Tune Up Your Warrior

Housing is more than a roof — it’s the foundation for opportunity, belonging, and possibility. In this episode, Jenny sits down with Traci Spour-Lafrance , Executive Director of the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation , to explore what it really means to build thriving communities from the inside out. Traci’s journey — from educator and social worker to executive leader — has been guided by one be...

What if failure isn’t the end, but the gateway to your true identity? Entrepreneur and storyteller Hussein Hallak shares how rejection, imposter syndrome, and honest feedback shaped the leader and creator he is today. From being overlooked for a creative director role in Dubai to rebuilding his life in Canada, Hussein’s story is one of radical ownership and reinvention. In this episode, Hussein an...

✨ Courage isn’t always loud — it’s the whisper that sparks change. ✨ In this week’s Tune Up Your Warrior episode, I sat down with Lindiwe Davis — Global Organizational Effectiveness and People Engagement Leader at Google, founder of FutureState Collective , and an award-winning culture shifter whose work continues to redefine what leadership looks like when it’s grounded in humanity, courage, an...

Season Three of Tune Up Your Warrior kicks off with a conversation that feels both timely and deeply personal. My guest is Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, a lifelong Ottawan and the leader of Canada’s capital at a moment of real change and opportunity. Before entering municipal politics, Mayor Sutcliffe spent more than three decades as an award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, mentor, and community builder...

This special season finale brings together two women who refuse to shrink themselves to fit into the world — and instead choose to make the world bigger, kinder, and more human. Soula Burrell, Director of Member Services & Engagement at the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, joins me for a conversation that feels like home. In her role at GOHBA, Soula is the bridge between builders, de...

As the holiday season approaches, Supply and Demand prepares to close for their annual winter break — a practice that might surprise people but perfectly reflects the heart of how Jennifer and Steve Wall run their restaurant: with intention, empathy, and sustainability at the core. In this conversation, they share how they’re reshaping what hospitality means — not just for guests, but for the peop...

What happens when two best friends decide to build a life together—right at the start of a pandemic, amidst personal heartbreak, and with a stage-four cancer diagnosis in the background? In this intimate and honest episode, Jenny is joined by her husband Dan, as they share the story of how their friendship became love, how they navigated uncertainty together, and why they chose couples counselling...

Duong Hoang’s story is the ultimate Ottawa glow-up. He grew up in Chinatown, always trying to find where he fit in. Years later, that search for belonging turned into a mission to create it—for everyone. From building spaces like Standard Luxe Tavern , Stay Gold Pizza , and now Good Neighbour , Duong has redefined what community feels like. Whether you’re a local regular, an entrepreneur, or an NH...

Most people are intimidated by wine—not because they don’t love it, but because they don’t know where to start. The language, the labels, the culture… it can feel exclusive, even snobbish. But what if someone could help you discover your love of wine by meeting you exactly where you are? In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , Jenny sits down with her good friend Ryan Tapping , Division Manager...

Mark Borowiecki built his reputation in the NHL as one of the league’s toughest defensemen — fearless, relentless, and never afraid to drop the gloves. But what makes him remarkable is not just his career, but the heart behind it. Known to fans as “BoroCop,” Mark has become one of hockey’s strongest advocates for men’s mental health. From speaking out about men's mental health to sharing his o...

In this powerful episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , host Jenny Chen sits down with the trailblazing Honorary Lieutenant -Colonel Judge Albert Wong —a retired citizenship judge, decorated Canadian Armed Forces Lieutenant Commander, peacekeeper, strategist, and proud father—whose career has been marked by a series of meaningful “firsts.” Albert began his public-service journey in 1976 , has dedicated...

Fertility care has long been treated as a personal, private struggle. But what if we reframed it as a public health issue—rooted in equity, access, and modern realities? In this episode, Dr. Rhonda Zwingerman—OB-GYN and co-founder of Twig Fertility—joins Jenny to talk about why it’s time we rethink reproductive care. Together, they explore why traditional systems haven’t kept pace with how people...

What happens when you build a business rooted in humanity—and still deliver elite-level results? In this episode, Jenny sits down with Jenniffer Alvarenga, co-founder of Good Story Realty Group and one of Ottawa’s Forty Under 40, to talk about redefining success in real estate and beyond. From immigrating to Canada as a student to launching a boutique real estate brand with her husband Leo, Jennif...

In this special episode, Jenny sits down with her daughter, Trinity, just before she heads off to university—for a raw and beautiful conversation about motherhood, healing, and rewriting the story you came from. Jenny reflects on how becoming a mother changed her, how anger and generational trauma shaped her early years of parenting, and how Trinity became the catalyst for the healing they both ne...

What if the way we talk about mental health is actually part of the problem? Chris Ide is a father, advocate, and President of the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health—and in this powerful conversation, he shares why it’s time to stop treating mental health like a separate issue. As his son once asked, “If it’s your brain, isn’t it just… health?” In this episode, Chris and Jenny explore: 🧠 W...

What does it mean to lead as an immigrant woman of colour in spaces where you’re still seen as a “first” or an “only”? In this episode, finance executive and bestselling author Nadine Niba joins Jenny to talk about rising through the ranks of corporate Canada with courage, conviction, and an unapologetic sense of self. From leaving Cameroon to writing Quarterbacking Your Life , Nadine shares her j...

When your child struggles with their mental health, parents often feel powerless, isolated, and unsure where to turn. For Michelle Crogie, that experience shaped not only her personal journey as a mother, but also her calling as the Executive Director of PLEO (Parents’ Lifeline of Eastern Ontario) . In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , Michelle shares how her daughter’s mental health challeng...

In this deeply moving episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , host Jenny sits down with Tamy Bell , founder of The Golden Society and mother to Griffin — a boy whose light continues to inspire a movement. Tamy shares her family’s journey, from Griffin’s premature birth and early weeks in the NICU to his brave battle with pediatric cancer. Through raw honesty and remarkable resilience, she reveals what i...

In this episode, Jenny Chen sits down with Craig Meeds, Head of BMO Private Wealth Canada, to explore what it really takes to lead with impact in today’s evolving world. From transparency and trust to systemic change and sponsorship over mentorship, Craig shares how he's helping shift the finance industry—one honest conversation at a time. Together, they dive into Malcolm Gladwell’s Revenge of the...

As kids return to school this fall, the conversation around youth mental health is louder than ever—and one question keeps coming up: Should we ban social media for kids under high school age? To kick off Season 2 of Tune Up Your Warrior , Jenny sits down with high school teacher and mom Tara Borowiecki to unpack what’s really happening in today’s classrooms—and homes—when it comes to screens, str...

What’s in a name? For many of us, it’s our beginning. Our legacy. Our first connection to where we come from. In this episode, Jenny Chen sits down with Onome Ako —CEO, global development leader, and author of I Am Cherished —to talk about how names carry the weight of our culture, our identity, and our worth. Named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women , recipient of the RBC Canadian Women Entrepre...

" In the end, we are all stories — so let’s make it a good one. " In this special solo season finale, I open up about the journey that shaped me: from immigrating to Canada, to navigating a childhood where I never felt I belonged, to breaking generational cycles as a mother, to walking away from a 16-year career to launch Catalais Consulting and the Tune Up Your Warrior podcast. 🎧 What you won’t...

On this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , Jenny sits down with her friend, longtime journalist and community builder Sam Laprade for a raw and courageous conversation about emotional abuse, reclaiming your identity, and what it takes to rebuild a life on your own terms. Sam opens up about the disconnect between who she was publicly and the pain she endured privately—and how finding her voice chang...

What does it really take to be an inclusive leader in today’s world—especially when conversations around equity and belonging are being challenged, politicized, or dismissed? In this episode, Jenny sits down with Silvio Stroescu — President of BMO InvestorLine and Head of Digital-First Wealth Management at BMO, transformational executive, and one of her greatest career mentors—to explore the core...

In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior , host Jenny Chen sits down with Aki Temiseva, President and CEO of the United Nations Association in Canada, to explore the global talent crisis—through a systems lens, not a diversity checkbox. With over two decades of leadership experience spanning four continents and organizations like World Vision and Right To Play, Aki brings a powerful global perspect...