Chatter that Matters

I went in, and she was sitting there in a motel room with a kilo of cocaine on the bed and two bikers helping her break it down into smaller bags. That was the insanity I was living in. Gordon Lownds has lived multiple lives. He grew up in Toronto and clashed with his father and an older brother who bullied him until he finally fought back at sixteen. That was the moment he said, enough. He left h...

As you listen to the show, I encourage you to step into Debra E. Meyerson's shoes.  Debra had a dream life: a tenured professorship at Stanford, a reputation as a groundbreaking scholar on organizational change and identity, and big adventures with her husband, social finance leader Steve Zuckerman, including sailing across Europe with their three kids. Then, at 53, a stroke changed everything. In...

Recorded in front of a sold out crowd at the Toronto Hunt, this episode captures the energy of a live audience and a message every Canadian needs to hear. We are living longer, and more of us will reach 100, yet our healthcare system is under strain and our daily choices matter more than ever. My guest, Mike Kessel, CEO of Cleveland Clinic Canada, brings a clear and practical view of what it means...

A special edition of Chatter that Matters. Thirty-five years ago, David Chilton and his record-shattering best-seller, The Wealthy Barber, revolutionized Canadians' approach to money. Its profound impact was not just on the nation, but also on me. I cleared my credit card debts, paid myself first, and found peace of mind.   I had the chance to sit with David to talk about the complete remake of hi...

Barry Avrich is a Renaissance man, and his creativity knows no boundaries. From crafting brilliant advertising campaigns for  Les Misérables , The Phantom of the Opera , and Frank Sinatra's final concerts to directing over fifty documentaries that expose the power, ego, and humanity behind fame, he's lived by one lesson from his father—don't blend in. In this conversation, Barry opens up about his...

Many people are experiencing a growing sense of insecurity in an uncertain world. Every generation feels it, but for many young people, it's hitting harder. They've endured a pandemic and now face a world that's changing rapidly, along with high unemployment and a mental health crisis that's even harder to confront.   That's why I wanted to share this story about a 16-year-old girl who was lost an...

I am breaking format and putting this show up on Monday, as Stewart has an event called Man Enough to Heal this Wednesday, that I want to support. Details and links below. This week on  Chatter That Matters , meet Stewart Thompson, a man who turned unimaginable trauma into a mission to help others heal. For decades, Stewart carried the silence of childhood sexual abuse, numbing the pain through ad...

"Everybody's journey is unique, and we have the power to write our own story. We need to stop giving other people the pen." Calissa Ngozi Calissa Ngozi's life is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the choice to rise above. Born into hardship, labelled by a doctor as a child who would "never amount to anything," and adopted into a world that didn't mirror her reflection, Calissa fa...

Perry Miele is someone I have admired since the first day we met many decades ago. Perry shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Thunder Bay as the son of Italian immigrants to becoming a serial entrepreneur, investor, and mentor to many. Perry's story is about resilience, optimism, and the enduring lessons that come with having both grit and grace. In this episode, Perry reflects on poli...

Many people dream of owning their own business and being their own boss, especially today when careers can be suddenly disrupted by tariffs or technology. I would encourage those who dream to also do. Judy Lewis is my guest this week, and she doesn't follow paths; she creates them. An inductee into the Marketing Hall of Legends and co-founder of Strategic Objectives alongside her sister Deborah We...

Scott Stirrett grew up in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a hockey town where he never fit in. Bullied, struggling in school, and privately wrestling with his sexuality, he felt like a misfit destined to sit on the sidelines. Instead, those early struggles became the foundation for his life's work. Scott left a prestigious role at Goldman Sachs to start Venture for Canada, raising more than $80 million an...

This episode was taped in front of a live audience at Canavision, which is a fantastic conference made possible through the vision and creativity of Randy Rowe.  My guest is Michele Romanow, one of Canada's most fearless entrepreneurs, a Dragon, a disruptor, and a mentor who built seven businesses before the age of 35 and changes the way founders access capital. From launching a sustainable coffee...

I love the famous Walt Disney quote, Dream it and Do it. It is also the battle cry for Entrepreneurs and Artists as they seek sponsors, support and a paying audience. But what if an idea came to you in an actual dream, and that dream manifested into a destiny that touched your entire universe? In the rawest days of her sobriety, Jenn Harper had a dream of three Indigenous girls wearing lip gloss....

Last week, my guest was Oscar Arias, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and former President of Costa Rica, who brought peace to Central America. This week, I continue to prove that Chatter That Matters has no boundaries, only journeys of those who overcome, who chase, who change their world and ours for the better. My guest is  Rima Berns-McGowan , a woman who has devoted her life to making the world a b...

I  had the pleasure of hosting one of the most extraordinary guests I've ever had on Chatter That Matters during the 80th sessions of the United Nations Assembly happening in New York. My guest is someone who has made a powerful and positive impact on our universe: Dr.  Oscar Arias , a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and two-time President of Costa Rica.  Oscar takes us back to a time when Central Amer...

My guest this week is Sheryl Ramstead a woman whose story defies the odds and redefines what it means to be resilient. At 29, on her first solo flight, a fiery plane crash left her body burned and her survival chances below one percent. But from that inferno emerged not just a survivor, but a force of reinvention who became a federal prosecutor, judge, corrections commissioner, marathon runner, mo...

I encourage you to listen to this week's  Chatter That Matters , featuring my guest,  Dan Monaghan . Dan is a trailblazer, and his energy is infectious; his storytelling is excellent, and his approach to life, as well as his zest for it, is something we can all learn from.   Dan shares his journey from humble beginnings in Canada to building international ventures, including the innovative digital...

Jason Demers played over 700 games in the NHL, represented Canada at the Olympics, and was the "glue in the locker room" for five franchises. Teammates knew him as the guy who brought humour, energy, and heart. But inside, Jason was battling something invisible—crippling anxiety that made every night feel like fighting for his life. Jason opens up about the duality of his career: the confident def...

They broke barriers, challenged the status quo, and redefined what authentic leadership can be. Three women. One stage. A masterclass in leading with heart, purpose, and courage. Recorded live at the sold-out  Work The Room Leadership Summit 2025, I sat down with three trailblazing women leaders who inspire change: Linda Kuga Pikulin, President of ROOM and Women of Influence; Alycia Calvert, Chair...

"We found David Chilton's phone number on the back of The Wealthy Barber, picked up the phone, and just called. He answered. That one call changed everything." They had cushy jobs and no culinary credentials—just a shared dream between two sisters to write a cookbook that combined truly healthy recipes with laugh-out-loud humour. It was bold. It was different. And it was rejected by publishers. Se...

You're lying on the ground, your body completely paralyzed. You can hear voices around you, footsteps moving closer, then away. You're fully aware of everything, but you can't speak, can't move, can't signal that you're there. You are trapped inside your own body, and you know your life is hanging by a thread, yet you have no way of letting anyone know you need urgent help. Minutes feel like hours...

What if everything you worked for—your savings, your home, even your identity—could be stolen without a weapon or a warning? In this chilling yet empowering episode of  Chatter That Matters , recorded live at the Toronto Hunt, I moderate a critical conversation on the growing threat of cybercrime—and how we can fight back. Joining me are three remarkable minds from the frontlines of this invisible...

"Being dry is just changing your drink. Being sober is changing everything." — Jordan Kawchuk. Jordan Kawchuk is a brilliant storyteller, a former media professional, and a father—but for over 30 years, he was also an alcoholic. In this raw and revealing episode, Jordan opens up about a lifetime battle that has taken him through several treatment centers, estranged him from the people he loves mos...

What does it take to reinvent yourself—again and again—while remaining grounded in gratitude and generosity? In this inspiring episode recorded in front of a live audience, I sit down with the one and only Canadian icon and my dear friend, Arlene Dickinson, the beloved "matriarch of Dragon's Den." We explore the extraordinary journey that shaped her into one of the country's most respected busines...

I try not to play favourites, but this week's guest may be the most extraordinary human I've ever interviewed. Diane Dupuy is the founder of  Famous PEOPLE Players , a Black Light theatre company where the performers are individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. On stage, they become invisible, allowing life-sized puppets to dance, dazzle, and delight the audience. Offstage, they f...