Chatter that Matters

Can pressure be your superpower?  Can it be the wind at your back instead of a suffocating weight on your shoulders? My guest today is Dane Jensen, the CEO of Third Factor, an acclaimed speaker, an instructor at Queen's University and the University of North Carolina, a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review and author of The Power of Pressure.   Dane has an incredible way with words,...

Imagine this. Your name is Steph Catudal. You are a young teenager, and you adore your Dad. He can do one-arm pushups and entertain a crowd, and when you have a terrible asthma attack, he calms you down. One day you hear the first of many horrible coughs and soon learn he is dying of lung cancer. His death tears at your soul, and you become rebellious and angry; try to escape with substances and r...

I first heard   Shabana Basij-Rasikh   share her moving story on 60 Minutes, and I knew I had to have her on Chatter that Matters. You will soon hear why National Geographic named her their Explorer of the Year. Shabana calls herself an ordinary Afghan woman, but I see her as a hero of immense courage and fortitude and one of the many brave women defying the tyrannical rule of the Taliban. What we...

 Wendy Murphy lost the use of her legs in a car accident. What she found was her life's calling. Prepare to be inspired by the remarkable story of Wendy Murphy, who transformed personal tragedy into triumph and used positivity for the benefit of society. Powerful lessons for all await. Wendy takes us on a heartfelt journey through her life, which began as someone who approached life three steps at...

In honour of Mother's Day, I'd like to share the inspiring story of Dr. Suzanne Vickberg. Despite divorcing her husband twelve years ago, she still lives with him, their children, and his new wife - not as a 'Jerry Springer' spectacle, but as a testament to the idea that divorce doesn't have to be devastating and that family comes first. For Dr. Vickberg, her divorce wasn't a failure but an opport...

This an extraordinary success story with so much added value if you are involved with Brands, Marketing, Media, an Entrepreneur, and even a Parent or Consumer.  Joe Gagliese, the co-founder and CEO of a digital and social innovation agency, Viral Nation, is one of the most impressive entrepreneurs I have ever talked with. Joe is innovative, insightful, informative, and inspiring. In seven years, h...

                                                ' My Mom was at home when I left .' I have two asks. The first is that you stay with this interview as it unfolds. There are so many layers, and out of the ashes rises a remarkable human spirit. My second is that as you listen, imagine you are my guest,   Shelly Edwards Jorgensen. You are the child driving up to  your family home after a high school...

My chat with Siila Watt-Cloutier so moved me, and she made me think differently. For example, she believes that the trauma we are going through as a Planet and Human Species are the same, and so is the path to healing.  If she were sitting down with me today, I would ask:   If everything on this Planet is interconnected, does that mean we all feel the loss when a species goes extinct, or a fire co...

Looking for a better life, Timea Nagy is lured by an international sex trafficking ring. Timea Nagy was 20 years old and hoping to escape a childhood of trauma and abuse. She answered a newspaper ad in Budapest, Hungary, calling for young women to work as babysitters and housekeepers in Canada. On the flight over, her dreams were big, and her hopes soared. But from the moment she landed in Canada,...

This episode with one of today's most influential thinkers will leave you thinking more.  Professor Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. He is also an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, a Humanist of the Year, a recipient of nine honorary doctorates, one of Foreign Policy's "World...

This story has all the markings of Rocky, the story of a struggling, small-time boxer and debt collector, Rocky Balboa, who gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fight the world's heavyweight champion and when he wins, finds himself, and becomes the symbol of hope and inspiration. In this case, instead of boxing gloves, it was drumsticks. As a child, James Laughlin didn't fit in. He grew up in...

A sold-out event at the Toronto Hunt Club, ending with a loud and sustained standing ovation for my guest Steve Paikin, the anchor of the flagship current affairs program, The Agenda. I was so happy with this interview that I brought it to Chatter that Matters.   Steve Paikin is a recipient of the Order of Canada, an author, a documentary producer, and one of Canada's most admired journalists.  We...

In the blink of an eye, the unthinkable can happen, an event in your life that cause you to ask - why me? Jane Enright survives three life-altering and tragic events in the span of a year, including a severe and sudden brain injury that left her almost speechless. This is Jane's story of how she used acceptance to acknowledge her fate and gratitude to reclaim her love of life. These moving stories...

I couldn't be happier with how my International Women's Day Episode turned out, as I want it to be remarkable. My Mother was my rock, my two daughters are my inspiration, my three sisters are my remaining family, and my wife rocks. I am breaking my Friday format and bringing it out today, as this is every women's day of honour and celebration. I begin with a personal story that I share not for pit...

After conquering his addictions, Tim Stewart changes his world and others for the better. Tim Stewart's substance abuse began at an early age. Growing up on his family's farm, which included a bar and a hotel of dubious repute, Tim abided by the family code that put work ahead of everything, including play and education. Tim's influencers were adults who introduced him to tobacco, alcohol, pot, an...

After growing up amidst the worst of humanity, Dr. Emmanuel Taban models the best of humanity. My guest today is Emmanuel Taban. He was born in Sudan, one of the most impoverished countries in the world. He had little and lost it all before overcoming his circumstances and changing his world and ours for the better. Listen generously as his accent differs from yours, but his message is universal,...

I am so happy about how my interview with Jesse Palmer, the host of the Bachelor, went. Jesse is engaging, intelligent, funny and gracious, offering so much in this episode on how to make the most out of the opportunity including believing in your biggest dreams and surrounding yourself with people who believe in you.   Many of you will know Jesse Palmer from the Bachelor, others from his work on...

Chatter that Matters is a show that counters the storm of negativity and a growing sense of impossibility. I share inspiring stories of people who overcome their circumstances to chase their dreams and, for some, to change our world.  My guest is Dr. Talia Varley, whom I first met at the Economic Club of Canada Conference I was hosting. I was blown away by her insights and intelligence for a good...

Jean Muenchrath should have trusted her gut when it told her something terrible would happen during her and her boyfriend Ken's winter trek to cross-country ski on very rugged terrain, cross the 220-mile John Muir trail from Yosemite Valley to o the summit of Mount Whitney, which is the highest point in the contiguous United States at 14,505 ft (4,421 m) above sea level. To do so requires climbing...

I interviewed Ted Nolan at a conference I hosted for the Coffee Association of Canada. I could see how moved the audience was by his life story, as was I. Thankfully our conversation was recorded so I can share this incredible story with you. Ted Nolan was the third youngest of twelve children in a house without plumbing or electricity on the Garden River First Nation in northern Ontario. Ted's fi...

Fennella Bruce was the 2022 Businesswoman of the Year and one of the 100 Most Accomplished Black Canadian women in 2020.  In this episode of Chatter That Matters, Fennella shares her incredible climb to the highest ranks of television as a writer, editor, and producer. With humour and grace, Fennella takes us deep inside the world of news and morning television glamorized in the Apple TV hit "The...

In this special edition of Chatter that Matters, taped in front of a live audience, I chat with David Chilton, author of The Wealthy Barber and The Wealthy Barber Returns. You will soon hear why David Chilton is a beautiful human being with a fantastic sense of humour and a gift as a storyteller. Learn how he became one of Canada's best-selling authors, a sought-after speaker, venture capitalist,...

A riveting story of defying all odds, three miracles, and the power of love. Danielle Kaplan is my guest, and we tell her story in three parts. We begin by talking about her roots, a South African growing up in a life of privilege but living with the guilt of apartheid, and why she and her husband came to Canada.   The second part is when Danielle Kaplan's thrill-seeking husband, Steve Kaplan, cra...

Best-selling author and acclaimed thinker Kim Scott provides the framework for giving and receiving exceptional feedback and having more meaningful conversations. What was the worst feedback that you ever received? I remember working part-time at a drugstore when I was in my teens, and my boss told me I was useless. I had an English Teacher who told me repeatedly that I would never amount to anyth...

I saved this episode for the holidays, as it is an excellent time for reflection. If you do listen and feel the way I do about Dany's message, please share it with others. The best way to lift and unite Canada is through our collective spirits. First and foremost, we are not East or West, left or right, gay or straight, Liberal or Conservative. We are Canadian. Together we can make this the greate...