Leading With Nice Interview Series

While we were all stuck at home during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people took the opportunity to learn something new. Maybe you taught yourself how to bake sourdough or speak another language. Anushka Bhattacharjee, a Grade 4 student from Toronto, decided to write the book "My Magic Mirror," a creative take on "The Three Little Pigs" fable. Anushka recently stopped by the podcast to chat about the inspiration, process and discipline behind writing and publishing her first book — all before she turned nine years old.

Sue Wigston's entire career has been driven by her passion for people. For over 25 years with Eagle's Flight, she collaborated with various organizations to develop strategy and support tactical efforts in creating high-performing, innovative and engaged corporate cultures. She's now taken her talents to not-for-profit giving platform Givesome as the organization's CEO. Sue wakes up every day thinking about generosity and recently stopped by the podcast to chat about how we can all grow in our own generosity journey.  

With a 20-plus year career encompassing senior roles in ballet, dance and opera, Christina Loewen has been with the Association for Opera in Canada as Executive Director since 2009. Focussing on helping the sector build resilience, navigate change, and be a positive force for civic good, “resilience” and “change” were definitely at the forefront of the past two years as Christina led her team through a global pandemic and its many curveballs. She recently stopped by the podcast to discuss her leadership journey through one of the most challenging times of her career.

Curtis Carmichael is an award-winning social entrepreneur, technologist, STEM and hip-hop teacher, and computer programmer. He is also the author and mobile app developer for the world's first augmented reality memoir, Butterflies in the Trenches, a candid story of Curtis' life in the public housing projects in Scarborough, Ont.Curtis stopped by the Leading With Nice Interview Series to talk about the importance of embracing community, life lessons from mentors, and his mission to help everyone realize they have the power to make a difference in not only their lives, but the lives of those around them.

Speaker, author and organizational consultant Joseph A. Michelli encourages leaders and frontline workers to grow and invest passionately in all aspects of their lives. He stopped by the podcast to discuss leadership strategies from some of his bestselling books and business practices that develop joyful and productive workplaces.

Amanda Yuill made a counter-intuitive choice many years ago: to become a full-time supply teacher. This career move provided her the opportunity to research gaps she saw in the education system and publish three books. Amanda's latest book — What's the Difference?: Building on Autism Strengths, Skills and Talents in Your Classrooms — provides teachers with tools and strategies to help autistic students be at their best. But beneath that are some great lessons on leadership and developing a posture of deeper understanding. Find out why on today's episode.

Cindy Wagman is the President and Founder of The Good Partnership, a values-driven, social-justice informed consultancy that is working to unlock the potential of small nonprofits through fundraising. She stopped by the podcast to talk about all-things non-profit, including some common challenges experienced by fundraisers large and small alike, and solutions on how to overcome them.

Emily O'Brien returned to Toronto from vacationing in the Caribbean with drugs strapped to her body. She was promptly arrested and sentenced to federal prison. Where her story diverges from what you might expect is in what she did during her time behind bars: she started a company. Comeback Snacks was born while she was incarcerated and she now uses the platform to shine a light on what happens to people when they go to prison — and the positive impact they can have on society when they're out.

At 23, Candice Schott had already bought and sold her first condo, was working her dream job at IBM and en route to winning a sales award. But she traded that all in to launch her own business as a realtor. Now, after more than 15 years in the business, she's the partner in a real estate company, mentors dozens of others in the business, and asks aspiring leaders one important question: Are you truly passionate about what you do?

Helen Polise knows her way around a camera. For the past 30 years as a TV commercial director, video content creator and social media guru, she has elevated global brands like Sensodyne, Blistex, Conair, Odor Eaters and the NFL. On TikTok she is branded as the TikTok Teacher with 530K+ followers and over 100 million views on her clear, easy-to-follow tutorials that demystify the entire process. Helen stopped by the podcast to discuss everyday productivity tips and simple ways that anyone can create powerful, authentic content.

Jeremy Herider is a two-sport professional athlete, productivity coach and life coach. He's also the founder of Optimal Self, a coaching program and podcast. He stopped by the Leading With Nice Interview Series to discuss personal habits that anyone can adopt for success. As Jeremy says, "No success story happens by accident."

Hanna Murray is a labour, delivery and postpartum nurse and doula, who also runs Babytalk, a blog for expectant mothers. She stopped by the Leading With Nice Interview Series to talk about the importance of pursuing passions and never losing sight of goals.  

One of the most neglected aspects of running a business is the health and safety of its employees. And all too often, it isn't until a tragic event takes place that health and safety training is taken seriously. Tyler Foley, actor, author and managing director of Total Buy-In — a safety consulting firm in Calgary — knows this all too well. He stopped by the Leading With Nice Interview Series podcast to talk about why investing in proper health and safety training at your workplace might be the most profitable thing you can do for your business.

Having trust in the person who's advising you on your financial investments is crucial. Our guest on this episode, Tim Nash, founder of Good Investing, says the key to building that trust is transparency. You'll find that Tim's method of using transparency to build trust isn't only beneficial in the financial investing world, but also when investing in the people you work with. Learn more about Tim and Good Investing at www.goodinvesting.com.

Imagine, if you will, being a kid again and having Toys"R"Us — one of the world's leading retailers of toys — personally ask you to test out the hottest new video games, dolls, action figures, electronics and more. Sounds too good to be true, right? Thirteen-year-old Aiden Hepburn is living that dream. On today's episode, Aiden shares with us how he came to the role, his process for play and what the future holds for Toys"R"Us Canada's official Chief Play Officer (CPO). Follow Aiden's adventures on Instagram and YouTube.

Over the 24 years that Keka DasGupta spent in the marketing and PR industry, she noticed something to be true: brands don't have low self-esteem! Today, Keka uses powerful, global branding principles to radically transform mental wellness. She stopped by the podcast to discuss how to recognize your own personal value so you can live with more positivity, esteem and purpose. 

The last thing Corey McMullan had on his mind when he scrapped all print advertising in favour of social media marketing for his family's appliance store was that he would become an influencer. But after launching a TikTok account for McMullan Appliance & Mattress, that's exactly what happened. Corey speaks with us about why his brand of authenticity about home appliances has captured the imagination of users around the world and the strategy behind growing his account to over 86,000 engaged followers in just a few months.. You can learn more about Corey and his family's store at www.mcmullanapplianceandmattress.ca. 

Drew Hayden Taylor is an award-winning playwright, novelist, filmmaker and journalist, born and living on the Curve Lake First Nation. An author of 33 books (!), Drew joined us on the podcast to discuss celebrating history and culture through storytelling, and the importance of humour in connecting with audiences.

How many times did you heard the phrase “mind your manners” as a kid? There's a good reason for that: manners, simply put, are important. Donald G. James, author, speaker and this week's guest on the podcast, recently published a book about about the topic, merging career experiences at NASA with the timeless wisdom he learned from his mother. He joins us to discuss all things Ps and Qs and how, more often than not, exhibiting good manners during a job interview can be the tie-breaker in a hiring decision.

Eighteen-year-old Conner McDowell was bullied throughout primary school but he never let it defeat him. Instead, he used the experience to fuel his desire to lead and become a beacon of hope for other kids with similar experiences. Today, he is valedictorian of his high school and a recipient of a DAREarts Youth Leadership Award — recognizing his dedication to create incredible positive change in his own life and in his community. Conner is a shining example that although it's never too late to lead — it's never too early, either. 

Today's global workforce is made up of 50% millennials, and in just a few short years that number is projected to balloon to 75%! The approach to leadership is changing but not fast enough — what we deem important and how we lead needs to catch up. Adam Kingl, leadership expert, speaker and author, stopped by the Leading With Nice Interview Series to discuss why organizations must adapt to the expectations of younger generations in order to thrive.

What does it take to overcome the biggest challenge you have yet to face? Brandon Peacock's road to recovery after a near-fatal drive-by shooting has several parallels that can be applied to your business. In the second part of our interview with Brandon, he helps connect the dots on what it takes to turn a crisis into a crucial piece of your success. Listen to Part 1 of our conversation here. 

Brandon Peacock was on his way to get his hair cut in June 2020 after work when he was shot three times as he entered the barbershop. He wasn't the intended target but he ended up the victim. However, Brandon didn't take to the victim moniker. Instead, he used an experience that could have left him confined to a wheelchair as an opportunity to found Hit the Ground Running, a non-profit that supports others who have experienced trauma. 

Tristan Norton is a city kid working in a country world. He grew up in an urban environment and is one of the few visible minorities at Briercrest College and Seminary. As the Director of its Centre for Leadership Studies, Tristan approaches his work from a different perspective than many of his Briercrest colleagues. He is so gracious on this episode to help me understand what that means, and offers some great insight on how we can all appreciate everyone's differences and take advantage of that fullness in our work and personal lives. 

As an owner, founder, CEO or executive director, the amount that rests on your shoulders can seem overwhelming. Richard Walsh owned a contracting company and was experiencing this same burden so he did something about it. After investigating the best ways to lighten his load in order to concentrate on the five percent he alone could do, he developed Escape the Owner Prison. In this episode, he explores some of the concepts you can enact today.

When you've been hired by a client to complete a job, there is a tension between delivering what they've asked for and leading them toward something greater. Heather Dubbeldam is one of Canada's leaders in sustainable architecture. When clients hire her firm, they do so not only because of their great work, but also to be drawn into a larger conversation. On this episode, Heather discusses how you can do this with your clients and the right balance of leading versus following. 

Burnout carries with it a huge cost for not only the person experiencing it, but also the colleagues and family of that person and the organization they work for.  Janice Litvin — expert speaker, author and trainer specializing in burnout prevention —  joins us for today's episode to discuss how you can recognize and prevent burnout before it happens. Learn more about Janice at janicelitvin.com.

For the first time in our history, we work in a four-generation workplace alongside baby boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z employees. On this episode, Clint Pulver — the Undercover Millennial — discusses what it looks like to have success managing and leading such a diverse workforce. We're also giving away copies of Clint's new book, I Love It Here: How Great Leaders Create Organizations Their People Never Want to Leave. If you're a client of Leading With Nice, you're already getting a copy. But if you'd like one, visit our website and sign up for our weekly leadership email. We'll be giving away copies each week! 

Being productive and getting things done is a key habit to develop for anyone. It can be so difficult to accomplish — text messages, video calls and email are just a few of the distractions that can take you off your game. In this episode, Fred Moore, speaker and educator of all things productivity, discusses how you can get things done. Added bonus: he's a magician.

Chris Tompkins, COO at Muskoka Woods, has been working as a youth development professional for over two decades, and in that time he's sought to help young people develop their full leadership potential. Leadership should be taught young, he says, and as adults, our job is to be conscious of what is shaping their world. Chris is launching a podcast in that exact theme: Shaping Our World can be found on your favourite podcast platform (including the one you're using to listen to this episode).

Leadership can be lonely. It can be without a map to guide you. It can often make you question your own decisions. Monica Loewen has charged head-first into new opportunities and challenges where she foraged new paths — sometimes for herself and sometimes for the organization she was leading. In this episode, we speak to her about how to do this well and also the value of empathy in blazing new trails. You'll definitely want to get more Monica after listening to this episode. Check out her website: https://monicaloewen.com. 

I'm the son and brother of entrepreneurial women. So when the chance to interview Maria Locker, founder and CEO of RevolutionHER, came up, I jumped at it. In this episode, Maria shares what it looks like to pivot not once, but twice as she left her full-time job to launch one organization and then grow it into what it is today. She also gives great insight into how you can support entrepreneurial woman in your life. 

As the founder and managing director of The Orion Group, Julie Mahfouz Rezvani helps companies find the right fit for jobs. Conversely, she helps people, looking for a career change, to land in the right place. But it's not as simple as matching a resume with skills requirements — at least it shouldn't be. On this episode, Julie shares insights from almost two decades in recruitment and staffing to help us understand the role empathy plays in the process of hiring and looking for a new job and how being service minded can bring you massive benefits. We talk about two great resources on this episode:Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud Increase Your Empathy Webinar

What happens when you put art and ale together? Collective Arts Brewing out of Hamilton, Ont., had a strong desire to not just create great beer, but they wanted their beverages to be the catalyst behind building a strong community, investing in true diversity and being purposeful around championing creativity. In this episode, Matt Johnston, the brewery's co-founder and CEO, breaks down their thought process and the impacts these decisions have had on the company. 

Leading the Canadian arm of Compassion Canada, Allison Alley oversees 125 staff as they work with children and their families in economically depressed countries. As you can imagine, 2020 was a challenging year and in response, Allison wrote a thought-provoking blog post on Compassion Canada's website titled "12 things I've learned in the last 12 months." Every one of the 12 things were clearly the result of living a year of leadership where she was faced with each reality. We invited her on the podcast to dig further.  

We're living through the middle of a struggle between sharing our personal information with companies and organizations and the desire to retain some level of privacy. Everything from renting an apartment to browsing social media asks us to give up more and more of our personal information. So what is the answer to this? Some companies have proven they can't be trusted with our information. How do we help companies and organizations regain our trust? The answer is by being more private. On this episode of the Leading With Nice Interview Series, we speak with Barbara Tallent and Jory Des Jardins from The @ Company about a novel approach to help companies and individuals build trust by maintaining privacy.

Ezra Byer has moved throughout the United States and Canada as he's pursued a vision for community building. But during his time in Toronto's East End, he was afflicted with depression and anxiety. It was so impactful that it altered the way he would respond to his family and his leadership suffered. Having been in the trenches — and highly intentional around discovering a way out — he's written a book about what to do when depression and anxiety is crippling you. Today, he discusses some practical steps leaders can take when suffering with depression and anxiety. 

Angie Peters has worked in corporate, social enterprise, and today leads the Toronto-based Yonge Street Mission as their President and CEO. Throughout her career, Angie has made a habit of creating greater value than should rightfully exist. She does this by seeking out intentional partnerships and creating collaborations where others wouldn't expect to look. While she's naturally gifted at doing this, it is a skill that can be taught and on today's episode, she shares her steps to creating successful collaborations. 

Shad's career as a rapper has spanned almost two decades. Producing art and selling out shows for close to 20 years brings with it a dynamic approach to keeping an audience engaged. Shad does this through creating music that inspires discussion, provokes thought and engages your curiosity. He speaks about not only telling stories, but receiving stories. His leadership shines in situations where he is given the opportunity to be doing both. 

Why does a group of car dealerships hire a creative director? Usually a post exclusive to advertising agencies, PFAFF Automotive Partners recognized the value of creativity in helping them not only sell cars, but connect their passion to that of their customers. But it takes a unique individual to fill such a role. Laurance Yap is a veteran of automobilia having worked in and around cars with a view through a variety of lenses. Creativity can be used to lead, influence and yes, sell cars. Laurance shares some of what inspires him when seeking to do just that. 

Host of Netflix's Connected and Director of Research at the award-winning New York Public Radio show Radiolab, Latif Nasser holds curiosity as one of his core values. It's led him to find out all he could about Detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay and to learn about the world's oldest human poop.Curiosity is a strong precursor for leaders. It encourages to ask the questions that would otherwise go unanswered, it forces a deeper perspective and allows others to be heard. Latif Nasser excellently makes the case for being intentional in your curiosity in this episode of the Leading With Nice Interview Series. 

Every leader lets us down in some way or another at some point, but what do you do with it when a leader has a morale failure. On this episode, we speak with Dan Goddard who completed a research project to help us understand how we keep the good in the learning from a leader who has had a morale failure. 

You are at the start of a big project. Maybe you've been tasked with leading through transition or perhaps your job is to right the ship. You probably don't have the necessary resources to do it so now what? In this episode we're speaking with Amy Gorecki, the Executive Director of the Science Teachers Association of Ontario. As the solo employee, she was tasked with leading this largely volunteer-run organization through its biggest change in over a century. Listen to find out how she managed this task without an abundance of resources. 

Omar Ha-Redeye is the Executive Director of the Durham Community Legal Clinic and has built a reputation for always being right in the thick of where the people he helps are. The takeaway from this is simple: when you put the people you serve first, you are demonstrating excellent leadership. 

Penny Kirlik is the executive director of the Centennial College Student Association Inc. Every year, she works with over 100 students, and about a quarter of them work closely with her on the board of directors. Few are as qualified to speak about working with Gen Z and Millennials as Penny is. On this episode, she discusses how she navigates excelling working with people in this age group. 

Jack Armstrong has been a coach, television personality but more importantly he's been a husband and father. And that's where he draws his leadership learning from. How he demonstrated leadership for his three sons is how he approached leadership in different opportunities. 

You would be a fool to think that you alone could influence as many people than if you were intentional in building other leaders to share the same message. Paul Magnus has been teaching leadership for 50 years and is most excited about the idea of co-leading, co-owning and co-creating as a leader. He discusses it on this episode. 

On the Leading With Nice Interview Series podcast we sit down with today's thought leaders to discuss burning questions, new ideas and their thoughts as they look out over today's leadership landscape.Subscribe today and never miss an episode.