BUSINESS Episodes

Sports betting industry expert Harley Redlick provides an outstanding primer on the Ontario sports gambling industry [as it moved from black to grey to white market], shares his ’10 Commandments of Successful Sports Betting,’ explains why the NFL is King when it comes to sports wagering, suggests that the consumer/operator/regulator relationships serve as a ‘Betting Business Bermuda Triangle,’ and asserts why the Connor McDavid sportsbook ads are obviously targeted at children [“No adult is taki...

Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey returns to the podcast to talk TIFF 2023, about the ramifications of the Hollywood actors/writers strike on the red carpet, about the most attention-grabbing & most highly-anticipated films [and their stars], how you can enjoy TIFF even if you aren’t attending any movies, the ‘informal market’ that drives the incredible amount of business transactions being done during the festival, and who you should be keeping your eyes open for on the str...

Dine Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Sara Waxman talks about meeting her husband Al three days after arriving in Toronto from Winnipeg, his worldwide popularity from the television shows King of Kensington, Cagney & Lacey and Twice in a Lifetime, her 25 year run as the Toronto Sun’s restaurant critic, her renowned cookbooks & house parties, Al’s statue in Kensington Market, her appointment to the Order of Ontario, and the joy she gets from working on her multimedia empire with her son Adam! Read. Wat...

King of NHL ’94 World Championships organizer Darrell Sampson talks about why the GOAT of all hockey video games [from a 16 bit computing world!] still resonates today at its 30th anniversary, that scene in 'Swingers' where Vince Vaughn made Wayne Gretzky’s head bleed and legs spasm [actually NOT from NHL '94 which was fightless/bloodless], Jaromir Jagr being the last player to play in the NHL who also played in the entire 16 bit era of hockey video games, the craziness of holding their inaugura...

Zane Caplansky from Caplansky’s Delicatessen talks about the titans of Jewish Deli [Yitz’s, Centre Street Deli, Pancer's, Shopsy’s, Switzer’s], his origins at the Monarch Tavern [T.O.’s first pop-up], the role of Thunderin’ Thelma [T.O.’s first modern day food truck], opening his eponymous restaurant on College St, collecting Geddy Lee’s email address & naming a meal after him, why Adam Sandler couldn’t resist bussing tables, the legacy of the Caplan name in local/provincial/national politics, r...

Canadian boxing legend Syd 'The Jewel' Vanderpool talks about working out with his 4 older brothers in the makeshift boxing ring in the carport of their Kitchener home, winning his first bout at 6 and a half years old [!!!], meeting the emotional hurricane that is Iron Mike Tyson, missing out on meeting Wayne Gretzky despite arranging for his daughter Paulina to sing the national anthem before one of his bouts, his epic internationally televised championship title fights against Bernard ‘The Exe...

PointsBet Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer Nic Sulsky provides an A+ primer on the Ontario iGaming market, why it was essential to move from a ‘grey’ to a licensed/regulated sports betting market, how partnering with MLSE builds on the strength of 365 live events per year, building a ‘challenger brand’ by being authentically Canadian & wrapping yourself in the red & white flag [via The Trailer Park Boys!], his Family Channel days of driving coast to coast with 2 puppets transporting a jar of oc...

Molloy + Van Wert’s Jimmy Molloy talks about a lifetime spent in the Annex/Yorkville, how being a busboy in 1976 was “a summer job that got out of control” resulting in his ownership of French fine dining institution Auberge Gavroche, transferring his service skills to the world of luxury real estate, wise lessons learned from Franco Prevedello/Galen Weston Sr/Bar Italia, how a home is ‘the filing cabinet of your life,’ why serving people & relationships are fundamental to business success, the ...

Freed Developments’ Glen Baxter talks about making the move from Montreal to Toronto, doing CBC French language traffic reports without ever owning a car, getting ‘the call’ in 1991 from Moses Znaimer, his 20 years at 299 Queen Street West for MuchMusic/CityTV/CTV's In Fashion, his excellent interactions with David Bowie/Drake/Rihanna/Deadmau5/Jeanne Beker/Tim Blanks/Jay Levine/Rick Campanelli/Dave Foley/Alex Lifeson/Joe Mimran/Michael Budman/Don Green, his NOT so excellent interactions with Bar...

Canadian Elite Basketball League Co-Founder/Commissioner Mike Morreale talks about his TWO Grey Cup championships, playing for BOTH Hamilton and Toronto in numerous Labour Day Classics [and the differences in playing in Steeltown vs Hogtown], the completely different personalities of his teammates Doug & Darren Flutie, why the late great Don Matthews was the ultimate players’ coach, the surreal experience of sharing his first training camp with ‘Swervin' Mervyn’ Fernandez/Danny McManus/Darren Fl...

Vancouverite Courtney Watkins takes the big leap to Hogtown to open her 3rd retail location of Mine & Yours! Courtney talks about leaving for Los Angeles at 17, the emotional experience of working at the beck & call of Ms. Paula Abdul, how she saw first-hand that it’s NOT so great to be famous, why she did NOT have a passion for owning/operating a sawmill, implementing her business strategy of Brick/Click/Pop, the environmental dangers of ‘fast fashion,’ the success that grew from seeking fun &...

The Hockey News Publisher & Hockey Stick/Equipment Mogul Graeme Roustan does NOT talk about his possible interest in purchasing the Ottawa Senators, but DOES talk about living in Los Angeles with roommates Pat Brisson [now CAA’s Super Agent] & Lucky Luc Robitaille [greatest left winger & best 171st draft pick in NHL history], being an oh-so-close finalist in the competition to purchase his hometown Montreal Canadiens, how close his group actually came to getting an arena built in Markham [to wel...

Rivalry Co-Founder & CEO Steven Salz talks about sports vs casino gambling, operating at the intersection of E-Sports & Entertainment, moving content from a 'transactional' to an 'entertainment' focus, the unbelievable magnitude & growth of E-Sports worldwide, appealing to his predominantly Millennial & Gen Z customer base, why ‘skins’ were the original currency for betting on gaming, lessons learned from Red Bull’s marketing, why you will NOT find any Kardashians endorsing Rivalry, the transiti...

Literary Agent & Published Poet Brian Wood shares stories from representing diverse authors including Peter Mansbridge, Stu [The Grim Reaper] Grimson, Terry David Mulligan, Bob [Bobby Margarita] McKenzie, Tie Domi, Ellen Roseman, Steve Simmons, John Shannon, Colleen Jones, Scott Morrison, Justin Davis and Al Strachan. Brian talks about his three published poetry collections, and how they complement rather than replace his ‘day job’ as a literary agent. He also explains the economics of the book ...

Retiring [not retired] Professor Ken Wong from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University talks about his early immersion in the family business [Wong Wing grew from egg rolls in 1948 Montreal’s Chinatown to Canada’s largest processor of Chinese food], sharing the mantle of ‘media’s marketing go-to guy’ with Alan Middleton, the ‘friendly rivalry’ between Western and Queen’s [yep, he couldn’t resist and snuck a dig in there!], the importance of the numerous business school rankings ['be #...

Gaming News Canada Editor/Parleh Media Group partner Steve McAllister delivers a primer on the past/present/future of sports gambling in Ontario, speculates on the gambling prospects for niche sports such as table tennis, cricket, jai-alai & pickleball, talks about moving from Prescott to Ryerson/Toronto to Kincardine, following in his Dad’s footsteps [skates?] as a hockey referee, interesting career stops at The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail, Yahoo Canada, the NHL Players’ Association & Te...

Four-time Canadian Screen Award winning Producer Stuart Coxe talks about cutting his teeth at CBC’s The National & The Journal, Peter Mansbridge’s calm & consistent presence during 9/11, launching Dragons’ Den and Shark Tank, why Mark Burnett’s track record proves he is the ‘Wizard of Oz,’ working on the late Gord Downie’s ‘Secret Path’ project, first meeting Gord while giving a tour of Robert Scully’s VENTURE set, working with Kevin O’Leary [“your tears add no value”]/Evan Solomon/Robert Herjav...

Comedy hypnotist/motivational speaker/author The Incredible Boris Cherniak talks about his journey from Moscow to Toronto, running out of material early in his first professional show [at age 17!], being Facebook Friends with The Amazing Kreskin, enjoying conversations with a surprisingly chatty Teller backstage after a Penn & Teller show in Las Vegas, appearing on The Howie Mandel Show on the exact same NBC Burbank studio stage as The Tonight Show’s Johnny Carson once did, working on people wit...

Ed the Sock Creator Steven Kerzner remembers North York’s Newton Cable, shares Ed’s origin story [involves the Crafts Closet] and namesake [think Lou Grant/Carl from UP], talks about Ed’s Night Party transitioning from community cable to CityTV to a national MuchMusic audience, why he thinks Moses Znaimer is responsible for the greatest phase of creativity in Canadian TV history [people love to watch people], and presents the REAL STORY behind the conspicuously similar Robert Smigel/Conan O’Brie...

OverActive Media Group’s Bob Hunter updates the E-Sports venue project at Exhibition Place and shares stories from the ORIGINAL Ontario Place, BC Place Stadium, Expo 86 Worlds Fair, SkyDome [now Rogers Centre], Air Canada Centre [now Scotiabank Place], BMO Field, Lamport Stadium, the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, putting together the ‘puzzles’ involved in venue conversions [‘my back is still sore’], his three Toronto championship rings, concerts by The Hip/Pink/McCartney/...

Financial Literacy Expert & Consumer Advocate Ellen Roseman talks about being BLOCKED by Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey, her Montreal roots, moving from covering Women’s Wear to Business at Maclean-Hunter, going from The Toronto Star to The Globe & Mail [and back to The Star], her initial feedback to David Chilton’s draft for The Wealthy Barber [“Where’s the beef?? You are no John Le Carre!”], interviewing Mr Wonderful Kevin O’Leary, hiring Rob Carrick at The Globe & Mail, whether she is friends/ene...

GZERO Media Publisher Evan Solomon talks about packing up & moving to The Big Apple/NYC, leaving his comfort zone to seek out ‘pleasurable discomfort,’ asking his holiness the Dalai Lama the most sensitive of life’s questions, how he tried with a combative interviewee to “Tai Chi-it but ended up getting rolled,” GZERO trying to see around the political corner to build non-partisan bridges between politics & people, why Canada is ‘the largest small village in the world,’ following the simple fash...

Won For All President Joe Jackman talks about being invited to Toronto Maple Leafs training camp and running into someone named 'The King' Borje Salming, great years at St Michael’s College playing TWO sports for the Buzzers, transitioning from an ‘NCAA D-1 athlete’ into a ‘corporate athlete,’ pro-actively working with CURRENT athletes on their transition plans rather than waiting until they retire, the successful post-career transition of ‘The Grim Reaper’ Stu Grimson, and the overall importanc...

Offside: The Harold Ballard Story executive producer Michael Geddes talks about working with Vancouverite/90210’s Jason Priestley, the ‘Ballard Curse’ being responsible for 56 seasons [and counting] without a Stanley Cup [and 19 seasons without winning a playoff round!], uncovering both urban legends [threatening to turn the womens’ McGill Club into a Playboy Club] and realities [direct fan access via the ‘Muppets Bunker’], Ballard operating not with a sharp pencil but rather with NO pencil, how...