What Connects Us

Weeeee're back! Let's kick off season 6 with a conversation that aims to diffuse some stigmas while showcasing a story of bouncing back in a big way.

During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, we sat down with Kayla Kozan who shared her experience navigating a nervous breakdown that eventually led to her being diagnosed with a mental health disorder that changed the trajectory of her life.

Kayla takes us through the signs of her nervous breakdown, how things culminated in a scary medical emergency, how she battled depression during her year off work, how she was able to recover and recalibrate, how it inspired her to make mindfulness meditation and corporate wellness more accessible for others, and how it brought her back to Saskatchewan to become a founder of her own startup.

Today's guest is a fitting end to close out the fifth season of the podcast as he recently closed a monumental chapter of his own. Eric Dillon is joining the podcast to reflect back on his 10 year run as Conexus' CEO and discuss how he knew it was time to begin a new adventure.

On February 15, Eric sent one of the most difficult emails he's ever had to write as he let the organization know that he would be departing from his role as the CEO of Conexus. With Eric being such an authentic ambassador for Conexus and a beloved community leader in Saskatchewan - this created shockwaves of questions inside and outside of Conexus' walls with people wondering if Eric was retiring, where he was going, and why he was moving on from a place that he is so passionate about.

Eric answers all of these questions and discusses how he came to the difficult decision to depart, how hard it was delivering the news that he was leaving and he reflects on some of the highs and lows of being a first-time CEO at Conexus. We'll also hear about Eric's origin story, what has shaped the authentic and progressive leadership style that he is known for, and how he's learned that the little things are often the big things.

Saskatchewan has the highest rate of reported intimate partner violence among all provinces and more than double the national rate. Today's incredibly courageous guest, Kendra Weenie, shares her survivor experience and sheds a light on a topic that a lot of people, particularly women, face in silence.

Kendra Weenie takes us through her heartbreaking story where her and her newborn daughter had to flee a situation where her partner was emotionally, financially and physically abusive. Kendra gives us a glimpse into her unimaginable experience and provides key learnings into how she was able to escape, what resources she utilized and how to best support someone navigating this.

Kendra's Book "Surviving Domestic Violence: My Journey of Self-Care and Healing"

*Trigger Warning: physical and emotional trauma experienced through intimate partner violence*

We're celebrating our 30th episode of the What Connects Us Podcast by featuring a story of risk and what happens when you follow your passion. This past Tuesday we celebrated International Women's Day and we sat down with Jessica McNaughton who is a female founder of a company that emotionally connects with people of all ages. Jessica is the founder of memoryKPR and she is joining us to chat about how about how her startup was sparked through tragedy and how Jessica has found the courage to leap at her passion in an industry where women only make up 37% of self-employed Canadians.

You may know Mark Johnston as the friendly co-host of the Play92 morning radio show or the current in-game host of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. But did you know Mark just celebrated his sixth anniversary of being sober from an alcohol and cocaine addiction?

On this episode of the What Connects Us Podcast, Mark gets vulnerable and gives us a glimpse into what life was like while battling substance abuse, how addiction almost cost him everything, how he was able to get sober and re-invent himself, and finally, the lessons he's learned along the way while maintaining his sobriety. Plus, in a very touching moment - we surprise Mark with a message from a loved one. It's an impactful episode that reminds us that each of us has a powerful origin story that has shaped who we are and that we always have the power to change our lives.

Breaking news - a new episode of the What Connects Us podcast is now live and we're chatting with someone who is no stranger to being on the air.

Alex Brown is a morning show host on CTV Morning Live in Saskatoon and is known for her incredible likeability and 100% authenticity both on and off the air. Alex talks about her journey into broadcasting and how she navigates the pressure cooker of live television while balancing the unorthodox lifestyle that comes with being a morning live host. She also chats about how she handles the constant stream of criticism, especially negative comments about her appearance, and why representation on the air is so important.

Organ donation has been a hot topic in Saskatchewan recently but it hasn't always been that way. Our first guest for Season 5 of the What Connects Us Podcast was a two time survivor of organ failure before she even blew out the candles on her 37th birthday.

Brandy Hehn has had her life saved on two separate occasions via a liver transplant in 2009 and a kidney in 2020. Brandy sheds a light on what it is like to go through organ failure, what that process looks like, how being the recipient of an organ donation has saved and impacted her life and how the Logan Boulet effect has changed the game for her and so many people.

The ups and downs of Brandy's story and her sense of story makes this an episode you cannot miss!

Travelling is typically against the rules in basketball, but in Justin's case, it inspired him to make a difference in the community.

For the season four finale of the What Connects Us Podcast, we're talking with Justin Lee who teamed up with his twin brother to start Buckets & Borders - a non-profit organization that utilizes basketball to bring people together and make game changing impacts in the community. Justin talks about how the initiative was sparked by combining his passion for connecting with different cultures with his love for sport and how this has translated into the highs and lows of starting a non-profit organization. We go deep into their first big impact in the community, the Lakeview Project, where his team didn't just revitalize a basketball court - but engaged, united and inspired a younger generation to invest in the community. Finally, we chat about what's next for Buckets & Borders and how he handles the pressure of meeting expectations, especially after the success of their first project.

Carla has experienced every parent's worst nightmare - not once, but twice. After grieving the sudden passing of her young daughter, Carla found herself in a similar heartbreaking position when her eight-year old son, Dawson, passed away after complications from surgery to remove a brain tumor.

Through unimaginable grief, Carla found purpose in building a legacy for Dawson by helping families so they could experience a little more comfort when placed in sensitive situations comparable to what she went through. Carla and her family started Skate4Smiles, an annual skate-a-thon that started small but quickly captured the hearts of so many people and in five short years, they had raised over $500,000 to help build the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon.

In this interview, Carla holds nothing back as she shares the transferable lessons she learned through immense tragedy, how she was able to transform loss into purpose and the hard earned perspective that has helped in her resilience journey.

We're taking a coffee break with Katie Shmelinski who founded The Everyday Kitchen when a $7 cookbook sparked a recipe that would help her overcome some difficult postpartum seasons and eventually change her family's life.

Katie shares with us how she became an accidental entrepreneur when her famous sourdough donut recipe took Regina by storm. While navigating anxiety to put herself in the public eye and balancing raising three young children, Katie and her husband Mark have opened the first sourdough donut shop in North America and already have a second location on the way. Katie shares her recipe for how she found success through cooperative values, investment in herself, creating her own roadmap and authentic support in the community. Finally, we he hear about how COVID-19 impacted their business operations only five months after opening and how they donated all of their profits to support local organizations at the beginning of the pandemic.

It's one that you donut want to miss. 🍩