The Kook Jester Show

Welcome, practicing radiologist and emtelligent founder, Dr. Tim O'Connell to the show. Based in Vancouver Canada, emtelligent directs advanced AI technologies to finding key insights buried in patient medical histories. We get into this, along with solving your own problems, the breakneck speed of change in the Artificial Intelligence space, and flipping the collective adage - Life is Short - to Life is Long. Have a listen!

Please welcome, ultrarunner and author of Perhaps Joy is the Reward, Randy Klassen to the show. Framed through hard fought victories and devastating heartbreaks out on the trails, he recounts the connected community of runners, his late start to the sport, and a solid instruction for life: just keep skating.

Today's guest is ethical hacker and cyber-security expert, Vernon Joseph D'Souza. As managing partner of Forecight CyberSecurity in Vancouver, smashing firewalls, stolen pin codes, breaking into server rooms, and corporate espionage is nothing other than a typical Tuesday. We get into hacker objectives, how to be safer online, and the skill-set one needs in order to excel as a hacker. Special thanks to my de-facto booking agent, Arezou Marzara, for helping this interview come together.

Welcome the talented, versatile, and ever-so lovely Anna Galvin to the show. Knowing what she wanted to become at 5, her career spans the theatre, commercials, multi-season series, and feature films. We chat about her favourite roles (the covers shot provides a clue), an amusing blunder from the red carpet, and the piece of advice she once received from, none other than, Russell Crowe. Work begets work, advice she took to heart and applied throughout her career.

Dan Flores joins the show today. Author of ten books, his works include the bestsellers American Serengeti and Coyote America. His latest, Wild New World, is a big history deep dive into the relationship between people and animals in North America. Starting at the Chicxulub Impact–the giant space rock that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago–Wild New World shows how our belief in human exceptionalism has truly devastated the natural world. With complex characters laid atop vivid landscapes, Dan's compelling work will, as one reader suggests, ‘rearrange the furniture in your head'. It's wonderful. Go Read it! 

Writer and director, Raul Sanchez-Inglis, joins the show today. His work includes: Vice, Transparency, American Heist, and his most recent project, crime-thriller Crimson Point. He chats about transformative movies, getting the most out of your people on set, the band Badfinger, and the game which kicked off a career in storytelling. Really he hung out with his friends and let his imagination go to work. Super cool! 

Director of the Centre of European Studies at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Bowers packs a ton of learning into this interview. Among other topics, we touch on why Russia’s printing culture was slow to develop, what is meant by the Petersburg Text, and the paradoxical nature of many Russian writers. A word of warning - your reading list will have expand considerably after listening. I also want to personally thank Katherine for being, first and foremost,  a teacher. I got caught up in the ‘what of things’, and she very kindly refocused me on the ‘why’ of things. Basically, today's episode is about learning and growing. It's fantastic.

Websites

If you know the waters around Vancouver, BC, you will undoubtably have come across the purple swim-caps worn by the students of today's guest, Stewart Scott. Everyone calls him Coach Stewart. We chat about his early days in northern Scotland, the common mistakes self-trained athletes make, tricking the water, and his strong desire to swim alongside the Orcas. Thank-you Stewart. This was awesome. 

Today’s guest is actor, John Emmet Tracy. You will know him as Ellis Steele from Yellowstone, the modern western epic on the Paramount Network and Amazon Prime. We chat about his character’s adaptive qualities, artistic moments versus story momentum, and playing villains—aka the misunderstood. He kicks off our interview by sharing a story that his dad told him. The opening: glove and bat in hand, a young man stands outside a baseball stadium…             A very big thank-you to Sam Aitken from the Childrens’ Heart Network for making this interview happen.  

I was happy to return to the Children’s Heart Centre for my interview with Dr. Shubhayan Sanatani, Division Head of Cardiology at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada. Over the years, he and the entire heart team, took wonderful care of our family. I have long been curious about why he chose to pursue cardiology, and today, I got the chance to ask. 

Dr. Sanatani kicks off our chat with a story about the grade 12 teacher who sparked his early interest in biology, ultimately leading to his work in paediatric cardiology and electrophysiology. We also touch on why he loves working with kids, the excitement of new discoveries, and the opportunities where medicine can grow and change.

(A small correction from our discussion. Mark Cuban was on the tv show Shark Tank not Dragon’s Den)

Our guest today is Annika McDade whose soul purpose in life is to create amazing relationships between people and their dogs. Her in-person dog training company is called Canine Connection Training and is based in Vancouver, Canada. However, you can access her expertise and video library wherever you happen to be via her online portal - SniffDog. During our chat, she talks about all the information dogs gather through their noses, how to build a good human/dog relationship, and even shares her experience training wolves in Mongolia.

Saba Marzara co-founded FedFedFed, which delivers dietician curated meals right to your door. Endlessly fascinated by the food we eat, Saba looks to impact our health and nutrition on a larger scale. We look at the ever-growing problem of diet related diseases along with what first piqued her interest in the field, and how the name FedFedFed came about.

I became a customer of FedFedFed. The company creates an exceptional user experience.  Account setup and ordering is super easy. Delivery? Prompt. And the meals taste amazingly delicious. Thank you for listening.

Tiffany DaSilva, founder of flowjo, is our guest today. Irritated by peoples’ relationship with their phones, she decided to something about it. Creating card decks full of bucket list activities for couples, dads, and self-care, Flowjo’s mission is to help people build long-lasting and meaningful memories with the life they have right now. Our interview was fun. Tiffany hits on everything from the importance of looking for the easier way to her time spent in startups. One highlight for me was her story about developing an online ‘lemonade stand’ during the internet’s early days.   

Thanks from listening.

Lee Rodgers is our guest today. Our chat always came back to limitations, as in, your true capabilities are far beyond what you actually believe them to be. Case in Point. Returning to cycling in his mid-30's, Lee turned professional at the age of 37. The stories he shares are incredible. To give you a teaser, he found himself lined-up alongside the legends of the sport (Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, and Mark Cavendish) at the Tours of Qatar and Oman in 2012. 

From here, he then brought his racing chops over to coaching. He is an official coach of the Everesting Challenge and an ambassador for the Taiwan KOM and Mongolia Bike Challenge, two absolutely epic races. Basically, if you need a coach call Lee - lee@crankpunk.com. 

For years I’ve followed Lee’s adventures via his writings at CrankPunk. The articles are excellent. Check them out. He explores everything from cycling’s rich pageantry to the success stories from his athletes. 

Dan John is my guest today, a leading voice on all things related to strength and lifting.

Having followed Dan’s work for about 6 years, it was exciting to have him on the show. Some highlights from our conversation include: the importance of failing publically, how parents should encourage their kids, and the pain/pleasure matrix of goal achievement.

John and I get right to it, digging into the Leadville 100, the 100 mile running race across the sky, which he has completed 4 times. Other highlights include breaking big challenges into the smallest manageable pieces, and learning how to not reinvent the wheel when learning something new. Case in point - the Rubik’s cube. For the record, he solved it under three minutes during our post-interview chat.

Special thanks to Darren for introducing John and I. 

Thanks for Listening.

Today’s guest is Steve Moss, frontman and founding member of the The Midnight Ghost Train. Powered with a thick and heavy sound, they are one of my all-time favorite bands. On June 18th, TMGT kick off their 10-date European reunion tour at the Freak Valley Festival in Netphen, Germany. Steve takes us wide and deep, chatting about everything from writing songs live on stage and the band’s early days to why he simply loves playing music with Brandon Burghart (drums) and Mike Boyne (bass). He also shares his latest endeavor, teaching kindergarten and grade 1 in inner-city Buffalo. The whole thing is awesome and make sure to give their music a listen. And now, I also have been give official permission to use their music on the podcast. Thanks Steve. Best of luck on the upcoming tour. 

Felix Böck is our guest today, the founder and CEO of Chop Value in Vancouver, BC.

Chop Value's mission is simple - harvest single use chopsticks from the urban environment and then, transform them into beautiful home décor pieces, like cutting boards, tabletops, and light sconces. 

Using Chop Value's micro-factories as a model, we get into how truly green economies should operate, and how massive problems - like climate change - can only be tackled if we break them down into the smallest possible pieces, the ones right in front of us. And for Felix, that just happens to be the chopstick. 

Thanks for Listening.

Today, I get to speak with Ania Wysocka, the founder and creator of Rootd. Rootd is an incredible app that helps people to manage anxiety and panic attacks in the moment. With over 1.25 million downloads to date, the app has been featured in publications like Women’s Health, Healthline, and Time Magazine’s The Age of Anxiety. In recognizing her contributions to mental health awareness and technology, Ania earned a spot on BC Business’ top 30 under 30 in 2020. During our conversation, Ania breaks downs how and why she created Rootd, the inspiration for Ron (your companion in the app), and how her definition of success has evolved over time. Thanks for listening. 

Today’s episode features Manuel Bernaschek. He brought two world brands at the pinnacle of quality to Vancouver, those being Fazioli Pianos and Stefano Ricci luxurious menswear. In our chat, he shares details from his early conversations with Mr. Fazioli and Mr. Ricci along with the piece of advice that he received prior to opening his very first store. 

Manuel invited me to the Stefano Ricci store on Georgia Street for a live interview. If it sounds like we are speaking in a room, walled with hand-carved marble that is because we actually are. Everything inside from the fine fabrics to the ornate architectural details meld together in order to curate a truly, memorable retail experience. It is a stunning showpiece not simply for fashion, but design as well.

Thanks for listening. Enjoy.

The Stores:

To say my chat with Khalil covers a lot of ground would be an huge understatement. Geographically, we bounce from Kenya to Toronto, back to Kenya, down to Tanzania, and end in Vancouver. He talks about the difficulties he faced after immigrating to Canada in 1989. From direct personal experience, Khalil explains the lasting trauma that racism and intolerance have on a child. 

Career wise, he chose to walk a different path. Not 'feeling' any of the standard options - doctor, lawyer, engineer - he followed his heart, pursuing work in child care. From here, Khalil founded CampUS!, where he creates engaging outdoor experiences for children centered on meditation and mindfulness. 

So have a listen. Khalil is an incredible storyteller. 

Thanks for listening. Enjoy.

CampUS!

Rob and I chat about his most recent athletic challenge, Everesting. I'll let him tell the story, but, in order to complete ‘an Everest’, a cyclist must climb the vertical elevation of Mount Everest - 8848 vertical meters - in one ride within 24 hours. Its grueling. Rob gets into his training, the obstacles he had to overcome, and how the day itself played out.

Rob sounds like a professional cyclist looking back on his career, from how the sport captured his imagination as a kid to how cycling has been that one thing that keeps giving back to him. 

After listening, you'll want to get out and ride your bike, or grab some poutine. Do both!

Thanks for Listening. Enjoy.

Links from the interview:

Roger Nairn joins me for this episode, co-founder and CEO of JAR Audio in Vancouver, Canada. We do a podcast about podcasts. JAR Audio constructs podcasts for brands in order to accelerate their impact and build meaningful connections with their audiences. Their client base is deep and wide. Listening experiences include: The Disruptors by RBC, Expedia's Out Travel the System, and the just launched Build it Braver from American Express.

We get into how JAR Audio came to be, and discuss the one piece of advice that Roger has for the hosts and guests on their programs. 

Thanks for Listening. Enjoy.

Catherine is a certified transformational life and business coach and founder of Fearless Future in Vancouver, British Columbia. She leads with a mission to help people find their soul purpose. In addition to one-on-one coaching, Catherine also hosts the Fearless Future podcast. Her workshops - Ignite Your Soul and Bust the Burnout - all point toward empowering her clients to discover and lead with purpose in order to prosper. 

Many Thanks Catherine.

Here's a few links from the show.

Dan Nelken wrote a book, and a really useful one at that, titled A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters. Punctuated with personal, and often, very funny observations from the Advertising world, his objective is to de-mystify the creative process. He delivers. 

In our chat, Dan speaks about wanting to write the dumbest book possible. To my mind, that is its greatest quality. With each technique he introduces, he shows what the actual work looks like, imperfections and all. He also touched on his unique approach to editing, what makes a great brief, and why brands should embrace their dirt.

Thank-you Dan. I enjoyed our conversation.