CREATE - The Podcast

Mark Kondrat - Entrepreneur & Podcast Host
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CREATE - The Podcast is all about sharing uplifting stories of creative people - entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, community leaders and more. Episodes release every Wednesday!

  1. Andrew Gass: Chef by Trade, Brewer by Passion, Competitor at Heart | CREATE - The Podcast

    2D AGO

    Andrew Gass: Chef by Trade, Brewer by Passion, Competitor at Heart | CREATE - The Podcast

    Andrew Gass is a chef with more than 35 years of experience around the globe.  He’s worked everywhere from Walt Disney World Resorts to elite international hockey tournaments - earning two gold medals as Team Canada’s chef at the World Junior Championships in Sweden and the Czech Republic.  A graduate of the Olds College Brew Master program (with distinction) - Andrew is now the co-owner of Vaycay Brew Co, combining his culinary and brewing passions.   Today, we’re going to talk about personal growth and what it really takes to build excellence over decades. Guest: Andrew Gass: Instagram VayCay Brew Co: Instagram Host: Mark Kondrat: Instagram | LinkedIn CREATE - The Podcast:  Instagram | TikTok | Website

    56 min
  2. Dillon Stecyk: Creating Aroabora - Banff’s Mountain Music Festival | CREATE - The Podcast

    FEB 4

    Dillon Stecyk: Creating Aroabora - Banff’s Mountain Music Festival | CREATE - The Podcast

    Dillon Stecyk, COO of The Apres Collective, is a creative entrepreneur and one of the driving forces behind the Aroabora Music Festival in Banff - a unique, mountain-set celebration that blends music, nature, and human connection. With a background rooted in events, culture, and collaboration, Dillon has helped shape Aroabora into an experience that brings people together and reminds them what music feels like when it’s intentional and intimate.  Dillon brings a refreshingly honest take on building creative projects with friends, navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, and staying grounded while building something meaningful. In this conversation, Dillon shares the behind-the-scenes realities of festival creation and why community - not scale - is the real measure of success. Guest:  Dillon Stecyk - COO of ABF & Apres Collective: Instagram | LinkedIn ABF: Instagram | WebsiteAroabora Music Festival: Instagram | WebsiteHost: Mark Kondrat: Instagram | LinkedIn CREATE - The Podcast:  Instagram | TikTok | Website

    48 min
  3. Tasha Swiderski: Creating a Healthier, More Intentional Life | CREATE - The Podcast

    JAN 28

    Tasha Swiderski: Creating a Healthier, More Intentional Life | CREATE - The Podcast

    Tasha Swiderski is a wife, mom of three, and wellness advocate shaped by resilience, faith, and intentional living. After navigating cancer, Lyme disease, and Desmoid tumors, her health journey became a catalyst for change - shifting her focus from survival to helping others live healthier lives. Guided by her faith, Tasha believes in turning pain into purpose and learning to listen to the body. Through her work with Hugh & Grace, she helps people simplify wellness by reducing toxic load, supporting hormone health, and building sustainable daily habits that fit real life. At her core, Tasha’s story is about curiosity, courage, and choosing growth - even when the path isn’t clear.  Guest:  Tasha Swiderski: Instagram Host: Mark Kondrat: Instagram | LinkedIn CREATE - The Podcast:  Instagram | TikTok | Website

    1h 7m
  4. Michael Noble: A Lifetime at the Table | CREATE - The Podcast

    JAN 21

    Michael Noble: A Lifetime at the Table | CREATE - The Podcast

    Michael Noble is one of Canada’s most respected culinary leaders, with over 46 years in the kitchen and a legacy built on excellence, resilience, and mentorship. A competitor on the world stage, Michael has represented Canada in multiple international culinary competitions and remains the only Canadian chef to ever compete on Iron Chef Japan, battling Masaharu Morimoto in front of millions of viewers. Today, Michael is the Chef/Proprietor of NOtaBLE and The Nash, two cornerstone restaurants that have helped shape Calgary’s dining scene for more than a decade. While his accolades are impressive, Michael is most proud of the people he’s mentored and the teams he’s built along the way. Grounded, curious, and deeply passionate about hospitality, Michael continues to evolve—proving that longevity in this industry is built on people, purpose, and an enduring love for the craft. Guest:  Michael Noble - Chef & ProprietorNotable - The Steakhouse: Instagram | WebsiteThe Nash Restaurant and OffCut Bar: Instagram | WebsiteHost: Mark Kondrat: Instagram | LinkedIn CREATE - The Podcast:  Instagram | TikTok | Website

    1h 9m
  5. Stephane Prevost: Refinement Through Simplicity | CREATE - The Podcast

    JAN 14

    Stephane Prevost: Refinement Through Simplicity | CREATE - The Podcast

    Stephane Prevost is a self-taught chef and restaurateur who has helped shape the Banff dining scene for more than two decades. His journey into hospitality began unexpectedly after studying film in Montreal and landing in Banff in 1980 - a moment that set the course for a life built around food, people, and place. Deeply influenced by nearly six years living in Japan, Stephane’s philosophy centers on refinement through simplicity and the belief that restaurants should serve as social hubs for their communities. As managing partner behind Block Kitchen + Bar and Shoku Izakaya, he continues to create spaces rooted in connection, optimism, and shared experience. In this episode, Stephane reflects on his unconventional path, the realities of building restaurants, and what continues to inspire him after decades at the table. Guest: Stephane Prevost - Restauranteur & ChefBlock Banff: Instagram | WebsiteShoku Banff :Instagram | WebsiteHost: Mark Kondrat: Instagram | LinkedIn CREATE - The Podcast:  Instagram | TikTok | Website

    1h 11m
  6. Fueling Life: Jason Zaran on Health, Business, and Choosing the Hard Path | CREATE - The Podcast

    JAN 8

    Fueling Life: Jason Zaran on Health, Business, and Choosing the Hard Path | CREATE - The Podcast

    Jason Zaran is the President of Fit Kitchen and a pioneer in Calgary’s healthy, convenient food movement. After more than 20 years in the consumer packaged goods industry, Jason left corporate life at 42 to pursue entrepreneurship - launching The Main Dish and later founding Fit Kitchen, Alberta’s first meal prep company. In this conversation, Jason shares what it takes to build and scale a food business in a tough industry, how fitness and competition shape his leadership style, and why you should never stop learning. From family-run entrepreneurship to physical challenges and long-term vision, this episode explores how discipline, purpose, and risk-taking fuel both business and life. Guest: Jason Zaran: Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | WebsiteHost: Mark Kondrat: Instagram | LinkedIn CREATE - The Podcast:  Instagram | TikTok | Website

    1h 4m
  7. Blueprint Your Synchronicity with Dillon Stecyk | CREATE - The Podcast

    12/31/2025

    Blueprint Your Synchronicity with Dillon Stecyk | CREATE - The Podcast

    Dillon Stecyk is the COO of APRÈS Beverage Festivals, an entrepreneur, and a consciousness coach who bridges two worlds: large-scale festivals and deep synchronistic transformation. As the operational force behind some of Western Canada’s most iconic events - Dillon has spent over a decade creating spaces where people connect through music, food, beverage & celebration. Behind the scenes, his personal journey has been devoted to understanding alignment, synchronicity, and what it means to live authentically in a world that often pulls us out of ourselves. After life-altering experiences traveling, lucid dreaming, and witnessing reality respond to his thoughts in uncanny ways, Dillon became fascinated with how our inner world shapes our outer world. His work now blends ancient wisdom with practical structure, offering a “progressive overload for consciousness” approach—helping people align their energy, strengthen their intuition, and design lives that feel meaningful, sovereign, and creatively powerful. Today, Dillon helps high-achievers, founders, creatives, and curious seekers integrate spirituality without abandoning their careers, identities, or modern lives. His philosophy is simple: when you’re aligned, the world responds. This podcast explores the intersection of: Synchronicity, intuition & reality designAuthenticity and the energetic mechanics of creationSpiritual growth without giving up success, ambition, or joyThe human experience—from festival floors to float tanksIf you’ve ever felt like there’s more to life than what you’ve been told, Dillon is here to help you bring that “more” into the real world. Interviewed on the Kid Carson Podcast: Kid Carson: Instagram | LinkedIn | WebsiteContact: business.kidcarson@icloud.comFeatured on CREATE - The Podcast: Dillon Stecyk: Instagram | LinkedIn CREATE - The Podcast:  Instagram | TikTok | Website

    1h 22m
  8. Behind the Festival: Chris Schoengut’s Journey of Creativity & Change | CREATE - The Podcast

    12/24/2025

    Behind the Festival: Chris Schoengut’s Journey of Creativity & Change | CREATE - The Podcast

    Chris Schoengut has spent nearly 20 years shaping some of Western Canada’s biggest live experiences—from grassroots events to major festivals like the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival, where he served as Director of Brand & Partnerships. Now, after two decades in the industry, Chris is stepping into a new chapter—one driven by balance, purpose, and fatherhood. A long-time community supporter and proud dad, he’s rethinking what creativity and impact look like in this next season of life. In this episode, Chris reflects on burnout, reinvention, and the power of building moments that truly bring people together. Guest: Chris Schoengut: Instagram | LinkedInHost: Mark Kondrat: Instagram | LinkedIn CREATE - The Podcast:  Instagram | TikTok | Website

    51 min
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About

CREATE - The Podcast is all about sharing uplifting stories of creative people - entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, community leaders and more. Episodes release every Wednesday!

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Kondrat - Entrepreneur & Podcast Host
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    160
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 CREATE - The Podcast
  • Show Website
    CREATE - The Podcast