The Blue Room

This in-depth and intimate episode with SamGwan The Artist (Tonya Paris), we explore how art is truly a healing and therapeutic practice. Tonya shares so much wisdom as she takes us through a journey of her early life, from young mom, to military, to an RCMP officer, and all of the heartbreaks, losses and healing along the way.  Now Tonya is a full-time artist who is contracted for major proj...

Back for the THIRD time, the one and only Tia Upshaw! She is a local serial entrepreneur, author, award winner, keynote speaker, mother, leader and friend. If you are feeling stagnant in your business, job, relationship or any are of your life, this episode is for you! Tia brings straight-to-the-point advice to get you motivated to move from stagnation to inspiration. She shares real-life stories...

The key to our success lies in our authenticity. However, we still manage to spend so much time trying to make ourselves small, fit into boxes and adjust ourselves to make other people comfortable or fit into their expectations of who we should be. What would happen if we felt comfortable to be our true selves - fully, wholly, without shame or regret? That is where our power lies. When we begin to...

This is not your typical banking/financial literacy episode! In this session, I sit down with Peter Owusu, Atlantic Regional Manager for Black Community Business Development with TD.  Even though Peter works in the financial industry, he offers a down-to-earth, grounded and relatable perspective on money matters. We have true heart-to-heart conversations about our relationships with money; wh...

Motivational speaker, entrepreneur, podcaster and Navy Man, Randall Mitchell, joins me for an enlightening conversation on what it takes to be a leader, our desire for healthy relationships and the many paths in entrepreneurship.  We explored our curiosity and vulnerabilities around dating vs. being single; We chatted about what it means to be a good leader; We also shared our dreams, hopes a...

Business owner & mutual funds advisor Meghan Better sits with me and shares her journey of exploring family planning and freezing eggs.  We chat about everything from the challenges of dating as a young, educated, goal-oriented woman, to having the desire to have a family, and the different reasons why people may want to explore different avenues for parenthood.  Is family planning t...

It’s time for a good ol’ fashion kiki!  Two of my closest girlies, Sarah & Kuda, get together for some girl talk.  We tried to keep things deep and reflective, but these girls bring so much light, fun and laughter to the table. In this episode, we reminisce on memories, dating, the trajectory of our friendship and the roles we play in each other's lives.  @fantanesh.attomsa @the...

Are ya’ll OK? How has this last year been for you? My biggest lesson in 2023 is that we do, in fact, have time. It's just up to us what we decide to spend it on, and it reveals a lot about what's important to us. If you feel like 2023 has been a lot of disruption, breaking open and revealing - both globally and internally - then let’s talk about it.  In this episode, I’m sharing experiences a...

Connecting culture to wellness: An Afrocentric approach to health

In this episode, Tanya & I have a candid conversation about body image, self-love & the journey to choose surgery.

Exploring our deeper connections to self and others through spirituality

In this episode, Stephanie and I talk about Money!! We know this is not everyone's favourite topic, but we make it easily digestible for you.  Stephanie is an Accountant with over 10 years of experience helping people and small businesses make better decisions with their money. We talk about beginning-friendly tips for saving, budgeting, investing, creating more revenue streams and "how to st...

In this episode, Tanya and I focus on how we use Boundaries to love others better. Tanya is a Social Worker that focuses on anti-oppressive practices.  We share how and why we first started our Self Love journey and some of the important lessons we have learned along the way.  We share some of the realities of what it's like healing through Motherhood, and how we can support our kids, fr...

*TW: abuse, sex trafficking*  In this episode, Winnie and I discuss some of the realities of sex Trafficking within our communities.  Winnie shares her story and experiences, and how she came to start her organization, Empowerment for Hope. We will discuss some of the warning signs, how to offer support to victims, and how to advocate within our communities to end human Trafficking.&nbsp...

In this episode, Autumn and I discuss some of the realities of entrepreneurship. We share our journeys about balancing motherhood, relationships and running a business. We chat about what it's like being in the "calming" Wellness industry, but still being fiercely business focused! We also offer tips for how to manage the demands, where to focus our energies and how to ensure we are staying "in" p...

In this episode, I share some healthy coping strategies when it comes to overcoming difficult periods in our lives.  I will share some of the challenges and unhealthy coping mechanisms that I had to overcome and offer tips for folks who may be struggling at any stage of their lives.  I hope this episode inspires you to make any necessary changes you might be contemplating in your life. M...

Tia is back as our guest!  We are going to chat about our experiences dating as single moms. We will talk about the relationships with our children's fathers, and share our stories, challenges, tips and what we look for in a partner.  We hope that this episode inspires you to still believe in love, and not settle for less - no matter what your situation or past looks like

In this episode, my mentor, truth teller and say-it-like-it-is friend Tia and I will reveal and confront some of our own challenging traits. We will hear from our friends and kids, and share some of the messages we've received from you all as well.  I hope that through this episode you develop a deeper sense of self-awareness and self-acceptance, and we hope to encourage you to not be afraid...

The Blue Room Podcast is a community where we intentionally work on elevating our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health through therapeutic conversations.