Stacey Commer spent more than 36 years asking people questions for a living. Now, after her journalism career came to an unexpected end, she is asking them again, this time without a newsroom deadline attached.
Commer has launched Unexpected Journeys, a new interview podcast built around people whose lives were reshaped by loss, opportunity, resilience or the decision to start over. New episodes go up every Sunday and Wednesday.
“I created Unexpected Journeys because storytelling has always been part of who I am,” Commer said.
“After my journalism career came to an unexpected end, I realized I still wanted to sit down with people, ask meaningful questions and create conversations that matter. Once a journalist, always a journalist.”
Over her career, Commer interviewed thousands of people. Some of those stories made the news. Many others, she said, never got the chance to be told in full. The podcast was built to change that.
Rather than chasing controversy or a quick sound bite, each episode of the podcast gives guests room to talk about what changed them and where that experience led.
Season one includes entrepreneurs, athletes, health-care workers, advocates and humanitarian leaders. Guests include Mike Doll of Medicine Hat, who co-founded the Christian Doll Foundation in memory of his 15-year-old son, and Ian Gladue of Edmonton, founder of Indigenous food brand Mitsoh, who talks about being homeless at 13 before building a company with more than 40 employees.
Other guests include Onion Lake Cree Nation pool champion Sharon Pahtayken, Saskatoon teen entrepreneur Chanelle Chalazan, and Kristen Traverse, a registered nurse who returned to work after a stroke.
While guests come from across the country, the first season leans heavily on Alberta and Saskatchewan voices, introducing listeners to people and organizations that rarely get national attention.
“I’m not interested in sensational headlines or political debate,” Commer said.
“I’m interested in creating conversations where people feel comfortable sharing the experiences that shaped who they are. Those are the stories that stay with us.”
Commer said she hopes listeners come away from each episode seeing the world a little differently, whether that means discovering a new local business or simply being reminded that everyone around them has a story worth hearing.
Unexpected Journeys is available on major podcast platforms, with new episodes released every Sunday and Wednesday.
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