From Ice Cream Cart to National Brand - The Hazel's Ice Cream Story

In this episode, hosts Kenny and Phil sit down with Sam Vermeulen, co-founder of Hazel's Ice Cream, to discuss the remarkable journey from a COVID-era ice cream cart idea to a growing national frozen novelty brand.

Sam shares how what started as a father-son dream of running an ice cream shop evolved into handcrafted premium ice cream bars. Born out of necessity during the pandemic, Hazel's pivoted from scooped ice cream to bars when traditional retail wasn't an option - a decision that accidentally filled a market gap in Victoria's frozen novelty scene.

Scaling CPG Brands with Roadmap CPG's Michelle Prychidny and Koreann Webster

In this episode of This Commerce Life, hosts Phil and Kenny welcome the dynamic duo behind Roadmap CPG - Michelle Prychidny and Koreann Webster. Together, these industry veterans share their combined decades of experience helping emerging CPG brands navigate the treacherous waters of retail scaling.

From their early days at Vega and their rocket ship journey with SmartSweets to launching their own consultancy, Michelle and Koreann break down the critical foundational pieces that make or break growing brands. They dive deep into the most common pitfalls they see repeatedly: cash flow nightmares, pricing disasters, and the fundamental disconnect between profit and loss versus actual cash in the bank.

check out Roadmap CPG here: https://www.roadmapcpg.com/

Find Koreann here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/koreann-webster-42b43160/

Find Michelle here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-mckay-prychidny-b6b0492/

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

We sit down with Sanaz Bahrami, founder of Melts Infusions, who shares her remarkable journey from aspiring surgeon to herbal wellness entrepreneur. After nerve damage derailed her medical career dreams, Sanaz discovered the power of adaptogenic herbs during a challenging period in graduate school studying biomedical engineering.

What started as brewing "peace tea" in her apartment to manage anxiety and depression has evolved into a thriving business with over 500,000 TikTok followers and a loyal customer base. Sanaz opens up about her early struggles with mental health, the limitations she found with traditional pharmaceutical approaches, and how a lab mate's suggestion to try herbal remedies changed her life.

Check out Melts Infusions here: https://meltsinfusion.com/

Find Sanaz here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanaz-bahrami-7a067014a/

Sanaz's Tiktok page is here: https://www.tiktok.com/@meltsinfusions

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

From Stadium Cleaner to Craft Brewer - The Latina Beer Story

Phil and Kenny sit down with Carlos Castro, the Venezuelan-Canadian founder of Latina Beer, for an inspiring conversation about entrepreneurship, immigration, and following your passion.

Carlos shares his remarkable journey from cleaning Rogers Stadium as an entry-level job to building his own craft brewery in St. Catharines, Ontario. What started as a casual conversation with a coworker during a break led to an eight-year adventure in the beer industry - all beginning with a napkin, a homebrew recipe, and $1,500.

check out Latina beer at https://www.latina.beer/ and @latinabeer

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

The Kristina Farrell Episode: Fighting for Canada's Food System from the Inside

In this episode, hosts Phil and Kenny sit down with Kristina Farrell, CEO of Food & Beverage Canada, to explore the complex world of Canadian food manufacturing policy. Christina, who represents domestic food and beverage manufacturers across the country, breaks down the critical distinction between companies that actually make products in Canada versus those that simply sell here.

From her team-of-two operation in Ottawa, Kristina tackles massive challenges including inter-provincial trade barriers, labor shortages, and the ongoing work on Bill C-5. The conversation reveals how 92% of Canada's food manufacturing companies have fewer than 100 employees, yet the industry remains the country's largest manufacturing sector—a fact that often gets overlooked in policy discussions.

Kristina shares her journey from government bureaucracy to lobbying, explaining how she became the central coordinator between six provincial food and beverage associations and federal policymakers. The discussion touches on everything from why you've probably had more USDA beef than Alberta beef, to the surprising complexities of calling something "recyclable" under new Competition Act provisions.

The hosts and Kristina dig into Canada's tendency to overcomplicate systems that should be straightforward, from food safety standards that vary by province to the challenges of getting recognition for an industry that feeds everyone but struggles to get the political attention given to "sexier" sectors like automotive or mining.

Key topics covered:

• The difference between food manufacturers and CPG companies
• Inter-provincial trade barriers and Bill C-5
• Labor challenges in food manufacturing
• Why Canada's food system is simultaneously world-class and poorly understood by Canadians
• The role of provincial food and beverage associations
• Sustainability challenges and greenwashing regulations

This episode offers an inside look at the people working behind the scenes to keep Canada's food system running, and why understanding these complexities matters for everyone who eats.

Find Kristina here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-farrell-b09ba549/

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

CHFA Now Toronto 2025 Preview with Aaron Skelton & Lynsey Walker

Join Phil and Kenny as they chat with Aaron Skelton (CEO) and Lynsey Walker (Chief Marketing Officer) from the Canadian Health Food Association for an exciting preview of CHFA Now Toronto 2025, happening September 19 - 21, 2025

What's New This Year:

• BDC & Be Local Thursday Night Event - Special networking event at BDC Square (37th floor of CIBC Tower) with stunning lake views
• Enhanced Conference Programming - Friday's packed agenda includes a new Quebec session called "Bonjour-Hi" and the highly anticipated data & insights presentation on women's health
• Revamped Industry Awards - Saturday's awards ceremony promises to be the biggest yet, with upgraded entertainment and a green carpet experience
• Sunday Fun Run - 3km charity run supporting Second Harvest, plus Incubator Alley pitch sessions

Key Dates:

• Online registration closes August 31st
• VIP retailer perks include free parking, Uber discounts, and food vouchers
• Show runs September 6-8 at the CNE Automotive Building (formerly Beanfield)

Whether you're a longtime industry veteran or newcomer to the natural health space, this episode captures why CHFA has become the must-attend event that people plan their entire year around. As Phil notes, it's transformed from "Are you going?" to "When we get to CHFA, let's..."

Don't miss the advocacy update where Aaron explains how grassroots efforts led to real regulatory wins - proving that when the industry comes together, change is possible.

Sign up for CHFA here: https://www.chfanow.ca/toronto/

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

From Bartending Tips to 24 Locations: The Foxy Box Story

In this episode of This Commerce Life, we sit down with Kyla, the bold founder and CEO of Foxy Box Laser & Wax Bars, who turned bar tips and brazilian waxes in her dining room into a 24-location franchise empire across Canada.

Starting 12 years ago in her dining room (yes, you read that right), Kyla used her bartending tips to fund her venture into the hair removal industry. What began as giving customers shots of tequila while learning to perfect Brazilian waxes has evolved into a franchise system employing over 250 staff across four provinces.

you can find Kyla here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyla-dufresne-295867149/

check out Foxy box here: https://foxyboxwaxbar.com/

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

A celebration of success. Re-sharing Caitlyn Vanderhaeghe's episode from 2022 on the evolution of Kidstar. In light of her announcement last week of getting National distribution, we thought it'd be a good time to re-share Caitlin's journey with Kidstar.

A small Canadian company, that put in a lot of work to get here! Congrats Caitlyn and the Kidstar team!!

Check out Kidstar here: https://kidstarnutrients.com/

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