CREATE - The Podcast

Dillon Stecyk, COO of The Apres Collective, is a creative entrepreneur and one of the driving forces behind the Aroabora Music Festival in Banff - a unique, mountain-set celebration that blends music, nature, and human connection. With a background rooted in events, culture, and collaboration, Dillon has helped shape Aroabora into an experience that brings people together and reminds them what music feels like when it’s intentional and intimate. Dillon brings a refreshingly honest take ...

Michael Noble is one of Canada’s most respected culinary leaders, with over 46 years in the kitchen and a legacy built on excellence, resilience, and mentorship. A competitor on the world stage, Michael has represented Canada in multiple international culinary competitions and remains the only Canadian chef to ever compete on Iron Chef Japan, battling Masaharu Morimoto in front of millions of viewers. Today, Michael is the Chef/Proprietor of NOtaBLE and The Nash, two cornerstone restaurants t...

Jason Zaran is the President of Fit Kitchen and a pioneer in Calgary’s healthy, convenient food movement. After more than 20 years in the consumer packaged goods industry, Jason left corporate life at 42 to pursue entrepreneurship - launching The Main Dish and later founding Fit Kitchen, Alberta’s first meal prep company. In this conversation, Jason shares what it takes to build and scale a food business in a tough industry, how fitness and competition shape his leadership style, and why you ...

Chris Schoengut has spent nearly 20 years shaping some of Western Canada’s biggest live experiences—from grassroots events to major festivals like the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival, where he served as Director of Brand & Partnerships. Now, after two decades in the industry, Chris is stepping into a new chapter—one driven by balance, purpose, and fatherhood. A long-time community supporter and proud dad, he’s rethinking what creativity and impact look like in this next season of life. In ...

Hien Pham is a Calgary-based content creator who has built a loyal and engaged community by inviting people into her world with authenticity, humour, and a creative eye. Her content spans home projects, thrifted treasures, travel adventures, sports moments, lifestyle inspiration, and the beautifully chaotic in-between - capturing the kind of everyday stories that feel both relatable and refreshing. Hien began creating five years ago purely for fun, never imagining that her spontaneous posts w...

Born and raised in Germany’s legendary Black Forest, Scott Sunderwald has lived a life deeply connected to the wild. From the German Forestry Service to wilderness education in BC and Saskatchewan, Scott’s passion for bushcraft, survival, and storytelling has shaped a career devoted to the outdoors. For the past 17 years, he’s called Alberta’s rugged Northern Rockies home, working with Alberta Parks and living the lessons he teaches. He’s also the author of “Radically Wild – True ...

Born and raised in British Columbia, Robert McKay has spent a lifetime surrounded by the province’s natural beauty and creative spirit. With deep family roots in Vancouver—his mother a Kitsilano High alumna and his grandmother an artist and early mentor—Robert grew up immersed in art, language, and culture. Those formative experiences, from visits to VanDusen Gardens to exploring the Museum of Anthropology, shaped his appreciation for aesthetics, storytelling, and the artistry of everyday lif...