Lisa joined me from Montreal, diving into what it's like to be a journalist who steps forward to cover the stories that must be told. She's a journalist and editor with nearly two decades of professional experience in the Middle East, New York City, and Canada. She covered the major events in Israel-Palestine and the region between the Second Intifada and the Egyptian uprising of 2011, including the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war and the 2005 evacuation of Israel's settlements in Gaza. During that peri...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 121
Saskia Wolsak is a trainer, facilitator, therapist, PhD candidate, artist and so much more. She joined me to review what life's been like these past few years. From Canada to Bermuda, the USA, and now Costa Rica, join Saskia to learn why plants are so incredible and what it's like to have a toucan hold on to your breast and scream for dear life. * To view the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/pMRBU1tf-Fg ** Scroll down to visit Saskia's links and the podcast links. **** Learn more about...
Jul 04, 2022•59 min•Season 3Ep. 120
What is it to be an entrepreneur? What is it to be a writer? What is it to lead so many people around a shared vision? These are questions I've tackled with Po since 2006, and here I was on a call with the hilarious and delightful force of nature that is Ann Charles. If you want inspiration on how to create an empire around your craft and creative expression – listen in. If you want some insight on why writing comedic, multi-genre texts – listen in. If you want to learn about an author who has m...
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 119
Between 2006 and 2009, when I first worked with Po Chung, one of the programs we worked on was called The Good Life Initiative. The premise, feeding from various authors and our own efforts, was to help various people who achieved much in their lives to move from success to significance. Sitting around metaphorical the fire with Julie Gianelloni Connor, I felt I was in the presence of someone who had also moved from success to significance. I was under the spell of someone who had clearly seen t...
Jun 19, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 118
In 1985, Joseph Campbell spoke with Bill Moyers to tackle the idea of how to live a meaningful, purposeful life. One memorable sentence from that was the idea of "finding your bliss". Calling in from Toronto, I got on the line with Randi-Lee Bowslaugh, not knowing who she was or where she was speaking from. Turns out that she's based just a short highway drive away from me! Listen in as we cover the ground that has helped Randi-Lee navigate towards finding her bliss. Writing books, supporting he...
Jun 13, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 117
For this week's episode, I'll reissue the one recorded in July 2020 because she spoke on the magic and wonder of Mongolia. This, because more people need to hear about the nation and its amazing people. How many Mongolians do YOU know? In my case, I had never met anyone from Mongolia until I met Khaliun at The Hive, in Sai Kung, Hong Kong. We met in Wanchai to discuss what it was like to grow up in Mongolia, what Khaliun's attachment is to the land, the unexpected beauty of the Mongolian languag...
Jun 06, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 116
In episode 92 with Anna Blocki, I first got the introduction to what tissue engineering is about and its application. When we finished recording, she said I would probably LOVE meeting and having Thomas Späeter on as well. Sure, I said, sounds great. So Thomas and I were playing email tag as our schedules just didn't line up. Was he in Germany? Or was it California? How could we meet? Many months later, the stars aligned and we happened to find ourselves in the same city! Want to be inspired? Li...
May 30, 2022•59 min•Season 3Ep. 115
I am delighted to have Nivedita Ramanujam join me on the podcast. Based in Hong Kong – in fact, only a few kilometers away from my house – Nivedita is a practicing psychologist, completing her PhD, an artist, and a profoundly inspiring care giver. Literally giving care to herself, others, and the full biosphere around us. Listen in as Nivedita shares her journey and why she commits so much of her energy and effort to make her life and of others her so much better. This is as true for her clients...
May 23, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 114
How do you react when the world serves you a double-scoop of bad luck and unexpected loss? What do you do when things fall apart? Tim and I reconnected to discuss the healing power of travel, the unexpected generosity that surrounds us, how we can sometimes find beauty and wonder when you least expect it, and what it's like to be there for other people at their greatest times of need – personally and professionally. * To view the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/2VmiRm6rQxM **** More f...
May 16, 2022•54 min•Season 3Ep. 113
When ANYTHING is possible – what an opportunity to learn! Andrya Bailey and I lined up the call and both signed on. "Hello," said I, "nice to meet you. Now who are you?" And then the magic started! Now I grew up on Elias Cannetti, Mikhail Bulgakov, Franz Kafka, bp Nichol... You know, the literature dudes. And women, for sure, but for now the point is that if and when it came to romance novels... Well, have I even read one? I'm not really sure. But here I was, talking shop with a creative spirit ...
May 09, 2022•53 min•Season 3Ep. 112
In seeking guests for the podcast, I sometimes go to Amazon books for areas I'm curious about. In episode 109 with Karina Calver, it so happens that she lives in Hong Kong and is a professional counselor. Or, in episode 84 with Monica Borschel, I had missed recording with her in Hong Kong as she had moved herself and her practice to California. So mental health is a big area of interest. When we spoke, Monica mentioned EMDR therapy. Or, how when I met Kristin Zeising in episode 61 and we discuss...
May 02, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 111
The world is always changing. Life is change. Entropy is forever increasing – ish. In order to help increase the momentum against the war that Putin-de-merde has visited on Ukraine, I sent out a call and reached out to various people who may be connected to Ukraine and the war. Enter Ostap Kostiukevitch. Happy to share, he sent over the address of where we could record and I happily buzzed over. Up on high in an industrial part of Kowloon, a company makes costumes for stage and screen. Greeting ...
Apr 24, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 110
When the pandemic is behind us, we will look back at this time, and – well, we will all interpret it from our experience. In my case, although Karina Calver and I live in the same city, having to record the episodes online instead of sitting face to face. This makes things... Different? Strange? Yet as many who work in the realm of mental health and coaching have found, there are benefits to talking with another person from our respective homes. Our dens of comfort. I reached out to Karina becau...
Apr 18, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 109
Life is a gift. The brutality and horror of the current war in Ukraine are creating both the violence of conflict but also the shattered lives of families across the whole of Ukraine and other European nations. Not able to sit back and do nothing, Andy Eakins had a visceral reaction to what was happening on the ground and decided to take action. Please listen to this generous man's attempt to bring crucial necessities to those in and outside of Ukraine's borders. If you have the means, please be...
Apr 13, 2022•48 min•Season 3Ep. 108
In episode 41 with Ying Ying Liu, she shared the power of connecting music with animal conservation. As the head of LumiVoce, Ying Ying's energy and passion guide the team and attract renowned musicians and performers from around the world. LumiVoce means illuminating with sound and its mission is to inspire and educate the young to fall in love and protect wildlife and biodiversity through the power of music, arts, and education. In connection with the 2022 Voices for the Planet campaigns, I se...
Apr 10, 2022•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 107
How many people have felt the rush of sitting on top of a machine, going more than 1000km/hr into the sky above and among the clouds? Even more amazing still, how many have broken away from our atmosphere to break into the zero gravity of space? As a child, Pat Daily decided he wanted to become an astronaut. Working backward from that goal, he figured out what he had to do and then put that plan into action. Did he reach all his goals? Who can say? Has he lived an amazing life – I'd definitely s...
Apr 03, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 106
After being introduced to J Lynn Else, she sent through her photos and I learned she was based somewhere in the middle of the USA. We set up the call and then I discovered a creative spirit who confidently embraced her inner nerd, owned it, and has been writing books ever since. Why aren't there the kind of female characters out there, in the genres that spoke to her most? Feeling this gap as a call to action, she joined other budding and established authors to go her own way on the journey of a...
Mar 27, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 105
Talk about starting Season III of the podcast off with a BANG! Thanks to her booking agent, I got to meet Mary and discover her important, moving work. Now based near Nashville, Mary found herself in the lonely, daunting world of having to care for a child with autism. Diving in and even becoming an ambassador for raising public awareness of kids with special needs, she got involved and is championing the 'good' fight. Faced with a world that is indifferent if not flat-out hostile to people with...
Mar 20, 2022•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 104
To be an author is a unique adventure, where everyone finds their way to writing across their experience and inspiration. In this week's podcast, closing out Season II with Episode 103, Kelly Florence and I met up for such a motivating and fascinating conversation. I'm a firm believer that the more we learn about something, the more fascinating these things become. In the present case, Kelly revealed the fascinating world of the horror genre, mostly in film, and what a delightful schooling she g...
Mar 13, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 103
What an amazing world we live in! Looking for a new voice to invite onto the podcast, I looked up some people doing work in sustainability, climate change, carbon net-zero, and other areas. Enter, Lionel L G Issombo. What's great about these happy accidents is that until we meet, I don't know what I'm going to get and where the conversation will go. Turns out that Lionel's now based in London, by way of Ghana and Cameroon. Oddly enough, what I heard in his voice is the familiar tones of my growi...
Mar 07, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 102
Sure enough, there really is big power in all your tiny connections. How do I know? Because all my life I've crossed paths with people here and there to no great fanfare, and yet the most amazing things have happened... Enter, Jen Nash. How we met is a story that began when five clowns entered a bar playing 90s tunes on a Monday night in Victoria, BC. That was when I became fast friends with one mensch-of-a-human, and she eventually put Jen and me on the same channel. Join us as Jen shares only ...
Feb 27, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 105
EPISODE 100! How thrilling. The amazing thing about going on these long projects is that we can't look into the future to guess where we'll end up. I had never planned nor would have wanted to plan that number 100 would be with my elementary-school friend, Theresa C Ho. THERESA!!!!! Join us as we learn about her relaxed approach to life – no less successful than others but definitely reflecting the spirit that sets Montreal apart. Let your ears be the judge, in how much better her sound, speakin...
Feb 20, 2022•53 min•Season 2Ep. 103
Some people just radiate positivity, optimism, hope, and a deep understanding of complex challenges. Enter Dean Robert Brinkmann. Author of several books on sustainability and more, I met Bob after discovering his notable books and work. We set up a call and here's the recording. From the moment I reached out to the moment I ended our call, I was just inspired and uplifted by this individual's commitment to understanding the scope of our impact on the biosphere and how we might help one another ...
Feb 13, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 100
This episode was first published in November 2020 and I think you should check it out to be reminded of why we MUST do more to protect sharks and our oceans. Did you know the world's oceans are under major, critical threat? Did you know that you have the power to help make a difference? The answers to these questions are how Andrea and I reconnected at the Hong Kong Shark Foundation's offices in Hong Kong. After learning about sharks and the unsustainable shark trade, Andrea volunteered and even...
Feb 07, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 98
How do you wrap your head around the whole issue of climate change, coving the scientific, economic, social, political, and any other approach? Coming from a science background – cue PhD in chemistry – Mathew's journey landed him in investment banking and helping stockbrokers understand where economic realities fit when it comes to the complexities of climate. As a researcher, author, consultant and more, Mathew has applied his sharp mind toward understanding the intimidating complexities that d...
Jan 31, 2022•57 min•Season 7Ep. 97
Soon after I launched the podcast, I spotted the amazing – a-maaaazing! – photographs from Karolina and her husband, Artur. We ended up recording an episode together and I've decided to put it back at the top of this week's line. Why? Because... Omicron now is locking down and hemming people in. We've learned a lot about pandemic policies and mitigation, with COVID fatigue hitting hard. Looking back at the earlier episodes, I thought this one was especially good. Not only because around here/Nor...
Jan 24, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 96
Welcome to this week's episode from Shooting it RAW! A true labour or labor of love, this is where I keep going out to find cool people doing important work. Or at least those who have a spark in the belly to go out do something meaningful. This week, it's with my compatriot and fellow BC cousin, Steven Earle. Aren't we ALL cousins, if we go back far enough? Steven cut his teeth in geological surveying and other dirt-under-the-fingernails work, eventually deciding to share his knowledge through ...
Jan 17, 2022•53 min•Season 2Ep. 95
Here's Part 2 of the episode, when I actually speak with Erden via satellite phone while he's out on the ocean. Be absolutely amazed! *** Don't forget to subscribe! *** * Full episode on the YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/6aSZrnfU9hQ **** To Learn More about Erden: Website: http://erdeneruc.com/ Westbound Rower: https://www.gofundme.com/f/westbound-rower-great-pacific-challenge Ocean Recovery Alliance: https://www.oceanrecov.org/ World Clinic: https://worldclinic.com/ ara-Anchor: http://para-...
Jan 12, 2022•16 min•Season 2Ep. 94
In April 2021, I recorded episode 57 with Erden Eruç. It was just a few weeks before his EPIC journey to row across the Pacific Ocean... Let that sink in. ROW A BOAT ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN! The image for this catch-up episode is a Google Maps plot of his position to date. I'm trying to get a hold of him for a call over satellite phone, but until then, remind yourself or discover what an amazing human Erden is. Here's part of what I wrote in 2021: Meeting Erden, not knowing his story, mission a...
Jan 10, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 94
Welcome to 2022! I'm deeeelighted to kick the year off with Samantha. Strong woman, conservation champion, business owner, service leader, writer, and so much more. She sparkles in conversation as she does in her work. This is a great episode – although they all are – but this one's that much better because Sam lives, breathes, radiates, and cartwheels energy, joy, and optimism. To view the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/NTH2JR6MGhw * EPISODE LINKS IN DESCRIPTION – BELOW * **** Buy h...
Jan 03, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 93
