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Hobnob 9: Don Iveson

Are fat tires or studded tires better for cycling in winter? What local whisky should I try next? Is holding public office like being exposed to radiation – in that sometimes it does a lot of good, but it just might kill you if you stay there too long? We had a lot of questions…

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Hobnob 8: Catrin Owen

Catrin Owen takes a “serendipitous” approach to her life and career. That’s how Edmonton became her home – after growing up in Wales, she was working at a PR firm in London and happened to fall in love with a Canadian. So, she packed up and moved here to pursue both graduate studies and romance….

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Hobnob 7: Ryan Jespersen

Our Hobnobber this week is in the business now – literally – of keeping it real. And sometimes the only honest thing he can say is “that’s bullshit.” When an accomplished Toronto talk radio host receives disgusting threats against herself, her husband and her one-year-old daughter – with a heavy dose of racism mixed in…

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Hobnob 6: Saylish Haas

With the number of COVID cases continuing to grow and new safety measures coming into effect, we could all probably use a little comfort right now. This week, we hobnobbed with Saylish Haas, the restaurateur behind some of Edmonton’s best-loved comfort food. When Saylish bought The Next Act in 2010, with business partners Mike and…

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Hobnob 5: Omar Mouallem

This week we hobnobbed with Omar Mouallem – writer, journalist, editor, filmmaker, educator and small business owner. Asked how one actually becomes all those things, Omar had two key points to share: don’t compare yourself to anyone but yourself, and accept from the start that it’s not a linear process. Nominated for 11 National Magazine…

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Anyone want to buy a monorail?

I remember thinking how great a monorail would be after watching Lyle Lanley pitch one to the lathered-up crowd in Springfield. Watching at 14, I was right there with them, caught up in the excitement of the slick, sleek vision he was selling. And even now – in places a lot less fictional than Springfield,…

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Hobnob 4: Pete Nguyen

As far as we know, Berlin is the only agency in town that’s had two team members move on to start craft breweries. This week we caught up with one of them – Pete Nguyen, Partner and Brand Director at Sea Change Brewing Co. – to talk brand, beer and business in the time of…

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Hobnob 3: Erin Ross

You might have heard the joke. A kindergartener says to her mother, “I want to be an artist when I grow up!” And Mom says, as delicately and non-crushingly as she can, “well, honey… you can’t do both.” Our Hobnobber this week is here to tell you that Mom was wrong. Erin Ross comes from…

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Hobnob 2: Doug van Spronsen

Versett is a digital agency with clients all around the world – their role is helping companies design, build and scale their business. They offer specific services like software design and UX/UI development, but those specific offerings are meant to address a bigger question: how should this particular company or product be built, in order…

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Hobnob 1: Christy Dean

Photography is more than knowing how to handle a camera. There’s a world behind the images anyone sees – agencies, art directors, clients, talent. And sometimes, apparently, the talent is literally a porcupine. All in a day’s work for our Hobnob guest this week. Being a commercial photographer in Edmonton calls for versatility. Christy Dean…

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