Two Chairs

A former student, Ophelia, interviews her marketing instructor, Kylie McMullen — PR professional, founder of Finch Media, and new PhD — for the first time in person. Kylie traces her unconventional career from teaching English in Guangzhou (where she met her husband), to corporate roles at Coty and Johnson & Johnson, to launching her own agency as a "reluctant entrepreneur" who learned to feel proud rather than small. She shares how she balances motherhood, teaching, and business with one mantra: just do the next thing — and offers wisdom on networking through genuine connection, thriving in crisis communications, why micro-influencers outperform celebrities, and what AI means for the future of PR and human connection. 

In this episode of Two Chairs, Ophelia and Chris explore how Toastmasters builds communication skills and confidence under pressure. The central philosophy of their conversation is learning to become "comfortable with the uncomfortable"—a mindset where practice does not eliminate nerves, but trains emotional regulation, quick thinking, and composure across high-stakes meetings and everyday stressors alike. 

Chris compares impromptu speaking during Table Topics to a gym workout: it conditions you to organize your thoughts on the fly, read the room, and deliver clear takeaways under strict time limits. He illustrates this with a recent workplace success, where Toastmasters training allowed him to step in on minutes' notice and successfully pitch a cross-departmental proposal to senior SFU directors. 

The two also discuss the nuanced challenge of humor in professional and second-language settings, noting that clear communication must always come before entertainment. To keep meetings professional and inclusive, Chris suggests sticking to universally understood, low-stakes references and setting personal boundaries. Finally, reflecting on the intimidation introverts and ESL learners often feel, Ophelia and Chris propose welcoming new members through peer mentorship and warmer, low-pressure introductions. Ultimately, they emphasize that leaning into discomfort—rather than avoiding it—is what unlocks long-term personal and professional growth. 

In this episode of Two Chairs, Bernice sits down with Ophelia to open up about growing up shy and how she learned that "closed mouths don't get fed" — a mantra that pushed her to speak up, ask questions, and go after what she wants.  

She takes us through the moments that shaped her confidence: nervously asking to take photos with celebrities, finding her voice in dance class, and leaning on a killer playlist to get her through tough days. Bernice also reflects on her career path, from working retail at Coach to discovering her passion for marketing, and the friendships that helped her feel truly supported along the way. She talks candidly about comparison culture on social media, and her complicated relationship with luxury spending. It's an honest, funny, and relatable conversation about self-doubt, growth, and learning to bet on yourself. 

The Good Life: Psychology, Soul, and What Actually Makes Us Happy

What does it mean to live well? Not just to survive — but to actually feel like your life means something?

In this episode, host Ophelia sits down with Dr. Kate, a theoretical psychologist and faculty member at Simon Fraser University, who has spent over 20 years asking exactly that question — not in therapy rooms, but in the pages of philosophy, history, and science.

What you'll hear:

• How Kate accidentally landed her dream academic job before even finishing her PhD
• Why psychology is far more complex than "tell me what I'm thinking"
• The real reason young people are finding happiness harder than ever — and it's not what you think

• Why giving makes you happier (backed by actual research)
• How struggle and suffering aren't obstacles to the good life — they are the good life
• And the one-sentence answer to "what is the meaning of life?" that stopped us both in our tracks.

Thank you.

In this episode of Two Chairs, host Ophelia sits down with Maysa — a career advisor at YWCA and a Palestinian-Canadian immigrant — to talk about the real challenges newcomers face when entering the Canadian job market.

Maysa shares her own story of arriving in Canada at 17, struggling to break into the workforce, and eventually leaving for Dubai before returning years later with a renewed sense of purpose. Now she helps self-identified women, refugees, and newcomers build the skills and confidence they need to succeed.

In this episode, I interviews Sana about navigating maternity leave with two children and feeling in “survival mode” while breastfeeding and caring for a four-year-old who became more independent. Sana explains how taking up crochet during long feeds helped her feel productive and learn a new skill, while they also discuss the pressure to always be doing more and the value of meditation and self-care. The conversation covers parenting as a nonstop full-time job, why maternity leave should be a right, and contrasts between Canada’s paid leave and limited unpaid leave in the U.S., plus concerns about daycare affecting child anxiety and behavior. Sana also shares her immigrant background from Pakistan, career impacts of back-to-back leaves and telling a new employer she was pregnant, her positive birth experiences and her ongoing postpartum depression tied to breastfeeding and lack of support. 

00:02 Welcome to Two Chairs 

00:21 Two Kids Survival Mode 

02:15 Crochet as Self Care 

04:32 Always Doing More 

05:50 Parenting Is Full Time 

06:54 Maternity Leave as a Right 

09:34 Daycare and Child Anxiety 

11:53 Unpredictable Sleep and Crying 

13:27 Immigrating and Schooling 

15:09 Maternity Leave Career Impact 

16:25 Telling Work You're Pregnant 

17:56 Keeping Kids Busy 

18:51 Birth Hospital Experiences 

24:02 Prenatal Care in Canada 

25:50 Postpartum Depression Reality 

"Don't let life control you. You control your life."

In this episode of Two Chairs, I sit down with a former colleague who defines what it means to be a true "action taker." Having moved to Canada with zero professional background, he built a successful career from the ground up—starting in the shoe department at Hudson’s Bay, moving into luxury retail at Coach, and eventually pivoting into the medical-optical industry as a manager at LensCrafters.

We dive deep into the strategic moves that fueled his rapid growth and the mindset required to thrive in a new environment. Whether you are an introvert looking to expand your comfort zone or a professional aiming for a management role, this conversation offers practical "insider" knowledge you won't find on a job board.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Power of In-Person Networking: Why hiring fairs at the Vancouver Convention Center are the ultimate "shortcut" to landing big-brand offers.

• "Fake It Till You Make It": How projecting confidence can help you overcome the "imperfect English" barrier and bridge professional gaps.

• The "Undercover" Job Hunt: A unique strategy for visiting stores and talking to associates to gain a competitive edge before your interview.

• Pivoting Industries: The transition from fast fashion to the medical-optical world, and how to translate "managerial skills" across different sectors.

• Balancing Ambition and Family: Maintaining deep connections with parents back home while navigating the fast-paced life of a Canadian professional.

Join us for a grounded, authentic conversation about taking back the steering wheel of your life.

What does it really mean to keep your life your own?

In this debut episode of Two Chairs, I'm sitting down with my dear friend and colleague, Enissa. She has mastered a kind of balance that so many of us strive for: being a devoted single muon, a proud homeowner, and a professional who navigates the complexities of a new culture grace.

We explore what it takes to define life on your own terms, the art of maintaining genuine connections, and why bing "ordinary" in a social setting doesn't mean you aren't living a marvellous story.