About

Paula McQuaid, co-founder & in-house research aficionado, drives the way forward for the company from an insight development perspective. She has dedicated the past eight years to understanding what impacts the wellness of individuals and works to bring the information to the sport industry through HONE’s unique platform.

She’s a Gonzaga University graduate with a Master of Counselling and a member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.  When not working with clients as a psychotherapist and growing HONE, she also acts as a Mental Performance Consultant for Hockey Canada’s Women’s U-18 National Team. Paula humbly keeps two Gold (2019 IIHF World Championships, Japan and 2022 IIHF World Championships, Sweden), Silver (2020 IIHF World Championships, Slovakia), and Bronze (2018 IIHF World Championships, Russia) medals in her top drawer.

If not traveling home to PEI every chance she gets, you will find Paula hiking in an effort to earn her “après hike.” Having hung up her cleats long ago, Paula enjoys watching competitive sport; any sport at all in a championship run will catch her attention. She is rarely without Gus the Corgi who loves being around people just as much as Paula.

Jessica, co-founder and resident pitch-connoisseur, leads our growth here at HONE.

Jess was born in Trail, British Columbia and raised in Western Canada, the daughter of two coaches. Jess found her path as a graduate of the University of Lethbridge with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and later received her Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria. Jess is also  a member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.

Jess knew there had to be a better way to tackle the problems she was witnessing in her profession and as a child surrounded by sport (her father a coach in the NHL for 13 years), she was exposed to the importance of  supporting individual wellness in high performing cultures. She became dedicated to bringing to light the ways that leaders can better support development, both as individuals and performers.

Whenever she’s not chasing down new markets for HONE, she’s tracking down local, triple organic fruits and veggies for her family or throwing together a homemade salad dressing for dinner.

Leanne has  over 15 years of experience in project management for various clients throughout the Oil and Gas SAGD industry. Leanne has been part of HONE since its inception and has led the entire design & development of the platform.

She is honoured to bring her skills to a new industry and be part of a highly talented team who all came together to better the world one APP at a time.

When not working on the next phase of HONE's evolution you can find her on her farm in Nova Scotia working on her dream to feed the local community with healthy locally grown vegetables.

Brandy, a University of Saskatchewan alum with a Bachelor’s of Commerce, landed in Toronto for 15 years where she worked with and managed well-known brands like Microsoft and Durex. No stranger to the entrepreneurial spirit, she owned a small business in Mexico and started coaching small business owners on the how-to of “brand-led marketing.”

She joined HONE after returning to Canada and was attracted by the opportunity to be part of a start up effort with PURPOSE.

If not word-smithing copy for HONE, you’ll find this Pinterest addict at home, knee-deep in DIY projects.

Susie is our legal counsel at HONE and has been working with the HONE team since its inception.

A practising lawyer and partner in her law firm, Susie began her legal career in the corporate/commercial world before transitioning into child protection work. She is a strong advocate for children and youth and working with HONE allows her to combine her joy for contracts with the human element she loves so much about her practice.

Susie graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Laws degree, and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with First Class Standing from the University of New Brunswick. Having started her legal career in her hometown of Charlottetown, PEI, Susie remains a non-practicing member of the PEI Bar.

Outside of work, Susie likes to camp and hike. She’ll partake in mostly any activity that allows her to bring Howie, her Bernedoodle.

A native Calgarian, Matt  is a seasoned professional with a 30+ year career spanning commercial banking, certified public accounting and many financial roles that lead up to 15 years as CFO for Peak Energy Services.

Since 2011, Matt has run his own CFO Consulting firm and has provided his broad corporate management, financial reporting, forecasting, accounting, and M&A expertise to businesses.

Matt is also a Co-Founder and Director of Whitetail Energy Services Inc. (est. 1995) that specializes in remote communications, surveillance, and rental equipment for a wide variety of industries in Western Canada.

Matt’s business philosophy is to keep management teams grounded through disciplined financial and accounting processes with a close attention to detail and the bottom line.

Carter, born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, completed his Bachelor’s of Commerce at the University of Victoria. His experience as a high-level hockey player, hot on the pursuit of the pro track, led to a passion for health, wellness, and performance that has continued to serve him well beyond competitive sport.

Carter’s “superpower” of curiosity has brought real value to his role as client success manager with our HONE coaches. His ability to ask thoughtful questions and gain insight on client perspectives helps him deliver what the moment requires.

A favourite quote reads, “The road to success is always under construction.“ (Lily Tomlin) This does appear to underline Carter’s work ethic and approach to life as he seeks out opportunities for growth and making a positive impact on the people he comes in contact with.

Sean is originally from Atlantic Canada, where he completed his education before moving to Calgary. He has been a proud member of the Calgary Fire Department for the past 16 years where he gained extensive knowledge in adult education, high pressure logistics, decision making and leadership development. 

On top of this professional experience, Sean holds 10 years as an elite minor hockey coach. He learned the importance of healthy team dynamics and how to navigate the complexities of bringing together different personalities into a high performing group.

Sean travels often with his wife and kids, bringing their two dogs whenever they can. He loves spending time in the kitchen and isn't afraid to cook elaborate meals that never disappoint. Surfing is a passion of Sean's and he indulges in the surf lifestyle whenever he gets the opportunity.