Mom & sis are back for a light-hearted discussion about our own personal fitness stories, sharing how different forms of movement like running, Pilates, and dance classes impact our lives. 

In a world where everything feels quite heavy, and at a time when the most awful humans are getting a lot of attention, we felt a need to remind ourselves of the good people around us and the importance of social connections and community.

While we also explore the pressures of diet culture and body image issues, this episode is meant to bring levity and serve as a good reminder of how we feel when we get off of our phones and go into our communities to connect.

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This week's lively discussion is brought to you by Chantal Sarkisian, an Armenian-Canadian influencer better known as Chantsy online! 

Listen in as Nadine and Chantal delve into the behind-the-scenes of what it means to be a social media influencer. Their conversation starts from the beginning, with Chantal's early experience as a blogger, then discusses her transition to Instagram and TikTok, diving into the realities of managing sponsored content while keeping true to personal values, particularly in the realms of body positivity and mid-size fashion. 

Chantal shares her experiences with creating authentic, relatable content, and the challenges of maintaining a balance between personal life and a public persona. 

As two women who love (like, LOVE) fashion, they get into the evolving landscape of body representation in the industry and the importance of persistence, authenticity, and kindness in navigating that world as a midsize fashion influencer. 

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In this week's episode of The Other Side Pod, Karla Briones hops on to chat about the side of entrepreneurship that isn't so pretty. The burnout. The decisions we make when we lose connection with ourselves. The challenges that immigrant entrepreneurs face. The guilt that can be easily felt when juggling motherhood, and the directions we go when we've lost our purpose and how to come to the decision to change course.

Karla has started multiple businesses over her extensive career, and shares with us the joy of opening her first (Global Pet Foods), the frustration of starting her second (Freshii), and finally the overwhelming sense of landing in the exact right place with her non-profit, Immigrant Entrepreneur Canada, who's mandate is to empower and accelerate the impact and success of immigrant entrepreneurs in Canada. 

This conversation is for anyone, entrepreneur or not, who has lived the ups and downs, or perhaps are finding themselves a little lost. Now in their 40s, Karla and Nadine share a fresh perspective on finding their groove with a sense of purpose that can only come with time, consistency, support and staying rooted in one's mission and passion. 

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It's the first pod of 2026 and what better way to start a new year than a conversation with Florence Maheu; Canadian slalom kayaker, Olympian, and just the loveliest human with a refreshing perspective on life.

Recently retired from an 18 year career as a professional athlete, Flo takes us behind the scenes and tells us how she first discovered (and fell in love with) kayaking and walks us through the realities of her rigorous training and travel schedule and how, during those demanding years, she also managed to grow up,  attend university, meet a partner, and attempt to stay connected with her family and friends. 

We also talk about her experience at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (which were actually held in 2021 because of COVID) and how she made the decision to retire, drawing parallels between her previous career and her current one at the Ottawa Police Service.

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Happy New Year's Eve from mom, sis and I! 

Join us for this special holiday episode to hear our thoughts and expectations for this coming New Year, as well as anecdotes about past resolutions, generational differences in goal setting, and personal shifts in mindset. Of course we also offer tips on surviving the winter in Newfoundland (and Canada in general!), touching on the importance of connection and community. 

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On this nostalgic Christmas Eve, sisters Nadine and Danielle, along with their cousin, Amy, share their memorable, often chaotic experiences working at a housewares and gift shop in St. John's, Newfoundland during their high school and university days.  

Reflecting on their long hours, challenging customers and youthful first-job antics, these three share insights into the exhaustion and camaraderie of retail work during the holiday season. Through humorous and heartfelt stories about Midnight Madness, pricing Christmas ornaments in the summer, and the mayhem of Boxing Day sales, they emphasize the importance of being kind to service workers, especially at this time of year. Oh, and they'd be remiss not to tell you to stop trying to do exchanges/returns on Boxing Day. Have a heart. 

And, of course, Merry Christmas! 

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Mandie Vossenberg is back on the pod to talk about dead parents, but make it festive?!

The holidays bring about a lot of feelings, especially if you've lost someone, so Nadine and Mandie wanted to share how they've been feeling in hopes that if you can relate, you won't feel so alone in it. 

In this heartfelt episode, they share a candid conversation about dealing with grief during the holiday season, recounting personal experiences, from the sadness and tears to the unexpected moments of joy and nostalgia that the season brings. 

The conversation also touches on personal growth, setting boundaries, and finding solace in various forms of communication with friends and family. They offer gentle advice for those who have recently lost loved ones, emphasizing the importance of processing grief at one’s own pace and finding supportive communities. 

Amidst all, there's a shared sense of resilience and the ability to find joy again.

Happy Holidays x

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We are officially into the Holiday Season so I thought it was a great time to chat with Tesia Bryski and Alyssa Malizia, psychotherapists and the Co-Directors at Shine Mental Health Collective in Ottawa, ON. This time of year can be challenging for many for a multitude of reasons, so in this episode we wanted to share some insights into psychotherapy, access, the impact of the holidays on mental health and the ways in which we can take care of ourselves during a busy time of year. 

In this conversation I wanted to turn the tables and ask the psychotherapists the questions; how did they find their way to this career? how do they take care of themselves after taking care of others? what is it like to supervise? and finally, do they ever take one side of a couple's argument during couple's therapy? (I HAD TO ASK!). 

We also chat about the role AI is playing in mental health and finally, if sitting on the couch seems too much for you right now, both Tesia and Alyssa leave us with some tips that we can use to help us through the holidays.

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Meet Jess Packman, hair enthusiast and stylist at JetBlack Hair Studio, who also happens to no longer suffer wildly every month since having a hysterectomy! Nadine and Jess, like many people who happen to have uteruses, have had a complicated relationship with them and hopped on the podcast to talk about their decisions to have them removed due to severe endometriosis and adenomyosis. Listen in as both women share their own personal stories, which are very different from each other but so similar to many folks out there. The journey to a hysterectomy is not an easy one - and women's health care is confusing AT BEST. In discussing their individual experiences through pain, misdiagnosis, ineffective treatments and the emotional rollercoaster of trying to conceive, Nadine and Jess hope that their years of agony and systemic healthcare struggles will add to the important conversation that highlights the power of understanding female reproductive health issues, advocating for oneself, and finding compassionate medical care. 

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It's the last Wednesday of the month so you know what that means. Mom and sis are back! And this time we're talking body image and aging. 

Listen in as the three of us, being women in our 40s, 50s, and 70s, discuss our independent decisions to age naturally in a world constantly promoting fillers, Botox, and surgeries. Each of us discuss our own personal journeys toward self-acceptance, and share insights on how we've built our relationships with our imperfect bodies, embracing the physical changes that come naturally with age while highlighting the importance of mental health and self-compassion along the way.

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