The Rocky Talky Podcast

David Ward should be dead… A bullet, from a Glock 19 pistol was fired point blank into his head. This was a suicide attempt. Here’s the twist: as David’s finger was pulling on the trigger, a clear and distinct voice spoke to him and uttered three words…”Change the angle”. This mysterious intercession saved his life. The bullet that passed through David’s skull, managed to avoid the precious areas...

A while back, I had an honest conversation with a friend where I was asked “do you like yourself?” I replied, “I have a great life. I have the love of a beautiful wife and children that I adore. I own a successful business, and I am surrounded by the best friends anyone could ever ask for. But…I hate the ME in my life. I have everything, but I don’t have myself”. He didn’t know what to say. I was...

There’s so much I want to say about my interview with Professor Mark Miller, but I won’t. It needs to be discovered without leading and verbose descriptions. However, I will say this: If you’re a human, experiencing human things..you need to press play and listen. When Mark and I met to conduct this interview, we greeted each other with a handshake; when it was over we embraced with a genuine hug....

Cait Mizzi had a very successful career in film/television as a Special Effects Makeup Artist. She was very good at it, and it was very good to her…but life had another path. After a life long battle with Guttate Psoriasis, and one-too-many debilitating and demoralizing flare up’s, Cait dug deep and devised a battle plan. This devout vegan went paleo, witnessed an immediate shift in her health/ski...

Tomi Swick is a natural. He is, perhaps the most gifted songwriter I know. The songs…they fall outta him like a cat shedding fur. I’m not being hyperbolic with this. It is the truth. When I first met Tomi in ‘99 he was a tall, strong athletic type. More defensive-tackle and less music-maker. So, when I first heard him sing, I was very, very confused. Never judge a book, as they say…. At that time...

I’m a memory keeper. For a while now, I’ve been meaning to capture my children on a recording while they still live in innocence and own little joyful voices. So that’s what I did! This episode is more of a memory album for me, but I wanted to share it nonetheless, as I know it’ll make many of you smile. I smiled the whole time.

Some of the best conversations happen when the “interview” is over. When the microphones and headsets are put away, all that is left, are two people in a room. Sometimes..this is where the gold is mined. Luckily, the entirety of my time with Janna Dekker (Billie Flower Co.) felt like this. Gold….both before and after. Janna is truly an artist, and her floral pieces come from the same inspired spac...

Chef Rebecca DeWildt’s PINBONES FISH MARKET is a special place. You know it as soon as you walk in. A thoughtfully curated space that only a chef with the right experience and pedigree could create. Nuanced, yet to the point. My only criticism of Pinbones is the fact it didn’t open its doors years ago. I’d have cooked a lot more seafood. Rebecca and I chat about our first significant taste memorie...

Ian Pettigrew is a firebrand… He is a photographer (among other things) that creates images that are simply hard to ignore. His work pops, challenges, commands attention, and pulls you by the proverbial nose. I am a fan of his work. Yet..it is Ian’s efforts as an advocate that are perhaps his most impressive and impactful; the particular details of which, I will leave for the listener to discover,...

The cool thing about owning a coffee shop is constantly meeting awesome people. It always amazes me how many surprises pop up in a conversation while I’m making someone an Americano. This is how I met my guest, Tyler Lord… During our coffee shop small talk, he shares with me his role as Creative Director for one of country music’s biggest acts, the Zac Brown Band, and for musical up-and-comer, Car...

Joy Johnston is a longtime friend. We were roommates in Toronto (one of the best seasons of my life), and I worked closely with her husband for many years. We go back… Yet, it was during this interview where I truly discovered my friend. I’m realizing that when you are a “friend”, you can get familiar, fall into a rhythm, and end up only seeing a certain spectrum of the person you think you know....

Allan Glanfield does WAY too much… He’s also way too GOOD at everything he does. A conundrum that has kept him very busy building a legacy of cool and beautiful things. He is one of a few true “renaissance men” I know of, and he boasts a life experience and resume that is off the charts cool. This is an interview with a passionate and talented guy; attempting to slow down, pace himself, and enjoy...

“The first and best victory is to conquer self” - PLATO There were plenty of takeaways from my chat with Tasha Star, chief among them…her devotion to discipline. It is her true north, and it is clearly working. Tasha has spent decades as an elite competitor (equestrian show jumping, fitness modelling, fitness-bikini competitor), and is now sharing her experiences and knowledge as a transformation...

I have been a fan and follower of BIG WRECK for well over twenty years. I have seen them live at least five times, and have been attempting to play their tunes in vain; knowing full well I was surely playing them wrong (insane alternate tunings). So, when Chris Caddell (rhythm guitar) said yes to coming on the podcast, I was thrilled, as he has some serious rock n’ roll pedigree. Mr. Caddell has p...

Kristin Nicholls had a serious impact on my life twenty years ago; playing a pivotal role in making church relevant and something to be proud of. A hard thing to do with a skeptic like me. Kristin eventually moved on, and the years that followed him were not kind; teaching me that a “believer” can suffer, make mistakes, and fall apart with the best of them. After watching what happened in my frien...

If Gene Simmons of KISS and a Kodiak Bear had a love child…I imagine it would sound a lot like Jon D. Harvey of MONSTER TRUCK. The man’s voice is larger than life, and I must admit, when I met him, I was very surprised by how low key his speaking voice is. Jon joins me for a super quick chat; pouring over the world of touring, writing, Christian punk & metal, and being a father while working in a...

Nicole Lima wears dead peoples clothes….and she has the pictures to prove it. She is a freelance model, vintage clothing connoisseur, ballet dancer, and curator of one of the coolest instagram feeds I’ve ever seen. We chat about her shy beginnings as a wallflower (eating lunch alone in her schools bathroom stall), to today living front and centre in photo’s that are thematic, beautiful, and at tim...

Tucked away in a east end alley stands the garage sized workspace of J. Waldron Butchers. A tiny temple devoted to the art of butchery. The same setting where we recorded our interview…. Jamie shares with me the winding path that took him from a butchers apprentice…to today; where he is establishing himself as a premier supplier of quality cuts. His story was perilous & uncertain at times, but on...

When I met with Melissa Marchese, the air conditioning was busted….and it was HOT. Not the ideal way to start a conversation. Yet, Melissa shrugged it off and endured the sweaty heat with a nonchalant ease. This seems to be her mantra… Roll with it. Survive it. Overcome it. A pattern that catches on the longer I chat with her. Melissa does A LOT: seasoned grade school teacher, devoted yogi, musici...

It’s possible we may be the most tattooed generation to ever walk the earth; yet we are very uninformed about the in’s-and-out’s of tattoo culture. Tom Penny and Steven James of Grey Harbour Tattoo join me and discuss the nuanced realities of being a “tattoo artist”, and prove that it is not a career for the undisciplined or faint of heart. After our honest round table discussion, I can honestly s...

Ashley Urie, of SMASH HAIR believes the greatest skill a hairstylist can have, is an ability and willingness to simply… “LISTEN” Kinda the perfect answer, especially if you’re repping the service industry. Ashley is COLOUR personified, and it is obvious in everything she touches. Take a listen to this chat with my friend; a talented and passionate stylist, busy making people look and feel beautifu...

Jay Dworsky of THE LOCAL SKATE SHOP pops in and gives me the rundown on skate culture; describing a very real world filled with unspoken rules, etiquettes, and ideals. Minutes into the interview, I start to get it… Skateboarding is not wasted on the youth. It is, in fact, an ecosystem and lifelong creed shared by a multitude everywhere. Jay is a kind of Peter Pan; young at heart and preparing the...

Mattie Leon is a “real one”. Great writer, great performer, and a great guy. Truly. After a ten year absence of bumping into each other at gigs, we re-connect, and regale each other about getting older, staying artistically hungry, musical success, and outrunning life’s ticking clock. This is us talking shop……

Strippers… What drives a person to get naked and dance in a dark room full of voyeurs? Desperation? Quick money? Troubled past? If you’re asking my friend Sydney (Raven), she’d simply tell you that, she strips because she likes to strip. No more, no less…. My guest is a wife, step-mom, home owner, government employee, and a human juxtaposition that had me pivoting, laughing and at times, speechles...

Fred Fuchs never planned on being a player in Hollywood, yet after a series of happy accidents, good fortune and a strong work ethic…Fred’s lack of planning turned into a storied 40 year career as an executive producer in film & television. You may not recognize his name, but you undoubtedly know what he has done, as Mr. Fuchs boasts a resume that is as long as it is surreal. Here is a glimpse….....