Better Than Not

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure to speak with Martin Greindl, Community Groups Coordinator at Northview Community Church. Martin shared his remarkable journey from nursing in Germany to discovering his calling in ministry through a series of divine encounters, personal struggles, and life-changing experiences. We explored faith, resilience, and the sovereignty of God in ever...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure and privilege to speak with renowned clarinetist James Campbell. Juno winner and recipient of the Order of Canada, James has been the Artistic Director of Parry Sound’s Festival of The Sound since 1985, which has featured such music luminaries as Yo-Yo Ma, The Dave Brubeck Quartet and Gryphon Trio. James is an active musician performing across...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the privilege to talk with Pastor Matt Erickson, Senior Pastor at Eastbrook Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Matt shared his journey from a potential career in software engineering to becoming a pastor. He spoke about his spiritual awakening, the influence of literature and creativity in his faith, and some profound insights into the nature of control, crea...

This is a special edition of Better Than Not in conversation with the members of the band Atlantis: Craig Collett, Craig Evans, Blake Steels and yours truly. My usual hosting duties were passed to radio personality and political commentator Scott Thompson for reasons that will become apparent in the episode. You’ve seen or listened to each of the guests as they’ve all appeared on Better Than Not i...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure and privilege to again speak with West Hansen, ultra-marathon kayak-canoeist, extreme expedition leader and Texas Chapter Chair of The Explorers Club. West shared new stories about some the incredible expeditions he's been on and led including: in 2012, the first complete source-to-sea descent of the 4200-mile Amazon River; in 2014, the fi...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the distinct pleasure to speak with Mark Lapointe, Director of the Leadership Institute at Northview Community Church. I met Marc while attending the History of Christianity series organized by Northview’s Leadership Institute where he lectured on the Arian Controversy and the Trinity. This was another experience timed perfectly with my journey of faith. M...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I again had the pleasure and privilege to speak with Pastor Ezra Okoti, Pastor of Multiplication at Northview Community Church in Abbotsford BC. In Ezra’s last visit, he talked about planting a new church in Chilliwack. In this episode, not only has Northview opened the church with Pastor Luke Etelamaki (Ep #84) but Ezra had spoken at the new church. Ezra talked...

Do you have challenges getting the news you want? Then this episode may be for you. Even seemed appropriate to be the first episode done both on rooftop and in the rain. I had the pleasure and privilege to speak with serial entrepreneur Kira Shishkin, founder and president of informed.now and recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30. Kira shared his journey from a traumatic car accident to founding four c...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure to speak with musician Bill Bell about his musical life--and what a journey! From his early days in Sudbury playing in garage bands and working in music stores to performing with legends like Alex Lifeson, Jason Mraz and Tom Cochran. Discover Bill’s insights into the music industry, song writing, and the importance of perseverance and “being r...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure and privilege to speak with historian and author Iain Provan, a retired professor from Regent College who now consults and lectures through his company The Cuckoos Consultancy. I met Iain at his lecture series on the History of Christianity, a course timed perfectly with my journey of faith. Iain shared insights into the importance of understa...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had occasion to again speak with Jon Balzer, father, entrepreneur and mover. Our first conversation was in audio format, Episode #10 of the podcast. In that episode, Jon told the story of how he and his wife adopted two boys, but he could only go so far with what he could say. In this heartfelt conversation, Jon shared the full story of his and his wife’s extr...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the privilege of a second conversation with investigative journalist and publisher of The Bureau, Sam Cooper. Sam revealed the deeply interconnected issues plaguing Canada—from organized crime and government corruption to land disputes and international influence. Much of what Sam shared in Episode #111 has proven to be accurate. Sam spoke on how these cov...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure to speak with Mark Winters, aerospace engineer turned touring musician. Mark shared his extraordinary story of morphing an engineering world into one of music. Mark explained how his innate curiosity, supportive family, and relentless pursuit of learning transformed his life. He gave insight into how his creativity, science, and emotional expr...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I again had the pleasure to speak with friend, engineer and innovator, Payman Kianpour. Payman is the founder and president of Kepstrum Inc, a design and thinking company. We explored the nature of problem solving through the idea of definition versus understanding and the importance of setting expectation throughout. Payman highlighted the profound shift from d...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I again had the pleasure to speak with Eric Heath pastor of Northview Community Church’s Central Abbotsford Campus. Eric guested previously in Episode #65. Eric shared more of his unique journey from lawyer to pastoral ministry. We explored the importance of biblical study and reflected on the role of faith in our changing society. Eric also spoke of the influen...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I again had the pleasure to talk with friend, music aficionado and Atlantis lead guitarist Craig Collett. Craig shared more of his musical journey, favorite instruments, legendary concerts, and the stories behind some of his iconic gear. Craig delved into some of his extensive knowledge of rock history and guitar collecting. He spoke about how the joy of music c...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure to talk with resident author at Valley CrossWay Church, Pastor April Yamasaki, who is also editor of Rejoice magazine. April shared her journey from childhood dreams of writing to her calling in pastoral ministry. She discussed her new book “Hope Beyond Our Sorrows,” the importance of faith and community. She offered insight into navigating gr...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the privilege to talk with sportscaster Paul Romanuk, who many will remember as the voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He shared his journey from playing road hockey in Oshawa to announcing play-by-play for the Leafs. We discussed the evolution of hockey and music, the magic of bands like The Beatles, and the power of podcasting to explore stories in depth....

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure to talk with Pastor Jesse Wilson who leads the Community and Care Ministry at Northview Community Church. Jesse shared his journey from a non-ministry background to becoming a pastor. He spoke on the power of prayer, community, and trusting in God's guidance. Jesse talked about the importance of staying rooted in scripture amidst cultural...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the privilege and pleasure to talk with lo-fi popstar and recording artist Powfu (aka Isaiah Faber.) Isaiah shared his journey from creating music in his bedroom and uploading to Soundcloud to become a streaming sensation with over 3.5 billion streams of his work to date. He discussed his creative process including what was behind his hit “death bed (coffe...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure to talk with Mark Medley, Deputy Editor, Opinion at Canada's The Globe and Mail and author of the new book “Live to See the Day.” This was a very unique and special episode for me. I originally met Mark through his Globe article, “The hardest working novelist you’ve never heard of.” This time around, however, Mark was on the other side of...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the distinct pleasure to talk with music composer Jeffrey Ryan. In 2025, I attended Gryphon Trio's performance of Jeff’s composition Chimera. Listening to the piece took me on a mind-expanding musical odyssey. Did the same to my wife. I reached out to Jeff and voila this episode followed. Jeff shared his journey from pop music influences to classical c...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the distinct privilege to talk with John Johnstone who is Stó:lō First Nations and works with Multiply and Inner Hope Youth Ministries in BC. I met John after participating in a Blanket Exercise that he hosted. I was so impacted by the event that I invited him to the podcast. We explored themes of identity, reconciliation, and the importance of relationshi...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure to talk with Pastor Cameron Moore about his journey from Atlanta, Georgia, to Nanaimo, British Columbia, where he is involved in church planting. Cam talked about God's faithfulness throughout his journey and emphasized the need for open conversations about faith in today's society. He shared in his walk from musician to discovering hi...

In this episode of Better Than Not, I had the pleasure of a return visit with radio personality and political commentator Scott Thompson. Scott talked about the shifting political landscape in Canada including leadership and immigration. We talked about the shift in the housing market, the challenges facing the healthcare system, and the cultural shifts particularly in mental health awareness. Sco...