86 - Tony Spoletini & Friends (Spolumbo's)

Tony Spoletini is the co-founder of Spolumb’s Fine Foods and a former CFL football player.  Today I sat down with Tony and his friends -  Daniel Plenzik (owner of Bridgeland Distillery) and Gerry Forbes (Canadian Radio Icon) to joke about old times and the importance of building community.

My job for the podcast was to “thread the needle” through all of the stories that I knew would be flowing back and forth from Tony and Gerry.  They talked about how the two of them met and some of the outrageous things they did on Gerry’s morning radio show back in the day - most of which would never be allowed on the radio in today’s world.  Daniel talked about how he started Bridgeland Distillery and the unique niche that they’ve created within the distilling industry.  A unique collaboration between Spolumbo’s and Bridgeland Distillery is what brought Tony and Daniel together - and they share the story of how that unfolded.  

In the end this podcast is about community - Gerry and Tony have built their careers and reputations on helping to build a strong sense of community in Calgary.  Hearing how they connected with Daniel and seeing what they are doing to support his local distillery showed me that they are continuing the community-building process.  As business owners, the three of them also shared ideas on how we can continue to strengthen our community - especially in the tough times we find ourselves in.

I hope that you enjoy this surprisingly interesting conversation.

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The Kondrat Podcast: website | facebook

Alberta Beer Festivals: website | twitter | instagram

Tony Spoletini - Spolumbo’s Fine Food & Deli: website | twitter | instagram | facebook | 

Daniel Plenzik - Bridgeland Distillery: website | instagram | facebook 

Gerry Forbes: twitter | instagram | facebook