Hear me out with Belinda

Hearing Loss, Motivation & Taking Chances With Bobbi-Jo Marlatt Hearing care is about more than devices — it’s about communication, confidence, empowerment, and helping people take the next step. In this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Belinda Waites sits down with Bobbi-Jo Marlatt, a Hearing Instrument Specialist, author, educator, and lifelong hearing aid wearer, for a powerful conversa...

What happens when a winemaker decides to trade the cellar for a clinic? In this episode of Hear Me Out, Belinda sits down with Dr. Regan Kapach, a Traditional Chinese Medical Doctor and Acupuncturist, to explore the bridge between ancient wisdom and modern health. From battling chronic menstrual pain to uncovering why "inexplicable" nerve pain appears when we suppress our emotions, Dr. K...

How Rotary Creates Leaders and Stronger Communities Rotary is not just about meetings, business networking, or fundraising — it is about people coming together to create real change in their communities and around the world. In this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Belinda Waites sits down with Manon Mitchell, Rotary District Governor for District 5360, for a powerful conversation about leader...

How Nurse Practitioners, Hearing Loss, and Mental Health Shape Aging Nurse Practitioner Jessica Tsang explains how bringing primary care into people’s homes removes real barriers — from mobile blood draws and on‑site X‑rays to ultrasound‑guided injections for chronic pain. In this episode we dig into why hour‑long visits reveal the true drivers of illness, how team‑based home care supports aging i...

How Volunteering Builds Community and Connection in Okotoks Connection doesn't happen by accident—it happens when people choose to show up. In this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Belinda Waites sits down with Oliver Hallmark, Okotoks Town Councillor, hairstylist, and community volunteer, for an inspiring conversation about volunteering, belonging, community connection, and civic engagem...

What does it take to rebuild your life when everything falls apart? Sometimes the darkest chapters of our lives become the foundation for our greatest purpose. In this powerful episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Belinda Waites sits down with Yulia Pisanova to share her remarkable journey of immigrating to Canada, overcoming isolation, surviving an abusive relationship, rebuilding her confidence,...

Hosted by Belinda Waites, a Hearing Aid Practitioner who believes hearing goes far beyond our ears. Hear Me Out explores what it really means to “hear beyond the noise” — in our health, mindset, and everyday lives. Each episode dives into honest conversations about wellness, awareness, and the small changes that create a happier, healthier you. From hearing care to heart care, Belinda helps you tu...

In this crossover episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda , Belinda sits down with Carlin Lutzer from The Okotoks Podcast for a thoughtful conversation about community, mental health, local identity, and why real connection still matters. They talk about what makes Okotoks special, how small-town life is changing, and why so many people are quietly craving more honest, offline connection. From men’s m...

Grief touches every life, but most of us are never taught how to talk about it, understand it, or move through it. In this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Belinda sits down with Shannon Hurst, grief literacy speaker and author of My Love/Hate Relationship With Death, for a powerful conversation about grief, loss, change, resilience, and why grief is about so much more than death. Shannon shar...

If you or someone you love is struggling to hear clearly, especially in noisy places, this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda is packed with insight, hope, and practical tools. Belinda sits down with audiologist Dr. Sandra Vandenhoff to talk about cochlear implants, hearing fatigue, word recognition, auditory rehabilitation, and how adults can actually train their brains to hear better. Sandra sh...

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “fine” while your body is quietly waving red flags — this conversation is for you. In this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Belinda sits down with Sandi Scott of Scott Mortgages to talk about the power of community connection, the courage it takes to be vulnerable, and why women so often ignore their own health until something forces a wake-up call. From navigat...

What We Get Wrong About Weight Loss and Nutrition if you’ve ever felt confused about healthy eating, frustrated with weight loss, or overwhelmed by food marketing, this episode is for you. In this powerful and honest conversation, Belinda sits down with Vicki Stride of Inspired Fitness and Health to unpack what real health looks like — especially for women in midlife. From blood sugar balance and...

Hearing loss is about far more than just your ears. In this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Belinda sits down with Femi Coo, Registered Doctor of Audiology, to talk about how hearing connects to brain health, communication, relationships, confidence, and quality of life. They also dive into hearing protection, hearing aid technology, and why personalized care still matters no matter how advan...

This episode marks Lorie’s return to the podcast for a second conversation after first meeting with Belinda in her clinic. Since their initial episode, Lorie has gone through the process of updating her hearing aids and wanted to come back to share what that experience was really like — from learning the new technology to noticing how her new hearing aids have improved clarity, confidence, and day...

Confidence isn’t always what it looks like on the outside. In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, host Belinda Waites sits down with local Okotoks confidence coach Wendy Halloway to explore the difference between performative confidence and authentic self-confidence—and what it truly takes to reclaim joy after years of survival mode. Belinda shares a vulnerable story from her childhood t...

In this special episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, Belinda invites her “most difficult client” into the studio — her husband, Sean. Together, they have a real, honest conversation about Sean’s journey with tinnitus, sound sensitivity, and high-frequency hearing loss. Sean shares how a painful salivary gland issue and surgery led to ongoing ringing in his ears, the mental fatigue of constantly “f...

Welcome back to Hear Me Out With Belinda! In this episode, Belinda sits down with Lorie Anne Schultz from the Foothills Community Coalition to talk about the growing need for an integrated youth services hub in the Foothills region. Lorie explains what a “one-stop” youth hub could look like for ages 11–24—a safe place where young people can access mental health supports, social services, health ca...

Welcome back to Hear Me Out With Belinda — where better hearing starts with listening. In this episode, Belinda sits down with Ernie Bird of Emerging Balance Reflexology (https://ebreflexology.com/) to talk about reflexology, healing, and why more people (especially men) need to take self-care seriously. Ernie shares his powerful story: after 35 years as a heavy duty mechanic, a motorcycle acciden...

Welcome back to Hear Me Out With Belinda — where we learn to hear above the noise. In this episode, Belinda sits down with Melissa Swain, co-owner of GTFO (Get The F Outside), to talk about mental health, community, and why a bold message can open the door to honest conversations. Melissa shares how GTFO started as an apparel idea, but quickly became something deeper — especially through COVID and...

Women in leadership are still facing a different set of rules — especially online. In this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, host Belinda Waites (Hearing Aid Practitioner at Hear Right Canada – Okotoks) sits down with Mayor Tanya Thorn of Okotoks for a real and vulnerable conversation about leadership, cyberbullying, and community. Tanya shares how social media has shifted over her 12 years in...

How can a low-income Albertan afford quality hearing aids? In this episode, we sit down with a trustee of the Campbell McLaurin Foundation to unpack how the charity helps fund hearing aids across southern Alberta, how it works alongside Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL), and why Justice McLaurin’s legacy still changes lives today. We talk real results (like “hearing the birds again”), rising dem...

In this episode of Hear Me Out with Belinda, we welcome Daren Jones—Belinda’s business partner at Hear Right Canada and a seasoned industry expert with over 20 years of experience as a sales rep in the hearing care field. Daren shares his unique perspective on how hearing aid technology and design have evolved over the decades, reflecting on the shifts he’s seen in client needs, innovation, and ac...

Belinda sits down with Lisa Moroz (Foothills Wellness Retreat) to unpack how sound baths, yoga nidra, and community help us downshift from fight-or-flight, release stored tension, and actually learn what “feeling good” feels like. Practical tips on what to bring, why routine matters, and how men’s retreats are growing. 

Today Belinda sits down with Donna Gamble, a mobile optician from I See Clearly in Okotoks. Together they talk about common vision symptoms, the connection between eye and hearing health, and why prevention and regular checkups are key. From dry eyes and computer strain to hearing loss myths, this episode shines a light on the everyday challenges that affect two of our most important senses—our ey...

Hope for the Mind: Navigating Memory Loss with Compassion Brain health practitioner Jennifer Mallamo (Brain Health Catalyst) joins Belinda to unpack dementia—what it is, why young-onset is rising, and what we can do. We hit the link between hearing loss and cognition, the big modifiable risks (diet, blood sugar, sleep, movement, connection), and local support like the Okotoks Memory Café. #mentalh...