The Let's Talk Show with Mo Waja: Recent Episodes
Mo Waja
Tune in for weekly(ish) interviews with, stories about, and tips from professionals doing cool things at home in Canada and abroad. Welcome to the Let's Talk Show with your Host, Mo Waja.
In this episode, Darren Weldrick, Head Coach and Running Consultant at Culture Athletics and Owner of the private running coaching organization, 'The Runway', talks his journey in running, coaching the motivation behind running, ultramarathons, and what it takes to build a community.
In this episode, we sit down with Chris Mitchell a.k.a. @travelingmitch, writer, travel blogger, and one of the founders of Toronto Bloggers Collective, to talk becoming a travel blogger, his journey through 80 countries, and the world of content creation today.
In this episode Jackie DeMarco, Co-Founder of Kavi Reserve Whiskey, talks entrepreneurship in the liquor sector, craft whiskey, and the Canadian liquor industry.
In this episode, Greg Hagin, Parter and Managing Director at CCS Fundraising, talks global fundraising, diversifying philanthropy, the (sometimes unpopular) role of tax benefits in giving, and the value of bravery in fundraising.
In this episode, Dae the Poet, model, poet, singer/songwriter, actor, and dancer, talks discovering her art, mental health, the challenge of race, and the law of attraction.
In this episode, Brittany Moran, chiropractor, Nike Toronto Run Coach, and the Founder of StrideWise Running, talks run culture, taking on marathons, and her journey in running. Fun fact: Brittany placed as the Top Canadian Female at the Boston Marathon in 2015 and Chicago in 2017.
In this episode, we profile Victor Fedeli, Minister of Finance of the Province of Ontario, discussing his journey into politics, taking on the role of Ontario Minister of Finance, and opportunities for growth in Northern Ontario. *Note: This episode is not intended to express the political opinions or affiliations of The Let's Talk Show or its Host, Mo Waja.
In this episode, Christine Rochon, producer and production coordinator, talks breaking into the film and television industry, Canadian film, and producing her first feature film, Fugue, airing in Canada April 2019.
In this episode, Kesheyl van Schilt, President and Owner of Blakely Inc., talks leadership, change management, and building an intentional, empowering company culture.
In this episode, Aanchal Vash, mental health advocate and the Founder of Reach Out Together, talks losing her twin brother to suicide, building a network of support, and mental health awareness.
Following up on his Instagram post on Bell Let's Talk Day, in this episode Mikael Melo, producer, writer, and social media strategist, talks the impact of social media on mental health, how social media affects relationships, and the balance of on-screen vs. off-screen experiences.
In this episode, Steve Falk, a founding member of and lead vocals and harmonica with Soul Benefit, a 12-member Motown R & B band, talks fundraising through music, building an engaged community, and the importance of leadership in corporate and community culture.
Mo Waja, Host of The Let’s Talk Show, speaking at PodCamp Toronto 2019 on getting into podcasting, the value of mobile-first podcasting, and, from architecture to branding, how to produce high quality on a budget.
In this PodCamp 2019 Special, John Leschinski, Chair of PodCamp Toronto, talks Canada's podcasting community, the growth of PodCamp Toronto, and what makes good podcasting.
In this episode, Avaah Blackwell, international professional actor, talks her journey in the performing arts, stage combat and stunt work, and current projects — including 2019 MMA story "Excelsis" and upcoming web series "The Bulldog Effect".
In this Valentines Day special, Amanda B. Haupt, chronically single, talks life as a single woman, the perils of online dating, and what not to do on a date.
In this episode, Sari and Howie Grossinger, Owners and Directors at Camp Robin Hood, talk Camp culture, the benefit of Camp to kids, and building a strong employee experience.
In this episode, Peter Triantos, Canadian Contemporary Artist (specializing in contemporary fine art), talks understanding art, his journey through art, and finding your inner artist.
In this episode, Robert Cormier, actor, entrepreneur, and programmer at Pendance Film Festival, talks a day in the life of a professional actor, current projects, and Pendance Film Festival 2019.
In this episode, Aleksa Stefanovic, finance professional, e-commerce mentor, and lifelong mentee, talks the value of mentorship, what it takes to be a good mentor (or mentee!), and how to find a mentor.
In this episode, Dreeni Geer, Director of Human Rights and Equity at Lakehead University, talks her more than 20-year career striving for human rights nationally and internationally, managing identity (sexual, gender, cultural, racial) politics, and understanding cultural context in communication.
In this episode we sit down with Tony Lei, Creative Entrepreneur and tenured Media Specialist, challenging the 'authenticity' trend highlighted for social media marketing in 2019.
In this episode, we write a song. Sitting down with Nick Price Toyne, classically trained vocalist, graduate of Berklee College of Music, and the artist behind the 2015 EP "Wander Lost", we talk the study of music, how music is evolving, and the process of songwriting — even writing an original piece of music live on this episode.
In this episode, Carly Clarke, Head Coach of the Ryerson Rams Women's Basketball Team, former Head Coach of the Canadian Under 19 Junior Women's National Team, and Assistant Coach with the Canadian Senior Women's National Team, talks leadership in athletics, her journey to coaching, and how to become a better coach.
In this episode, Dr. Allan Bonner, Board Member at and Spokesperson for The Mackenzie Institute, talks the evolution of news media, security of information, and the rise of 'fake news'.
Over the last 2-weeks in South Africa we've interviewed four impressive fundraising and philanthropy professionals working tirelessly to promote social good in South Africa. Closing off our Social Good in South Africa series, we look at insights gained, where we go from here, and what this means for international nonprofits looking to work within African countries.
In the fourth instalment in our Social Good in South Africa series, we sit down with Dr. Shouket Waja, General Dental Surgeon, Founder of the Doctor Waja Group of Dental Surgeries, and the Founder of the Waja Ka Meno Trust, to talk nonprofit entrepreneurship in South Africa, the continuing impact of apartheid on poverty and accessibility, and what makes a good leader in the nonprofit space.
In the third instalment in our Social Good in South Africaseries, we sit down with Dr. Yusuf Bamjee, maxillofacial surgeon, Founder and Director of the Fordsburg Clinic in Johannesburg, and the Founder of the Infaq Educational and Charitable Trust, to talk poverty in South Africa, access to quality education and medical care for youth, and how international nonprofits can work more effectively with local organizations across the African continent.
In the second instalment in our Social Good in South Africaseries, we sit down with Colin Habberton, Co-Founder of The Relativ Group, to talk the landscape of fundraising in South Africa, building better relationships between nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and the evolution of fundraising storytelling in and about Africa domestically and internationally.
In the first in our Social Good in South Africa series, we sit down with Michael McTernan, Fundraising and Communications Director at Save the Children South Africa, to talk nonprofit storytelling in South Africa, the impact of social strata on fundraising, and the importance of cultural context for nonprofit organizations both local to South Africa and internationally.
In this episode, Fatou Jammeh, a nonprofit fundraising professional with a passion for international development, talks the important differences between lived and 'learned' experiences, fundraising storytelling, and inclusivity in the nonprofit sector.
In this episode, Brandon Schiafone, Relationship Specialist (with both a visual and hearing impairment) and the Host and Co-Organizer of TEDxNewmarket talks life as a blind person, public speaking, and where interpersonal communication meets accessibility.
In the lead up to the 2018 Speaker Slam Grand Slam Championship, we are joined by Ven Virah, Jessica Opoku, Sam Demma, Merav Richter, Jhanelle Edwards, Imran Mouna, Ian Keeling, Darius Bashar, Armin Shafee, and Sandra Elia to talk their journey to the stage, what it's like getting on stage, and what speaking means to them.
In this Special Feature we sit down with Dan Shaikh and Rina Rovinelli, the Founders of Speaker Slam, Canada's leading inspirational speaking competition, to talk their founder's journey, how to inspire a crowd, and what it takes to win Speaker Slam.
In this Special Feature we sit down with Jen Love, Partner at Agents of Good, at AFP Congress 2018 to talk giving behaviour in the nonprofit space, keeping donors happy, and showing a little more donor love.
In this episode we are joined by Emma Lewzey, Founder and Principal of Blue Sky Philanthropy and President-Elect of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Toronto Chapter to talk the basics of fundraising, what inspires giving, and how to tell a good philanthropic story.
In this episode we are joined by Aalia Lanius, author of the 2018 novel Tough Love, who talks about her experiences with survivorship, domestic abuse, overcoming cancer, and rediscovering love.
A short clip from sports commentary at Quidditch Canada's 2018 Eastern Regional Championship, with a brief discussion on what differentiates 'commentary' from other types of communication.
Our range of topics is expanding, and the brand is expanding with it. Tune in to the Let's Talk Show for weekly(ish) interviews with, stories about, and tips from professionals doing cool things at home in Canada and abroad. Welcome to the Let's Talk Show with your Host, Mo Waja.
In this episode we are joined by Sharon Cracknell, Human Resources Consultant with over 40 years in industry, to talk approaching HR as an employee, the right way to let an employee go, and how to resign from a position and preserve the relationship.
In this episode we are joined by Mayor Al McDonald, currently serving his second term as Mayor of the City of North Bay, to talk how social media, politics in the United States, and a shift in political candidates in Canada are changing communication in politics.
Every industry has a staple set of speakers frequently seen on the conference stage, but what happens when those speakers begin to retire from industry? In this episode we are joined by Laura Champion, Education Committee Chair for AFP Toronto Congress 2018 and Founder and Chair of the AFP Speaker Discovery Series to talk 'Speaking' in the nonprofit world, discovering the next generation of speaking talent, and building a "succession plan" for speakers.
Every speaker looks for ways to differentiate themselves from others in their sector. Here are two techniques speakers should definitely not use.
We all give advice. The problem is that even good advice is often delivered poorly. In this episode we are joined by Pablo Muzlera, career and life coach, to talk tips on how to give good advice well.
We sit down with LumièreVR Co-Founder Travis Wu, Chief Operating Officer Alexander Haque, and LumièreVR Strategic Consultant and Founder of XR Portal Maryam Sabour to talk virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and their implications for the future of storytelling and communication.
No matter the industry, "mansplaining" is something that many (if not most, if not all) women face on a regular basis. In this episode we are joined by Jennifer Morris, Co-Founder and President of Two Roads Logistics to talk tips to help women deal with mansplaining and men to avoid mansplaining in communication in and beyond the workplace.
Interviewing for a new job can be an extremely nerve-wracking experience, particularly in today's career climate where culture fit is everything and you are often being interviewed on your personality. In this episode we are joined by Rahul Parmar, legal recruiter, to talk tips on how to be successful during your next job interview.
As in any other industry, academic presentations have their own style and dialect. Though many, if not most, of us have delivered an academic presentation in college or university... the challenge is doing it well. In this episode we are joined by Ania Syrowatka, Post-Doctoral Fellow in the field of Epidemiology, to talk tips to improve your next academic presentation.
Whether on the phone with clients, speaking to colleagues, or in meetings, we spend the majority of our professional lives in a seated position. In this episode we talk tips to avoid the comfort trap and optimize your voice for speaking even while sitting.
For many who work with data, translating that data into actionable insights for colleagues or clients can be a tough gap to bridge. In this episode we're joined by Matthew Dubins, Founder of Donor Science Consulting, to talk tips for clearly and effectively explaining data.
Even with preparation, public speaking is often an intimidating experience... and one that becomes even more daunting when the speaker needs to speak off the cuff. In this episode we are joined by Marie Sotto, comedienne, visual artist, and the Host and Producer of The Surreal Life comedy show, to talk tips for thinking on your feet in improv and while speaking.
Faced with a camera, many people find themselves stumbling where, off camera in front of an audience, their talk, interview, or presentation would be a complete success. In this episode we are joined by Kyrill Lazarov and Dario Nouri, Founders of LAPSE Productions, to talk tips for speaking successfully on camera.
As we grow older, breaking the age barrier to connect with youth is often challenging for adults. In this episode, we are joined by Steve Tanner, Secondary School Vice Principal, to talk tips for speaking to and connecting successfully with youth.
In this interview, hosted by Darine BenAmara on Instagram Live, we discuss public speaking, communication in networking, and the She Speaks Project; a documentary currently being produced by Sarah C. Sutherland and I exploring barriers that women face in professional communication in the workplace.
The words we use to frame our ideas have an immediate impact on how credible we seem to our audience. In this episode we talk eliminating qualifiers and the importance of framing your ideas as definitives.
Many speakers and content experts adopt an "intellectual persona" while speaking; meaning they employ big words and jargon as vocabulary to describe their ideas. Unfortunately, more often than not, this serves to damage both your credibility and your relationship with the audience. In this episode we talk avoiding pitfalls with the language we use in presentation and communication.
Working in the bar scene, where intoxicated patrons are the norm, communication is key... especially when you're a bouncer. In this episode, we're joined by former bouncer Ittaana Krow to talk de-escalation tactics, managing intoxicated parties through proactive communication, and the art of going out.
People react to a speaker first emotionally and then rationally, meaning they react first to how you present before they listen to what you say. This starts with your voice. In this episode we talk how to optimize your quality of voice.
How our voice sounds has an immediate impact on how receptive our audience is to our presentation. A big part of generating our best sound, our best quality of voice, comes from our posture. In this episode we talk the importance of good posture while speaking and how to make good posture happen for you.
Starting a presentation with a question can be a tempting strategy to engage your audience from the get-go. In this episode, we talk why that strategy is usually unsuccessful.
Whether in formal presentation or casual conversation, rambling immediately damages credibility. In this episode we talk structure tips on how to avoid rambling while speaking.
Fillers like "um" and "ah" are the auditory version of our brain's loading screen, often heard when we stumble over a piece of our presentation. In this episode we talk tactical tips to avoid using fillers.
Speaking in front of an audience can be a nerve-wracking experience. In this episode we talk tips to keep calm and start your presentation smoothly.
So let's talk speaking. In this inaugural episode we talk the value of credibility and why public speaking is important.