CSI Chat

We are joined by the "Q" (James Bond fans will know "Q") of the CIA, Dawn Meyerriecks.  After learning a bit more about Dawn, perhaps it is more accurate to state that "Q" is the Dawn Meyerriecks of the British Secret Service.  In any event, Dawn was the Deputy Director of the CIA for Science and Technology.  Dawn recently led a "Masterclass" on "The Art of Intelligence" which I would highly encourage everyone to check out.   We talk to Dawn about: - There are a few questions that we have always wanted to ask someone from the CIA (including whether it is true or false that there are CIA agents who speak over 30 different languages fluently).  Dawn does her best to answer these questions! - What is a "day in the life" of the "Deputy Director of the CIA"?  How did she spend a typical day? - How does Dawn compare life in the public sector vs. the private sector (as she has worked in senior positions in both). - We ask Dawn about the current state of technology in society and whether we should be concerned about the increased investments being made in Artificial Intelligence.   I hope everyone enjoys the "CSI Chat" with Dawn!  

We are joined by Colin Bryar, a former Amazon executive and co-author of the outstanding book, "Working Backwards:  Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon".  How did Amazon grow from a tiny start-up to one of the most successful companies on the planet?  What best practices did Amazon leverage to facilitate this success?  Colin was Jeff Bezos' "shadow" (Jeff's Chief of Staff") during those early days and talks to CSI Chat about: - How was Amazon able to hire the best and the brightest employees?  Colin explains Amazon's "Bar Raiser" hiring approach and how it was leveraged to hire 1,000's of Amazon's top employees.   - Amazon has banned the use of PowerPoint within their organization for most meeting presentations.  Why did Amazon ban PowerPoint and what format does Amazon now use for most presentations?   - How has "thinking long-term" and "focusing on the customer" resulted in some of Amazon's life changing products and services including "Amazon Prime" and "Amazon Web Hosting"? End of the day, Colin explains how nearly all of Amazon's best practices can be leveraged by all corporations to facilitate their growth and success.    

Michele Rigby Assad, who is a "super spy" and a renown author, joins us to talk about her latest book, "Get off the X:  CIA's Secrets for Conquering Obstacles and Achieving your Life's Mission".  Michele spent 10 years working in the Central Intelligence Agency ("CIA") and is now an international corporate advisor, author and keynote speaker.   Michele talks to us about: How do you go through the process of joining the CIA?  How do you apply and how does the interview process work?  What types of folks are the CIA looking for?   What is it like living in a war-torn country while working for the CIA?  What is a typical "day in the life" of a super spy?   What does Michele imply when she says to "Get off the X"?  How do we apply the training she received in the CIA to real world examples? After listening to Michele (and reading her book!), you will have a tool kit to "Get off the X" and achieve your life's mission.  

Frank Perri joins CSI Chat to talk about "Red Collar Crime".  Frank is the author of "Red Collar White Collar Crime:  Corporate, Predatory Violent Fraud Offenders".  Frank debunks the myth that white collar criminals reflect the kinder, gentler offender and Frank explains how red collar criminals resort to violence to prevent the detection of their fraud schemes.  Frank takes us down a fascinating journey of how a white collar criminal can turn to violence ("Red Collar") when cornered.  

We are joined by Bethany McLean on CSI Chat to talk about the learnings from Enron, the 2008 financial crisis and her most recent book, "The Big Fail:  What the Pandemic Revealed about Who America Protects and Who it Leaves Behind".  Bethany is a well-known journalist who published in 2001 the now famous article in Fortune, "Is Enron Overpriced".  Bethany is the author of several books, cohost of the podcast "Capitalisn't" and a special correspondent at Insider and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair.   During our "Chat" with Bethany, we talk about a number of topics including: We go back in a time machine to March 2001 when she first wrote "Is Enron Overpriced"?  What was Bethany thinking at the time?  What conversations did she have with the Enron executive team? After 20+ years since her article and the Enron collapse, have we learned anything?  Is history due to repeat itself? Why did she decide to write a book on the financial crisis of 2008 entitled "All the Devils are Here"?  Was the 2008 financial crisis preventable? Her most recent book, "The Big Fail", goes through the learnings of the COVID 19 pandemic.  What did we do well during the pandemic?  What were the areas that we could have done better?  Are we prepared for the next global pandemic.    It is a fascinating conversation with Bethany and I hope everyone enjoys it.  

David Giersdorf joins us at CSI Chat to talk about his experience in the cruise industry and his fantastic book, "Hardships:  Navigating your company, career, and life through the fog of disruption".   David has spent nearly his entire professional life involved with the travel and cruise industry.  When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020, the cruise industry was hit extremely hard.  How did the cruise companies deal with this disruption?  How were they able to navigate when a huge portion of their costs are fixed?  David was called upon by several cruise companies to assist during this difficult time.   David provides his strategies and insights on how to deal with disruption which are applicable to all industries.    

The "Pink Collar Crime" lady Kelly Paxton joins us on CSI Chat for a terrific discussion on "Pink Collar Crime".  Kelly Paxton is the author of the book "Embezzlement: How to Detect, Prevent, and Investigate Pink-Collar Crime" and is a world-renown expert and global speaker in the area.  Kelly's background ranges from investigating narcotics crimes for the United States Customs to investigating how owner managed businesses are at risk of fraud.     During our Chat with Kelly, we touch on: The definition of "Pink Collar Crime" and the type of businesses which are most susceptible to this issue.   What are some of the "Pink Flags" that would indicate a potential issue in a business?   What are the most common methods to facilitate a "Pink Collar Crime" and how do we build an effective internal control environment to prevent these issues.     I hope everyone enjoys the "Chat" with Kelly Paxton.  

Tom Hardin, also known as "Tipper X", was working his way up the corporate ladder on Wall Street when he was stopped on the street by a couple of FBI agents and his life was never the same.  Tom was faced with accusations of insider trading and decided to cooperate with the FBI.  It was at this point Tom transitioned from being "Tom Hardin", up and coming Wall Street banker to "Tipper X", undercover agent for the FBI.  After working with the FBI, Tom is now a renown public speaker and sought after expert in the area of corporate ethics. The discussion with Tom is fascinating as we touch on a number of subjects, including: When Tom is first stopped in the street by the FBI agents, the FBI suggests they go to a private spot to discuss the situation.  Where is the spot of choice?  The restaurant "Wendy's" of course.  The amount of profit on the insider trades was approximately $46,000.  Hard to believe that someone's life can be turned upside down for $46,000.  Tom tells some shocking stories about the process wearing a wire, including one experience in a pool.   Truth stranger than fiction?  Perhaps.   Tom is a very interesting guy and I hope everyone enjoys the "Chat".  

Gregory Makoff is the author of the terrific book, "Default:  The Landmark Court Battle over Argentina's $100 Billion Debt Restructuring".  Greg's book outlines the saga of Argentina's default on their sovereign debt obligations and the lengthy process of resolving the default.   We talk to Greg about a number of topics, including: The key differences between sovereign debt and corporate debt.   The major players in the international debt markets who played a role in helping to resolve the situation with Argentina.   The impact on a country when they default on their debt obligations and whether certain countries today are at risk of defaulting on their rising debt.   If you are interested in learning about Argentina and the complicated issues of sovereign debt, I would encourage you to listen to the interview.  

Dr. Kristy Goodwin, author of the terrific book "Dear Digital, We need to talk", joins CSI Chat for a "heart to heart" discussion on the relationship between our ourselves and our digital devices.   These days, technology should be making our jobs easier and less stressful; however, it is quite possible that the reverse trend is occurring as technology could be making our jobs more complex and much more stressful.  Dr. Goodwin joins us to discuss:  How is technology increasing our stress level (when it is supposed to be doing the opposite)? How do we leverage "Biological Buffers" to reduce our dependency on our "Digital Device".  Human connection, sleep, and physical movement are critical to our wellbeing.    What is a "Toilet Tweeter"?  Apparently, this is a "thing".  I hope everyone enjoys the "CSI Chat" with Kristy.  

Our next guest on CSI Chat is Chris Ashford.  Chris is UK military veteran turned personal trainer.  Chris has spent nearly his entire professional life focused on personal wellness and namely the three core pillars being sleep, diet and exercise.  He is “Head Coach” at “Ashford Fitness Consultancy” which helps both individuals and corporations maximize personal wellness. During our conversation on CSI Chat, we talk to Chris about: We start our conversation with Chris talking about the “elephant in the room” and the impact of alcohol on the human body.  Chris and I taped this interview on November 1, 2024 (which is the day after Halloween!)  Chris will provide some perspectives on what a healthy amount of candy consumption would be (thankfully for me, it is not zero!) Chris talks about the transition to “working from home” and how he is helping clients build a plan which strikes the proper balance between working from home and the office.  

Walt Pavlo was a senior finance executive overseeing a $2 billion operation at MCI Communications during a high growth period in the telecommunications industry before he was caught in a scheme to embezzle $6 million.  Walt was eventually caught, spent some time in prison, and now speaks globally on the importance of ethics and corporate culture.  Walt is the co-author of the terrific book "Stolen without a Gun - Confessions from insider history's biggest accounting fraud - the collapse of MIC WorldCom" as well as an active contributor on Forbes writing about the state of prisons in the United States.   We talk to Walt about a wide range of topics, including the details of the embezzlement, the risk of bus rides in prison, best practices in corporate culture and advice to white collar criminals.  Needless to say, a very fun "Chat"!  

Patricia spent her childhood growing up in a cult with very strict rules surrounding interactions with her family and the outside world.  She was then kicked out of the cult at a very young age and left with nothing.  She started at the bottom rung of the ladder and eventually rose to the highest levels within Wall Street.  Her story is documented through her two fantastic books, "Little Sister" and "Breaking Glass:  Tales from the Witch of Wall Street". Patricia's story is absolutely incredible!  We talk to her life about growing up in the cult and her rise up the corporate ladder within Wall Street.  

We sit down with Superhero Jay Dobyns (who ironically is also married to a Superhero!).  Jay went deep undercover as a US Federal Agent with the Hells Angels and went on to become one of the most successful undercover agents in US law enforcement history.  He is the author of two outstanding best-selling books, "No Angel:  My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels" and "Catching Hell:  A True Story of Abandonment and Betrayal". We talk to Jay about his career as a Federal Agent which included: Starting work on a Monday and getting shot and nearly killed on a Thursday. Life as an undercover agent and the toll it took on his mental well being and his family.   Going into a Hells Angels clubhouse while wearing a wire (including asking Jay, "What would happen if you were caught?")  Jay's exit from the undercover world and eventually from the US government.  Sadly, it was not a fairy tale ending.   A "Superhero" is defined as a person who typically possesses superpowers or abilities beyond those of ordinary people and uses those powers to make the world a better place.  After listening to this interview, I think there is no doubt that Jay Dobyns is a Superhero.  

Why is the Netherlands consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world?  Have the Dutch solved the secret to happiness and what can the rest of the world learn from them?  Olga Mecking attempts to unlock this mystery in her terrific book, "Niksen:  Embracing The Dutch Art of Doing Nothing".     Olga has spent a significant amount of time living and raising her family in the Netherlands and has seen the benefits of Niksen.  We talk to Olga about the health benefits of Niksen and why it makes sense to slow things down and enjoy the finer things in life in a very fast paced world.  

Craig Stanland arrived at work on a Tuesday morning and was greeted with a chilling message from the FBI demanding that he return home and he realized that his past had caught up with him.  Craig documents his entire experience starting with this voicemail and ending with how he emerged from prison a changed man in his excellent book "Blank Canvas:   How I reinvented my life after prison".   In our "Chat", Craig takes us through this entire experience and how he emerged from prison with a completely different perspective on life.  If you want to know what it is like to go from having everything, losing it all and then rebuilding your life, you should certainly listen to this Chat. 

We are joined by Richard Gurman who was the executive producer on the ground breaking show "Married... with Children" and author of the new book, "Married... with Children vs. the World".   Richard takes us behind the scenes of the meteoric rise of Married... with Children and the FOX Network.  Richard also discusses the process of writing, casting and filming a hit TV Series. Did your favorite TV Series "Jump the shark"?  Several successful TV series had a "Jump the shark" moment and Richard explains the background on this terminology.     

On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard.  On the fateful launch day, there were several engineers who expressed serious concerns surrounding the launch on one of the coldest days in Florida history.  We are joined by author Adam Higginbotham to talk about his new book, "Challenger:  A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space", which chronicles the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and the missteps that were made along the way.   

In 1988 Ben Johnson ran a record breaking 9.79 in the 100m and won an Olympic gold medal.  A few days later, he tested positive for steroids and the gold medal was lost.  Is this the greatest moment in Canadian sports history or the worst?  Did Ben Johnson get a fair trial?  Do we wish Ben Johnson got away "Scott Free"?    We are joined by the incredible Mary Ormsby as she talks about her new book, "World's Fastest Man:  The Incredible Life of Ben Johnson" and attempts to answer these complicated questions.  

We are incredibly lucky to be joined by one of the top investigative journalists in Canada from the Toronto Star, Kevin Donovan.  Kevin chats about the current state of newspapers, the important role of investigative journalism and the process he undertakes when embarking on a new investigation.  We then move on to talking about the excellent investigative work he has performed over the last several years on the tragic, unsolved, double murders of Barry and Honey Sherman.  Kevin's work is documented in his book, "The Billionaire Murders:  The Mysterious Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman" which led to a 9-part podcast and a 4-part streaming series of the same name (I have read, listened to and watched all three and they are terrific).  We also ask Kevin, "How do you sleep the night before one of your stories is about to hit the headlines in the Toronto Star and rock the world"?  For that answer, you need to listen to the Chat!    

It is the week of July 4th and this episode features an American Hero, Peter Forcelli.  Pete is 9/11 first responder, former ATF agent and author of "The Deadly Path".  In our interview, Pete revisits the events of 9/11 and later, how he became a federal whistle-blower while working for the ATF detailing how federal prosecutors in Arizona did not prosecute gun traffickers.  Pete's story is incredible and documented in his book, "The Deadly Path:  How Operation Fast and Furious and Bad Lawyers Armed Mexican Cartels".     

Does "Artificial Intelligence" pose a risk to the human race?  The answer is "Yes" and Darren McKee, author of the fantastic book "Uncontrollable", explains to us why this is the case.  

Alexandra Posadzki is a business reporter for the "Globe and Mail" and author of the fantastic book "Rogers v. Rogers".  Alex tells the incredible story of how one of Canada's most successful entrepreneurs (Ted Rogers) created one of Canada's most successful companies (Rogers Communications) and how the tricky issue of succession played out.      

Becky Holmes is a world renowned romance fraud expert, queen of the Twitter/X account @deathtospinach, and author of the book "Keanu Reeves is not in love with you".  In addition, Becky is absolutely hilarious! Becky shares her expertise on the ever-growing, very serious issue of "Romance Fraud" in her own unique way of using humor.  

Neil is one of the top Improv performers in the world and a very funny guy.  He talks about how you can effectively apply Improv and humor in the work environment to build relationships which he discusses in detail in his book, "In the Moment".  

How do we learn about someone's personality based on their home/office set-up?  If their pictures are facing outwards towards incoming guests, what does this imply?  What if those same pictures are facing inwards?  Do non-human animals contain personality traits in the same way of humans?  Do ants (yes... ANTS) have funerals?  Sam is a personality expert and answers all our wacky questions!  

Chat with NY Times best selling author and historian Katherine Howe.  Katherine is a "Texpat", hot sauce lover and author of "A True Account" and co-author of "Astor".  Listen up for a wonderful trip through life as a pirate several hundred years ago and the "shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves" story of the Astor family.    

Imagine there was a Super Hero whose Super Power was to go around the globe and help Mission Critical Teams save lives.  Well... this Super Hero exists and his name is Dr. Preston Cline.  Listen up.   

Author of "Terrorist Attack Girl", creator of "Trauma Brace" and has achieved more by the age of 30 than I will in a lifetime (or more accurately, several lifetimes!)

One of the greatest nicknames ever is the "Original Internet Godfather" and it belongs to Brett Johnson.  The nickname is well deserved as he was the original leader of ShadowCrew.  He is a former cyber criminal turned good guy.  Listen to this awesome CSI Chat with Brett.     

CSI Chat with Jim Campbell, aka "The Fraud Whisperer", is the author of "Madoff Talks" and co-executive producer of the Netflix documentary, "Madoff:  The Monster of Wall Street".  

CSI Chat with Kelly Richmond Pope.  Kelly is a forensic accountant, professor, author of "Fool Me Once", producer of "All the Queen's Horses" and accounting rockstar!