Tiana Fech Consulting

“Learning is so important for the sake of learning, but you have to want to try and do something with the learning.” ~ Joanna Pariseau

Joanna Pariseau reflects on returning to university during a difficult season of life and discovering that learning is most meaningful when it is driven by genuine curiosity.

She shares how a class project focused on revitalizing Calgary's downtown eventually became the foundation for Taste the City, reminding us that we never know where our learning might lead.

Melissa Ninaber encourages people to stop waiting for the perfect moment and simply begin. For her, the greatest lessons come through doing, trying, failing, and trying again.

Together, Joanna and Melissa highlight the importance of staying curious, embracing growth, and taking action even when the outcome is uncertain.

Their message is a simple but powerful one: you do not need to have everything figured out before you begin. Sometimes the learning, the opportunities, and the magic happen because you were willing to take the first step.

Connect with Joanna and Melissa and learn more about Taste the City:
LinkedIn:
▪Taste the City https://www.linkedin.com/company/taste-the-city/
▪Joanna Pariseau https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-pariseau-52270166/
▪Melissa Ninaber https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-joy-ninaber-b3a051256/
Website: Taste the City https://www.tastethecity.ca/
Instagram:
▪Taste the City: https://www.instagram.com/tastethecity__
▪Joanna Pariseau https://www.instagram.com/thetastyceo/
▪Melissa Ninaber: https://www.instagram.com/melissajoyliving/
Facebook: Taste The City
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/

➡️ To listen to Episode 81: Building Taste the City Through Food, Friendship and Community with Joanna Pariseau & Melissa Ninaber, head to: https://tianafech.com/podcast-2/

🎧 The People Teaching People Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, & more!

What if the best way to reconnect with your city, and each other, started with food?

In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast, I sit down with Joanna Pariseau and Melissa Ninaber, the co-founders behind Taste the City, the experiential food platform transforming how people explore local restaurants, neighborhoods, and human connection.

Joanna and Melissa share the story of a friendship that began in grade one, the lessons they’ve learned building a business together, and how authenticity, storytelling, and community have become the foundation of their growth.

From turning down a deal on Dragon's Den to building a brand with millions of organic views, they open up about entrepreneurship, creativity, social media, resilience, and why being willing to look “cringe” might actually be the key to building something meaningful.

This episode is a reminder that learning doesn’t only happen in classrooms. Sometimes it happens while walking through a city, sharing a meal, trying something new, or taking a chance on yourself before you feel ready.

Listen in as we talk about:
▪Connection and community through food
▪The Taste the City experience
▪How Taste the City is so much more than just food
▪Technology with a human touch
▪Why storytelling matters more than ever in business
▪The power of friendship in entrepreneurship
▪Why the best way to learn is simply to start

Connect with Joanna and Melissa and learn more about Taste the City:
LinkedIn:
▪Taste the City https://www.linkedin.com/company/taste-the-city/
▪Joanna Pariseau https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-pariseau-52270166/
▪Melissa Ninaber https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-joy-ninaber-b3a051256/
Website: Taste the City https://www.tastethecity.ca/
Instagram:
▪Taste the City: https://www.instagram.com/tastethecity__
▪Joanna Pariseau https://www.instagram.com/thetastyceo/
▪Melissa Ninaber: https://www.instagram.com/melissajoyliving/
Facebook: Taste The City
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/

➡️ To listen to Episode 81: Building Taste the City Through Food, Friendship and Community with Joanna Pariseau & Melissa Ninaber, head to: https://tianafech.com/podcast-2/

🎧 The People Teaching People Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, & more!

“When questions are intentional, they don’t just move things along. They open things up.”

As you think about your own work and interactions, this isn’t about asking more questions for the sake of it. It’s about noticing the ones that are already there and becoming a little more intentional with them.

Questions have a way of opening things up, creating space for understanding, connection, and something new to emerge. And sometimes, one thoughtful question is enough to shift how someone experiences learning in a lasting way.

➡️ To listen to Episode 80: Questions Are Key to Meaningful Learning with Tiana Fech, head to: https://tianafech.com/podcast-2

🎧 The People Teaching People Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, & more!

What’s a question that’s stayed with you longer than expected?

In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast, I explore the idea that questions are more than just part of conversation… They shape how we think, how we connect, and how we experience learning.

From the questions we ask in the moment to the ones we design with intention, this episode is an invitation to notice the role questions are already playing in your work and your day-to-day interactions.

Through reflections from my podcast, my time in the classroom, and my work at the ARIS Hub, I share how even small shifts in how we ask questions can create more space for thinking, connection, and understanding.
Because sometimes, it’s not the answer that changes things… It’s the question.

Listen in as we talk about:
▪More than “just” questions
▪Designing questions in learning
▪The power of how we ask
▪Questions as listening
▪Curiosity in practice
▪Creating space for responses
▪When questions take time
▪Creating a space where questions are welcome
▪Questions beyond the classroom

➡️ To listen to Episode 80: Questions Are Key to Meaningful Learning with Tiana Fech, head to: https://tianafech.com/podcast-2/

🎧 The People Teaching People Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, & more!

I recently attended the “Future of Entry-Level Jobs” workshop at Mount Royal University hosted by The Productivity Project team.

The conversations throughout the day explored something that feels increasingly important: entry-level jobs used to do much more than provide employment. They helped people learn how to work, develop confidence, build relationships, receive mentorship, and connect learning to practice.

One of the most meaningful parts of the workshop was the collaborative group work, where students, educators, and employers came together to explore the questions: What? So What? Now What?

A few ideas that continue to stay with me:
• The challenge of needing experience to get a job is bigger than any one person. It is a systems issue many people are navigating.
• The ability to adapt, keep learning, and move through change is becoming one of the most important skills we can develop.
• Work-integrated learning needs to be more intentional and connected to real learning and growth - and start earlier!
• AI is not creating all of these challenges, but it is making existing gaps and pressures more visible.
• Mentorship, support, and opportunities to learn through doing still matter deeply.

It was a thoughtful and important conversation about the future of learning, work, and human potential.