.What happens when the itch to build returns, but this time, it’s not about success, it’s about self-discovery?

In this episode, Anita Grant shares how the end of one business led her back to herself—and how that personal rediscovery sparked the creation of Hello Hair, a social impact company blending textured hair education with identity and confidence-building tools for children, families, and educators.

From navigating the lessons of a “failed” startup to stepping into her purpose as a mother and founder, Anita opens up about redefining success, representation, and what it really means to build something rooted in meaning rather than metrics.

We talk about the beauty of second chances, the power of visibility, and how self-discovery can be the greatest entrepreneurial tool of all.

🌐 Learn more: hellohairbook.com 📲 Follow on Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

Is the big hairy problem in your job ripe for a revamp?

That’s the moment Ariella Racco, a passionate middle school teacher, faced before founding CoLab Education, a platform designed to connect and empower educators through collaboration, mentorship, and shared innovation. In this episode, she opens up about confronting the fear of leaving the classroom, the loneliness many teachers face, and how her mission to serve at scale became stronger than her comfort zone.

From winning Lion’s Lair to transforming isolation into community, Ariella shares the powerful story of how building CoLab helped her rediscover purpose—and how creating space for teachers to thrive is ultimately about shaping the next generation of adults.

🌐 Learn more: colab.education

📲 Follow on LinkedIn

https://www.instagram.com/colab.ed/

What creative idea did you have as a kid that could actually be a business today?.

For Matt McNeil, it all started with a hockey sock on his head and a dream to create something that mattered. Dragons Den had Matt glued to the TV watching people pitch their ideas. Little did he know he would be one of those people. not on Dragons Den, but some who brings ideas to life! Years later, that moment became Toques From The Heart, a company turning upcycled hockey socks into purpose-driven winter wear. For every toque sold, another is donated to a Canadian in need.

In this episode, Matt shares how his mom supported his creativity as boy and helped him start a business with very little upfront costs, how giving back became the company’s true north, and why his goal to donate 35,000 toques reflects more than just a number. It represents the 35,000 Canadians who experience homelessness each night.

We talk about building a business rooted in compassion, finding resourcefulness in unlikely places, and how every small act of kindness can grow into a movement.

🧢 Learn more: toquesfromtheheart.ca

📲 Follow on Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | TikTok

What could you build with just some straws, cardboard, a dish sponge, and pipe cleaners that could possibly change the world?

At just 19, Lianna Genovese heard a story that changed her life; a woman with Cerebral Palsy who could no longer paint. Fueled by empathy and ingenuity, Lianna built her first prototype from nothing more than straws, cardboard, pipe cleaners, and a sponge. That scrappy idea became Guided Hands®, a life-changing device now empowering people in over 25 countries to paint, write, and express themselves again.

Today, as the Founder and CEO of ImaginAble Solutions, Lianna shares how staying curious, resilient, and bold led her to raise over $1 million+ in non-dilutive funding, earn global recognition from Forbes 30 Under 30 and the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards, and even land a signature from Shaquille O'Neal American basketball player aka Shaq along the way.

In this episode, we talk about what happens when purpose meets persistence, how empathy can spark innovation, and why the best ideas often start from the heart.

🌐 Learn more: imaginablesolutions.com 📲 Follow on Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

What if the key to success wasn’t having the perfect plan, but simply staying in motion?

In this episode, we sit down with Keith Brink, Founder of Jasara Technology, the company behind powerful e-commerce tools like AZLabels and PrepBusiness, platforms now used by tens of thousands of sellers and logistics partners worldwide. Keith shares how curiosity, iteration, and motion led him from being an Amazon seller building automation tools for himself to running a software company managing over 130 million items shipped into Amazon FBA.

We dive into how Keith turned a series of small experiments into scalable businesses, why analysis can often be the enemy of action, and how momentum, not perfection, is the real secret to entrepreneurial growth.

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck on what to do next, this episode is your reminder that the best opportunities often appear after you start moving.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jasaratech/

Website: https://jasaratech.com

Would you say yes to a career you never considered, just because you're curious?

That’s exactly what Amin Ahmadi did. A lifelong tinkerer whose curiosity started at age 10 with a fascination for engines, Amin has carried that same spirit into his work as Co-Founder and CTO of AP Renewables, a Hamilton-grown company making clean energy more efficient and accessible using data and a bit of hometown ingenuity.

In this episode, we talk about what happens when curiosity meets courage to go from climbing wind turbines to managing global teams. Amin opens up about the lessons learned in leadership, how “clarity over convenience” guides his decision-making, and why building a company often means rebuilding yourself in the process.

If you’ve ever faced a layoff, felt stuck in a role that didn’t exist yet, or wondered how to turn your curiosity into your career — this episode will remind you that sometimes, the best opportunities are the ones you create.

🌐 Learn more at aprenewables.com or connect on LinkedIn.

What happens when “yes” becomes your strategy for opening doors?

For Ryan Patrick Moran, every opportunity—from co-founding a coworking community to designing watches inspired by Hamilton’s history—started with a simple yes. A yes to uncertainty. A yes to community. And a yes to building something that didn’t exist yet.

As a founding member of the Hamilton Hive, co-founder of CoMotion, and the creative force behind Locke & King, Ryan has spent his career bridging business and culture. He has been helping shape Hamilton’s entrepreneurial ecosystem while balancing the responsibility of taking over his family’s industrial business, Central Rail Supply. But his story isn’t just about success, it’s about being present enough to turn problems into purpose and finding freedom in the spaces where certainty doesn’t exist.

In this episode, Ryan reflects on what it means to build community, manage legacy, and keep saying yes, even when the path isn’t clear. If you’ve ever wondered how to find opportunity in ambiguity or make impact in your own backyard, this conversation will make you rethink how growth really happens.

What if the dream you had as a kid came true, but in a bigger way you never expected?

For Eric Spearin, the journey from Hamilton boy with a football dream to the owner of a professional baseball team is anything but ordinary. A serial entrepreneur across software, sports, and gaming, Eric has built and scaled companies by following one simple compass: curiosity. From founding Logistadvise and Transervice Integrated Solutions (TIS), named one of the fastest-growing companies in America to launching Spear Interactive and transforming the Hamilton Cardinals brand, Eric’s story is one of bold pivots, relentless learning, and betting on himself.

But behind the success is something more an instinct to give back. As a mentor at the McMaster Forge Incubator, Eric shares the kind of lessons you won’t find in textbooks: how to spot opportunity, how to make your next move when passion calls, and how to stay grounded when growth takes off.

In this episode, Eric opens up about how interest has guided his journey, the mindset behind taking calculated risks, and the real meaning of building a business that reflects who you are. It’s a story about coming full circle and proving that the dream is still alive, even if it changes shape.

https://tiscareers.com/our-tms;

https://spearinteractive.com;

https://www.hamiltoncardinals.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/transervice-integrated-solutions/

https://x.com/spearinteractiv

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4OAG8OgH9NKMorT9C5BG-A

https://www.instagram.com/spearinteractive;

https://www.instagram.com/hamiltoncardinals