The Backstage Podcast

My guest this week is Kenneth George, one of the very first local leaders I met when I started to work as a political advisor back in 2007. Until recently, Kenneth was among the longest serving school commissioners in Montreal and definitely, in my opinion, the one most present and involved. He was a regular at our office and that’s because he always brought new and refreshing ideas on how to impr...

My guest this week is Nelson Ossé, quite possibly among the most active and engaged community leaders I had the privilege of working with. His dedication to youth empowerment through sport is exemplary and his involvement in his community has led him not only to the very top of his organization, but also at a leadership position through which he administers the most important cultural and communit...

My guest this week is Jim Beis. Jim and I have known each other for a long time. He is a stark example of the opportunities that are available for anyone that has a desire to contribute to his or her society. Jim started working at a very young age at the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Roxboro. He then went on to run for office as a City Councilor and eventually became Mayor of the...

My guest this week is an exceptional guy, a very good friend and a former colleague! Joshua Wolfe was the very first intern we ever had at our riding office. I remember his first day like it was yesterday: a shy young kid, freshly out of university, looking completely lost and scared and who seemed to hate having picked that particular day to start working with us. His first day at the office coin...

My guest this week is Michael Forian! He’s back! This time we talk about our new normalcy under the Coronavirus and how we’re coping with this new reality. Also, we talk about how this pandemic has affected different sectors. Obviously, we throw in some politics as well! I hope you enjoy this conversation!

My guest this week is my very good friend Carlos Godoy. You may remember him from the Car Ride Conversations segment, last year, during which we discussed the federal elections in Canada. On this episode we discuss about the Coronavirus that has affected millions of people around the world. As a communications and public and government relations expert I thought it might be interesting to have his...

My guest this week is Perry Calce. It is nearly impossible to be involved in the district of Parc-Extension and not cross paths with Perry! Whether it’s political, social or community involvement, at some point or another, you will meet Perry and quickly realize how indispensable he is as a community leader. It is no coincidence we called him Mr. Parc-Ex! Through his leadership as the President of...

We made it folks! An entire year has passed since this podcast began and I couldn’t be happier! What an experience this has been and I can’t wait for all that’s coming! To celebrate this 1st anniversary episode, I brought Pantelis back on the podcast. He was my very first guest and he is the reason this podcast even began! Aside from being a good friend, he is one the funniest guys I know! His car...

This week’s conversation is one of the most interesting and informative ones I’ve recorded to date! I am very glad to introduce you to my good friend Bryan Solloway. Bryan was a young intern at our political office and I remember thinking at that time, even though he brought incredible enthusiasm to our workspace, that perhaps politics wasn’t for him. I think I was right. In fact, I’m glad I was r...

So here’s what sucks about pre-recording an episode that deals almost exclusively with current affairs. By the time the episode airs, there’s an enormous risk that certain elements discussed are no longer valid. Well, that’s exactly what happened in this episode with my guest, Michael Forian! You may remember Michael from an episode of my Car Ride Conversations, while he has running as a conservat...

My guest this week is David Heurtel. David and I met in 2013 when he was running for a by-election for the provincial riding of Viau. He went on to win that campaign and get re-elected again during the 2014 general election in Quebec. During his time in government, he served as Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment, and the Fight Against Climate Change, as well as Minister of Immig...

My guest this week is Panos Palmos. I’ve known Panos since University and the first things that struck me from the first day I met him were his contagious energy, his innate ability to assemble and lead and his determination to succeed! It is no surprise that he went on to create an unbelievably successful career in sales and even more so, that he gave it all up to pursue an even bigger and more c...

I have often said on this podcast how hard it is to work in politics. And for some reason, that I’ve never been able to fully understand, there seems to be an unfortunate impression about women in politics and how much harder it is for them! I had the privilege, in 2007, to enter the world of politics under the first ever Québec government to introduce a gender-equal ministerial cabinet; I witness...

On this episode of Car Ride Conversations (Elections Edition) I ride with Neil Drabkin, Conservative candidate for the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce - Westmount. I hope you enjoy this conversation!

On this episode of Car Ride Conversations (Elections Edition) I ride with Angelo Iacono, incumbent Member of Parliament and Liberal candidate for the riding of Alfred-Pellan. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

On this episode of Car Ride Conversations (Elections Edition) I ride with Carlos Godoy who shares his professional opinion and analysis on the current elections and specifically on the first leaders' debate that occurred earlier this week. He's a great friend, one of the smartest people I know and he's the Senior Vice-President at Impact Public Affairs. I hope you enjoy this conversation!

On this episode of Car Ride Conversations (Elections Edition) I ride with Marc Miller, incumbent Member of the Canadian Parliament and Liberal candidate for the riding of Ville-Marie - Le Sud-Ouest - Ile-des-Soeurs. I hope you enjoy this conversation!

On this episode of Car Ride Conversations (Elections Edition) I ride with Juan Vazquez, Green Party candidate for the riding of Papineau. Enjoy the conversation!

On this episode of Car Ride Conversations (Elections Edition) I ride with Rachel Bendayan, incumbent Member of the Canadian Parliament and Liberal candidate for Outremont. Enjoy the conversation!

On this episode of Car Ride Conversations (Elections Edition), I ride with David Tordjman, Conservative candidate for the riding of Mount-Royal. Enjoy the conversation!

On this episode of Car Ride Conversations (Elections Edition), I go for a ride with Michael Forian, Conservative candidate for the riding of Ville-Marie - Le Sud-Ouest - Ile-des-Soeurs. Enjoy the conversation!

On this episode of Car Ride Conversations (Elections Edition), I ride with Vassif Aliev, NDP candidate for Vimy. Enjoy the conversation!

On this very first episode of Car Ride Conversations I have the pleasure of riding with Emmanuella Lambropoulos, incumbent Member of the Canadian Parliament and Liberal candidate for the riding of Saint-Laurent. Enjoy the conversation!

I have waited a long time for this one! I guess patience does pay off! Thierry Lindor has been on my guest list since the very beginning of this podcast. I’ve been following his work for quite some time and I’ve definitely become a fan. Thierry left behind a successful business in real estate to pursue a passion and a much bigger calling: becoming a creative and an impactful and positive influence...

My guest this week is an incredible visionary! Pierre Legault has spent his entire life helping society’s most marginalized. At a time when social economy and entrepreneurship were pretty much unknown to most people, he founded what is arguably one of the most important organizations in Québec - Moisson Montreal – which helps distribute over 90M$ worth of non-perishables and other food items to Mo...