98% of Canadian businesses are small.
Most have no employees.
Many struggle just to be found.

In this episode, we explore the story behind Bibidi — a Central Okanagan-based platform designed to connect independent service providers with their community.

From early entrepreneurial sparks to startup accelerators, tech builds, failed pitches, and unexpected pivots, this is a deep dive into what it means to build a marketplace from the ground up.

It’s about more than hiring a painter or dog walker.
It’s about restoring the fabric of community — one connection at a time.

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What happens when the helper becomes the one telling their story?

In this episode of of Kelowna, therapist Melissa Campos opens up about her path into mental health work, supporting high achievers through anxiety and burnout, and the surprising lessons she learned about failure, imposter syndrome, and self-compassion along the way.

A reflective conversation about growth, ambition, and why sometimes healing isn’t fixing — it’s simply sitting beside someone in the hard moments.

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She was told she wasn’t “McDonald’s material.”

Today, she’s filling rooms with over 100 women.

In this episode of of Kelowna, we sit down with a proud Rutland girl who grew up feeling like the quiet shadow in the background, introverted and unsure where she fit, convinced everyone else had it figured out.

From working at Blockbuster on Friday nights to packing up her car and moving to Fort St. John on a whim, her path into real estate was not polished or predictable. She failed her licensing exam. She questioned herself. She wondered who would ever want to talk to “just another realtor.”

And then she built something anyway.

What started as a safe space for a handful of women has grown into The Boss Network, a thriving community here in Kelowna that sells out events, pairs strangers so no one walks in alone, and proves that the so called black sheep often become the ones who build the rooms.

This conversation is about introversion, imposter feelings, entrepreneurship, community, and the quiet kids who grow up to take the stage.

If you have ever felt like you did not quite fit in, this one is for you.

Matt is a Kelowna born chef whose path into food started early and took him around the world before bringing him back home. From working in Michelin starred kitchens in Copenhagen and San Francisco to becoming a head chef in the Okanagan at just twenty years old, his journey has been driven by curiosity, discipline, and an all in approach to learning.

But one unexpected idea changed everything. What began as a way to use surplus chili peppers on a small winery farm eventually turned into MM. Sauce, a hot sauce company inspired by restaurant creativity, Costa Rican ingredients, and a push from family to bottle something special. Starting with small batches sold through Instagram and local markets, the project quickly became more than just a side experiment.

In this episode, Matt shares how food, travel, and experience shaped his cooking philosophy, why balance matters more to him now than fine dining prestige, and how building MM Sauce fits into a life centered on family, community, and the Okanagan food scene.

Musician Ben Dunnill is a pianist and vocalist whose lifelong connection to music began in a home filled with instruments, creativity, and encouragement to follow his passion. Ben shares how performing in piano bars as a teenager became his real-world education in music, eventually leading to touring experiences, viral social media moments, and a move to Kelowna sparked by both opportunity and connection.

The conversation explores Ben’s creative process, his love of improvisation, the discipline behind performing night after night, and how travel, relationships, and lived experience continue to shape his artistry. From public pianos in European train stations to stages across Canada, Ben’s journey is a reminder that growth often happens when curiosity leads the way.

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We sit down with Marie-Claude, the founder of Planty of Nosh, to explore a journey shaped by food family and resilience. From growing up near Montreal in a tight knit entrepreneurial family to training in culinary school working in France and eventually finding her way to the Okanagan her story spans continents and seasons of life.

We talk about the realities of the restaurant industry the lessons learned from opening businesses and how motherhood and personal loss reshaped her relationship with food and health. The conversation follows the birth of Planty of Nosh just days before COVID and the pivots required to survive and rebuild.

This episode is a thoughtful look at listening to your instincts adapting through uncertainty and creating something meaningful when the path forward is anything but clear.

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Tom shares the winding path that brought him from a small village in the Netherlands to building a life—and a butcher shop—in Kelowna. We talk about his upbringing, his education in food design and innovation, and the many roles he held in the hospitality world along the way. Tom opens up about the leap to Canada, the realities of starting a catering business from scratch, and the challenges and rewards of putting down roots in a new place. At its heart, this conversation is about craft, sustainability, community, and why working with your hands still matters in today’s world. 

Chantal’s life has been shaped by movement, adaptation, and quiet resilience. From a cross-Canada road trip as a child to growing up in Northern BC, navigating family separation, and finding unexpected belonging in Kelowna, her story is one of constant transition. As a young adult, feeling overwhelmed by academic life but pulled toward something more, she took a leap that led her across the world with little more than a backpack and determination. This episode explores belonging, family, and the courage to follow an inner voice when the path forward isn’t clear. 

Join us in this captivating episode of Twilight Valley Handwoven Textiles as we sit down with Jessica Crawford, the creative force behind Twilight Valley Hand Woven Textiles. Discover how Jessica transitioned from a music career to her side hustle of mastering the art of weaving, and learn about the intricate process of setting up looms and crafting unique textiles. Explore the vibrant world of fiber arts, the community that supports it, and the timeless connection between music and weaving. Tune in for an inspiring journey into the heart of traditional crafts and modern creativity.

Dive into the sweet journey of Leanne and Hallie as they share their inspiring story of building a cookie empire on the latest episode of CHOMP! @chompcookiesca From dreams to delicious realities, discover how passion and partnership create magic.

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