Making Your Impact

Send us Fan Mail

A dance studio doesn’t usually start with a grand business plan. Sometimes it starts with a few kids asking, “Can you teach me?” and one person deciding to try. I’m joined by Becky from Renew in Medicine Hat, and her story is exactly that kind of grounded, surprising origin, from teaching hip hop without growing up in formal dance to building an affordable, non-competitive space where kids can move, belong, and breathe again. 

We talk through what it’s like to grow a local small business while learning everything on the fly, including the receipts, the staffing, and the constant voice of imposter syndrome that tells you you’re not “qualified enough.” Becky shares what changed when she finally owned her story out loud, and how Renew survives the hardest pivots of all: COVID shutdowns, shifting locations, and the uncertainty that hits any community-based program built around connection. You’ll also hear a powerful example of local collaboration, other studios offering space, choosing community over competition. 

Then we shift into the work that has become a huge part of Becky’s impact: teen girl coaching. We get clear about coaching versus counselling, why future-focused questions matter, and how teens navigate real pressure around dating, parents, identity, confidence, and body image in a social media world that often feels fake. Becky also shares what she’s building next with group coaching, including a new “Find Your Thing” concept that partners with Medicine Hat businesses to help girls try new skills without intimidation. 

If you care about teen mental health, youth mentorship, confidence building, and community programs in Medicine Hat, this conversation will give you hope and practical insight. Subscribe, share this with someone who works with teens, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

Support the show

Make sure to follow our instagram @making.your.impact and also check out our facebook page! 

Send us Fan Mail

Art doesn’t belong only in big cities, private collections, or intimidating white-walled galleries. We sit down with Genevieve, an artist and curator with Trex Space in Medicine Hat, to talk about what it takes to make visual art accessible across Alberta, and why a free, welcoming space can change how a community sees itself.

We dig into the Trex travelling exhibition programme and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts collection, including how curated exhibitions are packed into crates and shipped to libraries, schools, senior centres, and community spaces for month-long bookings. If you’ve ever wondered why you rarely see professional Alberta art outside major centres, this conversation lays out a practical model that brings the work to people where they already are.

We also go behind the scenes on the realities of building a career in the arts in Canada: grants, the learning curve of curatorial work, COVID-era Zoom studio visits, and the admin that nobody posts about. Genevieve explains CARFAC minimum fees and why artist pay matters, plus the surprisingly doable ways to start curating, from volunteering to self-organizing shows with artists you know.

If you care about Canadian art, Alberta artists, or creative community building in Medicine Hat and beyond, press play, then subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Support the show

Make sure to follow our instagram @making.your.impact and also check out our facebook page! 

Send us Fan Mail

A local scene does not “just happen” in Medicine Hat. Somebody has to book the bands, unlock the doors, make it safe, and create the kind of room where you can actually meet people and feel better walking out than you did walking in. That is what we get into with Davie, one of the people behind Fictional Bookings, as we talk about grassroots event promotion, building a welcoming live music culture, and why community matters more than squeezing a profit out of the door. 

We dig into the realities of running shows: the stress of hoping people show up, the pride of paying touring bands properly, and the hard lesson that livestream concerts during COVID can’t replace the energy of shared space. Davie also breaks down how Stickfest came together through a strong team, clear roles, and a reinvestment mindset that puts artists first. If you care about the local music scene, event promotions, or supporting musicians in a sustainable way, there are a lot of practical takeaways here. 

Then the conversation widens into skateboarding and civic life through the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association. We talk stigma, volunteer work, fundraising, youth spaces like indoor skateparks, and the downtown skateboarding bylaw debate, including what inclusivity should look like as downtown redevelops. We also hear about the Ensenada, Mexico service trips that included building projects and the unexpected story of skateboarders bringing dresses for quinceañeras, a moment that went viral because it challenged stereotypes in the best way. 

If this hits home, share it with a friend who loves live music, skateboarding, or community work, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next. After you listen, leave a review and tell us: what would make your city feel more connected?

Support the show

Make sure to follow our instagram @making.your.impact and also check out our facebook page! 

Send us Fan Mail

A dance studio that starts with 20 kids in the back of a church isn’t supposed to turn into a movement, but that’s exactly what happens when you build something around belonging instead of pressure. I’m joined by Becky from Renew in Medicine Hat, and we get honest about what it really looks like to grow a community-first business when you didn’t grow up dancing, didn’t study business, and still decide to show up anyway.

We talk about how Renew is shaped by accessibility and a non competitive approach to dance, why COVID forced hard pivots (and what it meant when other studios offered space instead of rivalry), and how local support can keep a small business alive. Becky also shares the behind-the-scenes mindset work, including the imposter syndrome that shows up when your “side idea” becomes a real organization with students, staff, and a public reputation.

Then we shift into the work she’s most passionate about right now: teen girl coaching. Becky breaks down the difference between coaching vs counselling, why she focuses on future goals and confidence building, and how she supports teens around body image, relationships, and finding their own values without telling them what to do. We also get into group coaching, including programs designed to help girls “find their thing” by trying new skills with local businesses in a low-pressure setting.

If you care about youth mentorship, mental health support, and building confident teens through community, this conversation will stick with you. Follow the show, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find Making Your Impact.

Support the show

Make sure to follow our instagram @making.your.impact and also check out our facebook page! 

Send us Fan Mail

One health problem turned into a full reset. Kat joins us to share how years of amenorrhea and a growing frustration with symptom-only care pushed her away from a nursing track and into holistic nutrition, herbalism, and medicinal mushrooms. Along the way she moves to Medicine Hat, Alberta to reconnect with family, do deeper emotional healing, and rebuild her life from the ground up, not just physically but mentally and spiritually too. 

We dig into what “holistic health” actually looks like day to day: bioindividuality, realistic nutrition changes, and why quality food choices can impact sleep, mood, focus, skin, and confidence. Kat also explains how Mutha Earth was born from a practical problem she saw with clients: people wanted better health but couldn’t easily source all the ingredients, so she created an adaptogenic superfoods and functional mushroom product line to close that gap. 

Then we go where many conversations still avoid going: psilocybin, microdosing, and trauma. Kat breaks down set and setting, dose ranges, common myths, and why psychedelics are not a magic cure but can create a powerful window for insight and new neural pathways when paired with support and integration. We also talk boundaries and self-care for anyone who holds space for others, plus the momentum around psychedelic-assisted mental health care in Alberta. 

If you’re curious about medicinal mushrooms, microdosing, mental health, and what healing can look like outside a one-size-fits-all system, you’ll get a grounded, human conversation here. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s been stuck, and leave a review with the biggest question you still have.

Support the show

Make sure to follow our instagram @making.your.impact and also check out our facebook page! 

Send us Fan Mail

He started with two remixes, an $80 USB mic, and the kind of pain that makes you either spiral or build something real. We sit down with Doug “Dougie” to trace how a small-town Canadian rapper turns loss, anxiety, and a messy past into fuel, then backs it up with serious work ethic and a clear plan to level up. 

We talk about the nuts-and-bolts side of being an independent hip hop artist: recording your own vocals, learning how to prep files for an engineer, finding the right producer, and building a sound that actually feels like yours. Doug gets honest about the hardest part for most artists, promotion and consistency, including the habit of going hard for a month and then stopping right when it’s working. 

We also dig into modern music marketing and platform growth: why TikTok can change everything overnight, what YouTube monetization unlocks, and how Spotify playlist scams and bot streams can wreck your momentum. Along the way, Doug shares his writing process for fast flows and tight syllable work, why he values character over flashy flexing, and the bigger legacy he wants to leave, including a vision for a local rap school as a real outlet for kids who need it. 

If you’re building as an artist, creator, or entrepreneur, you’ll walk away with practical tactics and a mindset that’s built for the long game. Subscribe, share this with a friend chasing a creative goal, and leave a review with the biggest lesson you’re taking from Doug’s journey.

Support the show

Make sure to follow our instagram @making.your.impact and also check out our facebook page!