This Commerce Life

Hot Sauce Without the Heat - Viggy from Toca Foods

What happens when an aerospace engineer meets a sommelier and decides to revolutionize the condiment aisle? In this episode, we sit down with Viggy, co-founder of Tocha Foods, who's created something that sounds impossible: "hot sauce without the heat."

From his journey as a would-be rocket scientist to discovering a gap in the sauce market that left millions of people with nothing b...

Ashlyn Newlove, Founder of SmartSip

Ashlyn Newlove, Founder of SmartSip. We had an absolute blast talking with Ashlyn Newlove, the competitive and charismatic founder behind SmartSip - a calorie-friendly, fiber-rich powdered coconut oil creamer that's taking the health and wellness world by storm.

Ashlyn proves that with the right product, solid margins, authentic social media presence, and enough competitive fire to power ...

Getting Graded: Inside the Wild World of Card Authentication with TGA's Tyler

Ever wondered how a piece of cardboard can be worth millions of dollars? This week, we dive deep into the fascinating (and slightly insane) world of sports card grading with Tyler, founder of TGA(True Grade Authentication), a new Canadian authentication company that's shaking up an industry dominated by American giants.

What You'll Learn:

• Why ge...

Kyle Schumacher, founder and owner of Caliente Hot Sauce Company, joins the podcast to discuss his entrepreneurial journey from trades worker to successful hot sauce manufacturer. Based in British Columbia, Kyle has built a unique fresh hot sauce business that operates exclusively in refrigerated retail sections.

find Kyle here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-schumacher-1a345190/

Check out Caliente here: https://calientehotsauceco...

In this special episode of "This Commerce Life," host Phil travels to St. John's, Newfoundland, where he tours the Newfoundland Chocolate Company with founder Christina Dove. Christina shares her remarkable journey from neuroscientist to chocolatier and gelato expert, detailing how she built her thriving business from her basement to a factory producing 40,000 chocolates daily.

The conversation explores Christina's commitment to all...

Sarah Harper and the Fiery World of Stoke The Fire Hot Sauce

Join hosts Phil and Kenny for an engaging conversation with Sarah Harper, the self-proclaimed "Sauceress" and CEO of Stoke The Fire Hot Sauce. This episode takes you on a journey from Sarah's fascinating background as a performance artist and Arctic chef to her current life as a passionate pepper farmer and hot sauce creator in British Columbia's Similkameen Valley.

Sarah s...

From Restaurant Owner to Tea Entrepreneur with Nicole Keats

Join hosts Phil and Kenny as they sit down with Nicole Keating, founder of The Newfoundland Tea Company. In this candid and energetic conversation, Nicole shares her remarkable journey from running a fine-dining bistro in Gander to building a premium organic tea brand that's rapidly expanding beyond Newfoundland's shores.

Nicole opens up about weathering personal and profess...

Nathanael Hollands and Kinvest Impact Foundation are building market innovations in Rural Africa. They invest in agribusiness farms near marketplace communities. By combining development in marketplaces with commercial farms, they help foster a complete economic system where value is created, jobs and wages grow, and money is recirculated into the local economy.

Connect with Nathanael here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fixr/

check ou...

Dinner with Christos. The founder of Aelo, talks about their new launch, Limoncello and how this one is special. He also talks about how he thinks about flavours, and keeping Aelo special. 

Check out Aelo here: https://www.drinkaelo.com/

Connect with Christos here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christos-kalaitzis-b7942378/

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

We're excited to go t...

Throwback episode. We walked the Kelowna Farmer's Market with Peter Boyd last summer and this is some of the footage. We get a buyer's perspective on brands and what he wants to accomplish, and we hear just a sample of amazing stories at that market.

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast. Head to https://www.fieldagentcanada.com  to find out more

Get more details on Grocery Showcase West: https://gsfshow.com/

Sig...

Off Script with Phil & Kenny: April Events Preview

Join Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci as they discuss upcoming food industry events and initiatives in Canada this April. The duo shares their plans for CHFA (April 26-27), where they'll run a unique connection hub using Polaroid photos to match brands with distributors, brokers, and partners. They'll also be attending Grocery Showcase West (April 14-15), supporting BC brands and conne...

From ice cream bicycles to national distribution: Meet Melissa Leung of TransCold, the powerhouse behind Canada's frozen food logistics. Learn why small frozen brands need distribution partners, how TransCold expanded from ice cream to nationwide frozen food delivery, and why factoring in distribution costs from day one is crucial for frozen food startups. A must-listen for anyone in the frozen category or considering entering it.

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In this episode, hosts Phil and Kenny welcome Brittany from HIVE Naturals and Jeff Doucette from Field Agent Canada to announce their groundbreaking partnership: the world's first hybrid merchandising agency.

The collaboration combines Field Agent's powerful audit capabilities with HIVE's expert merchandising team to create a "find and fix" solution for brands. This innovative partnership allows brands of all sizes to efficiently id...

Tamales are an ancient dish from Mesoamerica, with about 500 variations in Mexico alone, differing by region and ingredients. Generally, almost anyone who has tried one, smiles when they reminisce about having a coffee, hot chocolate with a tamale. We're smiling ear to ear - Nadia Toledo plus talking about tamales is a win/win!

Check out Nadia's tamales here: https://www.antojosysabores.com/

Find Nadia here: https://www.linkedin.com...