Perseverance and Hope holds up Canada’s small businesses sector. Just keep trying and don't give up, that was the refrain from small business owners the first time we met them, mid-pandemic, holding on by grit alone. Years later, we're checking back in. What we found is a country still working hard just to stay in place: costs climbing, hiring stalled, and yet against a backdrop of tariffs and economic drift a stubborn, clear-eyed optimism that refuses to quit. In this episode, host Linda Freeman reconnects with Rosa Matice, who took over a small-town Saskatchewan pub the same year the world shut down, and with Jessica Jeboult, whose sober-living coaching business scaled fast through the pandemic and who, in the middle of testing her new app, lost her mother without warning. Economist David Williams of the Business Council of British Columbia breaks down what's actually driving the pressure on small business: the end of three economic booms, new tariff shocks, and what's left in Canada's own control.Nearly two-thirds of small businesses expect a cost-related obstacle in the next three months, and profitability outlooks haven't budged in a year. But 65% still say they're optimistic about what's ahead. This episode is about what sits underneath that number. In this episode: Rosa Matice on five more years behind the bar at KG Bar and Grill, and what's changed since the pandemicJessica Jeboult on scaling a coaching business overnight, training five coaches to carry her process, and losing her mother mid-pivotEconomist David Williams on GDP per capita, the end of Canada's "three booms," and the real cost of U.S. tariffs on Canadian businessDavid Williams on grit, social capital, and why he's cautiously hopeful about Canada's directionThe Host Linda Freeman brings decades of broadcast experience to every conversation, having hosted morning shows across both radio and television throughout her career. Known for her warmth, humor, and genuine curiosity, she has a gift for putting guests at ease and drawing out the stories of the people shaping this country. Always well-researched and professional, Linda's interviews feel less like Q&As and more like real conversations.The Guests David Williams is Vice President of Policy with the Business Council of British Columbia, where he brings extensive international experience in policy advising, research, and teaching, with particular expertise in macroeconomics, productivity, monetary policy, housing and mortgage markets, business surveys, tax reform, and transport policy. He holds a DPhil and MPhil in Economics from Oxford University, and is past president of the Association of Professional Economists of British Columbia and a past national director of the Canadian Association of Business Economics. Jessica Jeboult is the founder of A Sober Girls Guide and the Best Day app, and author of Save Your Own Damn Life. A former DJ and addiction survivor, she has spent nine-plus years in recovery and built a coaching community serving women worldwide before pivoting to a preventative, app-based approach to habit and craving support. The BusinessesKG Bar and Grill A Sober Girls Guide and Best Day App The Team Host, Producer & Writer: Linda Freeman (Rourke) Showrunner: Kat Cullen Sound Engineer/Producer: John Masecar Executive Producer: Jennifer Smith Production Support: Eric Chapman Video Producer: Jordan Wong References Statistics Canada — Canadian Survey on Business Conditions Entrepreneur Mental Health Survey - Business Development Bank of Canada CTV News Small Business
