In this episode, 35-year-old John opens up about his relationship with his mother and how it shaped his understanding of relationships and female affection. He goes into detail about how he uses sex as a tool for validation. John discusses how he is working through this complex issue and coming to terms with his sex addiction.

In this episode, Glenda Hoon Russel discusses the experience of losing both her parents within three years. She goes into detail about her battle with self-image, alcohol-use, and overworking. This interview highlights Glenda’s evolving relationship with death and life through meditation, stoicism, and acceptance.

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You don’t have to go through the grieving process alone: https://www.griefshare.org/

In this episode, Anne, a pharmacist, mother, and Nigerian public health advocate, discusses her lifelong struggle with indecisiveness.  She talks at length about her fear of failure and the moment she realized that she had to take accountability of her life. Anne talks about the first year of motherhood and how it was a catalyst for addressing the battles within herself. 

In this episode, your host, Tia shares her own story of finding minimalism. She discusses seeking out an alternative lifestyle as a 16-year-old and how her ‘simple life’ has evolved over the last 10 years.

In this episode, 27-year-old Nicole describes her physically and emotionally abusive childhood growing up in a conservative immigrant-Chinese household. She painstakingly describes two significant relationships in her life that involved alcoholism, emotional abuse, and rape. After attempting suicide, Nicole walks us through the experience of finally getting a diagnosis for her severe mental health disorders. She is now living a life focused on recovery and wellness.  

In this episode, 25-year-old Theryn takes us back to her conservative upbringing in a wine-town in South Africa. She describes her eventual immigration to Canada. Theryn highlights how liberal Canadian culture allowed her to finally feel comfortable enough to question and change her gender.

In this episode, 30-year-old Meagan describes her experience of growing up in the ultraconservative Jehovah’s Witness church. She discusses the painful moment that she felt doubt in her beliefs and lost her identity. This story is about rebirth and an awakening to the realities of living in a cult.

In this episode, 34-year-old Graham discusses his decorated academic career and the grueling process of earning his professional engineering license. He outlines the devastation of realizing that he had spent ten years pursuing a goal he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted.

Ordinary Folk is a podcast that investigates the everyday fortitude of common people. These are the people down the street who have a journey and story worth sharing. Ordinary folk who got over eating disorders, tackled their perfectionism, or transcended their childhood trauma.  Ordinary Folk is the exploration into the fact that inspiration and transformation can come from common places and people. We dig deep into the personal histories of our guests to find out how they practice excellence in their otherwise ‘regular lives’. Ordinary Folk hopes to shed light on the fact that as a society we are failing to recognize the fact that there is inspiration all around us and that “ordinary folk” on the street have quite unique lives that do offer insight into the human condition and our ability to be incredibly resilient.

In this episode, Anna Wilks describes her experience of being raised in the ultra-conservative religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, her journey into drug use, and her loss of an ectopic pregnancy. This is a story of hitting rock bottom and finding sobriety and clarity after years in a drug-induced fog.