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In this episode, co-hosts Kiara Marika and Adam Pekarsky discuss their plans for the season ahead as well as look back at the lessons learned from their inaugural season of hosting The Ampersand: Unplugged.  A candid conversation where Kiara puts her boss on the hot seat about returning to work, and the two have a funny, honest conversation about the season ahead and even sprinkle a few Easter eggs about plans at Pekarsky & Co. in 2022.  

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In this, our final episode of Season One of The Ampersand: Unplugged, our co-hosts, Kiara Marika and Adam Pekarsky spill the tea on what worked, what didn’t, how Podcasts are made and their plans for Season 2. This at times giddy second-take recording of our big finale is a must listen as Adam and Kiara compare life in Alberta to the Lord of the Flies, opine on the art of being a welcoming guest and how to reach the mountain top of becoming a trusted advisor. And, Adam reveals when Season 2 will launch…wait until you hear Kiara’s reaction. 

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In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged we sit down with another member of the Pekarsky & Co. team, Client Partner, Erin Dand. We have a great chat about growing up on a farm outside a small village in Saskatchewan, heading to the "big city" (of Kindersley!) for school, chores on the farm, getting into trouble, and much more. We sort of geek out on what the whole law firm life is like and have a good chat about why law firms are SOOOOO ripe for leadership development. As with other chats with P&Co. peeps, this is yet another look into the unique culture and 'special sauce' of our humble enterprise. We hope you'll tune in and, if you do, we know you'll enjoy!

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In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged we sit down with Mayoral candidate, Jan Damery. Jan, presently on leave from her role with the YW of Calgary, is seeking the Mayor's chair after a lifetime of involvement in political and community matters. We have a wide-ranging discussion about the pros and cons of being an outsider, how Jan's life experiences have prepared her for this run and why she thinks she can do the job. 

This is the last of our conversations with Calgary's Mayoral hopefuls before election day on October 18th. Hopefully our interviews with each of Jyoti Gondek, Jeff Davison, Brad Field and Jan have given you some insights and food for thought as you think about who you plan to vote for. 

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In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged, we sit down with our very own Cam McDonald (or, Cameron, when we're being serious). Originally hailing from Sydney Australia, Cam chased his wife to Canada and has been living in Calgary ever since. He shares stories about fatherhood, raising his two young kids while balancing a busy career. We also share some hilarious Vegas stories, do a deep dive into the difference between retained and contingent recruitment, the differences between Australia and Canada and why Cricket is better than baseball. 

We hope you'll tune in as we just know you'll appreciate hearing the insights of one of our own and enjoying a front row seat to the truly unique culture at the core of Pekarsky & Co.'s special sauce.

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In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged we sit down with another of Calgary's Mayoral candidates, Brad Field. A lifelong Calgarian and business owner, Brad is the 'outsider' candidate, not from City Hall and bringing the perspective of a business owner and community member to the Mayor's Chair. Join us as we discuss trains from Calgary to Banff, doing politics differently and whether Brad would rather be a famous badminton star or no name baseball player.

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Having worked in 9 different industries and across Canada, Bob Sartor, CEO of the Calgary Airport Authority, joins us on this episode of the podcast to discuss all things airport. Who’s Bob’s customer? Why does it even matter? Why passengers are guests and why that matters. Bob candidly discusses the challenges of managing through the pandemic and the virtues of never reading a book twice. Once describing the airport as “a giant shopping mall that airplanes park at” Bob reveals that, unlike many who work at YYC, he has no great passion for aviation, but rather a passion for building great companies who aspire to be leaders in their field. Tune in for this fascinating discussion with one of Calgary’s truly great leaders.

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In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged we sit down with the owner of Murrieta’s West Coast Bar & Grill. Not only is Murrieta’s the long-time neighbour and friend of Pekarsky & Co. in the old Alberta Hotel Building, but its owner, Ron Salverda, is a truly fascinating person with lots to say. Having studied architecture in school and growing up with one of the top 10 chef’s in America (his dad), Ron speaks candidly about managing a downtown restaurant through a crushing pandemic, the future of Calgary and why we’re sort of dropping the ball when it comes to revitalizing the core.

Join us to learn from Ron the difference between a Chef and a Cook, what makes a truly great waiter, bartender and customer experience. And most importantly, why 2022 is going to be Off The Hook! You will love this tasty edition of The Ampersand: Unplugged!

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On this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged we sit down with City Councillor and Mayoral candidate, Jeff Davison.  Jeff shares his views on Calgary “the Mecca of opportunity,” a “hand up, not hand out city,” how he plans to “expand the base, not the rate” and how “he can, and will” bring the city through its Covid recovery. If the Mayor’s chair doesn’t become Jeff’s, we are certain that a bumper sticker business would be a home run.  Jeff, a lifelong Calgarian, discusses a broad range of issues from why people choose to live in Calgary (“nobody moves to Toronto or Vancouver because it’s cheaper”), whether he’d prefer to live forever or win the lottery and why he’d eat pizza forever, and not ice cream.  

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Join us for a great conversation with Jordan Singer, President of Henry Singer Fashion Group, as we explore the similarities between men’s fashion and executive search, building trust, curating the customer experience and why you should never look at the back of your head when the barber holds the mirror up. Jordan, a third-generation business owner, walks us through the challenges of buying next season’s fashions while this season’s merchandise is still on the shelf, and he explores what it means to be special, how we’ll dress post Covid and whether he would rather talk with the animals or speak all foreign languages.

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