The Dare to Declare Podcast

We build a whole team to plan a wedding. So why do so many of us go through divorce alone? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with Jackie Santin, an executive divorce coach, Certified Divorce Specialist, and trained family mediator who helps successful women navigate divorce from the very first conversation to life afterwards. Jackie’s work began more than 20 yea...

On this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with Debbie Bairos, a leader, speaker and advocate for self-worth and recognition. With more than 20 years of leading projects, driving organizational change and creating recognition programs that reach thousands of employees, Debbie has seen what happens when people feel truly seen and valued. Her path wasn’t traditional. She w...

In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys interviews Dr. Elayna Fernandez, bestselling author, trauma researcher, five-time TEDx speaker, and Certified Canfield Trainer who grew up in poverty in the Dominican Republic and built a life-changing vision board out of a magazine she found in a landfill at age 7.That little girl pasted the picture into her notebook and decided: that is...

What does it actually take to build a business that funds your life instead of consuming it? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi speaks with Mike Pietrzak, a business mentor who helps coaches and entrepreneurs grow revenue without burnout. Mike shares his journey from working in Ontario politics to building (and burning out from) multiple businesses at once, including a solar ene...

What does it take to create a workplace where neurodivergent employees can truly thrive? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi speaks with Karina Gaudier, founder and CEO of Autism Workforce Solutions and author of A Practical Guide to Autism in the Workplace. Karina shares her journey from being a nonverbal autistic child to becoming an accomplished author, speaker, and advocate f...

What if the very thing you thought would destroy you turned out to be the wake-up call that saved your life? In this raw and honest conversation on The Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with former television director turned breathwork facilitator and brand strategist Meg Pearson to talk about addiction, toxic relationships, grief, and reinvention. Meg opens up about twenty years of f...

What if reinventing yourself was never about starting over, but finally becoming who you were always meant to be? In this inspiring conversation on The Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with award winning photographer and empowerment advocate Rita Zietsma to explore career reinvention, personal branding, self-worth, and what it truly means to be seen. Rita's journey is anything bu...

What if your appearance is communicating more than you realize? In this fascinating conversation on the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with personal stylist, image consultant, and creator of the Beauty Codes Method, Anna Pataman, to explore how the way we show up visually impacts first impressions, confidence, relationships, and even business success. Born in Ukraine and influenced...

What happens when you stop performing success…and start trusting yourself instead? In this powerful conversation on The Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with speaker and mentor Vanessa Ortali to explore intuition, self-awareness, emotional healing, female friendships, motherhood, and the pressure high-performing women often place on themselves. Together, they unpack the difference be...

What if you’re not stuck…you’ve simply outgrown the life you built? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with subconscious strategist and energy mentor Brenda Johnson for a powerful conversation about why success can start to feel flat, and what it’s really trying to tell you. Brenda shares her journey from corporate success to inner misalignment, and how that led...

What if the life you’re building, was one you didn’t feel the need to escape from? In this powerful and deeply refreshing conversation on the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with Jennifer Szpigiel, Founder of Becoming Iconic® and Editor in Chief of Iconic Magazine®, to explore what it really takes to create a life and business that feels as good as it looks. This isn’t about doing m...

What if the vision on your heart was meant to carry you further than you ever imagined? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with global adventurer and author Polly Letofsky, the first woman to walk around the world… covering over 14,000 miles across four continents. What began as a childhood dream became a global mission for breast cancer awareness, where stranger...

What if everything you thought defined you, was actually meant to be rebuilt? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with reinvention catalyst, international speaker, and identity coach Carol Elizabeth for a deeply honest and powerful conversation about what it really means to start over… and rise again. Carol shares her journey from being a fitness professional and...

What if the biggest impact you make in the world starts with simply following what you know is right… even when it doesn’t make sense on paper? In this episode, Debbi sits down with entrepreneur and former preschool teacher Paul Buckley , founder of Ratio Staffing, for a heartfelt conversation about purpose, leadership, and solving one of the biggest challenges facing early childhood education tod...

What if the life you’re longing for isn’t behind you… but waiting for you to decide it’s not too late? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with best-selling author, award-winning speaker, and former engineer Dawn Mattera Corsi for a powerful conversation about reinvention, responsibility, and creating your best life after 40. After years in the defense industry, D...

What if the thing holding your business back isn’t your time, your strategy, or your effort… but your relationship with money? In this episode, Debbi sits down with speaker, author, and business strategist Kendra Cooke for a candid conversation about financial literacy, mentorship, and the courage it takes to stop avoiding the conversations that truly move your life forward. Kendra shares her jour...

What if the breakthrough you’re waiting for isn’t about trying harder… but about staying the course long enough for life to meet you there? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with global keynote and TEDx speaker, author, and transformational strategist Ravi Prakash for a deeply moving conversation about resilience, patience, identity, and the quiet power of persi...

What if the reason your goals aren’t manifesting has less to do with your mindset and more to do with your environment? In this episode, Debbi sits down with world-renowned Feng Shui Master, teacher, and star of The Secret, Marie Diamond , for a powerful conversation about how your home, your workspace, and even where you sit each day are silently shaping your results. Marie shares her extraordina...

What if the story you were handed was never the one you were meant to keep? What if the parts of your past that felt the most devastating… became the very places where redemption takes root? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi sits down with Lainie Hartley , author, speaker, and former foster child turned cycle breaker, to explore what really happens when a childhood marked by ne...

What if the greatest measure of success isn’t wealth or status, but the courage to keep showing up, no matter what life throws your way? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi sits down with Tom LeNoble, executive leader, international speaker, resilience coach, and philanthropist, to explore how resilience, reinvention, and purpose can redefine what it means to truly live. Tom’s re...

What if revisiting the simple joys of childhood could help us reconnect with creativity, purpose, and presence in a world of constant distraction? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi sits down with Adam L’Heureux , teacher, author, and former stand-up comedian from Victoria, BC, to explore how nostalgia, humour, and conscious parenting can guide us toward a more connected and int...

What if the mindset that makes you feel lucky could also shape how you lead, connect, and grow your business globally? In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi sits down with Katherine Li, COO and cofounder of PulseFX, to explore the intersection of luck, leadership, and leveraging foreign exchange (FX) to build confidence and clarity in both business and life. Katherine shares how he...

What if the key to freedom wasn’t found in chasing success, but in surrendering everything that once defined it? In this episode, Debbi sits down with soul-led business coach and founder of the Sovereign Mamas movement, Julia Jerg, to explore what it really means to let go and start over. After years in the corporate world, Julia reached a breaking point that sparked a radical decision: she sold e...

What if the same curiosity that fuels a magic trick could also unlock your biggest breakthroughs in life and business? In this episode, Debbi sits down with Ricky Locke, TEDx speaker, confidence coach, Jack Canfield Success Principles Trainer, NLP practitioner, and award-winning magician, to explore how curiosity, courage, and clarity combine to create real-world manifestation. Ricky shares the st...

What happens when the burdens you’ve hidden quietly become the platform you were always meant to lead from? In this episode, Debbi welcomes Marsha Vanwynsberghe, NLP trainer, six-time bestselling author, storyteller, and founder of the OUTSPOKEN leadership platform, to trace how she turned heartbreak, intuition, and crisis into her most powerful work. Marsha walks us through her early years of per...