is an entrepreneur and huge booster for the City of Champions. Episode Links Kris Harvey | Instagram Chvrch of John Seat Giant - Promo Code "APN" ATB Entrepreneur Centre  Alberta Podcast Network

Hall of Fame goaltender, Grant Fuhr, joins me on the podcast this week. Anyone who knows hockey knows Grant was a key member of the 1980's Oilers' dynasty, winning 5 Stanley Cups in his 10 seasons with the team. Grant went on to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and St. Louis Blues, where he had a career resurgence in his mid 30's carrying the team to the second round of the playoffs before disaster (Nick Kypreos) struck, destroying his knee and forcing him to undergo a double ACL and MCL surgery, the first of its kind to that point. Grant now spends his days on the golf course making the rounds on the pro-am circuit. His magnetic personality has bestowed upon him a diverse group of friends outside the world of hockey including legends like Jim McMahon, Marshall Faulk, and Charles Barkley. We had a chance to talk about the experience of making his documentary, his life after hockey, and some of his thoughts on the NHL today. We, of course, also spent time reminiscing about some of his favourite stories from his playing days. Episode Links Grant Fuhr | Twitter Taproot Edmonton Speaking Municipally Alberta Podcast Network

Very special episode of the podcast with sharp and successful entrepreneur, Daniel Matishak, and co-hosted by former City of Champions guest and great friend, Derek Stone. This was recorded back in February 2019 when Derek and I played around with the idea of starting a new podcast. Ultimately our schedules didn't allow it, but Derek was kind enough to let me release this under the City of Champions banner. Dan is the founder of Mindable, a marketing optimization company. Dan’s had some incredible experiences like hanging on Necker Island with Richard Branson and attending Formula 1 in Monaco. This is a must listen for any burgeoning entrepreneurs out there! Episode Link Daniel Matishak - Instagram | LinkedIn Mindable Telus World of Science Edmonton - Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes Love Alberta Forests Alberta Podcast Network

Raj Dhillon is the co-owner of Pivotal Physiotherapy in Edmonton. He is a U of A grad and has been a practicing clinician for over 15 years. I was excited to sit down and record with Raj because he’s got an incredible outlook on life with a very intentional approach to his work, fitness, and family. He’s an inspiring guy who gives back to the community through his mentoring of the next generation of physiotherapists at the U of A and internationally through work abroad in 3rd world countries. As a child of immigrants to Canada, I had to ask Raj his thoughts on the firing of Don Cherry and response blew me away. Episode Links Pivotal Physiotherapy Raj Dhillon Alberta Forest Products Association Alberta Podcast Network Speaking Municipally Assumptions It's a Conspiracy!

Edmonton Ward 10 City Councillor, Michael Walters, joins me on the podcast this week. One of his Council Initiatives is Energy Transition and Climate Resilience for the city of Edmonton. We had a chance to discuss the city’s pragmatic and thoughtful approach to climate change. Among other things, Councillor Walters also brought a ton of insight to the conversation on homelessness in the city and river valley development. Episode Links Councillor Michael Walters | Twitter Over a Barrel | YouTube | Facebook | VimeOnDemand Alberta Podcast Network Love Alberta Forests ATB

It’s been just over 2 years since my brother, Keegan Lowe, joined me on episode 2 of City of Champions, so we had lots to catch up on. Joining Keegan on the episode this time is his childhood best friend, minor hockey teammate, and junior hockey rival, Jaynen Rissling. Jaynen spent last season playing for the Nottingham Panthers in England, redefining the term “non-traditional hockey market”, and this season he’s off to play for the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. Episode Links Keegan Lowe | Twitter | Instagram Jaynen Rissling | Instagram Alberta Health Services Edmonton Community Foundation The Well Endowed Podcast Alberta Podcast Network

This week I’m pleased to introduce #17 on your Edmonton Eskimos, defensive back, Arjen Colquhoun. Arjen joined the Esks after a fantastic career at Michigan State, and a brief stint with the Dallas Cowboys. Arjen is an energetic and enthusiastic personality, and a key part of our defensive corps. We got into a great discussion about what he wants to do when his playing days are over, and how he hopes to help as many young kids coming up in football as he can. Episode Links Arjen Colquhoun | Twitter | Instagram Park Power Unit B Coworking Alberta Podcast Network

Edmonton Ward 3 City Councillor, Jon Dziadyk, brings a diverse wealth of experience to City Hall. Councillor Dziadyk is an author, urban planner, and spent time as an intelligence officer in the Navy. The Councillor and I talked about decision making on City Council, the extreme polarization of people’s political views, the failings of group identities, and we also discussed homelessness and first responders in Edmonton. Episode Links Jon Dziadyk | Twitter | Website Alberta Blue Cross Wellness Summit ATB Entrepreneur Centre Alberta Podcast Network

Shaun Maslyk is the founder of "The Most Hated F Word", which is a brand dedicated to helping people learn better money habits, spend wisely, invest wisely, and take total control over their finances and life. His website has a ton of useful blog posts with practical advice (see below). Shaun is also hosting an event in Edmonton on September 28th called "Shifting Your Financial Course: A Non-Boring Personal Finance Conference" and has some fantastic guests confirmed already. Episode Links The Most Hated F-Word "Shifting Your Financial Course" Conference Dining in Edmonton: Top 10 Places to Eat that Serve Up Great Prices ATB X Unit B Coworking Alberta Podcast Network

My guest this week is a current European professional hockey player, former Edmonton Oilers defenceman, and overall awesome guy, Ladislav Smid. I was lucky enough to cross paths with Ladi this summer in Edmonton and fortunate enough to have him agree to come on the podcast. After a decade in the NHL, Ladi moved back to his home country of Czech Republic to wind down his pro hockey career. We talk about his time in the show, playing in Europe (and against Jagr), and his desire to help the young players of today face the challenges of tomorrow. Episode Links Ladislav Smid Cross-polliNation Park Power Alberta Podcast Network

Edmonton Ward 4 City Councillor, Aaron Paquette, is a man of many talents, including: author, artist, illustrator, public speaker, goldsmith, and stained glass window builder. He brings a wealth of experience and perspective to city hall, which is a major asset. In this wide ranging conversation we discuss things like reframing divisive issues with a comedic approach, the process of creating art and its subjective nature, social problems we face as a society, and the ways in which we might better approach them. Perhaps most valuably, we spend time discussing his mother, a hero in his eyes who taught him passion for community and what can be accomplished with ingenuity and hard work. Episode Links Aaron Paquette | Twitter | Website Creative Block ATB Entrepreneur Centre Alberta Podcast Network

Mukai Maromo is a former Muay Thai and MMA fighter turned Digital Media Marketer and Event Promoter. Known as the “African Assassin” back in his fighting days, Mukai brings that same level of competitive drive and commitment to his business pursuits. Mukai is absolutely fascinating. We talked about growing up in Zimbabwe, the path that brought him to Edmonton, his fighting days, and the attitude and mindset necessary for success. Episode Links Mukai Maromo | Twitter | Instagram Edmonton Combat League Park Power WorkNotWork Show Alberta Podcast Network

I’m joined by ITU World Triathlon Edmonton’s GM, Stephen Bourdeau, and Director of Marketing & Communications, Lindsay Harrison. They gave me a rundown of this year’s event and, more importantly, we talk about what makes Edmonton the perfect city to host such a global event alongside world-class cities like Abu Dhabi, Bermuda, Yokohama, and Lausanne, just to name a few. The event runs July 21-22, 2019. Episode Links ITU World Triathlon Edmonton Alberta Podcast Network ATB Entrepreneur Centre Unit B Coworking

Edmonton Ward 9 City Councillor, Tim Cartmell, is in his first term at City Hall. He’s always been fascinated with the way things work, and why they’re made the way they are. This inquisitive mind led to a career in Engineering where he owned and operated his own business for many years. His passion for giving back led him to volunteer work where he began helping to engineer community culture. Eventually this path led him to City Hall where he is able to help engineer our city, and a better world for tomorrow. Episode Links Councillor Tim Cartmell | Twitter | Instagram Alberta Podcast Network Alberta Blue Cross Wellness Summit Edmonton Community Foundation The Well Endowed Podcast

Councillor Sarah Hamilton is serving her first term for Ward 5 in Edmonton, and is one of the youngest members on City Council. She mastered in Visual Culture and Critical Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. We talk about life as a City Councillor, as well as her previous political experience with the Democratic Party in Chicago during Obama's re-election campaign in 2012. We also discuss the origin of memes in politics, the Chicago Cubs, and how she applies the principles of Moneyball to political governance. Episode Links Councillor Sarah Hamilton | Twitter | Instagram Seat Giant Alberta Blue Cross Wellness Summit Alberta Podcast Network

Ward 1 Councillor, Andrew Knack, is one of Edmonton City Council's younger members. He is doing great things with a number of initiatives in the city including Edmonton Youth Council, NextGen, Transportation Innovation, and Public Engagement. With Andrew being the approachable and engaging guy that he is, this was fun conversation. Episode Links Andrew Knack | Twitter | Instagram Speaking Municipally Edmonton Community Foundation Alberta Podcast Network

Ken Lowe has spent his career in professional sports working as a head athletic therapist. He joined the Edmonton Eskimos in 1982 and was a part of 2 Grey Cup championships. In 1989 he moved over to the Edmonton Oilers, winning the Stanley Cup in his first year with the team, which he has been part of for the past 30 years. Kenny is one of only a handful of people who has won both a Grey Cup and Stanley Cup. He has also won Gold, and been a part of multiple outings, with Hockey Canada. Episode Links SeatGIANT ATB Alberta Podcast Network

Ward 8 Councillor, Ben Henderson, is involved in a number of initiatives in Edmonton aimed at preserving and promoting art, culture, and community. The Councillor also plays a big role in Edmonton’s WinterCity Strategy, giving him the opportunity to explore and learn from Edmonton's comparable cities around the world. This has also given him an intimate knowledge of the particular unique set of social and environmental challenges our city faces. Episode Links Ben Henderson Walkcast Overdue Finds | EPL Alberta Podcast Network

Omar Mosleh is a journalist for MetroStar Edmonton who writes on a variety of important topics, including racism, inner-city issues, and vulnerable populations. Omar has experienced some notoriety of late for an article he wrote exposing some extremist and racist behaviour taking place in Edmonton. We discuss the Canadian Yellow Vest movement, Nationalism, Islamophobia, and why it seems our gut reaction is denial when we hear about extremist behaviour in our own backyard. I appreciate how thoughtful, well-spoken, and engaging a person Omar was to talk with, and he certainly helped me understand a lot. Episode Notes Omar Mosleh | Twitter "Citizens Don't Feel Safe as Hate Fills Edmonton's Streets" Yellow Vests Movement Unit B NorthwestFest Alberta Podcast Network  

Simon Bennett is best known in Edmonton for his premier health, wellness, and training facilities operating under the Body by Bennett banner. Being the longtime Director of High Performance for the Edmonton Oilers put him on the cutting edge of the performance field. While working with top athletic performers, Simon began to conceptualize a way to deliver the same care and expertise to people outside of the world of professional sports. The culmination of this planning, along with decades of experience, is coming together in his new facility, Archetype, opening August 2019 in Ice District. On the podcast we discuss how the physiological, psychological, and philosophical are sewn together to lead to a high performance lifestyle. Episode Links Archetype Life Simon Bennett: Instagram | Twitter Edmonton Public Library 4th Line Hockey Podcast Alberta Podcast Network

Edmonton City Councillor, Bev Esslinger, hosted me in her office at City Hall where we got a chance to discuss a wide range of topics relating to her life and her job. We drilled down on specific city topics like the Blatchford development, LRT expansion throughout the city, and the interplay between the municipal and provincial levels of government. We also took the time to get more philosophical and discussed things like women in politics, education, and whether you should be voting out of self interest or the common social good. Episode Links Councillor Esslinger | Twitter | Website Unit B The Well Endowed Podcast Alberta Podcast Network

Laval St. Germain is an airline pilot by profession, and an adventure artist by passion. In pursuing his passion he is a mountaineer, endurance athlete, and ocean rower, to name a few. Some of his most stunning achievements include summiting the highest peaks on all 7 continents, completing the fastest ever crossing of the North Atlantic Ocean by solo row boat from mainland North America to mainland Europe, and being the only Canadian, and one of only 200 people in history, to summit Everest without Oxygen. We discuss the mental and physical ingredients necessary to accomplish these feats, and Laval shares a heart-wrenching story about the biggest challenge life has thrown his way when tragedy struck his family. Episode Links Laval St. Germain | Twitter | Instagram | Website Unit B Let's Do Coffee Podcast Alberta Podcast Network  

Nick Good is a fellow podcaster, writer, and student of the world which is obvious by his wide-ranging interests and esoteric life knowledge. My intention was to dive deep into the world of writing with Nick and talk about his education, his creative process, and common struggles facing artists. We did cover a bit of that in the episode, but got sidetracked on a number of occasions, talking about politics, psychology, social media, and a slew of other topics. Regardless of your interests, there's something here for you! Episode Links Two-Man Booth Daveberta ATB Financial Alberta Podcast Network  

This week I dive into the political world of Edmonton and pull my guest from the clutches of City Council. Ward 6 City Councillor Scott McKeen and I had a wide-ranging conversation that covered everything from the Councillor’s past life as a journalist, to why he got into politics, current issues facing our city, and we even discuss some of his darker days dealing with mental health and addiction issues. Councillor McKeen's personality and life story stands up as a shining example of what can be accomplished by being a decent, honest, and admittedly flawed human being. Episode Links Scott McKeen's Blog Alberta Podcast Network Speaking Municipally Podcast Built for This: The Michael Bisping Story

Emmett Hartfield is the owner and a founding partner of Intelligence House, a real-estate research, marketing, and sales company that collects and compiles the latest data, in order to help developers better understand where the market is going. Emmett and his team are changing the game of residential real estate development through statistical analysis and big data. In the podcast we cover residential development in Edmonton, learning lessons from great cities around the world, current issues Millennials are facing when it comes to owning property, and the vast potential Edmonton has to continue developing into a world-class city. I highly recommend this episode for anyone curious about real estate in Edmonton. Episode Links Intelligence House Emmett Hartfield Built For This: The Michael Bisping Story Alberta Podcast Network ATB Entrepreneur Centre Speaking Municipally

Mack is a self-proclaimed Edmonton Geek as well as an entrepreneur, software developer, and writer.  His two primary passions in life are computer technology and storytelling, which he uses inconjunction to affect positive change in the city of Edmonton through various channels which we talk about in the episode. He is a dedicated community builder, and has given back to Edmonton through thousands of hours of board, committee, and other volunteer work for more than a dozen different organizations. Episode Links Speaking Municipally MasterMaq Blog Taproot Edmonton Mack Male Twitter Park Power Alberta Podcast Network

Corey Hayes is a philosopher, a poet, a writer, and a lifelong seeker of knowledge. Most nights you can find him in his element, slinging drinks and facilitating good times for all those looking to socialize, hook up, or otherwise escape reality. Corey is a kind and caring soul. Though he can come off as sarcastic and calculated, his heart is pure. This conversation touches a wide array of topics including millennials, the inevitable destruction of the world, and both the pitfalls and saving graces of the bar industry. Corey brings passion and enthusiasm to every interaction so there is something in here for everyone. Episode Links Corey Hayes Alberta Podcast Network PopCycle Podcast ATB

Ashif Mawji is a wildly successful tech entrepreneur and graduate of NAIT’s Computer Systems Technology Program. After multiple successful startups, Ashif's biggest hit came in 2012 when he sold his company, Upside Software, for $22 million. Now working as a venture capitalist, Ashif dedicates a ton of energy to making the city of Edmonton a better place through his philanthropic work with Kids Kottage, Stollery Children’s Hospital, and Edmonton Police Foundation. Ashif's aspirational legacy? To help grow Alberta's burgeoning Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning industry into a viable replacement for our resource dependency. Episode Links Ashif Mawji Alberta Podcast Network Shaw Business

This week I thought I could bring a little more culture into the podcast and, hopefully, into your lives, so I brought Edmonton Opera's General Director, Tim Yakimec on the show. Tim began his career with Edmonton Opera as an assistant stage manager 23 years ago and has since worked his way up through the organization. Tim does a great job of walking a beginner like me through the history of the opera, what goes on behind the scenes, and why we, in the city of Edmonton, should care about it. Hope to see everyone at the finale of Hansel and Gretel this Friday, February 8! Episode Links Hansel and Gretel Tickets Tim Yakimec Alberta Podcast Network Shaw Business

Viet Nguyen is a home-grown, self-made entrepreneurial success story in the music and event promotion industry. If you live in Edmonton, chances are you’ve gone to one of the events that his company, Boodang, has thrown at some point in the last 20 years. Viet also founded the musical act booking app, AGNT, in 2016 and is changing the way business is done between artist and venue. Viet is a guy raising Edmonton’s reputation on the world stage, and enjoying every moment of the process. Episode Links Boodang Music Canada AGNT Alberta Podcast Network Shaw Business

VP, GM, and Director are some of the titles Marty Forbes has held professionally in his 48+ years in radio broadcast.  World traveller, grandfather, and philanthropist are among some of the roles he occupies in his personal life which, I would argue, are the ones he should be most proud of. An incumbent in the public service sector, Marty has raised tens of millions for charities and worked with organizations such as the Jerry Forbes Centre, Santas Anonymous, the Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree, Crescendo, and the John Cameron Changing Lives Foundation. In his "retirement", Marty does digital media and marketing consulting through his company, Radiowise. As energetic and enjoyable as they come, Marty Forbes is a force of a nature! Episode Links Marty Forbes Twitter Marty Forbes Website Jerry Forbes Centre Santas Anonymous Alberta Podcast Network Modern Manhood Podcast

Longtime radio host and standup comedian, Jim Jerome, joins me on the podcast and gives us a look at the world through his unfiltered lens of sarcasm and snark. In an extraordinarily tender moment, Jim opens up about his past addictions, and how helping others now brings tremendous meaning and reward to his life. He's wonderfully offensive, yet infectiously lovable, and the world needs more like him. Episode Links Jungle Jerome Twitter Jungle Jerome Instagram Mess Hall Podcast Alberta Podcast Network Shaw Business Smart Suite

Derek Stone has a lot of balls in the air, with projects in athletics, oil and gas, and digital media. After many years of hard living, Derek has found his calling as a mental high-performance coach, helping athletes and others reach their full potential, through Stone Performance Academy. With a diverse set of interest, and a wealth of life-experience to draw upon, Derek is as engaging a guy as you'll meet. We cover business, drugs, coaching philosophies, podcasting, and plenty more in this wide-ranging conversation with Coach Derek Stone. Episode Links Stone Performance Academy Derek Stone Speaking Municipally Podcast Alberta Podcast Network Shaw Business

Today's guest is Tom Gazzola. Tom is best known for his work reporting for the Edmonton Oilers. Since moving on from the organization, Tom has brought his talents to the team at TSN in both producing and reporting capacities. A huge sports fan growing up, he really carved out a path for himself doing something he loves which is something we can all learn from. Episode Links Tom's Twitter - @tomgazzola Alberta Podcast Network Edmonton Community Foundation

My guest today is Aaryn Flynn, a man who recognizes the importance of Artificial Intelligence and its potential to turn Edmonton into renowned global tech hub. Aaryn is a U of A grad who began his career as a game developer with the Edmonton-based gaming company, BioWare, producers of the hugely successful gaming franchises Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Aaryn recently made the move to a UK games tech startup by the name of Improbable, and was named GM of the company’s North American division, based right here in Edmonton. Our guy is a huge booster of the city and wants to see it prosper for generations to come which is why he’s involved with initiatives like Edmonton AI and also on the Computer Science Advisory Board at the U of A. Episode Links Edmonton.AI Improbable ATB's We Are Alberta Press Start to Join  

This episode I brought back to the show a fan favourite from last year, Dean Guedo. If you don’t know Dean, he’s one of the best personal trainers in the city, and he’s got totally badass Spiderman and Venom tattoos. This was as freewheeling an episode as you’re going to get, but there’s some seriously entertaining stuff we talk about. We talk about Dean’s experience podcasting and cover some great advice for anyone thinking about starting their own. We talk about finding your niche in life, and doing what feels good. And, of course, you can’t chat with Dean Guedo without picking his beautiful brain about training. Links The Fitness Devil Podcast Edmonton Community Foundation Alberta Podcast Network

I’m thrilled to be joined this week by an absolute gem of a human being! Carmen Choney has had an impressive career in Canadian Country Music, working with some of the industry’s biggest stars. As Tour Manager for Jess Moskaluke and MDM Records, Carmen is the girl who gets shit done. You’ll quickly discover that Carmen has zero filter, but her no-bullshit attitude and genuine kindheartedness, coupled with impeccable organization, has given her staying power in a tough industry, and in my humble opinion, made her one of the most likeable people in the business. Links Alberta Podcast Network ATB's We Are Alberta Podcast

Sam Lofstrand is a man of many passions. The slick talker first made his appearance on the podcast last year discussing the art of craft beer. I brought him back onto Season 2 of City of Champions to discuss a passion that devleoped back in Grade 7 when he got his first pair of purple Nike Air Max Plus. At one point owning over 60 pairs of shoes, Sam is a true "Sneakerhead". Sam walks us through the basics of sneaker culture and it's relevance to our lives.

Today I’m pumped to bring Chris Liddle on the podcast. Chris is making a name for himself and doing great things in the personal training industry. He’s also starting his own podcast called the The Lifestyle Chase soon so be sure to keep an eye out for it.

Filmmaker Adam Scorgie is a perfect fit for the City of Champions lineup. He's the best in the documentary filmmaking business, and he got here by consistently being the hardest working guy in the room. His ability to find improbable solutions to impossible situations is why the self-proclaimed creative hustler continues to crush it. Career success aside, Adam is also one of the best guys I know. I’m fortunate to get to work with him every day, and it was an honour to include him on the podcast.

My guest today is an exceptionally lovely and inspiring girl by the name of Patrycia Rzechowka. Diagnosed with MS in 2012, Patrycia has been a mainstay on the MS Bike circuit for the past 7 years and, not just in Edmonton, but throughout various cities in the US as well. Patrycia is a huge believer in the power of the Edmonton community and she’s up to a ton of great things these days around the city. I was really touched by the honesty and vulnerability in her storytelling and I know you will be, too.

Bean Gill is the co-founder and executive director of ReYu Paralysis Recovery Centre and has dedicated her life to leaving a legacy of helping others. The story of how Bean became a paraplegic is as tragic as it is curious. Bean suffered a severe attack of a condition known as transverse myelitis while on a girl’s trip in Las Vegas. Within minutes of this crazy painful attack, she had lost the use of both legs, and the course of her life was altered. Bean has an infectious excitement for life and she shares how she was able to make it through this dark time and how she pushes forward every day on her mission.