The Calgary Sessions

What happens when the one thing that defines you is gone?

Dr. Matt Brown had his entire life planned: play pro football, then become a surgeon. But a single helmet-to-helmet hit ended his career, broke his neck, and shattered his identity. In the darkness that followed, he felt "gutted like a fish" and asked himself a question that would change his life: "Who is Matt Brown without football?". The answer was "nobody".

That devastating moment was the genesis of his new purpose. Today, Dr. Brown is the mental performance shepherd for Calgary’s top athletes, including the Flames and Stampeders.

This conversation is a masterclass in the unseen "hardware" and "software" of elite performance.

We discuss:

• The "Hot Take": Why he believes true competitiveness is a "hardwired" personality trait, not a learned skill .

• The Proof: The childhood story that shows how his innate drive got him sent to the principal's office .

• The Playbook: How to properly "wield" your competitive drive so it doesn't get you into trouble.

• The Non-Negotiable: The scientific reason exercise is "every bit as effective" as antidepressants for mental health .

• The Secret: What are "Energy Givers," and why is he scouting for them just as much as talent?

Whether you're an athlete, a parent, or a business leader, this episode will challenge your perspective on the drive to win.

How To Connect:

Jeff Humphreys - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca

⁠Matt Brown - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-brown-phd

Podcast Location - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.offsetstudios.ca

Podcast Production - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shortlinecreative.com

What does it take to lose the business you built from scratch and then come back to create an even bigger success? This week, we sit down with Hailey Seidel, the founder of Calgary’s luxury pet hotel, The Petropolitan, for a masterclass in resilience, branding, and grit.

For 20 years, Hailey has been a force in the pet care industry, but her path was anything but straight. Her journey started by accident when she launched a simple dog walking business to solve a personal need. That small venture quickly exploded, leading her to take a massive risk at age 25: signing a lease on a 20,000-square-foot facility. But just as her business thrived, her personal life entered a period of turmoil that ultimately resulted in her being forced to sell the company she poured her life into. Instead of walking away, Hailey channeled that experience into a new vision, identifying a gap in the market for high-end pet care and building The Petropolitan from the ground up.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to turn a personal problem into a viable business idea without a formal plan.

• The mindset required to take massive risks, like when Hailey leased a giant warehouse as a 25-year-old entrepreneur.

• The unfiltered story of navigating the sale of a business during a difficult personal separation and how to pivot from rock bottom.

• Why finding and dominating a niche—like creating "The Fairmont for Dogs"—is a powerful strategy for standing out in a crowded market.

• Hailey’s "Choose Your Own Adventure" philosophy for embracing wrong turns and building a career on your own terms.This is a raw and honest conversation about the un-glamorous reality of entrepreneurship and what it truly means to have "Calgary Grit".

How To Connect:

Jeff Humphreys - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca

⁠Hailey Seidel - https://www.thepetropolitan.ca

Podcast Location - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.modelmilk.ca

⁠Podcast Production - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shortlinecreative.com

What if the key to unlocking your highest potential wasn't about pushing harder, but about becoming more authentic? My guest this week, Kayti Simonson, shares her profound journey from a high-achieving lawyer and athlete running on adrenaline to a resilient competitor guided by energy and intuition.

Kayti is a Calgary-based lawyer and three-time HYROX world championship competitor who seemed to have it all figured out. But after hitting a "brick wall" of burnout , she was forced to confront the emotional suppression that had fueled her success for years. In this raw and honest conversation, Kayti opens up about the messy work of feeling your emotions, why she believes "balance is a myth" for high-performers , and how learning to stop lying to herself became the catalyst for profound change.

In this episode, you will learn about:• Kayti’s foundational roots in Calgary and the mountains that ground her.

• The "Pick Your Hard" philosophy and why she believes luck has nothing to do with success.

• The myth of balance and the true cost of high achievement in athletics and law.

• Hitting the "brick wall": The story of Kayti's burnout and the decision to finally face her emotions .

• The journey from a self-described "control freak" to learning the power of surrender.

• Her belief that authenticity is directly linked to the energy you put out into the world.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs come after the biggest breakdowns.

How To Connect:

Jeff Humphreys - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca⁠

Kayti Simonson - https://www.instagram.com/kaytisimonson

Podcast Location - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.modelmilk.ca⁠

Podcast Production - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shortlinecreative.com

I've always been fascinated by the moments that change everything. Not the big goals we set, but the unexpected turns that truly define us. My guest this week, Cari Din, calls these powerful moments "interruptions".

Cari is an Olympic silver medalist in artistic swimming and an award-winning Kinesiology professor. She was incredibly open about her journey, from the intense focus of being an elite athlete to the disorienting identity crisis that hit after leaving the pool for good. She described her life going from a single, straight arrow to "hundreds of tiny arrows that had no direction".

In our conversation, we chatted about:

• The mindset of a "quiet competitor" and the joy of outworking the competition.

• What happens when your entire identity disappears overnight.

• Building a "Bank of Trust" to become a more effective leader.

• Why parenting is harder than winning an Olympic medal.

• How to find a new purpose when you feel completely lost.

This is an honest look at resilience, reinvention, and what it truly means to build a life on your own terms. It’s a conversation that will stick with you.

How To Connect:

Jeff Humphreys - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca⁠

Cari Din - https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/cari-din

Podcast Location - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.modelmilk.ca

⁠Podcast Production - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shortlinecreative.com

What if the biggest risks lead to the most meaningful rewards? My guest this week, Christine Goudie, is the definition of that question. As the Co-founder and CEO of Granville Biomedical, she has forged a unique path driven by a desire to use her design skills for good, starting with a one-way ticket out of Newfoundland with just $250 in her pocket.

In our chat, Christine took me through her incredible journey through multiple cities, schools, and startups, all in pursuit of a career with purpose. We explored the pivotal moments that shaped her mission to serve overlooked communities—from a bar conversation that sparked a passion for designing innovative wheelchair seating to co-founding a company that tackles taboos in women's health. Her story is a powerful lesson in the relentless, unsexy grind of building something that matters and the mental shift required to turn fear into fuel.

In this episode, we cover:

• Leaving home with only $250 and no safety net.

• Her "pie-eating contest" analogy for the entrepreneurial grind.

• The pivotal pub chat that changed her entire career path.

• Tackling taboos in women’s health with Granville Biomedical.

• Shifting from a fear of failure to asking, "But what if it works out?".

If you're looking for a dose of real, unfiltered inspiration to chase your own thing, this episode is for you.

How To Connect:

Jeff Humphreys - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca

⁠Christine Goudie - https://www.granvillebiomedical.ca

Podcast Location - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.modelmilk.ca⁠

Podcast Production - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shortlinecreative.com

What does it mean to shape ideas for a living?

In this episode, Shelley reflects on what it takes to shape meaningful ideas, how to trust your gut in creative decisions, and what it feels like to stay curious over time. Her stories reveal how culture takes shape through consistent and thoughtful choices.

A few themes that run through the episode:

• Creating space for conversations that matter
• Making decisions under pressure and scrutiny
• Trusting instinct without needing validation
• Why live storytelling still resonates
• How Calgary shapes and challenges creative people
• What curiosity looks like later in life

A thoughtful look at creative leadership, culture, and staying engaged with the world around you.

How To Connect:

Jeff Humphreys - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca

Shelley Youngblut - www.instagram.com/youngblutshelley

Podcast Location - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.modelmilk.ca

Podcast Production - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shortlinecreative.com

Jamie Parker didn’t plan to become an entrepreneur. He worked a lot of jobs, spent time on wildfire crews, and started roasting coffee in a garage before anything looked like a business.

That business became Canadian Heritage Roasting Company.

This episode isn’t about overnight success. It’s about figuring things out by doing the work, staying committed when there’s no clear payoff, and navigating personal challenges along the way.

We talked about building something from scratch, learning without a roadmap, and the quiet moments that shape what comes next.

How To Connect:

Jeff Humphreys - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca

Jamie Parker - https://canadianheritageroastingco.com

Podcast Location - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.modelmilk.ca

Podcast Production - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shortlinecreative.com

Marco Carducci is still in the game, competing at a high level, leading on and off the field, and figuring it out as he goes. In this episode, Marco reflects on what it took to make it in pro soccer, what nearly pulled him away from it, and how he's found a healthier way to thrive without losing himself in the process.

He opens up about growing up in Calgary, the pressures of early success, the identity trap many athletes face, and the quiet moments that helped him reset. From youth academies to the Canadian Premier League, Marco’s story is one of early sacrifice, personal growth, and learning how to play the long game in sport and in life.

Whether you're an athlete, a parent, or someone navigating high-performance environments, there’s something in this story for you.

We talk about:

• How identity affects performance and longevity

• Lessons from burnout, pressure, and purpose|

• The rise of soccer in Calgary and across Canada

• The balance between chasing wins and building impact

• What it means to lead while still learning

It’s a grounded look at what it takes to keep showing up, stay connected, and build something that lasts.

How To Connect:

Jeff Humphreys - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca

Marco Carducci - https://www.instagram.com/mcarducci96

Podcast Location - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.modelmilk.ca

Podcast Production - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shortlinecreative.com

Trent McClellan didn’t step on stage until he was 30. No plan, no roadmap. Just a feeling he couldn’t ignore.

We talked about what it took to go from a full-time day job to late-night open mics, touring small towns across Alberta, and eventually landing on 22 Minutes. Trent shared the less visible side of his career. The mental discipline. The self-doubt. The pressure to define success without tying your identity to it.

This episode touches on creative risk, purpose, men’s mental health, and what it means to trust yourself when there’s nothing to prove it will work.

How To Connect:

Jeff Humphreys - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca

Trent McClellan - https://trentscomedy.com

Podcast Location - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.modelmilk.ca

Podcast Production - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shortlinecreative.com

Crystal was chasing the Olympics when she was diagnosed with MS. What came next was unexpected, but the way she handled it shaped everything that followed.

In this episode, we talked about competing at a high level, what it’s like to face a sudden diagnosis, and why Crystal started rethinking the healthcare system from the inside. We also got into the early days of the Branch Out Foundation and the mindset shift that helped her turn a personal challenge into something bigger.

This one’s about resilience, curiosity, and what happens when you follow your instincts, even when the path isn’t clear.

How To Connect:

Jeff Humphreys - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffhumphreys.ca

Crystal Phillips - https://branchoutfoundation.com

Podcast Location - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.modelmilk.ca

Podcast Production - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shortlinecreative.com