MUSIC MATTERS to Harry Connick Jr.

My International Women's Day Special begins with honouring my Mother before introducing my guest, Alana Stott. I ask Alana to read the opening pages from her gripping memoir, She Who Dares. Her book begins when she answers the phone. Her husband, Dean Stott, a former Special Operations soldier, is on the other line, somewhere in the Middle East, in the middle of a civil war.
 

"The gunfire was getting louder and louder. I heard the phone drop to the ground as loud bangs pierced my ears. The sound penetrated my ears so much that I had to pull it away to stop my eardrums from exploding. These bangs were coming directly beside the phone. Is he being fired upon, or is Dean the one firing?

Another loud bang came as I sat on the kitchen floor, this time much closer to me. The kitchen door flew open, and my 3-year-old said, " Mommy, I'm hungry."

One moment in the life of an extraordinary woman who makes it count. Alana overcame a tragic childhood to become an acclaimed entrepreneur, speaker, fundraiser, philanthropist, and author. King Charles awarded Alana an MBE, a Member of the Most Excellent Order, for her work preventing human trafficking and slavery.

I close my International Women's Day show with an interview I did last year with Andrea C Barrack. I admire her journey and all she is doing to create a better world.

A standing ovation to every woman on this planet and to my Mom in Heaven.

Pura Vida

To reach Alana Stott: https://alanastott.com/

To learn more about RBC's purpose framework: https://www.rbc.com/newsroom/article/?title=rbc-mobilizes-to-help-address-three-of-societys-biggest-challenges

The first time B K Sethi came into my life was in 2023. B K wrote to me and said he loved listening to me on the radio and my podcasts. He then asked if we could have coffee. I had no idea I was meeting with one of our country's great entrepreneurs.  I took this picture, and you can see and feel it in his face and smile; B K is a beautiful soul.

B K joins me this week to share his inspiring story. From the streets of 1940s India, where, at age four, he sold lemons to help his family survive, to the ever-growing metropolis of Toronto, this is the sweeping story of B K Sethi's rise to success as Canada's international foods magnate.

The stories B K shares are priceless, the people he rubs shoulders with are the who's who of the grocery industry, and the lessons he imparts are worthy. Discuss them at the family table, with teachers in high schools, and in the many corridors of academia and business.

Immigration is in the news, so I closed the show with Amit Brahme,  Head, Newcomer & Cultural Client segment at RBC, to provide context. We talk about the crucial role immigrants like B K play in helping us create a new economy and build a better country if we give them a newcomer advantage.

To buy B K's book, Meet BK in the Ethnic Aisle: https://www.amazon.com/Meet-BK-Ethnic-Food-Aisle/dp/1738978214

To learn more about RBC's Newcomer Advantage program.

EN: http://www.rbc.com/newcomeradvantage

FR: http://www.rbc.com/privilegeplus

Woman in Philanthropy. It's Nonprofit Appreciation Week, and I wanted to honour WoodGreen Community Services. WoodGreen ensures that the UNMET needs of thousands of Canadians are MET every year.

In this special edition of Chatter That Matters, taped live at the Toronto Hun Club, I chatted with three remarkable women who are Philanthropy Trailblazers. I learned that Charity focuses on eliminating suffering. In contrast, Philanthropy focuses on eliminating the problem. I also learned that the world of Philanthropy is changing. There's more emphasis on causes like gender equality and sustainable development than before. A more diverse, representative range of voices is influencing decision-making. Women are among the key drivers.

Shraddha Kothari Walker talks about why Philanthropy isn't just about giving back. It's about connecting and building a community that uplifts everyone – a cycle of kindness that must be passed on to the next generation.

Beth Wilson, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D shatters the glass ceilings in Philanthropy by recognizing women's strength in driving impactful and bold change in our communities.

Leah den Bok shares authentic stories of those who experience homelessness to dismantle the stereotypes and ignite a collective responsibility to act.

It is also a fantastic show to share and discuss with our younger generation.

Every second Monday, I break the format by bringing out Chatters - a snackable podcast that is under five minutes in length. I share my insight on the status quo and ideas to bring about positive and substantive change. 

In this episode, I share a story at the grocery store that led me to my insight - smartphones and technology are making us less financially literate. I have no empirical evidence, but many people are losing their ability to do even simple math.

With a math deficiency, how can someone make critical financial decisions? How can you decipher if that 'too good to be true' offer is a good deal or one that manifests into long-term pain? How can you be an informed voter and understand the implications of what is being promised.

Let me know what you think of these Chatters and other topics we should explore to improve the status quo.

 
FYI: If you are interested, here are four links to sites offering free value-added content on improving your financial well-being.

RBC My Money Matters -700 hundred articles, easy to navigate, and will take you from debt relief to investing and every step in between:  https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/en-ca/my-money-matters/

RBC Mydoh - I love this app, my brother-in-law swears by it.  It is a fantastic way for parents to teach their kids and teens about money, including how work for their allowance. https://www.mydoh.ca

McGill Personal Finance Essentials is a free, online personal finance course offered in English and French, four times per year. Taught by professors from McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, the course is open to everyone!

https://www.mcgill.ca/desautels/programs/mcgill-personal-finance-essentials

And someone I have a ton of respect for is Kim Moody.  He has a newsletter that I read every week.   https://kimgcmoody.com/kim-g-c-moodys-musings-1-1-1-newsletter-for-august-23-2023/

Dr. Jean Marmoreo shares excerpts from her book The Last Doctor. Lessons in Living from the Front Lines of Medical Assistance in Dying 

Dr. Jean Marmoreo believes the best care a health professional can provide is to honour a patient's life and to end it on the patient's terms. For 45 years Dr. Jean Marmoreo was a family physician practising in downtown Toronto, and in 2016 became one of Canada’s first practitioners of MAiD, to provide Medical Assistance in Dying. 

Dr. Marmoreo shares powerful patient stories and her journey into caregiving and end-of-life decision-making. 

Leanne Kaufman, the President and CEO of RBC Royal Trust, returns to the show, and we have an important discussion on end-of-life financial matters.

Today's episode of Chatter That Matters is a live taping, which I have always loved because we can feed off the audience's energy. My guest is Cam Inglis, the founder of Marble Slab Creamery Canada. Cam is an inspiring entrepreneur who shares his journey from dreaming of playing in the NHL to real estate before choosing the path of an entrepreneur.

During the show, we'll cover the daily challenges of running a franchise business and the reality that everything you know turns upside down when a pandemic closes your doors or one of Canada's biggest restaurant chains overnight becomes a significant competitor. We also learn why communication and transparency matter, especially during tough times. 

To provide more context, we'll have two additional guests. The first is Amarjot Bhatthal, an incredible entrepreneur who owns five Marble Slab franchises with her mother. I look forward to sharing their whole story on the show one day. Our second guest is Graeme Green, Director of Franchise Markets at RBC, who will discuss the attributes of an exceptional franchisor and a great franchisee.

A great episode and a treasure trove of valuable insights and lessons await.

In my second 'snackable chatter' I look at how we can rewire Elections from Negative to Positive," I delve into the tumultuous landscape of modern elections, which often feel like a relentless hailstorm of negativity, eroding the fabric of our society and trust in democracy. 

In three minutes, I present a refreshingly simple yet actionable concept aimed at rewiring elections to prioritize positivity and shift the focus towards substantive policy discussions.

Thanks for listening, subscribing and sharing.  It means the world to me.

I was so profoundly moved by Adam Robarts and his book 'Nineteen' that I had to have him on Chatter that Matters. Anyone who has had to deal with the loss of someone you love will also be moved and have their heart lifted as Adam shares his deeply personal and poignant love, loss, and spiritual journey.

Adam is a world-renowned architect, and his wife is an equally accomplished interior designer. They lived and raised their four children in China.

In December 2018, during a family vacation in Canada, Adam was asked what he would choose to be if he were not an architect. He replied without hesitation, “A hospice nurse.” Five years earlier, he had a profound experience accompanying his father through the final weeks of life before he died of cancer in Uganda. Adam could not have imagined then that nine months later, he would begin to accompany his nineteen-year-old son, Haydn, through a battle with a rare brain cancer.

 Haydn graduated from this physical world in May 2020, at age 19, one week before his twentieth birthday. Adam’s first book, Nineteen, shares the beautiful and poignant lessons learned on his family’s journey with Haydn.

This interview radiates universal lessons, insights from religion and science, and important perspectives.  Haydn was a remarkable young man whose dignified response to his suffering provided essential wisdom and hopeful possibilities for anyone dealing with matters of life and death.

Leanne Kaufman, CEO of RBC Royal Trust, returns to the show to provide meaningful context.

To purchase Adam's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Nineteen-Insights-Learned-19-year-old-Cancer/dp/168245200X

To learn more about Royal Trust - https://www.rbcwealthmanagement.com/en-ca/royal-trust

''You have dreams and goals, even a direction, but you must be active for the universe and magic to happen. It must find you, but it won't if you hide in the corner. You must be out there for your desired reality to unfold.' Jesse Jones

I love taping Chatter that Matters in front of an audience. In this episode, we are live at Sheridan College and its stunning Hazel McCallion Campus, with students, faculty members, alums, and industry professionals in attendance and DJ Andre dropping the beats.

My guest is Jesse Jones. Jesse is a change maker, creator, communicator, media personality and connector of worlds, brands and humanity. Jesse and I explore how individuals can overcome personal challenges and today's realities to chase their dreams and change their world, and even ours, for the better.

Jesse is electric and offers several actionable ideas to foster positive transformations in your personal and professional life. Jones highlights the importance of choice, passion, and pursuit. He stresses the need for introspection, increased self-analysis, and self-care in our fast-paced world. Attending to our needs is the essential recharge for our mental health, creativity, and innovation. 

We take questions from the audience, and I invite two more guests to contribute to this inspirational conversation. Dr. Cherie Werhun is Sheridan's Associate Vice Provost of Human Development and strategic lead for Sheridan's S-Sense Initiative. Dr. Werhun emphasizes the need for educators to focus on the whole student, fostering a holistic approach to student development that focuses on the human capacities of agility, resilience, and adaptability.

Jodi Wright, Senior Director, Youth & Young Adult Client Strategy, RBC, joins the show to discuss the role organizations must play to help youth pursue their passions.

I am thrilled with the ideas presented in this show.  They are inspiring and actionable. If you can, please share with every young adult and anyone feeling overpowered by their circumstances.

Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/chatter-that-matters/id1478779098

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/39VeEJaL133GKpbkD07JoJ?si=d9a91723a4f14998

To find out more about

Jesse Jones. https://iamjessejones.com

Sheridan's S-Sense Initiative.

 https://www.sheridancollege.ca/admissions/why-sheridan/s-sense

RBC - My Money Matters. https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/en-ca/my-money-matters/

RBC - Student Hub. https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/student-solution/index.html