Building trust and human connection through LEGO

This episode reveals not only the details about a world-renown researcher, who is a scholar in emerging tech and the first Black woman to be President of a Canadian university, but the radiant human who embodies fearlessness and inspires so many.

Friends for two decades, Host C-A Granatstein and Dr. Rhonda McEwen cover a range of topics, like Rhonda's move to middle America from Trinidad as a teenager; her research that informed the creation of Julia, the first Sesame Street Muppet on the autism spectrum; managing a student protest that evolved into a full-on occupation; and her vision for inclusivity at the University of Victoria in the University of Toronto.

The episode starts out as a story about a broken down vintage Austin-Healey and a chance encounter with a real life superhero. It evolves into stories about helping others, being part of the fabric of the community, and aslo a big surprise for host C-A’s friend Mike. 

It’s the stuff of movies, mystery and faraway places. Records show that as early as 2,000 BC falcons were used to hunt and feed communities, for sport, and as highly effective pest control. 

C-A has a fascinating conversation about falconry with the hard-working falcons Bullet and Petey, and Falconer Keith Everett from Falcon Environmental.

C-A speaks to Steve Paikin, journalist, author, documentary producer, podcast co-host and host of TVO’s flagship current affairs program, The Agenda with Steve Paikin. 

The conversation focuses on interviewing, but Steve breaks out into song, recalls great moments, surprising moments, being starstruck and a few personal - but not too personal - nuggets.

In a follow-up to Episode 17, C-A speaks to Warren Kotler again, who is not only a guest this time around, but her husband, who lives with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

They talk about the unique conversations considerations that took place when they started dating and why they asked family and friends to donate to the OCTANE research project to mark the occasion of their marriage. C-A speaks with Warren’s lead oncologist, Dr. Philippe Bedard, who is also the principal researcher of the Princess Margaret-led OCTANE study.

To learn more about Warren's story and to make a donation to this research that helps expand options for personalized cancer treatment please visit: https://supportthepmcf.ca/ui/WarrenKotler

Fashion rentals, refurbishment and resale is just about the easiest and most enjoyable way to support local businesses, save money, reduce the carbon footprint of your clothing and rescue clothes from the landfill which pollute water systems and through their decomposition process and incineration, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

C-A talks to Common Sort owner Nicole Babin about her three thriving resale clothing locations in Toronto, her business model, the challenges that come with growth and about her long-time employees who are happy and fulfilled because they get to work in fashion, in a sustainable and accessible way, for a boss that has embedded social responsibility into her operation.

Fashion rentals, refurbishment and resale is just about the easiest and most enjoyable way to support local businesses, save money, reduce the carbon footprint of your clothing and rescue clothes from the landfill which pollute water systems and through their decomposition process, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

After listening to Nicole, as well as one of her employees and a 20-something consumer/seller, you will want to give resale a try.

This conversation with Dr. Kasra (Kas) Khorasani is about a unique approach that he developed for his inpatient psychotherapy groups using LEGO Serious Play methodology.

Learn why group therapy is such a valued tool in for psychotherapy and how building with LEGO in Kas's sessions empowers further connection, allowing people to become authentic, genuine, non-judgemental, curious and kind.

Show host, C-A Granatstein also does a little building with Kas to understand the process of these sessions.

Music: Romance for Piano and Cello by Martijn de Boer (NiGiD) (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/NiGiD/50238 Ft: AT

In March 2021, Glenna Gosewich became an non-directed living organ donor.

62% of her liver went to a stranger who was in need of a vital transplant.

Glenna sees this as a form of charity, a good deed —  something she can do because she’s able, despite the risks, post-op recovery and even judgement from others. Glenna is also a wealth of information on the topic as well as about blood donation.

This episode will no doubt get you thinking about different ways you can help others. 

Just when you think all teenagers spend every waking moment on TikTok, there’s Naila Moloo. At 15 years old, this STEM researcher's drive to contribute to a sustainable future, her stellar networking tips and her ability to handle rejection with grace in order to get exactly what she wants... is so totally boss.

You are guaranteed to learn one life tip from this episode, or at the very least, make you think about reaching just a bit further for your own dreams. 

Close to home: Stories of neighbourhood businesses in the COVID economy are conversations with six business owners in the St. Clair West community, in midtown Toronto.  Part one was published a year ago this week.

Like so many things in the last 14 months, the conversations with Cocoa Latte, The Rushton, Ecoexistence, Playfulminds, Philosophy and Koko & Co were scheduled, cancelled, rescheduled, cancelled and rescheduled. Naïvely or optimistically, C-A wanted everyone to have a happy story to tell – that their businesses were fully open, but the pandemic just doesn’t work this way.

Though the conversations are with six really different businesses, what’s universal are their strong feelings of accountability to a supportive community, and a real yearning to get back to serving them the way they know best.