Explore every episode of the podcast Owner's Roundtable
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Lab to Leadership: Scaling a Deep-Tech Business with Jack Nicholas of Qdot Technology | 16 Feb 2026 | 00:31:14 | |
Jack shares how his Ph.D. research in cooling nuclear fusion reactors became the foundation for a deep-tech startup tackling one of aviation’s hardest problems: thermal management for zero-emissions flight. Along the way, he opens up about the realities of spinning a company out of a university, the costly mistake of leading with technology instead of customer problems, and why he ultimately stepped aside as CEO to put the right leader in place. This is a candid conversation about the long timelines of deep tech, raising capital in tougher markets, navigating VC relationships, and why finding the right people may be the hardest and most important challenge of all. What You’ll Learn in This Episode
About Jack Nicholas
— Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business? Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min
Contact Jack Nicholas: | |||
| Turning Scrap into Scale & Spotting Opportunity with Tyson Christiansen | 16 Feb 2026 | 00:18:20 | |
What if the thing everyone else throws away is the foundation of your next business? In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Tyson Christiansen, founder of Maverick Metal, to unpack a gritty, real-world entrepreneurial journey built on follow-through, sales grit, and the ability to see value where others see waste. Tyson’s path didn’t start with a polished plan. It started at a tire shop, then behind the counter of a scrapyard, where he unknowingly received one of the best entrepreneurship educations possible. By helping others turn scrap into income, Tyson learned how businesses really work, how middlemen get cut out, and why execution always beats perfection. That early experience led to the creation of Maverick Metal, where Tyson began buying and selling oilfield pipe, eventually realizing that the real opportunity wasn’t brokering, but manufacturing. This episode is a masterclass in doing the work, trusting momentum over certainty, and building something durable by moving forward before everything is figured out. If you’ve ever waited for the “perfect plan” before starting, this conversation will challenge you to just get going. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Tyson Christiansen is the founder of Maverick Metal, a manufacturing and materials company focused on repurposing end-of-life oilfield pipe into durable, high-value livestock fencing products. With a background rooted in sales, scrap recovery, and industrial brokering, Tyson built Maverick Metal by identifying overlooked opportunities and executing relentlessly. Known for confidence action and follow-through, Tyson has grown his business across borders, operating in both Canada and the United States, while continuing to scale manufacturing capacity and material sourcing. Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business?
Contact Jeff McLarty
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| Cash Flow, Ego, and the Real Cost of Scaling with Tara Proskiw | 16 Feb 2026 | 00:41:43 | |
What happens when you go from “I can manage this place” to “I’m responsible for everything”?
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
About Tara Proskiw Tara Proskiw is an Edmonton-based entrepreneur with over 17 years in cabinetry and countertops and a reputation for building businesses that actually work operationally, financially, and culturally. As the owner of Towne & Countree Kitchens, Towne Renovations, and Redl Edmonton, she is known for spotting gaps in the market, building smart systems, and bringing clarity to industries where chaos is often the norm. Tara believes leadership is about energy, accountability, and empowering people to do great work without burning out. Outside the business, she gives back through Glenora Rotary and South Edmonton Rotary, while continuing to challenge the idea that home renovations have to be stressful. Direct, thoughtful, and values-driven, Tara brings both edge and heart to everything she builds. Resources discussed in this episode:
— Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business? Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min
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| From Y2K to AI: Scaling Through Chaos with Rafael Krug of Zero-Defect | 16 Feb 2026 | 00:37:57 | |
In this episode of Owner’s Roundtable, Jeff McLarty sits down with Rafael Krug, founder of Zero-Defect, one of Brazil’s leading software quality assurance firms. They unpack a two-decade entrepreneurial journey that spans continents, and more than a few hard resets.
Now based in Canada and loving the Canadian business landscape, Rafael shares why he chose to rebuild yet again, but this time with a global, product-driven future in mind. What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Rafael Krug is the founder of Zero-Defect, a software quality assurance company specializing in functional, performance, security, and automated testing. Founded in Brazil in 2004, Zero-Defect grew into one of the country’s leading QA firms, supporting mission-critical systems for enterprise clients. Now based in Edmonton, Canada, Rafael is leading Zero-Defect’s expansion into North America while launching AI-driven testing tools designed to modernize how software quality is delivered globally. Resources discussed in this episode:
— Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business? Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min
Contact Rafael Krug: | |||
| Trailer: Owner's Roundtable | 24 Nov 2025 | 00:01:16 | |
Every successful business has a story that never made the press release: messy beginnings, painful mistakes, near collapses, and game-changing decisions that shaped the journey. In Owner’s Roundtable, host Jeff McLarty has real conversations with real business owners who’ve built, scaled, stumbled, and fought their way forward. This podcast isn’t about polished highlight reels or corporate marketing stories. It’s about lessons learned the hard way from builders who’ve been in the arena. It shows why stories from the trenches really matter and gives us a seat at the table with operators who tell us how it really works. About Host Jeff McLarty: Jeff is a seasoned entrepreneur with diverse experience working in and with organisations both large and small, family businesses, mid-sized corporations, not-for-profits and governments. He has worked with leaders in aerospace, AI, manufacturing, IT, and construction just to name a few. His own journey to the owner's table has covered a diverse range of work and ownership experiences, including working in the trades, sales, financial planning, Deputy Director of a museum, and as an Executive Director of a major not-for-profit before becoming an owner/operator of a family business in retail. He also has extensive volunteer experience, which he credits with developing the broad skill set he needed to begin operating a business at a relatively young age (35). Together with his wife and business partner Stephanie, they scaled a small family-owned business into a multi-segment tourism and food services operation with 25 staff and a province-wide reputation. Following the sale of the retail side of the operations, Jeff and his family moved to Edmonton, Alberta, where he began contract work for a UK-based aerospace startup, eventually serving as interim COO. He is currently a consulting partner in several venture startups and works as an Executive Coach and Business Trainer. Jeff is passionate about the journey to entrepreneurship and what it takes to keep a seat at the Owners Round Table, Listen in as he explores with fellow founders, how they earned their seats and share the wisdom of years spent building a business in the hopes that you can learn from their tough experiences.
Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business. Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min Contact Jeff McLarty: | |||
| Building Smarter Tech: Transparency & Trust with Rea Hailley | 16 Mar 2026 | 00:35:33 | |
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
About Rea Hailley Rea Hailley is the co-founder of New Idea Machine, a software development agency focused on helping founders and business owners build smarter digital products. With a background in business and experience as a Merchant Success Manager at Shopify, Rea combines entrepreneurial insight with a commitment to transparency in an industry that often feels difficult to navigate.
Resources discussed in this episode:
— Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business? Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min
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| From Shop Floor to Franchise Success: Trevor Jones on Systems, Scaling & Selling | 02 Mar 2026 | 00:35:47 | |
What happens when you build a business so tightly organized it runs with less stress—then one day you sell it and realize you don’t know who you are without it?
Along the way, they dig into what makes partnerships succeed (and fail), why simple systems beat “big shiny” strategies, what franchising is really like from both sides, and the emotional whiplash of exiting a business you’ve identified with for 24 years. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
About Trevor Jones Trevor Jones is the former co-owner of Badlands Collision Group, which grew from a single location into a three-store operator. After selling his ownership stake, Trevor transitioned into corporate leadership and is now a Corporate Director and Head of Training / Director of Franchise Success at Driven Brands, helping franchisees improve operations through education, training, and process. — Looking for Tools & Support Growing and Managing Your Business? Book a free consultation today: https://calendly.com/jmclarty-focalpointcoaching/30min Contact Jeff McLarty: Contact Trevor Jones: | |||