Homegirl Nation

Today, I’m sitting down with Mary Deacon, the woman behind Bell Let’s Talk . Before Bell Let’s Talk became one of the biggest mental health movements in Canada, it took three no's for Mary to finally find her yes. But what makes her story so powerful isn't just what she built, it's what shaped her long before Bell Let's Talk ever existed. We talk about growing up at a time when...

Today’s conversation feels like a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and what it really means to show up for yourself. We have a snowflake of a woman and it's award winning journalist Nam Kiwanuka !  In this hangout, we talk about what it really means to step into your voice especially when the world has told you, time and time again, that you don’t quite belong. From Nam’s early days at...

What would you do with 15 dollars, a laptop, and a spot in a women’s shelter? For some, this would be a survival story. For Brandi Leifso , it was the boardroom for a multi-million dollar beauty empire.  Today, we have a really inspiring homegirl hangout with the founder of Evio Beauty on why she used a bootlegged version of Photoshop to stage a retail protest, how she survived 136 'No’s&apos...

This week's guest is a legendary broadcaster, a master storyteller, and a true veteran of the Canadian media landscape. Oh and this brilliant woman also knows a lot about courage. She’s the incredibly dynamic, Teri Hart ! After 30 years as a 'company girl' in major media, Teri stepped out to launch her own freelance career and new podcast, The Heart of It All . This podcast wasn’t j...

What does it really take to build a career when there’s no blueprint for someone like you? Today we’re hanging out with Allegiance star Supinder Wraich , and we’re talking about what it means to succeed in a space that was never built with you in mind. Less than a year ago, the Indian Canadian actor picked up her first Canadian Screen Award for the Best Lead Performer in a Drama Series after 2 ver...

Today’s Homegirl hangout is about the kind of joy that unfolds when women come together and gab about menopause. My guests, Jennifer Whalen and Meredith MacNeill , are the creators behind Small Achievable Goals , a show that’s struck a deep chord with audiences by making space for honest conversations about menopause, womanhood, and everything we’re usually taught to whisper about. Jennifer and Me...

Okay so we kind of have the hangouts of all hangouts today because Kate Hudson and Kaia Gerber are joining us!  These two beautiful, talented and SPUNKY homegirls are the stars of Shell - a film that’s equal parts thriller, social commentary, and a wild ride into the future of beauty. Shell asks a chilling question: if you could restore your youth and guarantee longevity with just a few treatments...

From her unforgettable turn as Alma in The Handmaid’s Tale to her latest role in Out Standing, Nina Kiri continues to bring women’s stories of strength and resilience to the screen. The film is based on the life of Sandra Perron, Canada’s first female infantry officer, who not only broke barriers in the military but also faced immense challenges, from gruelling physical demands to deep-rooted inst...

Joining us this week is celebrated fashion stylist from right here in Toronto, Julianne Costigan , who’s the founder of COSTIGAN , a newly rebranded personal branding studio helping ambitious women define their style and lead with clarity and confidence. Julianne’s team recently shared stats that stopped me in my tracks: - 93% of women leaders say their appearance directly affects how others perce...

Today’s guest has spent over two decades dancing on one of the most demanding stages in the world. Heather Ogden is the Toronto-born, Principal Dancer with The National Ballet of Canada, and she has lived inside the iconic role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake since 2003. Just weeks after her final bow, Heather is joining us, not just as a celebrated ballerina but as a woman stepping into something ne...

If you’re someone who’s ever wondered if you really understand your body, like, truly understand how your fertility works, safe to say you are not alone. I’m in my late 30s, and recently, I walked into a fertility clinic for the very first time. What I saw surprised me: a room full of women, many around my age, quietly waiting, maybe searching for answers, just like me. And it got me thinking: Are...

Andrew Ahn has reimagined one of my favourite rom coms growing up, The Wedding Banquet which was brought to us by legendary filmmaker Ang Lee in 1993.  It's a story about a Taiwanese man in New York who stages a marriage to please his traditional parents, only to have them show up for a full-blown wedding celebration. What unfolds is a story that’s both hilarious and heartbreaking, a sharp lo...

Homegirl Nation is now available to stream on Amazon Music and Audible! Another avenue to find our 5 seasons and counting featuring powerful female voices across Canada just like this week's guest. Emily O’Brien was on a path that, from the outside, looked pretty typical. She graduated with honours, started a social media agency, and carved out her place in the world. But life has a way of th...

Financial stress is a common topic of conversation in 2025 so what better way to kick off a new season of the podcast than with money expert Jessica Moorhouse ! Known as the millennial money expert, Jessica is a speaker, financial counsellor, host of the More Money podcast, and the bestselling author of Everything About Money: The Hidden Barriers Between You and Financial Freedom. For over 13 year...

In 2023, the US Surgeon General issued an advisory stating that “social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health.” With four Ontario school boards suing social media tech giants for its “widespread disruption to the education system" coupled with the recent new safety features Meta has launched for teens, we can no longer ignore the proven impacts social media and exc...

In the last 4 seasons of the podcast we’ve had a chance to hangout with a stacked roster of courageous and ambitious homegirls but none as young as Vritika Gupta .  This 14 year old powerhouse already has a career as an actor and she is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s rising talents.  Fresh off her role as Reena Virk in the Hulu limited series Under the Bridge alongside Oscar nominee Lily Glad...

A powerhouse actor, activist, and all-around creative force who's redefining what it means to be a storyteller in today’s world. Today homegirls, we have Devery Jacobs hanging out with us! You might know her from her groundbreaking role in 'Reservation Dogs' or her fearless performances in films like 'Rhymes for Young Ghouls' and 'Blood Quantum.' But Devery isn’t...

After 28 years of existence, the WNBA is finally seeing an expansion in Toronto and let me just say, it's about damn time!  Joining us today for a homegirl hangout is the President of Toronto’s new WNBA franchise and the former Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Development, Teresa Resch . The team won’t see its first game until the 2026 season but the excitement and anticipat...

The Young and the Restless - what a show - and I can’t believe I’m saying this but today my homegirls, we have the woman behind a character of resilience, intelligence, and 360-degree badassery. I am referring to Ms. Tonya Williams , who gave us Dr. Olivia Barber Winters and many other memorable characters on film and television throughout the decades! Not only has Tonya entertained us since the 7...

This week’s guest is Alexander James McLean , better known as AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys! Alex's solo journey as an artist and girl dad is heating up, and his latest ventures are rooted in what he calls his 'boundaries and authenticity.'  I recently had a chance to catch up with Alex when he was in Toronto promoting his partnership with the ready to drink cocktail brand, Aty...

Hanging out with us today is a very outspoken lady who’s a writer, editor, cultural critic, and a woman all about the data - Stacy Lee Kong !  When it comes to speaking up and speaking out, Stacy is really good at it, in fact she’s made a career out of it in lifestyle journalism and her popular weekly newsletter Friday Things which is aimed at progressive millennials and Gen Zers who want to know...

Today we have the unique pleasure of a homegirl hangout with acclaimed Anishinaabe author, investigative journalist, and documentarian, Tanya Talaga , who’s latest book The Knowing is getting a lot of buzz ahead of its release on August 27th.  Throughout her career, Tanya has solidified herself as a leading voice in Indigenous rights, human rights and social justice in Canada - and in The Knowing,...

According to the academic social network Academia, a third of all sex addicts are women—a problem we rarely hear about. This lack of awareness and conversation can contributes to a heavy stigma around addiction period and intense feelings of shame for those affected, and as we know when a problem is hidden in the shadows, it becomes difficult for those experiencing it to seek help or feel understo...

We have a very very special homegirl hanging out with us this week. She's a woman who embodies integrity in every step she takes and has been a steadfast advocate for mental health since bravely sharing her own struggles with eating disorders early in her career. Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's new book, Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves and Loving Each Other ,  takes us on a profound journey...

If you’re an aspiring business owner or currently running a small business and looking to take it to the next level, this episode is tailor-made for you! Evelyn Chick who is the founder of six ventures in Toronto’s competitive hospitality scene joins us on this episode to talk about how she got it all started. From her event space Ahma to her award winning restaurant and cocktail bar, Simpl Things...