Jason is another friend I know from my days at Blended Athletics.  Jason is the head of Ralli Marketing and he joined me to talk about his business and his goals to promote and change the business scene in Nova Scotia.We talked about wanting to be a positive role model in your business and personal life.  We touched on mental health, and ways which Jason found to help him get through a difficult moment in his life.  Jason talked about the importance of being in the moment, reflecting on who you are and what you value, and pushing yourself to do difficult things for the sake of mental resilience  and personal development.Jason is a good example of a person on a path of self improvement so that he can help the people around him.  You can check out Ralli Marketing on their website at https://rallimarketing.com/

Kathy is another Digby famous friend who joined me to tell her story.  Kathy didn't have an easy start in life, but she worked hard through school and university to become one of the most successful people I know.  We talked about her growth from feeling shame at her circumstances as a kid to being proud of how that lead to her being who she is today.We talked about the lessons that Kathy learned from a young age up to recently becoming a mother.  At one point, she didn't even think that she would ever be a mother but it has been a blessing that has added another valuable perspective to who she is today.I really enjoyed this conversation and am appreciative of Kathy's openness about her life.'Don't be a victim.  You can actually create the life that you want.'

Chris is a Dartmouth native who spent some time travelling the world and obtaining an arts degree before realizing that his passion for food was where he needed to go.   He went back to school and is now the meal coordinator (Head Chef) at The North Grove, I came to know him while volunteering there for the community meal service. Chris and I talked about his life up to The North Grove, his side passion/business of buying and selling records, and overcoming addictions to improve ourselves.  We discussed the job he has and where the food comes from that he uses to prepare several hundred meals a week.  We touched on some common themes for the pod including parenting and the importance of allowing a child to face and overcome challenges.    We even touched on politics, in a polite and respectful manner.  Thank you for coming on and sharing your story and being so open with me, Chris.  It's appreciated.   ‘If you do nothing in this world except love your family and make them know that you love them, do everything you can to make the world better for them, then you’ve been a success.’If you are interested in helping or volunteering at The North Grove, I can't recommend it enough.  You can check it out here:  https://www.thenorthgrove.ca/

Micah is a former American football player who is originally from Florida.  He came on to share his story from being a six year old kid who wanted to quit on his first day of football, to it becoming his passion and reason to push himself to be the best.  We talked about his youth playing football, how that led into College and University programs, as well as playing professionally in European countries.His story was not without trials and struggles, we talked about what it was like for Micah when he spent a few months living out of his truck.  Parts of his story include moments where people helped him when he needed it, and his gratitude is apparent.Finally, we talked about his transition from a player/coach into the founder of BATLX and what he and his colleagues are doing for the local youth football community.  If you like football and good human stories, you might enjoy this conversation.  We closed it down discussing the importance of being aware of your impact on other people and paying forward kindness wherever you can.  Thank you for your time, Micah!https://www.batlx.com/

Tim is a lifelong commercial fisherman who also runs T&T Ocean Rescue, a marine Salvage Company operating out of East Pubnico, NS.  They work all over the Maritimes at recovering boats that have burned, sank, run aground, etc.  I joined Tim at his camp near his home in Pubnico so we could talk about how he ended up in the world of marine salvage and what ten years of that work has taught him. We talked about some specific jobs that we were both involved in and the challenges they entailed.  We also touched on marine insurance, the lobster fishery and the importance of showing up, working hard and earning things through honest work. This is a bit of a crossover episode that touches on my real world working life, which is how I came to know Tim.  I hope you enjoy.

Dan is an old buddy of mine who has lived an interesting life.  We talked about how he got into the marine industry, how that led to his involvement with the Swiss Air 111 crash in 1998 to going to work on the set of Survivor!  We talked about Dan's own podcast (which we hope will see more episodes in the future) and finished it all off with a short chat about humanity going to Mars!  Dan thinks we're going to make it, I am less optimistic. Thanks for coming on, brother.  Can't wait to do one with you again.

I needed to redeem myself after the first time Mark was on the podcast due to terrible audio that was captured on that fateful day.  He was kind enough to come back and we also were joined by Eduardo Farias of Farias Soccer Academy.We talked about kids in sports, the importance of the lessons they can learn from sport and the value that we bring to each other in this community.  We also discussed the roll of parents in the whole sphere of recreational and competetive sport and how we can all do better with how we treat each other on and off the field.Both of these guys mean a lot to me and have done so much for so many kids in the local soccer community.  I admire them both greatly and really enjoyed this talk.

Derrick is an old friend from Digby who I recently learned was battling cancer.  He came on to the podcast to talk about what that has been like to deal with.  He believes that sharing his story might help someone else who is going through a hard time.We talked about hope and the importance of having people there for you.  Derrick is surrounded by love and people who will help him with this very difficult battle ahead of him.  Thank you so much for sharing this with me, Derrick.  It was awesome to catch up!

Jimmy is a local fire fighter who joined me to talk about his journey to become a fire fighter and what it has been like for him in his 20 years of service.We touched on the pros and cons of his line of work including the comraderie with his fellow fire fighters, the toll that type of work can take on your mental health, and how he has learned how to cope with the stresses that come up as a fire fighter and father.

In this episode I got to talk with my wonderful sister in law, Marie-Claude at her home in Lac Beauport, QC to talk about her life as a Chiropractor and how it was a lifelong dream of hers to become a chiropractor to help people with their health and quality of life.  We also talked about her passion for hiking and what that has done for her mental health.  The challenges she faces in preparing and undergoing a long distance hike and how she uses some of her clients and even her own mother as motivation to push on even when she's exhausted.

Pauline is a friend of mine who walks an interesting path.   The main topic of this conversation centered on her becoming involved with competetive arm wrestling.  We discussed how she ended up in this world, what it's been like for her and what her future goals are on a national and international level.We discussed following your path and not being afraid to try new things.   The importance of using your time to pursue the things that matter to you while also being a helpful member within whatever community you find yourself.

My first group podcast!  I met Carlton while volunteering at the North Grove and in chatting learned that he works at Easter Seals Nova Scotia as the Manager of Supportive Employment.  We decided it would be cool to do a podcast on location to learn more about Easter Seals and what they do there.   We were joined by Wanda Sinclair and Amanda Williams to talk about their roles at Easter Seals and the various community programs that they provide.The main focus of Easter Seals is to provide opportunities and/or meaningful employment for people with physical disabilities.  They really do some great work.This conversation was very interesting, and these people were a real pleasure to speak with about this wonderful non profit.  If you are able and looking to do some good, please consider donating in some way to an organization like this.  You can find out more about Easter Seals at:www.https://www.easterseals.ns.ca/ or on Instagram @eastersealsns

Greg is a friend and team mate of mine who was gracious enough to come on the podcast to talk about the very difficult subject of the loss of his son, Adam.  Greg talks about what life was like for Adam being neuro divergent, the struggles that entailed for their family, and what he's been doing to cope with his grief.  You never know what other people are going through in their lives, it's not always apparent that they have a struggle that you may know nothing about, so be kind to each other.Thank you to Greg for sharing this story with me, it means a lot.

Kim is a local Paranormal Investigator who was kind enough to join me via zoom to record a conversation about all things paranormal!  This was a very fun conversation for me as I absolutely love this subject.  I was hoping to include a few stories from friends but couldn't manage that in time for Halloween so I'm just posting my chat with Kim for now.  I hope to do another one with her sometime, maybe one in the field for an on scene investigation!  Happy Halloween!!

Dana is a Custom Jewelry maker who operates out of his shop at Kings Wharf in Dartmouth, where I stopped in today to have a chat with him about what he does.  We went on many tangeants and talked about all the issues that I love to talk about.  Dana and I often have good chats when we get together and I am glad he agreed to appear on the pod.  Thank you Dana for taking the time to open up and share your insightful thoughts and opinions with me.

Jonathan is a friend of mine who was kind enough to come on and talk to us about his faith.  I've been curious about this subject, more and more lately, and I often will reach out to Jonathan with questions about things that are going on in the world.  He's become sort of my go to consultant about Christianity and what world events are coming to pass that are in the writings he has been studying. Some darker themes are covered in this one, but I felt it was an important discussion and I'm thankful for JC for being open enough to talk about these subjects.   He's a good man and is humble in his faith and views.

Jason is a friend who works in the fitness industry.  He is a coach who joined me to talk about his life up till now.  We covered a broad range of subjects from fitness, diet, mental health right down to the nerdy things we both love so much in this episode.  I really enjoyed our conversation and hope you will as well.

Cara is another friend from my youth who was kind enough to come on and have a very open conversation about her life up till now.  Cara's a dedicated Pilates studio owner and instructor, outdoor enthusiast, Mom and partner with good wisdom to share.  She is someone who has settled into a nice and happy place in her life with a healthy outlook on parenting, fitness and life in general.  You can check out her Pilates studdio at https://www.facebook.com/halifaxpilates or on IG at pilates_halifax

Jodi is probably one of the biggest celebrities to ever come on the podcast.  She's an old friend who was nice enough to join me to talk about our awkward youth, her life as an adult Mom dealing with ADHD and the very difficult struggle she had with Polycystic Kidney Disease.  She's through these things now and living a happy, healthy life.Near the end, we talked about the paranormal including her stories about Bigfoot and Ghosts! She also was brave enough to share a vocal recording she made for this so let her know how awesome she is if you take the time to listen to this.

I wanted to do a podcast with my kid because I love talking with her and we had a special couple of days in Cape Breton.  We talked about Mika's love of travel, the outdoors, hiking and her dreams of living the 'van life'.  We also talked about a very special person who we lost recently, 'Mr. Stephy'.I'm proud of who she is, where she's going and what she'll no doubt accomplish.  So here is my Blonde Minou for those who are interested.