Season two of The Open House kicks off with Sarah and Chris of Event Horizon Hobbies, the Midland game store built on a simple idea: everyone is a nerd about something.

Their first store, in Toronto, closed. They moved back to Penetang and spent years at Waypoint, the banks and a property management company. Then a backyard barbecue during COVID turned into a plan to try again. This time they studied why so many hobby shops close within a few years and built the opposite: a store that has to be "first dateable," aisles that get nerdier the deeper you go, and staff trained to cheerlead whatever you're into, even if they've never heard of it.

We get into:

- Building a third space

- A corporate team building night where everyone tried to take out their boss

- How to start D&D when you have no idea what you're doing

- The tavern-style D&D room coming to the store

- Raising three boys in a toy store

- Why they'll never sell video games

Plus a summer catch-up: Ben's trip to Portugal with a two-year-old, a 56K finish line, and almost $1,800 raised for Campfire Circle. And some news of our own: we've moved into a shared office at Route 93 in downtown Midland.

D&D drop-in is Thursdays at 6:30. Find Event Horizon Hobbies at eventhorizonhobbies.com

Know someone who should be on the show? Send us their name.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:32 Season two kickoff and summer catch-up

03:08 Meet Sarah and Chris from Event Horizon Hobbies

04:56 "We should be doing more": filtering the noise as a business owner

10:08 Penetang, Toronto, and their first store

15:34 COVID, a backyard barbecue, and starting again

17:33 Why so many hobby shops fail

20:35 Training staff to cheerlead your choices

24:15 Building a third place

29:10 Is it first dateable? How the store is laid out

34:39 Events, birthday parties and corporate team building

37:39 D&D for complete beginners

49:48 Thursday drop-ins and a tavern-themed D&D room

51:25 Growing up in a game store

56:09 The bunker question: one game for the apocalypse

58:07 Why they'll never sell video games

1:01:48 "So you are a gamer": sharing games with your kids

1:04:45 Keeping competition friendly

1:08:12 The real win in business

1:10:37 Our new office at Route 93

Season one comes to a close. Thirty episodes in, and roughly 44 percent of podcasts never make it past three, so Ben and Richard take a minute to sit with that.

No guest this time. Just the two of them looking back at the year: what they took from every person who sat down with them, why this town keeps surprising them, and how a show they figured might reach ten episodes turned into a weekly habit they both look forward to.

Along the way, Richard's wife Emily joining his mortgage business, the case for getting people on record while you still can, a couple of business ideas that got away from them, Ben's pitch for why YouTube is a sleeping giant, and the $1,000 this show helped raise for Campfire Circle.

There is some talk of death. There is some talk of hockey. There is a 100 mile race Ben finally says out loud.

Season two starts in September. Send us the names of people who should be on it.

FROZEN TIX: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/midlandculturalcentre/2232657

Ben's Pain For A Good Cause:

https://support.campfirecircle.org/diy/bens-pain-for-a-good-cause

This week on The Open House Podcast, we're joined by the incredible Lori-Ann "Clants" Clancy, founder of the Georgian Bay Musical Theatre Company and a beloved educator who spent decades inspiring students across our community. From growing up in Oshawa and finding her way to Midland through a chance encounter at a teacher recruitment fair, to building one of the region's most successful community theatre organizations, Lori-Ann's story is full of passion, perseverance, and purpose.

We talk about her teaching career, coaching basketball, the power of making young people feel seen and heard, and how a simple conversation inside the Midland Cultural Centre eventually led to the creation of GBMTC. Lori-Ann also shares behind-the-scenes stories from launching the company, surviving the challenges of community theatre, and bringing productions like Frozen to life.

Along the way, we dive into favourite musicals, the magic of live performance, small-town community building, and why the relationships you create often matter more than the show itself.

Whether you're a theatre lover, educator, parent, volunteer, or someone looking for a reminder of what happens when passionate people invest in their community, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Link the Ben's Fundraiser:
https://support.campfirecircle.org/diy/bens-pain-for-a-good-cause

This week on The Open House Podcast, we sit down with Hope Adams, founder of We Are Resilient, registered social service worker, performer, and passionate mental health advocate.

Hope shares her deeply personal journey through anxiety, depression, grief, hospitalization, and the challenges of navigating mental health as a teenager. From losing a close friend to suicide, to finding purpose through theatre, counselling, and community, Hope opens up about the experiences that shaped her path and inspired her mission to make mental health support more accessible.

We also discuss coping mechanisms, social anxiety, self compassion, therapy, resilience, substance use, the realities of growing up in today's social media world, and why community is often one of the most powerful tools for healing.

This is an honest, vulnerable conversation about what it means to struggle, recover, and keep moving forward.

If you've ever felt alone, overwhelmed, or wondered whether things can get better, this episode is for you.

The Open House Podcast is hosted by Ben Robitaille and Richard Thompson and features conversations with local entrepreneurs, community leaders, and fascinating people from across Simcoe County and beyond.

What does it take to spend three and a half years building a video game from scratch?

This week, Ben and Richard sit down with local game developer Joe, creator of The Edge of Allegoria, to talk about growing up in Barrie, discovering a passion for game development, and turning a side hobby into a full time career.

Joe shares the incredible story of teaching himself game design, building a community online, landing a publishing deal in Germany, launching a successful Kickstarter campaign, and navigating the highs and lows of releasing an independent game. The conversation also explores creativity, entrepreneurship, parenting, chasing ambitious goals, and why having the right partner in your corner can make all the difference.

Whether you're a gamer, entrepreneur, creative professional, or someone with a dream you're trying to bring to life, Joe's story is a reminder that success rarely happens overnight and that persistence often matters more than talent.

Plus, Ben explains why he currently has a scab on his head, Richard reminisces about childhood gaming, and the guys discuss the surprising connection between raising kids and pursuing big goals.

Listen now and meet the Midland developer behind a game that's reaching players around the world.

Ben's Donation Page

https://support.campfirecircle.org/diy/bens-pain-for-a-good-cause

Joe's Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/its_avg_joe/

DONATE TO BEN'S SUFFERING FOR A GOOD CAUSE

https://support.campfirecircle.org/diy/bens-pain-for-a-good-cause

What happens when you combine a chocolate entrepreneur, a community builder, a mother of three under three, and one half of one of Midland's most beloved local businesses?

In this episode, we sit down with Lesley Tripp of Test Batches Brewery for a conversation that goes far beyond beer and chocolate.

Lesley shares the story of growing up in Kleinburg, meeting Jamie Tripp at National Sports Centre, spending a year working in the Australian Outback, building a chocolate business that started with handmade moulds and grew into a local favourite, and navigating the emotional journey of adoption, parenthood, and entrepreneurship.

Along the way, we talk about raising children, finding balance between work and family, the importance of community, investing in people over résumés, and why some of the most meaningful opportunities in life come from someone simply believing in you.

This is a heartfelt conversation about family, resilience, purpose, and creating spaces where people feel welcome. Whether you're a parent, business owner, community advocate, or just someone who enjoys a great story, you'll find plenty to connect with in this episode.

Listen in as Lesley shares the experiences, lessons, and perspective that have helped shape one of the most welcoming businesses in our community.

From butter tart-fuelled marathon talk to CrossFit competitions across Europe, this episode of the open house dives deep with Megan Marchildon, the founder of MegaMindful. Megan shares her journey from growing up in Texas and competing as a high-level track athlete, to discovering veganism on a beef farm in England, and eventually helping build one of downtown Midland’s most unique wellness-focused restaurants.

The conversation covers entrepreneurship during COVID, the dream behind lifestyle medicine, the realities of running a small business, CrossFit culture, local community building, and why supporting local businesses matters more than ever. Also: butter tart strategy, marathon suffering, and why Ben may or may not survive a 15 butter tart challenge.

This week on The Open House, Ben and Richard sit down with Ashley Downs, the owner of Saturday Afternoons in Midland, for one of the most honest and inspiring conversations the podcast has had yet.

Ashley shares her journey from becoming a mom at 17, pulling a sled with her daughter to daycare at school, building confidence through adversity, breaking into the automotive industry with zero experience, and eventually becoming a partner in a Dodge Jeep Chrysler dealership.

The conversation dives into resilience, self worth, mentorship, small town life in the 90s, entrepreneurship, parenting, betting on yourself, and what happens when you refuse to let other people decide your future for you.

Also discussed:
• Midland in the 90s
• Why the Dodge Caravan deserves a comeback
• Building confidence before you feel ready
• Trading time for money
• Mentorship and leadership
• The realities of balancing business and family life

One of those episodes that starts funny and ends up hitting you right in the chest in the best way possible