Digging Deep with Mark Sutcliffe

If you have followed any of her high-profile cases, you know a little bit about Marie Henein, the prominent criminal lawyer. But there’s probably a lot you don’t know. In this episode of Digging Deep, Marie shares her fascinating life story, including her experiences as an immigrant and her special relationship with her uncle. We talk about her mother's fierce belief that women's li...

Writer, historian, academic, and former politician Michael Ignatieff joins Digging Deep for a wide-ranging conversation on one of the most poignant and enduring aspects of human life: how we cope with loss. Drawing on his new book, On Consolation, Ignatieff shares how he lost both his father and mother within just a few years of each other, and how he came to accept that loss. He talks a...

Not every entrepreneur begins their career in the world of espionage, but that's where Matt Holland, the co-founder and CEO of Field Effect, got his start. Since then, he's taken his frustration with the state of cybersecurity and turned it into a successful business. In this episode of The Digging Deep Podcast, Matt tells the story of how he left his government job and went on to start two busine...

On September 11, 2001, in the south tower of the World Trade Center, only 18 people at or above the point of impact survived. Brian Clark was one of those 18 people. More than 20 years later, Brian joins the Digging Deep Podcast to talk about how that day has shaped his life. He describes the thoughts and emotions he experienced that day, and how on-the-spot decisions affected his fate – and the f...

Former Canadian prime minister Jean Chrétien made a career out of being underestimated. In this episode of the Digging Deep Podcast, Chrétien talks about how he became successful, why he was so competitive, and what principles he brought to leadership. He also talks about growing up as the 18th of 19 children, meeting the love of his life, and his first leadership role as the coach and general man...

Writer, journalist, and expert parallel parker Chris Jones joins Mark to look back on some of the most impactful moments from the show so far. Mark and Chris reflect on the top takeaways from Murray Sinclair, Janice Dean, Ron Maclean and more in this year end special. From all of us at Digging Deep, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Thank you to Chris Jones for joining me, and his new book 'The E...

Author and podcaster Paul Myers wanted to be a rock star, not a journalist and storyteller. But his career has taken him to some amazing places. He’s written books about Long John Baldry, Todd Rundgren, the Barenaked Ladies, and The Kids in the Hall. He’s interviewed Elton John, and spent time in Alcatraz with Stevie Nicks. He’s working on a new book about comedian John Candy. And he's the host of...

Only a few years ago, Amanda Jetté Knox was living a relatively quiet existence with the love of her life and their three children. An email from her middle child changed all that. And then, only a year later, a conversation with her spouse in a Walmart parking lot brought about even more change. Now, Amanda uses the story of her family as a platform to help and inspire other LGBTQ families. In th...

Jay Van Bavel is not your average Manhattanite professor, and this is not your average conversation. Jay explains how group identity shapes our minds and our behaviours – giving us common goals, but in some cases, driving deep divisions. He describes how being part of a group can make us better and healthier -- but also leaves us vulnerable to group-think. We talk about why choosing the right grou...

How do you generate a big following on social media? What does it take to make a video go viral? No one knows better than Stewart Reynolds, whose videos have been viewed more than 600 million times. Better known as Brittlestar, Stewart is a prolific producer of online content, releasing videos that make people laugh but also carry a message. Stewart explains how, at the age of 43, he turned making...

At 35 years of age, Kate Bowler was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and was told she had a very small chance of surviving. She has outlived her prognosis, and now takes on mortality with wisdom, thoughtfulness, and humour. In this episode of the Digging Deep podcast, Kate shares how we can find meaning without everything being a lesson, and takes us past some of the cliches associated with life and...

Thirty-five years ago, Rick Hansen wheeled his way around the world, covering 40,000 kilometres through 34 countries. The Man in Motion continues to inspire people every day with his outlook on life, his optimism, and his gratitude. In this episode of the Digging Deep podcast, Rick tells us how that optimism helped him move forward after he was paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 15. He al...

You may know Vincenzo Guzzo best as “Mr. Sunshine” on Dragon’s Den but he has his hand in a lot of different projects. In this episode of the Digging Deep Podcast, Vincenzo shares his thoughts on giving things up in the name of success, the upside of failure, and why sometimes, you just have to admit that something’s not working and walk away. We also talk about his experience as a child of immigr...

In 2009, television host Michael Landsberg made a last-minute decision to share his story about struggling with mental illness. It launched him on a path that would redefine his life and his work. In this candid and inspiring episode of the Digging Deep podcast, Michael opens up about his childhood, his career path, and how advocating for mental health has turned into his life’s work. He also shar...

How can you do great work instead of good work, say yes and no to the right things, and choose the impact you have on the world? Michael Bungay Stanier, bestselling author of The Coaching Habit and founder of Box of Crayons, shares his wisdom and expertise. He talks about how you don't need to have your life planned out; in fact, a cancelled flight, a lost job opportunity, and getting fired led hi...

Veteran multi-sport athlete Bob Miller from the World’s Toughest Race shares the story of how he left a career on Bay Street to travel the world, and compete in some of the most beautiful -- and difficult -- terrain. He explains how the lessons he’s learned from adventure racing carry over in many aspects of life and business. Hear his take on why you should offer help unconditionally, why you sho...

She is known as Twitter's resident gynecologist. She's a best-selling author and New York Times columnist. She is a fearless fighter of myths and misconceptions about women's health and the people who spread false information on social media. In this episode of Digging Deep, Dr. Jen Gunter candidly shares her personal story, including her difficult relationship with her mother, the childhood surge...

The director and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada describes stepping into her first role as a CEO -- taking over the leadership of a historic, national institution that had been through a lot of public controversy and internal turmoil -- a year before a global pandemic hits. Despite the challenges she faced, Sasha has brought meaningful change to the gallery. In this episode of the Digging De...

Former Senator, First Nations lawyer and chancellor of Queens University, the Honourable Murray Sinclair talks about a box of encyclopedias that changed the course of his life, the profound effect of losing his brother to murder, and why some of us are looking at reconciliation the wrong way. From the roots of systemic racism to how we can help bring about real reconciliation, we take a close look...

The president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Natan Obed tells the story of a childhood torn between two countries and two cultures, and the struggles he has faced as someone of mixed race. He shares the story of how his parents met in a residential school, his thoughts on reconciliation and racism, and describes how a young boy who had no doubt he’d grow up to play in the NHL became a proud voice for...

Senator and former police chief Vern White describes how his childhood in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where his father worked in the coal mine, taught him the importance of community, compassion, and fairness. He tells the story of a ride-along when he was a young bartender that showed him policing isn’t just about putting the bad guys in jail, and explains why his experience with cancer ended up be...

Award-winning broadcaster Kevin Newman joins Mark and shares lessons from decades in the news business, including as host of Good Morning America, and discusses his new documentary about 20 years of disruption since the September 11 terrorist attacks. He talks about the hard truths that arose when he co-authored a book with his son, and why we should always lead with kindness. And Kevin shares how...

Philosopher, author, and former newspaper editor Andrew Potter shares his predictions for the future of Western society (it’s not great) and his thoughts on what could happen to Elon Musk. He explains why the decline of society isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and offers up some hope for the future of humanity. Potter shares perspectives on keeping your commitments, the value of mentorship, and the...

Evan Dunfee walks us through his step-by-step journey from premature birth to being a sore loser to creating an iconic moment of Olympic sportsmanship. He shares why missing out on the podium in Rio taught him he doesn’t need medals to be successful, and how five years later, he finally earned the bronze medal in Tokyo. With his uniquely strong voice and self-deprecating humour, Evan shares his co...

Doctor, professor, author, obesity expert, and health advocate, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff tells the story of how one less-than-healthy weekend in Montreal led to a career in medicine. From the advice he received from a very ill patient to his collection of bizarre weight loss gadgets from years gone by, get to know the man who you’ve seen quoted or interviewed in countless national news stories. Dr. Free...