Chatter that Matters

Not long ago in Canada, who you loved could cost you everything.  Betty Baxter knows this because it happened to her. Betty was an elite athlete, an Olympic captain, a pioneering coach, and one of the rare women leading at the highest levels of international sport. Her athletes trusted her. Her program was working. Her future was bright. Then, on a cold November night in 1981, Betty was told to drive to a roadside motel between Ottawa and Montreal. Inside, three of the most powerful men in Canadian volleyball were waiting. They did not ask about her athletes, her results, or her vision. They asked one question. "There are rumours that you are gay. Do you deny that?" Betty's answer was stunning in its courage. "I am the same person I have always been." Soon after, Betty was pushed out of the sport she loved. But this is not only a story about prejudice, power, and what was taken from her. It is also a story about what Betty did next. She became an activist, a human rights advocate, a builder of community, and a champion for women in coaching, fairness in sport, and every person who has ever been told they do not belong. Betty's story reminds us that Pride began as courage. As risk. As people standing up when standing out could cost them everything.  This is Betty Baxter's story - and it matters. And stick around as I then chat with Eric Turner and Isadore Chung about Pride, belonging, representation, and why respect must be more than words on a page.   To buy Outspoken - Betty Baxter's book:  https://five.libsyn.com/show/episodes/new    

6/11/26 • 35:44

Robin Devine has spent her life knocking on doors, sometimes literally, and finding opportunity on the other side. Raised by her grandmother, Robin learned early that hard work, honesty, courage, and instinct could take you places credentials could not. As a little girl, she sold lilacs and rhubarb door to door. As a young woman, she walked into an advertising agency with no portfolio, no experience, and talked her way into a job. By twenty-three, she was selling Checker automobiles out of a broken-down garage, turning old taxis into reverse status symbols. What follows is a remarkable conversation about grit, reinvention, and seeing value where others see nothing.  Her energy and passion are contagious as she shares her life story from advertising to automobiles, from Expo 86 to Canadian Tire, from Russian generals to Bestselling Books, Food banks, Shelters, and a Canada Watch she proudly markets with proceeds helping those in need. This episode is timeless. It is about agency and refusing to wait for permission.     You can also help support Canada's Food Banks and Shelters, by purchasing a special edition Canadian Watch.  https://www.timeisticking.ca/  

6/4/26 • 28:27

Leslie Bradford-Scott grew up inside a story so spectacular it felt unreal. Her father drove a Rolls-Royce. A promoter, he brought Pink Floyd and Paul Anka to Hamilton, moved through a world of million-dollar diamonds, and lit up every room he entered. Then the story cracked. At twelve, Leslie came home to the police on the lawn. At fifteen, she had a gun pressed against her arm. At sixteen, she lost her brother, the one person who made her feel less alone. Trying to outrun her father's shadow, Leslie joined the Coast Guard to save lives and fight crime, only to find corruption there, too. Later, she married a man who felt familiar in the worst possible way: charming, dangerous, and destructive. But Leslie kept moving. She wrote screenplays on Post-it notes while selling cars, built a business from a farm, and reinvented herself again and again. Years after his death, her father's 175,000-word prison manuscript surfaced, reopening everything she thought she had buried. Was he a villain, a victim, a con man, a hero, or all of the above? This is a gripping conversation about crime, family myth, buried truth, and what happens when the story that shaped you collapses. Leslie's lesson is unforgettable: where you are born, and whom you are born to, may shape you, but they do not get to define you. As she says, "My entire life, I didn't feel I mattered. And now I know that I matter." And then please stick around for an important announcement about Chatter that Matters.     To buy Leslie's book: https://www.amazon.com/Liars-Playbook-Memoir-Family-Crime/dp/1668069393  

5/28/26 • 27:15

Some episodes entertain. Some inspire. And some remind us what it means to be human. This is one of those episodes. Bailey Gee was born with the most severe form of spina bifida. Her life became a cycle of surgeries, pain, bullying, isolation, a wheelchair, and battles with mental health that often left her wondering if life was worth fighting for.  Every day she prayed to be happy. Then one day, happiness found her. A random YouTube search introduced Bailey to Cesar De La Rosa, whose music and stage presence became an unexpected light during one of the darkest periods of her life. What started as fandom became friendship, healing, and hope. In this deeply emotional episode, Bailey shares her journey through disability, loneliness, and resilience. Cesar reflects on the responsibility artists carry when their work touches lives in ways they never imagined. The conversation also features Paralympian Joel Dembe, who challenges us to rethink disability, accessibility, and what it truly means to be seen. And thanks to RBC Avion, Cesar will meet Bailey for the first time. This is a story about pain, music, humanity, and the unexpected angels who help us find the light.

5/21/26 • 32:54

Step inside the recording studio to understand more about one of the greatest voices of our time, Celine Dion. My guest is Vito Luprano, the Sony Music executive and creative force who worked on 21 of Celine's albums and helped shape her rise from a shy francophone teenager into an international superstar. Vito found the songs. Fought for the sound. Pushed for the reinvention. And helped Celine move from French-language success to global domination. He shares some of Celine's iconic moments, from "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" to "I Drove All Night," "Taking Chances," "Alone," and the unforgettable story behind "My Heart Will Go On." This is a rare look behind the curtain at one of the world's greatest stars, her journey to the top, her songs, the tension, and her heartbreak when she lost Rene, the love of her life.    

5/14/26 • 24:51

Nick Ferguson grew up in inner-city Miami in a world that tried to define his future before he had a chance to dream. With no father figure, surrounded by poverty, prejudice, and expectations that narrowed life to "jail or a casket," Nick chose another path. He chose books. He chose belief. He chose football. He chose the hard road. Undrafted, overlooked, cut, injured, and forced to fight his way through the CFL, Germany, and countless closed doors, Nick refused to let circumstance become his identity. He built a remarkable 10-year NFL career, but this conversation is not really about football. It is about taking the pencil back and writing your own story. Nick speaks with raw honesty about anger, isolation, faith, failure, mentorship, and reinvention. His message is simple and powerful: life will test you, people will doubt you, and adversity will find you. The question is whether you retreat or move forward. Today, Nick is a broadcaster, mentor, and motivational speaker, helping others escape the victim mindset and discover their own gift. This is a story of resilience, accountability, and the courage to say, "I am here."

5/7/26 • 39:41

I have had the privilege of knowing Paul Meehan for many years. I am a better person for it. There is no finer handshake or twinkle in the eye. Paul is a serial entrepreneur, a lover of family, life, and is guided by a higher purpose to help others. Did I mention that Paul and his wife, Melissa, created, self-funded, and built one of the world's most quietly brilliant brand stories by refusing to shout, by embodying the expression: Less is More.   In a category crowded with sugar, swagger, and sameness, they created NUTRL Vodka, a brand defined by restraint, simplicity, taste, trust and brilliant creativity.   This episode radiates positivity and possibility. I encourage dreamers and doers, creative thinkers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to celebrate the human in humanity. Paul is a partner, father, strategist, entrepreneur, music lover, mentor and a proud Canadian. What you will learn is that success is not luck. It is listening. Learning. Knocking on doors after they have slammed shut. Finding joy in better. Making music when everyone else is trying to make noise.   I then invite Kim Mason to provide context on what it means to be an entrepreneur and to care.  One of Kim's big takeaways is this: 'It's not about demonstrating empathy, it is about being empathetic.'   

4/30/26 • 37:30

I borrowed the title of this episode from Cat Stevens, and you will soon see why.   To Cat Stevens, Tillerman represented, "the man of the Earth," working to make things on this planet.  And Tea, well, my guest knows tea. In honour of Earth Day, I sit down with Michael Don Ham, entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and co-founder of Wild Orchard Teas, for a beautiful conversation about purpose, resilience, and what it really means to build a business that matters.  A business in constant conversation with Mother Nature. From the son of immigrants to a teacher to arriving in New York just before 9/11, to finding his passion in regenerative farming, clean air, and human health. Michael's journey is anything but conventional. But what ties it all together is a higher calling: to help people live healthier, more connected, more meaningful lives.    This is a conversation about longevity, leadership, and the courage to choose purpose over quick profit. It is also a reminder that in a world moving too fast, slowing down, sharing time with others, and building with intention may be exactly what matters most.  Enjoy Michael's words of wisdom over a cup of Tea.

4/23/26 • 29:30

Jesse Hirsh is one of the most unbridled, unrestrained, intelligent, and entertaining individuals I know, and he doesn't disappoint in this interview. Jesse makes you think, laugh, question, and lean in all at once, on subject matter that is near and dear to all of us. We also talk about his early hacking arrest, which made him question authority; his warnings about the rising power of platforms; how our education system needs a major reboot; and his decision to leave the mainstream media behind and build a very different life through farming in rural Eastern Ontario. Jesse calls his farm the Academy of the Impossible, an experimental, high-speed fibre-connected, wired-up space that researches the intersection of agriculture, media, technology, and culture. I don't stray far from the farm to invite Lisa Ashton from RBC's Thought Leadership Team to talk about Canada's potential to become a food superpower.

4/16/26 • 55:12

If you have ever doubted the power of art to change lives, this episode will make you think again. It is a reminder that movement can be medicine, joy can be transformative, and community can be as important as any treatment plan. Above all, it shows how one person's calling can become a lifeline for thousands of others. What if dance could do more than move the body? What if it could unlock joy, restore confidence, build community, and become a vital part of brain health? In this moving episode of Chatter That Matters, I sit down with Sarah Robichaud, founder and CEO of Dancing With Parkinson's, a program changing lives everywhere. What began with one class and one big idea has become a powerful national movement, helping people with Parkinson's and others reconnect with their bodies, their minds, and each other through music, imagery, storytelling, and dance. Sarah shares her journey, from a young girl who knew she was meant to dance, to an artist and teacher who discovered a profound calling to help others find freedom through movement. She explains how dance can bypass limitations, spark new neural pathways, elevate mood, and create a sense of belonging that many participants describe as life-changing. Later in the episode, Wayne Bossert joins the conversation to discuss the importance of brain research, the role Brain Canada plays, and why supporting brain health matters to you, to me and to RBC.   To learn more about Dancing with Parkinson's. https://www.dancingwithparkinsons.com/ To learn more about Women's Brain Health - https://www.rbcwealthmanagement.com/en-ca/insights/why-women-need-to-be-more-proactive-with-their-brain-health    

4/9/26 • 36:03

John Beyer grew up amidst chaos. His parents were alcoholics. By his mid-twenties, both parents had passed away, grief weighed heavily, and alcohol took over his life.  In this episode, I speak with John about the moment he finally confronted that truth and the long journey that ensued. The conversation covers addiction, recovery, family, and the quiet strength of rebuilding a life step by step. John shares how he found sobriety, started a business, became a husband and father, supported a son with autism, and kept moving forward through profound personal and health challenges. What makes this story so impactful is that it is shared from experience, scars, gratitude, and a sincere desire to help not only himself but others, and the book he authored, Live a Little Better.      To buy John's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Live-Little-Better-Survival-Sobriety/dp/1637634013    

4/2/26 • 31:06

To mark the end of International Women's Month, I host a conversation with three remarkable women. Shamira Jaffer, recipient of the 2023 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Innovation Award; Jennifer Menard-Shand, a three-time nominee for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards; and Dr. Georgette Zinaty, President of WBE Canada and a passionate advocate for women-owned businesses.   Together, we discuss the challenges women still face, the achievements they are making, and what Canada needs to do to support more women entrepreneurs in not only starting out but also scaling up. Because empowering more women to build businesses is not just the right thing to do, but also one of the smartest growth strategies our country can pursue.   To learn more about WBE: https://wbecanada.ca/   To learn more about the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards: (Nominations are now open) https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/rbc-cwea/

3/29/26 • 37:40

Audrey Hyams Romoff spent over 30 years in the glossy world of public relations, building OverCat Communications and shaping the images of A-list celebrities. Her professional life was marked by polish, access, and control. But behind that world was a much more private story, shaped by inherited trauma, silence, and profound loss.   Audrey's Grandmother and Mother were survivors of Auschwitz. The Holocaust was rarely discussed in their home, yet its shadow influenced everything. That silence became even more painful when Audrey's mother died by suicide, forcing her to confront not only grief but also the emotional legacy her family had carried for generations.   In this deeply moving episode, Audrey talks openly about her memoir, The Ripple Eclipse, and the tension between the dazzling life she built and the pain she inherited. This is a conversation about family, trauma, grief, survival, and the courage it takes to break a silence that has lasted far too long.       To buy Audrey's book: The Ripple Eclipse: https://a.co/d/05tdv7FW

3/26/26 • 29:24

Wes Geer chased rock and roll the way some people chase salvation, all in, full volume, no brakes. Wes Geer went from a kid with a guitar and a dream to co-founding Head P.E., tearing through the chaos of the '90s rock scene, then playing with Korn, and living the kind of life that looks electrifying from the outside and destructive from within. Fame, excess, addiction, collapse, Wes lived every mile of that road. But this episode is not just about the rise and the wreckage. It is about what happens when someone survives the fire and comes back carrying a torch, or in this case, a guitar. Today, Wes is the founder of Rock to Recovery, using music not to fuel self-destruction, but to help others heal, reconnect, and find their way back. This is a wild, hard-living, soul-searching adventure through music, darkness, redemption, and the power of turning your greatest pain into a path for others.   To learn more about Rock To Recovery: https://rocktorecovery.org To purchase Wes Book:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1735529974/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  

3/19/26 • 36:46

My advice to anyone is this. If you can, follow your passion. Follow it to where it brings you intellectual and emotional rewards, a sense of purpose and place, and in this volatile world, always have a Plan B. This is why I am so excited to introduce my two guests this week. Elysia Racanelli is a family doctor by day and avant-garde singer by night, whose haunting voice and commanding stage presence will stop you in your tracks. Jonathan Roy is the son of Patrick Roy, one of the greatest goaltenders of all time. Jonathan worked hard to follow in his father's 'skates', but when the NHL was beyond his skill set, he chose to pursue music. I am glad he did, as I have fallen in love with his music. In these live interviews, both share the deeper reasons behind their pivots and the lessons they are learning along the way. Their stories offer a powerful reminder that finding your path in life is rarely linear and often requires the courage to step away from expectation to follow your heart. These conversations took place during the staging of Odience 360 by Montreal-based Summit Tech. This is the most immersive stage and retail technology I have ever witnessed.  I have provided a link below: Check our Odience 360: https://youtube.com/shorts/5_Y3GkhIgyE?si=VcPE5CFv_GV9_Oon Check out FirstUp by RBC X Music: https://www.rbc.com/dms/enterprise/music/first-up.html Jonathan Roy: https://jonathanroyofficial.com Elysia Racanelli: https://www.youtube.com/@elysiaracanelli  

3/12/26 • 39:20

Have you ever considered that the sports you are watching are fixed? This episode ois appointment listening for Sports fans, sports gamblers and concerned parents, and an eye-opening story for anyone interested in how pervasive organized crime has woven into our society. My guest this week is Declan Hill, Oxford-educated and author of The Fix. Declan is world-renowned as an investigative journalist who has infiltrated organized crime fixing rings to understand how the world of sports fixing actually works and why the extensive marketing efforts to encourage more people to gamble on sports have added more fuel to the fire.  Sports thrive on uncertainty. The drama, the underdog, the last-second miracle, the feeling that nobody knows what comes next. But what happens when that uncertainty gets hijacked — when outcomes are fixed not just in final scores, but in moments you barely notice? In this interview, we dig into match-fixing and spot-fixing, prop bets and micro-bets, and why Declan believes a major American sports league is heading toward an existential crisis within five years. We also talk about how that 'casino in your pocket' is affecting athletes, fans, and young people's psychology. What happens when you move from playing with fun money to your house money, or worse, when gambling becomes an addiction equal to tobacco, alcohol or heroin? Sports fans, sports gamblers, concerned parents and friends and true crime followers, Declan Hill will not disappoint.   Declan Hill is an investigative academic and journalist. He specializes in the study of organized crime and international issues. He was the first journalist to break the story of Asian match-fixing gangs linked to the multi-billion dollar gambling markets destroying international football in his book 'The Fix: Soccer & Organized Crime'. It has now become a best-seller in 21 languages. In 2013, he published the academic version 'The Insider's Guide to Match-Fixing' which is now available in English and Japanese.:  https://www.declanhill.com If you are concerned about sports gambling, Declan encourages you to visit: https://www.gamblingwithlives.org      

3/5/26 • 40:14

On occasion, I break format, step out of interview mode, and speak directly to you about what I believe matters to you, to me, and to our country. In this episode, I talk about Canada's K economy and the growing, dangerous divide between those who have and those who have very little. I look at the human cost, the impact on our psychology and our society, and five things we can do to rebuild our economy. To grow our way forward, versus borrowing on the backs of future generations just to cover today's bills. I hope you can find ten minutes over the next few days to listen, and to share your thoughts. Thanks for listening to Chatter That Matters. Let's chat soon.

2/27/26 • 11:03

This week's podcast is for all who are dealing with the reality that their future will not look like the past. There will be no neatly paved road. No ladder with perfectly placed rungs. Instead, there will be relentless headwinds, industries reshaped by technology and marketplaces rendered by global forces. Jobs will collapse, and new ones will emerge. Which is why I invited The k3 Sisters Band to join me this week. Three sisters who chose to make their destiny a matter of choice, rather than leave it to chance. Homeschooled. Fourth-generation musicians. As children, on a flight home from Disney, they sketched the name of a band that did not yet exist. They kept the drawing, they kept dreaming, and they kept doing. They played in churches, fairs, school cafeterias, and nursing homes across Texas while other kids lined up at lockers. They did not wait for a record label to find an audience. They mastered streaming and social platforms like TikTok. Their songs have been played millions of times, and they have fans in 70 countries. They created a community built on positivity, anti-bullying messages, and songs written in their fans' languages. Fifteen years later, The k3 Sisters Band have released 15 albums, written over 170 songs, and just recorded 24K Gold live with no digital or AI modification. Their philosophy is simple. Do it yourself. But do it. In a culture that often feels dystopian, they chose a utopian view. In an industry obsessed with shortcuts, they chose craft. In a digital world addicted to filters and AI, they chose authenticity. This episode is not just for young people or music fans. It is for parents wondering how to prepare their kids for an uncertain future. And for anyone who feels the ground shifting beneath their feet. I have included some of their fantastic music.   To learn more about The K3 Sisters Band: https://www.k3sistersband.com To find out more about RBC Future Launch to support Canadian Youth: https://www.rbc.com/en/future-launch/about/ To find out more about FirstUp by RBCX music, a program dedicated to providing emerging Canadian artists with a platform for exposure, funding, education and mentorship opportunities. https://www.rbc.com/dms/enterprise/music/first-up.html  

2/26/26 • 29:50

Vancouver's Chinatown was never built to be trendy. It was built because people had nowhere else to belong. Shut out of opportunity. Pushed to the margins. Told where they could and could not live. So they built anyway. Store by store. Family by family. A place that began to pulse and then became magnetic to all who lived in and visited Vancouver.   And then slowly, the pulse weakened. Rising costs. Aging buildings. Poverty. Then the pandemic. The streets emptied. Businesses struggled to survive. Anti-Asian racism surged. Fear replaced foot traffic. Absence replaced community.   This week on Chatter That Matters, you will hear the story of how one woman turned darkness into light. Carol Lee looked at decay and did not see failure. She saw a break in belonging.    Carol's approach can be replicated by any struggling community.   Joining the conversation are Martin Thibodeau, Regional President of RBC in British Columbia, and Carmen Stossel, Regional Director of Community Marketing and Social Impact at RBC. They share what makes Carol Lee special and why they got involved.   If you care about your community and humanity.   You will want to hear this conversation.   Because sometimes lighting up a neighbourhood is really about lighting up belief.   Hit play to Light Up Chinatown.

2/19/26 • 46:46

Some artists find a sound or a look. Others find the truth. Bif Naked found both. In this moving episode of Chatter that Matters, I sit down with the iconic Juno Award-winning artist and activist Bif Naked to unpack "I am who I am." Born in New Delhi. Adopted. Raised across oceans, finding love in words and music. At 21, Bif met her birth mother, a moment that brought her story full circle. But identity is not formed only in comfort. At 36, Bif was diagnosed with breast cancer. Two years later, she suffered a stroke. Those chapters did not silence her. They fed her poetry and clarified what mattered. I loved every second of my time with Bif Naked. We discuss punk, poetry, feminism, and the discipline behind her philosophy: "save the rage for the stage." There is wisdom in that line. Choose where your energy goes. Do not let the noise of the world steal your voice. Channel it. Own it. If you have ever felt different, silenced or enraged. If you have ever had to rebuild or renew. If you believe identity is something you own, not something assigned. This conversation is for you.  (And her music and passion roars throughout)

2/12/26 • 33:05

What happened to the truth? I find myself fixated on a troubling realization. It feels remarkably easy to win over an audience with a slogan, a promise without substance, or blatant mistruths, even when those are wildly disconnected from the audience's reality. And even more surprisingly, they are not only readily accepted but also often repeated and shared. I wanted to understand why. Not from a political or media lens, but from a human one. What is it about human nature that makes us so vulnerable? That question led me to two conversations on Chatter That Matters. What ties them together is a sobering conclusion. Our minds have not fundamentally changed, but the tools used to target them have.  Unless we become more intentional about how we think as parents, citizens and individuals navigating the uncertainties and complexities of life, it will remain dangerously easy to sell comforting narratives that drift far from reality. Gordon Pennycook, a highly regarded cognitive scientist whose journey from small-town Saskatchewan to a renowned thought leader at Cornell University gives him a rare lens on how ordinary people reason in extraordinary information environments. Gordon studies why we are so trusting, why misinformation spreads faster than truth, and why most of us are not irrational or malicious, just distracted. His research shows that people do not fail because they cannot think, but because the systems around them reward speed, emotion, and certainty over reflection and accuracy. We discuss why falsehood often outperforms truth online, how social platforms exploit attention rather than intention, why news has become opinionated, and why there is still hope. I then bring in Milos Stojadinovic, a cybersecurity and threat expert at RBC, who thinks like attackers, so the rest of us do not have to. Milos explains how cybercrime has become organized, global, and industrialized, from ransomware-as-a-service to AI-powered scams and nation-state involvement. His insight makes one thing clear. Trust is still our greatest human strength, but it has also become the easiest point of entry for those who want to exploit it.

2/5/26 • 44:05

Robyne was a high school dropout who believed she wasn't worth saving.  Then her car plunged through the ice, trapping her 20 feet underwater and changing everything. This is the story of how choosing hope became a strategy for survival and healing. I sit down with Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, bestselling author and one of the most trusted voices on resilience. As a teenager, Robyne battled addiction, dropped out of school, and was hospitalized in an adult psychiatric ward. At 16, a near-fatal accident gave her a second chance she refused to waste. This is not a glossy comeback story. It is an honest conversation about becoming. Robyn shares why pain does not have to make sense to be real, why recovery is never linear, how stress can be worked with rather than feared, and what everyday resilience actually looks like. This episode is about hope, not as a feeling, but as a practice, and choosing to show up again when life feels overwhelming.     To find out more: Discover –  Pre-Order 'I Hope So: How to Choose Hope Even When It's Hard' Hope isn't just a feeling – it's the key to rewiring your brain for resiliency and well-being, even in the toughest times. Stay Connected - Subscribe to Dr. Robyne's Newsletter Get exclusive tools, strategies, and Everyday Resiliency—straight to your inbox.  

1/29/26 • 45:37

What happens when the dream you are chasing, ends in a split second? Only to find a new one awaits. At 19, Jane Roos was chasing Olympic dreams, fast, fearless, and focused. Then, in a single moment, everything changed. A devastating car accident took her best friend's life and ended the future she had trained for. What followed was pain, survivor's guilt, and a question that quietly redefined her life: Why am I still here? From a hospital bed, with no roadmap and no safety net, Jane founded the Canadian Athletes Now Fund, an idea that would grow into one of the most important sources of support for Canada's Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Today, CAN Fund has helped fund thousands of athletes seek their podium dreams, not by chance but by belief. Jane also shares the quieter, equally powerful parts of her journey, including overcoming survivor's guilt, choosing service over fear, and creating community through initiatives like Random Acts of Magic. Her perspective on gratitude, courage, and living fully feels both hard-earned and deeply generous. I then welcome Jacquie Ryan, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation. We explore what it truly takes to get athletes to the starting line and beyond, and why long-term commitment matters. Jacquie reflects on the enduring role of partners like RBC and how investing in athletes is about more than medals; it is about identity, pride, and belief in what Canada can be. If you have ever questioned your path, your purpose, or what is possible after life takes an unexpected turn, Jane's story is a powerful reminder that the worst day can become the greatest gift, and that sometimes the most meaningful victories happen far from the podium.   To learn more about the CAN Fund: https://canadianathletesnow.ca

1/22/26 • 39:18

Ben Mulroney has spent his life carrying a famous last name while choosing a different path on his own terms. That is why I wanted to share his story. We recorded the show in front of a sold-out room at The Toronto Hunt. Ben takes you behind his public persona and into the moments that shaped him, tested him, and surprised him. He shares wonderful stories that are funny, candid, and genuinely human, including what it really feels like to work on a red carpet and suddenly find yourself face-to-face with someone like George Clooney. Over the past year, I had the chance to join Ben on his national radio show, on Corus, and I have watched his rare ability to take complex, sometimes controversial issues, synthesize competing viewpoints, then land on a perspective with clarity, confidence, and courage. In this conversation, that same clarity turns inward, toward family, fatherhood, identity, reinvention, and what it takes to build a life in your own voice. If you like interviews that move fast, go deep, and leave you thinking, press play. And as always a big thank you to RBC and RBC Wealth for all you do to allow me to share weekly stories of people who overcome circumstances to chase dreams and change their world and ours for the better. 

1/15/26 • 40:07

One of the greatest lessons I've been gifted as host of Chatter That Matters is seeing how much impact one individual can have when they choose purpose over comfort. This episode is a powerful reminder of that truth. At the centre is Tim Cormode, whose life changed during a moment of stillness alone on a glacier. That clarity led him to build Power to Be, using nature as a pathway to dignity, confidence, and possibility for people told their limits were fixed. Tim shares what two decades in the charitable sector taught him, not just about impact but about what is broken in how we give, from fear of risk to a scarcity mindset that holds good organizations back. That experience sparked his next chapter, Power to Give, a bold rethinking of philanthropy rooted in trust, shared resources, and treating generosity as the investment it truly is. From a kayak on the water to a small-town skate park that drew an unexpected visit from Tony Hawk, Tim's story shows what becomes possible when imagination meets action. The conversation then widens with Andrea Barrack, Senior Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and ESG at RBC. Andrea shares how RBC's new Purpose Framework is turning values into action. With a $2 billion commitment by 2035, RBC is focused on skills for a changing world and more equitable prosperity. If you believe impact is built by people, not slogans, and that purpose is found by doing, not saying, you will love this episode as much as I did making it.

1/8/26 • 44:06

I open my 2026 season with fireworks of positivity. One of the best Chatter that Matters yet. A human journey marked with humility, humour and extraordinary. Someone knuckles decided to knock on the door of opportunity.  What does a Dragon, Best Selling Author, a McDonald's drive-through, a beat-up pickup truck, and a simple multi-million-dollar question have in common? 1-800-GOT-JUNK? The one and only Brian Scudamore. Brian turned hauling junk into a $700 million empire by embracing a mindset he calls "WTF, willing to fail". His story is more than a business case study; it is a profoundly human one, marked by courage, doubt, family pressure, leadership missteps, and the power of seeing possibility where others see nothing. Brian shares how firing his entire team saved his company, why culture is the ultimate competitive moat, and how systems, not people, fail. He opens about the moment his accomplished father said, "I'm proud of you,". If you are an entrepreneur, a leader, a parent, someone young searching for their ladder to climb, or quietly wondering whether there is another path to follow, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. A special thanks and love to RBC for continuing to support the sharing of human stories that matter. Stories of ordinary becoming extraordinary. As you listen, and if you have young adults around, listen together and then ask yourself two questions that changed everything for Brian Scudamore. What if?  and Are you Willing to Fail? Happy New Year's, Everyone.  Thanks for listening, and here's to a fabulous 2026.

1/1/26 • 40:14

Dear Canada. It is now or never. In this fifteen-minute podcast, I state that we stand at a crossroads. A century ago, the world emerged from the trenches of war and the shadow of a brutal pandemic. The optimism of the Roaring Twenties gave way to recklessness. We gambled our destiny, left it to chance, and crashed in 1929. Prosperity built on illusion never lasts. Today, we face another critical time. The first quarter-century of this millennium has not been gentle, from the shock of 9/11, to the 2008 financial collapse, to pandemics, October 7, Ukraine, and a steady erosion of our freedoms. While other nations seized their decade, Canada lost theirs. This is not partisan politics. It is our lived reality. Look around at food insecurity, job uncertainty, unaffordability, unchecked crime, and antisemitism spilling into schools, malls, streets, and places of worship, often met with a shrug by those in power. A feeling of impossibility, massive cracks in our confederation, and the Western Provinces squeezed, yet abandoned. A decade of scathing Auditor General reports, with most buried in the shadows, without a flashlight in sight. I end my podcast by saying our story is not over. I read a letter to Mark Carney. Why? There is no doubt in my mind that our footloose and party-free style of democracy will give the Liberals a majority. The pen remains in his and our hands. Canadians can still choose destiny over chance, but only with courage, unity, and conviction. Mark Carney has to make a choice. Continue more of the same and risk the fracture of this country, or earn his place among our greatest Prime Ministers by changing our course. In my letter, I offer my thoughts on how. Champion ideas over ideology. Restore critical thinking, law and order, and stand firmly against antisemitism and all forms of hate. Pursue smart immigration that welcomes those who will enrich our nation while sharing our values and respect for one another. Recommit to true reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and rebuild bridges with the West so all feel part of a united Canada. And practice fiscal stewardship, because we cannot borrow our way to greatness. I even derail a $100 billion plan to connect Montreal and Ottawa with high-speed rail in favour of connecting Canadian IP and our resources to the world. R&D, Patents, Refurbished ports, Pipelines and more. Mark Carney, don't chase the comfort of ideology or the safety of a base. Choose Canada, all of Canada. If you do, history will remember your name. Canada, it's now or never. Tony Chapman

12/30/25 • 12:42

Our global food system is feeding more people than ever, yet some argue it is also making more people sick, more unequal, and more vulnerable. How did we get here, and more importantly, how do we change course? In this timely and deeply human conversation, global nutrition expert Dr. Stuart Gillespie joins Chatter that Matters to unpack the forces shaping what we eat, who profits, and who pays the price. Drawing on decades of frontline experience across India, Africa, and within the United Nations, Gillespie blends memoir and manifesto to expose the structural realities behind ultra-processed foods, corporate power, broken policy, and the growing tension between undernutrition and obesity worldwide. This is not a theoretical discussion. It is a grounded exploration of food justice, political will, activism, and the difficult trade-offs facing governments, industry, and consumers alike. Gillespie challenges the idea that individual choice alone can fix systemic problems, and makes a compelling case for coordinated, courageous action. The conversation expands to Canada's role in shaping the future of food, with insights from Lisa Ashton, Agricultural Policy Lead at RBC. She shares how Canada's agricultural strength, innovation capacity, and collaborative ecosystems can help drive healthier, more equitable food systems at home and globally. If you care about health, sustainability, equity, or the future we are building through the food we produce and consume, this episode will change how you see your plate. Listen now, and join the conversation about what comes next.   To purchase Dr. Gillespie's Book Food Fight:  https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/food-fight-from-plunder-and-profit-to-people-and-planet/9781443475297.html  

12/25/25 • 36:42

In this profoundly moving episode of Chatter That Matters, I sit down with Pierre Mousseau to talk about loss, grief, faith, and the long road back to meaning after tragedy. During the height of the pandemic, Pierre lost his 20-year-old son, Parker, after weeks of surgeries, setbacks, and moments that felt like miracles, followed by an impossible decision no parent should ever have to make. To say there is no more, to say goodbye to their child. Pierre speaks openly about watching his son fight, signing the papers to let him go, the guilt that followed, and the silence that filled every corner of his life afterward. He shares how grief became both his armour and his prison, how depression nearly claimed him too, and how a moment on a dark country road forced him to choose between ending his life and continuing it for those who still needed him. From the Ashes is not just a story of loss. It is a story of what can rise from it. Pierre reflects on rebuilding faith after anger and doubt, on unexpected moments of spiritual connection, and on how love, purpose, and responsibility reshaped his marriage, his leadership, and his view of what truly matters. He also speaks candidly about masculinity, vulnerability, and why men, especially, need permission to talk about grief instead of carrying it alone. This episode is for anyone searching for light after darkness. It is a reminder that while grief may never leave us, it need not define the end of our story. Sometimes, from the ashes, something meaningful can still grow.   To purchase the book: From the Ashes: A Father's Journey Through Grief, Grace and Faith https://a.co/d/a82HrgI  

12/18/25 • 34:28

Some people dream. Others help weave those dreams. This episode is about two women who refuse to separate the two. It begins with Karla Briones. Raised in an entrepreneurial family in Chihuahua, Mexico, her first business was a schoolyard candy empire at six years old. Then the drug cartels arrived. Threats followed. Friends disappeared. At eighteen, her family dismantled their entire life and drove nearly four thousand kilometres to Canada with no safety net, no jobs, no guarantees. What followed was survival. Credentials did not transfer. Her parents fell into depression. Karla became a provider before she had finished becoming a student. Three jobs. A new language. University. Failure. Grit. Then entrepreneurship again. Pet stores. Restaurants. Retail. Some worked. Some collapsed. All of them taught her the same lesson: everyone can use and benefit from a helping hand. That lesson eventually became Immigrant Entrepreneur Canada to help weave the dreams of others. One of the many who benefited is Lina Asmah, the Hot Pepper Lady.  From Ghana to Canada, Lina carried fire in both food and spirit. She works full-time. She farms. She grows over 160 varieties of peppers.  Her turning point came at a last-minute event she almost skipped. Karla spoke. Lina applied. She entered Immigrant Entrepreneur Canada and found something rare, a system that did not talk about immigrants as numbers, but as builders. She found mentors. She found clarity. She found momentum. She found her dream. Lina also named something most people feel but rarely say out loud: we listen to accents before we listen to ideas. Inside that community, she found her voice again. Immigration Entrepreneur Canada and Karla Briones are helping newcomers weave their dreams.   To find out more about Immigration Entrepreneur Canada:  https://www.immigrantentrepreneurcanada.ca    

12/11/25 • 44:05