The Flourish Feed Podcast

An AI trainer on who owns your expertise once a machine has learned it, why women need to be in the room before the strategy is written, and why nobody calls a calculator cheating. Kristina Shea is the founder of WomenUp™ and BlueSky BlueOcean AI. She hosts The Kristina Shea Show and trains Canadian companies and their teams to use AI. Through WomenUp she helps women build the skills and confidenc...

A five-time Canadian long drive champion on why a contact is not a relationship, why she refuses the phrase giving back, and the question she leaves behind: who has access because you had access? Fareen Samji, Far to everyone who knows her, grew up in Mombasa, Kenya, won the Canadian Women's Long Drive Championship five times, and now runs Smashing Nines, a nine hole scramble series for women...

A two-time Chief Investment Officer on why capitalism fails, why he walks out of profit pitches, and why a gated community is proof something already broke.  Peter Hofstra spent 24 years running institutional money, twice as Chief Investment Officer, after helping build a technology company that went public. He opens Season 4 of The Flourish Feed with Gillian Stovel Rivers.  He explains why he has...

What happens when humanity collides with artificial intelligence, and the real bottleneck isn’t technology, but the human brain itself? In this electric and deeply thought-provoking conversation, bestselling author and flow expert Steven Kotler joins Gillian Stovel Rivers to unpack the psychology, neuroscience, and cultural myths surrounding AI, abundance, burnout, and human potential. Together, t...

 What if the secret to better decisions, deeper relationships, stronger teams, and even greater learning isn't found inside a single brain? What if it's found between brains? In this fascinating conversation, neuroscientist, AI strategist, and Flow Research Collective Chief Science Officer Dr. Michael Mannino joins Gillian to explore one of the most exciting frontiers in performance scie...

In this episode, Gillian and guest Andrew Cohn of Lighthouse Consulting LLC discuss the evolution of leadership in an age of abundance, the importance of internal clarity, stakeholder capitalism, and practical strategies for fostering presence and innovation in organizations.  Andrew brings a rare blend of executive leadership development, psychology, mindfulness, and real-world business experienc...

In this episode, we explore how understanding and consciously managing our metabolic energy can help us thrive amidst chaos - from geopolitical tensions to AI-driven change. Dr. Sarah Sarkis , a clinical psychologist turned executive coach, shares practical insights on how to become more intentional with our internal resource and navigate uncertainty with resilience. Key topics: 📈The concept of m...

Over the next two decades, trillions of dollars will move into the hands of women through inheritance, entrepreneurship, ownership, and leadership. But this conversation isn’t just about wealth transfer. It’s about redesigning the systems that determine who earns, who owns, who gets funded, and who gets remembered when opportunities emerge. In this energizing and deeply practical conversation, rev...

Explore the profound insights from Rich Diviney, a Navy SEAL veteran, bestselling author and leadership expert, on how attributes and identity shape human performance under uncertainty. Discover how mindset, attributes, and identity influence resilience, team dynamics, and personal growth in a rapidly changing world. If you want to know who you are at your best and how to serve the people who matt...

For decades, women have been asked to plan their lives—careers, families, health, and finances—without visibility into one of the most powerful systems shaping all of it: the ovary. In this groundbreaking conversation, Gillian sits down with Kiran Kumar, founder and CEO of Timeless Biotech, to explore how AI is unlocking a completely new category of insight: ovarian age as a vital sign. What emerg...

What if the science guiding our health - our training, nutrition, even longevity - was built on incomplete data? In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, I sit down with world-renowned muscle physiologist Dr. Stuart Phillips to unpack a truth that is reshaping modern health science: for decades, research has largely been built around male physiology, leaving critical gaps in how we understan...

In this episode, Christine Brunsden shares her innovative approach to creating an integrated system she calls an Ability Ecosystem that connects policy, technology, finance, and social services to empower individuals with disabilities. Her platform called Benefits2 aims to transform fragmented systems into seamless, accessible support networks, ultimately fostering a society where ability diversit...

In this episode, Gillian interviews Kristine Beese , founder and CEO of Untangle Money , explores how emotional clarity around money can unlock time, energy, and attention, leading to a more flourishing life. She discusses gendered financial equity, the emotional triggers of money, and practical tools for women to improve their financial confidence. What’s fascinating that came out of this convers...

This conversation with David Clancy explores how elite sports systems can be redesigned to foster human flourishing, sustainability, and collective flow. We discuss signals of high-performance environments, trust, leadership, and the potential for sports to serve as laboratories for cultural change beyond the stadium. David is a good friend of mine from Dublin, Ireland, with a long history of work...

Explore how intentional gatherings around food and shared experiences can restore human connection, with insights from Brady Lowe, a visionary hospitality entrepreneur. Discover the power of food as a technology for trust, the importance of relationship networks, and innovative approaches to sustainability and AI in event design. This is a fun, engaging and incredibly insightful conversation about...

In this first episode of Season 3, Gillian Stovel Rivers and Preet Banerjee delve into the complexities of financial stress faced by Canadians, exploring the intersection of behavioral science, decision-making biases, and the role of financial advisors. They discuss how present bias affects financial choices and the importance of having a structured financial plan. The conversation also highlights...

In this conversation, Gillian Stovel Rivers speaks with Meaghan Stovel McKnight, CEO of Make-A-Wish® Canada, about the profound impact of wishes on children with critical illnesses and their families. They explore the science behind hope and resilience, the role of wishes as a form of medicine, and the ripple effect that wishes have on communities and healthcare workers. Meaghan shares personal st...

This episode explores the true nature of grit and resilience, emphasizing their trainability and importance in team dynamics, leadership, and personal growth with Mark Gasparotto , a Canadian Armed Forces veteran, resilience trainer, and founder of immersive field-based programs that help individuals and teams build capacity under pressure. Drawing on decades of military experience, expedition lea...

In this insightful interview, Gillian hosts Carl Richards , a world-renowned financial philosopher and sketch artist. They explore the emotional and narrative aspects of money, the power of visual storytelling, and how understanding these elements can transform financial decision-making. This is a truly powerful episode about how stories shape our relationship with money, the role of simplicity in...

In this episode, Saijal Patel, a wealth coach and strategist with a background in journalism, joins us to explore how women can rewrite their relationship with money. Discover the mental shifts, practical tools, and community support that empower women to build financial confidence, autonomy, and impact. Learn more about Saijal and her incredible programs at https://saijelle.com  Takeaways 👩🏻How...

In this conversation, Gillian Stovel Rivers and Greg Barnsdale explore the critical importance of mortality planning, discussing the universal challenges surrounding death and incapacity. They highlight the alarming statistic that only 15% of Canadians have an estate plan, emphasizing the need for open conversations about end-of-life wishes to reduce stress and strengthen family relationships. The...

In this conversation, Gillian and Dr. Jennifer Churchill explore the multifaceted impact of AI on leadership, productivity, and personal identity. They discuss the psychological challenges leaders face as they integrate AI into their work, the concept of cognitive debt, and the importance of maintaining human skills in an increasingly automated world. The dialogue emphasizes the need for leaders t...

In this episode of the Flourish Feed podcast, host Gillian Stovel Rivers engages with Nick Griffin , founder and CIO of Munro Partners , to explore the transformative investing themes shaping the future. Griffin emphasizes that the future is not something to wait for; rather, it is already forming based on observable signals.  He discusses the importance of thematic investing, which focuses on ide...

In this episode of the Flourish Feed podcast, Gillian Stovel Rivers interviews Kristin Parise, a pelvic health physiotherapist who has integrated AI into her business strategy. They discuss how AI can enhance human connection, reclaim time, and protect energy for women entrepreneurs.  Kristin shares her journey of using AI tools to streamline operations, improve client interactions, and produce co...

In this episode of the Flourish Feed podcast, host Gillian Stovel Rivers engages with Marc-André Lewis, PhD, President and CIO of CI Global Asset Management , to discuss how investors can navigate the complexities of today's financial landscape.  They explore the importance of a disciplined, scientifically informed investment process that prioritizes clarity over the noise of headlines about...