Uncommon Sense

Hosted by CPA Alberta

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Oct 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

November 12, 202636 min

From The Front Lines of the Jasper Fires: Two CPAs' Stories - Part 2

Grief. Disbelief. Resilience. Compassion. Those are some of the characteristics that shaped the memories that Andrea Terrill CPA and Alex Monk CPA, CMA carry from the first few days after the Jasper National Park fires of 2024. Both work and live in Jasper, and on this final episode of our two-part conversation, they reflect on the impact of the fires on themselves and the challenges the people of Jasper faced in the days and weeks after the fires. They also remember some positive, uplifting aspects of the rebuilding, whether that was attending a post-fire community dinner, being the groom at the first post-fire wedding in Jasper, or connecting to something much bigger than themselves while working on the recovery effort. If you haven't already heard Part 1 of this conversation, you are invited to go back and listen.

October 29, 202645 min

Responding to the Jasper Fires: Two CPAs' Stories - Part 1

When a set of wildfires swept through Jasper National Park in the summer of 2024, the residents of Jasper were put to perhaps the greatest test of their lives. On this episode, two of those Jasperites--Andrea Terrill CPA and Alex Monk CPA, CMA--recount their experiences during that unprecedented crisis, both as professionals working with Parks Canada and as members of a tight-knit community. Their stories are compelling and remarkable. This episode is the first part of a two-part conversation with Alex and Andrea. Part 2 will be available on November 12.

October 15, 202636 min

A Visit With an Alberta Tourism Expert - Chad Kuechle CPA, CA

Alberta has always been a popular tourist destination, whether visitors are from neighbouring provinces or from countries halfway around the world. On this episode, CPA Education Foundation Manager Kayla Gaffney speaks with Chad Kuechle CPA, CA, a CPA working in the heart of the tourism sector. As Chief Financial Officer of Tourism Calgary, Chad spends his days supporting initiatives to advance and grow the tourism sector in Calgary and across Alberta. Chad talks about this work, the attractions and features of the province that keep tourists coming to Alberta, and the interesting career path that led him to his involvement in tourism.

October 1, 202636 min

Scott Bolton and the UFA- Serving the Agricultural Community

If you grew up in Alberta, you've probably heard of the United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Ltd., or UFA, but perhaps you're not familiar with what that organization is and does. Scott Bolton FCPA, FCA recently wrapped up a lengthy term as the President and CEO of the UFA, and he joined our host, Chris Pilger, in the studio to talk about the UFA and how it supports Alberta's vital and growing agricultural sector, as well as other aspects of his distinguished career as a CPA and his many substantial contributions to the community.

September 17, 202645 min

The Art of Self-Publishing: An Expert's Perspective

On the previous episode, we spoke about the self-publishing journey with Kathy Arney, a CPA who received a grant from the CPA Education Foundation's Hesje CPA Knowledge Centre to self-publish a book. On this episode, we hear from Leanne Janzen, an experienced publishing professional who has guided many authors (including Kathy) through the self-publishing process. Leanne talks about the benefits of self-publishing and how authors can bring their works to life through the process. The support to authors provided by FriesenPress, the publishing company with whom the Foundation partners to deliver its Self-Publishing Grant Program, is also discussed in this episode.

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.