How’d You Do It? Stories of Resilience

Episode 35. Running home to yourself with Heather Anderson In this episode, Heather shares how running became her escape, her source of strength, and ultimately the thing that carried her through trauma, illness, and finding her way back to herself. From growing up in a small town in Nova Scotia and navigating a painful relationship with her father, to experiencing endometriosis, an abusive relati...

Episode 34. Pain Free is Possible with Lucas Ruhnke In this episode of How’d You Do It? , I’m honoured to sit down with Lucas Runke, who opens up about his journey of a routine dental procedure which triggered severe, relentless facial nerve pain that completely upended his life. From being fully alive, building a business, making music, relationships to finding himself living in constant agony, L...

Episode 33. Creating a Life You Won’t Give Up On with Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld In this episode, I sit down with legendary skydiver, author, and speaker Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld, whose name has echoed in the skydiving world for decades. From watching his TED talk as a brand-new student in 2011 to jumping with him in 2013 and now finally sitting with him in this full-circle moment, this conversation felt in...

Episode 32. Behind the Kitchen Doors with Darius Waters In this episode, I sit down with my friend and longtime Shambhala neighbour, Darius Waters, for a really honest, down-to-earth conversation about his journey through addiction, burnout, and ultimately, healing. Darius shares what it was like working in the high-pressure world of fine dining as a chef—where long hours, heavy drinking, and drug...

Episode 31. From Homeless to Homeowner with Jeremy Kelly (Part 2). Jeremy’s story was too big for just one episode—so here’s Part 2 , the powerful conclusion. After years of addiction, violence, and survival on the streets, Jeremy finally hit his breaking point. In this episode, he shares the moment of complete surrender that changed everything and how he slowly rebuilt his life from the ground up...

Episode 30. From Homeless to Homeowner with Jeremy Kelly (Part 1). Jeremy Kelly’s story is so intense, I had to split it into two parts. In Part 1, he takes us into the brutal reality of addiction and homelessness on the streets of downtown Eastside. From heavy drug use to dangerous encounters that nearly cost him his life, Jeremy shares the harrowing details of what it took to survive. He’s looke...

Episode 29. Cancer, Psychedelics and Herbal Medicine with Travis Cartwright In this episode, I chat with Travis Cartwright, a Medical Herbalist and co-founder of Althaea Herbals based in Nelson, BC. Travis grows, forages, and prepares various herbal medicines, teaches on natural health, and runs a clinical herbal practice. Guided by wisdom of nature, his practice integrates traditional herbalism w...

Episode 28. A Story of Love and Strength Through Life’s Fragility with Tohni Blower In this powerful episode, Tohni Bower shares the story of her deep, cosmic connection with her partner, Willow. In 2021, Willow suffered a cardiac episode. One year later, tragedy struck again when a sudden cardiac arrest left her in a coma for weeks. Tohni was with Willow when it happened, along with a doctor who...

Episode 27. From PTSD to Rebirth through Somatic and Psilocybin Therapy with Mark Harringa In this episode, Mark Harringa shares his journey of resilience after a life-altering accident. He opens up about his struggles with alcoholism, identity loss, and the emotional toll of recovery. Mark reflects on his past in the logging industry, the accident itself, and the long road to healing. He also exp...

Episode 26. Turning Pain into Purpose with Jebediah Ryan In this episode, Jebediah Ryan shares his inspiring story of overcoming methamphetamine addiction and transforming his life into something truly beautiful. Once trapped in the grips of addiction, Jebediah now dedicates his life to helping others. He’s the founder of a successful organization offering dedicated men's disability support servic...

Episode 25. Amputation or Ayahuasca with Bryant Mcrae In this episode, Bryant Mcrae shares his incredible journey of resilience and transformation. From battling unexplainable chronic pain in his foot, pain so severe it almost led to amputation, to navigating a family history of addiction and his own struggles with pain medication, Bryant’s story is one of profound healing and hope. Discover how h...

Episode 24. Patterns of Resilience with Owen Nakamura In this episode, Owen Nakamura shares the remarkable story of his ancestors, Japanese-Canadian farmers who survived the hardships of World War II. With incredible determination, integrity, and an unyielding will to persevere, they endured life in internment camps, faced unimaginable choices, and worked tirelessly to rebuild their lives from the...

Episode 23. The Mother’s Heart with Lissie Turner In this powerful episode, Lissie Turner shares her deeply personal journey as a mother navigating the unimaginable pain of watching her daughter endure years of abuse in a toxic relationship. Lissie opens up about the hopelessness, rage, and grief she faced during this time and the profound impact it had on her life. Through raw and heartfelt story...

Episode 22. Reclaiming Life Through Art with Asana Hughes In this deeply moving episode, we sit down with artist Asana Hughes, whose journey through the realms of sacred geometry and creative expression is nothing short of transformative. Asana shares his passion for art history, psychology, and music, reflecting on a lifelong quest for something greater than himself. Asana opens up about his stru...

Episode 21. Transgender Journey with Galen Lewischan In this episode of How'd You Do It? Stories of Resilience, we explore the inspiring journey of Galen Lewischan, who shares their personal experience of growing up in a girl's body while feeling out of place. Galen opens up about what it was like to wear a mask and play a character, believing that all girls felt the same way they did. They recoun...

Episode 20. Quad Amputee Musician with Tom Nash In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Tom Nash, a talented musician whose life took an unexpected turn when he contracted meningococcal disease. Tom shares his journey from the early days of his illness, recounting his experience before being placed in a coma and the subsequent 18-month hospital stay. With sepsis and gangrene affecting his enti...

Episode 18. Movement as Medicine with Alicia Grayson on Contact Improvisation In this episode, I sit down with Alicia Grayson, a seasoned teacher, somatic psychotherapist, and life coach who has dedicated her life to helping others embody their true essence. With over 35 years of experience practicing and performing Contact Improvisation, Alicia shares her profound insights into how this unique da...

Episode 17. Koa’s Warrior Spirit with Troy Pegler In this heart-touching episode, we hear the extraordinary story of Troy Pegler and his 3.5-year-old son, Koa—a name that means "Brave" in Maori. Koa was born with CHARGE syndrome and faced many severe health challenges from before his first breath. Troy and his wife spent the first year of Koa's life living in hospital accommodations, enduring mult...

Episode 16. Cult Escape Artist with Calvin Wayman In today's episode, we meet Calvin Wayman - an entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker, digital creator, and… a former cult member. Calvin was born and raised in a Mormon Fundamentalist cult, where he had 5 moms and was the 11th of 44 siblings. Growing up on a secluded farm, Calvin never met any other kids or knew anything about the outside world, wh...

Episode 15. Reconnecting with Self through Art, Men’s work and Gut Health with Hayden Williams In this powerful episode, we sit down with Hayden Williams a tattoo artist from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Hayden shares how his early years of trauma and the unprocessed grief of losing his father led him to some harmful habits and a strong disconnection from himself that threatened hi...

Episode 14. From the Depths of Suffering to Empowerment with Jeff Sorensen In this episode, we chat with Jeff Sorensen, founder of breathARMY. Jeff shares his incredible journey from a life of complex trauma, to becoming a transformational coach. Once aspiring to be a neurosurgeon, Jeff's life took a drastic turn due to addiction, leading him down a harrowing road involving a Mexican cartel and mu...

Episode 13. Overcoming Pornography Addiction with Dr. Luke Sniewski In this episode, I share the studio with Dr. Luke Sniewski, a Wellbeing Coach, Somatic Therapist, and Author, who transformed his life from struggling with pornography addiction to becoming a Practitioner in the field of Somatic Healing. Luke is a lead facilitator in Dr. Gabor Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry program, which is where I...

Episode 12. Paralysed In Freefall with Jonas Luetke In this episode, I am honoured to share the studio with Jonas Luetke, an adventurer who moved from Germany to Australia at the age of 20 and fully grabbed life by the horns. Jonas shares his experiences exploring the country, from the outback to surfing, scuba diving, and ultimately his greatest passion: skydiving. In 2014, Jonas' life changed fo...

In this episode, I’m honoured to share the studio with the remarkable Dean Otto from Charlotte, North Carolina. Dean spent his early adult life battling alcoholism until his family intervened, leading him to AA treatment and recovery. The tools he gained through AA—perseverance, resilience, and forgiveness—became crucial in his later life. In 2016, Dean’s life changed forever when a truck hit him...

Join us in this episode as we dive deep into the endometriosis and fertility journey of Jen Adams, a courageous person who battled in silence with endometriosis for many years. Enduring excruciating pain without a proper diagnosis, Jen shares her heart-wrenching story of navigating through the complexities of chronic pain while struggling to start a family. Jen speaks about her experiences with th...