Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Movers - Shakers - Edifiers

Here's to the risk takers. The industry shakers. The business and community leaders whose insights and investments are positively impacting the world around them. In partnership with Edify and the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, we present this Real Talk Round Table: Edifiers Edition.
2:40 | We talk small business, DEI, tariffs, refugees, lost wedding rings, and more with the dynamic trio of Edifier Award winners Sina Zere and Jorgia Moore, and Edmonton Chamber of Commerce VP Laura Kinghorn. 
2025 EDIFIERS: https://edifyedmonton.com/people/edifiers/2025/
EDMONTON CHAMBER of COMMERCE: https://www.edmontonchamber.com/
DON'YA UKRAINE'S KITCHEN: https://donyaukraine.ca/
BUFF WAX SPOT: https://buffwaxspot.com/
1:12:00 | Jespo and Johnny talk 4 Nations Face-Off, the alleged UCP-AHS scandal, a response from a Salt Lake City-based Real Talker to our "51st state" chat with economist Todd Hirsch, and our Mark Carney TikTok with 100,000 views and 800 comments (!).
1:43:30 | Markus says it's time to switch from defence to offence with the U.S.A., Brent says it ain't all Trump's fault, R.H. is fighting for independence, Don takes on "Alberta's Death Cult," Angie's sick over cougar hunts, and Les is putting the premier up for sale. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! 
FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
When you visit the DQs in Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you! 
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THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors

Hunters Kill Beloved Cat // Coach Robs Kids

Alberta's new regulations allow hunters to target female cougars with cubs. That's exactly what happened to a cat John E. Marriott had been tracking for the past four years. The renowned wildlife conservation photographer tells us why he believes the hunt was "legal but unethical," and what he's doing about it. Later in this episode, we get details on a stunning betrayal as a U-11 soccer coach (allegedly) steals two years' worth of fundraising, burying plans for a tournament in Vegas. 
3:30 | John E. Marriott tells us about an emotional few days, and his mission to save orphaned cougar cubs (and reverse changes to Alberta's hunting laws). 
TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT COUGAR HUNTS: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
FOLLOW JOHN ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/johnemarriott
EXPOSED WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY: https://exposedwildlifeconservancy.com/
46:10 | A U-11 soccer team's dream of playing in the Mayor's Cup tournament in Las Vegas is dead, after their coach allegedly stole close to $50,000. We talk to parent Adam Scorgie about the loss and the silver linings that have followed.
SUPPORT THE GOFUNDME: https://www.gofundme.com/f/U11SOCCER
JORDIN TOOTOO on REAL TALK: https://rtrj.info/101124TootsAdam
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen 
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN: @ryanjespersen 
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Tesla Tariffs and $2,000 Shoes

Pierre Poilievre's calling out Mark Carney for wearing $2,000 shoes. This, as Poilievre campaigns in a $2,000 parka (and Carney surges in the polls). DOES ANYBODY CARE? We demand more (58:00) in this highly-entertaining episode of Real Talk. 
3:45 | But first...(speaking of nice shoes)...we check in with economist Todd Hirsch. Could Canada stop this trade war in its tracks by hitting Tesla with a 100% tariff? Todd talks steel, aluminium, and the overall impact of this standoff. Do you agree with his take on Canada as the 51st state (39:10)? 
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
54:40 | This weekend's Jasper forecast is PERFECT for a Valentine's visit to Marmot Basin! We've got all the details covered in #MyJasper Memories presented by Tourism Jasper. 
SAVE 50% on SKIING & SNOWBOARDING: https://www.skimarmot.com/
PLAN YOUR VISIT TO JASPER: https://www.jasper.travel/
58:00 | Does anybody care about the cost of Mark Carney's shoes (or Pierre Poilievre's parka, for that matter)? 
1:18:00 | Jespo agrees with Trump on something...kinda sorta. How about you? 
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen 
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN: @ryanjespersen 
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Quick Dick McDick Talks Trump, Trudeau, and Tariffs

Forget about that one month pause on Donald Trump's tariffs. The President shook everything up (again) with an off-the-cuff announcement aboard Air Force One en route to the Super Bowl. Do Americans realize Trump's policy will make everything more expensive...for everybody? 
4:50 | Quick Dick McDick joins us from Louisville, Kentucky with a report on what Americans are saying about Trump's tariffs. Ryan picks his brain on polling showing a "Carney bump" for the Liberals, and the reasoning behind Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe staying out of the limelight on Canada's tariff response. 
CHECK OUT QDM ONLINE: https://quickdickmcdick.ca/
SUBSCRIBE TO HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@QuickDickMcDick
49:30 | Real Talkers chime in on the alleged UCP/AHS interference scandal, as discussed on our February 10 episode with The Globe and Mail's Carrie Tait. 
ALLEGED UCP/AHS SCANDAL EXPLAINED: https://youtu.be/DAeFHclI-L4?si=4FoaXxLwBEogNZjs
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen 
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN: @ryanjespersen 
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Alleged AHS Interference Puts Smith in the Hot Seat

Premier Danielle Smith says reports tying her to alleged wrongdoing related to Alberta Health Services' procurement and contracting are "false, baseless and defamatory". Meantime, Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi is calling for an RCMP investigation into allegations Smith’s government dismissed the head of AHS two days before she was scheduled to meet with the province’s Auditor-General to discuss her investigation into procurement contracts and deals for private surgical facilities. We get into what's at stake in this episode of Real Talk. 
3:30 | Journalist Carrie Tate takes us into her exclusive story in The Globe and Mail.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
28:00 | Real Talkers have their say in our Live Chat powered by Park Power. 
52:00 | What a bizarre Super Bowl. Jespo and Johnny recap the game, Kendrick Lamar's halftime show, and the party at On the Rocks. 
1:00:00 | Whatever happened to pausing tariffs for a month? U.S. President Donald Trump says he's hitting steel and aluminum right now. 
1:10:30 | Speaking of Trump, more Canadians want Mark Carney negotiating with POTUS, not Pierre Poilievre. So says a new Nanos Research poll. Do you buy it? 
1:15:30 | Ryan reads more of your thoughts on the AHS story, including an insider insight into demand for surgical facilities in Alberta. 
1:25:00 | A Jasper business will be back in the water (in a good way!) this spring thanks to an amazing group of people who got together over the weekend to Raise the Raft. Positive Reflections is presented weekly on Real Talk by our friends at Kuby Energy. 
GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE: https://kuby.ca/
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen 
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN: @ryanjespersen 
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

"Who the Hell Picks A Fight with CANADA?!"

Sheryl schools us on dead chickens and dancing monkeys, Jenny wants you to join the resistance, Alanna's spitting fire over the newest Alberta Health scandal, Steve's sick of being robbed, Stephanie's had enough of the "treacherous tangerine," and Cody wants everybody to rethink a specific, recurring chore. 
It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!
FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com
When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you!

What's Going On with Jasper's Rebuild?

More than 600 families remain displaced after wildfire ripped through Jasper in July of 2024. As clean-up continues and rebuilds begin, officials are at odds over the "right way" to rebuild one of Canada's most magnificent tourism destinations. With hundreds of millions of dollars hanging in the balance, we check in with federal, provincial, and municipal leaders to figure out what they agree on, and what they don't. 
2:45 | Minister Terry Duguid, federal lead on Jasper recovery efforts, tells us about his trip to the mountain town and conditions around $160M in new funding. 
23:10 | We ask Hon. Ric McIver, Alberta's Minister of Municipal Affairs, why the province is withholding the $112M it promised for housing. 
46:10 | Mayor Richard Ireland talks housing crunch, tax shortfalls, and the future vision for Jasper. 
1:16:45 | The next generation isn't drinking like generations before did. Why is that? 
1:31:30 | Sheryl schools us on dead chickens and dancing monkeys, Jenny wants you to join the resistance, Alanna's spitting fire over the newest Alberta Health scandal, Steve's sick of being robbed, Stephanie's had enough of the "treacherous tangerine," and Cody wants everybody to rethink a specific, recurring chore. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! 
FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com
When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you!  
HANG OUT WITH JESPO AT OTR ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: https://ontherocksyeg.com/
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen 
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN: @ryanjespersen 
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
 
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.
 

Businesses Pivot to Survive Trump Chaos

Countless Canadian businesses are taking a closer look at their supply chains, export markets, profit margins, and more in light of a potential trade war with the United States. 
We talk to entrepreneurs Lane Edwards (Pura Botanicals), Justine Barber (Poppy Barley), and Curtis Hrdlica (Honomobo) about Trump's tariff chaos, "Buy Canadian" messaging, and how they're America-proofing their businesses.
PURA BOTANICALS: https://www.purabotanicals.ca/
POPPY BARLEY: https://poppybarley.com/
HONOMOBO: https://www.honomobo.com/ca/home
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
HANG OUT WITH JESPO AT OTR ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: https://ontherocksyeg.com/
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen 
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN: @ryanjespersen 
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors

TRUMP'S SECRET WEAPON: Unelected Elon Musk

Elon Musk isn’t just shaping the future of technology—he’s wielding unprecedented influence over American policy with an official role in Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. With deep economic stakes in transportation, social media, satellite technology, and space exploration, his personal interests are increasingly intertwined with national policy, raising serious ethical red flags. Critics warn that his unchecked access to private data, his ability to control information sharing through X (formerly Twitter), and his lack of accountability pose a grave risk to democracy itself. We get into it with cybersecurity expert Nejolla Korris. 
5:20 | But first...President Donald Trump sent shock waves around the world with his candid comments about the U.S. "owning" Gaza and displacing 1.8 million Palestinians along the way.
16:20 | The world's richest man has a huge influence on America's domestic and foreign policy as an unelected official. We talk to cybersecurity expert Nejolla Korris about Elon Musk's relationship with Donald Trump, America's move toward a tech oligarchy, and the rise of bots on social media sites. 
NEJOLLA'S WORK: https://www.interveritas.com/
1:03:30 | Got plans for Family Day weekend? Why not head out to Jasper! Ryan gives a sneak peek of his family's video collaboration with Tourism Jasper, and has details on an Edmonton fundraiser for Jasper Raft Tours.
FAMILY DAY in JASPER: https://www.jasper.travel/blog/5-ways-celebrate-family-day-jasper-national-park/
RAISE THE RAFT: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1207727644688155&set=pcb.1207727728021480
1:11:11 | When should government fund or defund media? Jespo pulls back the curtain on Real Talk's position, including whether or not we receive a federal media subsidy. 
1:32:20 | Do you engage when a friend or family member shares misinformation on social media? Ryan shares details of a current conundrum. 
1:39:45 | Did you catch the awkward exchange between journalist Lauren Boothby and Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee? 
1:46:45 | Tough look for Edmonton, as Donald Trump's National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett takes a big swipe at Alberta's capital city on an international news broadcast. 
GUY FELICELLA on REAL TALK: https://rtrj.info/051723GuyF
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
HANG OUT WITH JESPO AT OTR ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: https://ontherocksyeg.com/
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JOIN US ON FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN: @ryanjespersen 
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RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors

Protect Your Investments Against Trump's Chaos

With U.S. President Donald Trump delaying tariffs on Canada, how should Canadian businesses and investors approach the next month (and beyond)? 
8:45 | Edmonton Chamber of Commerce CEO Doug Griffiths says this entire ordeal should be a wake-up call for every business. 
CHECK OUT THE CHAMBER: https://www.edmontonchamber.com/
41:15 | What are the markets telling us right now? What's in store for the Canadian dollar? North Road Investment Counsel president Marshall McAlister presents it all in plain language. 
NORTH ROAD INVESTMENT COUNSEL: https://www.northroadic.com/
1:00:00 | Twin sisters Cortney Drover and Connie Claeys fought and survived the exact same rare cancer. They've got a challenge for all of us on World Cancer Day. 
LEARN MORE: https://breastcancerprogress.ca/know_more_stories/twin-sisters-and-both-carriers-of-the-brca2-gene/
TELL US YOUR STORY: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
HANG OUT WITH JESPO AT OTR ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: https://ontherocksyeg.com/
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen 
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN: @ryanjespersen 
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors