Careers Under Construction

The Pederson Group
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Careers Under Construction keeps it real—sharing personal stories of grit, growth and how to build meaningful careers from the ground up. Host Justis Pederson sits down with leaders who open up about the wins, the struggles and the lessons that shaped their success. Produced in our professional studio in Winnipeg, Manitoba, you can watch or listen on Spotify, Apple and YouTube. Build with us. Powered By: The Pederson Group (TPG)

  1. 1 day ago

    David Asper: The Man Behind the Milgaard Case, Bombers & Sea Bears

    Three days after David Asper started practising criminal defence in Winnipeg, he was pulled into his boss’s office. Joyce Milgaard was sitting there. Her son David had already spent 17 years in prison for a murder he said he didn’t commit. A six-year fight followed, culminating in an April 1992 Supreme Court of Canada decision. Later DNA testing confirmed another man was responsible. After helping win Milgaard’s freedom, David walked away from criminal law. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, David shares: How he challenged the Crown’s version of the Milgaard murder using a camcorder and crime scene reenactmentWhy he left criminal law after the biggest win of his careerWhat really happened at Canwest Global and his dad’s warning: “Never build empires, because empires never survive”Becoming chair of the Blue Bombers during years of financial and operational strugglesWhy fans wanted legroom, bathrooms, concessions and a better game-day experienceGetting cut out of his stadium deal after investing more than $6 million — while in Churchill watching polar bears with his wife and no cell service Why he reconsidered retirement and started a professional basketball team after meeting immigrant families across the country• The double meaning behind the Sea Bears logo — “I’m back”Why he believes failure teaches more than success From freeing David Milgaard to building businesses and bringing pro basketball back to Winnipeg, David Asper has left his mark on the city.

  2. 25 Aug

    She’s Not the Expert. She’s the Leader.

    Krystyn MacKinnon started her career in banking at 19 and became an assistant branch manager a year later. She went on to help launch a title insurance startup across Western Canada, lead 100% commission sales teams, and is now Principal at Colliers Project Leaders—with no technical background in engineering or project management. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Krystyn shares: The feedback that changed how she leads Why she had to learn to lead herself first How achievement became tied to her identity How a startup and layoff changed her career The “will vs. skill” question she uses with underperformance Why leaders can’t create motivation in others How she turned her personality down from a 10 to a 4 Why psychological safety comes before high performance Why she never wants to be the subject matter expert #CareersUnderConstruction #Leadership #Winnipeg #PsychologicalSafety

  3. 18 Aug

    He Helps Business Owners Sell Their “Ugly Baby”

    Catch Fire Group helps mid-sized business owners sell the companies they’ve spent a lifetime building. Gary Brownstone’s job is to help owners see their business the way a buyer does.Sellers look back at the sacrifices, risks and legacy they’ve built. Buyers look at cash flow, growth and what happens when the founder leaves. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Gary shares: Why he never puts a price on a business and lets the market decideThe question every owner should ask: “If I disappeared for 30 days, what would break?”Why one seller accepted $1.5 million less to protect his employees and legacyWhy “sellers look back, buyers look forward”Why Gary tells owners “their baby is ugly”Why recurring revenue can be worth more than a bigger top lineWhat drives a multiple — and why American strategic buyers often pay the most Because for most owners, the number Gary gets them isn’t just a payout — it’s the rest of their life.

  4. 11 Aug

    The Winnipeg Factory Behind Every Paint Chip You've Held

    Those little paint colour cards you flip through at the hardware store? There's a good chance they were made by one family right here in Winnipeg. The Duha Family. Rick's first job in the family business was screwing posts into paint fan decks. Now, a robot does it. Rick isn't buying robots to replace his team. He's buying them to replace the repetitive tasks. That's where people get AI wrong. It's not about replacing people — it's about making time for the tasks that keep getting pushed down your to-do list. At 16, Rick wanted out. The Duha Group, the family paint-chip business, seemed boring. When he came back, he realized he'd been looking at it all wrong. Today, Duha is the world's leading paint-chip manufacturer. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Rick shares: How a Winnipeg garage became the world's leading paint-chip manufacturerWhy paint companies can't make their own paint chipsWhy he left and what brought him backThe mistake that taught him the mostDuha's unique employee training systemWhy "Ready. Fire. Aim." became the company's mindsetWhat it took to buy their biggest competitorWhy he believes AI will create better quality jobs, not eliminate them How did the son who couldn't wait to leave the family paint business become the 11th Duha to run it?

  5. 5 Aug

    How Kyle Romaniuk Turned an 80% Loss Into a Better Business

    Kyle Romaniuk is a serial entrepreneur who started selling T-shirts on consignment at just 10 years old before launching his own design agency straight out of Red River College. That agency grew into Cocoon Branding, where he worked with brands like Red Bull and GoodLife Fitness. When COVID wiped out 80% of his agency's revenue, Kyle changed direction and launched FRAKXION. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Kyle shares: How he started his first business at age 10 and built a successful design agency. Why losing 80% of his revenue during COVID led him to start FRAKXION. What "operational quicksand" is, and why so many business owners become the biggest roadblock in their own companies. How surviving childhood cancer led to a full-circle moment with the organization that granted his childhood wish. Kyle is also the author of Embark, a book about helping leaders build stronger teams and better workplaces. Grab a copy of Embark, learn more about FRAKXION by hitting play.

  6. 28 Jul

    He Fired a Rifle at Their Truck. The Court Ruled He Didn't Mean To

    In 2018, 20-year-old Hailey Dugay was sitting in the back seat of her boyfriend's truck, heading home with friends. Earlier that night, Jesse Paluk had been involved in an altercation at a bar near Fraserwood. Later, when three vehicles approached on a gravel road, Paluk stood in the road holding a rifle and told William Comber to have his back. What no one inside the truck could see was Comber standing off to the side. As Hailey's boyfriend drove away, several shots were fired. A bullet from Comber's hunting rifle struck the truck and hit Hailey. Her boyfriend rushed her to the hospital, but she did not make it. It took almost a year for Dana to learn who fired the shot that took her daughter's life. Years later, Manitoba's highest court reduced Comber's second-degree murder conviction to manslaughter. The court found there wasn't enough evidence to prove he intended to harm someone inside the truck rather than damage the vehicle. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Dana shares what happened that night and why it took nearly a year to learn the truth, how a jury ended up being selected from a Walmart parking lot and how Hailey's Way has supported more than 100 youth across the Interlake. To support youth programs in Hailey's memory, follow Hailey's Way on Facebook and Instagram.

  7. 21 Jul

    Dale Weise: From Cuts to 500+ NHL Games

    Dale Weise was cut multiple times during junior hockey before going on to play 513 regular-season NHL games. Today, he buys and grows established businesses in Winnipeg. In this episode of Careers Under Construction, Dale shares: How getting cut built his determinationThe time he thought he made the Rangers, only to be cut two days before opening nightHow he recorded the fastest Gordie Howe hat trick in Philadelphia Flyers historyWhy signing a four-year, $9.4 million contract with Philadelphia didn’t go as plannedGetting traded while his wife was eight months pregnant with twinsWhy a business he opened in March 2020 became one of his biggest lessonsHow looking at approximately 1,000 businesses led him to buy established companies instead of starting from scratch Watch the full episode to hear Dale’s journey from the NHL to business ownership.

  8. 14 Jul

    From an Illegal Apartment Cake Shop to Winnipeg's Most Famous Bakery

    Jenna was studying to become a dentist when she watched an episode of Cake Boss and decided to make a cake just for fun. She made it in the tiny apartment she shared with her twin sister Ashley. She was hooked right away. Then a competitor called the city on her. That push forced her to turn a hobby into a real business. Today Jenna and Ashley run Jenna Rae Cakes: 4 locations and around 40 employees, heading into their 12th yearGrew from Jenna's solo custom cake business into a full lifestyle brand with two national bestselling cookbooksPlus their Dazzle Dust edible glitter and Liquid Flavours product linesJenna stepped away from a path toward dentistry and a hockey career at the University of Manitoba to chase cakesAshley is a graphic designer who built the logo, website and visual brand and was named a 2025 WXN Top 100 Award winnerFeatured as judges on Wall of Bakers on Food NetworkHave collaborated with brands like Coach, Mercedes-Benz and Smirnoff Ice, partnered with Loacker for its 100th anniversary, and worked as food stylists on a Hallmark movie

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About

Careers Under Construction keeps it real—sharing personal stories of grit, growth and how to build meaningful careers from the ground up. Host Justis Pederson sits down with leaders who open up about the wins, the struggles and the lessons that shaped their success. Produced in our professional studio in Winnipeg, Manitoba, you can watch or listen on Spotify, Apple and YouTube. Build with us. Powered By: The Pederson Group (TPG)

Information

  • Creator
    The Pederson Group
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Pederson Group
  • Show Website
    Careers Under Construction

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