10 years of asking, “What if?”
Ten years. It feels a little ridiculous if I’m being honest because there’s no way it was 10 years ago we opened. If you would have asked me back in 2016 what The Forum would be like ten years later I don’t think I would have even had an answer for you.
Focus. Be consistent. Find your niche.
All words I heard too many times and probably really great advice, for most people. The problem was that every time I chose curiosity over consistency something interesting happened.
We started with bootcamps, kettlebells, lifting, races, mobility and we all did it together because it was more fun. I didn’t want to work out alone, honestly I couldn’t – so this group kept growing. What started as a few women meeting up at random parks throughout the city somehow ended up in my garage. Then the garage got too full, and all of a sudden we were standing in an empty bay dreaming. Every time we tried something new, we surprised ourselves and we kept going. We kept doing the thing, getting stronger and embracing play to do it.
We definitely didn’t wake up one day and want to start a circus school. In fact, if you had told the kettlebell version of me that one day we’d be rigging aerial silks from the ceiling I probably would have laughed at you. But hey why not, so we tried getting more flexible, climbing, hanging upside down, lifting each other up and eventually landed in the beautiful world of aerial arts. A little bit of risk, a lot of fate and just the right mix of magic brought some beautiful humans into my world. This new world we were building started getting higher and higher and HIGHER until we were actually building a circus school alongside our playground.
So I went, fuck it, what if focusing meant missing the best part?
Because what I was watching unfold in front of me had very little to do with fitness, weight loss, aerial or the specific classes. Fitness was just the excuse they used to walk in the door. What we found together was community, connection, confidence and a chance to be a little bit more playful than adulthood had been allowing us.
The years before covid were incredible, busy in all the best and worst ways and The Forum was growing, our team was growing, our family was growing. I realize now that Shawn and I were growing right alongside The Forum. We were learning how to run a business while learning how to be parents. Learning how to lead a team while figuring out who we were becoming ourselves. The Forum grew alongside our family and I didn’t know how to separate the two. There were pregnancies, babies, late night staff meetings, rehearsals at all hours and there were moments when I’m sure I had completely lost my mind. I genuinely have no idea how we kept all the balls in the air even with the rockstar team that was The Forum crew. We kept up with the late night connections after class, the Halloween parties, the mish mash of humans that all somehow fit when it came to play.
The Production side grew too, right alongside the performers and the audiences who cheered so flippin loud in this community we couldn’t even hear ourselves breathe. I remember the first show standing in the trailer outside(yes we used a camping trailer for our first ever green room because we sold too many tickets to fit in the venue) and thinking “How is this real?” watching the performers around me that all grew into this together. The hustle was here and the passion grew faster and faster.
When covid arrived, like so many other businesses, everything stopped. I really wish I had some really insightful, beautiful lesson about that season, but the truth is it was just really hard and it sucked. It was exhausting, frustrating and somewhere in there I broke my back, which sure has a funny way of changing your relationship with movement and what you think you’re capable of. Honestly, most of the time I didn’t think we would actually come out the other side at all. We did, but we were changed, altered. There was no going back.
As we approach ten years I really find myself thinking about the people that showed up during that time. The ones that kept showing up (even when it could only be online), the ones that checked in and the ones that chose to support local businesses when it was not the easy choice. The performers, the coaches, the members, the kids who grew up here, and the adults who walked in for a workout and found something they didn’t know they needed. Some of you met your best friends here, your partners. Some of you found your voice, your confidence and your strength here. Some of you found your career. Some of you performed for the first time in your life. Some of you were only here for a season and some of you have been here for the whole ten years (and even before that). Some of you found a place where you felt like yourself again.
Coming out of covid was different, I think The Forum wanted something a little bit different, I know I did. We still loved big ideas, movement, ambitious projects and creative work but we also wanted room to breathe. We wanted to share the space, see what would happen if other entrepreneurs, teachers, artists and community builders brought their ideas here too. We now host business owners alongside non-profits, speakers and educators to learn how we can be better community members, transitioning our main character energy into our supporting role.
And I love it.
I love the spread, the variety, the uniqueness that every entrepreneur brings into the space.
For years people told me to focus. Pick a niche, stick to one thing. But looking back, I know I was never building a gym, a circus school, a production company or an event venue.
I was building The Forum.
The classes changed, the activities, the programs and the people. But the purpose never did. When people ask me what The Forum is, I still struggle to answer. I know, I know – FOCUS just come up with an answer. It’s been a gym, a mobility studio, an aerial arts space, a performance venue, a bar, an event company, production house and an adult playground. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that none of those things have ever been the point.
The people that walked through the doors have shaped the culture, the energy, personality and the voice. At the start, The Forum was a place to learn, play and grow but now it’s more, it’s a reflection of every person who has walked through the door and left a piece of themselves behind.
So as 2026 marks ten years for us, I feel grateful. Grateful to the people that trusted us when we said what if. Grateful for those who showed up and even for a brief moment shared something of themselves with us. I’m grateful that after ten years we’re still not consistent, and still have the most random shit come up as a workshop in the space.
Years ago, when we chose the name The Forum, I don’t think we fully appreciated how true it would become. The ancient forum was a place where people gathered to exchange ideas, challenge each other, learn, debate and build community. Sometimes with us that happened through kettlebells, then aerial, through productions, workshops or the conversations that lasted long after the class was over. The activity changed, but the purpose never did.
If there’s one thing ten years has taught me, it’s that curiosity has never led me somewhere worse than certainty. Every single thing that shaped The Forum started with someone asking, “What if?” and a community that was brave enough to find out. And honestly, I hope we never stop asking.
See Where Curiosity Led → The People who helped shape The Forum
Some arrived as students and became instructors. Some became leaders, built businesses, some became lifelong friends. Some stayed for a season and some are still here shaping The Forum’s identity today. When I look back at the last ten years, these are some of the people that come to mind, not only because of what they have built, but the impact they have had on this community.
If you’ve been part of The Forum’s story over the years, you’ll probably recognize a few of these names.
It’s impossible to tell the story of The Forum without talking about Megan. Megan was my first employee at The Forum and one of the first people who looked at this crazy vision and said, “Yes!”
When you’re building something from scratch, there are not many people who will take the leap before there’s any proof it’s going to work. They see the vision before it exists. They show up when everything is still messy, uncertain, and being figured out in real time. Megan was one of those people.
She believed in The Forum when it was still becoming The Forum.
We grew up in business together. Classes, performances, late nights, big ideas, growing pains, more than a few moments we were flying in hot (late..) and making it up as we go! Some of my favourite Forum memories are with her.
The early years were hustle, creativity and figuring things out – but what makes me the happiest isn’t that she worked at The Forum, it’s what she has built since.
Today, Meraki Aerial continues to create opportunities for artists, performers, and students throughout Central Alberta, and every time I see what she’s building, I feel proud. Not because it’s connected to The Forum, but because it’s connected to her.
Over the years our roles have changed, our businesses have evolved but I am forever grateful she took the leap in 2016 and said YES.
When they first came to The Forum, they weren’t performers or leaders in the sport. They were students. A couple who had stumbled across a strange and wonderful activity called Partner Acro and decided to give it a try. Shawn and I had been playing Partner Acro ourselves for a few years. We loved it because it felt different and we loved the challenge and the play. But life was also moving fast, we were building businesses, growing our family, navigating pregnancies and babies and all the chaos. So when Josh and Azahlia showed up as excited as we were about this strange little sport, we were thrilled.
What none of us expected was how far they would take it.
What started as a hobby turned into an incredible journey. They became athletes, performers, coaches and leaders in the Partner Acrobatics world. They pursued it with a passion and dedication that was unmatched. Today they are respected internationally and continue to inspire people through performance, coaching and education.
But if I’m being honest, that’s not why they are on this list – I’m writing this because of who they are.
Josh and Azahlia have performed in our productions, coached in our programs and helped create and be a part of our most memorable moments we’ve had over the years. Through it all, they are the exact humans you want in your corner and yes, I am forever in awe of their glory ;)
They are loyal, they are the people that show up, they celebrate others and they care deeply about the community and people in it. They are the ones that always make everyone around them feel welcome. The kind of people that make a space better by simply being in it.
Watching them grow has been incredible, calling them friends has been even better.
Josh and Azahlia are proof that some of the most incredible journeys begin as adults. That you don’t have to start as a kid to become exceptional.
There are some people that walk into The Forum and leave a mark so deep it’s hard to remember a time before they were here. Josh and Azahlia are those people for me.
Brenda wasn’t there at the very beginning, but once she arrived she was all in. You know those people who don’t just take a job, they take ownership? The people who show up and immediately start making things better, building relationships, supporting the team, and caring about the mission as much as you do? That was Brenda. That is Brenda.
She became a huge part of The Forum during some of our busiest and most formative years. Starting with us not as a coach but a team member she trained, she learned, she studied and then she crushed it. She coached, led, encouraged, challenged, celebrated, and supported countless people who walked through our doors. More importantly, she genuinely cared about them.
One of the things I admire most about Brenda is her ability to meet people where they are. Whether someone was showing up for their first workout, navigating a difficult season, or chasing a big goal, she had a way of making people feel seen.
Today, she’s doing the same thing through Your Story Fitness.
Watching her build a business that reflects her values, her heart, and her belief that every person has their own journey to walk feels incredibly fitting. Some people leave an organization and move on. Brenda helped shape The Forum while she was here, and her impact is still felt long after.
I’m grateful for the years we worked together, the friendship that grew from it, and the example she’s set of what happens when someone pours themselves fully into the people around them.
Jodie is one of my favourite examples of what can happen when someone is brave.
When she first came to The Forum, she had a strong gymnastics background, but no aerial experience. What she did have was a willingness to learn, a strong work ethic, and the kind of determination that quietly sneaks up on you.
Over the years, I watched her transform. What started as curiosity became skill, skill became confidence and confidence became artistry. And somewhere along the way, she turned into an absolutely incredible performer.
One of the things I love most about Jodie is that she never seemed interested in taking shortcuts. She put in the work. The hours, the training, the rehearsals, the moments nobody sees. She earned every bit of the performer she has become.
Today, she’s building that same opportunity for others through Rise Aerial in Lacombe. Watching her create a space where people can challenge themselves, discover new strengths, and experience aerial arts for the first time feels incredibly full circle. What makes me smile even more is that she still performs with us.
Because while Rise Aerial has become its own thriving community, she’ll always be part of The Forum story too. Jodie reminds me that sometimes the most extraordinary journeys don’t start with experience. They start with curiosity, commitment, and the courage to try something new.
One of the things I’ve always believed is that there is more than enough room for good people doing great work. That belief was tested and strengthened through my relationship with Keyona.
When Keyona joined our team, she was new to Central Alberta, bringing incredible energy, talent, and passion for a sport that definitely broke the mold! It didn’t take long to realize she had a dream of building something of her own one day. Not in a vague “maybe someday” kind of way, but a real vision she was slowly working toward.
And here’s the thing, none of that was a secret. We talked about it, openly and honestly.
There was never a moment where it felt like competition. If anything, it felt like collaboration.
Over her time at The Forum, we shared ideas, explored possibilities, talked through challenges, and supported one another as that vision became clearer. Watching someone build the confidence to take a dream seriously is one of the most rewarding parts of this work.
Eventually, Keyona took the leap.
Today, Red Deer Pole Academy is a thriving community built on strength, confidence, artistry, and empowerment. What makes me proud isn’t simply that she opened a studio. It’s how she did it; with intention, authenticity, and a genuine commitment to the people she serves.
Her journey is also one of my favourite examples of something The Forum has always believed: community grows faster when we collaborate than when we compete.
Not every success story needs to stay under one roof.
Sometimes success looks like helping someone build a roof of their own.
Watching Keyona create Red Deer Pole Academy has been exactly that.
Brennen’s story is a little different.
Bo’s wasn’t a new business finding its footing. It wasn’t an entrepreneur launching their first venture. Bo’s had already been part of this community for decades and had built a reputation all its own, 30 years this year!
What makes Brennen’s place in The Forum story so important isn’t that he needed us. It’s that he believed in us.
When I first walked into Bo’s talking about immersive theatre, aerial performances, original productions, and people hanging from the ceiling, there wasn’t exactly a blueprint for what I was proposing. I wasn’t representing Cirque du Soleil, I wasn’t a nationally recognized production company. I had a vision, a lot of enthusiasm, and probably more confidence than proof.
And he said yes. Not because he’d seen it done before, not because it was a guaranteed success, but because he believed in the possibility of it.
Over the years, we’ve crawled around ceilings, climbed onto roofs, sat through inspections, measured rigging points, tested ideas, adjusted plans, and dreamed up things that probably sounded completely ridiculous when they first came out of our mouths.
And somehow, time after time, Brennan kept finding ways to say yes.
Yes to creativity.
Yes to risk.
Yes to trying something different.
Yes to transforming a bar into an immersive theatre experience.
Yes to performers flying over audiences.
Yes to productions that didn’t fit neatly into any category.
Together we’ve built some pretty incredible things in that space. The kind of events people still bring up years later. The kind of nights where the energy in the room felt bigger than the room itself. The kind of experiences that only happen when a lot of people trust each other enough to try something ambitious.
There were definitely nights where we squeezed more people into that building than felt entirely reasonable, and somehow it always ended up being exactly the right number.
What I’ll always appreciate most is that Brennan didn’t say yes to an established company with a proven formula.
He said yes to a vision.
He took a chance on me, on The Forum, on our performers, and on the idea that this community would embrace something different.
A lot of what we’ve created over the years simply wouldn’t have happened without that trust.
For that, I’ll always be grateful.
& more coming soon!
For now, see what else we have on the go