The Explore84 Podcast
326 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 12 hours ago -EXPLORE84 is a community founded on empowering those on their journey to their highest selves. By focusing on the three pillars of health – mind, body, and soul – EXPLORE84 aims to create a supportive environment for personal growth and transformation.
The EXPLORE84 Podcast serves as a platform for inspiring conversations, where experts and community members share insights, experiences, and strategies for achieving balance in all aspects of life. From mental resilience and physical fitness to spiritual nourishment, EXPLORE84 explores the intersections and importance of these vital elements.
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Episodes
26 - Doug Checknita
September 10, 2019 07:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBThis week we sit down with Head Brewer of Blind Enthusiasm's Monolith, Doug Checknita. At only 27 years old Doug is a highly accomplished brewer despite being a relatively new player in the industry, and his work at Blind Enthusiasm's huge, menacing Monolith brewing facility is unique not just for Alberta, but for the entire continent. Doug grew up in a DIY household full of “doers.” With a third birthday present of a bucket of nails, a bucket of scrap wood, and a set of real tools Doug wou...
25 - Don McDonald
September 02, 2019 07:00 - 48 minutes - 33.3 MBThis week we sat down on at the original Edmonton location of Brewsters with Don Mcdonald, a 23 year Brewsters veteran and their Director of Sales. Don is a true lover of the industry and beer in general, and says “I can go to anything if there’s going to be beer.” He’s been going to Brewsters for over two decades, not just because of their great beer but the great relationships he’s built with the staff and with the guests and clientele in his many positions at the classic Alberta brewpubs...
24 - Chad Hason
August 27, 2019 07:00 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MBThis week we chat with Chad Hason, owner of Hason Haynes Woods and Candid Marcom. He and his partners in the firm have known each other since childhood, and the combination of Chad’s expertise in marketing strategy along with their design and production studio made for a perfect combination. Together they’ve worked with companies such as Lamlee’s and New Leaf Cannabis. Chad previously had a career as a restaurant opener, which he assures Mark is not a term he made up himself. His role was t...
23 - Charlie Bredo, Bud Kelly
August 20, 2019 07:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBMonks have a tradition of brewing beer, and Red Deer’s Troubled Monk wanted to bring that tradition into the present. Troubled by the perfection of the beer they produce, our guests this week are Troubled Monk co-founder Charlie Bredo and head of sales Bud Kelly. Just a year after pouring their first pint in 2015 Troubled Monk won the silver medal at the 2016 Wold Beer Cup in Philadelphia for their Open Road Brown Ale, a huge achievement for any brewery, and especially for one as new as the...
22 - Kevin Wood
August 13, 2019 06:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBToday we sit down with Kevin Wood, the Owner and Brewer at Red Deer’s Something Brewing and Drummond Brewing. Kevin is an Alberta craft beer original having incorporated in April of 2004, and being situated right in the rivalry neutral zone between Edmonton and Calgary allows him to focus strictly on more beer and better beer. Kevin’s presence in Alberta’s liquor industry was cemented long before reviving the Drummond Brewing name and participating in Mark’s first ever Alberta Beer Festival...
21 - Hans Doef, Matt Willerton
August 06, 2019 07:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBThis week on Let’s Meet For A Beer are Hans Does and Matt Willerton of Lacombe’s Blindman Brewing. Join us for a conversation about their history, their families, and their passions, which just like Blindman Brewing’s beer, we are confident you will find reliably exciting. Blindman Brewing in Lacombe, Alberta was founded with a simple mission: bringing Alberta to another level in craft beer, and getting the best beer to the people. Hans was home brewing early test batches for Blindman all t...
20 - Blaine Penny
July 30, 2019 07:00 - 44 minutes - 30.4 MBThis week’s guest has a reputation that precedes him, and has been mentioned as a source of inspiration for previous guests on the podcast. Today we welcome Blaine Penny, President and CEO of the MitoCanada Foundation. MitoCanada is Canada’s first and only registered charity focusing on mitochondrial disease. The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, and when affected by genetic disorders our cells no longer properly produce energy at the cellular level. Blaine’s son Evan was diagnose...
19 - Brodie Thomas
July 23, 2019 07:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBThis week we sit down with Brodie Thomas, founder of Calgary’s Uncommon Cider. We discuss the origins of his love for cider, his time living in the UK, and the importance of asking for help. As Alberta’s craft beer industry continues to boom, Brodie plays a huge part in paving the way for craft cider in a province we don’t typically think of for apple orchards. His fascination with ciders began during a 5 year stint living in the UK, where he was able to enjoy a variety of cider very differ...
18 - Bob Sutton
July 16, 2019 07:00 - 47 minutes - 32.5 MB“Hops without malt just makes tea.” This week’s guest is Bob Sutton, better known as Barley Bob: The Brewer’s Friend, Bob is VP of Sales for RAHR Malting Co, the source of much of the barley malt for Alberta’s growing graft beer industry. Bob grew up in a military household, and while he had intended to follow in his father’s footsteps he and the military had to part ways just after basic training, which Bob describes as his favourite failure. As Bob tells us, this failure may have ultimate...
17 - Chris Heier
July 09, 2019 07:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MBThis week we’re joined by Chris Heier, the president, director, and manager of brewery operations at Half Hitch Brewing. This episode comes straight from the patio at Half Hitch, and we learn Chris’ philosophies on good mental and physical health, and some of his physical health tricks might not be endorsed by your doctor. President, director, and manager of brewery operations is a real mouthful of a title, and Chris says when you’re an entrepreneur you can give yourself whatever title you ...
16 - Brett Ireland
July 02, 2019 07:00 - 44 minutes - 30.9 MBThis week we sit down with Brett Ireland, co-founder of Bear Hill Brewing, Jasper Brewing, Banff Ave Brewing, Campio Brewing, Last Best Brewing, and Albeerta Provisions. Brett shares the secret of how he achieved such a lengthy craft beer resume: constructive feedback, community support, and great culture. Brett says that Bear Hill was a unique case in Alberta brewing, not being a homebrewer turned commercial brewer story. He and his business partners had worked together in the hospitality ...
15 - Neil Herbst
June 25, 2019 07:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBNeil Herbst, co-owner of Edmonton original Alley Kat Brewing is our guest this week. Neil discusses the history of Alley Kat, one of Alberta’s oldest breweries operating today, as well as his life growing up in rural Alberta, his time working with the provincial government, and the unique advantages of having a spouse as a business partner. Growing up on a farm just outside of Warner, Alberta gives Neil an edge, he’s able to fix stuff and problem solve, and he’s got an intimate familiarity ...
14 - Fraser Tuff
June 18, 2019 07:00 - 57 minutes - 39.3 MBThis week we're having a beer with Calgary radio legend Fraser Tuff. Our chat takes us from his first record purchase to movies that bring him to tears, his mantra: “Calm down and don’t be a dick!” You might be surprised to find out that Fraser's not much of a morning guy, despite being Today Radio's morning guy! Fraser's love of radio and music started early, Hall & Oates Rockin’ Soul was the first cassette Fraser ever bought, and he still listens to it regularly today. Our usual question ...
13 - Bill McKenzie
June 11, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBToday’s guest is Wild Rose Brewery CEO and President Bill McKenzie. Bill tells us about his history in Canada’s beer industry, Wild Rose’s recent acquisition by Sleeman, and why he considers himself the luckiest guy in beer. As Bill was coming of age he had planned to go into medicine, until meeting a local Molson beer rep. He applied to work as a summer campus rep for Molson and received a job offer before he was even old enough to drink the beer! As we learn, both Mark and Bill have worke...
12 - Natasha Peiskar
June 04, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MB“Just how much of brewing is science and how much is art?” This week our guest is Natasha Peiskar, head brewer at Last Best Brewing Company. We discuss her surprising career changes, return to university, and love for horse racing. Like many brewers, Natasha’s journey began with home brewing. While returning to university after leaving a career as a chemical analyst Natasha recognized that it would look good to join a club, and settled on the home brewing club. This passion for beer would l...
11 - Graham Sherman
May 28, 2019 07:00 - 43 minutes - 30.1 MB"The moment where everything in you says you stop, but you don't get to stop and you just have to push through." This week's guest is Tool Shed Brewing Co-Founder Graham Sherman, here to share some wisdom on how being an entrepreneur is like running a marathon. True to the name, Tool Shed Brewing began in Graham's backyard tool shed, bottling the first batch in 2012, and by the winter of 2013 Graham and his business partner had beer on the shelves in local stores. They had realized they had...
10 - Terry Andryo
May 21, 2019 07:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBJust what does it mean to be "The Guy?" Today we're joined by Terry Andryo, the Director of Community Initiatives at ATB Financial. Terry shares with us his passion for connecting people, not just with each other but also with the food they eat. Terry spent his early life in Lockport Manitoba, the catfish capital of North America where, to our surprise, he grew up fishing with a crossbow! He tells us that while growing up he wasn't tempted by the distraction of a computer, and he feels a de...
09 - Don Tse
May 14, 2019 07:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MB"When you travel abroad and see imported beer, it's always American beer. Why is that?" This week's guest is Don Tse, beer writer and entrepreneur, owner of Craft Beer Imports and Far Out Exporters, and the man who has famously drank over 20,000 different beers. Today we're speaking with Don Tse, a former lawyer who's love for beer has taken him on a journey to tens of thousands of pints of beer, and a mission to take Canadian craft beer global. You're probably already familiar with Don's w...
08 - Colin McLean
May 07, 2019 07:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MB"It starts out as this crazy hobby, spending thousands of dollars on new equipment." This week's guest is Colin McLean of Banded Peak Brewing Co. who shares a common story about how he got into the craft beer industry. As Colin tells it, Banded Peak is the marriage of the co-founders' passions: getting outdoors and drinking beer. Colin is a skiing fanatic who tries to spend 20-30 days every season on the slopes, even since he was 16 years old. He also has a reputation for helping Mark fix h...
07 - Matt Phillips
April 30, 2019 07:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MB"There's something to be said for local and fresh." This episode we're joined by Matt Phillips, Owner & Chef at Edmonton's Northern Chicken, and co-founder of In The Weeds YEG, an organization focused on changing the way mental health is approached in the dining industry. When asked about the concept of his restaurant, Matt's answer was simple: "Nashville hot chicken, bourbon, beer, and hip-hop." Edmonton's Northern Chicken is a place to enjoy some Doritos mac n' cheese, spicy chicken, and ...
06 - Nolan Matthias
April 23, 2019 07:00 - 51 minutes - 35 MBPeople talk about doing what you love, but sometimes what you love isn't economically viable, but starting with Why puts things in a different light. This week Nolan Matthias of Mortgage360 talks about the Why in what he does, and why Calgary mortgage brokers love Tool Shed Brewing. Today's episode we're joined by Nolan Matthias, Chief Innovator at Mortgage360, and author of Golf Balls Don't Float and The Mortgaged Millionaire. Nolan discusses his "favourite failure" for the first time publ...
05 - Ben Leon
April 16, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MB"A dandy is someone who's not bound by style or trends, and approaches life through their own passions." This week we're joined by Ben Leon, co-founder of The Dandy Brewing Company, and we learn what makes Ben a dandy. Not to be constrained by styles or trends, Ben's story is a journey from punk rocker to teacher to home brewer, and today he and his partners operate The Dandy Brewing Company, the very first licensed small brewery to open in Calgary after the 2013 law change allowing for sma...
04 - Alastair Smart
April 09, 2019 07:30 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MBOur guest this week is the legendary Alastair Smart, one of the original members of the Big Rock team, and mentor to countless players in Calgary's beer industry today. Alastair spent twenty-nine years and five months as part of the Big Rock family, but his desire to be part of the beer world starts even before that. After leaving his previous career in the police force behind in Ontario and heading west, Alastair used to call Ed McNally every single month on the 15th of the month looking f...
03 - Jay Baydala
April 09, 2019 07:20 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBThis week we're joined by Goodpin's Jay Baydala, ready to share the excitement behind his big visions. There's a fine line between believing in something and not quitting, and believing too long and being considered stupid, and as Jay tells it, you'll either be seen as crazy or a legend. Jay Baydala is the mastermind behind Goodpin, a fundementally different way for companies to interact with people and charities. By giving control over where a company's charity dollars are spent directly t...
02 - Rob Swiderski
April 09, 2019 07:10 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MBCraft Beer Market's Rob Swiderski dishes on his history in the beer and restaurant industries, and shares his philosophies on connection, business, and family. When Rob first entered the industry it was to pay off his student loans, and stayed because he loved it. Today Rob and his team behind Craft Beer Market provide a community oriented experience where everybody can walk in and feel like they belong, and perhaps learn something new and expand their taste while they're at it. This episo...
01 - Jim Button, Luke Harford
April 09, 2019 07:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBThis episode we're joined by Jim Button of Village Brewery and later by Luke Harford of Beer Canada. Jim Button says that he was lucky to learn early on that he was a bridge, or a conduit. He takes pride in the fact that he is the one to connect people, which is why he always "knows a guy." With that in mind, it makes sense that Jim is one of the masterminds behind Village Brewery, and as he goes on to tell us, beer isn't just a social lubricant, it is a currency of its own. Later in the in...