Actualize

Alex Auerbach is a performance psychologist, currently working with the Toronto Raptors NBA team. Prior to this role, Alex has been a college football coach and also worked with the Kansas City Chief’s NFL team. He held the role of Director of Clinical and Sports Psychology at the University of Arizona. Alex applies the principles and practices of elite sport to everyday health and high performance.In this episode we discuss mental health in a sports setting, the difference between a coach and a therapist, and how to achieve sustainable high performance and maintain motivation over time.

Yvette Yong is an Olympian, a 15-time Team Canada TaeKwonDo athlete, and a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. Yvette is a true champion in every sense of the word, having won three world TaeKwonDo championships and multiple international medals, including a world-ranked number one position in the female 46-kilogram category, which was a first for any Canadian athlete. In this episode, we chat with Yvette about her journey to the top, the challenges she’s faced along the way, and how she stays motivated to achieve her goals. We explore the influence of her mother on her success, managing intensity in everyday life, how she thinks about confidence, and giving back to the next generation.

Today's guest is the talented and dynamic Jillian Harris, who is known for her creative flair and inspiring designs. Jillian is a mother, partner, and an entrepreneur who wears many hats. She's the founder of Jillian Harris Design and the Jilly Academy, and the co-founder of the Jilly Box. In this episode, we dive into Jillian's life and talk about what drives her, how she balances her various roles, and the challenges she's faced in building her successful businesses. We also discuss her passions for philanthropy, fashion, and family. Join us as Jillian shares her insights on creativity, entrepreneurship, and the power of positivity. We hope you enjoy this episode with Jillian Harris.

Our guest is Mark McLeod, a seasoned expert in the tech startup world. Mark has an impressive track record having served as CFO for companies such as Shopify and FreshBooks. With over two decades of experience in the venture-backed startup industry, Mark now spends his time coaching and advising CEOs. In this episode, Mark shares his journey of how he transitioned from being a CFO to an executive coach. He highlights how he found his true passion in coaching and advising CEOs, which he feels was the most fulfilling aspect of his previous roles. Mark's mission is to help CEOs of venture or private equity-funded technology companies grow faster than their businesses, a concept he elaborates on during the conversation.

Sarah Stockdale is founder of Grow Class (growclass.co), a collection of practical marketing courses taught by experts. Sarah also writes a non-marketing related newsletter titled “We Need to Talk About This” (wntta.co).In this episode, we discuss what it’s like to be a woman in the tech industry, touching on topics such as privilege, confidence, micro aggressions, imposter syndrome, and building an organization with values at its core. Sarah is also a mother, and, and we explore what it’s like to raise a child in today’s society and how priorities shift when you become a parent. Join us as we chat with Sarah Stockdale on this episode of Actualize.

Actualize co-hosts Rob Pintwala and Kim Foster Yardley introduce themselves and discuss their intentions for the podcast.