Table Talk with ABFI

ABFI
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

Table Talk with ABFI Host: Matt Knight, Executive Director of Alberta Business Family Institute Dive into the world of family businesses with "Table Talk with ABFI." Hosted by Matt Knight, this unscripted podcast spotlights Alberta's entrepreneurial families and we'll talk about many aspects including: -Origins & Evolution: Discover the foundation of family enterprises and their transformative journeys. -Personal Triumphs: Hear heartfelt stories of individual ambition and resilience. -Family Dynamics: Navigate the intricate interplay of relationships, transitions, and generational handovers. -Growth & Motivation: Uncover breakthrough moments and strategies propelling these businesses forward. Join the conversation and be inspired by tales of tenacity, innovation, and family legacy.

  1. 1d ago

    Renaming What Dad Built: Where Legacy Really Lives with Liam Murphy (Innoflo Solutions) and Dania Spillett Baron (Incite)

    How do you navigate change and rebranding while honouring what your family built from the ground up? In January 2025, Fireball Equipment, an Edmonton fluid management company Joe Murphy founded in 1993, relaunched as Innoflo Solutions. What almost nobody knows is that the project didn't start as a rebrand at all.  In Episode 26 of ABFI Table Talk, host Matt Knight sits down with two guests who lived the story from opposite sides of the table. The first is Liam Murphy, Innoflo's second-generation President and CEO. The second is Dania Spillett Baron, a Partner at Incite, the Edmonton strategy firm that walked alongside him through the multi-year process. Liam grew up in the business his dad built from a one-man oil-heating operation into a Western Canadian leader in fuel and lubrication systems. Today, over 100 employees serve Canada's largest oil sands and mining operations and help manage close to a billion litres of fuel a year. He took over leadership from Joe in 2019, in a year that brought record revenue, cultural strain, and a global pandemic. Dania entered when the question on the table wasn't "what should we name this?" but "we have two very different divisions – should we be one brand or two?" The conversation digs into what it takes to rename something your father named: how a founder still on the board was brought along, and why customer feedback surprised everyone. This episode explores what it means to make space for grief, even when change is for the better – like retiring a loved brand. It also challenges us to rethink legacy, revealing that it's not just a logo that lasts, but the values, relationships, and impact we leave behind.  For next-generation leaders itching to put their own mark on the family business — and the advisors who guide them — this episode is a candid map of the years of work that build a new name. Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca/, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/. Learn more about Innoflo Solutions at https://innoflo.com/ and Incite at https://incitestrategy.ca/. This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

  2. Jul 14

    Two Family Businesses, One Marriage: Sean LeLacheur and Milica Mrdjenovich

    What happens when two next-generation family business leaders marry each other and try to lead both family businesses at the same time? In Episode 25 of ABFI Table Talk, host Matt Knight sits down with Sean LeLacheur and Milica Mrdjenovich, a husband-and-wife duo, each running a separate family enterprise. Sean is President and CEO of Western Moving Solutions and Matco Moving Solutions, the fourth generation of a moving and logistics business that traces back to 1906, which his father, Ted, restarted in 1995, and now spans six locations and more than 200 employees. He last appeared on Table Talk in EP22 alongside Ted. This time, he's sitting across from his wife. Milica "Millie" Mrdjenovich is VP Brand & Marketing at Nova Hotels, the Edmonton-based hotel group founded by her father Mike, who started Nova Construction in 1976 and pivoted to hospitality in 2000. Today, the group runs 14 hotels with nearly 2,000 rooms and over 750 employees, and Millie works alongside her sister, Alexa Mrdjenovich, Nova Hotels' CEO. The conversation digs into what married life actually looks like inside two separate family enterprises: how decisions get made when both partners are owners-operators, why "balance" is the wrong framing for the way they live, what they've learned from each other's family dynamics – Sean's smaller, quieter only-child upbringing versus Millie's large, loud, "Eastern European fiery" family of seven – and what they're modelling for their young kids, including their stance on no free passes into either business. For anyone in a family enterprise raising the next generation, marrying into a family business, or wondering how two careers in two enterprises can fit under one roof, this episode offers a rare, candid look at the marriage and partnership that makes it sustainable. Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca/, connect with Matt Knight at [matt.knight@ualberta.ca](mailto:matt.knight@ualberta.ca) or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/. Learn more about Matco Moving Solutions at https://matco.ca/ and Nova Hotels at https://novahotels.ca/ This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

  3. May 26

    Two Families, One Roof: Ken and Bianca Barry's RGO Edmonton

    What does a family business look like from the family that didn't start the company? In Episode 24 of ABFI Table Talk, host Matt Knight sits down with father-daughter duo Ken Barry and Bianca Barry of RGO Office Products Edmonton, a family business story that doesn't fit the usual mould. In 1996, Ken left a corporate role at Steelcase Canada in Toronto, moved his young family to Edmonton on a handshake deal with RGO founder Ross Glen (Calgary), and built the Edmonton branch from scratch. Nearly 30 years later, that operation has grown to 60 employees serving Northern Alberta across workplace, healthcare, education, and government. Bianca grew up running through RGO's hallways: playing receptionist, getting hired by her dad as a "sanitary engineer", but deliberately built her career outside the business first, spending four years at Steelcase and POI in Toronto before the pandemic brought her home in early 2021. What makes this conversation especially rich is that the Barry family's first-to-second generation transition is happening alongside a second-to-third generation transition in Calgary, where Cathy Orr now leads RGO and her daughter Sarah and niece Cassandra are stepping in. Two families, two different stages, one enterprise and a founder, Ross Glen, who passed away just a year ago. Ken and Bianca dig into the impact of that loss, what it took for Bianca to earn credibility coming back as the boss's daughter, the future of work and the WorkBetterLab they helped launch in the Pendennis Building, and the small acts of intentional welcome an envelope of childhood notes left on a desk, introductions to Edmonton's women business leaders, that show what next-gen onboarding can look like. For any family business leader considering partnerships, building credibility across generations, or navigating succession in real time, this episode offers a rare conversation between two generations early in their respective transitions. Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca/, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/. Learn more about RGO Office Products at https://rgo.ca/ This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

  4. Apr 28

    Connecting the Dots: Tom McCollough's Northwood Family Office

    What do you do when you're wealthy, surrounded by specialists, but still can't get a straight answer to what your family should actually do? That frustration sparked one of Canada's most influential wealth management stories. In Episode 23 of ABFI Table Talk, host Matt Knight sits down with Tom McCollough, founder and chair of Northwood Family Office, author of three books on wealth, and often called "the godfather of family offices in Canada." After 20 years at RBC, Tom left in 2003 to build something he couldn't find as a consumer: an integrated advisor for his own family's wealth. Twenty-three years later, Northwood serves more than 100 families across the country and has effectively built the multi-family office profession in Canada. The conversation unpacks why vertical specialists — accountants, lawyers, investment managers — solve vertical problems but leave families without anyone connecting the dots. Tom lays out his "general contractor" model for integrated wealth, explains why goals should drive investments (not the other way around), and shares why he proactively stepped back from the CEO role to let Northwood's next generation lead.  This episode matters for any family navigating wealth, succession, or the search for trusted advice. Tom offers frameworks Canadian business families and advisors can put to work tomorrow and a candid look at how the family office landscape is changing and where it's headed next. Tune in to hear how one frustrated consumer kickstarted an industry in Canada, and what that means for your family. Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca/, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/. Learn more about Northwood Family Office at https://www.northwoodfamilyoffice.com/. This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

  5. Apr 1

    Buying the Big Fish: Ted and Sean LeLacheur on Risk, Legacy, and Four Generations

    Ted and Sean LeLacheur join Matt Knight for a rare father-and-son conversation about leading a fourth-generation family business that has been moving Canadians across western Canada since 1906. Ted shares the story of restarting Western Moving from an empty warehouse in 1995 and the relationships that helped rebuild the company from scratch. Sean reflects on leaving to try his own ventures before returning to the business and eventually leading the acquisition of a competitor three times their size. Together they discuss generational leadership, navigating risk differently across eras, the evolving role of technology and AI in logistics, and why the moving industry will always remain a people business. This episode is a candid look at succession, entrepreneurship, and what it takes for each generation to reimagine a family enterprise while staying true to the values that built it. Learn more about ABFI at ww.abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

  6. Mar 17

    Learning from Beau's Brewery: Steve Beauchesne on Family Business and Peer Groups

    He quit his job, sold his house, and moved his young family into his parents' home to build a brewery with his dad. Beau's All Natural Brewing became one of Canada's most recognized craft beer brands — and then Steve Beauchesne and his father had to sell it. Steve joins Matt Knight for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a business with family: the governance lessons, the employee ownership plan that backfired, and the convergence of financial strain and personal tragedy that led to the sale. He also shares why those hard-won experiences now shape his work as CEO of Family Enterprise Canada and why peer groups may be the most important investment any family in business can make. Learn more about ABFI at ww.abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

  7. Mar 3

    Shawn Kanungo - AI Agents Are Here: How Leaders Should Think Bigger Now

    Innovation strategist and keynote speaker Shawn Kanungo joins Matt Knight for a candid conversation on disruption, succession, and what the AI era means for business families. Shawn shares the personal story of stepping into his late father’s accounting practice during tax season and the lessons it taught him about systems, continuity, and why succession planning matters before you think you need it.  From there, the conversation moves into the “AI paradox” in family enterprise, why trust and legacy may become the strongest moat left, and how AI agents are shifting work from planning and decks to real execution.  If you want a clear-eyed, practical, and motivating take on how leaders can use this moment to think bolder and move faster without losing their humanity, this episode is for you. Learn more about ABFI at ww.abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknightLearn more about Shawn Kanungo at https://shawnkanungo.com/ This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

  8. 2025-08-11

    Radical Love in Business: Sean Schoenberger’s Sunco Communications Journey from Cable Puller to President

    What began around a kitchen table in 2000 is now a national integrator keeping 16,000 Canadian businesses online, secure, and talking. In this Table Talk episode, host Matt Knight sits down with Sean Schoenberger, President (and former summer-student cable-runner) of Sunco Communications & Installations, to unpack a 25-year growth story powered by technology, family, and “radical love.” Sean traces Sunco’s evolution from pulling wire in local ceilings to delivering SD-WAN, SASE, cloud voice, and managed IT coast-to-coast. He credits two turning points: adopting the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in 2017 and embracing strategic acquisitions, moves that helped Sunco leap from a small crew to a 70-person, multi-city team. Sean also reflects on partnership dynamics with CEO (and cousin) Mike Schoenberger, and why clear boundaries protect both family chemistry and business momentum. Key insights include: Leadership – shifting from a “hard-D” DISC profile to collaborative, idea-driven management.Culture – embedding “radical love” so every employee feels like family, even across provinces.Technology – why VoIP’s rise rivals today’s AI wave, and how Sunco pilots new tools on itself before clients.For family-business leaders, Sean’s story offers a blueprint for balancing growth, governance, and kinship while remembering that telecom’s real job is to let customers forget it’s there. Listen in for practical takeaways on acquisitions, next-gen grooming, and setting “work stays at work” rules that stick. Time | Topic0:00 | Intro – The “sound you never see”: making business communications seamless.2:20 | Decoding telecom jargon – Sean explains SaaS, SD-WAN, SASE in plain English.5:45 | Sunco origin story – founded by uncle & cousin; Sean’s first cables at age 14.10:30 | From cabling to sales – deciding ceilings weren’t the long-term future.12:50 | The EOS “hockey-stick” – implementing Entrepreneurial Operating System (2017).18:00 | Leadership wake-up – shifting from “hard-D” directive style to idea-driven team.24:20 | Radical Love culture – open-door policy, Thursday “30 Minutes with Mike,” and volunteer days.28:45 | Tech shifts – pagers to smartphones, VoIP to AI; why experimentation starts in-house.34:10 | Acquisition strategy – Isosceles (2022) & Zayo PBX (2024) to enter new markets fast.39:30 | Work-family boundaries – strict 8–5 rule, unplugging at the lake, keeping weekends clean.44:15 | Grooming next-gen leaders – empowering employees, planning beyond current ownership.48:30 | Rapid-fire advice – set business hours, embrace collaboration, lead with heart. Learn more about ABFI at ww.abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknightLearn more about Sunco Communications at www.sunco.ca This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta. For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

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About

Table Talk with ABFI Host: Matt Knight, Executive Director of Alberta Business Family Institute Dive into the world of family businesses with "Table Talk with ABFI." Hosted by Matt Knight, this unscripted podcast spotlights Alberta's entrepreneurial families and we'll talk about many aspects including: -Origins & Evolution: Discover the foundation of family enterprises and their transformative journeys. -Personal Triumphs: Hear heartfelt stories of individual ambition and resilience. -Family Dynamics: Navigate the intricate interplay of relationships, transitions, and generational handovers. -Growth & Motivation: Uncover breakthrough moments and strategies propelling these businesses forward. Join the conversation and be inspired by tales of tenacity, innovation, and family legacy.

Information

  • Creator
    ABFI
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 ABFI