Yes, We Are Open! 🍁

Yes, Spin-IT Records and Video Is Open

This week Al is in Moncton, New Brunswick visiting Patrick Parise, owner of Spin-IT Records and Video. From file sharing to streaming, Patrick has seen a lot of disruption in his chosen industry over the past 20 years. In spite of this, Patrick was able to persevere and build a successful company.

So would the pandemic just be another disruption that Patrick would expertly navigate, or would his business finally succumb? Listen to find out.

You can learn more about Spin-IT Records and Video at spin-itrecords.ca.

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If you're the owner of a small business in Canada and you'd like us to help tell your story, email us at [email protected].

Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Yes, Brooks Pepperfire Foods Inc. Is Open

Al’s next stop in season 4 of the podcast is Rigaud, Quebec to visit Greg and Tina Brooks from Brooks Pepperfire Foods Inc.

Pepperfire Foods are more than just hot sauces. They specialize in co-packing and private-labelling fresh food products for many specialty food companies.

But BOY are their hot sauces HOT!

How did they survive the pandemic? More importantly, did Al survive his visit?

Listen to find out.

You can learn more about Brooks Pepperfire Foods Inc. at pepperfire.ca.

Subscribe now!

If you're the owner of a small business in Canada and you'd like us to help tell your story, email us at [email protected].

Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

In the season 4 premier of ‘Yes, We Are Open’ Al heads east to New Brunswick. His first stop is the Sackville Curling Club.

At 128 years old, it’s the oldest business Al has featured on the podcast—by a lot—but that doesn’t mean they’re impervious to struggle. With lockdowns and severe capacity restrictions, the pandemic posed the club’s greatest threat in literally a century!

How did they survive?

Listen to find out.

You can learn more about Sackville Curling Club at sackvillecurlingclub.com.

Subscribe now!

If you're the owner of a small business in Canada and you'd like us to help tell your story, email us at [email protected].

Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

‘Yes, We Are Open’ Season 4 Teaser

Season 4 of the award-winning 'Yes, We Are Open' podcast starts April 3rd, 2023!

Here is a little teaser for the upcoming season.

Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts to hear them as they publish each week!

Subscribe now!

If you're the owner of a small business in Canada and you'd like us to help tell your story, email us at [email protected].

Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Bear Cave Silent Booths

On the season 3 finale of ‘Yes, We Are Open’ Al visits Trevor and Andrea from Bear Cave Silent booths. Learn how they turned a one-off job into a manufacturing business.

While the pandemic may have actually helped them get new customers, the resulting shortage of building material threatened to shut them down before they even started. Couple that with their inexperience in running a business and difficulty in getting funding and we have a recipe for struggle.

How did they survive? Listen to find out.

You can learn more about Bear Cave Silent Booths at bearcavesilentbooths.com.

Links of interest

• Andrea's book 'When A Witch Arrives' by Andrea Max   (Audiobook)
• Andrea's music 

Credits:

• Duri Alajrami - Leadership
• Amy Maraone - Leadership
• Rick Stephan - Leadership
• Mat Belanger – Moneris Ad Voiceover
• Caleigh Ellis – Graphic Artist
• Chetan Dhananjaya – Webmaster
• Mallory McWhirther – Social Media
• Tanya Nagi – Social Media
• Kelly Foss - Promotion Consultant
• Kelly Servos – Internal Communications
• Zino Obi-Egbedi – PM
• David Litwin – Reviewer
• Darren Leroux – Reviewer
• Jessica Lepage  – Translation
• Pascale Dumas-Bresse – Translation
• Pao-Lan Ladouceur – Translation
• Melanie Bell – Translation
• Mateo Sanchez – Translation
• Gladys Bagang – Logistics & Admin
• The rest of the Moneris for their support!

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If you're the owner of a small business in Canada and you'd like us to help tell your story, email us at [email protected].

Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Kidsworld Pediatric Dentistry

Dr. Priya Kothari studied and specialized in pediatric dentistry in the United States, before returning to Canada to be closer to family and to open her own practice 12 years ago.

Today Kidsworld Pediatric Dentistry in Aurora, Ontario is a busy practice, treating children from all over Southern Ontario. But what happens when staffing shortages and the pandemic hit? How will she keep her patients safe? Can her dental practice survive?

Listen to find out.

You can learn more about Kidsworld Pediatric Dentistry at kidsworlddentistry.com.

Subscribe now!

If you're the owner of a small business in Canada and you'd like us to help tell your story, email us at [email protected].

Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Impact Kitchen

Personal trainer and nutrition expert Josh Broun had a vision for a restaurant focused on providing simple meals with real, wholesome ingredients to ”provide energy to take on the day with purpose and optimism”.

In 2015, he teamed up with Frank Toskan, co-founder of MAC Cosmetics to open Impact Kitchen despite neither of them having previous restaurant experience. Since then, Impact Kitchen has grown quickly, opening 4 more locations in Toronto.

The future looked bright, but then came the pandemic forcing them to close their doors indefinitely. How did they survive? Listen to find out.

You can learn more about Impact  Kitchen at impactkitchen.ca.

Subscribe now!

If you're the owner of a small business in Canada and you'd like us to help tell your story, email us at [email protected].

Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Downunder Travel

This week Al goes downunder in downtown Toronto when he visits with Jason Webb from Downunder Travel. Jason and his team have been helping travelers get from Canada to Australia and the South Pacific and back since 2004.

Business got off to a strong start for Jason and his team, but the travel industry can be quite a turbulent one…so to speak. Pilot strikes, airline closures, terrorist attacks, can all threaten to put you out of business.

Downunder Travel managed to survive all challenges thrown at them, but none of these would come close to preparing them for what was about to happen to the world in 2020.

How did they survive? Listen to find out.

You can learn more about Downunder Travel at downunder-travel.com.

Subscribe now!

If you're the owner of a small business in Canada and you'd like us to help tell your story, email us at [email protected].

Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Stylephotos

This week Al is in Concord, Ontario visiting twin brothers Khasan and Husan, the owners of Stylephotos, the #1 eCommerce photography service in Canada.

Khasan and Husan started out looking for ways to improve the quality of the photography for their family’s eCommerce fashion store and ended up building a fully automated in-house production studio boasting some pretty impressive clients!

How were they able to turn their need into a self-funded tech-startup with no background in photography? Listen and find out.

You can learn more about Stylephotos at stylephotos.ca.

Subscribe now!

If you're the owner of a small business in Canada and you'd like us to help tell your story, email us at [email protected].

Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Lakeside Dog Biscuits

This week Al is in Kingston, Ontario to meet Laurie Hannah, the owner of Lakeside Dog Biscuits.

20 years ago, Laurie’s Golden retriever became ill from eating commercial dog food, so Laurie set out to create natural, healthy treats for her pets and thus created Lakeside Dog Biscuits

Today Laurie is retired from her career as a social worker and running her dog biscuit business full time. But how has the pandemic and high inflation affected her business?

Listen to find out.  

You can learn more about Lakeside Dog Biscuits at lakesidedogbiscuits.com.

Subscribe now!

If you're the owner of a small business in Canada and you'd like us to help tell your story, email us at [email protected].

Yes, We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.