Oh life! Danny Covey is here to help inspire us to face our fears and just live. Under the backdrop of what's been a very difficult month, Danny and I met up to review the incredible strength and hardships he's overcome – just to live a normal life. Think one open-heart surgery is huge? Imagine having several across your life! Danny is an amazing human. Just amazing. *For the full YouTube episode, click here: https://youtu.be/ZC5OHOR0RwQ **** Learn more about Danny Covey's work here: - Website: ...
Oct 29, 2023•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 181
Kareem Daniel Ryce is on the mic! Thanks to Miss Liz and her introduction, I lined up a call with Kareem, who's down in Trinidad and Tobago. With a simple question behind the podcast, isn't it great that I can cross paths with people like Kareem? Arguably living in different worlds, we met and he shared his experience coping with schizophrenia. Although thousands of kilometres and oceans apart, we could still meet halfway to discuss mental health and the stigma people face around these mental ha...
Oct 02, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 180
*For the full YouTube episode, click here: https://youtu.be/qcQpngBrVo8 What's your T-E-A? Such a simple question that's at the heart of Liz Gagnon and her mission to bring people together. The fates wanted us to meet, and we quickly sat for a call. Speaking from her home in Canada, Liz quickly showed how her other-centeredness and generosity manifest. First, by her work as a Peace Ambassador. Next, through her regular conversations to share and even spill some T-E-A. What is it to share one's T...
Sep 24, 2023•58 min•Season 4Ep. 179
*For the full YouTube episode, click here: https://youtu.be/x5QIowVHYi4 Alex Macro. Truly so much of this radiant, generous soul lives and breathes photography. Starting with his name. We met on Peng Chau, one of Hong Kong's outlying islands, and we meandered to his home where we set up and sat for a heart-to-heart, or tête-a-tête. Here is a creative spirit who has dedicated years to the craft of photography. So hire him when you need it, but also enter his world to learn what it is to walk arou...
Sep 17, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 178
*For the full YouTube episode, click here: https://youtu.be/416I88aqBQU Aaron Landis. Paging Aaron Landis to the nomad's courtesy phone. Neshama. That's who and what Aaron is. We met at The Center, a tower in Hong Kong with a Subway restaurant inside. This was years ago. From the start, I knew he was a hell of an entrepreneurial spirit. Across Covid, I saw he was living the life with his, "another tough day at the office" photos. Shots of the blue sky and piercing Mediterranean. No idea what's g...
Sep 10, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 177
*For the full YouTube episode, click here: https://youtu.be/iDCJU7sB6fI Roger Leslie. What an inspiring, thoughtful, generous and wise brother! We got on our call and within a few sentences it was clear that this was going to be an epic, far-reaching conversation. With cliffhangers waiting for you to discover, expect to learn about coming out at a time so different than now. And yet calling for a strength that clearly carries across decades. We talked about his books, about how you have to keep ...
Sep 03, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 179
*For the full episode, click: https://youtu.be/VLvbHiJWB-I This episode was first released in March 2020 – episode 12 of the podcast! For this one, my friend and brother Fabrice Gaëtan joined me to discuss what it takes to make it as a photographer today, what it's like to go to extreme or great distances to tell a story, and how much things have evolved in the past 30 years. We first met while working at Astral Photo, a photo store in Brossard, on the South Shore of Montreal, Canada. Our paths ...
Aug 21, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 175
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Freddy Effin Cruz! We set up the call and connected as he's based in Houston, Texas. What an amazing human. After years of dedication and years of running an award-winning radio show, Freddy took the entrepreneurial plunge into building Speke Podcasting, a network and platform that he's using to unite and inspire. On top of that, he's dedicated himself to helping make Houston a model city for animal welfare, starting with the city's issues dog strays and animal abuse. ...
Aug 14, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 174
*For the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/mdCsyV0dpnw Savannah Russell is in the house! The house being on Lamma Island in Hong Kong. We connected and what a bundle of creative joy and expression. Is home in the Philippines? Hong Kong? Scotland? Join us to learn how Savannah turned the difficulties of her personal growth and coping with tough mental health challenges into a source of goodness and inspiration. What a bright spirit and amazing artist. Thank you for all you do, Savannah! ...
Aug 07, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 173
*For the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/Fz3OKeNxhOE For this week, I'll reissue the episode with Jenny Page. It's been exactly two years since I first published it and it's definitely a good one. Great to connect with a creative spirit who could add some musical depth to the podcast. Jenny remains the bee's knees. The cat's meow. The Penn's Teller. The fiddler's Stradivarius. We met on Lamma Island, managed to record an episode while military helicopters flew across and out. Surround...
Jul 31, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 165
*For the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/_Ogko6ckFcs Back on the podcast are the fun and inspiring duo, Rox Burkey and Charles Breakfield! They again connected from Texas to bring us into their process and writing a new technology thriller series. Letting the characters lead the way, they launched a new cycle of their 21st-century techno-thriller stories. Learn more about how they evolved their latest tale and great work. Here's to another round from Breakfield & Burkey! **** 1. T...
Jul 23, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 171
Awarded Bestselling Author 2022 for her cozy mysteries, Diane Bator joined me to share a bit of her world and how she builds her stories. Did we talk about how much she loves hiking, her work as a Reiki Master or martial artist, and how she loves to cook? No. That's for another time. Instead, she shared how she finds inspiration to write, her love of books, and how sometimes in life you have to go straight for the ice cream. Massive thanks to Diane for her wisdom, lightheartedness, openness to t...
Jul 16, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 170
*For the full episode and to subscribe, click here: https://youtu.be/-SBpM4uaFeU Welcome back, Randi-Lee! What a force of nature who is simultaneously cheerful and almost effervescently positive, yet who doesn't shy away from the most intense and almost grimy experience. For this second time on the podcast, Randi-Lee walked us through the power of vacations, togetherness, rescue dog training and companionship, and caring for a child with autism. Oh. And she just published her next book, "Good-By...
Jul 09, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 169
*For the full episode and to subscribe, click here: https://youtu.be/GyyXHHVujQo Want to be inspired on how to make every second count? Enter Kim Lengling's world to learn about the joys of animal rescue, giving to causes that are bigger than yourself, and how to fill the world with nuggets of hope. Oh. And be ready to LAUGH. Kim has really lived, survived, and is strong as ever. Better still, she brings this joy and kindness to everyday people she probably doesn't even know. She's just that kin...
Jun 29, 2023•57 min•Season 4Ep. 168
How do you place yourself in time? From speaking with Bettye Kearse, I got to thinking about the accident of our lives. She – as me and as you – in our timelines. Here we are, after the generations before us, probably to have other generations to follow after us. A tough question. Bettye is one of many daughters, shaped by her inherited past. A free great grand-daughter, she pursued helping kids in their own survival. Then, eventually taking on the task of sharing her family's important story. I...
Jun 16, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 167
Yes, and then I spoke with Kay Ross and she told me all about her life with improvisation. Yes, and she also talked about her Playground of Possibilities. Kay and I have known each other for a small age, and we caught up to discuss how improv theatre – an improvisational mindset – can unlock new ways of thinking and living. For laughs, absolutely, but also at work and everywhere else in our lives. Join us and enter the playground of possibilities! Thanks, Kay! *For the full episode, click here: ...
Jun 07, 2023•52 min•Season 4Ep. 166
Just going to reissue this great episode from December 2021 with Anna Blocki. Join us and be inspired. Because SCIENCE! Anna is amazing. WHAT A CRAZY YEAR! Covid-19 has definitely made 2021 one of the most difficult and complex years in my life. Essentially launched at the start of the pandemic, the podcast's been growing extremely well. So I'm delighted to have the last episode of 2021 be with Anna. Working out of the Chinese University, Anna is a great example of the kind of person I want to h...
Jun 01, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 165
Conservationist, content creator, sustainability advocate, speaker and all-around champion, Tanja Wessels joined me for a fantastic conversation. Is she German or Portuguese? South African, Hongkonger, Malaysian, or just an inspired global citizen? Well, whoever she is, she's just the bomb. It's funny how two people with such divergent lives can meet to record a podcast episode, just have a great conversation, and then discover all these overlapping points of interest. We talked beach cleanups t...
May 24, 2023•58 min•Season 4Ep. 164
Representing Ukraine, Roman Olinchuk and I spoke on the deeper pools where we find photographic expression. Separated by a long commute, we decided to get on a call. Roman found refuge and creative inspiration within the cozy community of Lamma Island, where I did as well, many years ago. We had a great chat on what it is to make photos... Especially with the mission of getting the work noticed. How does posterity ever move its gaze upon us? Roman shared his thoughts on the self-portrait, his se...
May 17, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 163
And here we go! A quick one on why we launched our #petsforsharks fundraiser and why we're sharing the spotlight with Hong Kong Shark Foundation. Andrea Richey, who heads HKSF, joined me and we talked a bit of shop when it comes to marine conservation and how May is our Fundraising drive. Listen in, upload your pet photos with the hashtag #petsforsharks, and please donate to help us do our work! Visit our SimplyGiving page: https://www.simplygiving.com/appeal/pets-for-sharks Watch the full clip ...
May 03, 2023•16 min•Season 4Ep. 162
The good life! That's what it's all about and what Glenda Benevides brought to our conversation. Join us and be waaaaaaay inspired. Ever since she was young, she had music in her blood and bones. Performing from an early age, she built a legacy of music and creative expression. Then, appreciating the power of sharing this with the people around her, Glenda decided to give to the people she knew and also might never meet. She's an award-winning, Recording Academy voting member, GRAMMY® considered...
Apr 26, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 161
The poets are in the house! Big welcome to Vishal Nanda and much gratitude for his energy and passion. I made it out to his place overlooking the water, Lamma Island, and the container ships. Sitting at his table, we talked poetry, what it is to be a creative spirit in an urban, capitalist city like Hong Kong, and how he's an ambassador breaking down barriers around mental health and bipolar disorder. So much goodness from a man who clearly lives the values of being kind and showing compassion.....
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 160
What it is to lead? How do you do it as a daily practice – and live with courage? Yes, Ash Beckham is in the house! Inspiring TED speaker, motivational spirit, author, entrepreneur, and all-around inspiration... Ash is an inspiring powerhouse. She fell into writing as a result from her talks and posts, offering insights on the kinds of things Po Chung and I also dove into: The stuff of leadership. How she took it further was to also ask how do you live with courage? So much of what she said made...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 158
In this week's episode, I don't have a guest and just muse on a dog's life, how to make every second count, and how the universe wants me to partner with Hong Kong Shark Foundation to help both our efforts grow. * For the full episode on YouTube, click here: https://youtu.be/99d0MCuLlJM **** For more on Hong Kong Shark Foundation: https://www.hksharkfoundation.org/ **** More from Shooting it RAW: * Website: https://www.shooting-it-raw.com/ - Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/a92caaa...
Apr 13, 2023•14 min•Season 4Ep. 159
I believe we can all find gems everywhere we look – all we have to do is see. Enter, Andrew Wong Kee. Crossing paths now and then I saw him teaching kids BJJ and riding his beeeeeyouteeful Harley. Total badass. We had met about a year ago, and on a lark, because I got a great feeling I invited him onto the podcast. We lined up our meeting and headed to his house to record. Cue fireworks! Sitting on his balcony, the sun and birds and cicadas around us, he shared his unique approach to bio-hacking...
Mar 30, 2023•53 min•Season 4Ep. 157
Boom the F BOOM! Katie Love is at the front of the class and what an amazing human. Want to be surprised and inspired, well come closer and listen in. Author, speaker, mentor and stand-up comic, Katie is also a survivor. Radiating goodness and positivity – love, even – Katie also knows how to set up her stories. Hitting us right between the eyes like the most tragi-comic punchline. You don't want to miss this. Katie is just amazing. * To view the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/6eO8Ei...
Mar 22, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 156
Welcome to Season IV of the podcast, and it starts with a bang with Henrik Hoeg. At first, we tried to record at his office in Central, but were interrupted by Hong Kong's national bird – the jackhammer. So next we met at the Central Ferry Piers, overlooked by the towering IFC and other skyscrapers. In between, Henrik shared how he landed in poetry and gifting Hong Kong's writers with a stage and the chance to be seen and heard. From his savvy insights into writing to the exquisite futility of w...
Mar 15, 2023•56 min•Season 4Ep. 155
Closing Season III of the podcast, we start with some heavy questions. How do you self-manage your biases? Where is your place in history? What do you carry from your family's past? These only hint at what Celeste Headlee brings to the table, and yet she radiates joy, laughter, and light. Cognitive science communicator, author, advisor, TED speaker, and more, Celeste shared some of the deeper insights she's learned and how they can help you get beyond your hidden biases to be thankful and lead a...
Mar 08, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 154
Buckle up, this one's huge. I connected with Aida Mandić and we dove into her experience as a survivor and creator. From her childhood and family trauma linked to the war in Bosnia, her journey as a refugee across the world, to landing as an immigrant in the USA, she shared the colour of her life and times. Amazingly, thankfully, she found the power of creative expression. A testament to that special impulse in people to use creative expression as the route for making sense of the world, she sha...
Mar 01, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 153
Again, the doctor is IN! This week, I'm with Juliet Ghodsian, yet another inspired soul calling Vancouver home. Join us as she shares more about giving to others, making a connection to the natural world, and noticing the life that abounds all around us. A naturopathic doctor and intuitive healer, Juliet explained how she helps people uncover and heal from deeply held traumas. She also talked about expanding her practice to a wider audience and how you too can better connect to the world around ...
Feb 23, 2023•54 min•Season 3Ep. 152
