This Commerce Life

In this special episode of "This Commerce Life," host Phil travels to St. John's, Newfoundland, where he tours the Newfoundland Chocolate Company with founder Christina Dove. Christina shares her remarkable journey from neuroscientist to chocolatier and gelato expert, detailing how she built her thriving business from her basement to a factory producing 40,000 chocolates daily.The conversation explores Christina's commitment to all-natural ingredients, avoiding preservatives and artificial dyes by using fruit-infused white chocolate for coloring. Listeners will discover how the brand has grown from a small operation to wholesaling across Canada while promoting Newfoundland's culture through its packaging and products.Christina provides insights into her inclusive workplace philosophy, highlighting how she designs her production processes to accommodate neurodiversity and support employees from various backgrounds. The factory incorporates braille, multiple languages, and color-coding systems to ensure everyon

Sarah Harper and the Fiery World of Stoke The Fire Hot SauceJoin hosts Phil and Kenny for an engaging conversation with Sarah Harper, the self-proclaimed "Sauceress" and CEO of Stoke The Fire Hot Sauce. This episode takes you on a journey from Sarah's fascinating background as a performance artist and Arctic chef to her current life as a passionate pepper farmer and hot sauce creator in British Columbia's Similkameen Valley.Sarah shares the story of how she and her partner Stu transformed their backyard garden into a thriving 7-acre farm with over 40 varieties of specialty hot peppers. Discover how their brand "Stoke The Fire" was born, the inspiration behind their best-selling "Bear Spray" sauce (hint: it involves actual bears!), and their commitment to organic, honey-sweetened products with no refined sugars.The conversation explores Sarah's unique approach to farming, her indigenous partnerships, and her vision for connecting food producers across British Columbia. From her beekeeping adventures to her new

From Restaurant Owner to Tea Entrepreneur with Nicole KeatsJoin hosts Phil and Kenny as they sit down with Nicole Keating, founder of The Newfoundland Tea Company. In this candid and energetic conversation, Nicole shares her remarkable journey from running a fine-dining bistro in Gander to building a premium organic tea brand that's rapidly expanding beyond Newfoundland's shores.Nicole opens up about weathering personal and professional challenges—including a divorce, health struggles, and the devastating impact of the pandemic on her restaurant business—before finding unexpected success in the tea industry. Learn how her distinctive moose logo came to be, why premium tea is finding its market in a coffee-dominated world, and the creative ways she's incorporated tea into everything from cocktails to merchandise.This episode showcases an entrepreneur whose resilience, gut instincts, and commitment to quality have helped her navigate career transitions while staying true to her roots. Whether you're a tea lover

Owner of Wild Moon Organics Sean Smith looks at brands, owning a bone broth company a little differently.  Check out Wild Moon Organics here: https://wildmoonorganics.ca/Find Sean here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-smith-1551b953/overlay/photo/Thank you to Fieldagent for sponsoring the podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

Nathanael Hollands and Kinvest Impact Foundation are building market innovations in Rural Africa. They invest in agribusiness farms near marketplace communities. By combining development in marketplaces with commercial farms, they help foster a complete economic system where value is created, jobs and wages grow, and money is recirculated into the local economy. Connect with Nathanael here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fixr/check out Kinvest here: https://kinvestglobal.com/Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/Be sure you sign up for CHFA West - see you there! https://www.chfanow.ca/vancouver/ 

Dinner with Christos. The founder of Aelo, talks about their new launch, Limoncello and how this one is special. He also talks about how he thinks about flavours, and keeping Aelo special.  Check out Aelo here: https://www.drinkaelo.com/Connect with Christos here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christos-kalaitzis-b7942378/Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/We're excited to go to CHFA West - head to https://www.chfanow.ca/vancouver/ 

Throwback episode. We walked the Kelowna Farmer's Market with Peter Boyd last summer and this is some of the footage. We get a buyer's perspective on brands and what he wants to accomplish, and we hear just a sample of amazing stories at that market. Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast. Head to https://www.fieldagentcanada.com  to find out moreGet more details on Grocery Showcase West: https://gsfshow.com/Sign up to head to CHFA West: https://www.chfanow.ca/vancouver/

Off Script with Phil & Kenny: April Events PreviewJoin Phil Chang and Kenny Vannucci as they discuss upcoming food industry events and initiatives in Canada this April. The duo shares their plans for CHFA (April 26-27), where they'll run a unique connection hub using Polaroid photos to match brands with distributors, brokers, and partners. They'll also be attending Grocery Showcase West (April 14-15), supporting BC brands and connecting industry players. Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast. Head to https://www.fieldagentcanada.com  to find out moreGet more details on Grocery Showcase West: https://gsfshow.com/ Sign up to head to CHFA West: https://www.chfanow.ca/vancouver/ Melanie's episode is here (aired April 1st., 2024) https://www.thiscommercelife.com/tclpodcast/episode/1f1ab546/melanie-macinnes-talks-about-being-flexible-nimble-the-irrational-fear-of-losing-the-farm

From ice cream bicycles to national distribution: Meet Melissa Leung of TransCold, the powerhouse behind Canada's frozen food logistics. Learn why small frozen brands need distribution partners, how TransCold expanded from ice cream to nationwide frozen food delivery, and why factoring in distribution costs from day one is crucial for frozen food startups. A must-listen for anyone in the frozen category or considering entering it. Get in touch with Melissa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissacoughlan/Check out Transcold here: https://www.transcold.com/ Thank you to Fieldagent Canada for sponsoring this podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/  

In this episode, hosts Phil and Kenny welcome Brittany from HIVE Naturals and Jeff Doucette from Field Agent Canada to announce their groundbreaking partnership: the world's first hybrid merchandising agency.The collaboration combines Field Agent's powerful audit capabilities with HIVE's expert merchandising team to create a "find and fix" solution for brands. This innovative partnership allows brands of all sizes to efficiently identify in-store execution issues and target resources where they're needed most, making retail visibility and compliance more accessible and affordable.The conversation also explores the current state of Canadian retail amidst tariff uncertainties, discussing how retailers and brands are adapting to growing consumer demand for Canadian products, and the challenges of clearly identifying and promoting local options in stores.Join us for candid insights, practical advice, and lively discussion on navigating today's complex retail environment. Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponso

Lisa Simonsen packs eggs for a living...just kidding. If you're looking for a designer's view of front of pack labels that are upcoming, this is the episode for you.  Connect with Lisa here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-simonsen/Find out more at Lisa's website: https://www.simonsendesigns.com/

Tamales are an ancient dish from Mesoamerica, with about 500 variations in Mexico alone, differing by region and ingredients. Generally, almost anyone who has tried one, smiles when they reminisce about having a coffee, hot chocolate with a tamale. We're smiling ear to ear - Nadia Toledo plus talking about tamales is a win/win! Check out Nadia's tamales here: https://www.antojosysabores.com/Find Nadia here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiatoledo/ Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast. You can check them out here: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/drive-trial  

She found me with one of her buttermilk biscuits in my mouth. Dawn Chapman owner and CEO of Toronto's Lazy Daisy's Café and inaugural winner of WXN Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Food Industry Award, presented by Skip Check out Lazy Daisy's Cafe: https://lazydaisyscafe.ca/Thank you to our sponsor Fieldagent Canada: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

Rochelle Minagawa, Founder of MotherLove Ferments jumps in to talk about the ending of the year, and what comes next for the business.  Check out Motherlove Ferments here: https://www.motherloveferments.com/Find Rochelle here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelle-minagawa-7617491a5/Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast. https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/  

Brody talks production and quality issues. How to know what you don't know? Brody Hanson, CEO of Work Water talks about jumping into beverage making, starting from scratch with no industry experience.  check out work water here: https://buyworkwater.comFind Brody here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brody-hanson-2774205b/ Thank you to Field Agent Canada for being our sponsor: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/  

Taking control. We don't have a lot of it, but a chance to  take a breath, make changes and continue to push for changes. Even though we have 30 days, let's not take our foot off the gas.  In case you're interested - Kenny's Linkedin post is here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kennyvannucci_buycanadian-shopcanadian-supportcanadian-activity-7291664605431402496-goGh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAHLzV0B66Ny63xfoPTffiJK3tQ6g2ZDISM  

Just us today. Things you can do in your day to day to change the conversation around tariffs. Places and resources that you can go to find local brands, Canadian brands. Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast. Head to https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/ratings-and-reviews Some resources:https://buybc.gov.bc.ca/https://madeinalberta.co/https://supportontariomade.ca/https://lesproduitsduquebec.com/en Great places to ask questions and learn about brands and retailers:https://bcfb.ca/https://atlanticfood.ca/https://chfa.ca/https://foodbeveragemb.ca/https://www.afpa.com/We're sure we missed some more - send us a note and we'll amend this list!

Jennay Oliver is a fourth-generation farmer,  that runs Paynter's Fruit Market in Kelowna. Her great-grandfather started the farm in 1919.  We need more farmers in this country.  check out Paynter's here: https://www.payntersfruitmarket.ca/Find Jennay here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennay-oliver-131420b3/?originalSubdomain=ca Thank you to Peter Boyd for connecting us.Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring this podcast. www.fieldagentcanada.com

Mike Nunn comes on to talk automation, AI and how to help companies save some time and free up their folks to do other things.Find Mike Nunn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikednunn/Check out TLC solutions here: https://tlcitsolutions.com/ Thank you to David Vannucci for our new music in our intro.  

She's committed to the economic advancement of women. Natalie Frederick Wilson is  from Barbados, raised in New York City, and currently living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-frederick-wilson-338b1873/