Digging Deep with Mark Sutcliffe

Veteran multi-sport athlete Bob Miller from the World’s Toughest Race shares the story of how he left a career on Bay Street to travel the world, and compete in some of the most beautiful -- and difficult -- terrain. He explains how the lessons he’s learned from adventure racing carry over in many aspects of life and business. Hear his take on why you should offer help unconditionally, why you should be excited when you fail, and why it’s important to let mistakes go. He also shares a story about how his youngest child was born that shows no matter how prepared you might be for a situation, sometimes you just have to go where life has decided to take you.

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She is known as Twitter's resident gynecologist. She's a best-selling author and New York Times columnist. She is a fearless fighter of myths and misconceptions about women's health and the people who spread false information on social media. In this episode of Digging Deep, Dr. Jen Gunter candidly shares her personal story, including her difficult relationship with her mother, the childhood surgery that led her to pursue medicine, and the health challenges faced by her own children. She also shares her perspective on the role privilege plays in health care, and explains why she doesn’t tell people that “everything happens for a reason.”

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The director and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada describes stepping into her first role as a CEO -- taking over the leadership of a historic, national institution that had been through a lot of public controversy and internal turmoil -- a year before a global pandemic hits. Despite the challenges she faced, Sasha has brought meaningful change to the gallery. In this episode of the Digging Deep podcast, we talk about how she has tackled these unique and difficult circumstances. 

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Former Senator, First Nations lawyer and chancellor of Queens University, the Honourable Murray Sinclair talks about a box of encyclopedias that changed the course of his life, the profound effect of losing his brother to murder, and why some of us are looking at reconciliation the wrong way. From the roots of systemic racism to how we can help bring about real reconciliation, we take a close look at the hard work that needs to be done to make Canada a nation that can come to terms with its past. 

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The president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Natan Obed tells the story of a childhood torn between two countries and two cultures, and the struggles he has faced as someone of mixed race. He shares the story of how his parents met in a residential school, his thoughts on reconciliation and racism, and describes how a young boy who had no doubt he’d grow up to play in the NHL became a proud voice for Inuit communities in the Arctic.

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Senator and former police chief Vern White describes how his childhood in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where his father worked in the coal mine, taught him the importance of community, compassion, and fairness. He tells the story of a ride-along when he was a young bartender that showed him policing isn’t just about putting the bad guys in jail, and explains why his experience with cancer ended up being the best year of his life. He also shares his initial reaction to being invited to join the Senate, why he doesn’t want to be in a room full of people who agree with him, and why once you know the right thing to do, you’re out of options. 

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Award-winning broadcaster Kevin Newman joins Mark and shares lessons from decades in the news business, including as host of Good Morning America, and discusses his new documentary about 20 years of disruption since the September 11 terrorist attacks. He talks about the hard truths that arose when he co-authored a book with his son, and why we should always lead with kindness. And Kevin shares how he almost ended up managing a McDonald's instead of going into journalism, why he's always tried to please his mother with everything he's done, and why he has a cereal box with his face on it.

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Philosopher, author, and former newspaper editor Andrew Potter shares his predictions for the future of Western society (it’s not great) and his thoughts on what could happen to Elon Musk. He explains why the decline of society isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and offers up some hope for the future of humanity. Potter shares perspectives on keeping your commitments, the value of mentorship, and the value of money and children. He tells stories about canoeing with his dad, why he should have joined the military, and the best way to kill a fly.

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Evan Dunfee walks us through his step-by-step journey from premature birth to being a sore loser to creating an iconic moment of Olympic sportsmanship. He shares why missing out on the podium in Rio taught him he doesn’t need medals to be successful, and how five years later, he finally earned the bronze medal in Tokyo. With his uniquely strong voice and self-deprecating humour, Evan shares his conflicted feelings about the Olympic movement, just how far he walks in a week, why he values the solitude of a long training walk, and why you don’t want to take his diet advice.

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Doctor, professor, author, obesity expert, and health advocate, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff tells the story of how one less-than-healthy weekend in Montreal led to a career in medicine. From the advice he received from a very ill patient to his collection of bizarre weight loss gadgets from years gone by, get to know the man who you’ve seen quoted or interviewed in countless national news stories. Dr. Freedhoff talks about his passionate -- and sometimes combative -- interactions on social media, and offers 48 words that sum up the simple, straightforward way to live a healthy life.

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Olympian, world champion, broadcaster and author of ‘My Mother's Daughter’ Perdita Felicien speaks with humour and insight on her lessons growing up under difficult conditions but with a mother’s love and compassion which taught her what it truly means to win. In this candid and animated conversation, Felicien shares insights on turning failures into learning experiences, discovering your own strength, relishing the pursuit of your goal, why you should put yourself out there, understanding the difference of where people start in life, and how cutting corners will only get you so far.

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Prolific author and Canadian Senator David Adams Richards has explored courage, integrity, morality, and human nature throughout his life. In this fascinating, inspiring, and emotional conversation, the esteemed and highly decorated storyteller shares memories of his remarkable grandmother fiercely fighting for her theatre, his unwavering relationship with his wife, and his call to the Senate. He provides lessons on the difference between moral courage and physical courage, getting the small things right, why battles are almost always internal, how outrage feeds a famine in people's lives, choosing between good and evil, forgiveness, and why you don't say no to your Queen.

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Could war be solved in our lifetime? Human rights activist, author, and War Child Canada founder Dr. Samantha Nutt believes we have the power, the resources, and the capacity to make peace possible. In this inspiring and stimulating conversation, Dr. Nutt shares heart-wrenching stories from her time in war-torn countries and how she built a different kind of humanitarian organization that empowers developing communities. She shares unique and valuable insights on why we should not steer from a place of assumption, how to be a disruptive force, understanding geopolitical privilege, who truly benefits from well-intended humanitarian actions, identifying priorities, facilitating leadership, and what we can learn from extraordinary people pushing against huge odds in extreme circumstances.

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Hassan Al Kontar was living in Dubai when civil war broke out in his home country of Syria. Unwilling to fight his own people and unable to stay in the United Arab Emirates, he eventually found himself trapped in a Malaysian airport, where he stayed for more than seven months. He survived on the kindness of strangers. And using the power of social media, he attracted attention and support and eventually found refuge in Canada. In his new book, and in this conversation, Al Kontar shares the lessons of his journey: how giving up is a result, not an option; the difference between survivors and fighters; why we don’t own our destiny; how hope is the main motivation in life; how we can manufacture our own luck; and why who you become as you work towards your dream is more important than the dream itself.

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How many times do you have to show up at-bat before you get lucky? NYC-born serial entrepreneur and founder of Fellow.app Aydin Mirzaee believes the secret to success is irrational optimism, and that great managers are made, not born. In this conversation, Mirzaee speaks about his profound business relationships and what makes them unique, why skills trump passion, questioning your default behaviours, managers being the highest point of leverage of your organization, the importance of building a team for a lifetime, cultivating respect for other people’s domains, and why every organization should implement a ‘No agenda, no meeting’ policy.

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When accomplished investor John Ruffolo was struck by a transport truck while cycling in September 2020, emergency officials feared he wouldn't survive. In the months since then, he has applied his strength and determination to not only his physical recovery, but his plans to launch Maverix Public Equity, which he calls the pinnacle of his life's work. Ruffolo shares the powerful lessons he's learned about overcoming pain, appreciating the simple things in life, surrounding yourself with a great team, separating needs and wants, and how a life-threatening event doesn’t have to deter you from your mission to help change the future of this country. 

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Author, Order of Canada recipient and Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips shares the lessons he's learned from a lifetime of storytelling and engaging audiences. Phillips has turned his fascination with weather history and trivia, his infectious enthusiasm, and his communications expertise into a platform for promoting and practicing environmental sustainability. In this engaging conversation, he talks about how to develop a passion for what you do, the solution to the climate crisis, how entertainment opens the door to hard news, and why he has no plans to retire. He also shares his favourite weather stories from a collection of 33,000, including one profound moment in Canadian weather and political history.

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In the summer of 1980, Darrell Fox left high school early to join his big brother Terry in New Brunswick for the Marathon of Hope. And since then, for more than four decades, he has been following in Terry’s footsteps in the fight against cancer. In an intimate, emotional conversation, Darrell relives that pivotal time on the road, the gratitude he felt as an eyewitness to Terry’s determination, the profound feeling of togetherness, and how by focusing on the positive you will gain more than you lose. He also shares lessons on coping with loss, protecting core values, the rewards of incremental accumulation and breakthroughs, appreciating what you have, how setbacks make you stronger, and finding your own path to fulfillment.

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Football hall of famer, three-time Grey Cup winner, broadcaster, and now assistant coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League, Henry Burris leads teams to championships through discipline, devotion, and a positive attitude. In this conversation, he talks about overcoming early setbacks in his career, proving people wrong, determining your own outcome, being scrutinized as a Black athlete, finding a source of motivation, having a winning mentality, the payoff to investing in yourself and others, and the principles behind his family's hustle award. He also shares the momentous story of the last pass of his playing career, and why he wears his wedding ring instead of his three Grey Cup rings.

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Canada's most-respected health care journalist and author André Picard has become an indelible voice in Canada's fight against COVID-19. In this episode, he discusses how the research behind his new book Neglected No More: The Urgent Need to Improve the Lives of Canada's Elders in the Wake of a Pandemic drove him to action, and shares insights on developing a humanist approach to aging and elder care, how money is the best and worst-prescribed drug, the keys to taking care of our future selves, avoiding judgment, why we should stop mythologizing the Canadian health care system and his top three recommendations to improve it...at no extra cost.

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