Uncommon Sense

Hosted by CPA Alberta

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Alberta Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) are remarkable. They’re experts and entrepreneurs; innovators and change makers; early adopters and trailblazers. And they each have a story to tell. Listen to the Uncommon Sense podcast to hear Alberta CPAs share their stories and insights on leadership, business, education, finance, technology, and so much more. Uncommon Sense is produced by the Alberta CPA Education Foundation’s Hesje CPA Knowledge Centre.

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60 recent

September 3, 202632 min

The Art of Self-Publishing: A CPA's Perspective

In 2025, the CPA Education Foundation's Hesje CPA Knowledge Centre introduced its Self-Publishing Grant Program, an initiative very much aligned with the interests of the Centre's namesake, the late Brian Hesje FCPA, FCA. Brian was a published author himself as well as a lifelong advocate of reading and writing. On this inaugural episode of Season 3, Foundation Manager Kayla Gaffney chats with one of the first-ever recipients of the grant, Kathy Arney CPA, CA. Kathy discusses the journey from initial idea to final steps in the process of writing and self-publishing a book, and reflects on the value of CPAs sharing their knowledge with others. It's an informative episode for anyone thinking about writing a book or embarking on the self-publishing journey.

August 20, 202637 min

Uncommon Sense Episode 4: Discussing Inclusivity with Tiffany Chow CPA, CA, CBV

Tiffany Chow CPA, CA, CBV is a Partner with the accounting firm of Ernst and Young in Edmonton. She's also an advocate for inclusivity in the workplace-- an interest that led to her serving on her firm's Pan-Asian Professional Network, which aims to advance inclusivity across the firm. In this encore episode of Uncommon Sense, Tiffany talks about her work with that network as well as her commitment to other volunteer roles outside of the office. This is our last Uncommon Summer encore episode for summer 2026. Uncommon Sense returns with another season of all-new episodes on September 3.

August 6, 202636 min

Uncommon Summer 2026 Ep3: Volunteering as a way of Life - Jim Sand CPA, CA, CAFM

On this encore episode, we're revisiting our conversation from last season featuring Jim Sand CPA, CA, CAFM. Jim is an experienced entrepreneur and business leader as well as an active, dedicated community volunteer. In this discussion, Jim shares some of his insights about what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur, and reflects on a lifetime of volunteerism in support of community health initiatives, Indigenous Peoples, and Alberta youth. Jim's life and career reflect intelligence, compassion, and humility—all of which are apparent in this wide-ranging and engaging chat.

July 23, 202632 min

Uncommon Summer 2026 Ep2: A Gold-Medal Encore Episode

We kicked-off last season of Uncommon Sense with an episode featuring Cheryl Gibson KC, FCPA, FCA, a distinguished CPA who is also one of Canada's most-decorated competitive swimmers. We're happy to bring you this episode again as part of our "Uncommon Summer" series. In this episode, Cheryl talks about what it was like to earn medals at the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, and many other national and international swimming competitions. She also shares some insights into the recent record-breaking successes of Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh, who has been making news in the pool again this summer. This is an episode well-worth listening to or re-listening to.

July 9, 202620 min

Uncommon Summer 2026 Ep1 : A Boatload of Uncommon Sense

We've got a different kind of episode to kick-off the summer edition of Uncommon Sense. Regular listeners know that over the last season, we asked each guest to share a piece of "uncommon sense" with our listeners, whether that was a life hack or some words of wisdom the guest had received at some point in their career journey. For this episode, we've compiled some of the many memorable "uncommon sense" tips we heard over the season from our various guests. From the humourous to the touching, all of these observations are memorable and insightful, and they reflect the diversity of experiences that are part of a CPA's journey.

June 25, 202624 min

Giving Back: A Conversation with Lifetime Volunteer Debbie Gorsline FCPA, FCMA

We're wrapping up this season with a conversation featuring a CPA who seems to never run out of energy when it comes to supporting organizations and causes important to her—Debbie Gorsline FCPA, FCMA, a recipient of CPA Alberta's 2026 Distinguished Accomplishment Award. On this episode, Debbie talks about her career path and reflects on the work she's done to support organizations such as CPA Assist, a program that offers confidential services to CPAs and their families across four jurisdictions. She offers her perspectives on the value of providing mental health and related services to professionals, and looks back on the impact her family and community have had on her own approach to volunteerism. Let us know what you think of this week's episode. Take our survey >> https://bit.ly/4kNI2NJ

June 11, 202645 min

Overcoming Personal Challenges to Serve Others with Mika Kitagawa-Friesen

Content Warning: This episode covers a variety of topics, including discussion around sexual abuse and violence, which may be upsetting to some listeners. If you or someone you know could benefit from the resources discussed in this episode, please visit https://www.sace.ca/contact/. Mika Kitagawa-Friesen CPA, CMA recently received CPA Alberta's Distinguished Accomplishment Award, in part because of her work as CFO of the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton. On this revelatory episode, Mika talks about her work at the Centre and what it means to her to be part of a team that supports survivors and educates the community about sexual violence. She also discusses her unique career path, her experiences as an immigrant to Canada, and how a health crisis affected her professional and personal lives. ------- Let us know what you think of this week's episode. Take our survey >> https://bit.ly/4kNI2NJ

May 28, 202641 min

Building Leadership Skills Through Executive Coaching with Jason Labonte CPA, CMA

Our guest on this episode is Jason Labonte CPA, CMA, a Certified Executive Coach. Jason shares some perspectives on the value and benefits of executive coaching and how coaching can help professionals hone their leadership skills. He discusses the qualities and characteristics of successful leaders, and how the demands on leaders are changing. Jason is also an accomplished Ironman athlete, so we took some time on this episode to talk with Jason about his commitment to this grueling sport. All in all, it's an eye-opening and enjoyable conversation with an insightful guest. Let us know what you think of this week's episode. Take our survey >> https://bit.ly/4kNI2NJ

May 14, 202627 min

Two Perspectives on Mentorship with Sandy Lyons and Rod Gatti

Two Perspectives on Mentorship with Sandy Lyons and Rod Gatti by CPA Alberta

April 30, 202631 min

Putting Yourself Out There: Helping Women-Led Businesses Thrive with Sarah Carver, Part 2

In Part 2 of Sarah Carver's conversation with host Erin Schwartz, Sarah discusses the impact of tariffs and AI on small businesses such as C-West Custom Fixtures and how these impacts are being addressed. She also talks about the path to success for women-led businesses in traditionally male-dominated business sectors. As well, Sarah shares her reasons for being a dedicated supporter and mentor of younger professionals. There's much more to hear about in this engaging conversation about the many ways people can "put themselves out there" in their careers and their lives.