Yes, We Are Open! 🍁

Yes, Spin-IT Records and Video Is OpenThis 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. 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Yes, Brooks Pepperfire Foods Inc. Is OpenAl’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], 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

‘Yes, We Are Open’ Season 4 TeaserSeason 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Bear Cave Silent BoothsOn 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 interestAndrea's book 'When A Witch Arrives' by Andrea Max (Audiobook)Andrea's music Credits:Duri Alajrami - LeadershipAmy Maraone - LeadershipRick Stephan - LeadershipMat Belanger – Moneris Ad VoiceoverCaleigh Ellis – Graphic ArtistChetan Dhananjaya – WebmasterMallory McWhirther – Social MediaTanya Nagi – Social MediaKelly Foss - Promotion ConsultantKelly Servos – Internal CommunicationsZino Obi-Egbedi – PMDavid Litwin – ReviewerDarren Leroux – ReviewerJessica Lepage – TranslationPascale Dumas-Bresse – TranslationPao-Lan Ladouceur – TranslationMelanie Bell – TranslationMateo Sanchez – TranslationGladys Bagang – Logistics & AdminThe rest of the Moneris for their support! 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Kidsworld Pediatric DentistryDr. 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Impact KitchenPersonal 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Downunder TravelThis 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

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

Lakeside Dog BiscuitsThis 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 BiscuitsToday 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

MatriarchIn this episode Al goes to Kitchener, Ontario to visit Ankush Raina, owner of Matriarch.Ankush moved to Canada from India in 2018. His ultimate goal was to start his own business, something he’s been dreaming about since he was a teenager. Everything he’s done since arriving in Canada was with that goal in mind. He turned that intense focus into Matriarch, an online activewear brand. The name is a tribute to his grandmother.But with limited experience in clothing manufacturing and an impending pandemic that would shut down all gyms for an indefinite period, would Ankush’s focus and work ethic be enough to pull Matriarch through?Listen to find out. You can learn more about Matriarch at thematriarch.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

In the Season 3 premier of ‘Yes, We Are Open’ Al goes to Port Sydney, Ontario to visit Heather Huff-Bogart, Owner of The Green Bouquet Cannabis Inc.Heather opened her dream business in the middle of the pandemic lockdown. In addition, she had to navigate the restrictive and ever-changing regulations in Ontario’s cannabis industry, overcome objections from her own family and friends and even some of her own neighbours.How did she do it? Listen to find out. You can learn more about The Green Bouquet Cannabis Inc. at thegreenbouquetcannabis.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

‘Yes, We Are Open’ Season 3 TeaserSeason 3 of 'Yes, We Are Open' starts October 3rd, 2022!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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Parry Sound Friendship Centre at psfc.ca.Credits:Duri Alajrami - LeadershipAmy Maraone - LeadershipRick Stephan - LeadershipMat Belanger – Moneris Ad VoiceoverKelly Servos – Merchant LiaisonCaleigh Ellis – Graphic ArtistJameson Di Nucci – WebmasterMallory McWhirther – Social MediaTanya Nagi – Social MediaKelly Foss - Promotion ConsultantEmma Swan – Internal CommunicationsFarnaz Yaqubian – Internal CommunicationsCharlotte Lyons – InternZino Obi-Egbedi – PMDavid Litwin – ReviewerDarren Leroux – ReviewerJessica Lepage – TranslationPascale Dumas-Bresse – TranslationPao-Lan Ladouceur – TranslationMelanie Bell – TranslationMateo Sanchez – TranslationGladys Bagang – Logistics & AdminThe rest of the Moneris for their support! 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Studio Brewing at studiobrewing.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Power Yoga Canada at poweryogacanada.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Meraki Beauty Bar at merakibeautybar.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about SuperKick Karate at granicsensei.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Jess’ Restaurant and Bar at jessrestaurant.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Bitehaus Toronto Dental Clinic at bitehaus.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Climb Base5 at climbbase5.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

This is the 'Yes, We Are Open' Season 2 trailer. In this season, Al heads to B.C. in search of new stories about small Canadian businesses and their perseverance. 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.

You can learn more about Ontario Blue Jays at objbaseball.com.Credits:Amy Maraone - LeadershipRick Stephan - LeadershipMat Belanger – Moneris Ad VoiceoverKelly Servos – Merchant LiaisonCaleigh Ellis – Graphic ArtistJameson Di Nucci – WebmasterBeverly Wooding – Organic SocialAnita Matte Heshmatzadeh – Paid SocialEmma Swan – Internal CommunicationsSasha Abrams – PMKathleen Kennedy – CopyrighterDavid Litwin – ReviewerDarren Leroux – ReviewerCatherine Vendryes – ReviewerGill Fruchter – LegalJessica Lepage – TranslationPascale Dumas-Bresse – TranslationGladys Bagang – Logistics & AdminThe rest of the Moneris for their support! 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about PBR Auctions at pbrauctions.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Valley Online at valleyonline.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about The Grist at thegrist.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Supplement World Canada at supplementworldcanada.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Peace Collective at peace-collective.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You can learn more about Saunders Electric at saunderselectricltd.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

You learn more about The Athlete Matrix at theathletematrix.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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.

Small business is the backbone of Canada’s economy, but it isn’t for the faint of heart. Every year in Canada tens of thousands of businesses are born, however every year almost the same number fail. A lot can be learned from failure, but that’s just sad and depressing.“Yes, We Are Open” is a podcast that tells the stories of those that survive. How did they do it? What can we learn? Al Grego, of Moneris travels the country to tell these stories of challenge and perseverance. Whether you’re a small business owner yourself, or you’re thinking of starting one someday, these cautionary and motivational stories will provide you with the lessons and inspiration to help you on your way. 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], We Are Open is a Moneris podcast production hosted by Al Grego.