The Calgary Sessions

Kelsey Hahn is the co-founder and CEO of Monark, a Calgary company that works with leaders and organizations. She played university hockey, studied organizational behaviour and has spent much of her career trying to understand what helps people do well at work.She’s honest about how hard it’s been to build her own company. Hearing no from investors felt personal, and there were times she wanted to quit. As a mother of two, she also talks about feeling judged for being ambitious and how she handles work and family responsibilities.Hockey is a big part of the chat too. Kelsey talks about being called bossy growing up, the confidence she got from playing and why she now coaches her daughter’s team. She wants the girls to enjoy coming to the rink, and coaching has given her a reason to leave work before everything is done.Things are going better with the business now, and she’s enjoying it more. She also admits it’s hard to say that without thinking she should be doing more.Connect with Kelsey Hahn:LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/kelseyhahn12Website: https://www.leadwithmonark.com/Connect with Jeff Humphreys:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffhumphreys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffhumphreys_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhumphreysyyc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast Location & Production:Off Set Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.offsetstudios.ca

After more than two decades in the corporate food industry, Jason Zaran started his first business at 40, opening The Main Dish in Bridgeland with years of experience and plenty still to figure out.Years later, business losses, his parents' declining health and strain in his marriage arrived together, leaving him close to bankruptcy and needing a job while his wife, Pam, and a small team kept the remaining business going.In this chat, we talk about the early regrets that shaped his approach to work, the decisions and people that helped him rebuild, and knowing when to keep going or change the plan.Connect with Jason Zaran:LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jason-zaran-85494118Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jzaran/Website: ⁠⁠https://fitkitchen.ca/Connect with Jeff Humphreys:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffhumphreys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffhumphreys_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhumphreysyyc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast Location & Production:Off Set Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.offsetstudios.ca

Monica Arora is the founder of Digital Monk Marketing in Calgary. Growing up, her parents encouraged her to ask questions and think for herself. Feeling comfortable being different took longer.We talk about finding people she connected with, taking her interest in understanding people into marketing, and building her business. We also get into trusting your gut and what a decision can give you even when it doesn't go the way you hoped.Monica likes the gray. Having to choose between this or that can mean missing what else is possible. That comes through when we talk about work-life balance and how hard she can be on herself. She kept the agency smaller when her kids were young so she could be there for them. As they've grown, she's had more room for the business. What worked then isn't necessarily what works now.Connect with Monica Arora:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://ca.linkedin.com/in/marorabir⁠Website: ⁠https://digitalmonkmarketing.com/Connect with Jeff Humphreys:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffhumphreys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffhumphreys_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhumphreysyyc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast Location & Production:Off Set Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.offsetstudios.ca

Ryan HK is a Calgary photographer and director who spent more than 20 years freelancing before moving into an in-house role while continuing to take on selected creative work.His path started well before photography became a career. Ryan left university to pursue snowboarding, returned home when his dad became sick and eventually built a life behind the camera. After going through cancer treatment, he sold his house, lived in a truck camper and later moved onto a sailboat.The freedom he created eventually became isolating, and his mental health reached a point where something had to change. Ryan returned to Calgary and began rebuilding again through friendship, therapy, relationships and community.Connect with Ryan HK:Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/RyanHK_Website: https://www.ryanhk.comConnect with Jeff Humphreys:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffhumphreys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffhumphreys_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhumphreysyyc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast Location & Production:Off Set Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.offsetstudios.ca

Yalda Kazemi is the founder of Yalda Kazemi Consulting Inc., a policy, ethics and compliance consultant, workplace mental-health educator and author of Unapologetic Truths.Born in Iran, raised partly in Italy and arriving in Calgary at nine, Yalda’s early life was shaped by displacement, family responsibility and the belief that hard work could carry her through anything. That mindset helped her build an education and career she loved.Then postpartum depression, anxiety and psychosis became something she could not outwork. Yalda speaks about resisting treatment, hospitalization, cultural stigma, returning to work and the long road back to herself. Her recovery led to writing and advocacy, but also to a different understanding of strength: knowing when survival requires accepting help.Connect with Yalda Kazemi:LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/yaldakazemi⁠Website: ⁠⁠https://www.yaldakazemi.com/Connect with Jeff Humphreys:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffhumphreys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffhumphreys_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhumphreysyyc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast Location & Production:Off Set Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.offsetstudios.ca