Conversations with Kat

Join me in conversation with Author of Refuge Recovery, Heart of the Revolution, Against the Stream and Dharma Punx. Noah shares his recovery story with us and so much more! A very inspiring story of resilience, humility and courage.

About Noah:

Noah is a Buddhist teacher, addiction-recovery advocate, and the founder of several non-profits that provide buddhist-based resources to diverse populations including addicts (Refuge Recovery), incarcerated youth (the mind body awareness project), He offers retreats, trainings, lectures and meditation classes internationally.

Noah holds a masters degree in counseling psychology from CIIS. He has been teaching Buddhism since the late 90s.

Get in touch:

againstthestream.com 

@noahlevine108

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Join me in conversation with the founders of Linden House, Dave and Stuart as they share more about what structured sober living is, how they started it and more about their own personal recovery journeys. This is such a great one, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

About Linden Recovery:

Linden Recovery (Structured Sober Living)

Linden House is a safe and structured sober living home located on the Island of Montreal. The founders created this space with one purpose in mind: to give men a supportive, stable environment where they can rebuild their lives with dignity, accountability, and community.

At Linden House, they believe recovery is not just about abstinence it’s about learning how to live again. The home provides a calm, respectful atmosphere where residents can focus on personal growth, strengthen healthy habits, and build meaningful connections with peers walking the same path.

Their approach is rooted in structure, compassion, and lived experience. Every resident is encouraged to take ownership of their recovery while receiving guidance, mentorship, and the tools needed to succeed beyond our walls. We emphasize routine, responsibility, and community support because these fundamentals lay the groundwork for long-term change.

Linden House is more than a residence — it’s a fresh start, a supportive brotherhood, and a stepping stone toward independence.
To get in touch and learn more visit lindenrecovery.com [email protected]

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Join me in second conversation with my business mentor, Cheryl Keates, as we chat about the power of mentorship. A conversation not to be missed!

About Cheryl:

Cheryl Keates is a transformational master coach, mentor, and the visionary founder behind BIGlife, a global movement dedicated to helping high achievers expand beyond limits and live with purpose, confidence, and authenticity. With an unwavering commitment to human potential, Cheryl guides executives, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders to dismantle self-imposed barriers and step into a life aligned with their deepest values and desires.

Her journey began in the corporate world, where success was measured by titles and milestones. Yet, a deeper knowing called her toward something greater—a desire to help others access the truth of who they are and create from that place of inner alignment. Today, through her coaching practice, workshops, and signature programs, Cheryl teaches that success is not something to chase—it’s something to embody.

At the heart of her philosophy lies the belief that life responds to the energy we hold. By mastering emotional intelligence, reprogramming limiting beliefs, and consciously manifesting new realities, Cheryl empowers her clients to live fully awake and in their power. Her clients describe her as a catalyst—both compassionate and direct—who challenges them to rise into their highest expression.

Whether leading boardroom discussions or intimate transformational retreats, Cheryl Keates continues to redefine what it means to live a BIGlife—one of freedom, fulfillment, and fearless authenticity.

To learn more and get in touch visit: www.cherylkeates.com

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Join Chris Allen and I in our second conversation together! He's a beacon of life and offers so many new nuggets of wisdom especially on the importance of staying open to life. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. 

About Chris:

Chris Allen is a full-time artist, tattooer, muralist, speaker, and recently dove into the acting world as well. With  24 years as a professional artist under the moniker “Inkproof”. Originally from Maryland and now based in British Columbia, he creates custom tattoos, large-scale murals, and travels for select projects and speaking engagements. A devoted husband and father, Chris is passionate about storytelling in all its forms from life experiences and all they’ve brought him. Approaching 27 years of sobriety, his journey has been a driving force behind both his personal growth and artistic perspective. Through his work and conversations, he aims to inspire others to embrace authenticity, resilience, and the power of creative expression, one day at a time  

To get in touch: @inkproof         inkproof.com  

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Join me in this fascinating conversation with Ele Keats Yates, as she talks about the healing power of crystals and how they can transform your life! 

About Ele:

Ele Keats was born in Paris, and raised in Europe, New York and Los Angeles. She is the eldest of two daughters. Her mother, a Ford model, traveled extensively with the girls, introducing them to a variety of cultures, which gave them a broad perspective of the world. She considers the time she lived in Munich, Germany as having a tremendous influence on her. Specifically when she’d visit the studio of one of her mother’s close friends, a goldsmith, who had his workshop in his home. 

Ele was completely fascinated by his tools, intricacy of design and artistry.

At age 17, she joined her mother and sister on a spiritual trip to India which marked the beginning of her love affair with gemstones. It was here that she was first introduced to them by a local gem dealer. Years later she would become a jewelry designer herself, and reflecting back on these serendipitous meetings she came to understand their impact on her as a young artist. These early beginnings, Ele feels, all wove together the tapestry of her destiny.

2004 was a breakthrough year for Ele. She received guidance from a trusted mentor. She learned that she needed to wear an Emerald for its healing and protective qualities. Searching far and wide, she couldn’t find exactly what she had envisioned, leading her to design her own necklace which she still wears today: The Divinity Emerald. The response she got from her creation blew her mind. People were stopping her on the street asking where they could get one. One lady at a restaurant in New York literally grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye and said, “You must do this. Me and all my friends would love to buy your jewelry.”

It was a few months later at a party, Ele’s friend tried on her Divinity Emerald and after seeing her necklace on someone else, Ele finally realized she needed to take a leap of faith and dive fully into being a designer. This woman ended up being her first customer. After that experience, Ele created her first jewelry collection.

“In life if you’re supposed to do something it just finds you. I always say jewelry found me. Everything came about with an effortless flow–all the doors opened for me at once and I knew that it was meant to be. ”

- Ele Keats, Owner/Designer

To get in touch and learn more:

IG@elekeatsjewelry

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Join me in conversation with Jessie Harrold as we discuss her incredible book called Mothershift- all about reclaiming motherhood as a right of passage. This book completely shifted the way I see and understand motherhood and was such a validating book for me to read as a new mother myself. 

More about Jessie:

Jessie Harrold is a coach and doula who has been supporting women through radical life transformations and other rites of passage for over fifteen years. She works one-on-one with women and mothers, facilitates mentorship programs, women’s circles and rituals, and hosts retreats and nature-based experiences.  Jessie is the author of the award-winning book Mothershift:  Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage (Shambhala 2024) and Project Body Love: my quest to love my body and the surprising truth I found instead. She is also the host of The Becoming Podcast.  Jessie lives on the east coast of Canada where she mothers her two children, writes, and stewards the land.

To get in touch:

IG @jessie.es.harrold

jessieharrold.com

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Join me with this ray of sunshine, Cindy Schwartz, as she shares her life hacks and creative ways to be and stay in the flow of life. 

About Cindy:

After 22 years of building her career in the recruitment world,  ultimately reaching a Director of Talent Strategy role, Cindy did something most people only think about: she walked away.

In 2025, she made a deliberate choice to leave a successful career behind and build a life that actually felt aligned with who she is. That decision became the foundation of her work today.

Now a certified professional development and transitions coach, Cindy works with people who are done making fear-based decisions and ready to start building intentional careers and lives. Her coaching goes beyond job changes, it's about helping people get honest about what they actually want, and then doing the work to get there.

She's also the host of a podcast dedicated to real, unfiltered stories from real women, because she believes the most powerful voices aren't always the most famous ones.

Cindy holds her coaching certification through Concordia University (ICF-recognized), and she's known for bringing a direct, grounded perspective to one of the hardest things a person can do: change.

To get in touch: 

www.becoached.ca

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Join me in conversation with Matt Torralbo as we hear his story of recovery and how it inspired him to start Milestone House, a sober living residence for men in Montreal. 

About Matt:

Matt Torralbo a Recovery Coach (CCAR) and Owner/Founder of Milestone House, a structured sober living community for men in Montreal, Quebec. Matt began his journey in recovery in Los Angeles, California. After entering recovery himself, Matt ended up managing a structured sober living program in Los Angeles.

Matt learned that recovery was not simply about staying sober, but changing our inner values and principles, through altruism, and building personal integrity. He also learned the importance of fitness and nutrition in recovery, not only on physical health, but on mental health as well.

Matt quickly found a passion imparting these core principles on others in recovery.

Upon returning to Montreal, he realized there was a void to be filled. There was a serious lack of quality sober living programs, with an emphasis on character building, community,12 step work, fitness, and nutrition.

Using the model of the structured sober living programs he had seen and worked for California, he got to work to create a unique program in Montreal.

Milestone House was born out of a passion to impart what he had learned in his recovery journey, to create strong, healthy, confident, self-reliant men, and to provide them with a community and relationships that last a lifetime.

To learn more and get in touch with Matt, plaese visit:

https://milestone.house/

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About Caitlin: 

Caitlin has been in recovery for over 17 years. After struggling with alcohol, anxiety and disordered eating she has found peace in her recovery.

Caitlin lives in Toronto with her husband, daughter and Pup. She runs a Second hand clothing store and has been a Movement teacher for many years.

To Get In Touch: @formeandmore 

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Join me in conversation with my dear friend, mentor and colleague, Bob Marier as we chat about working in the field of additions and recovery. After more than 21 years in long term recovery from alcohol and substance abuse, including a tenure as a talent handler in the entertainment industry, Bob founded Hired Sobriety.

As an active member within the recovery community, Bob recognized a pressing need to provide professional support to addicts and their families – both before and after treatment – and developed an approach to augment the 12-step model.

Hired Sobriety personalizes the program, providing private assistance to national and international clients in their aim to get sober and stay sober.

To get in touch:

https://www.hiredsobriety.com/

IG @ sober_coach

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