The Open House

Ben Robitaille & Richard Thompson
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The Open House is where real stories about business and life get told. Hosted by Ben Robitaille, a real estate agent in Midland, Ontario, and Richard Thompson, a local mortgage broker, the show pulls back the curtain on what entrepreneurship is really like. Each episode, we sit down with entrepreneurs from every corner of the community to hear their journeys — the wins that felt amazing, the challenges that nearly broke them, and the lessons they’ve picked up along the way. Our goal is to demystify entrepreneurship, showing that behind every success story are late nights, big risks, and plenty of real talk. But this isn’t just about business. We also dive into the balancing act of running companies while being husbands, dads of young kids, and people with hobbies, passions, and a need for fun outside of work. Along the way, we share insights from both the realtor and mortgage broker perspectives, giving listeners a front-row seat to what’s happening in the real estate market. If you’re an entrepreneur, a parent juggling it all, or someone who loves hearing honest conversations about building a life that works, The Open House is your invite inside.

  1. 5d ago

    Transform Ya - Nathan Fletcher

    Nate Fletcher spent close to 20 years on and off the wagon. About a year and a half ago, at nearly 300 pounds and struggling at work, he decided this time it would stick. Richard has known Nate for about a decade, first as a voice on Discord during late-night League of Legends games. He's watched the whole thing play out online: the motivational posts, the long disappearances, and now Transform with Nate, where Nate posts the gym days and the mornings he doesn't want to go. Nate talks about the Barrie supplement store owner who talked him out of buying things he didn't need, why motivation never lasted until he found a real reason, and how learning to forgive himself is what finally made it stick. He also shares how his team at work changed when he did, and his plan to turn it all into an online coaching business. We get into: - Why his posts disappeared every time his mental health dipped - Meeting Christian Guzman and believing in the person behind the brand - Why he doesn't want yes people on his team - Facts and feelings don't always agree - A candle business that made $2,000 on its first day, and why he walked away - Non-negotiables, protecting your time, and boundaries that filter people out - Nate coaching Ben through a 25K trail run in Belleville he hasn't trained for - Find your Oreo - What's next: a transformation competition and a possible move to Toronto - Whether the old Nate deserves credit for starting over Plus a Monday catch-up: Richard dog-sitting Doug, and Nate opening his first energy drink of the day on mic. Follow Nate's journey: Transform with Nate on Instagram and TikTok. Know someone who should be on the show? Send us their name. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:32 Monday catch-up 02:51 Meet Nate Fletcher, a friend from Richard's gaming days 07:01 Gaming, food and 20 years on and off the wagon 09:40 Posting when you're up, disappearing when you're down 11:02 Moving to Barrie and a supplement store owner who didn't upsell him 15:14 Close to 300 pounds, and the decision that stuck 17:33 Forgive yourself and keep going 20:50 Posting the days you don't want to go 23:39 Meeting Christian Guzman and believing in the person behind the brand 27:40 When the manager gets healthier, the team does too 30:57 Why he doesn't want yes people 34:11 The pitch: online coaching with Nate 39:18 Tracking, a new fitness app, and facts vs. feelings 41:13 $2,000 on day one: the candle business 44:17 Coaching Ben through a 25K he hasn't trained for 48:39 Find your Oreo: a transformation challenge and a move to Toronto 51:10 Non-negotiables and protecting your time 55:10 Boundaries filter people out, and that's okay 56:58 From ashamed to proud of himself 1:01:56 Does the old Nate get credit for starting over? 1:02:45 Gaming friends, lifelong friends and more cheerleaders 1:08:49 Ben and Richard's takeaways

  2. Nov 3

    Get'cha Head In The Game - Andrew Crome

    Mental performance coach Andrew Crome works with athletes as young as eight. He says 70% of kids quit organized sport by 13, and the pressure usually isn't coming from the game. Andrew grew up in a small town in Scotland trying every sport he could: soccer, cricket, rugby, track, swimming, and exactly two dance classes. Swimming took over. Then sport psychology classes at university showed him what he'd been missing as an athlete, so he did a master's in it. He's been coaching the mental side of sport ever since, first in Glasgow and now at Mind to Muscle in Barrie. That includes 17-year-old OHL players dealing with agents, billet families and the draft. We get into: - The problem most athletes bring him (it's usually not confidence) - Why kids look to the stands after every play, and why parents need support too - Richard's take: are child athletes the new child actors? - Norway's approach to youth sport, and the "hours per week = age" rule - What Andrew told his seven-year-old before a soccer tryout - Control the controllables, and how Ben uses it for auditions and listing appointments - Ted Lasso through a sport psychologist's eyes - His other career as a documentary family photographer in Midland, and "proof of mom" Plus: the extra slurp, Ben's two-year-old gets her first skis, and how varsity cheerleading fixed Ben's marks. Find Andrew: Photography: andrewcromephotography.com Mental performance coaching: mindtomuscle.ca Follow The Open House wherever you listen. Know someone who should be on the show? Send us their name. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:32 The extra slurp 01:21 Meet Andrew Crome 04:51 Growing up in Scotland: every sport and two dance classes 09:06 Growing up in Scotland vs. Canada 11:09 From swimmer to sport psychology, and the move to Canada 14:25 The problem most athletes bring him 16:49 Life is a performance: entrepreneurs, police and paramedics 18:37 Coaching kids as young as eight, with Lego and drawing 19:37 Pressure from parents, and who supports the parents 25:35 When the game becomes a job: OHL players at 17 28:39 Are child athletes the new child actors? 30:47 Starting too early: Norway and the hours-per-week rule 34:27 Why so many kids quit sport by 13 36:10 Ben buys his two-year-old skis 38:28 Andrew as a sports parent: "I'm scared" 44:16 His favourite part of the job 46:26 What sport gives you beyond winning 49:33 Control the controllables 51:11 Auditions, listings and what you can't control 55:37 Ted Lasso and sport psychology 59:07 How Andrew picked up a camera 1:01:52 Documentary family photography and "proof of mom" 1:05:31 Building a photography business 1:08:10 Ben and Richard's takeaways

  3. Oct 27

    Cherry Pie - Shana's Baked Goods

    Shanna Gallagher spent more than 20 years in bookkeeping before she turned a side hustle into a bakery and cafe on Highway 12 in Tay. It started with a vanilla cake with pink icing for a coworker’s birthday, and a pistachio green KitchenAid from a boss who believed in her. From there: a move north in 2016, an inspected second kitchen at home, years of farmers markets, and, about three years ago, the keys to the former Cheeky Mama space. Shanna joins Ben and Richard to talk about: Leaving a steady paycheque, and the few years she spent stuck before making the jumpTaking over a business that was already set up, and learning to run it her own wayFiguring out how much to bake when you don’t know who’s walking through the doorHandling the occasional tough customer, and why her approach is to kill them with kindnessWhy personal growth turned out to be the biggest surprise of owning a businessThe scones and the cookie her regulars won’t let her run out ofShanna is taking holiday orders now, including the Christmas sweet trays her repeat customers come back for every year. And the episode title comes from her answer to our hardest question of the day. Follow Shanna: @shanasbakedgoodsandcafe Hosts: Ben Robitaille and Richard Thompson Thanks for stopping by our open house.

  4. Oct 20

    The Sound Of Music - The Hart Space

    From Corrections to Calm: Sound Healing with Vicki Hartley Vicki Hartley spent 23 years as a correctional officer at Central North. Today she runs The Hart Space in Midland as a certified biofield tuning and sound practitioner. Richard and Ben are new to this world, so Vicki starts from the beginning: what biofield tuning is, how tuning forks interact with the energy field around the body, and what she hears and feels when she comes across stress or old trauma. Her take: it doesn’t erase the memory, but it can take the charge out of it. She also talks about how yoga became her way to cope with a high-stress job, how buying a set of crystal bowls after her dad passed during COVID turned into a daily practice, and why she worked both jobs for five years before she was ready to leave. Along the way: the gong, the shruti box, the sounds of Georgian Bay, a free practice anyone can do with their own voice, and why social media is her least favourite part of running a business. Stay to the end for a live gong outro, plus news on Ben and Richard hosting the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce business awards. Find Vicki Website: thehartspace.ca Instagram: @thehartspace Upcoming sound meditations: November 1 at No Borders Fitness and November 4 at SoulSet Studio

  5. Oct 13

    Pinball Wizard - Event Horizon Hobbies

    Season two of The Open House kicks off with Sarah and Chris of Event Horizon Hobbies, the Midland game store built on a simple idea: everyone is a nerd about something. Their first store, in Toronto, closed. They moved back to Penetang and spent years at Waypoint, the banks and a property management company. Then a backyard barbecue during COVID turned into a plan to try again. This time they studied why so many hobby shops close within a few years and built the opposite: a store that has to be "first dateable," aisles that get nerdier the deeper you go, and staff trained to cheerlead whatever you're into, even if they've never heard of it. We get into: - Building a third space - A corporate team building night where everyone tried to take out their boss - How to start D&D when you have no idea what you're doing - The tavern-style D&D room coming to the store - Raising three boys in a toy store - Why they'll never sell video games Plus a summer catch-up: Ben's trip to Portugal with a two-year-old, a 56K finish line, and almost $1,800 raised for Campfire Circle. And some news of our own: we've moved into a shared office at Route 93 in downtown Midland. D&D drop-in is Thursdays at 6:30. Find Event Horizon Hobbies at eventhorizonhobbies.com Know someone who should be on the show? Send us their name. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:32 Season two kickoff and summer catch-up 03:08 Meet Sarah and Chris from Event Horizon Hobbies 04:56 "We should be doing more": filtering the noise as a business owner 10:08 Penetang, Toronto, and their first store 15:34 COVID, a backyard barbecue, and starting again 17:33 Why so many hobby shops fail 20:35 Training staff to cheerlead your choices 24:15 Building a third place 29:10 Is it first dateable? How the store is laid out 34:39 Events, birthday parties and corporate team building 37:39 D&D for complete beginners 49:48 Thursday drop-ins and a tavern-themed D&D room 51:25 Growing up in a game store 56:09 The bunker question: one game for the apocalypse 58:07 Why they'll never sell video games 1:01:48 "So you are a gamer": sharing games with your kids 1:04:45 Keeping competition friendly 1:08:12 The real win in business 1:10:37 Our new office at Route 93

  6. Jul 1

    Graduation - Ben & Richard

    Season one comes to a close. Thirty episodes in, and roughly 44 percent of podcasts never make it past three, so Ben and Richard take a minute to sit with that. No guest this time. Just the two of them looking back at the year: what they took from every person who sat down with them, why this town keeps surprising them, and how a show they figured might reach ten episodes turned into a weekly habit they both look forward to. Along the way, Richard's wife Emily joining his mortgage business, the case for getting people on record while you still can, a couple of business ideas that got away from them, Ben's pitch for why YouTube is a sleeping giant, and the $1,000 this show helped raise for Campfire Circle. There is some talk of death. There is some talk of hockey. There is a 100 mile race Ben finally says out loud. Season two starts in September. Send us the names of people who should be on it.

  7. Jun 26

    Seasons of Love - Lori-Ann Clancy

    FROZEN TIX: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/midlandculturalcentre/2232657 Ben's Pain For A Good Cause: https://support.campfirecircle.org/diy/bens-pain-for-a-good-cause This week on The Open House Podcast, we're joined by the incredible Lori-Ann "Clants" Clancy, founder of the Georgian Bay Musical Theatre Company and a beloved educator who spent decades inspiring students across our community. From growing up in Oshawa and finding her way to Midland through a chance encounter at a teacher recruitment fair, to building one of the region's most successful community theatre organizations, Lori-Ann's story is full of passion, perseverance, and purpose. We talk about her teaching career, coaching basketball, the power of making young people feel seen and heard, and how a simple conversation inside the Midland Cultural Centre eventually led to the creation of GBMTC. Lori-Ann also shares behind-the-scenes stories from launching the company, surviving the challenges of community theatre, and bringing productions like Frozen to life. Along the way, we dive into favourite musicals, the magic of live performance, small-town community building, and why the relationships you create often matter more than the show itself. Whether you're a theatre lover, educator, parent, volunteer, or someone looking for a reminder of what happens when passionate people invest in their community, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

  8. Jun 16

    Therapy - We Are Resilient (Hope Adams)

    Link the Ben's Fundraiser: https://support.campfirecircle.org/diy/bens-pain-for-a-good-cause This week on The Open House Podcast, we sit down with Hope Adams, founder of We Are Resilient, registered social service worker, performer, and passionate mental health advocate. Hope shares her deeply personal journey through anxiety, depression, grief, hospitalization, and the challenges of navigating mental health as a teenager. From losing a close friend to suicide, to finding purpose through theatre, counselling, and community, Hope opens up about the experiences that shaped her path and inspired her mission to make mental health support more accessible. We also discuss coping mechanisms, social anxiety, self compassion, therapy, resilience, substance use, the realities of growing up in today's social media world, and why community is often one of the most powerful tools for healing. This is an honest, vulnerable conversation about what it means to struggle, recover, and keep moving forward. If you've ever felt alone, overwhelmed, or wondered whether things can get better, this episode is for you. The Open House Podcast is hosted by Ben Robitaille and Richard Thompson and features conversations with local entrepreneurs, community leaders, and fascinating people from across Simcoe County and beyond.

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About

The Open House is where real stories about business and life get told. Hosted by Ben Robitaille, a real estate agent in Midland, Ontario, and Richard Thompson, a local mortgage broker, the show pulls back the curtain on what entrepreneurship is really like. Each episode, we sit down with entrepreneurs from every corner of the community to hear their journeys — the wins that felt amazing, the challenges that nearly broke them, and the lessons they’ve picked up along the way. Our goal is to demystify entrepreneurship, showing that behind every success story are late nights, big risks, and plenty of real talk. But this isn’t just about business. We also dive into the balancing act of running companies while being husbands, dads of young kids, and people with hobbies, passions, and a need for fun outside of work. Along the way, we share insights from both the realtor and mortgage broker perspectives, giving listeners a front-row seat to what’s happening in the real estate market. If you’re an entrepreneur, a parent juggling it all, or someone who loves hearing honest conversations about building a life that works, The Open House is your invite inside.

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Robitaille & Richard Thompson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ben Robitaille & Richard Thompson
  • Show Website
    The Open House