The Catalyst with Samantha Kris

The most important issues that divide us are those we yell at each other about online and avoid in person. The only place they get debated is in the media, which only deepens the sense that there is a right and a wrong, an “us” and a “them”. It is time we learn to have civil conversations about the topics that are tearing humanity apart and Sophie Tarnowska explains how.

Network marketing has a bad reputation and isn’t necessarily a coveted career for many. Social marketing expert, Emma Wojtas, is on a mission to change that narrative, usher MLM’s into the mainstream and change lives in the process. In this episode she debunks myths, shares how she overcomes objections and what she’s doing to majorly stand out in a cookie-cutter market.

Vesna Antwan shares her experience with extreme burnout and the steps she took to find her way back to herself. In what she calls her year of reckoning, everything had become too much to manage. She dealt with immense guilt, shame and strain on her mental health which ultimately caused her to crash at the end of 2016. She committed to turning inward and identifying the root of her pain, and was able to put herself back in the driver’s seat and continue her journey in the right direction.

The speed of change is increasing. There is no room for complacency for today’s businesses, which means leaders need to continuously adapt and reinvent themselves in order for their organizations to survive. In this episode, Michael Rubenstein dispels the belief of a brave new world being something of the future and shares practical tools that puts our new world immediately within reach. 

Calling all mothers! It’s time to reclaim the power over your thoughts so you can live and enjoy life on your terms. LaWann Moses lost sight of her value outside of motherhood and knows firsthand that change is possible if you choose it. She shares what it’s been like navigating being a parent, running a business and working full time during the pandemic, as well as 5 game-changing productivity tips to take back control of your life. Don’t worry dads, you’ll love these tips, too.

Kelly Bron Johnson is on a mission to help create greater opportunities for oppressed and marginalized people. As an autistic, hard of hearing, proud non-binary Black woman of mixed race, Kelly has lived through a number of challenges. Through her work she is determined to make the path easier for others, and in particular, for her two disabled racialized children. She is changing the future of work by helping companies become more diverse and inclusive, creating spaces where differences are not only embraced but sought after.

Ana Lovera had it all; an impressive career, her dream job, and a beautiful house but when things turned violent in Venezuela, she made the hard decision to leave it all behind in order to protect her family. Full of pain and anger, Ana learned to channel her energy into something positive and began to rebuild. This is her story of survival, strength and starting over. 

Atena Sadegh was always a happy person but when her mother was diagnosed with a near fatal brain tumour, everything changed. The heavy burden of survivor's guilt coupled with the realization that she’d placed her worthiness into her mother’s hands challenged her self-love in a major way. In this week’s episode Atena shares how she let go of her guilt, how she learned to love herself unconditionally and how you can, too.

In a time where job security is shaky and self-reflection is at an all time high, Kirsty Bisset offers insight for today’s aspiring entrepreneurs. She shares what it was like to be unemployed and desperate for work to owning 5 businesses and landing a spot on Fast Company’s Top 30 Under 30 list. The secret sauce to her recipe for success is failure. Learn how you can turn unfortunate circumstances into your next big opportunity in this week’s episode.

Connect with Kirsty on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about her work on her website.

Despite being raised in an abusive home with an alcoholic father, being forced to grow up far too soon and losing his wife to breast cancer at just 40 years old, Robert continues to seek the beauty life has to offer. It wasn’t always that way, however. Robert endured years of self-destruction before he realized that perhaps some of his best days were yet to come and that, if assembled, all his broken pieces could very well be his greatest masterpiece.