Do you ever find that some people have a smile that is so contagious, it makes you smile? That's how I felt when I came across Cassie Day on Instagram. A bunch of people I knew were connected to Cassie, and immediately I felt like I needed to know more about her. She's a personal trainer, holistic nutritionist, and corporate wellness expert. This hasn't always been her reality. Although she played competitive hockey for over 13 years, she didn't always work in fitness. Before this path, she work...
Jul 18, 2017•58 min
It's funny how your life can change in a instant. Charles 'Chaz' Hutton, also known as Insta Chaz, was working as an architect when he started uploading his stick drawings to Instagram. He didn't really think anything of it. Just that his friends liked his cartoons. All of his drawings cleverly depict his own life musings. He originally was drawing for his friends amusement, which he would post in a chat group while bored at work - it was never meant to be a launching pad for a new career. Withi...
Jul 11, 2017•50 min
I love coming across stories of people who are giving back to their communities. And that's exactly what a group of friends in Melbourne are doing with their unique social enterprise known as HoMie . The idea for the not-for-profit actually arose based on one of the Co-founders sheer curiosity in wanting to know the stories of those he saw on the streets. From there, Marcus and Nick started a Facebook page called Homelessness in Melbourne and began sharing pictures and stories of those they woul...
Jul 04, 2017•55 min
Sometimes 24 hours in a day is just not enough time to get everything done. And after a full days work, and other commitments, the last thing you probably feel like doing is hitting up a busy grocery store for food. That's exactly how Julian Gleizer - founder of Instabuggy - felt after working 12-15 hr days while building his business. He felt he could create a better and more efficient experience for shoppers and so he launched a 1hr delivery service. All customers have to do, is type in their ...
Jun 27, 2017•42 min
Leaving a cushy paying job that you like and jumping into the unknown, is probably one of the hardest things to do. No longer do you have stability or a paycheque. It's all up to you to succeed. There were times at the beginning that Danielle would hide her side hustle from the world. Packing the gum boots and shipping them to customers in the evening or on her lunch break, while still working her 9-5 job. She wasn't a hundred percent sure what was going to come of Merry People ; but she knew sh...
Jun 20, 2017•54 min
Imagine feeling like you just didn't belong or that your stories weren't being heard? You'd almost feel invisible and ultimately, that would leave you with a sense of disconnect to your community. For Gracia Dyer Jalea and her six co-founders, they wanted the Toronto Ward Museum to accurately share stories of immigrants who moved to Toronto and helped build the multi-cultural landscape that exists today. Having come from immigrant backgrounds, they understand the challenges and disconnect all to...
Jun 13, 2017•58 min
Make sure you have dreams that are bigger than yourself. Live passionately and chase after them with everything you have. Those are just some of the beliefs that Cam Greenwood expressed in this epic interview. As the founder of one of the fastest growing surf brands in the world, he lives his life with no limits and is constantly trying to push himself past what he thinks is possible. At only 18, he quit school to pursue his 'hobby' full time, of designing and building surf boards. With a big dr...
Jun 06, 2017•58 min
Ever thought of packing it all in and starting a completely different life, that goes against everything society ever expected from you? Well for Kit and J.R of Idle Theory Bus , they've definitely decided to take the road less traveled. And they've rarely looked back. After working long hours at jobs they sometimes liked and other times loathed, they decided it was time for a big change. Something that would shake up the very foundation they were taught to believe in. It's almost been six years...
May 30, 2017•57 min
Rosa Halpern grew up drawing and designing things as a kid. So going into fashion wasn't a stretch of the imagination. But instead of going the traditional route of studying at Parsons or FIT, Rosa decided to go to the Art Institute of Chicago. The interdisciplinary nature of her education encouraged a more conceptual approach to design and fashion, which helped to launch her unique brand known as Namesake . Like a lot of my guests, Rosa didn't set out to be her own boss right away. She actually...
May 23, 2017•52 min
Elise got her first taste of travel on a Contiki tour and never looked back. She was bit by the travel bug. But that also meant that she wasn't suited for the 9-5 lifestyle and being chained to a desk job for the rest of her life. The travel bug meant that she needed to figure out how to create a life that incorporated her passion for travel, while also sustaining her financially. And that wasn't easy. But like most driven individuals, she was determined to succeed. And when a friend of hers put...
May 16, 2017•54 min
Jonathan Phair never really got the whole "yoga" thing. That was until his wife, Queenie, suggested he give it a try. And at first he didn't like it. He makes it very clear that yoga - like anything else- takes time to get good at. It doesn't happen overnight. For Queenie, her journey to becoming a yogi was a bit different. She was never a very active individual. She couldn't even touch her toes. But when a family member opened up his own yoga studio, she started practicing on a regular basis an...
May 09, 2017•1 hr 1 min
Mary was always interested in fashion. She was often looked at as a bit of an outsider growing up, because when everyone was interested in sports or playing outside, Mary was designing her own clothes and interested in everything having to do with fashion. Fast forward a few years, and Mary now has her own signature line of lingerie and loungewear for women under her own brand - Mary Young. She's fairly new on the fashion scene, having only been around for three years now; but she is definitely ...
May 02, 2017•55 min
From a chance encounter, to building an international brand; Stephanie Ciccarrelli has made a name for herself in the Canadian entrepreneurial space. Partly by accident. She was looking to get a vocal demo tape done after University, as she was hoping to one day break into the music scene as a recording artist. But instead, the sound engineer that ran the recording studio her mother had found in the local paper, ended up becoming her future husband and ultimately, business partner. Together they...
Apr 25, 2017•1 hr 7 min
Have you ever met someone in your life that just leaves such a profound impression on you? Someone who you feel could probably move mountains? Well in my opinion, Erik Weihenmayer is one of those people. At an early age, Erik went completely blind due to a rare condition and it changed the course of his life. He had to re-learn how to do practically everything- while starting high school. There were tough times and struggles along the way; but he remained determined and pushed through any limita...
Apr 18, 2017•1 hr 3 min
I'm sure we've all at least done one internship in our lifetime. But imagine doing 15 internships - while still in University. That's exactly what Lauren Berger did and her friends coined her The Intern Queen. Which subsequently led her to start her own business. After taking on so many intern roles with a variety of communications, PR and media companies, Lauren gained her fair share of knowledge and experience. She learned how to make a name for herself, network with others, stand out from the...
Apr 11, 2017•1 hr 6 min
Have you ever hated being singled out in a big group? Now imagine you have a learning disability or something that makes you so different from other kids growing up, that they bully you or tease you because you aren't "normal." Peter Joynt experienced this a lot as a kid. Luckily he says, he was a big kid, who didn't let bully's push him around; but there's no doubt, words hurt and they're hard to forget. He used humour and a love for music to build relationships with others and vowed to never l...
Apr 04, 2017•58 min
Did you know what you wanted to be when you were younger? I definitely did not. One day I wanted to drive a school bus, the next day I wanted ten kids and a limo. For Erin Bury, Managing Director of Eighty Eight Agency , she always knew she wanted to be in marketing and complete a journalism degree. From an early age, she would have discussions around the dinner table with her mom about marketing strategies and different campaign ideas. When it came time for Erin to graduate from University, she...
Mar 28, 2017•1 hr 10 min
Have you ever started a fitness routine, only to fall off a few weeks - or heck- a few days later? And don't you just want to find others who can help you stay motivated and accountable to your personal fitness goals? Well, now there's an App that can help make all your wishes come true. Laura Davidson is the founder of the social fitness app known as Whistle. She created it out of her own personal struggle to stay motivated with her fitness goals. She always found herself getting obsessed with ...
Mar 21, 2017•53 min
Komal Ahmad didn't set out to be the CEO of a company destined to change the world. She always wanted to help others and make an impact; but in a completely different way. She was actually studying to be a naval doctor, when her world was thrown upside down- in a great way. One day, as she was walking to the University of Berkeley's campus, she noticed a man sitting on the side of the road begging for food. This struck a chord with her and instead of giving him money, she decided to take him for...
Mar 14, 2017•52 min
Let's get real for a moment. None of us REALLY know what we are doing with our lives. But the ones who look like they're having the most fun, took risks to get to where they are. Lauren McPhillips is one of those people. If you follow her on social media, you'd think she's got this dream life. All the perfect pictures. Gallivanting all over the world. Eating at the best restaurants and consuming copious amount of coffee. It's true, it looks perfect. But it hasn't been easy. Before starting This ...
Mar 07, 2017•49 min
More often than not, we spend a lot of our early adult years trying to figure out what we want to do with our lives. But it really wasn't until Jared Sternberg began studying law in his mid-twenties, that he realized there was a bigger passion inside of him. One where he could travel and share his passion for helping historically underrepresented peoples and their environment with others. He made the difficult decision to leave a law degree in human rights and the environment, so that he could l...
Feb 28, 2017•52 min
Are you a planner or someone who loves to fly by the seat of your pants? Consider this: maybe not having a plan isn't such a bad thing... If Andrea Lui followed what she was good at in school, she would have ended up as an accountant. Moral of that story - what you are good at, doesn't need to be your life's work unless you love it. She decided to take a very different path, which led her on some amazing adventures around the world, and a successful career in acting, and now pole performance. Bu...
Feb 21, 2017•59 min
Not everyone needs to be like Tiger Woods and start a sport at the age of two. Sure, that might give you an advantage, or leg up on your future opponents; but sometimes, all it takes to make it to the top in your sport, is talent and an obscene amount of dedication. My next guest is a pro wakeboarder on the women's circuit and she's a prime example of what dedication, resilience and focus can get you. Erika Langman picked up the sport at the age of 15. She spent her childhood on the lake at her ...
Feb 14, 2017•42 min
Are you an adventure seeker? Someone who's always looking for that next thrill, new experience or trip of a life-time? Rarely satisfied with the status quo? Then you'll definitely relate to Mike Brcic. He's an entrepreneur, speaker, adventure-seeker, and founder of a world renowned mountain bike company, known as Sacred Rides . Years ago, after finishing his University degree, he was left with a nagging feeling that he didn't want to work in the field he just studied for four years. Instead, the...
Feb 07, 2017•1 hr 6 min
It wasn't always about connection and collaboration for Joanna Waterfall. Before founding The Yellow Conference and Yellow/Co. - which started as a yearly event to bring together creative women with businesses designed to do good in the world- she was burned out and tired of competition as a graphic designer. What she did notice during this time in her life, was that she was constantly meeting other women who were inspiring her to be more creative and heart centered. She would meet them through ...
Jan 31, 2017•43 min
Taking care of yourself is the number one thing that often get's pushed to the way side when we become busy with our daily lives. And yet, if our health starts to fail in anyway, other aspects of our lives will surely crumble. Holistic nutritionist, entrepreneur, author and speaker - Joy McCarthy , knows all too well what it feels like to be unhealthy. For years, she suffered with digestive issues, hormonal imbalance and anxiety. The struggle to find out what was actually at the root of her prob...
Jan 24, 2017•43 min
I'm sure we would all love to find that one thing that lights us up and gets us excited each day. Maria Russo can confidently say she found her purpose after starting her own non-profit called Humanity Unified International in Rwanda with her husband. Like most entrepreneurs, getting to this point wasn't a straight line and it wasn't an overnight decision. She spent most of her 20's going from job to job, exploring different interests and realizing quite quickly, that working on celebrity conten...
Jan 17, 2017•54 min
It's one thing to move to a new country; but it's a totally different ball game when you try and create a company in that new environment. Having grown up on the other side of the world, only knowing a few people in Canada, Emile created Aussie X with his Co-founder, Kaela Bree (from scratch) with the vision of bringing Australian sports into the Canadian school systems to inspire kids to get active. And that was just the beginning. In 2015, they re-launched their company under the banner of XMo...
Jan 10, 2017•1 hr 6 min
Does the word 'stylesmith' mean anything to you? I'm guessing probably not. But you may know what a 'smith' is - like a blacksmith or a gunsmith. Well, two female entrepreneurs are putting a spin on the word and focusing in on the stylist experience when it comes to online shopping. They're basically your modern day go-to shoppers, who help you figure out which body type you are and then do the shopping for you by hunting down the latest styles and trends to suit your shape. Their partnership fo...
Jan 03, 2017•48 min
As we all know, life is not a straight path. It pretty much resembles a windy road, without an end in sight a lot of the time. Often it can be very unpredictable, a little scary and full of unexpected turns. But I suppose that's what makes it exciting, as well. My next guest understands change very well. Her original plan was to be a teacher. But when she accomplished that goal, and spent some time working in that field, Alexis quickly realized that wasn't her career aspiration after all. With a...
Dec 27, 2016•45 min
