Chatter that Matters

Phil is an advocate for human rights and a survivor of residential school abuse. He shares his experiences there and how he turned his anger into positive change. Phil served three terms as the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the first being when he was only 28. He was also among the first to openly talk about the abuses in residential schools and twice visited the Vatican seeking...

Listen to the incredible story of Ed Hajim, a man who overcame adversity to become a wildly successful entrepreneur. His continued resilience, hard work, and positivity inspires the self-starter within us all. I love stories involving the 'hero's journey, someone who goes on an adventure, is victorious regardless of circumstance or crisis, finds mentors or believers along their way and becomes cha...

Amber Mac is a tech analyst, brand advisor, and business coach with a burning desire to make the digital revolution easier to digest for everybody, everywhere. Learn about the opportunities and solutions that come with emerging technologies. Early in her successful broadcasting career, Amber Mac identified an unmet need. Technology was one of, if not the central force of change in society; it was...

Scott Morrison joins the podcast this week to talk about how the Summit Series changed Canadian hockey forever. Additionally, Scott discusses lessons on leadership, strategy, parenting, and more. I love this story because I was there, attacking my nails every game as a fan, and my standing ovation wasn't for a team; it was for Canada.  Fifty years ago, a goal changed hockey forever and helped to u...

What do you do when you're out of care options for your aging loved-ones? This week's guest, Nectari Charitakis, built a platform that empowers seniors and their families to find affordable care without having to move them out of their homes. There are two stories in this episode, and both involve Nectari Charitakis, a wonderful human being. Nectari has a career that jets him all over the world, b...

This week I had an opportunity to interview one of television's biggest stars, Bryan Baeumler, in front of a live audience. We were both there to celebrate the launch of The Founders Journey, a free online, eight-module course to help entrepreneurs turn their dreams into reality.  Bryan shares many funny stories combined with powerful insights and advice from his incredible journey from hammering...

Carl Dixon's life-changing and almost-ending head-on collision left him in a coma for ten days, with a broken neck and 51 other injuries.   Carl shares his journey back from the accident, reclaiming life, music, and his new path as a motivational speaker. Carl Dixon credits a squadron of guardian angels who looked after him through several surgeries and rebuilding his broken body, combined with hi...

My guest today is Neill Dixon, a character with great character. He is singing proof to follow your passion when building your career. In his twenties, Neill had a cafe called Grumbles, frequented by the who's who of music. He managed the rock band Triumph, and his legacy is crafting and staging Canadian Music Week, one of the world's most influential music conferences and festivals.  It turns 40...

'I was at my calmest when I was in a room with bad guys' This week, Robert Mazur, an ex-federal agent who infiltrated the money-laundering, mob-connected network of Pablo Escobar, sits down with Tony Chapman to talk about his high-risk mission. Robert Mazur is directly responsible for one of the biggest busts against the Pablo Escobar Medellin Cartel in the 1980s. In 2009, he published "The Infilt...

Sylvia Earle explains why the future of oceans matters. She joins the podcast this week to remind us of our collective power to use technology to change the depressing realities of the climate crisis.   TIME named Sylvia Earle as their first Hero of the Planet, and she has been National Geographic's Explorer in Residence since 1998. Sylvia is called 'Her Deepness' and the 'Sturgeon General' by The...

"The Accidental Gangster", Ori Spado, tells the story of how he was sucked into a life of crime, dedicated his life to making a change, and emerged with a newfound purpose to prevent others from joining crime organizations. I have always been attracted to characters, how they look, what they say, even their moral qualities. They make you smile or look with astonishment, and they are scene stealers...

'I went to them and said I am not a number. I am a human being. Just one week before and I was in Syria and I had dreams.' Tareq Hadhad is a Syrian refugee who is passionate about his family's chocolate business, and about creating jobs in communities across Nova Scotia and Canada. He speaks with Tony Chapman about the benefits of accepting immigrants, personal resiliency, and entrepreneurship. Ta...

Dwayne Matthews shares his mission to revamp global education to better serve children who are growing up during a novel era of social and digital revolution. Are we preparing our children for the future of work, where they compete for jobs in the clouds and must march in step with rapidly changing technology? Does school inspire and motivate them, and create a lifetime appetite for learning and i...

Guy Kawasaki is a bestselling author, accomplished executive, and outspoken entrepreneur. In this episode, Guy shares his powerful approach to business which will help entrepreneurs who are searching for ways to elevate their game. How do you say no to a job offer from Steve Jobs?    Guy Kawasaki is one of the most respected minds in Silicon Valley, an evangelist for Canva, a prolific author (of 1...

In this episode, Forbes Senior Editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg discusses music, media, and money. Listen for insights into building a career around what you love, as well as how to spot your 'big break'. What did Jay-Z say to Zack Greenburg, about Empire State of Mind, the book Zack wrote about his life? What was the response to another of Zack's books- The A-List Angels, how a band of Actors, Arti...

  ' This med student was given his last rites before he found a treatment that saved his life. His method could help millions more.' David Fajgenbaum, MD, is a groundbreaking physician-scientist, disease hunter, and speaker. His memoir, Chasing My Cure, is bringing awareness to how common drugs can be repurposed to cure rare diseases.  Today, Dr. David Fajgenbaum is my guest, but he should not be...

This week, Dr. Nyong'o speaks on the future of farming, the power of nature, and the importance of our everyday choices. Listen to her thoughts on how we can improve personal and collective sustainability by making considerate choices about what we eat, and where we source it from. I find myself thinking more about how and where my food is grown and sourced, and whether we are sustaining the soil...

Gillian Stein battles a changing retail landscape while battling Bipolar Disorder. Her mission is to change the stigma of mental illness.   (Full disclosure, my Dad was also bipolar, and I share a personal story as part of this show.)   Gillian Stein was eighteen and convinced she was in Arizona. She was, in fact, at the airport in Montreal. As Gillian says in this interview, 'my mind betrayed me,...

Actress Jennifer Irwin joins her father Bryan Irwin - of the Irwin Toy company - to talk about entrepreneurship, old stories, and how Bryan's cancer diagnosis has changed the way they spend time together.   When I heard about this story of Bryan Irwin and the news he received last fall that he was dying from pancreatic cancer, I wasn't sure how to handle the subject matter. When his daughter asked...

Cameron Bailey is a film 'maker. He rocks a tuxedo-like Daniel Craig in a Bond Film, a boardroom with vision and purpose, and society and culture with openness and understanding. As the Toronto International Film Festival CEO, one of the most important and publicly attended festivals globally, Cameron Bailey leads their mission to transform the way people see the world through film. Cameron Bailey...

'A heart-wrenching to a heartwarming story that proves that regardless of circumstances, you can have a better life if people believe in you and teach you to believe in yourself.' Edward Henry and his siblings wanted and deserved what every child should have. A happy and stable home. Instead, they had a raging alcoholic for a father, and when Edward was seven, his mother brought a new man into the...

Richard Clune has been playing professional hockey for sixteen years. He skates like the wind and has the body strength to hit like a locomotive. Today Richard Clune, whose nickname is Dickie, is the Captain of the Toronto Marlies , the AHL affiliate team of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sixteen years playing professional hockey is a feat, given the average tenure of an NHL player is 4.5 years, but wha...

Imagine walking into a heavily armed Hells Angels compound as an informer, and you are wearing a wire. If discovered, these steps will be your last. If successful, your actions will be paramount in trying 'Nasty' Neil Smith, a dangerous and fully patched Hells Angel, for murder. How did you end up there?  Paul Derry  shares the story of his life as a career criminal and informant, what it is like...

A magical story of turning impossibility into possibility. At 13, Mike Fata drops out of school to help his Mom, balloons to 300 pounds on a junk food diet and self-pity. At age 18, he says: 'I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.' On his journey to regaining his mental and physical health, Mike Fata discovers Hemp, an excellent source of essential fats. Still, it's a banned crop because of i...

'A coming of age story about how impossibility can become a possibility through human spirit and will.'  By the time Curtis Carmichael was 11, ten people he knew died. He grew up in a Block where parents worked several jobs to survive, everyone was profiled, and crime seemed to be the only path to prosperity. Schools were at best a parking lot where students were yelled at by teachers who said the...