Chatter that Matters

Gil Moore is my guest, and I chose the word Triumph for two reasons. The first is how he approaches life as an entrepreneur and a renaissance man when it comes to education. It's also a play on words as Gil is the drummer and one of the vocalists in the band, Triumph, who broke into the USA market, but broke up at their peak when they were selling out stadiums, and their records played worldwide....

After chatting with Sandi Boucher, I realize how little I know about the Indigenous Culture and how much better I would be as a human being if I valued what they value. I suppose that is true across every culture. Imagine if we opened our minds and hearts to others and see people who are foreign to our way of life as an opportunity to enrich versus isolate ourselves. If we did we would be a better...

Five dollars and a dream. In 1927, a 24-year-old Hungarian named Andrew Peller sails into Halifax. He knows no English,   has five dollars in his pocket, but he dreams of building a better life. For the next 34 years, Andrew proves he is a gifted entrepreneur.  He makes a fortune, but a bad investment has him lose everything in his late fifties.  Andrew finds the capital and energy to rebuild when...

I don't know what you were doing at 15, but for me it was hanging out with my friends. I had dreams and ambitions but they were confined to my world, and not conquering the world.  With the Tokyo Olympics around the corner, I chat with Penny Oleksiak.  Penny became the first Canadian to win four medals in the same Summer Olympic Games and Canada's youngest Olympic champion. The irony is that when...

Drinking from a firehose is how to describe my interview with Bob Lefsetz. Bob has been labelled a music guru and critic but I see him more as a cultural anthropologist who studies this intersection between music, culture, life, technology and era. Bob Lefsetz authors the Lefsetz Letters.  I am a fan of how he thinks and writes so on a lark I sent him an email inviting him on the show.  The way Bo...

Is social media a weapon of mass destruction? Is it undermining democracy, pulling people to the fringe, fueling hatred and torching the middle ground? Is conventional media any different? Is there any trust left in the news we digest and the stories that populate our feed? There is no one better to answer these questions than Kirstine Stewart, one of the most influential individuals in media. Kir...

In my retrospective show, the microphone is turned, and David Trafford joins me as the host. Dave asks me about the original intent of the show, my favourite characters, some special moments and the lessons learned.  In 15 months we have produced a podcast every week, a prime time radio show, and weekend radio show since last fall, with commitments in place to continue throughout 2021. All of this...

I wasn't sure how my radio audience would react to Mark Brand . It turns out they loved him. Mark's background includes drugs, alcohol, nights on the street, and because of all he is unapologetic, unabashed, and unforgiving. Mark is a force of human nature and the founder of Better Life Foundation . He uses capitalism and being a restaurant operator as his platform to arm himself as a justice warr...

Joe Pine, one of the thought leaders of modern-day capitalism offers fresh thinking on how you lead, market, sell, teach, engage and create memories that last a lifetime, through experiences that matter. In 1999 by Joe Pine and Jim Gilmour published the Experience Economy, Work is Theatre, and Every Business is a Stage. Today it is considered one of the top 100 business books of all time. This boo...

Michael McCain is an incredible human being, and a dear friend. I admire Michael as a father, philanthropist, passionate Canadian, and one of our most respected leaders. Michael has, what I believe, is the answer to the future of capitalism. A sharp and relentless focus on shared values where every stakeholder, including Planet Earth, has a seat at the table, versus shareholder value where one win...

Today, in honour of Mothers Day, I am putting all women on a pedestal for everything you do to nurture, protect, mentor, care, lead, create and contribute to a better world.    I begin by first talking about my Mom, who left us over thirty years ago, but whose examples and character I still lead my life with.   My first guest is an extraordinary human being. Michelle DiEmanuele is the President an...

Benjamin Saxe's earliest memory is as a four-year-old boy living in the slums of San Jose in Costa Rica with his drug-addicted Mom, and she often abandons him for weeks at a time. Benjamin's only focus is survival and doing what he can to keep his Mom alive. Benjamin's dire situation changes one day. The Pauper became the Prince when a wealthy family adopts him. Benjamin describes himself as a str...

In a special Earth Day tribute, I take you back to 1970 and the two significant events that led to the creation of a day honouring our planet. We then fast forward to 2050, where the population of the earth tops 10 billion. We then travel back to today, where I ask three people an essential question. Do we have the ability to feed our people and sustain our planet?  Michael McCain is the CEO of Ma...

Dan Ariely's life, as a teenager, changed in a flash.  Dan was living in Israel when he was caught in an explosion. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a burn ward, his home for the next three years.  Dan described his life there as a 'side actor'.  His friends moved on with their lives, while his life and every decision involving his treatment were no longer his to control.  As he...

You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. CS Lewis. Jennifer Menard-Shand is living proof of this quote, and her incredible and at times heart-wrenching story of turning impossibility into possibility will inspire you. Jennifer lives a happy childhood until her parents divorced. Stability turned into instability as her Mother chased her demo...

A must-listen podcast for aspiring entrepreneurs, startups, students, and anyone who values creativity and ideas. I also encourage anyone looking to make or is making a meaningful career or life change. Why? This is a story of five people who gave up all they had to chase their dream inside the nightmare of COVID. A year ago, a supergroup emerged when five individuals, each at the top of the game,...

I don't know if you are born with talent, but it pours through Harry Connick Jr's veins. At age three, he performs for smiles; by age nine, Harry is recording an album and plays the Piano Concerto No. 3 Opus 37  of  Beethoven  with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra , and by the end of his teens, he is in New York with his first record deal. Harry Connick Jr has sold over 16 million albums and has...

Cybercrime is a $6 trillion dollar industry, bigger than all other crime combined. Data breaches are happening every day.  Data is the new oil, and it's mined to shape how you think, feel and behave. Can anything be done? Two world-renowned thought leaders Dr. Ann Cavoukian and Adam Evans give you a tour of cyberspace and then offer you actionable and exceptional strategies you can do to create a...

Chris Hadfield's floated in the most peculiar way when he performed his poignant rendition of Bowie's Space Oddity from the International Space Station. It captured 45 million views and  David Bowie tweeted to Chris-'Hallo Spaceboy'.  Chris is a renaissance man who effortlessly floats between science, music, space, humanity and being a best-selling author who is also releasing his first non-fictio...

"I honestly believe that my best work is in front, not behind me. I am driven by a deep passion and need to make a difference and leave this world a little better than when I arrived.                      That's what keeps me going. Rick Hansen. Chatter that Matters is a national radio show and podcast that radiates positivity and possibilities. I share stories of ordinary people who do extraordin...

This week on Chatter that Matters, I chat with Mario Mikowski, a force of nature in the field of sustainable tourism. Mario is the third generation of a family who has made their living creating unique hotels in Costa Rica. His Great Uncle, inspired by President Kennedy's visit, built the landmark Hotel Presidente in San Jose, Costa Rica. His Dad, an entrepreneur erupting with ideas, created Tabac...

Incredible takeaways for all, as we all have self-doubt. In my Chatter that Matters podcast, I ask people whom I admire to tell me one word that matters most, and why. What word would you choose? We then talk about how this word influences choices, the paths you pursue, and who you are and why you matter. We garner Life Lessons that we can all apply to help us get to where we need and want to go....

It's not even 5:00 am and my day is special and so very alive. When I interview a guest I am hyper-focused on the delicate balance of questions, flow and above all listening generously.  I have no idea how it will all sound until the final edit. I can tell you that I am so moved, energized and enlightened by Rocco's words and wisdom. I could easily have steered the conversation to talk about Rocco...

Learn from one of the best on how to create your personal brand, and then let the world know. Why should you listen to this episode? Sometimes for a moment, and other times for what seems like a lifetime, most of us have been unfulfilled and searching for change. Bobby Umar ,  decided to change his life, and his process for doing so can be applied to others searching for Fulfillment. Bobby's choic...

In my new series, Word Matters, I ask guests to identify what word matters most to them and then why. We then look at how this word has influenced their choice, help them overcome challenges, and purpose a path with purpose. Did you watch the show Mad Men that ran on AMC networks? 2007 - 2015. It was a period piece about a fictional advertising agency. Man Men was a slang term coined by people who...