In this episode, we sit down with Tara Smith, General Manager and co-owner of Mr. Furnace / Furnasman New Homes, for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about leadership, trades, and what it really means to “do it right.”

Tara shares her journey from handing out brochures at home shows as a kid to leading one of Manitoba’s most established HVAC companies. With decades of experience across accounting, HR, operations, and national board leadership, she brings a rare people-first perspective to an industry that often doesn’t get much attention—until something stops working.

We talk about:

• What homeowners actually want (hint: it’s not bigger equipment, it’s comfort)
• Common HVAC myths, placement mistakes, and indoor air quality blind spots
• What’s changing fastest in HVAC, from heat pumps to refrigerant regulations
• Why “dangerously educated” customers are becoming more common
• The realities of running a multi-generational family business—and the rules that make it work
• Why trades need young people (and women) more than ever
• Tara’s message to women entering a male-dominated industry: stop assimilating, start owning your strengths
• Leadership lessons from coaching kids, serving on national boards, and fixing mistakes the right way

This episode is both practical and personal—full of real-world insights for homeowners, builders, and anyone interested in leadership, trades, or building a business that puts people first.

Whether you’re planning a new build, running a family business, or just curious how your home actually works, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

You’re probably not Sidney Crosby — and that’s good news. We sit down with Ben Dueck from Cantera and break down why leadership isn’t reserved for the naturally gifted, why fixing weaknesses is overrated, and how focusing on strengths can make you a better leader, parent, and human.

We got the chance to sit down with our engineer and talk through some fun new engineering problems, what makes a good engineer, and how engineering can make a difference to your project. We also talked blowing up astronauts and a zip line across the Red River?!

We had the privilege of sitting down with Al Dueck, founder of Duxton Windows & Doors, for a wide-ranging conversation about Winnipeg’s history, manufacturing challenges, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.

Proud reflections on Winnipeg, unique opportunities of building high-performance windows on the prairies; Al shares stories that connect local innovation with global impact. His passion for leadership and commitment to creating energy-efficient solutions shines through, making this a must-listen for anyone interested in business, design, or sustainable building practices.

Favourite bit: Al challenges company leaders to think of their talent as teammates, not employees. 

Thanks for following along this far! We finally have our first podcast with us actually voicing the whole thing! We talk about Hydraloop (grey water recycling), favourite plumbers, radon, and what it is like running a contracting business in Winnipeg, MB.

Let us know what you think!

This is an AI generated episode about the selection process. It outlines how to make selections on a timely basis to improve the efficiency of your home building experience.

This is an AI generated podcast explaining our design process. It walks through what to expect and how you can best be prepared for the process, what it will look like and some of the questions you'll be asked.

This episode is an AI generated podcast reviewing our construction budget proposal document and explains what expectations you should have of it, and how it informs the start of your home building journey.

This is an AI generated review of our construction standards. Understanding our expectations of your finished product will help the project handover run smoothly. We can adjust these standards, but we need to talk through that early on.

This is an AI generated review of our building contract. It will help you get familiarized with the concepts and sections of our contract.