The Sound Lens Podcast

Gurdeep Pandher is a Yukon-based, Bhangra dance artist. He lives in a small off-grid cabin in the wilderness in the Yukon Territories, Canada and creates dance videos in the outdoors, and performances that bring people together. These clips of Gurdeep dancing in frigid cold temperatures on frozen lakes and rivers of Canada’s North, grew into his unique brand of spreading joy, hope and positivity....

Catherine Dyer is an actor, director, producer, and instructor who also had a prolific career working for A&E Television's Biography, eventually becoming Manager of Documentary Programming and Supervising Producer. In this role she oversaw the production of more than 250 hours of television per year culminating in an Emmy nomination in 2003. Catherine's acting career began to heat up i...

Amika Cooper (a.k.a. BlackPowerBarbie) is an illustrator, animator and director from Toronto, currently based in New York City. From collaborations with brands like Apple, Nike and creating content for The Roots’ frontman Black Thought, to directing Hershey’s HerForShe campaign photoshoot, Amika’s distinct style of 2D animation centers black, femme and queer experiences. Amika, known for her media...

Former editor of the iconic Canadian magazine, Chatelaine, Rona Maynard ’s career with words and stories, include an early stint as a journalist at MacLean’s Magazine, a freelance writer, guest speaker and author. Her most recent memoir, Starter Dog: My Path to Joy, Belonging and Loving This World, which she describes as a surprising personal rebirth, demonstrates the power animals have to connect...

Rachael Segal holds a masters in law from Osgoode Hall, York University. She has legal experience in Criminal Law and Civil Litigations, and has been an issues and policy advisor to senior members of the Canadian Federal Cabinet and the Canadian Senate. With her extensive experience on political campaigns in Ontario and British Columbia, Rachael is on a mission to get more women interested in poli...

Val and Breezy Griffith are the mother-daughter duo behind the US-based snack phenomena SkinnyDipped. What started as a quest for a healthier chocolate covered almond snack, has evolved today into one of the fastest growing and most innovative snack companies on the market. They are obsessed with crafting snacks that nourish our bodies and spirits, while building a company that values people and t...

Armed with their favorite snacks, Gillian and Louise settled in to be entertained by the blockbuster summer hit movie ‘Barbie’. It was not what they expected…  References:   Kitty Perkins - creator of first Black Barbie: https://www.insider.com/barbie-kitty-black-perkins-designer-diversity-mattel-dolls-2023-4 Colleen Bordeaux’s Episode: https://www.soundlenspodcast.com/episodes/episode/59c97a16/26...

Known as MochGirlPlace on Instagram, Tracey Hairston is an interior and fashion stylist whose love and knowledge of plants has garnered a huge following of plant enthusiasts including some of the industry’s leading names. Tracey’s blog is a gorgeous collection of stories and photos, with DIY ideas for every lifestyle. Tracey has captivated thousands of online followers with her inspiring and relat...

Molly Peacock is a poet, biographer, essayist, and writer whose multi-genre literary life has taken her from New York City to Toronto, from poetry to prose, and from words to words-and-pictures. In addition to the biographical Life Stories she’s written, Molly’s deeply personal work shares some of the more intimate moments of her life - including love, loss, family and relationships. Molly pulls b...

Colleen Bordeaux is a best-selling author, speaker and entrepreneur. Her book, Am I Doing This Right? referred to as ‘brilliantly insightful’ and 'a modern guide to life,' became an immediate #1 Amazon Best Seller. She founded Growth, Inc. to close the confidence gap in women, balance the C-suite and change the narrative of women at work. With humor and sincerity, Colleen shares her firsth...

Since graduating from art college in Ireland, Rosemary Kavanaugh has been a graphic designer, art instructor, floral designer, event designer, writer and performer - in Dublin, NYC, Tokyo, Brussels, Geneva, the international city list goes on. All while balancing her family’s role in Ireland’s international diplomatic efforts, as the spouse of an Irish Ambassador. With each international diplomati...

Meghan Shimek is a fiber artist based in Oakland, California. She creates large scale woven wall hangings and sculptures having developed her own signature weaving style as she explored how art can be used to express grief and also heal. We discovered Meghan and her work during our trip to New York City in April, walking down Madison Avenue and seeing her wall hangings displayed in the Garin store...

Nate Wise is Louise’s son and Gillian’s brother, and he is also a father to a 15-month old. It seemed fitting this father’s day episode, to get his perspective on being a new dad. In this special Father’s Day episode, Nate’s story of becoming a father mixes practical realities with a sense of wonder. References:  How to Swaddle a Newborn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJCQf2Xxlrk Flaxseed: https...

Dr. Shazma Mithani is an ER doctor and social justice advocate, with a strong presence on social media. Through her platforms, Shazma uses her expertise to share helpful and accurate healthcare information to make sure we’re all informed and empowered.  Dr. Mithani has gained influencer status with her frank yet comforting voice sharing medical information - and the occasional fashion tip! Referen...

Gillian and Louise share their extraordinary experiences of New York City, which inspired the next phase of their podcast journey. References:  Central Park, NYC: https://www.centralpark.com/ The 52nd St Project:  https://www.52project.org/ Martha Graham Dance Company:  https://marthagraham.org/ The Joyce Theatre: www.joyce.org Institute of Italian Culture: https://iicnewyork.esteri.it/iic_newyork...

In honor of Mother’s Day, Louise and Gillian set out to discover mother-daughter business partnerships. It turns out, there are some fabulous duos making headlines with their ingenuity and business savvy. References:  Rebecca Henry and Akua Shabaka (House of Aama):  https://houseofaama.com/pages/featured-product https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a36289878/mom-daughter-designer-duos/...

Janine Rogan is the Founder and CEO of The Wealth Building Academy Inc., and is an award winning CPA. Janine currently sits on the CPA Alberta Education Foundation board, the board of FESA, and the planning committee of the AICPA Global Women’s Leadership Summit. Janine has been featured in a number of international publications and has delivered keynotes to thousands of individuals and companies...

Patricia Taylor Kennedy is an author, coach and CEO at The Kennedy Effect - A personal and business consulting firm. Her book ‘The Game of Life!: A Woman’s Game Plan for Success’ was released this past fall. It’s part guidebook to navigating workplace systems while also being very motivational. With practical, actionable ideas, Patricia draws on her own experiences to help us create the life of ou...

Journalist, feminist, novelist, activist, teacher, Susan Swan ’s impact on the Canadian literary and political scene has been far-reaching. Susan’s critically acclaimed fiction has been published in twenty countries. Her book The Wives of Bath, was adapted into the film Lost and Delirious, which has become a cult classic, was released in thirty-two countries and featured as a Premiere Selection at...

John Sheehy has been the Director of Institutional Advancement at The 52nd Street Project for over 25 years. The 52nd Street Project is dedicated to the creation and production of new plays often for and by kids between the ages of nine and 18 that reside in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in New York City. Prior to this, John worked at Lincoln Center Theater where he was Development and Resea...

Rebecca Liddiard is a Canadian actor whose work in television, film, and theatre has earned her critical acclaim with multiple awards and nominations in Canada and internationally. She's most widely known for her roles as Mary Shaw in four seasons of the hit CBC series, Frankie Drake Mysteries, or the beloved Mary Whitney in the Netflix series, Alias Grace based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of t...

Kélicia Massala is the coalition Leader and Founder of Girl Up Quebec, where her advocacy work focuses on two main issues: international gender equality and the importance of representation. Through her work and involvement, she has been featured in the Global Affairs Canada Women’s Day conference in 2019 and was awarded the Girl Up Project Award by the UN Foundation in 2022. Since then, she has c...

Gary Weeks is currently best known for his role as JJ's trouble-making father "Luke Maybank" on the hit Netflix series "Outer Banks”, as well as the role of Joe Allan in his latest film “Southern Gospel”. Gary's career spans over 20 years, with more than 150 film, TV and commercial roles, including Die Hart (with Kevin Hart); Spider-Man - Homecoming; Burn Notice; Sweet Magno...

English-born and Irish-educated, Susan Keogh was a U.S. diplomat for 32 years. Her assignments at the State Department included: Deputy Chief of Mission in Eritrea; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Rights, Democracy and Labor; and Officer-in-Charge of South Africa over the period of the democratic transition. Her other assignments were as Deputy Spokesperson for the Middle East over the Gulf W...

English-born and Irish-educated, Susan Keogh was a U.S. diplomat for 32 years. Her assignments at the State Department included: Deputy Chief of Mission in Eritrea; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Rights, Democracy and Labor; and Officer-in-Charge of South Africa over the period of the democratic transition. Her other assignments were as Deputy Spokesperson for the Middle East over the Gulf W...