DayBreak Podcast

On this episode of DayBreak, we're bouncing back from an autoimmune disease, over 150lbs of weight gain and near death to founding a fitness business, and now taking on a personal challenge of becoming a Canadian National Powerlifting Champion. That's the story of Zac Spinosa who was athlete of the year in high school and yet by the time the award ceremony came around, Zac was soo debilita...

What am I doing today that really matters in a hundred years?  Am I living to my fullest potential?  Am I creating in the ways that I need to and want to?  Those are the questions that drove former prosecutor Emily Montgomery on a multi-year journey of self-discovery. A few career pivots and a trek through the El Comino Del Santiago, and Emily's now a startup founder focused on empowering us a...

This week, we're going a little different. Our guest is a teenager on the precipice of adulthood. Now, you may be wondering, a teenager at a crossroads? What story could they possibly have to share that would pertain to adults navigating their next phase? Well, in the course of his short life, Kavi Pandya has been through more uncertainty, pain, loss, and reinvention than most adults in midlif...

Dr. Serena McCalla stumbled into teaching on her way to becoming a physician. But it quickly became her life's passion and today she's a renowned Science Research teacher whose students have won the most money at US National Science Fairs. Despite her teaching success, as well as becoming a National Geographic Explorer and being featured on Disney Plus' Science Fair, Dr. McCalla is now...

On this week's episode, Maryam is joined by her close friend, Aamar Khwaja, an entrepreneur on a mission to feed people pure food and to save organic farming. Aamar found his purpose and calling after a luxurious stint on Wall Street and years of searching, at great personal cost. So on this episode we're delving into Aamar's story of finding purpose amidst sickness, but then also harn...

90% of podcasts don't publish more than 3 episodes. Woohoo, we've made it to 12 episodes...after a lot of self-doubt, anguish and technical challenges! On this episode, Maryam reflects on the journey to podcasting from ideation and her why, to struggling through the technical details and overcoming her biggest fear of all - opening herself to judgement on such a public platform - all in he...

On this week's episode, Maryam dives into the profound adoption journey of Ryhaan Baksh and her husband, who welcomed two young girls from India into their lives in 2021. Ryhaan candidly shares the intricate narrative of their adoption experience – from the anticipation of waiting to the exhilaration of discoveries, the highs of joy, and the lows of struggle in navigating a new life that, alth...

For many of us, especially if you're still finding yourself, this year, 2023 may feel lacking, almost disappointing. But in Maryam's year end message - and we're keeping it short because we know you're busy - Maryam shares a story of loss as a reminder that we all have good things we must appreciate. Find peace in 2023, find pride in 2023. Maryam also shares four tips on living in...

My Summer as an MILF - that's right, our guest this week, Alison Crosthwaith, a trained psychotherapist and aliveness guide, just released an article on her summer as a MILF. Unconventional? Yes. Interesting? Definitely. But she's coming from a place of fertility struggles, the loss of a child at birth, and the ending of  a long-term relationship that left Alison wondering if this was it f...

This week's guest, Jill Valentin is a transformative travel life and leadership coach. She's had a bit of a wild ride since COVID and has embraced a non-traditional way of living as a means to adapting to the changes in her life.  It's been periods of absolute chaos but Jill, through her numerous explorations and travel experiences has adopted an attitude of deep gratitude and adventur...

On this week's episode we explore being at crossroads regarding ones lifestyle and location. Specifically, our guest Erika Parente shares her story of how she traded in the city life, a startup career and depression for a farming adventure and a reconnection with nature. Not everything has gone according to plan, and boy have there been a ton of learnings, but homesteading has brought peace, c...

On this week's episode, Maryam is joined by a close friend, Chrishlani Simon. Together, they take on the topic of caring for aging parents, recognizing grief in the face of loss, and how to appreciate the present, irrespective of the hardships of caretaking, while saying yes to build a fulfilling future.

In this week's podcast episode, Maryam is joined by Mike Brcic, the founder and Chief Explorer of WayFinders, a community organization known for hosting unique connection and adventure experiences in breathtaking locations around the world. Mike delves into his transformative journey spanning two decades, highlighting how self-induced psychological challenges served as a catalyst for personal...

On this week's episode, Maryam is driven by the question of what will her family look like as she approaches 40, single and childless? As such, Maryam explores the one of many paths to parenthood: using a donor to become a single mother by choice. Maryam's close friend, Laura Gillen joins to talk about her when, how and why she chose to go down the route of using a donor to have a child of...

On this week's episode Maryam is joined by Mike Lipkin, executive coach, CEO whisperer, and a Potentiator who creates breakthroughs with others by enabling them to play at their best. Mike shares his observations and advice from years of coaching on what helps people become successful in their transformation journeys.

On this week's episode, Maryam is joined by Amanda Burgess who lost Gabe, her husband, after a short battle with cancer. Amanda shares her story of losing Gabe and their dreams of a life together but then journeying to find her unshakable self. You can learn more about Amanda at https://www.theuntold.ca/

On this week's episode, Maryam is joined by her coach and creative guide Hope Patterson. Hope is a life coach, education enthusiast, and a fajondalizer -someone who seeks and gets elbow deep in whatever they are doing and commits whole heartedly to whatever comes next. Hope lives fearlessly and creatively and shares her recipe for fajondalizing and living a fulfilling life of adventure and con...

Welcome to the first episode of the DayBreak Podcast! On this episode, your host Maryam shares her why for doing this podcast. Starting with a coach named Hope and an adventure in Uganda, Maryam takes us through her journey to transformation, podcasting, and you.

Are you feeling uncomfortable with the direction of your life? You don't know where to go or what to do? Instead, you're just overwhelmed by questions and uncertainties. Well then, you're definitely in the right place. You're not alone. We all hit a fork in the road, a crossroads, a turning point, a next phase. On the DayBreak podcast, we journey into the extraordinary tales of per...