My friend and mentor, Alastair Smart, is someone who truly embodies what it means to live a full and happy life.

Born and raised in England, he began his career as a police officer before following a path that eventually brought him to Canada. Along the way, he embraced a wide range of experiences - from driving taxis to managing retail stores - each shaping his perspective on people, work, and community.

That journey ultimately led him to Calgary, where he became the first salesperson for Big Rock Brewery, helping build one of Canada’s pioneering craft beer brands. Beyond his career, Alastair is known as a mentor and connector - someone who has helped foster a culture of generosity and collaboration across an entire industry.

Alastair’s story is one of curiosity, resilience, and leading with kindness.

Guest:

• Alastair Smart: Instagram | LinkedIn

Host:

• Mark Kondrat: Instagram | LinkedIn
• The Gift of Happy: Instagram | Website

Amber Nicole Hayes is an entrepreneur and author of The Obedient Daughter — a powerful memoir about breaking silence, confronting trauma, and reclaiming your voice.

After leaving the corporate world to build her own design business, Amber’s greatest transformation happened internally. At 37, after carrying the secret of childhood sexual abuse for 25 years, she faced a battle with depression that ultimately became the catalyst for radical honesty and healing. Refusing to dilute her truth — even when it meant walking away from a publisher — Amber chose integrity over comfort.

Today, she is an advocate for women’s empowerment, mental health awareness, and breaking generational cycles of trauma. Guided by her two daughters — her ultimate “why” — Amber lives her message daily through movement, mindfulness, therapy, and fearless authenticity.

Guest:

• Amber Nicole Hayes: Instagram | Website

Host:

• Mark Kondrat: Instagram | LinkedIn
• The Gift of Happy: Instagram | Website

Meet Mike Hanson, a devoted husband, father of four, and endurance athlete with a mission.

Happily married and raising a young family, Mike’s life changed in 2012 when his twin boys were diagnosed with autism. Confronted with the challenges of accessing resources, Mike turned his determination into action, launching fundraising efforts to support families in need. In 2017, he ran his first marathon, raising an impressive $61,000. Since then, running has become more than a sport—it’s a vehicle for resilience, awareness, and community impact.

This May, Mike is preparing for his biggest challenge yet: running 10 marathons in 10 days across 10 provinces with his friend, Dave Morin. Their ambitious goal? To raise $1 million for charities that break down barriers to sports and social support for children in need.

Balancing intense training, work, and family requires discipline. Mike starts his days at 3 AM, proving that with routine and commitment, even the biggest goals are possible.

Join us as we dive into Mike’s inspiring journey—his experiences as a father, runner, and advocate for children in need. We’ll talk about his upcoming challenge, his approach to balance, and how anyone, with enough passion and effort, can make an impact.

Guest:

Mike Hanson: LinkedIn

10in10in10: Instagram | Website

Host:

• Mark Kondrat: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website
• Explore84: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website

Meet Lisa Clemens, Owner of Kootenay Yoga School, with operations in Canada, California and Mexico.

Lisa is originally from Christina Lake BC - currently residing between Joshua Tree California and Isla Mujeres Mexico. Through her company, Lisa offers Yoga Teacher Training to aspiring teachers and has a blast doing it!

On the podcast, we discuss how Lisa and her team built the Kootenay Yoga School. Lisa started working in wellness around 8 years ago, in Mexico, focusing on retreat coordination. Over time Lisa decided to branch off into education focused around wellness - which is where she was most passionate.

When entrepreneurship, lifestyle and passion align it’s beautiful to see. I love sharing stories of people who have made this happen - and Lisa is one of these people!

Guest:

LISA CLEMENS - KOOTENAY YOGA SCHOOL: Instagram | Website

Host:

• Mark Kondrat: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website
• Explore84: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website

Meet Derek Hovinga, Founder of The Inbound Lab - helping founders and startups grow their companies.

Derek's career spans a number of industries - construction, radio, television and film. With all of the skills he’s acquired in these industries - and a knack of storytelling - he's now enjoying a successful career as an entrepreneur.

On the podcast, we discuss how Derek balances his love of work with living a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to his positive daily habits, he says it’s about “showing up for myself”.

Derek is a great example of how an entrepreneur can build a successful business on their own terms - I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Guest:

DEREK HOVINGA: Instagram | LinkedIn

THE INBOUND LAB: Website

Host:

• Mark Kondrat: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website
• Explore84: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website

Meet Brian Thiessen, practicing labour lawyer and candidate to be Calgary’s next mayor.

Brian has witnessed firsthand the boom-and-bust cycles that have shaped Calgary’s economy, and worked with clean energy, agribusiness, tech and energy businesses, as they have grown and diversified the Calgary economy.

In addition to his professional work, Brian is strongly committed to community service. As the former Chair of the Calgary Police Commission, he has been dedicated to ensuring public safety, accountability, and fostering trust between law enforcement and the community.

For his volunteer service on the Calgary Police Commission, Brian was named Citizen of the Year by Calgary City Council in 2020.

Guest:

Brian Thiessen: Instagram | LinkedIn

The Calgary Party: Instagram |Website

Host:

• Mark Kondrat: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website
• Explore84: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website

Meet James MacDonald, Founder and President of the WoodridgeMTB Trail Support Foundation.

WoodridgeMTB Trail Support Foundation is a registered Non-profit society in Alberta that supports Alberta Mountain Biking associations and builds positive awareness towards the importance of Mental Health and addiction Recovery.

On the podcast, James talks about his own journey of recovery and why he chose to seek help. We discuss how mountain biking helped inspire him, and why he chose to use his love of biking to help others.

James is on a leadership journey to inspire others to find their inner potential. He has an amazing story and I’m grateful to share it on the podcast.

Guest:
James MacDonald
WoodridgeMTB: Instagram |Website

Host:

• Mark Kondrat: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website
• Explore84: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website

Meet Alyssa Kerbel, successful entrepreneur, mentor and community builder.

Alyssa is a passionate, soul-led, entrepreneur who, over the past 20+ years, has started, grown, sold and exited two companies (Alyssa Agency, a wholesale fashion agency and mini mioche, a children’s apparel and lifestyle brand).

Alyssa founded mini mioche in 2008 as a passion project and ‘side hustle’ after the birth of her first child to fill a void in the children’s apparel market for simple, gender-neutral organic cotton basics. mini mioche went on to become a multi-million dollar direct-to-consumer brand, while paving the way in sustainable and ethical fashion and values-based business practices.

In 2023, Alyssa sold and exited mini mioche in order to focus on her passions in the areas of mentorship, community building, wellness, and supporting women entrepreneurs.

Guest:

Alyssa Kerbel: Instagram | LinkedIn

Host:

• Mark Kondrat: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website
• Explore84: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website