CREATE - The Podcast

Blake Belding is the co-founder of Cold Garden Beverage Company.  What started as homebrewing beer and making wine evolved into a vision - one that would eventually become one of Calgary’s most recognizable and innovative beverage brands.

As the creative force behind Cold Garden’s ever-evolving lineup, Blake is constantly experimenting, pushing boundaries, and redefining what a local beverage company can be. His ideas don’t just com...

Linda Olsen is a born-and-raised Calgarian and award-winning storyteller who spent nearly three decades as one of the most trusted voices at Global News Calgary. Over a 36-year career in journalism, she helped shape how the city understood its defining moments - from breaking news to powerful human stories that connected communities.

In 2024, she stepped away from the anchor desk and into a new chapter- embracing freelance storytell...

Steve McVicker is the Chief Brand Officer and Co-Founder of Matt & Steve’s, the proudly Canadian company behind The Extreme Bean and one of the most recognizable names in the Caesar and pickle category. What began as a bold idea between two best friends has grown into an international brand built on fun, flavour, authenticity, and emotional connection.

Steve is the driving force behind the brand’s voice, personality, and cultura...

Andrew Gass is a chef with more than 35 years of experience around the globe. 

He’s worked everywhere from Walt Disney World Resorts to elite international hockey tournaments - earning two gold medals as Team Canada’s chef at the World Junior Championships in Sweden and the Czech Republic. 

A graduate of the Olds College Brew Master program (with distinction) - Andrew is now the co-owner of Vaycay Brew Co, combining his culinary and ...

Dillon Stecyk, COO of The Apres Collective, is a creative entrepreneur and one of the driving forces behind the Aroabora Music Festival in Banff - a unique, mountain-set celebration that blends music, nature, and human connection.

With a background rooted in events, culture, and collaboration, Dillon has helped shape Aroabora into an experience that brings people together and reminds them what music feels like when it’s intentional ...

Tasha Swiderski is a wife, mom of three, and wellness advocate shaped by resilience, faith, and intentional living. After navigating cancer, Lyme disease, and Desmoid tumors, her health journey became a catalyst for change - shifting her focus from survival to helping others live healthier lives.

Guided by her faith, Tasha believes in turning pain into purpose and learning to listen to the body. Through her work with Hugh & Grac...

Michael Noble is one of Canada’s most respected culinary leaders, with over 46 years in the kitchen and a legacy built on excellence, resilience, and mentorship. A competitor on the world stage, Michael has represented Canada in multiple international culinary competitions and remains the only Canadian chef to ever compete on Iron Chef Japan, battling Masaharu Morimoto in front of millions of viewers.

Today, Michael is the Chef/Prop...

Stephane Prevost is a self-taught chef and restaurateur who has helped shape the Banff dining scene for more than two decades. His journey into hospitality began unexpectedly after studying film in Montreal and landing in Banff in 1980 - a moment that set the course for a life built around food, people, and place.

Deeply influenced by nearly six years living in Japan, Stephane’s philosophy centers on refinement through simplicity an...

Jason Zaran is the President of Fit Kitchen and a pioneer in Calgary’s healthy, convenient food movement. After more than 20 years in the consumer packaged goods industry, Jason left corporate life at 42 to pursue entrepreneurship - launching The Main Dish and later founding Fit Kitchen, Alberta’s first meal prep company.

In this conversation, Jason shares what it takes to build and scale a food business in a tough industry, how fit...

Dillon Stecyk is the COO of APRÈS Beverage Festivals, an entrepreneur, and a consciousness coach who bridges two worlds: large-scale festivals and deep synchronistic transformation.

As the operational force behind some of Western Canada’s most iconic events - Dillon has spent over a decade creating spaces where people connect through music, food, beverage & celebration. Behind the scenes, his personal journey has been devoted to...

Chris Schoengut has spent nearly 20 years shaping some of Western Canada’s biggest live experiences—from grassroots events to major festivals like the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival, where he served as Director of Brand & Partnerships.

Now, after two decades in the industry, Chris is stepping into a new chapter—one driven by balance, purpose, and fatherhood. A long-time community supporter and proud dad, he’s rethinking what cre...

Tom Bamford has spent his life pushing limits—both as an athlete and as a creator of unforgettable race experiences. A lifetime competitor, Tom has taken on everything from the Ironman World Championships to XTERRA off-road events and the Belgian Waffle Ride.

He started his career directing major triathlon events before moving into the tech world, working with startups, IBM, PeopleSoft, and Deloitte. In 2004 he founded TESSALink, gr...

Hien Pham is a Calgary-based content creator who has built a loyal and engaged community by inviting people into her world with authenticity, humour, and a creative eye. Her content spans home projects, thrifted treasures, travel adventures, sports moments, lifestyle inspiration, and the beautifully chaotic in-between - capturing the kind of everyday stories that feel both relatable and refreshing.

Hien began creating five years ago...

Peter Bishop never meant to become a creative leader, tech strategist, and beverage entrepreneur—but that’s exactly what happened. In this episode, we dive into Peter’s unconventional journey from bartender and illustrator to partner at ZGM and the mind behind Stickler.

We unpack the lessons learned from trial by fire, why starting new businesses fuels his creativity, the challenge of selling something you’ve built, and what it real...

Born and raised in Germany’s legendary Black Forest, Scott Sunderwald has lived a life deeply connected to the wild. 

From the German Forestry Service to wilderness education in BC and Saskatchewan, Scott’s passion for bushcraft, survival, and storytelling has shaped a career devoted to the outdoors.

For the past 17 years, he’s called Alberta’s rugged Northern Rockies home, working with Alberta Parks and living the lessons he teaches...

Colin Patterson’s journey began on the ice — ten seasons in the NHL, eight of them with the Calgary Flames, where he helped lift the Stanley Cup in 1989. But his legacy didn’t end when the skates came off. Today, as a Director with the Calgary Flames Alumni, Colin channels the same drive and teamwork that fueled his playing days into making a difference across Alberta.

From leading the SuperHEROS program — creating space in hockey f...

Born and raised in British Columbia, Robert McKay has spent a lifetime surrounded by the province’s natural beauty and creative spirit. With deep family roots in Vancouver—his mother a Kitsilano High alumna and his grandmother an artist and early mentor—Robert grew up immersed in art, language, and culture. Those formative experiences, from visits to VanDusen Gardens to exploring the Museum of Anthropology, shaped his appreciation ...

Calgary-born Taras Foremsky went from chasing pucks to chasing perfection in the meat business. After an impressive hockey career that took him across North America and Europe — from the AJHL to Italy, Germany, and England — Taras traded his skates for a knife, buying out his father’s partners to build what’s now Prairie West Specialty Meats. 

A proud husband to Heather and “girl dad” to Alexis and Berkley, Taras blends the discipli...

From law school to soft pretzels, Maria Chau’s journey is anything but ordinary. As co-founder of Zwick’s Pretzels, she’s spent the last eight years coaxing an unexpected pretzel phenomenon into a thriving, if unpredictable, business. 

In this episode, Maria shares how an existential crisis, a taco bar, and a willingness to follow curiosity led her down an entirely new path. She talks about scaling chaos into structure, learning res...