Today you will meet Brad Bartko; we met through hospitality but in a different way than you may think. Brad came to us as he owns Disability: Accessible by Design, a company whose mission is to create a more accessible world for people with disabilities.

The experiences Brad has had in his life will change the way you see the world. When he was born, he came out fighting. He was born premature and was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at age 2, setting him and his family on the path of figuring out life with a disability. 

Today Brad is a disability consultant who has lived experience. He is changing the way business owners and communities are building and renovating their spaces, but even more than that, he is connecting with their hearts and helping people who have not yet experienced disability in their life genuinely understand how they can create a space where everyone can feel like they belong.

I suggest you follow Brad on IG @Bradinspires and his business on Facebook at Disability: Accessible by Design. He is helping people become more empathetic and find a new way of doing business that is more inclusive for all. 

Thank you, Brad, for your time and for sharing your heart with the listeners today. I am grateful for you and what you do.

There are people whom you come across that change the way you see the world, and Tyler is one of them. When I met him, it was a bit of a lucky circumstance, and I know now that we were meant to meet each other. Tyler has an interesting story; he went to school to become a teacher and, once there, realized it wasn’t for him. 

He has been in and out of this industry, and you will hear from this conversation that he is a true expert in hospitality. He is so driven to bring unforgettable moments to the guests he serves and to share his knowledge and experience with others who do the same – this, not surprisingly, relates to the teacher in him. 

Tyler is authentic, genuine, and real. He is a great hospitality person to learn from! Join us as we discuss the positive vibe that a yes brings (I love this so much, by the way), what it means to take care of people, and the challenges of the hospitality industry.

I was looking forward to this conversation with Sylvia as she is a remarkable woman.  Her background is in marketing and advertising, but she has always been a hospitality gal. She has long been interested in hospitality, and it has come naturally to her. Deep down, she knew this was the long game for her and after having her daughter, she and her husband sat down and started thinking about what they wanted to bring to this industry.  At that time, their rustic French Canadian restaurant was born - Chartier. 

This restaurant is amazing. If you have not been yet, take this as your sign. You need to go! 

Chartier boasts hand-made sourdough, baking that will make your mouth water, menus that will take your taste buds on a journey, and the room - if you love the creativity and design that goes into restaurants, this room is so fun to discover.

Sylvia is also on the board of In The Weeds, a not-for-profit that exists to help create a healthy and safe working environment for all members of the Edmonton food and beverage community, providing the tools to support and educate hospitality leaders. While also connecting with those in need within the broader hospitality community, offering resources and assistance to seek the help they may need.

Join us as we discuss the nature of hospitality, share our early experiences in the industry, and talk about what it means to care for others and lead with heart. 

Today you will meet Ellen Elton. 

Ellen and I have worked together and have been friends for a long time. This woman has been in Hospitality since she was 19 and truly knows how to create an experience for a guest in a room.  From her early start at the Brooks Hotel to Whitecourt Alberta and now the Manager of Barbacoa in Spruce Grove, she has had many diverse experiences in restaurants.  During her time in Whitecourt, she was able to move a struggling location to a thriving, vibrant store, with a strong team culture. 

Ellen has so many interesting stories to tell. In 2018 she and her husband decided to "sell it all" and travel the continent. She spent a lot of time in the southern United States hiking and living a different life. This is a really cool part of her story as well, in this time she was able to disconnect, go inward, take care of herself and enjoy time in a totally different way. 

I have always looked up to the way Ellen takes on challenges in her life and really tries to live her life to the fullest.  Oh, and her People Make The World Beautiful story... guaranteed to touch your heart. I know you will love this podcast and be inspired by it.

Meet Liza De Viliers! Born in Johannesburg, she lived most of her life in Cape Town, South Africa and is now living in Edmonton, Alberta. This was such a fun conversation hearing about her early years growing up in South Africa, and what food was like in her family. I loved that food was celebrated in her youth, with African-style BBQs called "Brie". 

Liza worked for G Adventures in South Africa and now works for them here in YEG! I can't even imagine the wealth of knowledge she has to share with Canadian travellers booking with G Adventures! In South Africa, she ran Overlander Tours; the stories she shares about this experience are so beautiful, she will inspire you to get over to Africa as soon as you can!

Liza came to Edmonton to be with her now-wife Heather, who coincidentally is a good friend of mine. It has been so heartwarming to see these two find each other and find happiness. I couldn't be happier for both of them. 

I hope you enjoy this episode and I hope Liza inspires you to get out and see the beauty this world has to offer. 

This week on Discovering Hospitality meet Mariana Sanchez! I've known Mariana for a long time, she has recently come to work with our group here in Alberta.  She started with St Albert Original Joe's, moved over to British Columbia,  and is now back in Spruce Grove running the State and Main out there with her husband Alex. 

Her story of coming from Mexico to Canada is pretty neat. She was able to come with her husband and get to build a life here with him.  She has also been able to work with her partner both in Mexico and Canada (which I can totally relate to!) and I always think this is such a cool thing to hear about. I often hear a lot of people saying "I would never work with my partner" and in a way I get it, but there is something special about working with your partner if you can make it work. Mariana's story is a great example of how it can work and be a great thing.

Join us as we talk about work ethic, travel, the power of community, and of course food! 

This is an episode you won't want to miss! 

Thank you Mariana for being my guest.

Meet Shawn Campbell! 

This was such an interesting conversation, I love speaking with people who have been in the industry for a long time, they always have so much insight and share stories that are so impactful, this convo with Shawn does that for sure. Shawn has done quite a few things (besides hospitality) such as being a poker player, which blew my mind! His roots have always been in hospitality though, and throughout that journey, he has found himself in a leadership role more often than not. He is now the head chef at Barbacoa, a new(er) restaurant in Spruce Grove opened by Tyler Sorochan. They are doing very cool things with food there, cooked over an open flame, locally sourced and so creative if you haven't tried it this is my recommendation that you give it a try. One of the things that Shawn spoke about in our conversation was looking to the left and to the right as a leader (or a team member). We so often feel inclined to look up and down, looking for the next rung on the ladder, looking to where we move up to rather than looking to the left and the right of us. Looking to the left and the right is about seeing who's out there with you and finding ways to connect each other to support everyone involved for the higher good of all. Love it! I know you'll love this conversation. 

You might remember Jordy from Episode #18 back in  August of 2020. He was one of the people in the early days who put his trust in me and this podcast and has supported it to no end. I wanted to bring him back on for two reasons; one - because I love this guy he's amazing as you'll soon hear and two- because he has been on an incredible journey since his last cast. 

He opened the Beaumont Original Joe's in the midst of the pandemic. The day after the soft open in that location, all restaurants were shut down once again, and the way Jordy handled this was nothing sort of remarkable. He has led through some of the most trying times that I have personally seen in this industry, and Jordy has shown up again and again for his people. This to me is true leadership. 

Together we discuss team culture, mental health, community, and how getting creative as a leader changes lives. I know you'll love this conversation!!