Five dollars and a dream. In 1927, a 24-year-old Hungarian named Andrew Peller sails into Halifax. He knows no English, has five dollars in his pocket, but he dreams of building a better life. For the next 34 years, Andrew proves he is a gifted entrepreneur. He makes a fortune, but a bad investment has him lose everything in his late fifties. Andrew finds the capital and energy to rebuild when many are contemplating retirement. He bases his new business on believing that Canadians are ready to a...
Jun 25, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 27
I don't know what you were doing at 15, but for me it was hanging out with my friends. I had dreams and ambitions but they were confined to my world, and not conquering the world. With the Tokyo Olympics around the corner, I chat with Penny Oleksiak. Penny became the first Canadian to win four medals in the same Summer Olympic Games and Canada's youngest Olympic champion. The irony is that when she was qualifying to represent Canada, she was hoping for an alternative spot on the relay team versu...
Jun 18, 2021•38 min•Season 4Ep. 26
Drinking from a firehose is how to describe my interview with Bob Lefsetz. Bob has been labelled a music guru and critic but I see him more as a cultural anthropologist who studies this intersection between music, culture, life, technology and era. Bob Lefsetz authors the Lefsetz Letters. I am a fan of how he thinks and writes so on a lark I sent him an email inviting him on the show. The way Bob Lefsetz breaks down the decades from the fifties to the present is must-listen content. This episode...
Jun 10, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 25
Is social media a weapon of mass destruction? Is it undermining democracy, pulling people to the fringe, fueling hatred and torching the middle ground? Is conventional media any different? Is there any trust left in the news we digest and the stories that populate our feed? There is no one better to answer these questions than Kirstine Stewart, one of the most influential individuals in media. Kirstine is Canadian, brilliant, a high achiever with a career earned through extraordinary accomplishm...
Jun 04, 2021•43 min•Season 4Ep. 24
In my retrospective show, the microphone is turned, and David Trafford joins me as the host. Dave asks me about the original intent of the show, my favourite characters, some special moments and the lessons learned. In 15 months we have produced a podcast every week, a prime time radio show, and weekend radio show since last fall, with commitments in place to continue throughout 2021. All of this is possible because of the unwavering support of RBC. They have provided me with guidance, experts, ...
May 31, 2021•41 min•Season 4Ep. 23
I wasn't sure how my radio audience would react to Mark Brand . It turns out they loved him. Mark's background includes drugs, alcohol, nights on the street, and because of all he is unapologetic, unabashed, and unforgiving. Mark is a force of human nature and the founder of Better Life Foundation . He uses capitalism and being a restaurant operator as his platform to arm himself as a justice warrior. His innovative approach to breathing life into struggling neighbourhoods is being studied and a...
May 28, 2021•38 min•Season 4Ep. 22
Joe Pine, one of the thought leaders of modern-day capitalism offers fresh thinking on how you lead, market, sell, teach, engage and create memories that last a lifetime, through experiences that matter. In 1999 by Joe Pine and Jim Gilmour published the Experience Economy, Work is Theatre, and Every Business is a Stage. Today it is considered one of the top 100 business books of all time. This book changed my life, and what Joe Pine shares with you today about his new thinking might change how y...
May 21, 2021•38 min•Season 4Ep. 21
Michael McCain is an incredible human being, and a dear friend. I admire Michael as a father, philanthropist, passionate Canadian, and one of our most respected leaders. Michael has, what I believe, is the answer to the future of capitalism. A sharp and relentless focus on shared values where every stakeholder, including Planet Earth, has a seat at the table, versus shareholder value where one wins over the other. An organization that is driven by a higher purpose than profit. This isn't a missi...
May 14, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 20
Today, in honour of Mothers Day, I am putting all women on a pedestal for everything you do to nurture, protect, mentor, care, lead, create and contribute to a better world. I begin by first talking about my Mom, who left us over thirty years ago, but whose examples and character I still lead my life with. My first guest is an extraordinary human being. Michelle DiEmanuele is the President and CEO of Trillium Health Partners , one of North America's leading and respected community-based acute ca...
May 07, 2021•37 min•Season 4Ep. 19
Benjamin Saxe's earliest memory is as a four-year-old boy living in the slums of San Jose in Costa Rica with his drug-addicted Mom, and she often abandons him for weeks at a time. Benjamin's only focus is survival and doing what he can to keep his Mom alive. Benjamin's dire situation changes one day. The Pauper became the Prince when a wealthy family adopts him. Benjamin describes himself as a street animal or urchin but one who embarks on a journey of triumph. Benjamin has an affinity for creat...
Apr 30, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 18
In a special Earth Day tribute, I take you back to 1970 and the two significant events that led to the creation of a day honouring our planet. We then fast forward to 2050, where the population of the earth tops 10 billion. We then travel back to today, where I ask three people an essential question. Do we have the ability to feed our people and sustain our planet? Michael McCain is the CEO of Maple Leaf Foods. He is on a quest to make his company the most sustainable protein company on earth an...
Apr 23, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Dan Ariely's life, as a teenager, changed in a flash. Dan was living in Israel when he was caught in an explosion. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a burn ward, his home for the next three years. Dan described his life there as a 'side actor'. His friends moved on with their lives, while his life and every decision involving his treatment were no longer his to control. As he dealt with his horrific pain Dan came to the conclusion that so many of the decisions on how patients w...
Apr 16, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 16
You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. CS Lewis. Jennifer Menard-Shand is living proof of this quote, and her incredible and at times heart-wrenching story of turning impossibility into possibility will inspire you. Jennifer lives a happy childhood until her parents divorced. Stability turned into instability as her Mother chased her demons, chooses a series of abusive partners, and kept disrupting any hope of normality by always moving...
Apr 09, 2021•38 min•Season 4Ep. 15
A must-listen podcast for aspiring entrepreneurs, startups, students, and anyone who values creativity and ideas. I also encourage anyone looking to make or is making a meaningful career or life change. Why? This is a story of five people who gave up all they had to chase their dream inside the nightmare of COVID. A year ago, a supergroup emerged when five individuals, each at the top of the game, lept off their career ladder to form Broken Heart Love Affair. Bev Hammond, Denise Rossetto, Todd M...
Apr 02, 2021•46 min•Season 4Ep. 14
I don't know if you are born with talent, but it pours through Harry Connick Jr's veins. At age three, he performs for smiles; by age nine, Harry is recording an album and plays the Piano Concerto No. 3 Opus 37 of Beethoven with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra , and by the end of his teens, he is in New York with his first record deal. Harry Connick Jr has sold over 16 million albums and has won over audiences with his recorded and live music, acting in moves, television and performing on Bro...
Mar 26, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Cybercrime is a $6 trillion dollar industry, bigger than all other crime combined. Data breaches are happening every day. Data is the new oil, and it's mined to shape how you think, feel and behave. Can anything be done? Two world-renowned thought leaders Dr. Ann Cavoukian and Adam Evans give you a tour of cyberspace and then offer you actionable and exceptional strategies you can do to create a moat, and stronger walls to protect your privacy, data and assets.
Mar 19, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Chris Hadfield's floated in the most peculiar way when he performed his poignant rendition of Bowie's Space Oddity from the International Space Station. It captured 45 million views and David Bowie tweeted to Chris-'Hallo Spaceboy'. Chris is a renaissance man who effortlessly floats between science, music, space, humanity and being a best-selling author who is also releasing his first non-fiction book - The Apollo Murders. Most of us dream, but what separates Chris from most is how he chases his...
Mar 12, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 11
"I honestly believe that my best work is in front, not behind me. I am driven by a deep passion and need to make a difference and leave this world a little better than when I arrived. That's what keeps me going. Rick Hansen. Chatter that Matters is a national radio show and podcast that radiates positivity and possibilities. I share stories of ordinary people who do extraordinary things despite circumstances. Their life lessons inspire us to be more and do more and help us get to where we need, ...
Mar 05, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 10
This week on Chatter that Matters, I chat with Mario Mikowski, a force of nature in the field of sustainable tourism. Mario is the third generation of a family who has made their living creating unique hotels in Costa Rica. His Great Uncle, inspired by President Kennedy's visit, built the landmark Hotel Presidente in San Jose, Costa Rica. His Dad, an entrepreneur erupting with ideas, created Tabacon Therma Resort and Spa, situated at an active Volcano base. And Mario continues with Nantipa, a bo...
Feb 25, 2021•21 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Incredible takeaways for all, as we all have self-doubt. In my Chatter that Matters podcast, I ask people whom I admire to tell me one word that matters most, and why. What word would you choose? We then talk about how this word influences choices, the paths you pursue, and who you are and why you matter. We garner Life Lessons that we can all apply to help us get to where we need and want to go. In this episode, I chat with Dimple Mukherjee , an Occupational Therapist focusing on positive psych...
Feb 18, 2021•21 min•Season 4Ep. 8
It's not even 5:00 am and my day is special and so very alive. When I interview a guest I am hyper-focused on the delicate balance of questions, flow and above all listening generously. I have no idea how it will all sound until the final edit. I can tell you that I am so moved, energized and enlightened by Rocco's words and wisdom. I could easily have steered the conversation to talk about Rocco's career and all the advice that can come from someone who has accomplished so much in both the for-...
Feb 11, 2021•30 min
Learn from one of the best on how to create your personal brand, and then let the world know. Why should you listen to this episode? Sometimes for a moment, and other times for what seems like a lifetime, most of us have been unfulfilled and searching for change. Bobby Umar , decided to change his life, and his process for doing so can be applied to others searching for Fulfillment. Bobby's choice was to become a motivational speaker. Today Bobby's social influence is over 500,000. A 5 times Ted...
Feb 05, 2021•16 min
In my new series, Word Matters, I ask guests to identify what word matters most to them and then why. We then look at how this word has influenced their choice, help them overcome challenges, and purpose a path with purpose. Did you watch the show Mad Men that ran on AMC networks? 2007 - 2015. It was a period piece about a fictional advertising agency. Man Men was a slang term coined by people who worked in the NY Advertising scene as many of the shops made their home on Madison Avenue. I loved ...
Jan 28, 2021•19 min
Jon Love is one of the world's most successful and respected builders and leaders. Jon offers several 'drop the mic' insights and ideas in this podcast. (Bring pen and paper) Jon chooses the word OFFENSE, as his word that matters and shares how we can all apply this mindset to counter the relentless storm of negativity. Jon shares early memories of his father and why relationships breathe life into purpose, pursuit and humanity. Jon offers his thoughts on how not to follow in the footsteps of a ...
Jan 22, 2021•20 min
RELENTLESS matters to Sulemaan Ahmed In WORDS MATTERS, I interview people I admire and then ask them for the word that matters most and why. We then look at how this word influences their choices, their life and their career to discover life lessons we can all apply to help us get to where we need and deserve to go. In this episode, I chat with Sulemaan Ahmed, a gifted entrepreneur, a loving Father and Partner, and someone who is relentless in uncovering the truth, overcoming diversity and makin...
Jan 14, 2021•16 min
In my new series, I ask people that I admire, what word matters most to them. It's a simple question but not one that's easy to answer. In this episode, I chat with Anthony Longo, the CEO of Longo's, one of the most exciting food retailers on the planet. Longos is a family business that treats everyone - their customers, employees, and vendors, like family. Anthony talks about the Italian word VOGLIA. In English, it means to crave or desire, an appropriate word for a food impresario and a fantas...
Jan 08, 2021•21 min
Chat Bites are bite-sized podcasts. In each one, I focus on a word and why I feel it matters to your life and livelihood. In this episode, I take you back to when I spent a qualifying year at Carlton University. I took an English Literature Course, and we studied Utopia and Dystopia. My end of term assignment was to write a short story on one world or the other. I had an idea that I wanted to express and then have you think about- that neither civilization was attainable or acceptable, and that ...
Dec 29, 2020•10 min
What if what happens to you changes your life for the worse, twice, and forever? At age 27, Mitchell , a former US Marine, has a great job in San Francisco, achieved his first solo flight as part of his pilot training and is heading back home on his brand new motorcycle. Tragedy strikes when a truck sideswipes Mitchell, turning into a horrific accident where his gas tank explodes. Mitchell describes it as being a human bonfire and wakes up in the hospital badly burned, face permanently, disfigur...
Nov 27, 2020•38 min
We didn't have a lot of money growing up or a family car, so sports was always pickup. It didn't shut down my imagination. Even under a streetlight in ball hockey, I was Guy Lafleur scoring the overtime goal or on a field, Joe Theismann throwing the winning pass. We played golf at the back of our high school with a course that included four holes and hours spent looking for balls the victim of errant shots. I always wondered what it would be to play at the highest level and be one who went from ...
Nov 20, 2020•38 min
Lest we Forget, how can I forget what I can't imagine? I watch war movies and documentaries, read books, but I have never seen, felt or experienced being in the military. I can't imagine being in a combat situation, where you share a collective goal with your enemy, to kill or be killed. Or your home is a trench of cold, wet mud, and your vista, a web of barbed wire with the same intention a spider has to catch a fly? Or the sounds of a shower of bullets heading your way, or the scream of a bomb...
Nov 13, 2020•38 min
