Tune Up Your Warrior

Mentorship is not charity. It’s belonging. It’s confidence. And sometimes, it’s the single thing that changes the trajectory of a young person’s life. In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , I sit down with Susan Ingram , Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa , for a conversation that goes far beyond programs and initiatives. What stayed with me after we first met was not just...

What if innovation isn’t about building something new — but reframing how we see what already exists? In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , Jenny sits down with Jay Lim , co-founder and principal architect of 25:8 Architecture + Urban Design , to explore how architecture mirrors leadership, culture, and systems change. Jay shares how reframing assumptions — rather than improving outdated model...

Employment law is often treated as a last resort — something we turn to only when conflict has already exploded. But what if we’re getting it wrong? In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , Jenny sits down with Devin Michelle Jarcaig, Partner at Mathers McHenry & Co. and one of Canada’s leading employment lawyers, to explore how labour law can be used proactively — not reactively — to build t...

Housing isn’t just about supply. It’s about dignity, stability, and who gets to belong. In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , I’m joined by Jason Burggraaf , Executive Director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, for a long-view conversation on what it actually takes to build housing systems that work. We go beyond headlines to unpack: The policy levers that truly move affordabil...

Well-behaved women rarely make history. And many of the women who changed history were never documented at all. This episode of Tune Up Your Warrior features Renée de Sousa , co-founder of Toronto-based production company Space Pirates and creator of the French-language animated series Rebelles — a bold, fast-paced portrait of women changed the course of history. Funded by the CMF and broadcast on...

Happy World Engineering Day! Have you ever wondered how strong communication and relationships—not just technical skills—are reshaping what great leadership looks like? In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , I sit down with Daniel McCaulley, Founder and Principal of Ultimus Engineering, for a conversation that goes beyond blueprints and technical expertise. Daniel shares his journey from oil an...

⚠️ Content note: This post discusses bullying, loss, and suicide. Please read with care. This is one of the most meaningful episodes of Tune Up Your Warrior I’ve ever recorded. In this episode with Councillor Allan Hubley, who I've had the privilege of knowing for almost 20 years, we talk not only about the impact of bullying and the role of bystanders, but also what happens in the aftermath — whe...

This episode of Tune Up Your Warrior was recorded live inside Wok Theory , a vibrant, modern, and deeply authentic Chinese restaurant in the heart of Toronto’s Chinatown. It was set around a real table, in real community, during a moment that felt deeply full circle. I sit down with Trevor Lui — culinary storyteller, author, Food Unity chef, and proud Chinatown kid for life — for a conversation ab...

First impressions matter — but what if they could also empower you? In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , Jenny Chen sits down with Lindsey Gibeau , Ottawa-based branding photographer, creative, adventurer, and life-long learner, whose work goes far beyond the lens. This episode launches on World Headshot Day , a moment that invites us to reflect on visibility, representation, and why being se...

More Canadians are living solo than ever before, yet the systems shaping our financial lives still assume everyone has a partner. From taxes to housing to retirement, single earners navigate a reality that is more expensive, more complex, and far less visible than we like to admit. My guest, Renée Sylvestre-Williams , is an award-winning Canadian financial journalist and the author of The Singles...

Roger Greenberg’s name has become synonymous with the story of Ottawa — from Minto’s foundational developments, to leading OSEG (home of the REDBLACKS and the 67’s), to championing the transformation of Lansdowne and helping shape the Campaign to Create Tomorrow for the new Ottawa Hospital campus. As Executive Chairman of the Minto Group, Chairman of Minto Apartment REIT, and Executive Chairman &a...

Housing is more than a roof — it’s the foundation for opportunity, belonging, and possibility. In this episode, Jenny sits down with Traci Spour-Lafrance , Executive Director of the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation , to explore what it really means to build thriving communities from the inside out. Traci’s journey — from educator and social worker to executive leader — has been guided by one be...

What if failure isn’t the end, but the gateway to your true identity? Entrepreneur and storyteller Hussein Hallak shares how rejection, imposter syndrome, and honest feedback shaped the leader and creator he is today. From being overlooked for a creative director role in Dubai to rebuilding his life in Canada, Hussein’s story is one of radical ownership and reinvention. In this episode, Hussein an...

✨ Courage isn’t always loud — it’s the whisper that sparks change. ✨ In this week’s Tune Up Your Warrior episode, I sat down with Lindiwe Davis — Global Organizational Effectiveness and People Engagement Leader at Google, founder of FutureState Collective , and an award-winning culture shifter whose work continues to redefine what leadership looks like when it’s grounded in humanity, courage, an...

Season Three of Tune Up Your Warrior kicks off with a conversation that feels both timely and deeply personal. My guest is Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, a lifelong Ottawan and the leader of Canada’s capital at a moment of real change and opportunity. Before entering municipal politics, Mayor Sutcliffe spent more than three decades as an award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, mentor, and community builder...

This special season finale brings together two women who refuse to shrink themselves to fit into the world — and instead choose to make the world bigger, kinder, and more human. Soula Burrell, Director of Member Services & Engagement at the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, joins me for a conversation that feels like home. In her role at GOHBA, Soula is the bridge between builders, de...

As the holiday season approaches, Supply and Demand prepares to close for their annual winter break — a practice that might surprise people but perfectly reflects the heart of how Jennifer and Steve Wall run their restaurant: with intention, empathy, and sustainability at the core. In this conversation, they share how they’re reshaping what hospitality means — not just for guests, but for the peop...

What happens when two best friends decide to build a life together—right at the start of a pandemic, amidst personal heartbreak, and with a stage-four cancer diagnosis in the background? In this intimate and honest episode, Jenny is joined by her husband Dan, as they share the story of how their friendship became love, how they navigated uncertainty together, and why they chose couples counselling...

Duong Hoang’s story is the ultimate Ottawa glow-up. He grew up in Chinatown, always trying to find where he fit in. Years later, that search for belonging turned into a mission to create it—for everyone. From building spaces like Standard Luxe Tavern , Stay Gold Pizza , and now Good Neighbour , Duong has redefined what community feels like. Whether you’re a local regular, an entrepreneur, or an NH...

Most people are intimidated by wine—not because they don’t love it, but because they don’t know where to start. The language, the labels, the culture… it can feel exclusive, even snobbish. But what if someone could help you discover your love of wine by meeting you exactly where you are? In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , Jenny sits down with her good friend Ryan Tapping , Division Manager...

Mark Borowiecki built his reputation in the NHL as one of the league’s toughest defensemen — fearless, relentless, and never afraid to drop the gloves. But what makes him remarkable is not just his career, but the heart behind it. Known to fans as “BoroCop,” Mark has become one of hockey’s strongest advocates for men’s mental health. From speaking out about men's mental health to sharing his o...

In this powerful episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , host Jenny Chen sits down with the trailblazing Honorary Lieutenant -Colonel Judge Albert Wong —a retired citizenship judge, decorated Canadian Armed Forces Lieutenant Commander, peacekeeper, strategist, and proud father—whose career has been marked by a series of meaningful “firsts.” Albert began his public-service journey in 1976 , has dedicated...

Fertility care has long been treated as a personal, private struggle. But what if we reframed it as a public health issue—rooted in equity, access, and modern realities? In this episode, Dr. Rhonda Zwingerman—OB-GYN and co-founder of Twig Fertility—joins Jenny to talk about why it’s time we rethink reproductive care. Together, they explore why traditional systems haven’t kept pace with how people...

What happens when you build a business rooted in humanity—and still deliver elite-level results? In this episode, Jenny sits down with Jenniffer Alvarenga, co-founder of Good Story Realty Group and one of Ottawa’s Forty Under 40, to talk about redefining success in real estate and beyond. From immigrating to Canada as a student to launching a boutique real estate brand with her husband Leo, Jennif...

In this special episode, Jenny sits down with her daughter, Trinity, just before she heads off to university—for a raw and beautiful conversation about motherhood, healing, and rewriting the story you came from. Jenny reflects on how becoming a mother changed her, how anger and generational trauma shaped her early years of parenting, and how Trinity became the catalyst for the healing they both ne...