PARLAY Podcast Hosted by Kelly McGuire

 Walt Bleser isn't one for titles, although he has a few - President, CEO, athlete, but the most important to him are father, husband, leader, and survivor. A few years ago, Walt narrowly avoided an almost always fatal type of heart attack called the “widow maker” – he was a competitive cyclist and barely into his 40s at the time. Walt was also Type A, in a demanding job with an equally matched travel schedule, and had just welcomed his first child. Needless to say, there were warning signs that he had been ignoring.
Throughout our conversation, Walt shares insight into some of the most pivotal moments of his life. He talks about the chip on his shoulder that pushed him from being an average student to graduating near the top of his university engineering class and onto a Master’s degree. We also dive into the concept of “false summits,” the need to constantly seek more but never feel fully fulfilled. He has pivoted and found a new pathway in his professional career, while also finding ways to serve the community in his personal life. Walt is open and honest, humble and changed. Please join us for this conversation; there are so many valuable takeaways.

Sometimes the most brilliant ideas originate from the most unlikely places. This happens to be the case with B Yoga, or the B Mat to be precise.  A long-time lover of yoga after discovering the practice while obtaining her MBA in Australia, Andrea had spent several years in marketing and business development before joining her family’s fifth generation manufacturing and technology business.  A chance encounter with product they were reviewing ignited a spark that led to that start of B Yoga, and eventually the addition of Half Moon.
 Throughout our conversation, Andrea’s purpose and intention were omnipresent.  From navigating roles within her family’s company, to leaving parties early to work on her business plan for B Yoga, her focus and work ethic have been steadfast.  As yoga and her new endeavour came more into focus, Andrea also started building another family – her own.  This has also come with joys and challenges, specifically their eldest daughter’s diagnosis of William’s Syndrome, which Andrea speaks to so honestly and openly.
 There are so many facets to this conversation that I absolutely adore.  Andrea is so solid in the foundation of who she is and what B Yoga and Half Moon stand for.  She is not afraid to dive deep on issues that many companies shy away from, and is fueled by “fulfilling her vision of inspiring all individuals to live their truth.”
 
You can learn more about Andrea, B Yoga, and Half Moon by following them on social media, and  checking out the links below:
@ byoganow
@ shophalfmoon
@ beingandreamckay
 
www.byoganow.com
www.shophalfmoon.ca

For a woman who “…never thought I would be an entrepreneur – ever!” Kristi Stuart has most definitely proved herself wrong several times over.  A competitive dancer as a child, Kristi had planned to travel the world dancing on cruise ships until a car accident majorly altered her course.
Fast forward to a degree in molecular biology and biochemistry, a successful career in pharmaceutical sales, marriage, and motherhood, which leads to Barre Belle Studios's creation.  “Lightening in a bottle” is how Kristi describes it as she vulnerably shares the highs and pandemic-induced lows of building a wildly successful, female-owned and operated national fitness studio brand.  Openly and honestly, Kristi speaks to the emotional, spiritual, physical, and financial trauma of the fallout.
Not one to be kept down, and frankly also recognizing that she needed a new revenue stream, Kristi turned back to her love of science, health and connecting with women to launch not one but two new businesses – Blueprint by Kristi and Inner Wellth Supplements.
Join Kristi and me as she shares not only her entrepreneurial journey but her personal one as well.  She is honest and raw, passionate and determined.  I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this conversation; I hope you do too.


For full show notes and links, please visit www.parlaypodcast.com 

After immigrating to Canada, via Fiji and Australia, Saawan Logan quickly fell in love with the land and an idea started to percolate after drinking from a natural spring during a hike.  That idea is now North Water, a Canadian company bringing fresh, clean, alkaline spring water to the rest of the country, as well as a message of sustainability and responsibility.  Going “all in” just prior to the start of the pandemic, Saawan shares a refreshingly positive account of how they not only weathered the storm but found unique opportunities and built strong local relationships to help drive growth.
This conversation is about so much more than bottled water.  It is about immigration and finding roots, creating a company with the hopes of leaving a legacy, being David in a field of Goliath’s, and it is about helping shape a world where the value of ideas trumps who brought them to the table.   This was such a great conversation to close out Season three, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

For more information on Saawan and North Water, please visit the Parlay website at parlaypodcast.com

Ginny Barker is an East Coast girl, living in a Western Canadian world who is simultaneously killing it in the corporate communications world while pursuing her passion of becoming a certified Herbalist.  Growing up on an organic farm in small-town New Brunswick, Ginny didn’t realise how much of an impact this would have on her.  She left for the beckoning “city lights” and has built a successful career in advertising and corporate communications.  Like many of us, Covid brought several things to the surface, and Ginny found herself being drawn back to elements of her childhood, namely nature, and plants.  
Enter Erb Apothecary, the company Ginny created while taking her certified herbalist designation.  Fun, cheeky, and informative, Erb is, “A modern FARMacy boosting your wellness, detoxing your medicine cabinets and helping you GLOW like you were meant to.”  Sometimes we do not need to do a complete pivot to find fulfillment.  Ginny speaks to how having one foot in the corporate world, and one in the garden so to speak, combine to fill her cup.  Fun, cheeky, and an excellent communicator (duh), Ginny’s passion for work and play shines through as she shares her journey with PARLAY.

For more information on this episode, please visit www.parlaypodcast.com 

This episode has been in the making since essentially before the podcast began.  My dear friend, Adam Hoffman, is President of Vesta Wealth Partners Ltd., a single-family office, and an Investment Fund Manager democratizing access to private equity.  Based in Calgary, his mission is to empower entrepreneurial families to thrive for generations.
We sit down to discuss many things, but mainly his passion for finding your purpose.  With interests in business, law, tax law to be exact, and a fierce love of entrepreneurship, Adam possesses an unquenchable thirst for deeper self-knowledge.   He has spent years dedicating his time and resources, to understanding his passions and strengths, while continuously working to forge his authentic path.  Adam is ardent about helping people find their purpose and is an incredibly insightful individual.  This conversation is for anyone questioning their next step.

For more detail visit www.parlaypodcast.com/episodes