The RebelRebel Podcast

"Let the ego shrivel up and die on the vine." In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Vancouver-based independent author and publisher Corey Croft for a candid conversation about writing, depression, ego, and the strange compulsion to finish terrible books. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. Corey shares how hi...

"Awesome hides on the other side of fear." In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Robert Schmidt—brand strategist, educator, and senior skydiving instructor based in Calgary, Alberta. Robert runs a national brand strategy firm called Box, where he helps organizations figure out who they are, what they stand for, and how to connect with the people that matter most. This episode is sponsored by...

In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with India Hayes, founder of Bikers Hangout—a grassroots global movement for motorcycle riders. Broadcasting from Warrington, England, India shares how her idea to connect riders around the world began in a hospital while recovering from pneumonia. Frustrated by the lack of an international biker network, she started a Facebook group. That seed grew into Biker...

"Sometimes just doing more is not the solution." In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with David Mendes, a bilingual podcaster, medical writer, and creator of Papa PhD. Originally from Portugal, raised in Belgium, and now based in Montreal, David shares his journey through academia, translation, and eventually podcasting as a form of rebellion and reinvention. This episode is sponsored by my new...

"Curiosity is what keeps me moving forward." What happens when a former scientist becomes Canada's first pro blogger, publishes four books, and now builds custom AI marketing tools for fun? In this episode, I talk with Tris Hussey about curiosity, content, and building a life around technology that empowers people. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and...

In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Rebecca Prejean, an artist, instructional designer, and fierce advocate for neurodivergent people in corporate learning. Based just outside Austin, Texas, Rebecca brings her lived experience as a mother of an autistic child into her work—designing training that's inclusive, accessible, and actually usable by everyone, especially folks with ADHD, autism, a...

"You don't need to know how—just know that it lights you up." What happens when a creative rebel says yes to a fluke invite to Antarctica? In this episode, I talk with Heather Thorkelson about wild pivots, polar travel, and building a business with impact. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this episode, Michael Da...

"I help people stop working in their business and start working on their business." In this episode, Michael Dargie chats with hospitality veteran and industry provocateur Shawn Soole . With a career spanning nearly three decades, Shawn has seen—and done—it all. From washing dishes at 13 in Australia to building bar programs, authoring books, consulting internationally, and running a podcast, his...

"Create the things you wish existed." What happens when a little girl obsessed with animals grows up, faces down fear, and builds a vet clinic on a dream? In this episode, Beth Barrett shares her story of grit, independence, and what it really means to live in alignment with your values. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the wo...

"Weight loss isn't controversial in science, only on social media." What happens when a former smoker and self-described non-athlete turns into one of Canada's most refreshing voices in fitness and habit formation? In this episode, I talk with Oonagh Duncan about Gen X women, body neutrality, the power of pleasure, and her dream of fronting an 80s hair band at brunch. This episode is sponsored by...

"It's never going to be as hard as you think it is." What happens when a theater nerd from Appalachia drops out of college, moves to Hong Kong with $200, and discovers people will actually pay her to write? In this episode, I talk with Rachel Allen about words, travel, and building a business from scratch. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and share you...

"You have a finite number of heartbeats. There are infinite possibilities." What happens when a seven-time founder who once built a company around landing on the moon steps into the arena as herself? In this episode, I talk with Mary McCorvey about moonshots, stand-up comedy, and living life on your own terms. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and share...

"Kindness is never wasted—it expands into greatness." What happens when a broadcaster-turned-salesman discovers that giving is the fastest path to success? In this episode, I talk with Bob Burg, co-author of The Go-Giver, about kindness, influence, and building a life around service. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world....

" "You shouldn't use words to burn. They should be for light and for warmth. " Richard has spent the last 19 years running a near-shore bilingual contact center that thrives on empathy, communication, and human connection in an era dominated by automation. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this episode, Michael Da...

"Entrepreneurship is the craziest, scariest roller coaster ever." What happens when selling RVs leads to buying dental scrap, melting it down for precious metals, and then launching a startup with a mission to bless lives? In this episode, I talk with Brandon Sherwood about entrepreneurship, family, and why it's just not that serious. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping y...

In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Jodi Krangle, a professional voice actor, singer, and host of the Audio Branding podcast. Based just north of Toronto, Jodi has been a full-time voice actor for nearly two decades, lending her voice to clients around the world while exploring the psychology and power of sound . Jodi shares how her journey started in the mid-90s when she volunteered at...

"Speed reading doesn't work. Speed learning works." What happens when a kid from Brooklyn grows up to become the world's fastest reader and teaches others to learn 100% faster in just four hours? In this episode, I talk with Howard Berg about speed learning, knowledge, and why smarter decisions could change the world. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, a...

"Your value proposition is the reason people choose you." What happens when Michael Dargie hands over the mic to branding legend JP Lacroix? In this takeover episode, they unpack the lessons behind BrandJitsu and why truth and clarity are the foundation of every brand story. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this...

"Question everything and see it from every perspective." What happens when a high school math teacher and a computer programmer leave the corporate grind, write books inspired by Ted Lasso, and create a personal leadership app? In this episode, I talk with Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio about building businesses, books, and better leaders. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , h...

"Sometimes you just have to create your own creative circle." What happens when a kid from Oshawa who loved Dungeons & Dragons grows up to write the Avengers, Conan the Barbarian, and create new canon for D&D itself? In this episode, I catch up with my longtime friend Jim Zub, a comic writer, teacher, and storyteller who proves that staying in the game is the game. This episode is sponsored by my...

"So many people are waiting for permission. A decision is the permission." In this episode, Dr. Apollo Emeka joins the conversation from Panama City, Panama, where he and his family relocated after wildfires forced them from their home in California. What began as an evacuation turned into a bold life decision—one that exemplifies the very work Apollo now does with leaders and entrepreneurs: helpi...

"You don't know what you don't know—until you travel." Today's guest is Rob Truscott—retired Canadian Forces navigator, brewer, and motorcycle enthusiast. From flying in Sea Kings and responding to Swissair 111 to surviving cancer and brewing in Nova Scotia, he's living proof that memento mori is less about dying—and more about living. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping...

"I'm someone who's building life one day at a time—and loving it." In this episode, coach, facilitator, TEDx speaker, and podcast host Utkarsh Narang checks in from Melbourne—"in the future," as he jokes—and lays out a life stitched together by courage, curiosity, and conscious impact. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the worl...

"You have a moral duty to yourself to go after the thing—even if you have to go alone at first." In this episode, writer and blogger Alex Joonto joins from the border of Spain and Portugal, where he's about to move into a new countryside home. He shares how writing has always been both his calling and his rebellion—leaving university against the advice of his family, diving into technical writing,...

"Without research you don't start the engine of your mind, your body, your action."  In this episode, Michael Dargie welcomes Jacopo Iasiello, an international real estate investor, entrepreneur, and author of Healthy, Rich, and Happy. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. Born in Naples, Jacopo began life with a dream o...