I titled this episode of "Chatter That Matters" "Forever Young" and recorded it live at the Toronto Hunt Club. The idyllic setting alone adds a unique backdrop to a conversation that erupts with laughter and spontaneous applause. The man at the center of it is the master storyteller, the iconic Canadian editorial cartoonist and painter Andy Donato. Andy Donato is not just an artist; he's a force of immense character, and his character is woven into the very fabric of who he is, from his distinct...
Oct 13, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 147
The story begins when Mark Ferrier's father robs a bank, is arrested, and, in his sxites is put in Millhaven Maximum Security Prison to serve a five-year term. For decades, Mark buries this reality and wraps himself in a veneer, masking his insecurities and imposter syndrome with a persona of confidence and swagger. Mark gets married, raises two beautiful daughters, and is wildly successful as an entrepreneur. His path led him to the Young President's Organization and to Harvard where he earned ...
Oct 06, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 146
Step back in time to 1984. It's a pivotal year in the history of Canadian television — it's the year Much Music was born. In this episode of Chatter that Matters, we look at its fascinating journey and Canadian content that competed with the best in the world. Much Music was one of the first Canadian specialty channels; this ground-breaking concept emerged from the vision of two trailblazing individuals, Moses Znaimer and John Martin. Against all odds, with limited resources but boundless creati...
Sep 29, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 145
As a father of two wonderful girls, I have always asked - Why aren't more women in power? Only 10 percent of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies are women, and only 27 of the 193 countries in the world are led by women. I believe that if more women were in power, there would be less conquest and a dramatic shift in spending from the military to what matters - healthcare, humanity, education, fiscal responsibility and the health of our planet. My guest this week is Claire Shipman, a world-renowned Emmy...
Sep 22, 2023•49 min•Season 4Ep. 144
Arthur Smith shares excerpts from his book Reach - Hard Lessons and Earned Truths from a Lifetime in Television. Arthur talks about what it was like to work with Gordon Ramsay on Hell's Kitchen (excellent) and to try and convince Donald Trump to be part of a show. (not so excellent). Arthur also talks about his surprise hit American Ninja Warriors and many other behind-the-scenes stories, including Simon Cowell. Arthur Smith grew up as a shy kid surrounded by a wonderful family who believed in a...
Sep 15, 2023•49 min•Season 4Ep. 143
I loved talking with Deepa Mehta. I could have listened to her for hours, and I wish she could be my friend for life. Deepa is a citizen of the world, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker whose work is celebrated internationally and has played at every major film festival. Deepa has worked with George Lucas, yet often has turned down Hollywood to create emotionally resonating, award-winning cinema that matters to her and you and me. Born in India and an immigrant to Canada, Deepa is a visionary storytel...
Sep 08, 2023•40 min•Season 4Ep. 142
What if your health and even life was a matter of choice, not chance? Yuri Elkaim dreamed of a pro soccer career until his health deteriorated. Chronic fatigue and hair loss, followed by a seven-year search for answers, forced Yuri to make his health a matter of choice, not chance. As a teenager, Yuri Elkaim fixated his gaze and even touched on a professional soccer career due to his tireless work ethic and athletic ability. But health's betrayal shifted his focus. Chronic fatigue, pain and sudd...
Sep 01, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 141
This week on Chatter that Matters, Sheri Segal Glick talks about her memoir: 'The Skinny: My Messy, hopeful fight for full recovery from anorexia." Sheri's journey unfolds with unflinching honesty as she unmasks the hidden truth of eating disorders. Sheri takes us to the depths of her addiction, what she did to game the system, her lonely and even life-threatening hospital stays, her obsessive workouts, and most importantly, how she battled for decades but eventually found her way to defeat her ...
Aug 25, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 140
A 120-foot fall free-climbing almost cost Dov his life but freed him to pursue his calling. The search for meaning has been an obsession of Dov Baron from his earliest days. He was born in Northern England in abject poverty, surrounded by crime, violence, and addiction, and knew there must be more to life than suffering and abuse. Dov left his destructive environment to travel and study with some of the world's leading thinkers. He then parlayed his learning into founding and building companies ...
Aug 18, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 139
The Many Lives of Mama Love. A memoir of lying, stealing, writing and healing. This story will become a blockbuster movie or a must-watch Netflix series. My guest today is NY Times Best Selling author Lara Love Hardin, and her book The Many Lives of Mamma Love is her story. From the worst beginnings, and then addiction, and then theft and jail, is someone who ends up breaking bread with Oprah, meditating with the Dalai Lama, writing Desmond Tutu's book, and becoming a successful CEO. Picture a m...
Aug 11, 2023•40 min•Season 4Ep. 138
Biologist Dr. Manrique Prada and thought leader John Stackhouse joined me this week in an episode I titled two conversations with Mother Nature. Dr. Manrique Prada, a Ph.D. in biological science, stands as one of South America's most esteemed environmentalists. In his new book Voices of Mother Earth, Manrique shares his experiences living among the Xavante people—an indigenous tribe who lives off the land and in harmony with Mother Nature. Manrique imparts their wisdom of attentively listening t...
Aug 04, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 137
Peter Weissman. A journey marked by trauma, resilience, advocacy and two brothers. Two weeks ago, I shared the story of Eric Weissman who battled addiction to become an advocate for people experiencing homelessness. Today we celebrate his brother's inspiring journey. Peter Weissman's life turned upside down at four when his Mom left home to pursue her dream of becoming an artist, something she succeeded at. Peter's description of what he saw when his Mom died is so powerful. Peter's Russian immi...
Jul 28, 2023•40 min•Season 4Ep. 136
Would you remain optimistic if the cards of life are rarely dealt in your favour? This week's inspiring guest is Lindsay Ireland, who spent idyllic childhood summers in Vermont, riding horses, playing detective with her cousin, and living with her famous aunt and uncle, Jill Ireland and Charles Bronson, the action star of his day. Lindsay's world changed at age eleven when she noticed blood in her stool. At first, hiding it from her parents, things got worse, and she found herself confined to a ...
Jul 21, 2023•40 min•Season 4Ep. 135
Let me introduce my guest and his powerful story about transformation and triumph. Eric Weissman was a child living in a home marked by turbulence, trauma and aggression. Eric developed an insatiable appetite for consuming and selling drugs until addiction consumed him. He spent six years living nomadically and even on the street. Few break this cycle. He didn't just break it; Eric Weissman, PH.D.he is working to end this cycle. He is one of our country's advocates for change. An Associate Profe...
Jul 14, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 134
Kevin Newman: Learning how and where his son sought the truth was harder than finding the truth. Alex Newman: Finding answers in chat rooms versus the family room (felt safer). Until he came out to his family. This is one of my favourite interviews of all time. It brought back memories of my relationship with my father, which I describe in the opening. As I introduce my two guests, you will instantly know the voice of Kevin Newman, one of North America's most acclaimed journalists, but instead o...
Jul 07, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 133
In 1967 Canada was the world's ninth largest economy; today, it is seventeenth. Regarding income per person, we've fallen from third to fifteenth. What kind of Canada are we leaving our children? How do we avoid falling further behind? Join us for a special Canada Day podcast recorded at the prestigious Toronto Hunt Club. I interviewed three authors who wrote "Everybody's Business: How to Ensure Canadian Prosperity Through the Twenty-First Century." You will hear from the charismatic Dany Assaf,...
Jun 30, 2023•53 min•Season 4Ep. 132
Nicole Bourque-Bouchier's journey from humble beginnings to RBC's 2022 Women of Influence - CEO Excellence Award Winner . Hailing from a lineage of trappers, Nicole Bourque-Bouchier claims her indigenous and entrepreneurial roots to be a role model to her family and community while building Bouchier into one of the largest indigenous-owned companies with revenues of $150 million, 1000 employees and 400 heavy equipment vehicles. Nicole intimately shares her family's transformative journey from th...
Jun 23, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 131
Being a father was the most magical thing in Garry Junkuhn's life. He could never have imagined that he would lose contact with his two sons for over three years when his girlfriend moved in with him. His pain was akin to four wild horses tearing him apart. Garry's life unravelled further when he learned from a school email that his older son had changed his last name to his mother's surname. However, amidst the darkness, a glimmer of hope emerged. A mentor stepped into Garry's life, urging him ...
Jun 16, 2023•40 min•Season 4Ep. 130
Can pressure be your superpower? Can it be the wind at your back instead of a suffocating weight on your shoulders? My guest today is Dane Jensen, the CEO of Third Factor, an acclaimed speaker, an instructor at Queen's University and the University of North Carolina, a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review and author of The Power of Pressure. Dane has an incredible way with words, and he talks about what he learned about pressure from discussions with Olympic athletes, Navy Seals, o...
Jun 09, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 129
Imagine this. Your name is Steph Catudal. You are a young teenager, and you adore your Dad. He can do one-arm pushups and entertain a crowd, and when you have a terrible asthma attack, he calms you down. One day you hear the first of many horrible coughs and soon learn he is dying of lung cancer. His death tears at your soul, and you become rebellious and angry; try to escape with substances and replace your father with a relationship with an older man. Years later, you meet the love of your lif...
Jun 02, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 128
I first heard Shabana Basij-Rasikh share her moving story on 60 Minutes, and I knew I had to have her on Chatter that Matters. You will soon hear why National Geographic named her their Explorer of the Year. Shabana calls herself an ordinary Afghan woman, but I see her as a hero of immense courage and fortitude and one of the many brave women defying the tyrannical rule of the Taliban. What we take for granted, Shabana and others risked their lives for. At age 6, defying the Taliban's desire to ...
May 26, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 127
Wendy Murphy lost the use of her legs in a car accident. What she found was her life's calling. Prepare to be inspired by the remarkable story of Wendy Murphy, who transformed personal tragedy into triumph and used positivity for the benefit of society. Powerful lessons for all await. Wendy takes us on a heartfelt journey through her life, which began as someone who approached life three steps at a time. In 1984, at seventeen, her life changed instantly due to a tragic car accident. Wendy lost h...
May 19, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 126
In honour of Mother's Day, I'd like to share the inspiring story of Dr. Suzanne Vickberg. Despite divorcing her husband twelve years ago, she still lives with him, their children, and his new wife - not as a 'Jerry Springer' spectacle, but as a testament to the idea that divorce doesn't have to be devastating and that family comes first. For Dr. Vickberg, her divorce wasn't a failure but an opportunity to find a new way forward. She refused to limit herself to the binary choice of staying or lea...
May 12, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 125
This an extraordinary success story with so much added value if you are involved with Brands, Marketing, Media, an Entrepreneur, and even a Parent or Consumer. Joe Gagliese, the co-founder and CEO of a digital and social innovation agency, Viral Nation, is one of the most impressive entrepreneurs I have ever talked with. Joe is innovative, insightful, informative, and inspiring. In seven years, his agency has become a global disruptor in the marketing world. Viral Nation has raised $250 million ...
May 05, 2023•49 min•Season 4Ep. 124
' My Mom was at home when I left .' I have two asks. The first is that you stay with this interview as it unfolds. There are so many layers, and out of the ashes rises a remarkable human spirit. My second is that as you listen, imagine you are my guest, Shelly Edwards Jorgensen. You are the child driving up to your family home after a high school basketball practice, and you see it being consumed by fire. And at that moment, you know that your mom is dead, inside the home, and not by fire but by...
Apr 28, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 123
My chat with Siila Watt-Cloutier so moved me, and she made me think differently. For example, she believes that the trauma we are going through as a Planet and Human Species are the same, and so is the path to healing. If she were sitting down with me today, I would ask: If everything on this Planet is interconnected, does that mean we all feel the loss when a species goes extinct, or a fire consumes a forest? You will also have many questions as Silla Watt-Cloutier will open your mind to our pl...
Apr 21, 2023•49 min•Season 4Ep. 122
Looking for a better life, Timea Nagy is lured by an international sex trafficking ring. Timea Nagy was 20 years old and hoping to escape a childhood of trauma and abuse. She answered a newspaper ad in Budapest, Hungary, calling for young women to work as babysitters and housekeepers in Canada. On the flight over, her dreams were big, and her hopes soared. But from the moment she landed in Canada, her story went from bad to worse. The ad was a front for international human sex traffickers. The a...
Apr 14, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 121
This episode with one of today's most influential thinkers will leave you thinking more. Professor Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. He is also an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, a Humanist of the Year, a recipient of nine honorary doctorates, one of Foreign Policy's "World's Top 100 Public Intellectuals" and Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World Today." Profess...
Apr 07, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 120
This story has all the markings of Rocky, the story of a struggling, small-time boxer and debt collector, Rocky Balboa, who gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fight the world's heavyweight champion and when he wins, finds himself, and becomes the symbol of hope and inspiration. In this case, instead of boxing gloves, it was drumsticks. As a child, James Laughlin didn't fit in. He grew up in Northern Ireland with parents of opposing religions and a world he dreamed of escaping each time a p...
Mar 31, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 119
A sold-out event at the Toronto Hunt Club, ending with a loud and sustained standing ovation for my guest Steve Paikin, the anchor of the flagship current affairs program, The Agenda. I was so happy with this interview that I brought it to Chatter that Matters. Steve Paikin is a recipient of the Order of Canada, an author, a documentary producer, and one of Canada's most admired journalists. We cover so much ground and with so much laughter. We learn about Steve's upbringing, the values he learn...
Mar 24, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 118
