The Unordinary
Most stories are told after they've been cleaned up.
The title, the company, the promotion, the public win — the thing people can point to and call success. That's rarely the whole story.
The real one is less polished, more complicated, and much more human. Once a month, Lindsey Machona sits down with someone who stepped off the expected path and asks about the part nobody puts on a slide.
One honest conversation. Then the room asks its own questions.
Register for the next date
The room
Founders, professionals, creatives, career changers, community builders. Different industries, different cultures, people who would never have crossed paths otherwise.
Who belongs here
You don't need a title, an income level, an industry, or a platform. Curiosity is the only entry requirement.
This room is for you if
- You're building a company, a career, a body of work, a new identity, or a second act.
- You're questioning the expected path, or already off it.
- You'd rather listen deeply and ask a better question than collect business cards.
- You want to meet people who are risking, creating, and refusing to sleepwalk through an ordinary life.
You don't have to have it figured out. You just have to come curious.
This room isn't for you if
- You want polished success stories without the truth underneath them.
- You're here for status, titles, or being seen — not for the conversation.
- You're looking for quick hacks, empty motivation, or a shortcut.
- You treat other attendees like leads instead of humans.
This isn't built for spectators.
Everyone teaches the climb. This room is about the uncommon path.
Lindsey Machona knows what it means to build a life that doesn't follow the script.
She arrived in Canada with international education, experience and ambition — and no Canadian work history. Like many immigrants, she rebuilt from the ground up in a system that didn't immediately recognize what she carried.
Her path didn't unfold in a straight line. She moved from an administrative role into an Executive Director seat. Years later, she ran for Member of Parliament in Edmonton.
She built The Unordinary because most people only talk about the visible outcome. Very few talk about the invisible becoming — the relationships, the risks, the rooms, and the moment life asks you to stop waiting for permission.
Sign up for the newsletter
The guest is announced close to the night. Join the list and you'll hear before the seats go.
Add your first name.
That email doesn't look right.
Unsubscribe anytime.
That didn't send. Try again in a moment.
Watch for an email when the next edition opens.
Speak or sponsor
Two ways to be part of the next one.
Sit in the guest chair
You stepped off the expected path and it cost you something. Tell us what happened and what it made possible. Every submission is read before the next edition.
Apply to be a guestSponsor an edition
Put your business in front of a room of Edmonton builders who came to pay attention. Packages run from a door prize and table presence to hosting the night.
Become a sponsor