Chatter that Matters

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...

Jon Love is one of the world's most successful and respected builders and leaders. Jon offers several 'drop the mic' insights and ideas in this podcast. (Bring pen and paper) Jon chooses the word OFFENSE, as his word that matters and shares how we can all apply this mindset to counter the relentless storm of negativity. Jon shares early memories of his father and why relationships breathe life int...

RELENTLESS matters to Sulemaan Ahmed In WORDS MATTERS, I interview people I admire and then ask them for the word that matters most and why. We then look at how this word influences their choices, their life and their career to discover life lessons we can all apply to help us get to where we need and deserve to go. In this episode, I chat with Sulemaan Ahmed, a gifted entrepreneur, a loving Fathe...

In my new series, I ask people that I admire, what word matters most to them.   It's a simple question but not one that's easy to answer.   In this episode, I chat with Anthony Longo, the CEO of Longo's, one of the most exciting food retailers on the planet.  Longos is a family business that treats everyone - their customers, employees, and vendors, like family.   Anthony talks about the Italian w...

Chat Bites are bite-sized podcasts.  In each one, I focus on a word and why I feel it matters to your life and livelihood. In this episode, I take you back to when I spent a qualifying year at Carlton University. I took an English Literature Course, and we studied Utopia and Dystopia. My end of term assignment was to write a short story on one world or the other. I had an idea that I wanted to exp...

What if what happens to you changes your life for the worse, twice, and forever? At age 27, Mitchell , a former US Marine, has a great job in San Francisco, achieved his first solo flight as part of his pilot training and is heading back home on his brand new motorcycle. Tragedy strikes when a truck sideswipes Mitchell, turning into a horrific accident where his gas tank explodes. Mitchell describ...

We didn't have a lot of money growing up or a family car, so sports was always pickup. It didn't shut down my imagination. Even under a streetlight in ball hockey, I was Guy Lafleur scoring the overtime goal or on a field, Joe Theismann throwing the winning pass. We played golf at the back of our high school with a course that included four holes and hours spent looking for balls the victim of err...

Lest we Forget, how can I forget what I can't imagine?  I watch war movies and documentaries, read books, but I have never seen, felt or experienced being in the military.  I can't imagine being in a combat situation, where you share a collective goal with your enemy, to kill or be killed.  Or your home is a trench of cold, wet mud, and your vista, a web of barbed wire with the same intention a sp...

How many of you have dreamed about making a significant life change. You might be holding a freshly printed lottery ticket, or on vacation immersing yourself in a new culture. Some might not have a choice as an unforeseen circumstance has impacted your or your families life. I know the Pandemic has motivated me to rethink and reprioritize what matters most. Today I meet up with the extraordinary B...

Is Destiny a matter of choice or chance?  Mark Henick has his first mental health crisis in Grade 6 and by Grade 8 he tried suicide for the first time. By age 15 Mark's life was like a Yo-Yo bouncing out of psychiatric wards, with treatment often involving a cocktail of drugs.  At Age 15 Mark's mental state was at a point where he felt he had only one choice and that was his Life or Death.  He cho...