The Passion Project

Phil Roadley is the owner of Bikes & Beyond, and a serial endurance racer; most recently his team True North finished World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, a 10-episode event series now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.  Phil joins Eric to chat about Eco-Challenge's most challenging stages, and how you train for a race like this. Phil shares his most memorable marathons from around the world, and Eric asks Phil if it was harder finishing World's Toughest Race or starting his own small business. Finally, the two discuss Strava and the social mediatization of endurance exercise.

Bikes & Beyond Website: https://www.bikesandbeyond.ca
Eco-Challenge Website: https://ecochallenge.com
World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji - Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/IEoRSXMv4yQ

Chelsea Rose is the owner of Spreads by Rosie; beautifully crafted charcuterie boards. Chelsea and Eric chat about both being too self-critical with their passion projects, and why it doesn't seem to get easier. Chelsea explains how being enamoured with her mom's hosting and entertaining ability has influenced her business, and Eric is amazed at the marketing costs to create boards for her initial Instagram posts. Then, Eric asks Chelsea how the pandemic affects sharables and Chelsea shares her ambition to take Spreads full-time.

Brian Dobie is the head coach of the University of Manitoba Bisons football team; he is the winningest head coach in Bison football history. Brian joins Eric to discuss his first October in 46 years without football games to coach, and U Sports overturning the athlete age cap decision amid the cancelled 2020 season.  Brian shares his drive to compete, and perseverance in earning his dream job at the U of M.  Then, the two chat about learning from victory and defeat, and Brian regales Eric with stories from the Bisons' 2007 National Championship, David Onyemata's NFL Draft, and much more.

Jenna Rae and Ashley Nicole are twin sisters and co-owners of Jenna Rae Cakes (JRC). Jenna and Ashley join Eric to discuss how JRC has been managing amid the pandemic, and if more at-home banana bread and sourdough is affecting business. Eric asks Ashley how JRC rode the early waves of Instagram to grow their brand outside of Winnipeg, and Jenna explains why she quit her dentistry track to get serious with cake design. Then, Jenna and Ashley share the joys of getting their cookbook published; Jenna Rae Cakes and Sweet Treats: Over 100 Recipes for the Modern Baker is available everywhere on October 6th.

Ace Burpee is host of The Ace Burpee Show on 103.1 Virgin Radio, and an avid philanthropist. Ace joins Eric to discuss finding purpose with Black Bear Rescue Manitoba, and how he manages his time between side hustles and community involvement. The two chat on Ace's start in radio, and how he balances career opportunities in other markets against strengthening his roots in Winnipeg. Plus, Ace asks Eric who he wants on the podcast that he can't get (and Ace will help him)!

Lynne Skromeda is the Executive Director of the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Lynne joins Eric for the Season 2 premiere to discuss how Folk Fest navigated the pandemic, pivoting to Folk Fest At Home, and looking ahead to 2021. Lynne shares why her role with the festival is so much more than a job for her, and Eric asks Lynne about the Kacey Musgraves "moneyball" deal, her background in the film industry, and more.

Follow The Passion Project on Instagram: @thepassionprojpod

Artwork: Derek Kitching
Music: Roman Clarke
Photography: Diana Joyce

Julia Grubert is an Instagram influencer @brightblondeblog and social media consultant @bright.consulting. Julia joins Eric for the Season 1 finale of The Passion Project to discuss why social media has struck such a chord with her. The two chat on managing multiple social accounts, and what led Julia to branch out from the blog to start her own social media consulting arm. Eric expresses fatigue with the extent of commercialization and promotion on Instagram, and Julia shares how monetizing her passion for social media has affected her enjoyment of the medium. Plus, Julia provides a consult for Eric's work on the @thepassionprojpod Instagram account.

Tom and Mike Schneider are co-owners of Tommy's Pizzeria. Tom and Mike join Eric to share how Tommy's is adapting amid the pandemic, and if the business model works with 1/2 full restaurants. Tom explains to Eric how franchising two Papa John's locations helped give him the experience to succeed on his own, and Eric asks the two about their transition from Trans Canada Brewing Co. / Timmy Tom's to opening their own standalone location.

New theme is courtesy of Manitoban musician Roman Clarke.

Chloe Benjamin is the author of The Immortalists, a New York Times bestseller. Chloe joins Eric and Annie (Human Kind Book Club) to chat on bringing research into her works, the tipping point of her second book's success, and answer Human Kind Book Club's burning questions after reading The Immortalists.

Chloe's nonfiction piece on The Sewanee Review: https://thesewaneereview.com/articles/corona-correspondences-22

Lukas Neville is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the Asper School of Business interested in trust, forgiveness, and conflict resolution. Lukas transports Eric back to the classroom for the latest research on how leaders can psychologically support their teams during uncertain times. Eric asks Lukas the importance of forgiveness in organizational behaviour research. Plus, the two reflect on month three in quarantine, and their time collaborating on student council conferences.