The People Teaching People Podcast

What can students teach us about learning? As educators, parents, leaders, coaches, and mentors, we spend a lot of time thinking about how people learn. We design learning experiences. We create opportunities for growth. We look for ways to support, motivate, and engage others. But how often do we pause and ask learners themselves what learning actually feels like from their side of the experience...

What if the best way to reconnect with your city, and each other, started with food? In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast , I sit down with Joanna Pariseau and Melissa Ninaber, the co-founders behind Taste the City, the experiential food platform transforming how people explore local restaurants, neighborhoods, and human connection. Joanna and Melissa share the story of a friendsh...

What’s a question that’s stayed with you longer than expected? In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast, I explore the idea that questions are more than just part of conversation… They shape how we think, how we connect, and how we experience learning. From the questions we ask in the moment to the ones we design with intention, this episode is an invitation to notice the role questio...

What if the most powerful way to learn… isn’t speaking, but listening? In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast , I sit down with Kendall Breitman, Community Lead at Riverside, to explore how podcasting has become one of the most dynamic spaces for teaching, learning, and human connection. Kendall’s journey from political journalism to leading a global creator community offers a uniqu...

What do you remember most about a meaningful learning experience in your life? If you pause and think about it, it’s often not just what you learned… but how it felt. In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast, we explore what I’m calling the F word of teaching and learning and no, it’s not what you think. It’s…feelings. This episode is an invitation to shift how we think about learning...

What does it look like to lead with empathy? In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast , I sit down with Heather Setka, Academic Chair of Electrical Trades at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), to explore how a winding career path, from small-town journalist to academic chair, shaped her philosophy on leadership, education, and impact. Heather shares how her early car...

Should we be worried about AI? It’s a question that’s showing up in classrooms, workplaces, homes, and conversations everywhere. Sometimes it’s asked directly: Will AI replace teachers? Other times it shows up more quietly: What does this mean for how we learn? What does this mean for the future of work? In this episode, I explore how the rapid rise of generative AI is reshaping how we think about...

What happens when a small-town kid from the Northwest Territories follows curiosity instead of certainty? In this episode of People Teaching People , I sit down with Morgan Jones, high school teacher, musician, global educator, and proud dad, to explore how teaching and learning through travel shaped his worldview and his classroom. Morgan shares what it was like growing up in Fort Smith in the No...

Have you ever moved through your day surrounded by people… and realized how little you actually know about the stories they’re carrying? The person at the checkout. A colleague in a meeting. Someone you pass on the sidewalk. Each one is living a story shaped by experiences, relationships, loss, hope, and questions you may never fully see. In this episode, I reflect on what happens when we slow dow...

What does it really take to build a successful brand without retail experience, paid ads, or chasing trends? In this episode of People Teaching People , I sit down with Jenna Hill, founder and CEO of Frock Box, to break down the real mechanics behind growing a community-led business from a basement startup into a multi-million dollar brand. Jenna shares how Frock Box began as a solution to a perso...

Have you ever finished a class, a meeting, a workshop, or even a podcast episode and thought, “Okay… but what was the point?” Not because it was poorly done. Not because it lacked care or intention. But because there was so much information – so many ideas, examples, and details – that the thing you were meant to carry with you never quite surfaced. I’ve had that experience many times....

What does it really take to build a purpose-driven business that reflects your values and grows alongside your life?  In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast, I sit down with Julie Cole, Co-Founder and Senior Director of Public Relations of Mabel’s Labels, to explore the deeply human story behind one of Canada’s most loved parenting brands. Julie shares how a simple product gap, comb...

Have you ever noticed how the hardest part of learning is often the middle – the part no one really talks about? Not the shiny beginning full of ideas, and not the clear ending where everything makes sense, but the in-between space where things are still taking shape. Lately, I’ve been paying more attention to that part – in my work, in conversations, and in the quiet moments where I’m...

What changes when learning begins from a place of belonging and connection? In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast, I sit down with Anita Chowdhury – an educator, researcher, and community leader whose work invites a more relational and compassionate approach to teaching and learning. Anita brings together social justice, arts integration, land-based learning, and engaged peda...

What sparks someone to create something meaningful and what happens when they follow that spark even before they feel fully ready? For me, this question has been circling for years. As a mom of three teenagers and someone who has spent much of her life in teaching and learning, I’m continually struck by how much wisdom, courage, and clarity young people carry especially when they’re given the spac...

How can knowledge mobilization transform research into action? In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast, we explore the insightful world of knowledge mobilization with Dr. Dawn Henwood. Dawn is a former English professor who understands both the arcane delights of research and the challenges of translating complex concepts into language and visuals that resonate with lay readers. Thro...

Have you ever noticed how much learning happens in the places that aren’t classrooms? Not the kind with whiteboards or lesson plans but the kind that unfolds in everyday spaces, like the rink. Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time there – coffee in hand, tucked into the cold stands, watching games and chatting with other parents. Somewhere between the sound of skates on ice and sticks sho...

Are you ready for a healthier relationship with technology? In this episode of the People Teaching People Podcast, I’m joined by Tara Stewart, the innovative founder and CEO of NOBLE Technology, a Canadian based tech company. Through her work, Tara is mindfully reimagining the role of technology to prioritize human connection and well-being. As a mother of three, Tara faced the same dilemma so man...

Who is your favourite teacher?  In this episode, I reflect on the teachers, both inside and outside the classroom, who leave a lasting mark on our lives. From the way they show up in small, everyday moments to the ripple effect their influence carries forward, we’ll explore what makes a teacher unforgettable and how their lessons live on in us. When you listen, I invite you to think about the peop...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a community-focused business from the ground up? A place where the simple act of enjoying a cup of coffee goes beyond the drink, serving as a catalyst for connection and creative gathering? In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast , I explored this question with Jill Law, owner of Social Grounds , a unique coffee shop and community hub in...

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I wish there was a clearer way to explain how I work or teach”? I’ve been there, too.  For me, frameworks have become one of those quiet, powerful tools that help turn scattered thoughts into something clear and meaningful. They aren’t just buzzwords or complicated diagrams. They’re ways to make the invisible parts of our work visible, helping us organize i...

What happens when physiotherapy care goes beyond treating just the injury? In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast , I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with someone I’ve known my entire life – my younger brother, Tyson Plesuk. Tyson is a sports and manual physiotherapist, a three-time Olympic medical team member, and co-owner of Movement Sports Clinic . Our conversatio...

Have you ever noticed how often we move from one thing to the next… without pausing to take in how far we’ve come? The moments that shaped us? The quiet strength it took to juggle so much, and still show up with heart? Over the years – as a mother, an educator, and someone committed to learning out loud – I’ve realized that our journeys are rarely linear. They’re layered, imperfect, an...

What is the power of poetry?  In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast , I had the pleasure of speaking with the remarkable Wakefield Brewster. Our conversation was a deep dive into the power of poetry, the importance of literacy, and how one can find and embrace their voice through poetry. Wakefield Brewster is not just a professional poet and spoken word artist with over two decades...

Have you ever noticed how often we talk about curiosity… but rarely stop to explore what it really means? What it looks like in our everyday lives? Or how it quietly shapes the way we connect, learn, and grow? Over the years, as a student, a teacher, and now a parent, I’ve come to see curiosity as more than just a trait. It’s a mindset. A way of being. A quiet, steady force that keeps us open to i...