Chatter that Matters

This week on Chatter that Matters, Sheri Segal Glick talks about her memoir: 'The Skinny: My Messy, hopeful fight for full recovery from anorexia."

Sheri's journey unfolds with unflinching honesty as she unmasks the hidden truth of eating disorders. Sheri takes us to the depths of her addiction, what she did to game the system, her lonely and even life-threatening hospital stays, her obsessive workouts, and most importantly, how she battled for decades but eventually found her way to defeat her disease. Sheri explores the dangers of chasing false beauty stereotypes when appearances define identities and the corrosive impact of casual body remarks that Sheri feels manifest into 'death by a thousand cuts.' What I found a great lesson learned is that positive and negative comments can have the same damaging impact. The interview isn't dark; if anything, it is surprisingly uplifting due to Sheri's sense of humour and her desire to eradicate the shame surrounding eating disorders and create a future where youth embrace their bodies with unwavering confidence. Amy Deacon, the CEO of Toronto Wellness Counselling, joins the show to offer her perspective and strategies for battling eating disorders.

To purchase Sheri's book 'The Skinny'. https://www.amazon.ca/Skinny-messy-hopeful-recovery-anorexia/dp/1738670244

A 120-foot fall free-climbing almost cost Dov his life but freed him to pursue his calling.

The search for meaning has been an obsession of Dov Baron from his earliest days. He was born in Northern England in abject poverty, surrounded by crime, violence, and addiction, and knew there must be more to life than suffering and abuse. Dov left his destructive environment to travel and study with some of the world's leading thinkers. He then parlayed his learning into founding and building companies on three continents.

Adrenaline seeking was Dov's addiction. While free climbing a mountain in British Columbia in 1990, he fell from the rock face at approximately 120 feet high and broke dozens of bones, including every bone in his face. Ten reconstructive surgeries followed, including two instances when he was brought back from the dead. This experience and when he ventured into the dragon's lair, his metaphor for his darkest days and how facing his demons changed his life.

Today, Dov Baron is a best-selling author, the founder and CEO of Dov Baron International. He is a preeminent expert in helping leaders create life-and-work meaning. His models and strategies of the Emotional Source Code and the Anatomy of Meaning are used by leaders in business and government worldwide.

Dov Baron has been named a Top 30 Global Leadership Guru five times and an Inc. Magazine Top Leadership Speaker twice.

On Chatter that Matters, Dov shares his thoughts on fighting your demons, finding your purpose and meaning, binding yourself to curiosity, and cultivating culture and community.

I asked Dov what three would do if he ran our country—without missing a heartbeat, Dov shared his ideas on Education, Homelessness and Community.

Powerful life lessons await!

To connect with Dov: http://DovBaron.com

The Many Lives of Mama Love. A memoir of lying, stealing, writing and healing.

This story will become a blockbuster movie or a must-watch Netflix series. My guest today is NY Times Best Selling author Lara Love Hardin, and her book The Many Lives of Mamma Love is her story. From the worst beginnings, and then addiction, and then theft and jail, is someone who ends up breaking bread with Oprah, meditating with the Dalai Lama, writing Desmond Tutu's book, and becoming a successful CEO.

Picture a million-dollar home in a quiet cul-de-sac, the last place you'd expect to find a gripping tale of deception, addiction, and redemption. Yet, within these walls, Lara Love Hardin concealed a shadowy secret, funding her drug addiction through an intricate web of stolen credit cards from unsuspecting neighbours.

Lara's harrowing descent into addiction led her to a place no one could have predicted – behind bars and estranged from her children—where she became inmate S32179. Inside the concrete confines of the jail, a peculiar power structure emerges, a curious blend of adolescent sleepover dynamics and the raw brutality depicted in Lord of the Flies.

Upon her release, Lara's journey of reinvention takes an unexpected turn as she fights bureaucracy to reclaim her children while embarking on a remarkable journey that brings her face-to-face and pen to paper with some of the most influential people on the planet. Yet, the shadow of her past persists, a constant reminder that redemption is a battle against shame.

Amy Deacon, the founder and CEO of Toronto Wellness Counselling, returns to Chatter that Matters to discuss the difficult road back for addicts.

To buy Lara Love Hardin's book - The Many Lives of Mama Love: https://www.amazon.com/Many-Lives-Mama-Love-Stealing/dp/B0BWSD2CG4

To connect with Amy Deacon: https://www.torontowellnesscounselling.com/

Biologist Dr. Manrique Prada and thought leader John Stackhouse joined me this week in an episode I titled two conversations with Mother Nature. Dr. Manrique Prada, a Ph.D. in biological science, stands as one of South America's most esteemed environmentalists. In his new book Voices of Mother Earth, Manrique shares his experiences living among the Xavante people—an indigenous tribe who lives off the land and in harmony with Mother Nature. Manrique imparts their wisdom of attentively listening to the forest, making decisions guided by dreams, and being part of the ecosystem versus trying to control it. The Xavante considers most humans as termites who destroy everything in their path.

Dr. Prada's teachings hold valuable life lessons for preserving our planet. He sees little promise for celebrities and politicians who talk without the walk and so much hope if we create this conversation with nature from the ground up.

John Stackhouse, formerly the Editor in Chief of Canada's national newspaper, the Globe and Mail, is now a Senior VP at RBC inside the office of the President. As the leader of RBC's Climate Action Institute, John's conversation is clear; we must move beyond rhetoric to action. He points to the power of business and markets to drive change, an extraordinary green revolution happening in the United States and why Canadians can and must keep pace with speed and scale.

Two powerful and thought-provoking conversations on what we can do individually and collectively for our planet.

To buy Manrique Prada's book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDJZDKB3

To find out more about the RBC Climate Action Institute: https://www.rbc.com/climate-action-institute/

To listen to John Stackhouse's Disruptors Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/disruptors/id1332711400

Peter Weissman. A journey marked by trauma, resilience, advocacy and two brothers. Two weeks ago, I shared the story of Eric Weissman who battled addiction to become an advocate for people experiencing homelessness. Today we celebrate his brother's inspiring journey.

Peter Weissman's life turned upside down at four when his Mom left home to pursue her dream of becoming an artist, something she succeeded at. Peter's description of what he saw when his Mom died is so powerful.

Peter's Russian immigrant dad went from a successful business to poverty and thought corporal punishment was how to keep his family in line. Peter quickly learned resilience, something he would need throughout his life.

Peter worked his way through high school and university. His heart was set on photography, but security pointed him to accounting. After graduating, Peter achieved financial security until life took two more turns and tore away his stability. At 30, and two years of marriage, a potentially paralyzing spinal cord injury and ensuing surgery masked the onset of MS at the same time. His MS went undiagnosed for six years (and two children), costing him an early treatment that may have reduced the impact of MS on his life.

Everything leading up to this gave Peter the anger and drive to refuse to be a victim.

Peter chose possibility over impossibility. Peter is a loving husband and father, an Advanced Open Water Certified Scuba Diver, a brilliant nature photographer, a wheelchair athlete and one of Canada's most respected tax accountants. He credits his family and our healthcare system to allow him to chase all of these dreams.

Peter's advocacy for accessibility and improved tax systems for people with disabilities mirrors Eric's advocacy for people without housing. It proves that from trauma can come triumph and that these tales of two brothers make our world a better place.

Would you remain optimistic if the cards of life are rarely dealt in your favour?

This week's inspiring guest is Lindsay Ireland, who spent idyllic childhood summers in Vermont, riding horses, playing detective with her cousin, and living with her famous aunt and uncle, Jill Ireland and Charles Bronson, the action star of his day.

Lindsay's world changed at age eleven when she noticed blood in her stool. At first, hiding it from her parents, things got worse, and she found herself confined to a sterile hospital room, feeling invisible, with severe ulcerative colitis. Lindsay had to undergo life-saving ostomy surgery. She had five more surgeries, including a final operation in her late 20s that made the ostomy permanent. Then, in her early 30's, she was diagnosed with a second autoimmune disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and then years later, with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.

Some people appear baffled when Lindsay Ireland says she is lucky. What I learned is that she has never seen herself as a victim.

In this candid interview, Lindsay shares her transformation from a girl grappling with autoimmune diseases to a resilient young woman. Lindsay courageously confronts the challenge of loving a body that has repeatedly let her down. Despite the invisible nature of her illnesses, Lindsay perseveres, fighting to make herself seen and understood as a mother and wife.

Take advantage of this heartfelt episode as Lindsay's story unfolds, reminding us of the power of resilience and the importance of having people who love you being part of your quest.

Amy Deacon, the founder and CEO of Toronto Wellness Counselling, once again joins the show to offer her brilliant insights into how we overcome circumstances to chase dreams and change our world and others for the better.

To read Lindsay's blog or to buy her book: Why Me? click here: https://www.lindsayireland.com

And another demonstration of how special Lindsay Ireland is - all proceeds from her book are going to the MS Society of Canada and Ostomy Canada.

Let me introduce my guest and his powerful story about transformation and triumph.

Eric Weissman was a child living in a home marked by turbulence, trauma and aggression. Eric developed an insatiable appetite for consuming and selling drugs until addiction consumed him. He spent six years living nomadically and even on the street. Few break this cycle.

He didn't just break it; Eric Weissman, PH.D.he is working to end this cycle. He is one of our country's advocates for change. An Associate Professor at the University of New Brunswick, the Research Lead for the Post Secondary Research Network, and a Board Member at the Centre for Criminal Justice Studies. Eric is an advocate offering practical ideas for providing urgent needs to low-barrier housing.

And at the end of the interview let me introduce you to an idea.

I have no empirical evidence, but I am seeing many more homeless people, reading about the growing number of Canadians living paycheck to paycheck and the growing opioid crisis. And I feel anxious about random crimes by desperate people, happening in once-safe neighbourhoods.

This upward trend can't continue. I would begin by tackling homelessness.

At the end of the episode, I share an idea my wife and I had to tackle this problem. I might be biased, but it also might be a big idea. It isn't a hand-out; it involves a hand-up. Here is the problem, it is discriminatory. We want to identify the top 5% of people who live on the street with the most capability and desire to get off the street. We don't care about gender, ethnicity, religion, disability or sexuality; we care about finding the individuals who aren't addicted and willing to work hard and, in return, get access to shelter, food and, most importantly, opportunity.

Why the top 5%?

We want early success, ambassadors and role models. The best counsellors in the world are people who have lived with the problems their patients are facing. Let the best of the best go back to the streets and recruit the next group of people. Anyone with the same work ethic and desire, addicted or not, we will invite them next. Give it a listen, let me know what you think.

Kevin Newman: Learning how and where his son sought the truth was harder than finding the truth. Alex Newman: Finding answers in chat rooms versus the family room (felt safer). Until he came out to his family.

This is one of my favourite interviews of all time. It brought back memories of my relationship with my father, which I describe in the opening. As I introduce my two guests, you will instantly know the voice of Kevin Newman, one of North America's most acclaimed journalists, but instead of anchoring the news, he opens up about a period in his life when he learned that his son was gay.

What makes this so special is that Kevin and his son Alex each talk about their journey of discovery and transformation that led to their ground-breaking memoir, "All Out A Father and Son Confront the Hard Truths That Made Them Better Men."

Alex candidly reveals his path to self-realization, recounting the struggle of finding understanding within the anonymous confines of online chat rooms rather than within the familiar walls of his own home. His courageous account of coming out to his family resonates deeply, highlighting the challenges of finding one's identity within society's biased norms.

Meanwhile, Kevin, an esteemed Emmy and Gemini award-winning journalist shares a parallel narrative of his own. As he embarks on a new chapter in his career at Good Morning America, he grapples with a U.S. broadcast culture intent on reshaping his identity.

Alex and Kevin write a book for themselves and others. Each writes their part in solitude. The moment of truth is when father and son exchange their completed manuscripts and read each other's interpretations of who they are and why each and they matter.

I think every parent and child will feel their words and celebrate their love and admiration for each other.

Kevin Purkiss, VP of Fraud Management, joins the show to talk about his experiences with his son coming out, why diversity and inclusion matter, and how fraud artists target the LGBTQ+ community.

To buy Kevin and Alex's book: All Out:

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/all-out-a-father-and/9780345813886-item.html?ikwid=all+out+kevin+and+alex+newman&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=97eecb9ad27862bd4351f292661ed41a

In 1967 Canada was the world's ninth largest economy; today, it is seventeenth. Regarding income per person, we've fallen from third to fifteenth. What kind of Canada are we leaving our children? How do we avoid falling further behind? Join us for a special Canada Day podcast recorded at the prestigious Toronto Hunt Club. I interviewed three authors who wrote "Everybody's Business: How to Ensure Canadian Prosperity Through the Twenty-First Century."

You will hear from the charismatic Dany Assaf, co-chair of the competition and foreign investment group at Torys LLP, the brilliant Walid Hejazi, a renowned professor of international business at the prestigious Rotman School of Management and visionary Joe Manget, Chair and CEO of the esteemed EHN Canada.

We explore the declining living standards in Canada and the growing belief that the next generation will face even more significant challenges. We then look at their strategies for reversing this trajectory. It can be done if we all make it... Everybody's Business. To purchase Everybody's Business: https://www.amazon.ca/Everybodys-Business-Canadian-Prosperity-Twenty-First/dp/1990823076/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Q1GW6MQ7KD5V&keywords=everybody%27s+business+%2B+book&qid=1688132181&sprefix=everybodys+business+%2B+book%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-1

Nicole Bourque-Bouchier's journey from humble beginnings to RBC's 2022 Women of Influence - CEO Excellence Award Winner. Hailing from a lineage of trappers, Nicole Bourque-Bouchier claims her indigenous and entrepreneurial roots to be a role model to her family and community while building Bouchier into one of the largest indigenous-owned companies with revenues of $150 million, 1000 employees and 400 heavy equipment vehicles.

Nicole intimately shares her family's transformative journey from the trapline to Fort McMurray—her parent's quest for a better, more stable life. She delves into the tragic loss of her younger sister to suicide, an event that indelibly shaped Nicole's trajectory, altering her thoughts, career path, and personal growth.

Nicole offers so much in this podcast, including her dad's lesson that everyone matters, how to go after your dreams, and why she stopped trying to fit in a man's world and instead focused on the vision, values and principles that matter most to her.