What we cover: What's it like to transform from a non-athletic background as a serious punk rocker with multi-coloured hair in the 1980s to a trailblazing visionary in her adult years? What does that look like, what does that feel like, where does the motivation come from, what drives her?
Jenn Dawkins is a fire fighter – one of about 80 women fire fighters out of approximately 3900 career fire fighters in the province of British Columbia. She’s a mentor and the creator of the very forward-thinking Camp Ignite – intended to push girls out of their comfort zones and to reimagine what’s possible.
She’s a non-traditional philanthropist. This is a woman who, in order to bring awareness to the horrors of the sex trade, and what it’s like for the women who are trying to leave and start their lives over, rather than post a few lines on Twitter, instead Jenn swam 22km (nearly 14 miles) in the Pacific Ocean – from Vancouver’s mainland to an island off the coast of the province.
If I’m being totally honest, when I was formatting the conversation for today and drafting my top level talking points, it was the first time in 30 episodes that I didn’t really know where to start. Not for lack of material, but for so much material. She is admired for so many reasons, so I took a dart and threw it at the wall and landed on her career, and so we started there. She’s is so instantly likeable – and I know you will love her too. She’s open about the fact that in her 20 year career as a fire fighter, societally and culturally, the attitude has changed for the better so much when it comes to reactions overall toward women in the fire department. And let’s be honest, in 2016, we’ve had to digest a lot of recent events that might leave us feeling we are going backwards – at least politically – so it was refreshing to hear a bit of good news and progress as this year wraps up.
If you listened to the two episodes (28 and 29) we did with Chad Bentley, one of the things I talk about with him, is his lack desire for the spot light. He turns away from it, whereas I run to it. Jenn and Chad have that in common. This is a woman who will run into a burning building, who will save lives, who is constantly and continually bringing awareness to societal issues that need some TLC --- but who is uncomfortable accepting any real recognition for her heroics. So when we talk about the prestigious award she was the recent recipient of, for her role in a Women Helping Women capacity, and I ask her about that, you can hear the modesty. And I admire her for that. Among other reasons, obviously.
I loved this chat. In her candor about her own transformation and what fuels her, she gives us all permission to evolve. It doesn’t have to be – and I say this all the time – the commitment to complete an Ironman. It can be whatever pulls at you. It’s just that decision to let past limiting beliefs go – and to blossom, if you feel like you’re overdue from some personal growth. Jenn is a self-described personal growth fanatic, but she wasn’t always. Now she’s voracious when it comes to all things
While we were drinking tea and engaging in this fantastic conversation, Jenn’s gorgeous rescue dog, Emma, was chewing somewhat audibly on a buffalo femur. (No! The buffalo wasn’t with us – just its femur was.) So, you will hear Emma’s contribution to the soundtrack in the background from time to time.
Value-add: I want to invite anyone listening who may be in the Vancouver area on January 7th, 2017 – if you’re feeling inspired by Jenn – she is, no big shocker, part of the brains behind the sure-to-be-awesome evening called "Wine Women and Sport". Three outstanding panelists – an Olympic rower, a world record marathon runner who just happens to be 89 years old, and a martial artist, -- are going to share insights and tips and conversation with those of us lucky enough to be there. So you can get your tickets for that awesome evening – I will be there, moderating the fun – via MJDionne.com, under the podcaster tab. Township 7 Wines will be there too – and I love them. Jenn and I talk more about this in our chat.
Part Two of Two: The quest for authentic greatness may mean a complete reinvention. A close examination of your perception of self, of your belief in what you’re capable of, in who you fundamentally are. It may mean asking the tough questions: Who do you spend your time with, how do you invest the hours of your days, what do you decide to focus on? It may mean that in order to make a quantum leap in the direction of positive personal development that you leave your old self and parts of your old life behind entirely.
Today’s guest is someone I have admired for 18 years – and I’ve had a front row seat to witnessing his complete 180-degree transformation. He is someone who never craves or seeks out the spotlight, unlike his obnoxious wife. He is as close to being completely devoid of ego as anyone I’ve ever known. He is humble and unassuming and kind and driven and determined and he believes in the power that we all possess to transform our lives. To reinvent. To climb our own Mount Everest. Whether it’s from quitting smoking, giving up the consumption of fast food and meat products overall, reigning in a relationship with excessive partying and drinking, going back to school to pursue higher education, or starting on a path to see what you’re capable of when it comes to physical fitness – my guest titan has done it all. And I would know, because I am married to him.
When I met Chad Bentley in February 1999 -- on the night he grabbed my bum cheeks and slurred “I think you’re awesome” at an Irish pub in Vancouver -- I knew he was special (and not because he grabbed my ass). I saw in him a beautiful person, but a beautiful person who didn’t see it in himself yet. I’ve always said that Chad is like buried treasure, the deeper you get, the more richness you find. In the last nearly two decades, I have seen Chad transform – he was always an athlete, don’t get me wrong. He was one-to-watch during his days as a rugby player in Abbotsford before a terrible knee injury took him out of the game and under the surgeon’s knife many times – and onto the sidelines, where he went into a bit of a downward spiral. Reassessing who he was: If he wasn’t this rising rugby star, who was he? Instead, he became what he calls “the club drunk” that person who would binge drink in an effort to appear that he was having a good time, but really it was to mask his own feelings of lack of worth. It was a time of tremendous uncertainty about the direction of his own life. I met Chad on the tail end of this, on the cusp of a new beginning. Almost like the space between two paragraphs. We knew one paragraph had ended and we had no idea where or when or how the next one would begin. But we needn’t have worried. Because when you’re committed to the process, and when you ask the tough questions, the answers and the beauty reveal themselves.
Chad walked away from his old life. If there’s something tough that you have yet to contend with, I can safely ascertain he’s done it. An unsupportive social environment? Moving from sedentary to active? Smoking? Going back to school? Diet and nutrition? He’s dealt with it. He is a guy who not only went back to school, but in addition to tackling various business courses at the undergraduate level, obtained a certificate in plant based nutrition from Cornell University. Chad, who went from living on a diet of chicken wings, is today a vegetarian endurance athlete who represented Canada at the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii. Ultraman, is the equivalent of doing approximately 2 and half ironman distance events in three days – a 10km (6 mile) swim, a 420km (260mile) bike, and an 84km (52mile) double marathon.
I am excited to share Chad with the world -- we have listeners in 45 countries now. He is as inspiring as they get. And my daughters – our daughters – could not have a better role model. And for the first time ever, we have done a Two Part interview. Today’s is Part Two, and I encourage you to go back and listen to Part One.
Chad calls himself shy. I don’t feel he’s shy, I think he’s just not showy. He’s not arrogant. He’s real and calm and never that Look At Me person – and in this chat, he is open. He’s open about his struggles over the years with self-worth, something we all go through. He’s open about his one-time binge drinking. And I want to thank Chad for that – I think when people achieve greatness as he has as an athlete on an international scale, there’s a tendency for us to gloss over the hard times. To curate a life on social media for example that it’s all about the good times. And this is what makes him such a motivation to so many people. He made the decision to transform. He made the decision to walk through the dark times and the hard times and to come out on the other side.
Nature strengthens through struggle, if we look around us we see examples of that everywhere. And I am honoured to live with a titan who embodies that – Chad has struggled, and fallen (just as we all have) but he rose again, and when he rose it was a whole new him, and a whole new life. And I am so privileged to have been there to see it all.
If you think Chad is someone you’d like to connect with, in 2017, Chad will be launching “Plants. Life. Sport.” coaching – dedicated to helping others transform their lives in the way he has. No, you don’t have to do an ironman to work with Chad. All you need to have is the desire to make a positive change, and he will be there for you, step by step – because guess what? He’s been there. I remember when he and I did our first 5k run together – and he remembers too. And it doesn’t matter where you live on the planet, reach out.
Part One of Two: The quest for authentic greatness may mean a complete reinvention. A close examination of your perception of self, of your belief in what you’re capable of, in who you fundamentally are. It may mean asking the tough questions: Who do you spend your time with, how do you invest the hours of your days, what do you decide to focus on? It may mean that in order to make a quantum leap in the direction of positive personal development that you leave your old self and parts of your old life behind entirely.
Today’s guest is someone I have admired for 18 years – and I’ve had a front row seat to witnessing his complete 180-degree transformation. He is someone who never craves or seeks out the spotlight, unlike his obnoxious wife. He is as close to being completely devoid of ego as anyone I’ve ever known. He is humble and unassuming and kind and driven and determined and he believes in the power that we all possess to transform our lives. To reinvent. To climb our own Mount Everest. Whether it’s from quitting smoking, giving up the consumption of fast food and meat products overall, reigning in a relationship with excessive partying and drinking, going back to school to pursue higher education, or starting on a path to see what you’re capable of when it comes to physical fitness – my guest titan has done it all. And I would know, because I am married to him.
When I met Chad Bentley in February 1999 -- on the night he grabbed my bum cheeks and slurred “I think you’re awesome” at an Irish pub in Vancouver -- I knew he was special (and not because he grabbed my ass). I saw in him a beautiful person, but a beautiful person who didn’t see it in himself yet. I’ve always said that Chad is like buried treasure, the deeper you get, the more richness you find. In the last nearly two decades, I have seen Chad transform – he was always an athlete, don’t get me wrong. He was one-to-watch during his days as a rugby player in Abbotsford before a terrible knee injury took him out of the game and under the surgeon’s knife many times – and onto the sidelines, where he went into a bit of a downward spiral. Reassessing who he was: If he wasn’t this rising rugby star, who was he? Instead, he became what he calls “the club drunk” that person who would binge drink in an effort to appear that he was having a good time, but really it was to mask his own feelings of lack of worth. It was a time of tremendous uncertainty about the direction of his own life. I met Chad on the tail end of this, on the cusp of a new beginning. Almost like the space between two paragraphs. We knew one paragraph had ended and we had no idea where or when or how the next one would begin. But we needn’t have worried. Because when you’re committed to the process, and when you ask the tough questions, the answers and the beauty reveal themselves.
Chad walked away from his old life. If there’s something tough that you have yet to contend with, I can safely ascertain he’s done it. An unsupportive social environment? Moving from sedentary to active? Smoking? Going back to school? Diet and nutrition? He’s dealt with it. He is a guy who not only went back to school, but in addition to tackling various business courses at the undergraduate level, obtained a certificate in plant based nutrition from Cornell University. Chad, who went from living on a diet of chicken wings, is today a vegetarian endurance athlete who represented Canada at the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii. Ultraman, is the equivalent of doing approximately 2 and half ironman distance events in three days – a 10km (6 mile) swim, a 420km (260mile) bike, and an 84km (52mile) double marathon.
I am excited to share Chad with the world -- we have listeners in 45 countries now. He is as inspiring as they get. And my daughters – our daughters – could not have a better role model. Here’s the thing, he had strep throat when we recorded this chat, and he had to dart off to the dr. So we had to keep the chat to 35 minutes or so. I thought that would be enough time, to you know, give a top-level introduction to this person, this titan, I live with and talk about so much. But we barely scratched the surface. Remember: Buried treasure, right? So, for the first time ever, I am going to do a Two Part interview. Today’s is part one, and I am going to snag Chad to sit down for a part two later this week and we will post that next Tuesday.
Chad calls himself shy. I don’t feel he’s shy, I think he’s just not showy. He’s not arrogant. He’s real and calm and never that Look At Me person – and in this chat, he is open. He’s open about his struggles over the years with self-worth, something we all go through. He’s open about his one-time binge drinking. And I want to thank Chad for that – I think when people achieve greatness as he has as an athlete on an international scale, there’s a tendency for us to gloss over the hard times. To curate a life on social media for example that it’s all about the good times. And this is what makes him such a motivation to so many people. He made the decision to transform. He made the decision to walk through the dark times and the hard times and to come out on the other side.
Nature strengthens through struggle, if we look around us we see examples of that everywhere. And I am honoured to live with a titan who embodies that – Chad has struggled, and fallen (just as we all have) but he rose again, and when he rose it was a whole new him, and a whole new life. And I am so privileged to have been there to see it all.
If you think Chad is someone you’d like to connect with, in 2017, Chad will be launching “Plants. Life. Sport.” coaching – dedicated to helping others transform their lives in the way he has. No, you don’t have to do an ironman to work with Chad. All you need to have is the desire to make a positive change, and he will be there for you, step by step – because guess what? He’s been there. I remember when he and I did our first 5k run together – and he remembers too. And it doesn’t matter where you live on the planet, reach out.
I have admired Annie Wood for the better part of a decade. She exemplifies the commitment to rising after a setback, and to continually moving forward. She’s as dedicated to the process of living an authentic life as anyone I’ve ever met -- and then some.
You may know her from memorable appearances in movies like Good Luck Chuck with Dane Cook, and My Sister’s Keeper with Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin. But when I think of Annie, I think so much more.
She’s as prolific a creative person as they get. She goes -- not stop. Her output is tremendous and admirable and head-scratching. If she were a cyclist I’m sure she’d be tested for doping – really; she’s just that good. She knows that the notion of “arriving” is a myth… that just being here is the gift. There is no “arrival”. And unless we’re celebrating all the small moments along the way over the chronology of our lives, we are missing the point entirely.
In addition to being born in Hollywood and enjoying a 30+ year career here, she’s not only an actor, but she’s a writer and a producer as well. Her YouTube series Karma’s a Bitch has approximately 2,000,000 views and was awarded Best of the Web on Virgin Airlines. She’s also an artist – you can check out her super great work on her Etsy shop (I bought one of her gorgeous tiles, and you can too) via the link at MJDionne.com, under the podcaster tab. She’s the creator of the DoGoodStuff.org, which gently reminds us to be kind. On top of all this, she’s what she calls a Mindfulness Enthusiast. In the chaos and uncertainty of the journey – and hey, we’re all on one – she knows the value of stopping to breathe.
Despite living the entirety of her life in a city known for being at times unforgiving and cut throat, this is a woman who does yoga every day – not “almost” every day, but actually every day. When her mom, Abby, a woman who fled an abusive relationship in Israel with Annie’s two older brothers, was dying, Annie set up her yoga mat beside her deathbed – in an effort to stay grounded during the hardest days of her own life. And we talk about that.
We also talk about some super cool pop culture stuff too – those stories I love, that come from peeking in the portal of another person’s life experiences. During her tenure as the host of the nationally syndicated game show host “Bzzz”, Annie was a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. And come on, don’t we all want to know what THAT would be like? Of course we do.
We are all on a journey, and whether we call ourselves “creative” or not – we are all in fact creative. What could be more creative than designing an authentic life? Nothing, that’s what. And if you’re listening to this series, that’s what you’re doing, consciously or otherwise, and I applaud you for it. Anyone who decides to live more true-to-themselves, and to abandon the outside clutter, and who choses to live more courageously, more creatively, gets my full respect. So thank you. I know you will love Annie for all of these reasons.
What we cover: “If you don’t take a chance, you haven’t got a chance.” – Jillian Murray
Actor Jillian Murray is an awesome example of someone on her authentic path. She knows where she wants to be, and she’s not deviating from it. One of the stars of the People’s Choice nominated CBS medical drama Code Black, Jillian’s star is shooting skyward and beyond.
When Jillian and I met at the sweet little cottage I was renting in LA, she brought someone with her, and that someone was her longtime beau, South African native Dean Geyer. Millions of fans would know him from his time on Australian Idol and then – for Aussie listeners – from his time on the TV series Neighbours. Since his move to LA, he’s been a regular fixture on series like Glee and Terra Nova he appears in Shades of Blue with Jennifer Lopez. Jillian and I were sitting at the table in the kitchen and Dean was on the couch in the livingroom. It was open-space, and occasionally we’d be talking about something and he’d yell in. So finally about half way though, I said: “Dean, pull up a chair.” And I’m glad he did, because they’re a dynamite couple and they had great banter, and it was really cool to get two perspectives on the same career and its journey. Like how they feel about auditions for one. Spoiler alert: Jillian loves them, Dean … not so much.
If you have yet to tune into Code Black, please do. The cast is insanely impressive. Rob Lowe, Marcia Gay Harden, Luis Guzman. If this cast had to bring in their combined hardware, there wouldn’t be a shelf big enough. Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, Screen Actors Guild – and these are the people who Jillian gets to work with.
One of the reasons I love to interview, and have loved interviewing since I started writing for magazines 15 years ago, is what I call the opportunity to “peek through the portal” – the chance to stick your head into someone else’s life and swivel neck around. And that was what this conversation was like for me. It was truly behind-the-scenes. What’s it like to get the call that you’re going to be a series regular on an all-star cast? What are the days and the hours like? (This is a medical drama, and Jillian, as the confident, almost-arrogant, self-assured Dr Heather Pinkney, is expected, on top of learning actual script lines and all that goodness, to master actual medical jargon and procedures.) (Side note: She’s a self-professed suture-queen as a result. She will challenge anyone to a suture-off.) All told, it’s an industry that is hard work, long days, and not as glamorous as we may think. (Despite getting to work one on one with Rob Lowe.)
This is one person’s journey – and I love that she shares so much of her story with us. And you know what? So does Dean. Really, Dean could’ve shown up and just been this random, awkward presence, but instead he was awesome. Dean and Jillian, you guys deserve all the success that is surely coming your way.
What we cover: “Failure doesn’t move us back. It moves us forward. Failure tells us what is no longer working.” – Jen Grisanti
As a VP of CBS Paramount, overseeing Current Programming, Jen Grisanti was exactly where she wanted to be, or so she thought. Then, one day, the unthinkable happened, and without warning, she suffered a big crash when her professional reality was turned on its head and she was let go. The ladder she had been climbing collapsed from underneath her. But guess what she did? She did what Aaron Spelling -- yes that Aaron Spelling -- her long-time business mentor taught her to do: She found the gold in her story. Jen’s career began working side by side with Aaron, ultimately as head of Current Programming for Spelling Television. She was instrumental in shaping many of the shows we love today – 90210, Melrose Place, Charmed, Seventh Heaven, you name it – and in this capacity, she started to see that great stories in fiction share the same qualities as great stories in life, and vice versa. We have a hero, we have a dilemma, we have a goal, we have that rock bottom moment, and we see that hero rise again. So when Jen’s career as she knew it tumbled down around her, she knew she had two choices – to be a victim of circumstance. Or to learn from it and blossom. She chose the latter.
Hers is by no means a story relegated to those in the entertainment industry. Not by a long shot. Hers a story that is universal. The specifics may not be the same, but the message is.
I love this episode, I love this woman, I love her story. And you know what? As a sucker for Charlie’s Angels, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, I loved hearing firsthand what Aaron Spelling was like as a person. Self-made and accessible and a lover of Pink’s Hot Dogs.
Today, Jen Grisanti is principal of Jen Grisanti Inc. She provides feedback and guidance – notes, as they say in the bizz – to writers who are developing projects. Forty-two of her writers have gone on to sell their series as pilots, which is huge. She’s an instructor with NBC’s prestigious Writers on the Verge program. She’s an internationally sought after speaker – having spoken in Australia, Israel, London, Toronto. And she’s the author of three books: Change your Story, Change your life; Storyline: Finding the gold in your life story; and the TV Writing Toolkit.
Our talk specifically focuses on how we can all find the gold in our own story. You may think you’ve hit rock bottom, but with a perspective shift, you will see you haven’t. Where you really are is one step away from an “a-ha” that is going to rocket you to greater heights -- if you are willing to identify it and take action. That’s the key.
Despite the fact that Jen is probably one of the busiest people in Hollywood, she made time to meet with me on a Saturday morning in LA. And it was pure perfection. She speaks candidly about the collapse of her marriage, and the fact that, had she not lost the things she thought she “needed” in order to have “arrived” that she’d never be where she is today. And that is a place of authentic arrival -- a life built entirely on her own terms, using the gifts she has accrued from a 25 year career shaping the stories that have captivated millions of people around the world. When you talk to Jen and you talk about heart ache and heart break and disappointment, you soon realize that she sees those as the gold -- the “all is lost” moment, as they say in Hollywood, when truly good things are just around the corner.
What we cover: Autumn Reeser knew at a very young age exactly who she was meant to be – an actor. But despite this clarity, she has learned to face a sometimes cruel industry -- the rejection, the heartbreak, the dashed hopes – with grace and perseverance. In the process of her journey, she has realized that the key to it all is learning, quite simply, to be kind to ourselves. You may know her as Taylor Townsend from the hit series The OC, or as Lizzy Grant from her two seasons on Entourage, or as Dr Gabby Asano in Hawaii Five-O. You may recognize her in the recently-released feature film Sully – starring Tom Hanks and Laura Linney. Regardless, there are a lot of reasons you might know Autumn Reeser. And her upcoming series The Arrangement is sure to be amazing.
Whatever of our profession or path or passions, there’s unity in the theme of our stories. We fall, we get back up. And Autumn is no different. She has a really evolved perspective on things – on what it takes to continue on our climb. For example, Autumn made the decision early on that the process of going out on auditions would be empowering, not a time of vulnerability; another chance for her to hone her chops. Hers is a message that reminds us we all own our own perspective and can shift it in a flash.
And when we do find ourselves in times of darkness, Autumn shares her “self-cleaning oven” metaphor. In other words: Take some time completely on our own. And just shut the door, and purge out the goop.
What we cover: Despite being groomed to take over the family business, Italy’s famed Grand Hotel of Rimini, Peter Arpesella knew life had other things in store for him. But what kind of courage does that take? To face not only your family, but more importantly, yourself – and say some version of: “Thank you for loving me. But thank you, more than anything, for respecting my need to be free.”
After getting a degree in business and finance and working as an investment banker, he would ultimately leave the life he knew, and buy a one-way ticket to the United States. Today he is an actor, a voice actor, a voice coach, a screenwriter, an author – and just an all-round truly authentic, genuinely happy person. He embodies that quality that I admire more than anything in anyone – and that is he is self-made.
Peter was raised surrounded by opulence, prestige, privilege. His parents were the quintessential socialite couple, gracing the covers of glossy lifestyle magazines. He was a little boy, running the gorgeous corridors of the stunning Grand Hotel Rimini; a 5-star destination that saw a non-stop stream of upscale guests come through its doors. It was the location of Federico Fellini’s classic film Amarcord. For his family, it was a life that was all about the quest for the appearance of perfection. And Peter never felt right about it. He knew something more meaningful was missing.
When he was in his early 20s, it was revealed that his father -- who Peter learned was living in what he calls a “castle of lies” -- was a drug addict. Despite appearances to the contrary, his father was heavily in debt and would go on to take his own life, leaving Peter and his family to band together to rebuild. Peter went from extreme wealth to extreme hardship, and he rose to the challenge. After he did what he needed to do, he got his family back on their feet, and he knew it was time for Peter to rescue Peter. And after being moved by a particularly emotional scene in the DeNiro film A Bronx Tale, Peter packed his bags and headed to the US, to be an actor.
Peter has worked with the likes of Ben Affleck, Jon Hamm, and Tom Cruise. And we talk about that. Because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to know what it would be like to work with these legends of the industry? Peter's next film appearance is in Live by Night -- written by, directed by, and starring Ben Affleck -- and it opens in theatres end-2016 into early-2017.
Peter became an American citizen only about 6 weeks before we chatted. This episode is posting on Election Day, November 8, 2016, as a tribute to him. (He proudly voted for Hillary, of course.)
What we cover: “The people who get on in this world are the ones who get up and look for the circumstances they want. And if they can’t find them, they make them.” – George Bernard Shaw
After 27 years of being subjected to sometimes soul-destroying auditions, the often-ridiculous expectations of wardrobe fittings, and the continual yearning for that role that would be her “ticket”, actor/comedian/writer/producer/TV personality Morgan Brayon took the power back. In her outstanding (read: equal parts hilarious and heart-stirring) one-woman show Give It Up, she pulls back the curtain on the entertainment industry in a beautiful, candid way. She covers the realities of the feelings of rejection -- and getting back up. And the frustrations of feeling “Is this it?! Is this all there is?!” – and continuing forward. Her message, one of continuing down your own authentic path, has less to do with making it as an actor and everything to do with moving forward no matter what that path may be.
Her stories are hilarious, the parallels are ever-present -- regardless of what field you’re in, or goals you have, or where you are in your life. Somewhere along the line, we are all going to question our choices, we’re all going to ask: “Is there more for me?” And no one has done this – to may way of thinking – in a more memorable, hilarious, touching way than Morgan Brayton.
What she realizes upon reflection is that despite not landing that one role that she can say ultimately was her Big Break, what she has in fact amassed is a richly stitched and colourful quilt. Screen time with Oscar winner Patty Duke, a touching chat on-set with Patrick Swayze, incredible highs when really connecting with an audience who are in the palm of her hand. Morgan asks all the questions that we all ask – no matter the profession, the passion, the pull. We are human, we get lost sometimes, and sometimes we need to reflect in order to see more clearly the way ahead.
What we cover: “The people who get on in this world are the ones who get up and look for the circumstances they want. And if they can’t find them, they make them.” – George Bernard Shaw
After 27 years of being subjected to sometimes soul-destroying auditions, the often-ridiculous expectations of wardrobe fittings, and the continual yearning for that role that would be her “ticket”, actor/comedian/writer/producer/TV personality Morgan Brayon took the power back. In her outstanding (read: equal parts hilarious and heart-stirring) one-woman show Give It Up, she pulls back the curtain on the entertainment industry in a beautiful, candid way. She covers the realities of the feelings of rejection -- and getting back up. And the frustrations of feeling “Is this it?! Is this all there is?!” – and continuing forward. Her message, one of continuing down your own authentic path, has less to do with making it as an actor and everything to do with moving forward no matter what that path may be.
Her stories are hilarious, the parallels are ever-present -- regardless of what field you’re in, or goals you have, or where you are in your life. Somewhere along the line, we are all going to question our choices, we’re all going to ask: “Is there more for me?” And no one has done this – to may way of thinking – in a more memorable, hilarious, touching way than Morgan Brayton.
What she realizes upon reflection is that despite not landing that one role that she can say ultimately was her Big Break, what she has in fact amassed is a richly stitched and colourful quilt. Screen time with Oscar winner Patty Duke, a touching chat on-set with Patrick Swayze, incredible highs when really connecting with an audience who are in the palm of her hand. Morgan asks all the questions that we all ask – no matter the profession, the passion, the pull. We are human, we get lost sometimes, and sometimes we need to reflect in order to see more clearly the way ahead.
What we cover: I have had an on-again, off-again relationship with melanoma for more than half of my life. And one of the things that most frustrates me is how blasé people are, generally speaking, when they think about skin cancer. There are three types of skin cancers, and melanoma is the one that kills. You might be one of the people right now, walking around living your life, knowing you have a suspicious mole that you’ve been “meaning to get checked out”. Something that itches a little. Or bleeds a little. Or just looks a bit off. Or, in Kathy Barnard’s case – a weird little lump on her elbow. Or you might know someone who fits this bill. Please listen to my chat with Kathy – and then, take action.
Melanoma spreads like wildfire, and Kathy’s was no different. It spread to her lungs, her kidney, her liver, her adrenal glands, her abdomen, and her bones. She was given three to six months to live. That was 11 years ago. Today, she is cancer free and the founder of the much-respected Save Your Skin Foundation.
In the summer of 1994, I was a flight attendant. It was a brief interlude for me, in between my Bachelor of Arts and my Bachelor of Education. But ultimately, that short career in airline travel would be a life-changer and a life-saver. During take off and landing, I would sit in my jump seat, and because my uniform sleeves were short, I would stare at my arms. And I noticed this one mole. It wasn’t witchy and hairy and weird – it was just sort of different. It had a couple pieces of what looked like ground pepper dotted in the center. I showed it to my GP, and she said it was nothing but if I wanted, I could see a dermatologist. Three months later, in October, the dermatologist looked at it and said the same thing: It was probably nothing. But if I wanted, she could remove it. I figured that since I was there, I might as well. I didn’t hear anything back for all of November and into December so figured it was fine. One night, I was at my apartment in Halifax, NS on the east coast of Canada and the phone rang. A receptionist had found my file, and had seen that I had yet to be notified – it was in fact melanoma. I was immediately scheduled for plastic surgery and that began what has now been a 23-year recurring presence of melanoma in my life. I have had melanoma two times since. Once in 2002, which my dermatologist found on my back. And again, and most seriously, in 2012 which I found on the bottom of my foot. I was 7 months pregnant at the time, and found this wee little red dot on my toe. My dermatologist at the time assured me it was a “blood blister” and that we should just “monitor it for six months”. Chad encouraged me to get a second opinion. I did. It was melanoma again, and it had started to spread. If we had monitored it for six months, I’m not entirely sure I’d be here today.
Kathy’s story is a reminder too that we need to take it upon ourselves to not just float in the dreamy space of “oh really – it’s nothing.” If you feel it’s something, don’t stop until you know what it is. Melanoma is not something you just cut out and move on from – it spreads and it appears everywhere and anywhere. Your brain, your eyes, your lymph nodes – so really, do not wait. Hey – we go to the dentist twice a year. So go to a dermatologist while you’re at it.
Kathy’s story is one of determination and rising from the ashes, unlike anyone I’ve ever met. She will inspire you to appreciate the little details in our big lives – and to take huge action when it comes to preserving your life span.
What we cover: Despite being a one-time pack a day smoker, Ray Zahab decided on New Years Eve 1999/2000 that it was time to be truly happy. And that quest for happiness ultimately led him to the open road. In this case though, the term Open Road is a loose one, at best. This is a guy who has run across the Sahara Desert. He’s run across the Gobi Desert. And he’s traversed the South Pole – and he was the first person to do it entirely on foot and snowshoes, and not on skis. So there’s that.
In 2007, my husband Chad – himself a one-time cigarette-smoking, beer-drinking, hamburger-eating, dude – was preparing for his first ever Ultra Marathon, after being introduced to Ironman a couple years before. I bought him the book called Running for My Life: On the Extreme Road with Adventure Runner Ray Zahab. I bought it for him because Ray’s story is the one of The Every Person who made the decision to change. For Ray, his vice was partying and smoking and just living a lifestyle that wasn’t conducive to any joy – not the real, meaningful kind of joy. That book was a game changer for Chad – and for me, I loved it. It’s an inside peek into the mindset of transformation, and a reminder that we all have the power to transform if we are willing to dig a little deeper. If we’re willing to be uncomfortable – because that’s what it takes.
In addition to being the subject matter of the 2008 documentary Running the Sahara produced by Matt Damon and directed by James Moll, Ray is co-founder of the super impressive organization: Impossible2Possible, which is all about facilitating real life expeditions with Youth Ambassadors who report back in real time over social media to thousands of students in schools around the world, exposing everyone involved to the great big world out there. Of course we talk about that as well. (And, we even manage to talk about the planet’s ultimate equalizer, the universal punch-line: Poop jokes.)
What we cover:
Gina Mollicone-Long knows a thing or two about greatness. After all, when you're co-founder of an organization called The Greatness Group, it just sort of comes with the territory.
Gina's not only someone committed to seeking out greatness in her own life, however. Not even close.
This is a woman who has a degree in engineering, and who segued into a career in marketing with some of the biggest names in branding excellence – like Proctor and Gamble and Molsons Breweries, for example. Despite the fact that her corporate career was on fire, she knew she was headed in a different, more authentic-for-her direction. She always felt the pull to greatness. To be around greatness. And to help people, as she says: "reveal greatness."
She admits she fell into engineering in the late 1980s because she knew she’d need a “real job” and there was no talk back then about being a professional Peak Performance coach – the handle she uses today to lasso the passion she brings working with everyone from CEOs and Olympians to everyday human beings simply looking for someone to, as she puts it, polish the silver. Because she believes we’re all silver. Sometimes we just need the extra assistance of someone to give us a polish.
Talking with Gina is to talk with a powerhouse. She makes no bones about the fact that she feels too many people today play small. We talk about the techniques she uses to weed the garden of negative belief systems in her clients – techniques like Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), for example. She sort of pulls back the curtain on that for us. She reminds us that failure is feedback – and nothing more. She identifies that too many of us think instead that failure is the ending… a message from the universe that it’s not meant to be. That’s not the case according to Gina.
Today, she is a sought-after speaker globally. And she’s the internationally best selling author of two books: The Secret of Successful Failing and the follow up Think or Sink.
FUN FACT: Gina and I met in our former lives working on a branding campaign – I was a copywriter working at an agency in Vancouver and she was on the board of Big Sisters, which is the organization that partners mentor-women with girls in need of a role model. You can check out that TV spot on my portfolio if you’re so inclined. Just head over to MJDionne.com, and navigate your way under the Writer tab to the portfolio, and it’s there! Fun stuff indeed. It’s a timeless and important message, even 18 years later.
What we cover: “I just wish people would realize that anything’s possible if you try. Dreams are made possible if you try.” – Terry Fox
In March 1977, when Terry Fox was just 18 years old, doctors confirmed that what he had thought was a sore right knee on account of a previous injury, was in fact cancer. Six days later, Terry had his right leg amputated six inches above his knee. However, the night before the surgery, a coach showed him an article about the first above-the-knee amputee to run the New York City Marathon. A flame was lit and Terry was inspired. Not long after, as he was recovering – during his front row seat to the suffering of cancer patients in treatment – Terry hatched a plan. That plan, to traverse Canada – from the eastern tip to the western tip, by running a full marathon each and every day. So it was, on April 12, 1980, Terry dipped his leg into the Atlantic Ocean and began his journey. By the time he had run across Newfoundland, the goal was official: He would collect the equivalent of $1 from every Canadian, for a total of $22,000,000 in the fight against cancer. A few weeks into this never-before-been-done expedition, The Marathon of Hope, Terry had a welcome new team member join him, his younger brother, Darrell. The stuff of those days – those magical weeks and months – is today the stuff of Canadian and ultimately global legend: The smelly van, the occasional tensions, the miraculous momentum gained along the way – so that by the time Terry and his team arrived in Ontario, the cause and the visionary behind it, had become the nation’s single focus. I was 8-years-old when Terry wowed this country with the power of a dream. I was 8-years-old when I was visiting my Oma and Opa downtown Toronto, and the crowds of thousands were gathering just to catch a glimpse of this special person. And I was 8-years-old when on September 1 of that year, we learned that Terry’s cancer had spread and he’d have to stop running. However, what became clear in the days immediately after, was that the rest of the country had picked up Terry’s baton. Terry saw that we were absolutely not going to forget him and the realities of cancer any time soon. And I was 8-years-old, when I got the news, that on June 28, 1981 – Terry Fox died.
To sit across from Darrell Fox, Senior Advisor at the Terry Fox Research Institute, is to sit across from ego-less greatness. Terry’s siblings: Fred, Darrell, and Judi – as well as parents Rollie and Betty – have spearheaded a well-respected team in the form of The Terry Fox Foundation that continues to carry Terry’s flame, raising more than $750,000,000 dollars in doing so.
What we cover: In 2006, my husband Chad was preparing for his first Ironman event when someone gave him a copy of a documentary called The Distance of Truth. The Distance of Truth fast became Chad’s favourite go-to during long rides on his trainer. The film chronicles ultra-runner Ferg Hawke on his quest to complete Badwater, which at 135 miles or about 216 kms, is said to be the toughest foot race on earth in the hottest place on earth: Death Valley, California. To have Ferg as a guest on this episode was a full circle moment for us; he represents for Chad the start of his belief that we really can redefine who we are and who we want to become. The first North American to finish the gruelling Marathon Des Sables across the Moroccan Sahara in the Top Ten, Ferg is also a two-time second-place finisher at Badwater, coming in closely behind legendary runners Dean Karnazes and Scott Jurek. Bt he wasn't always this guy. Once overweight, he dropped the pounds and changed his lifestyle, reinventing himself along the way. Today he is an avid adventurer currently training to trek up to Everest Base Camp, and volunteers as a run guide on Youth Expeditions with the organization Impossible to Possible.
What we cover: When you’re set to have tea with an 86-year-old nun, it’s a good idea to have things like cream, sugar, and perhaps crustless cucumber sandwiches on-hand. But of course, I did not. (#EpicFail) However, Sister Madonna Buder is not your typical 86-year-old nun. Dubbed the Iron Nun – as depicted in the recent Nike commercial that debuted during the 2016 Olympic Games – this force of nature has completed over 45 Ironman events, countless marathons, and more than 400 triathlons. As active and as energetic as any athlete a quarter her age, Sister Madonna chats with me about defying age, trying new things, and recalls with tremendous emotion the special relationship she shared with her grandparents as a young girl, and how she risked it all with her decision to join the convent. All told, this is a conversation that reveals the woman behind the legend; she’s likeable, endearing, engaging, and without a doubt, inspiring. #UnlimitedYouth
What we cover: Every once in a while, you chat with someone who is truly unstoppable. And Tanner Gers is one such person. After a March 2004 car crash left him entirely blind, rather than resort to his former lifestyle, he completely reinvented himself. He weeded the Friendship Garden, he redefined and re-evaluated his priorities, and he carved out a life that included being a world class athlete. In fact, he would go on to represent the USA in the London 2012 Paralympic Games in long jump. Today, he’s the host of the uber-popular podcast, The Creative Success Show, a much sought after speaker, an author, and founder of The Athlete Summit, a membership-based online resource that lassos dozens of this planet’s foremost coaches who share insights with athletes. A fan of the late Jim Rohn, Tanner reminds us that we are the sum total of the habits of the 5 people we spend the most time with, and if that isn’t an important Titan-specific message, I don’t know what is. And remember: No matter how bad things get, they could always be worse. Thanks, Tanner. (I agreed with everything he had to say, except for how to handle the raccoons on my studio roof.)
“No need for sight. When you have a vision,” says Lex Gillette, four-time USA Paralympian and world champion long jumper. (Yes, this is a guy who can jump nearly 7 metres.) (Cross my heart.) But the thing of it all, is that by the age of just 9, as a wee boy, Lex lost his sight entirely. Did that stop him from living a big life? Not a chance. Inspired by the force that is his mom, Verdina, and the guidance of a very awesome teacher, Brian Whitmore, Lex was introduced in High School to the idea of competing in a more meaningful way in athletics, when Mr. Whitmer let him know there was a world out there that he could conquer. In the years since, Lex has represented the USA in Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and most recently, in Rio in 2016. In this epic chat, we discuss his life philosophy and his belief that “sight is the enemy of vision”, and the refreshing fact that – unlike too many people on the planet today -- he has little use for self-doubt. After all, as he tells it, when you overcome the loss of your sight, you know you can handle anything that comes at you.
What we cover: In 2006, my husband Chad and I got bitten terribly by the Ironman bug. The vibe, the paradigm-busting, the goals set and achieved. And all of this on a backdrop of the incomparable voice of Ironman Canada's long-time, much-adored announcer, Steve King. However, the more we got to know about Steve, the more we realized his contribution to Ironman was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. A decorated ultra-endurance athlete himself (we are talking world class race walker, ultra-marathoner, and UltraMan competitor, etc etc and yes, etc), Steve has leant his passion and talent to countless events in the capacity of race announcer, and as an often-heard commentator for media outlets including CBC, TSN, ESPN, and CTV, and was listed as one of this country's Top 50 Most Influential People in Triathlon. He is a multi-time author, enthusiastic musician, and well-respected addictions counsellor in his hometown of Penticton, British Columbia. In our exclusive chat, this fascinating man also discusses his career on the London Stock Exchange and as a Private Investigator (Steve King, P.I., indeed!) in the UK. And shares the most shocking revelation of all: Steve King, known for his long, wavy locks of thick Tom Seleck-like hair, once had an afro. (True story.) Internationally respected, it's no surprise Steve was listed as Next of Kin when a friend was heading off on a bit of a journey... into outer space. (How many people have been listed as Next of Kin to a flipping astronaut heading out on a mission? Steve has.) (I guess that would make him inter-galactically respected?) There is only one word to describe him, and it's no exaggeration. Steve King = Legend.
In 1984, as a 12-year-old girl, I watched the Los Angeles Olympic Games in Avondale, Newfoundland, with my uncle Heath MacDonald. Sadly, he would die one year later. In 2009, I had the extreme good fortune of being part of the marketing team of one of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games' media sponsors. In that capacity, our goal was to create a language around the games. When we talked, as a group, about what the Olympics meant to us, I shared the memory of me and my uncle in 1984. But of all the events that held us most riveted that summer, I shared, it was the women's 3000 metre race that most captured us. In this episode, I chat with the bronze medal winner of that event, and what it was like for her to have to quickly regain focus immediately after Mary Decker's famous fall, and the controversy that would ensue. Two-time Olympian, Lynn Kanuka (and her awesome dog, Mogley) join me for tea, a lot of laughs, what it takes to defeat the negative voices in our heads -- and by the end of our chat, the dog was wearing her medal.
If there’s something on this planet that’s more inspiring than the concept of those who rise again after they fall, well, I’m afraid I just don’t know what it is. And perhaps no other Canadian athlete most exemplifies the notion of “the comeback” quite like four-time Olympic rower, three-time Olympic medalist, Silken Laumann. After a horrific 1992 rowing accident that all but completely destroyed her leg, she was told there was a strong chance that she would never row again. The thing of it all? This was 10-weeks out from the Barcelona Olympic Games, and Silken had every intention of being there. With goal setting, visualization, and pure grit (including several hospital procedures and intense rehab), Silken made it to Barcelona, and to a medal finish at that. We talk about her challenging childhood years, redefining fear, and what the Olympics mean to her.
After I attacked him at our mutual neighbour’s house and begged him to be a Guest Titan, Mark and I talk Olympic fever and, in particular, all things luge. In fact, Mark is one of Britain’s most successful Luge racers, having raced in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turino. In Salt Lake, he achieved his goal of being the highest ranked finisher from a country without a home track. Proudly self-funded for the majority of his 12 year career, he was told he was too old to pursue a career in luge when he switched from pole vaulting to luge at 21 years of age. Mark is two-time Commonwealth Champion and six-time British Champion. Despite a fracture in his spine in 2001, through hard physical work and a fierce competitive spirit this humble but competitive dynamo overcame all this prior to his two Olympic Games. During his luge career he raced in every World Cup but one -- due to injury -- and all Major Championships, winning Great Britain’s first international Luge gold medal in 2004 in the Lake Placid Nations Cup. The cherry on top of all this awesomeness? Mark just happens to also have been a Marks & Spencer child model. True story.
There aren’t too many moments in our planet’s history that inspire or connote the meaning of greatness more so than the Olympic Games. With Rio 2016 – the 31st Olympiad – just days away, I sit down for tea with this super star, Nikola Girke. The Rio games will be her fourth – not a typo – Olympic Games. While this year, she and her sailing partner, Luke Ramsay, will be representing Canada on the Nacra 17, a wee but powerful catamaran, in Olympics past she has represented Canada in both the 470 sailing and RS:X windsurfing disciplines. This makes her not only an over-achiever, but an over-achiever-cubed. When she is not being a talented and disciplined and dedicated non-TV-watching Olympian, she is a huge supporter of causes including Fast and Female, the 60 Minutes Kids Club, and KidsSport, to name a few. We talk Netflix (and her limited knowledge thereof), her special friend Felix, and her life motto: Dare to dream. Dare to achieve. Dare to succeed. And she gives an insiders take on the Olympic Opening ceremonies. Gahhhh!
As a sucker for the concept of re-invention, I’m more than a little bit ga-ga over all that Anothony Lemke represents. Today part of the dynamic ensemble cast of SyFy Channel’s hit series Dark Matter, Anthony left the promise of a successful career as a lawyer in one of Canada’s top corporate law firms in order to leave no stone unturned as it pertained to acting. And it’s paid off. While fans (and there are a lot of them) can catch season two of Dark Matter on Space TV, binge-watchers (and there are a lot of them) can catch season one on Netflix. (Season one was Space TV’s most watched new series, as a little FYI.) Anthony’s prolific career in television includes the role of Sergeant Brian Becker in CTV’s The Listener, as well as a two-season arc in Bravo’s award-winning crime drama 19-2. We talk bunkies (see image on Twitter, no less), 1990s big hair (see image on Twitter, no less), and doing what we can to extend awareness and kindness where it’s most needed on the planet right now – and for Anthony, that ties in nicely with his role as vocal ambassador of Nobel Prize-winning organization, Handicap International.
In 2006, on an otherwise uneventful flight, actor Matt Hill (Ninja Turtles, Shanghai Knights, Dreamworks’ Dinotrux) was hit with a Big Idea, what he calls his “divine download”. That idea? To run from his home in Vancouver and complete one full loop of North America, by committing to a marathon a day for more than a year. And he did it, too. The 11,000-mile journey, called the Run for One Planet Tour, saw Matt and a friend connect with more than 50,000 students continent-wide, with a goal of inspiring positive environmental action. Most recently, he has been recognized with the Governor General’s Meritorious Award, given to Canadians who bring honour to this country. (And he certainly does that.) We talk Terry Fox, Jackie Chan, and turning adversity into triumph. Hands down, the most positive person I’ve ever met, he confesses – spoiler alert – his commitment to remaining passionate and to living a great life is a decision he made, and not something he was simply born with. A much-loved voice actor with an impressive array of credits to his name – Care Bears, My Little Pony, Kate and Mim-Mim – and sought-after speaker and emcee, Matt is, in a word, unstoppable.