Buzz Worthy

<p>12 years from now, what would you be surprised about with a risk you are taking today?</p><p>Max Francis, our guest today took a risk so big, his friends and family staged an intervention for him. Mac tells us his stories of building from the ground up, being mistaken as a drug dealer and even married women's boyfriend. This was all part of just building his company. </p><p>Max was willing to fail big by putting one strep in front of the other to build his company True Hamilton. Inclusion not exclusion is how max describes himself and it shines through with his company True Hamiltonian. Against all warnings and interventions, this engineer quit his full time secure job to sell t-shirts.</p><p>Tune into this episode for big laughs, almost devasting moments and life lessons learned from unusual places by simply saying yes to everything for a season. This conversation was an adventure and heart warming, just like the city we build in, Hamilton. </p><p><strong>Follow True Hamiltonian:</strong></p><p>Instagram: @truehamiltonianHamiltonian</p><p>Twitter: @truehamiltonian</p><p>Website: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://truehamiltonian.ca">truehamiltonian.ca</a></p><p></p><p>This episode is a part of a 4 Part Series memorializing black entrepreneurs leaving their mark and impact on the world today and in the future for Black History Month. This is made in collaboration with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://blkowned.ca/">Blk Owned Hamilton</a> and sponsored by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.hamiltonchamber.ca/">Hamilton Chamber of Commerce</a> &amp; <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://investinhamilton.ca/">Invest in Hamilton</a>.</p><p></p><p><strong>Join the Buzz:</strong></p><p>Know an entrepreneur we should be making a buzz about? Visit us on our website and suggest a guest <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://buzzworthypod.ca/">https://buzzworthypod.ca/</a></p><p></p><p>Stay up to date with what we're doing:</p><p>Instagram: @buzzworthy_pod</p><p>Linkedin: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/buzz-worthy-podcast/?viewAsMember=true">https://www.linkedin.com/company/buzz-worthy-podcast/?viewAsMember=true</a></p><p></p><p><strong>Watch our TV SHOW!</strong></p><p>Its the show and tell of innovation and products created locally! New episodes drop every month!</p><p>Watch Live: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://cable14.com/buzzworthy">https://cable14.com/buzzworthy</a></p>

<p>What's the one decision you made that you will never go back on?</p><p>Faisal Bello made a decision that guided every decision he made from pre-teen to now. That decision eventually lead to Bello Foods. A food manufacturing company based in Hamilton, Ontario, specializing in high-quality herbs, spices, and specialty food products. Its aromatic herbs are responsibly sourced from West Africa and processed with a strong focus on quality, safety, and consistency, serving retailers, foodservice partners, and consumers across the globe.</p><p>Through his journey the decision never waived, but the strategy did. Some may call it stubborn, but through it all, he dove deep into entrepreneurship, remaining grounded, and always looking to give back. Faisal is rich in many things, but most rich in stories, that keep him grounded and determined to build a legacy that now lives beyond his awe inspiring grandmother, through him and onto future generations</p><p>This conversation takes up into the different areas of business including, Hibiscus (Sorrel) AI and the Human experience, comfort blanks, the telecom industry, and where it all began, Kano Nigeria.</p><p></p><p><strong>Follow Bello Foods:</strong></p><p>Facebook: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/share/1HL97s8nVJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr">https://www.facebook.com/share/1HL97s8nVJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr</a></p><p>Instagram: @bello_foods</p><p>Website: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.bellofoods.ca">www.bellofoods.ca</a></p><p></p><p>This episode is a part of a 4 Part Series memorializing black entrepreneurs leaving their mark and impact on the world today and in the future for Black History Month. This is made in collaboration with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://blkowned.ca/">Blk Owned Hamilton</a> and sponsored by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.hamiltonchamber.ca/">Hamilton Chamber of Commerce</a> &amp; <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://investinhamilton.ca/">Invest in Hamilton</a>.</p><p></p><p><strong>Join the Buzz:</strong></p><p>Know an entrepreneur we should be making a buzz about? Visit us on our website and suggest a guest <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://buzzworthypod.ca/">https://buzzworthypod.ca/</a></p><p></p><p>Stay up to date with what we're doing:</p><p>Instagram: @buzzworthy_pod</p><p>Linkedin: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/buzz-worthy-podcast/?viewAsMember=true">https://www.linkedin.com/company/buzz-worthy-podcast/?viewAsMember=true</a></p><p></p><p><strong>Watch our TV SHOW!</strong></p><p>Its the show and tell of innovation and products created locally! New episodes drop every month!</p><p>Watch Live: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://cable14.com/buzzworthy">https://cable14.com/buzzworthy</a></p>

<p>.What happens when the itch to build returns, but this time, it’s not about success, it’s about self-discovery?</p><p>In this episode, <strong>Anita Grant</strong> shares how the end of one business led her back to herself—and how that personal rediscovery sparked the creation of <strong>Hello Hair</strong>, a social impact company blending textured hair education with identity and confidence-building tools for children, families, and educators.</p><p>From navigating the lessons of a “failed” startup to stepping into her purpose as a mother and founder, Anita opens up about redefining success, representation, and what it really means to build something rooted in meaning rather than metrics.</p><p>We talk about the beauty of second chances, the power of visibility, and how self-discovery can be the greatest entrepreneurial tool of all.</p><p>🌐 Learn more: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://hellohairbook.com">hellohairbook.com</a> 📲 Follow on Instagram | <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/hello-hair-book">LinkedIn</a> | <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/hellohairbook">Facebook</a> | <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChuWYAjDj5aVZfckb_puzfw">YouTube</a></p>

<p>Is the big hairy problem in your job ripe for a revamp? </p><p>That’s the moment <strong>Ariella Racco</strong>, a passionate middle school teacher, faced before founding <strong>CoLab Education</strong>, a platform designed to connect and empower educators through collaboration, mentorship, and shared innovation. In this episode, she opens up about confronting the fear of leaving the classroom, the loneliness many teachers face, and how her mission to serve at scale became stronger than her comfort zone.</p><p>From winning <strong>Lion’s Lair</strong> to transforming isolation into community, Ariella shares the powerful story of how building CoLab helped her rediscover purpose—and how creating space for teachers to thrive is ultimately about shaping the next generation of adults.</p><p>🌐 Learn more: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://colab.education">colab.education</a> </p><p>📲 Follow on LinkedIn</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/colab.ed/">https://www.instagram.com/colab.ed/</a></p>

<p><strong>What creative idea did you have as a kid that could actually be a business today?</strong>.</p><p>For <strong>Matt McNeil</strong>, it all started with a hockey sock on his head and a dream to create something that mattered. Dragons Den had Matt glued to the TV watching people pitch their ideas. Little did he know he would be one of those people. not on Dragons Den, but some who brings ideas to life! Years later, that moment became <strong>Toques From The Heart</strong>, a company turning upcycled hockey socks into purpose-driven winter wear. For every toque sold, another is donated to a Canadian in need.</p><p>In this episode, Matt shares how his mom supported his creativity as boy and helped him start a business with very little upfront costs, how giving back became the company’s true north, and why his goal to donate <strong>35,000 toques</strong> reflects more than just a number. It represents the 35,000 Canadians who experience homelessness each night.</p><p>We talk about building a business rooted in compassion, finding resourcefulness in unlikely places, and how every small act of kindness can grow into a movement.</p><p>🧢 Learn more: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://toquesfromtheheart.ca">toquesfromtheheart.ca</a> </p><p>📲 Follow on <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/toquesfromtheheart/">Instagram</a> | <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://ca.linkedin.com/company/toquesfromtheheart">LinkedIn</a> | <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/toquesfromtheheart/">Facebook</a> | <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@toquesfromtheheart">TikTok</a></p>