I've never been able to walk past a problem and leave it there.
Not in a restaurant, not in a hotel, not in a boardroom. If something could run better, feel better, or serve people better, I noticed it. And more often than not, I did something about it, whether it was my responsibility to or not.
That instinct has followed me through two decades of working inside other people's businesses, from hospitality in Winnipeg to sales and business development across some of Canada's most competitive industries. And in every environment, the same pattern showed up.
Some organizations had enough infrastructure to function. Others, regardless of size, were missing the foundational building blocks that made growth feel inevitable. I've seen scrappy small businesses with brilliant ideas held back by chaos, and I've seen large, established companies where the sales team couldn't perform because the systems behind them simply weren't there.
The gap was never talent, it was structure.
The thing that drives me.
An experience can feel average or it can feel elevated. At Winnipeg's Fort Garry Hotel, the standard of care began before guests ever reached the door. I brought room service to Robin Williams, took Shannen Doherty to the roof to watch fireworks, and collected a story about Kirstie Alley that's better told in person.
The businesses that understand experience, the ones that think about every touchpoint, every interaction, every moment a client feels something, those are the ones that build loyalty, generate referrals, and thrive. Experience is strategy. It's one of the most overlooked competitive advantages a business can have.
I want to bring that back, and it starts with the right foundation. You can't deliver a consistently elevated experience without the systems and structure to support it.
In 2018 I was referred into my first consulting engagement. By 2025 I made it my full focus and MTTE BLLK Agency Inc. was born.
I'm not here to hand you a strategy and wish you luck. I'm here to build it with you.
- Kelly Abesdris, Founder + Creative Strategist
My dad introduced me to music early - Gordon Lightfoot, The Beatles, The Animals, Crosby Stills Nash & Young. It stuck. Under the name Kelly Besd I released an EP called Back to Me, funded by an Alberta Foundation for the Arts grant and recorded with legendary producer Eddie Kramer. My song Our Love brought together over 20 local Calgary artists, a project rooted in community and collaboration. A four-time YYC Music Awards nominee and three-time Canadian Independent Music Video Awards nominee, I've also been featured on CBC and CTV. I handled my own promotion and marketing, brought on a PR person, and built real momentum, earning four YYC Music Awards nominations and features on CBC and CTV.
Different Stage, Same Standard
It's a different stage than business, but the same approach - if you're going to do something, do it all the way.
