So-Called Normal

Mark is joined by Karim Mamdani, the President and CEO of Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Services in Whitby, Ontario. They discuss the evolving nature of mental health services and the driving philosophy and policy behind Ontario Shores. 

Mark is joined by Javeed Sukhera, Professor of Psychiatry and Paediatrics at Western University and President of the Ontario Psychiatric Association. They discuss why he chose psychiatry and the stigma that psychiatrists sometimes face, and how he treats mental health as both a social issue and a biomedical one. 

Mark is joined by his longtime friend Dr. Michael Higgins, academic, author of over a dozen books, and distinguished professor of Catholic Thought at Sacred Heart University. They discuss the difference between being religious and being pious, and dive into the philosophies of revolutionary thinkers like Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen and how they relate to mental health.  

Mark is joined by Bif Naked, iconic Canadian singer-songwriter, speaker, and author. They discuss what it was like to be a female rock artist in the 1990s, her philosophy on life, and how she got through breast cancer. 

Mark sits down with Don Tapscott, one of the world's leading authorities on innovation, technology and business, as well as a lifelong mental health advocate and author of Blockchain Revolution with his son Alex. They discuss the little known history of mental health policy in Canada, and how treatment and policy can be brought into the 21st century.

Mark gets a rare opportunity to speak to Steven Kerzner - the real person behind Canadian TV personality Ed The Sock. Kerzner shares how he got into television, how he created Ed The Sock, and how creativity helped him through depression. 

Bonus episode with Steven Kerzner! Steven continues his conversation with Mark, he defines depression and what it can feel like, and how he navigated his career. 

Mark speaks with Ann Dowsett Johnston, journalist of Maclean's fame and best-selling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol. They discuss Ann's own story of recovery from alcoholism, the closing gender gap on risky drinking, and how her passion for this issue caused her to switch careers from journalism to social work.  

Mark is joined by retired Canadian rower Silken Laumann, a three-time Olympian and former world champion. She shares what life was like for a world-class athlete and how a horrific collision in 1992 changed her career and life forever. Today, she's the founder of Unsinkable, a story sharing platform for Canadians to open up about their resiliency, courage, and transformation. 

Since starting the business in a little room in their apartment, Speakers’ Spotlight has grown beyond Martin and Farah’s wildest dreams. Today, they have offices in Toronto and Calgary, and have booked 30,000 keynotes in more than 30 countries,. The agency was selected by Profit Magazine as one of the 100 fastest growing companies in Canada and twice the couple has been named finalists for the Ernst & Young ‘Entrepreneur of The Year Award’. 

This power couple shares what it's like to grow a company with their spouse, raising a family, how to be an effective speaker, and the importance of balance.