Terry O'Reilly is the host of Under the Influence, one of the most popular radio shows and podcasts on the planet. Terry gives the public a rare backstage pass into the world of advertising, pop culture and human nature. Today I turn the tables to get a rare backstage pass into the life of Terry O'Reilly. The advice he offers you is a masterclass in getting the attention your career and ideas deserve. Here are Terry's opening thoughts. 'You see the study of human nature is the business of market...
Aug 26, 2021•42 min•Season 4Ep. 36
The Walt Disney Company should turn Zahra Al-Hazari's story into an animated story to inspire children and a full feature film to inspire all of us. Zahra is one of our country's most successful entrepreneurs, but her path to finding purpose, happiness, and success is one few have travelled. A refugee, an immigrant, and a journey of resilience, reinvention and fortitude. Zahra is treating life not as a dress rehearsal but as one worth living. A speaker, philanthropist, UN Ambassador, Top 25 Immi...
Aug 19, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 35
Future proof your career and business. Will your be able to march in step or even step ahead of disruption? When it comes to your questions about leadership, talent, culture and most importantly the future of your work, people turn to Steve Cadigan. Steve has been at the forefront of global talent strategy and company culture for the past 30 years. Most famous for scaling Linkedin from 400 to 4000 in 3.5 years, Steve also led the development of LI’s legendary company culture and was at the helm ...
Aug 13, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 34
What often matters most to us and how we think, feel and behave, are the numbers. We look to weather reports to determine our activities, a scale to motivate a diet, a report card to seek a tutor and housing prices, walking scores, and crime rates to identify desirable neighbourhoods. Polls shape how we vote and policyholders, strategists, decision-makers and entrepreneurs seek the truth through strength in numbers. Numbers matter and John Dick and his company Civic Science are challenging the s...
Aug 05, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 33
Feel good Friday. Esie Mensah is my guest this week on Chatter that Matters. Her art, her attitude, her approach to life and her ability to tell stories are truly extraordinary. Esie's passion is dance, but she was often turned down because she was too black, even compared to other dancers of colour. She chose to become too good to turn down. This confidence and commitment to her capabilities led her to develop her own dance style - Afro-Fusion which caught the attention and then collaboration w...
Jul 29, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 32
Tragedy to Triumph and the inspirational lessons in between. Born to a teenage drug addict, abused as a child, and raped at fourteen would stop most in their tracks if not derail you for life but not Victoria Pelletier. Her story is one of being unstoppable, of seizing opportunity wherever and whenever it presented itself. Victoria's mantra is #noexcuses. Victoria became a retail store manager in her mid-teens and was offered her first Executive Leadership Position by her early twenties. Victori...
Jul 23, 2021•38 min•Season 4Ep. 31
A true and moving story that will first bring tears to your eyes then joy to your heart while filling your knapsack with invaluable life lessons on impermanence, perspective, personal power, and turning your possibility into action. Robert Pardi shouldn't be grateful, but he is. Robert grew up with a father who physically abused him. Years later, Desiree, the love of his life, passed away after battling breast cancer for eleven years. At that point, Robert lost all concepts of purpose, direction...
Jul 16, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 30
Gil Moore is my guest, and I chose the word Triumph for two reasons. The first is how he approaches life as an entrepreneur and a renaissance man when it comes to education. It's also a play on words as Gil is the drummer and one of the vocalists in the band, Triumph, who broke into the USA market, but broke up at their peak when they were selling out stadiums, and their records played worldwide. We chat about Triumph's rise to fame and the reasons behind their breakup, and that alone is a great...
Jul 09, 2021•38 min•Season 4Ep. 29
After chatting with Sandi Boucher, I realize how little I know about the Indigenous Culture and how much better I would be as a human being if I valued what they value. I suppose that is true across every culture. Imagine if we opened our minds and hearts to others and see people who are foreign to our way of life as an opportunity to enrich versus isolate ourselves. If we did we would be a better human race, with the resolve to reconcile our differences and solve the problems that even threaten...
Jul 02, 2021•38 min•Season 4Ep. 28
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
