Chatter that Matters

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...

What does it take to win on the court? Preparation, Perseverance and Perspiration. What does it take to win off the court? Curiosity, Compassion, Charisma, and Connections. In 1988, Milos, Mila Pospisil, and their two sons unlawfully drove from Czechoslovakia to Austria to escape the Communist regime. The family worked long hours at low wages to save money to move to Canada. Here, Vasek Pospisil w...

Ken Wong on Teaching our Children Well. Ken Wong is one of Canada's most acclaimed educators. To better appreciate his impact on academia, I posted a tribute on LinkedIn when I heard he was retiring. Overnight, it garnered over 50,000 impressions and an outpouring of love from all over the world. This is Ken's incredible and inspiring story, and, as you would expect, it's packed with many life les...

The 'GOAT' is how fans and broadcasters describe the greatest athlete of all time.  It's also the fuel that has fired debate since sports began. I can certainly make a case for my guest this week, Canadian soccer phenom Christine Sinclair being in that exclusive club.  No male or female on the planet has scored more international goals, and she is the second footballer of either sex to score at fi...

Have you noticed the bright yellow and magenta book in bookstores titled Swagger - Unleash everything you are and become everything you want? Grab one before they are gone. The author Leslie Ehm is the undisputed Queen of Swagger who has discovered the secret to tapping into your authentic self and turning it into a superpower at work and in life. And no, this is not the old Swagger—that show-off,...

Mitch Joel is a renaissance man with much to say about the relentless digital disruption and how it impacts you. His opinions have been shaped by a nomadic career that began when computers were rudimentary and the internet was the domain of a handful of universities. Add Mitch's insatiable appetite for reading, observing, writing, music, creativity, design and speaking — combined with being a seri...

A Canadian woman who flew for her country in combat brings her leadership skills to the private sector to champion the underserved.    Why are no women at the altar if God made us equal? This was the question teenager Natalie Marchesan wrote to her Bishop. His response was you are equal but different, and that answer didn't sit well with Natalie. In fact, it began her lifelong quest to level the p...

What started on a shoestring became Reebok, the biggest shoe brand in the world. This is the inspiring and against-all-odds story about how Joe Foster and his brother Jeff, with borrowed equipment in a falling-down factory in Northern England that also served as a home, created Reebok.  In their day, it surpassed both Adidas and Nike in sales. So many life lessons- family, business, marketing, and...

Do the right thing. These four words have been the compass for Jim Estill since his first business at age fourteen. Today he is one of our country's most successful and admired entrepreneurs. Learn about Jim's secrets to success, the daily habits that power his intellectual, emotional and financial wealth and how he has applied all of the above to help refugees create a new home built on purpose a...

A knock at the door knocks Chanda over. A fantastic story of resilience we can all learn from.  A successful entrepreneur who had it all.  A profitable business, a respected person in her small-town community, and she found the love of her life.  All was perfect until the knock on her door, followed by guns to her head, and the arrest and conviction of her boyfriend, Jeff Kompon, for being part of...