Some Assembly Required

After leaving a successful career at GQ in London, comedian James Mullinger moved to New Brunswick for a better quality of life, not a bigger career. Then he built a comedy following from the ground up, one grassroots show at a time.

In this episode of Some Assembly Required, host Candace Carnahan talks with James about starting over, redefining success, and how small shows in vineyards, schools, and community halls grew through word of mouth. They also swap stories about Atlantic Canada, British culture, and the language differences that can lead to some very funny misunderstandings.

What if one of life’s greatest love stories is friendship? Host Candace Carnahan welcomes Mary and Shannon, entrepreneurs and co-hosts of Hotter by the Minute, for an honest, joyful conversation about the friendships that help us grow and feel understood.

They share how they met and bonded instantly, why making time for friends matters, and how our relationships can shift through midlife, reinvention, perimenopause, and menopause. They also talk about building new social circles, welcoming people who feel left out, and treating close friendships with the care and intention they deserve.

Watch for a celebration of connection, laughter, and finding your people at every stage of life. Subscribe to Some Assembly Required for more conversations about the experiences that shape us.

What happens when we stop treating intimacy as something we should automatically understand?

In this episode of Some Assembly Required, Candace sits down with certified sexologist and relationship expert Serena Haines for an honest, judgment-free conversation about sex, shame, communication and human connection. Serena shares how she entered the world of sexology, why so many people struggle to talk openly about intimacy and what it really takes to build a healthier relationship with ourselves and our partners.

From desire and long-term relationships to breaking down stigma around pleasure, this episode tackles the questions many of us have—but are often too nervous to ask.

Learn more about Serena: https://serenahaines.com/

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What if you stopped trying to “fix” yourself and simply allowed yourself to take up space? In this episode of Some Assembly Required, host Candace Carnahan sits down with Louie Monroe Mitchell, better known as Limitless Louie, whose joyful dance videos and unfiltered reminders that “you’re okay as you are” have built a powerful online community.

Louie shares how he went from running a weight loss blog to realizing that losing weight and “doing everything right” didn’t make him happy or more authentic. A simple Instagram reel about a map exhibition became a turning point, helping him find his true voice and a message rooted in joy, self-acceptance, and resisting the pressure to constantly self-improve. Candace and Louie explore the responsibility creators have to be safe spaces for their audiences, the difference between rage-bait and genuine connection, and why Louie now chooses curiosity over judgment when it comes to everything from pronouns to people struggling with addiction.

They also dive into Louie’s winding path through many different jobs before finding purpose in nursing, what he’s learned from being with people at the end of their lives, and why most regrets are about what we didn’t do, not what we did. Louie shares the story of a stranger who handed him a flower and a simple note during a dark time, and how that tiny act of kindness helped him understand his purpose: to be seen, to see others, and to spread joy in the smallest everyday moments.

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In this episode of Some Assembly Required, host Candace Carnahan sits down with broadcaster and actor Jeff Douglas (aka Joe Canadian) to talk about identity, reinvention, and how living in this country has reshaped them both over the last 25 years.

This conversation is for you if:

-You’re questioning your career path or purpose
-You care about inclusion, justice, and Canadian identity
-You love CBC, storytelling, or behind-the-scenes media journeys
-You’re learning to live with (or suspect you have) ADHD or anxiety
-You just want to hear two people have a real, unhurried, human conversation

🧩 Some Assembly Required is about the messy, beautiful process of becoming who you are—without an instruction manual.

👉 If this episode resonates, please like, subscribe, and leave a review. It helps more people find these conversations and join in.

In this powerful episode of Some Assembly Required, host Candace Carnahan sits down with mental health advocate and creator Dani Squires for an honest conversation about abuse, resilience, and what it means to truly “protect your peace.” Dani shares her experience growing up in an unstable, abusive household, being removed from her mother’s care after school staff noticed bruises, and navigating homelessness and poverty while still in high school. She talks about starting work at 13, putting herself through university, and choosing a very different path than her brother, whose life has been marked by addiction and jail.

They also dive into online bullying, body shaming, and the myth that choosing a public life means you “signed up” to be attacked. Dani talks about calling out trolls, looking up to creators who stand their ground, and the constant noise of diet culture, Ozempic ads, and unrealistic standards. Together, Candace and Dani make the case for therapy as a neutral sounding board, not a sign of being broken, and for being mindful not to turn friends into full-time therapists. They discuss setting boundaries, ending one-sided friendships, and learning to really live by the mantra: protect your peace.

For anyone who has ever felt guilty for struggling, minimized their own pain, or stayed quiet because others “have it worse,” this conversation is a reminder that you are allowed to ask for help, that it’s okay to not be okay, and that everything (good and bad)is temporary. As Dani says, be gentle with people, reach out, ask the hard questions, sit with discomfort, and check in more than you think you need to. You never truly know what someone is carrying behind their smile.

If this episode resonates with you, please like the video, subscribe for more conversations like this, and share it with someone who might need to hear it. If you or someone you know is struggling, consider reaching out to a friend, a therapist, a crisis line, or a local mental health service. <3

What happens after the big career leap? After you quit, pivot, or admit “this isn’t it anymore”?

In this episode of Some Assembly Required, host Candace Carnahan sits back down with Jen Warrington, founder of The Warrington Group, to dig into the messy middle of career change: the doubt, the recalibration, and the uncomfortable quiet where you finally ask, “What do I really want?”

Jen has helped hundreds of professionals reinvent their careers (often without going back to school) by uncovering their hidden, transferable skills. From trades to corporate, from pastor to COO, she shows what’s actually possible when you stop chasing titles and start building a life that fits.

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When a “safe, stable job” ends with a severance package and a polite goodbye, what happens next?

In this episode of Some Assembly Required, host Candace Carnahan sits down with Jen Warrington, founder of The Warrington Group and one of Atlantic Business Magazine’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business.

Jen was “packaged out” of her recruiting role after 10 years—right before COVID shut everything down. No warning, no dramatic box-of-stuff exit… just a call, five more weeks of work, and a severance package.

What she did next changed everything.

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In this episode of Some Assembly Required, host Candace Carnahan sits down with Carrie Forbes to explore what it really means to build a Renaissance career and a life that actually feels like your own, not just a checklist of what you’re “supposed” to do.

Candace and Carrie dive into what it’s like to feel “behind” in your career or your life, and why no job, degree, or detour is ever really wasted. They talk about how every experience becomes part of your “total package” and how blending your interests can become your unique advantage, not a liability.

Carrie shares practical ways to check in with your energy, reassess your path, and make decisions that are aligned with who you are today — not who you thought you “should” be 10 years ago. She talks about the Wheel of Life exercise, trusting your inner voice, and her favorite mindset from martial arts: “I either win or I learn.”

If this resonates, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear they’re not behind.

In this powerful episode, Candace sits down with award-winning veterinarian, entrepreneur, and cancer survivor Dr. Lesley Steele for an unfiltered conversation about women’s health, self-worth, and what it really means to take care of yourself.

Lesley shares the story of her shock breast cancer diagnosis, how she treated it like a “business problem” to solve, and the radical life changes she made along the way—from cutting sugar and diving into meditation to facing her own fears about motherhood, mortality, and identity. Together, she and Candace dig into the messy middle of menopause, body image, and that relentless inner critic so many women live with every single day.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt “not enough” in their own body, questioned their choices, or wondered how to be kinder to themselves after living through really hard things. It’s honest, funny, vulnerable, and a reminder that none of us have it all figured out—no matter how put together life looks from the outside.

If this conversation resonates with you, please like, subscribe, and share the episode with someone who needs to hear it.

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