On The Brink: Recent Episodes
John Brink
John A. Brink is a self-made entrepreneur who seeks out experts from all walks of life to learn and share their stories.
Ryan DeLena is currently studying at Northern Vermont University. He was pictured on the cover of Backcountry Ski Maps (2020) and has climbed and skied throughout the United States, and in Canada, Chile, Argentina, Svalbard, and Antarctica. Ryan is also a skilled rock climber and avid hiker. As a child, Ryan DeLena had difficulty controlling his emotions and was placed in therapeutic schools that relied on detrimental methods of behavior modification, such as physical restraint. Despite interventions from a team of doctors and heavy medication, nothing seemed to help. In 2010, Ryan was voluntarily committed to a mental hospital for further evaluation. His parents, Rob and Mary Beth, were counseled to place him in a group home, but they refused.Two years earlier, after an impulsive decision to take Ryan skiing, his father discovered a different child than the version experts were so sure about. By Ryan's second day of skiing, he was executing advanced runs. With each conquest in the winters that followed, his father began to question the path laid by the professionals paid to judge him. He later convinced Ryan's mother to fight the medical and educational complexes over Ryan's care and school placement. Together, they fostered the freedom Ryan needed to pursue his dream of becoming a professional ski mountaineer.Written in two voices, their book "Without Restraint" is a joint father-son memoir told with both pain and levity, struggle and strength, adventure and heart. It is the story of a misunderstood boy, a father’s growth, and a shared love of the outdoors that formed their unbreakable bond.
Bridget Cook-Burch’s clients call her “The Book Whisperer”. She is a New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, mentor, trainer, mamma-bear humanitarian, and speaker known for riveting stories of transformation. Her powerful work has been showcased on Oprah, Dateline, CNN, GMA, The History Channel, NPR and in People among many others. She is the CEO and Founder of YourInspiredStory.com and Inspired Legacy Publishing. As a successful entrepreneur, Bridget has also owned and operated a multimillion-dollar trucking company, a phone book and a PR agency. She is also a co-founder and former executive director of SHEROES United, a non-profit organization that helps women and girls rise from trauma. As a leader, storyteller, trainer and humanitarian, her greatest passion is helping others to discover the importance of their own story, and to become leaders in their own communities, and worldwide.Bridget’s many national bestsellers include Divine Turbulence, The Witness Wore Red; Shattered Silence; Skinhead Confessions; Leading Women; and also Living Proof. She is getting ready to publish three more in 2022. Bridget invites you to believe in the power of your story to change the world. Join her writers’ retreats and leadership retreats in Utah, Italy, Ireland and more. Find out more at www.YourInspiredStory.com, www.YourInspiredStory.com/publishing and www.SHEROESUnited.org.
David is a professional forester and a highly-regarded industry expert with over twenty-five years of experience within the forest sector. Recently David has served as the executive director of the Truck Loggers Association (TLA), advocating on behalf of the BC forest industry's supply chain. Before the TLA, David worked for ten years as a senior analyst for ERA Forest Products Research, focusing on the global forest products markets to advise institutional investors and governments. Based on his extensive knowledge of the forest products sector, David is inspired to help solve the many real-world problems facing this sector. David has a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Science in forestry from the University of British Columbia. Spar Tree Group aims to support the decision-making processes of the many and varied supplier and service providers that form the supply chain for the forest industry. They provide analysis, lobbying and strategic advice services to business owners, boards of directors, senior level executives, government leadership (First Nations, municipal, provincial and federal), regulatory agencies, trade associations and investors.https://www.spartreegroup.com/
Dr. Kaufmann began her academic career in the field of cellular biology, earning a Master’s Degree from the University of Connecticut in Tropical Ecology and Plant Physiology. Turning to medicine, she received her medical Degree at the University of Maryland, and completed a residency and fellowship at Johns Hopkins in the field of pediatric anesthesiology. For the last five years she has been the Chief of Pediatric Anesthesia at the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, a nationally recognized center of excellence. Most recently, she was recognized as “Best in Medicine” by the American Health Council.Her avid interest in the science of anti-aging began many years ago as an intense hobby. Utilizing her knowledge in cell biology, human pharmacology and physiology, this hobby has now become a main focus. The project represents years of non-clinical research leading to the first, ever, comprehensive theory of aging.
Felix Poyel is a passionate Consciousness Coach dedicated to helping individuals navigate their spiritual and personal development journeys. He identifies not just as a coach, but as a spiritual being experiencing life in a human form, continually seeking truth and self-improvement.
Felix's life story is one of remarkable transformation and resilience. In his early years, he grappled with significant challenges, including addiction to smoking, excessive drinking, and pornography. He also faced the complexities of living with Tourette Syndrome and ADHD, which led to periods of severe depression, emotional breakdowns, and chronic physical ailments like debilitating stomachaches.
The dissolution of his parents' marriage when he was just three years old and the relentless bullying he faced at school added to his emotional turmoil. These difficulties culminated in profound personal losses: the death of his father on Christmas Eve when Felix was only 14, followed by the loss of his beloved dog two years later. These experiences left indelible scars and fostered a sense of hopelessness.
Despite these hardships, Felix's journey is a testament to the power of personal growth and spiritual awakening. Through dedicated self-reflection and a commitment to personal development, he overcame his addictions and learned to live in harmony with his conditions. His transformation included a shift from unhealthy, unconscious living to a state of greater awareness and health. He embraced forgiveness, moved past thoughts of self-harm and harming others, and took full responsibility for his life.
Felix's dedication to self-improvement and spirituality has not only healed many of his past traumas but also led him to find love and build the healthiest relationship of his life. He went from feeling stuck in negative patterns and environments to constructing his dream life, marked by continuous learning and self-discovery.
Today, Felix shares his profound journey through YouTube videos, podcasting, and coaching, inspiring others to believe in their ability to change and grow. His story underscores the transformative power of investing in oneself, both in time and resources, and finding the right mentors and community. Felix Poyel exemplifies how a life once filled with despair can be turned into one of purpose and fulfillment through conscious effort and spiritual awakening.
In this solo podcast episode, John A. Brink discusses the history of the British Columbia forest industry and why it is currently in a major crisis. This feature episode is part three of the 𝗕𝗖 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗬 𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗦 series.
Maggie Perotin lives in Canada, Toronto area, with her blended family with 4 kids. She is a self-development geek, loves nature, traveling, and good food. She holds an executive MBA from Jack Welch Management Institute and has over 14 years experience in various corporate leadership positions.As an international business and leadership coach, Maggie helps service-based entrepreneurs make the income they want in their business and become outstanding leaders in the process.Through her DREAM-PLAN-DO coaching model, she supports her clients in becoming confident CEO’s by aligning their mindset, business skills and high-performance habits. This allows them to transform their businesses from an unreliable source of income to a client attracting diamond.
Mandy runs an online coaching and digital product business helping ambitious ADHD'ers curb procrastination and confidently take action to claim the life they're dreaming of.
After being diagnosed with ADHD herself in the early 2000's at 14 and not getting a lot of answers, Mandy has spent the last 20-some years learning how to adapt neurotypical learning strategies to better support how the ADHD brain functions.
She first used these strategies to turn her school career around and go from barely getting into college to graduating Magna Cum Laude from East Carolina University; then she tested them in the corporate world where she landed 3 "dream jobs", earned 4 promotions in 8 years, doubled her corporate salary; and now- she's built a successful business from scratch despite the daily challenges of ADHD.
After quitting her 9-5 to pursue her own version of success and working with 70+ clients, Mandy is positive that despite the difficulties ambitious ADHD'ers are presented with, we are capable of ANYTHING with the right strategies in place! In her new guide, Procrastination Playbook, she shares 21 action steps to improve your relationship with procrastination, grow your confidence, and accomplish any goal you can dream of. Early bird pricing available until 6/14/24. For more info, check out @heymandybauer on Instagram.
When Mandy isn't inspiring her clients to go after the life they know they're meant for, she's probably throwing a tennis ball for her rescue doggy, Sunny, at a concert, or outside in nature!
She loves hiking, traveling, and spending time with the people she loves. Mandy lives in Philadelphia, PA, and can be found @heymandybauer everywhere else.
Flint spent 20 years in aerospace as an engineer and program manager. The most recognizable part of his career is designing the wing structure on the Boeing 787. He finished out his career managing a $120 million program modifying aircraft for the military. https://bit.ly/FlintJamisonPodcastAs a former engineering leader who has endured a great deal of burnout, Flint started building a new financial future for his family by purchasing cash-flowing real estate in 2018. After his first duplex, he quickly pivoted to commercial real estate, where he found the most efficient path to financial freedom. This allowed Flint to reclaim his time and quit his day job. He now lives his life by design, choosing to work when he wants and spending time with his young kids, where it matters most.Flint founded Vestus Capital to help educate others on how they can grow and protect their wealth by passively investing in commercial real estate. Flint’s investors have broken free from the Wall Street rollercoaster and found financial peace of mind through real estate investing.Go to Vestuscapital.com and download the Free Report to learn more about real estate investing.
AmiLynne (Babs), certified Holistic Practitioner & Holistic Life Coach, is a devoted and trusted Travel Partner supporting seekers, world-wide, who wish to transcend the roller coaster of the human experience to rediscover the divine ebb and flow of life. A practiced student of the human and the divine, AmiLynne unites the practical with the incorporeal, guiding clients as they connect with who they’ve always been, but simply forgotten along the way. An author, speaker and steadfast seeker herself, AmiLynne is dedicated to the healing, liberation and awakening of all that lives. AmiLynne Carroll, Truth – freshly discovered in the Now of Being.AmiLynne's new book “Conversations of Consequence” offers a roadmap for embracing life’s twists and turns with courage, compassion, and clarity. Through heartfelt stories, profound revelations, and practical guidance, Babs invites you to embark on a journey of self-discovery, transformation, and spiritual awakening.Get a copy of AmiLynne's new book at https://amilynnecarroll.com/conversations-of-consequence/
Russ Taylor's background in the forest industry started in 1974 and encompasses forestry, manufacturing, marketing and consulting positions. Mr. Taylor was responsible for forestry operations in the 1970s (Northwood). He then held various sawmill management activities at three divisions of Interfor in the 1980s, including log purchasing, custom cutting, value-added remanufacturing, lumber sales manager and new product development. His global wood consulting career started in 1988.Russ has conducted wood products market analysis/intelligence and business assessment/investment analysis on timber, lumber and wood products for dozens of global industry clients. He has travelled extensively (~100,000 miles per year) to key producing, exporting and importing countries in Asia, Russia, Europe, the Southern Hemisphere and within North America to obtain first-hand insights. During his 29 years of operating International WOOD MARKETS Group, Russ and his team conducted many consulting projects for the “Who’s Who” of the global wood products trade. He also created a number of “must-have” newsletters and strategic multi-client outlook reports that involved unique insights and perspectives on global markets. The company was sold in 2017 to FEA and included a 3-year employment contract.As of September 2020, Russ started up the next phase of his career with RUSS TAYLOR GLOBAL – Wood Business & Market Consulting, where he is carrying on with similar work as in the past.Mr. Taylor has a forestry degree (BScF) and an MBA, both from the University of B.C., and is also a B.C. Registered Professional Forester (RPF-Ret). Learn more about Russ and his company at https://russtaylorglobal.com/
Meet Dr. Ronald Camp II, inaugural Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC).
Dr. Camp has expertise in organizational behaviour and researches the role of leadership in employee mental health, particularly in public safety organizations.
Other research interests include culture and trust and sustainable development, with a particular focus on Indigenous culture and management and comparative Asian and Canadian cultures and management.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Whitworth College, a Master of Management from Willamette University and a PhD in Commerce and Business Administration from the University of British Columbia.
Dr. Camp came to UNBC from the University of Regina, where he was an Associate Professor in the School of Business, was the Co-Academic Director of the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program in Saskatchewan, and spent six years as the Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Programs.
Dr. Camp was also the founding Director of Training for the Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) and is a member of CIPSRT’s Academic, Researcher, and Clinician Network (ARCN), a network of Academics, Researchers, and Clinicians who have expertise in PSP and Post-traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI), or who have knowledge of organizations and families through which interactions and expressions of PTSI are encountered.
While at the University of Regina, Dr. Camp was the first North American academic named as a TUAS Fellow by the Turku University of Applied Sciences in Finland (for contributions to the understanding and practice of leadership in Finland).
To learn more about the new Faculty, visit https://www2.unbc.ca/faculty-business-and-economics
Falyn Morningstar stands as a stalwart advocate and creator of the Radiant Balance System, with a mission to empower women through the integration of mindful healing and functional diagnostic nutrition. Her approach to health and wellness is distinctively unconventional, blending her proficiency in somatic practices, meditation, and sonic therapies, courtesy of Listening to Smile, with a focus on movement, nutrition, and laboratory testing.With this new holistic paradigm, she addresses both mental and physical aspects of health, guiding women on their journey to reclaim vitality and pleasure. Her unique fusion of wellness methodologies distinguishes her within the industry, offering a comprehensive and balanced pathway towards serenity and equilibrium.https://app.heallist.com/p/falyn-morningstar/s/Free-Initial-Consultation
Jordan Boudreau is a ITF Certified 6th Dan Black Belt and Instructor at Family Taekwon-Do in Prince George, B.C. His life in Taekwon-Do began in 1989, following in the footsteps of his older brother. Jordan's time training in the martial arts has provided him with the opportunity to witness and learn from many talented members and instructors from across Canada and around the world.Jordan now dedicates much of his life to training and teaching, believing his purpose as an instructor is clear: he must treat each new student who enters the Dojang, eager and unaware of what lies ahead of them, the same as he would wish a member of his own family to be treated. Jordan thrives to be an instructor who is more than a loud voice from the front of the classroom, by being a role model for each student inside the Dojang as well as out, reflecting the beliefs and attitudes taught in class. Jordan is a firm believe that his positive attitude must be obvious to the pupil, from the moment they are introduced to Taekwon-Do and become a lasting impression for years to come. He believes that given the opportunity to train in Taekwon-Do, as he has, one would undoubtedly celebrate the amazing moments and events their dedication and effort will bring them.Family Taekwon-do offers exceptional martial arts instruction to students of all ages and abilities. We are dedicated to each and every student succeeding and feeling more confident and skilled with each class. Our focus is on fun, family, and fitness! Our classes are affordable, the instruction is world-class, and our community is focused on making a positive impact in your life!Learn more at https://familytkdinpg.com/
Meet Michelle McCarthy, a personal brand strategist with 15 years of experience working with everyone from solopreneurs to tech giants. Michelle's passion lies in helping successful women with bold ambitions step out from the confines of their current role and build authentic personal brands.
She's developed a personal branding framework that guides women who want more through establishing themselves as the go-to in their industry. With a knack for spotting untapped potential and a genuine desire to spark change, Michelle guides her clients to embrace their uniqueness so they have an unforgettable impact. Her approach is all about keeping it real and aligning personal values with over-the-top professional goals.
Her framework is designed to help these powerhouse women launch themselves into the spotlight, selling books, booking keynotes, and becoming established thought leaders.Follow Michelle on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/immichellemccarthy/
Matthew “Dr. Matt” Zakreski, PsyD is a high energy, creative clinical psychologist and professional speaker who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodivergent clients. He is proud to serve the Gifted community as a consultant, a professor, an author, and a researcher. He has spoken over 400 times all over the world about supporting neurodivergent people. He is also a frequent podcast guest and can be found on many different platforms. Dr. Zakreski graduated from Widener University’s Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology (IGCP) in 2016. He is the co-founder of The Neurodiversity Collective which provides therapy, IQ testing, coaching, and consulting.Learn more at https://www.theneurodiversitycollective.com/
David McWalter is a retired professional engineer who was born in Dundee, Scotland in 1950.
He met his high school sweetheart, Maggie, in high school and soon afterwards they embarked on an incredible journey that saw them move to Jamaica for four years, followed by a permanent move to Northern British Columbia in Canada.
After high school, David wanted to become a dentist. Instead, he went to university and became a Civil Engineer.
Fast forward several years and David founded L&M Engineering in Prince George, British Columbia.
David’ first major projects in Northern British Columbia included developing the townsite of Tumbler Ridge, as well as Burns Lake (west of Prince George).
L&M Engineering soon grew to be one of the largest civil engineering firms in Northern British Columbia, helping with major projects throughout the region.
Despite being "retired" for 10+ years, David is still active as a consultant, helping clients throughout Northern British Columbia with their property development plans, strategies and implementation.
Dr. Brandy Victory, D.C. is a Quantum Functional Health Specialist, leading the movement of helping people shift from overwhelm, excess weight, fatigue and pain to accessing their vitality and wellbeing. by optimizing their bodies and lives. Once afflicted with bipolar manic depression, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, hypothyroidism, and suicidal, doctors said she'd be on medication the rest of her life. She’s not been on meds for over 25 years and lives a vibrant, turned-on life, excited to share the message of wellbeing for those ready to upgrade their wellbeing. Through Quantum Healing, neuro-emotional clearing, embodiment coaching, nutrition, functional health practices and shamanistic healing modalities, she invites people to their greatness by helping them unlock their potential to truly heal. Everyone has everything they need within. We just need to find the key to unlock it so they can shine!
Rob Schuetz is the President of Industrial Forestry Service (IFS), which is one of the largest natural resource consulting firms operating in British Columbia for the forestry, bioenergy, oil & gas, and mining sectors. Rob is past-president of the Society of Consulting Foresters of British Columbia.
https://bit.ly/RobSchuetzPodcastOTB
Rob specializes in the analysis of fibre supplies throughout BC and Alberta and has spent over 25 years consulting to the natural resource industries. In this regard he has undertaken due-diligence assessments of biomass fuel plans in support of over 50 proposed bioenergy projects; log supplies in support of sawmill acquisitions, economic assessments of the impact of a mountain pine beetle epidemic on timber supplies across Canada; delivered log cost optimization analysis to multiple delivery points and sawmill operating rate forecasts. Rob graduated with a B.Sc. in Forestry from the University of Toronto in 1987. Learn more at www.industrialforestry.ca
Tanis Jorge is a serial, tech entrepreneur, and a leading advisor to startup founders on entrepreneurship and building successful cofounder partnerships. Over the course of her career in startups, spanning the last 20+ years, Tanis has cofounded, scaled, and successfully exited multiple data-driven businesses.
Her successes culminated with her most recent venture, Trulioo, which she co-founded in 2011 with her long-term business partner, Stephen Ufford. Between 2011 and 2015, Tanis served as Chief Operations Officer of Trulioo, working to lay the groundwork and build the foundation for the trusted, innovative, and disruptive company it has become today. In 2021, Trulioo reached unicorn status (US $1.65B valuation) solidifying its place as the world’s leading identity verification company and Jorge’s track record for founding successful businesses. Following a record-breaking Series D, she stepped down from the Board of Trulioo to focus on her cofounder advisory work. She remains a minority shareholder of Trulioo.Tanis cofounded her first start-up, iQuiri in 1999. The company was one of the first to make consumer credit reports available online and was acquired by Experian in 2003. In 2004, she cofounded NCB Data Services, which was again acquired by Experian in 2006. In 2005, Tanis cofounded identity management firm Pharos Global Strategies, which was again acquired four years later.Today, Tanis is one of the go-to voices and experts on the ‘cofounder relationship’, drawing on her experience cofounding and successfully scaling four technology businesses. She is the author of The Cofounder's Handbook (listed in USA Today's Top 10 Business Books To Scale Your Business in 2024) and Founder of The Cofounder's Hub, a platform dedicated to providing entrepreneurs with the necessary tools and resources to establish, nurture, and successfully exit business partnerships. Tanis also advises fast-growing start-ups and leading venture capitalists, focusing her work on how cofounders can function in an open, productive, and symbiotic way to ensure continued and long-term business success.Tanis sits on the Board of Directors at Ally Global, a non-profit that works to prevent human trafficking and supports survivors through safe homes, education, and work opportunities. Tanis lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and two boys. When she isn’t working she enjoys the “foodie” lifestyle with her husband David Jorge, MasterChef Canada Season 2 winner. She loves water sports and is currently working towards turning her brown belt in kickboxing into black, a lifelong item on her bucket list. Tanis also takes time to mentor students at the private school she founded, Live Learn Launch Academy, which focuses on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and life skills.
Dr. Terry Wahls is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa where she conducts clinical trials. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day. She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine, The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles (paperback), and the cookbook The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life: The Revolutionary Modern Paleo Plan to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions.She conducts clinical trials that test the effect of nutrition and lifestyle interventions to treat MS and other progressive health problems. Learn more about Dr. Wahls’ clinical trials here. She also teaches the public and medical community about the healing power of the Paleo diet and therapeutic lifestyle changes that restore health and vitality to our citizens. She hosts a Wahls Protocol Seminar every August where anyone can learn how to implement the Protocol with ease and success. Follow her on Facebook (Terry Wahls MD) and on Twitter at @TerryWahls.Dr. Wahls is a fifth generation Iowan who grew up on a farm in northeast Iowa and has raised a son and daughter there as well. She has a bachelor’s degree of fine arts from Drake University in Studio Art – Painting and a medical doctorate from the University of Iowa. She completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Iowa and have been on faculty at Iowa since 2000.Learn more about Dr. Wahls at https://terrywahls.com/
Steve is an experienced biotech executive, venture investor, scientist, entrepreneur, and author. He currently advises life science companies on strategy. Previously he was CEO of Gemphire Therapeutics, Inc., a public biotech which he joined after 10 years as a Managing Director at Excel Venture Management (EVM), a firm he co-founded and which invested $225M across more than 40 life science companies. At Excel, Steve served as a Board Director of more than a dozen private and public biotech, medtech, diagnostics, and health IT companies with many successful exits. Prior to Excel, Steve held CEO and CSO positions at two life sciences companies. Steve is currently a Director at Orionis Biosciences, Alexis Bio, iSpecimen, and Navigation Sciences. Steve began his career as a professor at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital where he published more than 130 scientific papers and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Heart Association. He was an advisor to the Innovation Groups at the Cleveland Clinic and the Mass General Brigham. He received his Ph.D. from Duke University, post-doctoral training at Yale University, and his B.S. from Union College. Steve loves innovation and has spoken widely, including at TED, TEDMED, and TEDx. With Juan Enriquez he co-authored Evolving Ourselves, a book that provides a sweeping tour of how humans are changing the course of evolution. Throughout his career, he has focused on translating scientific advances into solutions for patients.
Keith Bilous is a remarkable entrepreneur and host of "Live in the Lab with Keith Bilous," a daily talk show where he serves as a committed accountability partner, guiding business leaders and athletes towards their next big achievements. He stands out as a Business Athlete and the go-to expert for those seeking insightful guidance. His valuable insights are available at inside.bapl.ai.A visionary in both business and adventure, Keith founded ICUC. Social, a pioneering company in content moderation and social media management. Under his stewardship, ICUC.Social became a virtual powerhouse, partnering with top-tier brands like Coca-Cola, Disney, Mastercard, Starbucks, REI, IBM, and Novartis. His strategic approach significantly boosted their social media presence, multiplying revenue and enhancing brand recognition. Throughout his tenure at ICUC, the company not only led in revenue and profit among its agency peers but also achieved consistent annual growth.Beyond the boardroom, Keith's adventurous spirit has led him to remarkable feats around the globe. His explorations include:- Diving with Great White sharks in the Neptune Islands- Trekking the rugged terrains of Iceland- Trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu- Kayking through the Galapagos- Summiting notable peaks like Mount Kilimanjaro, Volcan Baru, and Mount Pico.His adventures extend to trekking the Mara plains in Africa and sailing the Southern Indian Ocean, showcasing his passion for discovery and photography.On a personal note, Keith is a devoted father to three children and two dogs. He cherishes his family time and maintains a balanced life, dedicating time to personal wellness and photography, capturing the essence of his adventures and the world's diverse beauty. His journey as an entrepreneur, adventurer, and family man paints a picture of a life rich with experiences and achievements.Learn more about Keith and his outstanding company at https://inside.bapl.ai/
Melanie Mark, also known by her Nisga'a name Hli Haykwhl Ẃii Xsgaak, is a difference-maker who believes strongly that the changes we need to inspire and support future generations, require all of us to get on board and paddle together.
Elected in 2016, Melanie Mark, is the first First Nations woman Member of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia's history, representing the riding of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.
During the 41st Parliament, she was appointed as the Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.
Today, Melanie remains the only First Nations woman to have served in cabinet and served as Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.
Melanie is Nisga'a, Gitxsan, Cree and Ojibway. She was born and raised in East Vancouver and has deep roots in Northern B.C. and Manitoba.
Melanie is unapologetically passionate about social, environmental and economic justice; and she entered politics to disrupt the status quo. Within two months as Minister, she paved a new path by creating the first provincial tuition waiver program for youth from the foster-care system and removed all fees for adults accessing Adult Basic Education.
She is most proud of her work as Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, namely supporting Indigenous teachers and language fluency, and in 2018 launching the world's first Indigenous Law program at the University of Victoria.
Melanie firmly believes that education is the great equalizer and often says, "a rising tide, lifts all canoes."
Melanie's work is inspired by her daughters Maya and Makayla and the desire for them to have greater access to education and opportunities as they grow up. Family is very important to Melanie, and her time with Maya, Makayla, and her extended family keeps her grounded and motivated.
Melanie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Simon Fraser University. She holds a Criminology Diploma from Douglas College/Native Education College and an Advanced Executive Certificate from Queen's School of Business.
As a former Ireland Entrepreneur of the Year recipient, Patrick Noel Daly has designed and invented products that are good for people. This serial entrepreneur just finished writing his first business book, which is a guide for entrepreneurs to help them to navigate the maze of startup.
Patrick also just launched his first Children's Book, which is written to encourage kids to be resourceful and helpful problem-solvers from the youngest age. Patrick loves to write and create and has been an entrepreneur since he was a kid. Patrick's book "Just Start Up - A Guide to Building Startups from a Guy that's Learned the hard way" is available at www.patricknoeldaly-pnd.com or the links below.https://a.co/d/4xVoKzwhttps://a.co/d/7pEl9Il
Adriana L. Cowdin is a 4-time entrepreneur and former C-Suite Executive. Named “One of the Most Influential Women in Business”, Cowdin founded Dekaf Digital a marketing agency where she served as the CEO for 7+ years leading it to 400%+ growth in 2022. This resulted in a successful acquisition in Summer 2023. Under her leadership, Cowdin achieved success as a Top 1% of all woman-owned small businesses exceeding $1 Million in annual revenues. Upon exiting Dekaf Digital, Cowdin stepped in as Interim CEO of a National Healthcare Organization where she developed a plan to increase revenue from $3M to $10M+ annually while simultaneously balancing the budget and increasing staff size 2x.In 2024, Cowdin returned to her roots as an executive coach. After completing advanced management and leadership curriculum through Harvard Business School in the late 90’s, she leaned in full force to be an executive coach in her ‘spare’ time. After coaching over 6,000 clients in the last 25 years, she now focuses 100% of her energy on executive coaching leaning into TTI Success Insights Research-Backed Assessments as the foundation of her practice.Cowdin is no stranger to leading performance-driven teams having served as Chief Marketing Officer for a KKR owned company, Chief Digital Marketing Officer for a privately-held $1B home services firm (acquired by ADT), and Chief Customer Officer and Vice President, Digital Marketing for a $40B, Fortune 100 retailer. She has been featured on ABC News,Forbes, Inc. 500, FoxBusiness, CNNMoney, Yahoo!, Reuters, Hoovers, The NY Times, NJ Ledger, The Houston Chronicle, The Denver Post, and over a dozen podcasts broadcast around the world. Cowdin is a native of the Chicago, IL suburbs who resides in Indianapolis, IN with her husband, Eric. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, has completed several management and leadership courses through Harvard Business School.
Terry Small, B.Ed., M.A., is a master teacher and Canada's leading learning skills specialist. He is the author of the Brain Bulletin with over 34,000 subscribers worldwide.
Terry has presented on the brain for over 33 years to organizations around the world.. His knowledge, warmth, humour and dynamic presentation style have made him a much sought-after speaker at workshops and conferences.
Terry often appears on TV, radio, and in the press. He recently appeared on BCTV, Global, CKNW and Student Success. He has presented his ideas to over 301,000 people in 23 countries on 5 continents.
His clients include IBM, TEDx, Ford, IMD, JTI, UBS, Hitachi, Bayer, Bosch, CRA, RCMP, Telus, and many schools and universities. His presentations are engaging, humorous, practical, and all based on the latest brain science.
Terry believes, "Anyone can learn how to learn easier, better, faster, and that learning to learn is the most important skill a person can acquire."Terry's wealth of teaching experience and extensive involvement in applied neuroscience make him an outstanding resource of the business and educational communities.
He resides in Vancouver, Canada, where he is a frequent lecturer at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia.Terry Small's Philosophy is simple: "Success is a skill anyone can learn."
Sign up to the Brain Bulletin at https://www.terrysmall.com/
John Graham is a Certified Master Trainer, speaker, and fitness professional with 15 years of experience in the fitness industry. Founder of JohnGrahamFitness and renowned golf academy director at Mission Hills, he is a leader in fitness technology and has collaborated on popular video series for home workouts and boxing tutorials.John's personal journey through training and competitions exposed him to injuries, fueling his quest for optimized injury prevention and recovery methods. During this pursuit, he discovered the remarkable benefits of red light therapy while recovering from a knee injury. This led to the creation of Lumaflex, a game-changing flexible, portable, and waterproof panel, providing convenient and efficient red light therapy treatment for individuals, including athletes.Learn more at https://www.lumaflex.com/
Dr. Gilly Kahn is a licensed clinical psychologist working in a private group practice in the Atlanta area. She specializes in individual and group therapy focusing on neurodiversity, anxiety, and depression in youth.
Gilly gravitated toward working with children and teens with ADHD and Autism because, in her opinion, there is no better or wiser company. She eventually connected the dots in her own life and received an adult diagnosis of ADHD.
Gilly is now writing a book about ADHD and has recently started blogging for ADDitude Magazine. She talks about the crossover between ADHD and migraines, as well as the impact of ADHD on emotional regulation.
Gilly also talks about the struggles to recognize and quantify ADHD in girls, and how her practice as a psychologist has changed since her diagnosis.
Learn more about Dr. Gilly at https://www.drgillykahn.com/
Dr. Nicolene Shields has spent her career helping children reach their potential.
From her first days as a hospital intern psychologist through to leading her own unique specialised practice, Nicolene has 8 years of experience working with families.
Nicolene is a certified Behavioural Neuroscientist, Counsellor, Specialist Teacher & Clinical Neuropsychotherapist.
A doting mum to her beautiful son, Nicolene is enthusiastic about sharing her proven and practical advice to uplift the lives of families in Australia and around the world.
Dr. Nicolene’s expertise speaks for itself:
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Bachelor of Social Science in Psychology (with Honours)
Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy
Master of Education and Cognitive Psychology
Master of Special Education (Sensory Disabilities)
Master of Neuroscience
Graduate Certificate in Magnetic Resonance and Positron Emission Tomography
Doctor of Philosophy (Neuropsychology)
Brainwise Academy is the brainchild of Aussie mum and experienced Behavioural Neuroscientist, Counsellor, Specialist Teacher, and Clinical Neuropsychotherapist Dr Nicolene Shields. Nicolene aims to be the go-to solution for parents and education professionals who feel overwhelmed, burnt out and are struggling to cope with daily behavioural challenges. Who simply yearn to understand their children … better.
Through our one-of-a-kind, high-quality online learning courses, Nicolene teaches you child development tools for life. That’s right, life. Backed by science and real-world ready, our programs help you find your version of long-lasting life change for a happier, more harmonious life. For you, for your child, for the whole family.
Dr. Nicolene Helps parents to understand :about the brain and how it develops; how to respond and nurture change in children; what practical tools to try at home or in the classroom.
Learn more about Brainwise at https://www.brainwise.au/parent-courses
This website link offers parents clear and specific information about the courses they can undertake to support them specifically with concerns relating to their children. The courses are of three categories that parents can elect to address issues in shorter- versus- longer and more intense courses.
Dr. Christopher Scott Wyatt is an autistic self-advocate and father of two neurodiverse daughters. He earned a doctorate researching online education and writing instruction for students with autism spectrum disorders. His experiences living with physical and neurological differences shape his parenting.
Wyatt consults with schools, businesses, and non-profit organizations on issues of autism, Neurodiversity, and active inclusion.
Learn more about Dr. Christopher at https://www.tameri.com/wordpress/autisticme/
Dr. Heather Browne PsyD, LMFT helps people recognize the power of communication. It is one of our most important skills that we have, and yet we don’t consider our understanding, approach, belief, and therefore, miss our possibilities. Living with a paranoid schizophrenic mother gave Dr. Heather a unique and powerful awareness that no one has the same reality, though we believe we do. Utilizing this revolutionary awareness has allowed her to transform communication within self and within all other types of relationship. This is the hidden key to acceptance. And this is her mission to share. As a relationship expert, Dr. Heather Browne has worked with thousands of individuals and couples in psychotherapy. She is a TedX and keynote speaker, a published in hundreds of journals, has an active TikTok channel, has been featured on ABC-7 news, was the relationship expert on KDOC Daybreak OC, and is published in Inc., Toronto Sun, Thriving Family Magazine, Light + Life, BRAINZ, Scary Mommy, and Psychology Today. She is a regular guest blogger for both Links for Shrinks and for Marriage Friendly Therapists.Get a copy of Heather's book - Speaking With the Heart - online at www.drheatherbrowne.com
Denzil Eden built Smarty, an all-in-one AI productivity assistant that plans your best day, every day. A trailblazer as a solo female technical founder, Denzil carved her niche with an AI-focused degree from MIT, an MBA from Harvard, and a distinguished career at Microsoft.https://bit.ly/DenzilEdenPodcast Denzil is devoted to making your life smarter with AI — enhancing routines, automating mundane tasks, and maximizing every minute. When she unplugs, Denzil plays the piano, authors fiction and op-eds, and sips teas.Learn more about Denzil's incredible creation at https://smarty.ai/
Laurie Niedermayer is the Owner and Operator of Triquetra Therapeutic Services, specializing in holistic therapy sessions with horses at her ranch just west of town. At Triquetra, they believe in harnessing the transformative power of the horse-human connection through Equine Facilitated Wellness (EFW). Their programs offer invaluable insights, healing, and transformation for a diverse range of participants, including teens, adults, First Nations individuals, first responders, and trauma survivors. Laurie grew up in Penny/Prince George, moved away in the 90's, got into raising and racing siberian huskies in the 1990's, then ended up with the largest purebred working siberian Kennel in Western Canada (120 dogs at their peak).Laurie got hit with breast cancer diagnosis at age 48, had to retire after 25 years with the dogs due to four years of hard treatments, (12 surgeries and 6 months of chemo). Laurie then stumbled into alternative therapies and certified in all of them: Clinical Hypnotherapy, Reiki, PSYCH-K balances, TRE (Trauma Release Exercises) and Equine Facilitated Wellness,Master Life Coach, Spiritual LIfe Coach,Laurie is also the author two self published books: 'Confessions of a Sled Dog Addict - Tales from the Back of the Sled" and "my Right Breast - One Woman's Journey through Cancer:Learn more about Triquetra Therapeutic Services at https://www.triquetratherapeuticservices.com/
Cheryl is an author, speaker, physical therapist, martial artist, dancer, and former chronic pain patient. With over 20 years’ experience as a physical therapist in private practice, she has helped thousands of clients recover from pain and injuries by integrating the science of physical therapy with the art of movement. Cheryl firmly believes that our body has an incredible capacity to heal itself, and that everyone can enjoy vibrant health and vitality, at every stage of life. She is also a second-degree black belt in an ancient Japanese martial art called Ninpo Tai Jutsu. From her own experience of beginning training at the tender young age of 47 and becoming her teacher’s first female black belt ten years later, she discovered that there is an incredible amount of strength and power in each and every one of us, just waiting to be unleashed. Cheryl is the author of two books, one titled "Forever Fit and Flexible: Feeling Fabulous at Fifty and Beyond," and "The Reluctant Ninja: How A Middle-Aged Princess Became A Warrior Queen." She is also the host of The FemiNinja Project podcast, which is about overcoming obstacles, personal empowerment, restoring human dignity, and alternative health and healing.
Meet Brady Foulk, a global keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and philanthropist that has trained hundreds of people LIVE on dog training, life, and psychology. A passionate and knowledgeable dog trainer whose expertise transcends conventional boundaries. With a rich tapestry of experience and certifications in Dog training, Lifestyle Coaching, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and ABA therapy. Brady, at 29, has dedicated the last 6 years of his life to crafting the perfect canine companions. Whether it's honing the skills of service dogs or instilling a sense of calm and security in emotional support animals, Brady's holistic approach resonates deeply with every furry friend and their loving owners, fostering a harmonious and enriching bond. Through his profound dedication and personalized approach, Brady has cultivated a community of dog enthusiasts who swear by his transformative methods, crediting him for their newfound joy and companionship with their four-legged family members.Learn more about Brady at https://info.newdirectiondogtraining.com/
Meg Kier is the Founder and Owner of GUIDED BY ADVENTURE.
Meg's journey into the hiking, safety and adventure industry started over 15 years ago when she completed the West Coast Trail for the first time. Upon completing this journey, Meg felt strong, capable, excited & eager to continue adventuring and sharing her passion of the outdoors with others.
Meg spent the next decade conquering mountains, all while gaining certifications and experience with the end goal of becoming a certified hiking guide. She is now an ACMG Apprentice Hiking guide with Winter Accreditation and is stoked to have the opportunity to take people on epic snowshoes, backcountry hikes and camping trips.
She's passionate about helping others discover their own love for the outdoors!Meg is also the former General Manager of Goodlife Fitness in Prince George. She spent many years managing the gym, as well as in positions of a fitness leader and trainer.
Meg's continued focus for the future is on reducing barriers and creating inclusivity within the outdoor community. Guided by Adventure offers guided day-hikes, backcountry camping trips, adventure getaways, paddle boarding courses, rock climbing, and outdoor skill development.
To learn more about the Guided By Adventure, visit their website at https://guidedbyadventure.ca/
William Clarke is a local entrepreneur located in Prince George, British Columbia. Currently, as the owner of Urban Beaver Construction, William is the brain and the skills behind all their projects. He is passionate about the trade and has an eye for the detail.
William completed his Carpentry Trade in 2010 at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). He completed the Journeyman Leadership Program at the Carpenters International Training Centre in Las Vegas, Nevada through the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
For over two decades, William has worked in many parts of the trade, primarily focusing on residential and commercial construction. He was also fortunate to be a part of IATSE 891 Union, working as Scenic Carpenter building movie sets such as Deadpool, Once Upon A Time, Flash, and other movies.
William has also been a Proud Member of the Marine Workers and Boilermakers Industrial Union as a Shipwright Carpenter renovating Canadian Coast Guard ships, Tug Boats, and Fishing Vessels just before he moved to Prince George in 2020.
Learn more about Urban Beaver Construction at
https://www.urbanbeaverconstruction.ca/
Follow William on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/urban_beaver_construction
At 85 years young, Jennifer Manocherian is living her best life! Alpha Bette is Jennifer’s first novel. She put much of her personal and professional life experience into writing it, having been a family therapist, divorce mediator, Broadway and Off-Broadway producer, musical book writer, screenwriter and producer and screenwriting teacher.Jennifer co-wrote and produced the films Family Blues and Boundary Waters (in production), as well as wrote the book of two musicals that are streaming online: Marry Harry, a full-length musical, and Cockroaches & Cologne, a short musical. Jennifer is a proud board member of New York Stage and Film, The Peace Studio, and 18 by Vote. She is married with five children and many grandchildren. To purchase Jennifer's book, please visit https://jennifermanocherian.net/
Dr. Sarah Zaldivar holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition from the University of Miami. She is a licensed dietitian, certified personal trainer and an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) certified Exercise Physiologist. Sarah is currently focused on content creation as a YouTuber and Instagrammer, helping others find happiness by achieving their fitness goals, healing their bodies using ancestral meals and tools, mindset shifts, exercise, music and leveraging fashion and beauty. An equally important component of Dr. Sarah’s work focuses on antiaging and framing the aging process as a chronic disease that we can eventually reverse & cure. Working towards life extension heals us from the psychological trauma of knowing we will all die. Dr. Sarah also currently teaches nutrition at Miami Dade College. Learn more about Dr. Sarah at https://youtube.com/@dr.sarah.zaldivar?si=Cuax-zBXRyE-e1-G
Dr. Bilstrom, M.D., has helped thousands of chronically ill patients reverse autoimmune disease (which the science data says also prevents future disease) because he treats at the root cause. He's spent almost 30 years striving to treat people using protocols that don't create more disease. He's a Functional Medicine expert who is passionate about helping kids reset their epigenetics before age 19 to prevent chronic disease and helping kids and adults optimize their epigenetics to improve the health of their next 6 to 8 generations. Illness because of "old age" is a myth until you reach 90 years of age. Prevention is much easier than the traditional medical industry leads people to believe.Dr. Bilstrom is a fellow of the American Academy of Integrative Medicine and American Academy of Medical Acupuncture as well as an advanced fellow in anti-aging, regenerative, and functional medicine. Dr. David Bilstrom is quadruple board certified in Functional and Regenerative Medicine, Integrative Medicine, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Medical Acupuncture. Dr. Bilstrom is the director of the International Autoimmune Institute and the Bingham Memorial Center for Functional Medicine—the first medical center in the country associated with a teaching hospital to treat all types of autoimmune diseases. It is also the first to use nature and its ability to improve human health and well-being as an integral part of a wellness program.Learn more about Dr. Bilstrom at http://www.drdavidbilstrom.com/expertscourse
𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 the brand new ON THE BRINK Podcast episode featuring College of New Caledonia 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗘𝗢, Cindy Heitman, which is now available on 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗦!
https://bit.ly/CindyHeitmanPodcast
Cindy joined CNC in 2023 as the College's ninth President and CEO. She is first female to be named the permanent President of CNC.
Cindy is committed to:
1) Advancing CNC’s priorities in the lhulh whuts’odutel’eh | Learning Together strategic plan including learning across a lifetime, student success focused education and training, organizational strength and agility, and community engagement and partnerships;
2) Expanding on CNC’s commitment to truth and reconciliation with a focus on Indigenizing the college and inspiring the next generation of Indigenous leaders; and
3) Building partnerships and potential across the region served by CNC, which includes campuses in Burns Lake, Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Prince George, Quesnel and Vanderhoof.
Cindy brings to the College her experiences as a CNC university studies student, an educational leader with a career spanning three decades, and a dedicated community member on the traditional and unceded territory of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. Cindy career experience includes eight years as a school-based educator, 15 years as a school and district leader, and five years as a senior leader.
Cindy is committed to the North and is passionate about education. Ms. Heitman has fostered partnerships and connections in communities. She has held positions on a variety of boards and committees at the executive level locally and provincially.
Cindy holds a Master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Simon Fraser University as well as a Bachelor of general studies in education with a minor in learning disabilities.
Prince George (Film actor, television actor, rapper, artist, spokesperson) was born and raised in Los Angeles , ca. Prince George Rose to International stardom with his break out role as himself in 1997 on the Pa,sacio Davinci king show at the age of 14 as part of the music group called n.a.a.o. He studied filmmaking at media one, Comcast, Adelphia, and Time Warner Studios and The King Show etc. After college, and Prince George broke into the entertainment industry Together with Vickie Hernandez as Screenwriter, Actors and have remained longtime writing and producing partners. prince George also became the Spokesperson for Warzone Comics . His production of The Prince George's show alongside George Easley has earned him a recommendation from Time Warner which was a subsidiary of Time Warner. He also embarked on making music and where he released His debut solo album Baby G.'s Cinque Album (2016), saw commercial success and spawned three Billboard Hot 100 number one singles: "Last man standin', "Tweety" and "our business is no bodies business". Since Then Prince George transitioned from conscious rapper to Hollywood a-lister . Starting in and hosting the prince George show and the #1 Prince show OF the airwaves before heading such films as Bugsy "the becoming", and badge of honor. as well as writing for Television, Motion Picture, comic books, Video-games, radio, magazines, music and many others WITH THE HELP OF GEORGE LAWSON-EASLEY CREATED HIS OWN STYLE OF MUSIC, A GENRE ENTITLED RAP/ ROCK/RENAISSANCE.Learn more about Prince George at https://www.warzonecomicswzc.com/our-podcast
showDr. Amy Novotny founded the PABR® Institute (www.pabrinstitute.com) with the mission to provide pain, stress and anxiety relief to those who seek a naturalistic form of treatment when other treatment methods have fallen short. Dr. Novotny's unique approach comes from her experience treating in a variety of settings and with a wide range of patient populations over the past 12 years. Her background in orthopedics, sports, geriatrics, balance disorders, nerve injuries, and most recently, chronic pain; and influences from coursework at the Postural Restoration Institute gave her the foundation to develop this treatment method to address a wide variety of painful and restrictive conditions. Her methods have helped countless people reduce and eliminate pain, stress, anxiety, orthopedic surgeries, sleep issues and the need for medications. She co-authored two Amazon #1 Best-Selling books Don’t Quit: Stories of Persistence, Courage and Faith and Success Habits of Super Achievers, which share her journey on how and why she developed the PABR® Method. She also co-authored Wall Street Journal Best Seller, From WTF to OMG, With a Little LOL: Unpacking Entrepreneurs' Hidden Lessons. Dr. Novotny's ability to speak French and Spanish has allowed her to communicate with and help various clients from all around the world, including France, Mexico, Central America and South America. She has a variety of interests including running 40+ marathons, running 10 ultra marathons (including two 100 milers), completing an Ironman triathlon, photographing wildlife and landscapes all over the world that has led to several of her images being chosen as Photos of the Day, most notably National Geographic Your Shot World Top Photo of the Day. Visit her photography portfolio at www.amysimpressions.com.Please contact Dr. Novotny at amy@pabrinstitute.com for a free 15 minute consultation, so she can provide you with a free guide or video.
As a seasoned veteran of the Intelligence Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces, JJ Brun served with distinction as an contact handler on the ground in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Years in the discrete world of human intelligence and counter human intelligence have driven his desire to understand human behavior’s intricacies and pass on the complex notion of interpersonal communication.Although retired from active duty, JJ realized much of what he learned could be utilized in the civilian world. Based on the Four Temperament (DISC) Model of Human Behaviour to better understand any maximize human dynamics, his exclusive training programs provide a comprehensive analysis of communication techniques, empowering individuals to enhance authentic relationships that promote trust, innovation, and productivity.Learn more about JJ "The Retired Spy" Brun at http://www.theretiredspy.com
Dr. Michelle Maidenberg maintains a private practice in Harrison, New York, where she is the Co-Founder and Clinical Director of “Thru My Eyes”, a nonprofit 501c3 organization that offers free clinically guided videotaping to chronically medically ill individuals who want to leave video legacies for their children and loved ones. She is also adjunct faculty at New York University (NYU) and teaches a graduate course in Mindfulness Practice. Michelle is a Certified Group Therapist through the American Group Psychotherapy Association and a Diplomate and certified member of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. She has advanced training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Structural Family Therapy, Mindfulness, and Level II trained Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapyMichelle is on the Board of Directors for The Boys & Girls in Mount Vernon and is a member of the American Red Cross Crisis Team, while also serving on the Board of Directors of the Westchester Trauma Network (WTN) in Westchester NY. Michelle is the author of the book “Free Your Child From Overeating" 53 Mind-Body Strategies For Lifelong Health and the new book "ACE Your Life" Unleash Your Self Best and Live the Life You Want. Michelle is a blogger for Psychology Today (962k reads) and recently did a TED Talk on “Circumventing Emotional Avoidance.” I have been featured in more than 150 national and international media including The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Fitness, Ladies Home Journal, Men’s Health, and Forbes. Michelle is a contributing editor of GROUP, the journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society. I am a consultant and trainer on a variety of mental health and health related topics and am dedicated and invested in health and mental health advocacy. Michelle's website - http://www.michellemaidenberg.com - contains links to her books, blogs, guided meditations, quiz, and resources.
Ann Swanson teaches meditation to busy people with busy minds. She is the author of the bestselling book SCIENCE OF YOGA, which has been translated into over 15 languages. Ann's new book, Meditation for the Real World, illuminates the fascinating science behind meditation with step-by-step practices to find peace in everyday life. However, Ann wasn’t a naturally “chill person,” and meditation didn’t come easy to her. Overcoming chronic pain and anxiety led her to India to study yoga, to China to explore tai chi, and, ultimately, to earn a Master of Science in Yoga Therapy. Now, Ann blends cutting-edge research with ancient wisdom, resulting in realistic techniques you won’t just learn – you’ll love to live by! Order Ann's new book at www.MeditationForTheRealWorld.com for exclusive bonuses available to our listeners.#Yoga#Meditation#Mindfulness#YogaPractice#MeditationPractice#YogaFlow#YogaPoses#YogaInspiration#YogaEveryday#Meditate#YogaLife#YogaJourney#YogaLove#YogaCommunity#YogaForBeginners#YogaTeacher#YogaChallenge#YogaAsana#YogaTherapy#MeditationTechniques
Phebe Trotman is a successful and heart-centered entrepreneur based in Vancouver, Canada, who is passionate about helping others discover their joy.
In both her athletic and professional careers, Phebe’s personal success has been a testament that anything is possible with hard work, dedication, and a team-centered approach. As an athlete, she has achieved many accolades as a soccer player, including being inducted into several sports halls of fame, winning championship titles, and being recognized as an exceptional athlete.
Phebe has also excelled in her career as a network marketer, earning top awards and recognition within her company. Phebe is a champion for personal growth and believes that reaching one’s full potential creates a ripple effect of inspiration and motivation.
Phebe is passionate about helping others on their own journeys to unlocking their potential and living their best lives.
With her dedication to empowering others, Phebe is a powerful force for positive change.
Get a free chapter from the book on Phebe's website at https://neverquitonabadday.com/ This complimentary chapter includes the "Reflections on Resilience" exercise, along with a QR code that leads to a short video from one of the contributors.
The video features a powerful story that will undoubtedly have a profound impact.
RJ was born into a family of entrepreneurs and has firsthand experience with the difficulties and rewards of entrepreneurship. RJ also discovered the incredible concept of personal development, which completely altered his life.After serving his country in the United States Air Force for three years and at the age of 23, RJ cofounded Scriba Town Inn with his brother Eric and father Gene. They transformed the STI firm from an idea into RJ's first million-dollar business.RJ then migrated to Corporate America by mistake and began a career in the Equipment Leasing and Finance industry serving business owners, achieving constant success, and rising to the position of CEO and President of UniFi Equipment Finance in 2013.RJ has led a committed team in the regeneration and rebranding of a 45-year-old company into one of the fastest-growing companies in North America. He has increased UniFi Equipment Finance’s yearly volume from $13 million to over $115 million and is frequently asked to speak or consult firms and organizations on the opportunities of instituting an intrapreneurship culture with Intrapreneur Coaching. RJ also serves on the Executive boards of the Equipment Lease and Finance Association and Equipment Finance Cares and is a dedicated supporter of the United Way of Washtenaw County. Beyond his professional accomplishments, RJ coached ice hockey for over 20 years, and is still active in the sport. He currently resides in Ann Arbor, Mi and spends his free time on the golf course or pickleball courts.
Shanti Hershenson is a talented 16-year-old author who has written 30 books. Her first two novellas were published when she was in the sixth grade, although her writing journey started long before then. Ever since she could hold a pencil, marker, or crayon, she was creating stories. They started from pictures, mere scribbles, and eventually, turned into captivating tales.Shanti lives in California with her parents, sister, and furry friends. Besides writing, she enjoys skateboarding, Beyblading, free-running, falconry, and of course, reading. She writes in a variety of genres, including Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Historical Fiction, although she mostly sticks to Sci-Fi. All of her books are available on Amazon. Shanti advocates for anti-bullying, and you may find her at open mic-nights, performing her spoken word poem Needles & Thorns, which is about the struggle of bullying in middle schools. Learn more about Shanti at https://bit.ly/ShantiHershensonBooks
Joy Bracey, Ed.D., LPC, NCC attained her Doctor of Education in Executive Leadership at the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans, Louisiana and her Master of Education in Counseling at the University of New Orleans. Dr. Bracey spent her early career in various leadership roles in the hospitality industry, then followed her passion for helping others by pursuing her Master's in Counseling and providing mental health services for New Orleans’ most vulnerable women and children. She has spent over 11 years as the President & CEO of a non-profit addiction treatment & mental health agency while serving in leadership roles on numerous local and national boards, coalitions, and advisory councils. Dr. Bracey uses her background, education, and experiences to spread the message about the life-changing impact of self-love and mindfulness. She hosts retreats and provides coaching and counseling to individuals to help them along on their journey of discovering the freedom that comes with letting go of perfectionism, people-pleasing, defensiveness, and other tools of the inner critic so they can fully embrace self-love and experience inner peace. Dr. Bracey is an Adjunct Professor of Self-Awareness at Teacher's College-Columbia University, and is the host/creator of "The Easy Weigh Out" podcast.
Rana Habib is the Founder of 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 (BATE). Through this endeavor, Rana has provided hundreds of high quality book reviews on her social channels. With a combined following of over 160,000 people, Rana has amassed over 1 million engagements on her book review posts from audiences throughout the world. Rana is from Southern Ontario and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Windsor. Follow Rana's content through Books and Things Explained by visiting www.instagram.com/booksandthingsexplained
Nicholas Lorizio, the founder of AstuteTechnologists.com, is the visionary force behind the creation of the Astute Advisor platform. His journey in the tech world has been marked by a deep commitment to understanding and shaping the digital landscape. With Astute Advisor, Nick has successfully developed an AI tool that excels in offering expertise in cybersecurity, IT infrastructure, and software development, with a special emphasis on the integration of AI and IoT technologies.As an author, Nick's insights are further encapsulated in his seminal work, 'Digitalization: The New Normal Of the Post-Pandemic World.' This book reflects his profound understanding of how technology is reshaping our world, especially in the wake of global challenges.Nick believes in the power of learning and adaptation in times of change, a philosophy that's central to his work. He often quotes, 'In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.' This ethos is not only a guiding principle for Nick, it is also deeply embedded in the fabric of Astute Advisor, standing as a testament to his vision of continual learning and evolution in the ever-changing digital landscape.Follow Nick at https://linktr.ee/nlorizio
When Jennifer McCormack was growing up, she had always been intuitive & she also wanted to be a fashion designer, she had a desire to create beautiful clothes.Jennifer was 1 of 5 and grew up with very little, her step dad once said to her "if you want that dress, imagine yourself in the dress, know the colour of the dress & see yourself twirling around in the dress". - The idea of it never left her because this is how she learnt what manifestation is.She spent 20 years of her life as a fashion designer and one day she was driving home from her first job for an international company, she had a bad car accident & she sprained her spine & was in pain, she was advised to see a kinesiologist. At the time she never heard of kinesiology but after she had the appointment, she came off the table with no pain. After multiple sessions going back to the kinesiologist for different things, Jennifer was advised that she could become a kinesiologist too.She decided to study kinesiology to see where it takes her, then decided to pursue it in business alongside other healing modalities.Jennifer supports her clients in creating energetic shifts to scale their businesses to $10k-$50k months and beyond. Jennifer helps women all over the globe scale their businesses by taking their minds and energy to the next level. Guiding them through the challenges and struggles that come along with the entrepreneurial journey and helping them unapologetically sit in their power to rise and expand both themselves and their businesses alike.Jennifer is also the only person in her field with a mission to guide you to quantum leap into goals within business, health and wellness, while specializing in all of the following modalities:Kinesiology, Hypnotherapy, Psychotherapy, NRT, intuitive coaching & gut health healing
Jeremy Sherman, PhD is a cradle-to-grave science researcher and writer studying the unbroken chain from the origins of life from chemistry to humankind's grave situation today. the author of the Columbia University Press book Neither Ghost Nor Machine: The emergence and nature of selves but also 1000 articles with 9 million readers for Psychology Today on everyday practicalities, including how to deal with Total Jerks. For 25 years, he has been a close research collaborator with Harvard/Berkeley neuroscientist Terrence Deacon. His latest book is called "What's up with Assholes? Advanced psychoproctology for beginners. Sherman's all about making advanced ideas intuitive, practical, and funny, because from a natural science perspective because the human condition is pretty ironic. Learn more about Dr. Sherman at https://linktr.ee/Jeremysherman
June Edward has been psychic since a child; however she didn’t realize she was also a medium until later in life. Some of her gifts have been passed on, since her mother was also a medium. She also passed to the other side herself when she was 27 years old, and came back to this side by choice.
June offers firsthand experience that Life after Life does exist. She has a 100% success rate in bringing through souls from the other side, to give closure and help loved ones heal on both sides. Her sold out group readings can help give insight as to what’s going on in your life, and help to see what the Universe has in store.
June’s special gifts include working directly with the Angels, Guides and departed Souls.
Combined these tools have made her a very strong and accurate psychic and trance medium, able to bring through validating details to prove the connection and messages from the other side.June believes that her job as a psychic medium is not only to help those connect with their loved ones, and heal both sides, but to help encourage others to embrace this life, and be thankful for all the gifts they receive in their life every day!
Learn more about June at www.juneedward.com
Darlene Greene wants to help you take charge of your own health, get out of pain, improve your energy, increase the quality of your sleep, reduce systemic inflammation, increase mental clarity, improve your nervous system, lower your anxiety, enhance brain functioning, improve cardiovascular functioning, and elevate your GHK-Cu for a host of additional benefits to include increasing your own stem cells, producing growth factors, protect lungs, reset genes to their younger healthier state, repair damaged DNA, inhibit cancer, increase hair growth, improve skin, increase healing, accelerate wound healing, reduce Fibrinogen (top predictor of cardiovascular disease) and more...
Having exhausted IV stem cells, hyperbaric chamber, ozone therapies and more to help her husband with his Early Alzheimer’s, she FINALLY discovered an affordable technology that dramatically improved his symptoms within the first week, without drugs, without a prescription, and without any contra-indications to other treatments or therapeutic modalities.After experiencing the amazing results for herself, and watching family and friends have their own miracles, Darlene is passionate about sharing this technology with the world.
A driving force for her remains, “Why didn’t I know about this two years ago… where would my husband be if we had started using this technology two years ago…and who out there needs to know about this right now?”When an anesthesiologist says, “This is the most significant medical breakthrough in my lifetime…” and when over 300 Olympic Athletes use the technology in the 2008 Olympics, aren’t you curious as to what it could do for you in addition to making you look and feel younger?
Darlene Greene has over 26 years of experience in executive leadership and senior management positions across diverse industries, including positions such as: Vice President of Strategic Technology Partner at McAfee (Intel), Dean of Culver Girls Academy, Director of Client Services for HyeTech Networks and Security, and Senior Director LifeWave Foundational Cell Activation Technology.
During her 20 years of military experience, she earned her MBA and held three Commanding Officer positions, including serving as base commander and overseeing over 1200 personnel. Darlene created the Returning Warrior Weekend Workshop in 2006 to help military members and their spouses reintegrate successfully – a program still supporting military across the country today. Darlene’s passion today is helping people elevate their GHK-CU peptide to activate their stem cells, repair their DNA, reverse age, and get out of pain through the latest photobiomodulation technology.
Learn more about Darlene and her amazing alternative health solutions at: https://iamreverseaging.com/
This is Darlene's website where guests can dive into how the technology works to elevate your GHK-CU and activate your foundation cells, the multitude of benefits, the over 90 clinical studies, the patents, the photos, testimonials, and see details on the suite of products. Guests can request additional information as well as purchase products from this website.
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John Hewitt is a renowned American entrepreneur who has made a significant impact in the business world through his innovative ideas and strategic thinking. He is best known for his success in the tax preparation industry, having founded two of the largest tax preparation companies in the United States - Jackson Hewitt and Liberty Tax. Both companies represent two of the top 100 largest retail organizations in North America.John Hewitt has: • Founded and grew two of the largest retail chains in North America• In 2012, Liberty Tax Service operated over 4,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada• International Franchise Association Entrepreneur of the Year (2005)• Accounting Today - Top 100 Most Influential People (2000-2012)• Best Selling Author – iCompete: How My Extraordinary Strategy For Winning Can Be Yours (2016)• Inc. Magazine (1992) - Jackson Hewitt ranked 2nd in the tax industry and was one of the fastest growing private companies in the United StatesJohn Hewitt is the "Hewitt" in "Jackson Hewitt Tax Service," after which he founded "Liberty Tax Service" with over 6,000 offices. John sold his interest in Liberty for nearly 500 million dollars. Now John and his partners and friends are helping Entrepreneurs discover how to become CEOs - "Building Their Empires" for the King of Kings. He is the author of the fascinating book iCompete and the CEO of Loyalty Brands.
Born in Peru into a low-middle-class family, Catherine Gairard faced financial barriers that hindered her formal music education. Undeterred, she dedicated herself to self-study, cultivating a passion for music that eventually became a driving force in her life. Early on, she showcased her artistic flair by participating in school events, be it through dance, reciting poems, acting, or singing.Guided by her father, an artist himself, Catherine delved into the world of drawing. This early exposure laid the foundation for her artistic journey. The pursuit of theater studies followed, shaping her understanding of the performing arts.In 2014, Catherine ventured to Europe, aspiring to forge a career in acting. However, the cultural transition proved challenging, and she found solace and direction during travels to the Netherlands and Spain. There, she embarked on a serious exploration of music, initially through free online courses and later under the guidance of private tutors in singing, harp, piano, composition, and music production.By 2023, Catherine embraced a new chapter as a digital nomad, exploring Mexico and Greece. Currently, she is constructing her own campervan, a mobile haven for creating music while immersing myself in inspiring locales worldwide. Looking ahead, her sights are set on a program beginning in April 2024, steering her toward a career as a soundtrack composer for movies and video games.To foster a closer connection with my audience, she curates an exclusive online community, sharing more intimate aspects of her life. Through this, Catherine aims to build a supportive space for fellow enthusiasts and those intrigued by her artistic journey.
At a young age, Tony Phelan fell into the grips of alcohol addiction, which consumed him for 15 long years. Despite the challenges, Tony refused to let his circumstances define him.Seeking a way out, Tony turned to personal development, mindset training, and deliberate habitual thinking. Along this transformative path, Tony sought out mentors who provided guidance and support, illuminating the way forward with their wisdom and experience. Through dedicated mentorship and his own relentless determination, Tony orchestrated a remarkable transformation. This journey of self-discovery not only led him to reclaim control over his life but also inspired Tony to pay it forward. As a seven-figure entrepreneur and CEO of multiple thriving businesses, including ones focused on treating patients for addiction, Tony has dedicated his life to helping others break free from the grip of substance abuse. Not only does Tony provide them with drug and alcohol treatment programs, he also provides comprehensive support to help them embrace healthier lifestyles through guidance on fitness, nutrition, and mindset.Driven by the desire to make a difference, Tony has empowered countless individuals to embark on their own journeys of transformation. Today, in the best shape of his life and living an extraordinary lifestyle, Tony continues to find fulfillment in helping others rewrite their stories and create the lives they deserve. Tony's journey serves as a testament to the power within each of us to transcend adversity and inspire positive change in ourselves and others.Follow Tony on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tony_phelanlvlup/
Timi Orosz is an impact strategist and game-changer who specializes in scaling-up businesses that make a positive impact. She is an ex-CEO who resigned to live in a jungle in Sri Lanka to find an authentic business path.
Timi has enjoyed the opportunity to travel the world and relocate multiple times: she has lived in 11 cities, 5 countries, and is currently calling Tenerife her home. Timi became a CEO at age 30 and burnt out at 32.
When she suddenly quit my job to live in a jungle in Sri Lanka, she finally found her authentic business path. She is now on a mission to support purpose-driven entrepreneurs and businesses to make a bigger impact in our world.
Timi founded Connect One Marketing and Spiritual Biz Mentor with this exact goal in mind. Her next goal is to empower large crowds of change-makers to help humanity evolve further.
Connect with Timi at https://connectonemarketing.com/spiritual-business-mentoring/
Coach Jon is a weight loss coach and emotional eating expert who has lost 100lbs.
From nanotechnology researcher, to Navy marine engineer, to globetrotting nomad, Coach Jon spent most of his life running from his true calling, until one question changed his life.
Now he's on a mission to help others lose weight for good and leave BS diets in the rearview mirror.With Freedom Nutrition Coaching he marries the Science of Metabolism with the Psychology of Behavior Change and the Compassion of Human Connection to create life-changing transformations with his clients.Coach Jon offers a free e-book to help individuals throughout the world.
http://www.freedomnutritioncoach.com/book
This is a free e-book that will show you exactly how to Crush Your Cravings. Included in it:1. The 4-step method to crush any craving FAST2. The "secret" eating rhythm to eliminate mindless snacking3. How to sleep your way to a lower weight
Dr. Robert Wolf is a best-selling author on a mission, releasing his first book: 'Not a Real Enemy.'
𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 the full feature 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 with 𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗹𝗳 on all platforms!
https://bit.ly/RobertWolfPodcast
The book has now won a Nautilus Book Award, a National Indie Excellence Award, a Living Now Book Award, and a Readers’ Favorite Book Award for 2023.Dr. Wolf is deeply saddened by what is happening in Israel and in the USA, and no time like the present could his book’s messages be more poignant, more relevant, more germane.
Dr. Wolf would like to see his book taught in classes, starting with Harvard, where anti-Semitism is on the rise. Dr. WolfI graduated Tufts in 1984, B.S. in Biology and Psychology, and graduated University of Michigan Medical School in 1988.
He has been in the radiology field for over 34 years.Dr. Wolf is the author of a biography about his father's amazing story of living as a Jewish man in Hungary when the Nazis, and later the communists, seized power. Growing up in affluence, young Ervin Wolf was forced into a labor camp, unaware that his parents were deported to Auschwitz.
In Not a Real Enemy: The True Story of a Hungarian Jewish Man's Fight for Freedom, Ervin relies on his wits and good fortune to escape the Nazis not once, but twice.
Once freed, however, he finds life under communism so unbearable he must make the most daring of all escapes in the dead of a winter's night. Not a Real Enemy is the true story of one of the most unknown chapters in the Holocaust, following the transformation of a young man as he confronts anti-Semitism, cruelty, kindness, despair, and hope in his journey toward freedom.
To purchase Dr. Wolf's book, please visit https://mybook.to/I3hEA5
Dr. Rebecca Jackson is an industry leader in brain health and optimizing the brain to enhance how you feel and function. She brings 15 years of Brain Balance experience to her role as Chief Programs Officer. In this role, she has published research on improving cognition, development and well-being, drives programmatic enhancements, and creates new programs to meet the growing demands of people wanting to achieve more -for themselves and their children.Dr. Jackson is the author of the book, Back on Track, and is a frequent media guest as an expert on improving brain health, development, and cognition. Dr. Jackson's work has been featured on Mayo Clinic Press, Forbes, Psych Central, Business Insider, and more. She has appeared on both local and national news and shows such as The Doctor’s Show, and NBC’s Nightly News.#ADHD#AttentionDeficitHyperactivityDisorder#ADHDAwareness#ADHDtips#ADHDsupport#Neurodiversity#ADHDcommunity#ADHDawarenessmonth#MentalHealth#ADHDeducation#ADHDlife#ADHDparenting#ADHDadults#ADHDsymptoms#ADHDmanagement
Abby Diamond is an artist, life experimenter, and strong believer in the art of “imperfectionism.” Abby helps founders and artists design lives they’re proud of with simple behavior change and design thinking principles. As a master Neurolinguistic Programming Practitioner and Clinical Hypnotherapist, Abby is obsessed with learning how people's brains work and I can't wait to share brain waves with you. Follow Abby on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/abbydiamondx
Eric’s experience includes ad optimization for Snap Inc, consulting for fortune 500 through the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, Dark Matter research at Carnegie Melon University with my brother’s team, and helping found CartRev, a social commerce platform that had over 100 Shopify Brands using Eric is a 30-year-old entrepreneur whose philosophy emphasizes the importance of simplicity, adaptability, and a clear mind, which has translated well into the world of web3 entrepreneurship. Eric specializes in leveraging his strategic thinking and adaptability to create innovative and effective solutions to the challenges facing this cutting industry. Eric’s fierce independence and commitment to self-mastery made him a natural leader and role model for those seeking to live a life of purpose and freedom in the digital age. As a staunch individualist, Eric is a vocal advocate for decentralizing power and control, promoting the democratization of access and opportunity in the digital world. Eric has an IQ of over 140, enjoys playing chess and fine cuisine, and his main hobbies include fighting, chess, reading, and meditation. Eric just got back from a 10 day noble silence Vipassana meditation retreat and recommends that everyone.Presently he is President of SHOPX web3 ecommerce, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Dataing and ai powered matchmaking. In the past, he founded a Saas platform that replaced affiliate codes for ecommerce brands, worked as a constant for Fortune 500 companies, helped Snap optimize their ad algorithm, supported the research team at Carnegie Mellon University in their dark matter research, and interned abroad in Barcelona Spain.
Marc Reklau is the author of 13 incredible books, including the international bestsellers “30 Days - Change your habits, change your life”, "Love yourself FIRST", and "How to Become a People Magnet". His books have been translated into 25+ languages, have over 5000 five-star reviews on Amazon and over 1.000.000 readers.As an author of life-changing books, Marc is dedicated to helping people and organizations to transform and achieve greater success using the power of habit. For more than 30 years Marc has studied the work of philosophers, scientists and psychologists to learn what makes people tick. With the right mentality, Marc believes that anyone can improve their personal and professional success in a way never imagined. For individuals, this can mean a salary increase, more sales, health improvements, better relationships, and a higher level of happiness. For companies, it means multiplying company benefits, cutting health care costs, higher employee engagement, and lower employee turnover among other advantages.Learn more about Marc and his books at https://www.marcreklau.com/
Dr. Heather Browne has been a psychotherapist and a mother for 25 years. She loves both roles deeply. She is excellent at helping people change sticky thought processes and see the other side of challenging situations. They call Heather the "reframe queen". Her specialties are couples communication and intimacy, grief and loss, spirituality and faith, and transforming lives into expressions of beauty and joy. Heather has been published in Inc. Magazine, Insider Magazine, Toronto Sun, Psychology Today, Focus on the Family's "Thriving Family", Light + Life, and hundreds of journals and reviews. She was selected out of 1000's to be the Relationship Expert on DayBreak OC for a television season and have been interviewed several times on ABC7 news. She is currently creating an online communications course and is an active YouTuber, supporting her community in relationship, communication, and self-love. Heather's greatest desire is to support others in drawing closer to their true self, inner wisdom, and purpose. She believes our lives are an amazing adventure and blessing, given freely to us to explore and to share love, our uniqueness, and our stories.
Edward (Ned) Hallowell, M.D. is a board-certified child and adult psychiatrist and world authority on ADHD. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Tulane Medical School, and was a Harvard Medical School faculty member for 21 years. He is the Founder of The Hallowell ADHD Centers in Boston MetroWest, New York City, San Francisco, Palo Alto and Seattle.He has spent the past four decades helping thousands of adults and children live happy and productive lives through his strength-based approach to neurodiversity, and has ADHD and dyslexia himself.Dr Hallowell is a New York Times bestselling author and has written 20 books on multiple psychological topics. The groundbreaking Distraction series, which began with Driven to Distraction, co-authored with Dr John Ratey in 1994, sparked a revolution in understanding of ADHD.Dr Hallowell has been featured on 20/20, 60 Minutes, Oprah, PBS, CNN, The Today Show, Dateline, Good Morning America, The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, Time Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe and many more. He is a regular columnist for ADDitude Magazine.Dr. Hallowell lives in the Boston area with his wife Sue and they have three children, Lucy, Jack and Tucker.
Lauren Leduc is a visionary, yoga teacher, intuitive, mentor, and mama. With the special gift of cultivating community and creating accessible experiences, Lauren has taught thousands of students with her approachable and intelligent methodology. She is compassionate, thoughtful, and deeply invested in creating opportunities for others to grow and shine.At age 17, Lauren was diagnosed with anorexia, which spiraled into a decade of anxiety, depression, medical problems, and a feeling of purposelessness. With a great deal of support from family and loved ones, Lauren discovered a plethora of tools and methodologies to heal herself, tap into her gifts, and ultimately become a beacon of inspiration for others on the spiritual path.In 2015, Lauren founded Pop-Up Yoga KC, a popular outdoor yoga program in Kansas City, MO. Lauren soon found a permanent home for her Pop-Up Yoga program, which became True Love Yoga, Kansas City’s Premiere Pay-What-You-Can Yoga Studio. Eight years later, True Love Yoga is thriving with a plethora of trauma-informed yoga classes and a yoga teacher training program that has certified 125 yoga teachers and counting. Lauren’s True Love Yoga 200hr Yoga Teacher Training is widely known for its culturally respectful approach, deep roots in yoga philosophy, and a firm commitment to safe and intelligent teaching methodology. After teaching thousands of hours of yoga and committing deeply to her studies, Lauren felt the call to expand her soul’s purpose by becoming a certified Dharma Coach/Spiritual Life Coach in 2022. With her natural inclination to guide others in an intuitive way, Lauren fortified her coaching training by becoming a certified intuitive reader. As a yoga teacher, spiritual life coach, energy healer, and intuitive reader, Lauren will soon be unveiling her signature 1-1 offering which combines her multi-faceted expertise into one beautiful, life-changing container. Lauren’s greatest current spiritual passion is harnessing the Sacred Feminine and guiding women and femmes to love themselves and embrace wholeness. She believes awakening feminine folks to their power will be the catalyst for creating a more peaceful and loving world. Lauren has channeled her life experience, expertise, and passion into her first book, Embody Your Inner Goddess: A Guided Journey to Radical Wholeness, which will be published November 24, 2023. Lauren also loves exploring all things Spirituality with her bestie, Rashida, on Your Spiritual Besties Podcast where they explore anything and everything from the mundane to the mystical. When she isn’t working with clients, creating courses, leading international retreats, teaching yoga, writing, or running her business, you can find Lauren soaking in time with her husband and two-year-old, working on her garden, enjoying lake life, and watching shows about baking and drag queens.
Dr. Terry Zachary is the author of ‘Great Hands, Great Life!’ He is a former professional golfer and sports chiropractor who saw dozens of repetitive grip injuries to the fingers, thumbs, hands, wrists, carpal tunnels and elbows of golfers.
In response, Dr. Zachary developed the Handmaster Plus hand exercise system and since has helped over 1 million people people train their hands properly and ‘get a grip on grip’ in therapy, sports, music, workplace, gaming, computers, & smartphones.
Learn more at www.handmasterplus.com
Sandy Joy Weston M.Ed is a keynote speaker, international podcaster, 3x published author, and entrepreneur, who has owned and operated health and wellness companies over 30 years.
Early in her career she became the first female trainer for the Philadelphia Flyers and spent many years as a media personality and as Philadelphia NBC10's Fitness Expert. She created the nationally recognized Philly Street Line Dance to help combat Philly’s “fattest city” label.
For the past five years, Sandy has been focusing on SJW Productions, an international company whose main mission is to highlight all the positive in the world. She does this through her international podcasts, her books, Train Your Head & Your Body Will Follow, My 30-Day Reset Journal and her programs and workshops.
Sandy’s mission is to spread pure joy and inspire others to see their true power.
Teri Copley is an American actress and model. She is known for her role on the American NBC/syndicated television series We Got It Made, which premiered in 1983, co-starred on the 1985 CBS television series I Had Three Wives, and appeared as a panelist in the 1989 pilot for Match Game 90. She posed nude and was the covergirl for Playboy for the November 1990 issue. Teri appeared in the 1984 television film I Married a Centerfold and the 1992 film Brain Donors. In the 1990s Copley became a born-again Christian and eased her way out of Hollywood. Teri dated actors such as John Stamos and Tony Danza before escaping Hollywood. She is now a foster parent living in Florida. In 2003, Teri released a book about her faith, entitled Conversations Between a Girl and Her God.In 2018, Copley appeared on the Dr. Phil television series seeking help for her adult daughter Ashley, whose boyfriend Hector was accused by Copley of being physically abusive. Teri has recently gotten back in to acting in various movies and hosts a very popular YouTube show.
Sandy Smith is a global life strategist who helps men experience Magnetic Masculinity. She is neurodivergent and has a wide range of skillsets in self-help and spirituality.This remarkable individual is honest, vulnerable, authentic and witty and loves to answer or discuss hard questions.Sandy has studied and been certified in dozens of modalities over the decades, and her mission is to help humanity evolve out of the emotional dark ages. She wants to help one million men ready to redefine what it means to be a man and practise the tools to find authentic alignment, fulfilling relationships, become trigger-proof, create clarity, emotional mastery and skillful navigation of the evolutionary journey to experience fulfilling lives. Sandy has worked with all types of the sacred masculine including millionaires, C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, Phds and thought leaders worldwide.
Get in touch with Sandy by visiting https://sandylsmith.com/
Devin Bisanz is a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) living in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award represents the highest level of educational achievement in Toastmasters. Devin is the personification of great energy. He became a full-time speaker trainer in 2019 and joined the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers in 2022. He now spends his time following his passion as a professional speaking coach, helping and teaching others to communicate more effectively. In fact, Devin has helped over 1,700 people (and counting) achieve this goal. Devin works with many individuals and corporations throughout the country. It is not uncommon for Devin to work with clients through immersive 18 hour speaking programs. These tailored speaking programs help companies and individuals with improved moral, increased sales revenue, empowered confidence and enhanced leadership capabilities.Devin lives in Vancouver with his wife Jody and daughter. He enjoys riding his motorcycle and bringing out the best in other human beings. To learn more about Devin and his company, please visit https://devinbisanz.com/
Fallon and Nevada Jones are two extraordinary local Prince George athletes who the Brink Group of Companies have had the honour to support over the years. Both of these athletes are incredibly gifted in the sport of rodeo.
Currently, Fallon Jones is on a scholarship in the United States (Idaho), while Nevada is finishing up high school in Prince George. In addition, Nevada is a very gifted judo athlete, practicing at the PG JUDO CLUB, while competing in events across the nation.
𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗡 and 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗔𝗗𝗔 𝗝𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦 stopped by the 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 for an interview.Their feature podcast episode is 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘!https://bit.ly/FallonNevadaJonesPodcast
Amber Larkins is a creative artist, a published brand photographer, storytelling expert, a serial entrepreneur, a dynamic speaker, a nurturing coach, & a forward-thinking visionary.Her driving passion revolves around empowering purpose-driven individuals and brands to effectively communicate their origin stories. By tapping into their innate desire to enact positive change in the world, Amber facilitates the art of storytelling with impact.With over a decade of experience, Amber has cultivated a proven track record of founding and nurturing her own personal brands. She has collaborated with a diverse range of entrepreneurs, athletes, and athletic brands, elevating their visual narratives to create compelling and influential content.Amber also proudly hosts "Through the Trauma Podcast”, which is her passion project. In this transformative platform, she engages with a spectrum of remarkable guests who have defied the odds, finding profound success in the face of adversity. Her guests include entrepreneurs, athletes, actors, speakers, coaches, and anyone who has not only survived but thrived through trauma, emerging triumphant.Amber's unwavering belief is that each of us possesses the innate power to effect positive change in the world. It all begins with the decision to open our mouths and advocate for the changes we wish to see in the world.
Jennifer Hernandez is passionate about helping others face and defeat their own negative feelings and self-talk by encouraging reflection, healing, and gaining agency over your own destiny. Given her tumultuous past, chronicled in her memoir, "No One Can Stop Me But Me", Jennifer knows first hand what it takes to face your deepest fears and come out on top. This true rags-to-riches story emphasizes the key aspects we need to truly be ourselves such as chosen family, faith, inner healing and INTENTION. Jennifer is a single mother of 4 and has worked in the mortgage industry for over 18 years. While it’s had its ups and downs, her determination never allowed her to quit. In the past three years, she has been named in the top 1 percent of loan officers in the U.S., Scotsman Guide’s Top Producer, FHA’s Top 50 in the nation, and the National Association of Real Estate Professionals’ Top 250 Producer. #1 for FHA lending in the state of Illinois 2021. Top Woman Originator. Clients praise Jennifer for going above and beyond to make their dreams a reality. She’s also known for saving deals and finding solutions for issues. “I believe that my life experience is what sets me apart from the competition,” she says. “It’s also my passion for helping others. It’s directly aligned with who I am and the impact I want to make.”
Randy Mackus is a Prince George athlete who has become a world-renowned golfer. Back in 1995, Mackus lost his arm to a rare nerve tumor that they didn’t discover until it spread. When they found out the cancer was aggressive, it was determined that the best way to keep him alive was amputation.For over 27 years, Randy has been embracing his life on and off the golf course, and is highly ranked in the North American One Arm Golfers Association. Randy competes against some of the best one-armed golfers from all around the world. Randy also gives back to the community of Northern BC by teaching all-inclusive golf to youth, all with the goal of growing the game in Prince George while also inspiring others with disabilities like himself to give it a shot and see what happens.Mackus appreciates all of the courses and owners around Prince George and says he couldn’t think of a better place to golf than in Prince George.
Alex Sanfilippo is an entrepreneur who is the CEO and founder of PodPros, a software company focused specifically on the podcasting industry. He is also a podcast host of the top-rated podcast called Podcasting Made Simple and a lead educator in podcasting.
Born in Mumbai, Dr. Ravi R. Iyer is the founding physician and president of the Iyer Clinic-LMG in Fairfax and Loudoun County, Virginia, USA, and serves as the director of clinical research for Loudoun Medical Group. A physician-scientist, inventor, author, and entrepreneur with research publications in the mechanisms of gene controls and several patents on veterinary and human medicines, Dr Iyer serves as the CEO of ActivPower, Inc. a nutrition and wellness company he founded. He divides his time between his internal medicine practice, his clinical research, his family, and his two German shepherds.
Katherine Lewis is host of the Opportunity Made podcast and runs The Leon Foundation of Excellence, a program that helps youth heal intergenerational patterns of trauma. She also has experience as a teacher, software engineer, accessibility advocate, and employee resource group leader.Learn more about The Leon Foundation of Excellence by visiting https://www.leonfe.org/
Dick Wybrow is a former CNN anchor turned best-selling author of more than a dozen humorous supernatural thrillers.
A former stand-up comedian and major market radio host, Dick has spent the majority of his life avoiding proper jobs. His latest novel, Kane, has been atop Amazon's best-seller list since its publication. Book three in the series is out on December 29, 2023.
Grab your copy of one of Dyck's books at https://bit.ly/DickWybrowPodcast
Meet Melissa Barlock, the visionary force behind Enspire Dental Opportunities and a seasoned entrepreneur. As the founder and CEO, she's not only a global speaker, trainer, and certified personal coach but also an accomplished author with two #1 best-selling books on Amazon: "The Dental Edge: Stand Out & Create a Thriving Career You Love" and "The Dental Edge: Attract, Engage & Retain Top Talent."Melissa's entrepreneurial prowess extends to her recognition as a top affiliate with SendOutCards, earning her numerous awards. Beyond the boardroom, she's a proud mother of two, and a passionate traveler who believes in the transformative power of exploration. Having visited countries worldwide, she immerses herself in diverse cultures, languages, and histories. Her love for travel has not only enriched her own life but fuels her mission to inspire others to discover the wonders of the world through their own journeys. Join us as we delve into Melissa's multifaceted world on today's podcast.
YouTube link: https://bit.ly/MelissaBarlockPodcast
Carley Billups is a pediatric occupational therapist who has lived and worked in Prince George over the past 12 years. Carley has seen first-hand the struggles that Prince George families face in order to get funding for important medical equipment and services that support their ability to participate in daily life and she wants to help.Carley plans to run 1,000km over 13 weeks starting on December 21, 2023 in the Winter Running Challenge to raise funds for kids with disabilities in Prince George and Northern British Columbia. This will mean Carley will face many snowy, dark, lonely and cold runs during the most challenging running conditions of the year! Carley choose to do this in the winter because she knows that doing hard things is something children with disabilities and their families experience every single day. While government and extended health funding helps, often families are left trying to find thousands of dollars by themselves to pay for equipment and therapy services that are essential to quality of life, participation, and overall health of the child. Variety BC is one funding source that I know helps families with top-up funding for medical equipment. They have ensured Carley that the funds she raises in this challenge will go directly to children and families in Northern BC! Carley’s goal is to fundraise $10,000 for Variety BC to make it easier for Northern BC kids to receive assistance with their equipment needs.If you would like to support Carley, please visit
Tracy M. Slepcevic is a Certified Integrative Health Coach, Speaker, Air Force Veteran, and the bestselling author of Warrior Mom: A Mother’s Journey In Healing Her Son with Autism.Tracy is educated in the field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and has dedicated over 14 years to researching various treatments and therapies for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Over the years, she has worked with various doctors, scientists, advocates, and researchers, and she has made it her mission to educate families on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.WATCH Tracy's full ON THE BRINK Podcast episode on all platforms!
Annie Margarita Yang is the definitive voice in Millennial finance, specializing in strategies for beating today’s tough economic challenges. She is the author of an award-winning, best-selling new book, The 5-Day Job Search, which helps young professionals get out of student loan debt while finding the ideal job.With more than 1 million views on YouTube, her witty approach to tough talk sets her apart from others.Annie’s candid style cuts through the noise, delivering foolproof advice for real-world challenges. Far from generic tips, her tips focus on practical steps to quickly improve finances, especially for challenges unique to Millennials.Based in Boston with her husband, Annie complements her professional life with a love for piano, adding another layer to her multifaceted persona.
Gary Simonds is a brain surgeon who has cared for tens of thousands of critically ill patients. He started his career in the Army at Walter Reed and was the Chief of Neurosurgery at a University Hospital for many years. Gary now teaches a number of subjects to undergraduates and medical students at Virginia Tech. He has written three non-fiction books on burnout and wellness and has recently published a medical/psychological thriller with a paranormal twist entitled, Death's Pale Flag. Gary also writes blog posts for Psychology Today Online, and has three more novels in progress. In addition to teaching and writing he enjoys hiking in the mountains of North Carolina, walking his border collie, Hamish, and playing the guitar and banjo. He intends to teach himself the bagpipes next.
Leanne Linsky, comedian turned entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of the new online comedy club, Plauzzable.
Originally from Waukegan, Illinois, Leanne has a passion for learning. She earned a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of California, Irvine.
Leanne also earned her Professional Coaching Certification (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation and CoachVille, Center for Coaching Mastery.
Leanne studied comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade, the Magnet Theater, The Second City, and IO Chicago. She wrote, performed, and produced her critically acclaimed one-woman show, produced and hosted a comedy open mic, and produced and hosted a weekly stand-up show in New York City and California.
Today Leanne’s on a mission to bring people together with laughter. When it comes to comedy, Leanne couldn’t be more serious.
Dr. Frank L. Douglas is an award-winning industry veteran with three decades of experience in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and entrepreneurship. He served as Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Member of the Board of Management of large Pharmaceutical companies such as Aventis AG, now Sanofi, SA. Dr. Douglas recently served as CEO of THEVAX Genetics USA Inc. and Member of the Board of TheVax Genetics Vaccine Co. He is also the co-founder of Douglas Ahmed Consulting (DAC). Some of his past experiences include being President and CEO of the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Member of the Board of Management of Aventis AG, Chief Scientific Advisor of Bayer Healthcare, AG, Founder and First Executive Director of the MIT Center for Biomedical Innovation, Professor of the Practice in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, MIT Departments of Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology.Dr. Douglas holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and an M.D. from Cornell University. He did his internship and residency in internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and a fellowship in neuroendocrinology at the National Institutes of Health. In addition to his impressive career achievements, Dr. Douglas has led clinical trials and presented on healthcare disparities at ROCHE Pharma, UK. He conducted workshops and case study presentations at HBCUs namely at Lehigh University and MIT, the University of Akron, and Weill Cornell Medical School.Dr. Douglas is the founder and CEO of SAFE HAVEN DIALOGUES LLC, and has also authored two groundbreaking books, entitled “Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream” and “Until You Walk in My Shoes: A Reframing Methodology to Overcome Systemic Discrimination".AWARDS- Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development Director of the Year Award in 2001 and 2004- Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers in 2002- Black History Maker Award in 2007- Geoffrey Beene Foundation and GQ Rockstar of Science, and the Odyssey Award from the Center of Medicine in the Public Interest in 2010- Caribbean Heritage Award for Entrepreneurship in 2011
Angela Shymanski is a Prince George difference-maker who cares deeply about her community and region.
Angela, along with her husband and two kids, have called Prince George home for quite some time. She has held various positions with the City of Prince George, as well as exploring entrepreneurship.
Angela now finds herself in the position of Program Administrator with the University of British Columbia in the UBC Family Practice Residency Program (Prince George and Northern Rural Site).
Allison (Allie) Seller teaches service-based entrepreneurs how to turn their coaching practice into a multi-six and seven-figure business while cutting work hours in half. Known for her success as a Personal Trainer, Health & Nutrition Coach, Allie understands what it takes to thrive in the industry and how hard it can be to grow a successful business without the right blueprint and aligned support. Inspired by wanting more freedom of time and location in her own life, having missed out on many of her four kids' significant events, Allie and her husband developed a unique system: streamlining processes, program development and a pricing structure aligned with program value and client results.Learn more at https://www.healthacademyinc.com/Allie has spent more than half of her career helping people reach their transformation goals in health and wellness, physical fitness, nutrition and mindset. Now passionately aligning with other health-based entrepreneurs, supporting them on their journey to building multi-six-figure coaching businesses while doing so working half the time they were. She seeks to provide the most valuable and long-lasting mentor-mentee relationship. Helping clients achieve their goals and live their most abundant lives is one of her greatest rewards. Allie understands transformation can be done with much joy and in simplistic yet profound ways. Allie attended the Health Coach Institute and has worked within Canadian Pharmacy to further her understanding of proactive vs reactive health. Her extensive educational background includes the Transformational Coaching Method, HMBA Mastery Program and Advanced Nutrition Protocols; Infertility with Dr. Stephanie Daniel, Emotional Eating with Dr. Michelle May and Hormonal Imbalance with Dr. Anna Cabeca. Additionally, Allie completed McGill University’s online business development program. She is a lifelong learner who takes great pride and joy in continually seeking knowledge and education to provide the current and best information to help her clients.
James Bond has uncovered something about PERSUASION that's so profound, it’s changing how thousands of people are now selling their ideas and products (including attendees of his sold-out workshops with the US Small Business Administration, and readers of my multi-award-winning book).
For 35 years, James has been studying how ordinary products turned into blockbusters. Along the way, he uncovered a breakthrough -- something he calls BRAIN GLUE - that makes ideas "sticky" so they marinate to your prospect's brain like glue. This activates the emotional side of the brain, where decisions are made, making it much easier to get them to say YES to your ideas and buy your products.
Jack Canfield, who sold 500 MILLION copies of his blockbuster Chicken Soup for the Soul series, says this about James' BRAIN GLUE book: “Mind-Blowing… Clearly, one of the most valuable persuasion books I have ever experienced.From the moment I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down. I’m giving copies of this book to my entire team. This should be required reading for anyone in business. Frankly, if you’re trying to impress or sell anyone and you don’t know this, I believe you may have a massive disadvantage,”
Order Brain Glue today at https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Glue-Selling-Becomes-Easier/dp/0998865753
The Army investigated him, arrested him, and tried to break him. LT. Col. Jason Pike is undoubtedly A Soldier Against All Odds. National Best Selling Author and Book." A decorated combat veteran with multiple deployments, Jason Pike is the author of two books: an inspiring memoir and a book filled with actionable guidance to help others navigate the complex landscape of VA benefits.
He not only survived 31 years in the service, but he keeps thriving. Pike has made it his business to help other veterans succeed just as he did.Starting from the bottom, as a private, and working his way through the ranks, Pike tells his story with wicked whit and shows us the price he paid for his service - as well as a glimpse into the adventure of life in the Army, including 9 years of living overseas. Diagnosed at age seven with an acute learning disability and failing first grade that year, Jason Pike was sent back to repeat it. At age nine, he was diagnosed with osteomyelitis, a crippling bone disease dissolving the bone of his knee that added to his academic challenges and a significant physical disadvantage.With more than three decades of national guard and active service, after starting his military career at seventeen and retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel, he was told that none of it would be possible. For that advice, there were indeed excellent grounds. His story, therefore, is one of survival, perseverance, and a refusal to quit, no matter what, a characteristic gifted to him by his father. Once he did it, everyone asked, "How the hell did you do it?" And many times, he had asked himself the same question… In A Soldier Against All Odds, Jason Pile shows that It is possible, through determination, careful application, and bold strategy, to overcome or compensate for personal humiliation brought about primarily by his own mistakes, being haunted by investigations, academic difficulty, arrests, many ass-chewings, and physical frailty. He did pay the price for being himself. This is how he did it, but most importantly, how he survived it. Despite these facts, Jason refuses to brag, refuses to portray any sort of pretentiousness, and refuses to call himself a hero. “The heroes are the ones, who didn’t come home,” he says. “Now, let me tell you about another time I managed not to die by doing something stupid.” Indeed, the mental image of Jason attempting to escape from a hole filled with animal feces in South Korea, his electrocution in the doorway of an airplane, running from a police helicopter after burning trash illegally, nearly breaking his legs after a faulty parachute jump, and being stabbed in ROTC are just a few Pike stories that are listed in the book. Regardless of what he has experienced for good or ill, Jason’s jovial sense of humor and desire to teach others to believe in oneself persists.Like the phoenix of Greek mythology, when faced with insurmountable odds, Jason rose from ashes, stronger and more determined, time and time again, to surmount them. The chronicle of life will inspire readers to wince, cry, and laugh. Jason hopes that the lessons he learned through the course of his life and his military career will be an inspiration to anyone confronting the future from a place of disadvantage.After having walked through the VA benefits bureaucracy and endless paperwork, Pike has made it his business to master getting the benefits he earned, and he now has a much-needed blueprint to help other veterans do the same. His second book, Out of the Uniform, Back into Civilian Life, is an invaluable resource for veterans seeking clear, actionable guidance to navigate the often complex landscape of VA benefits and assistance programs.
John A. Brink was born in 1940 in Nazi-occupied Holland during the Second World War. From the time he could walk, his days often consisted of foraging for food with his brother and sister during harsh warlike conditions, surrounded by death and hardship, especially during the hunger winter of 1944/45. John’s mother was left to raise her three kids alone when their father was drafted into the Dutch Army. They wouldn’t know if he was dead or alive until the liberation of their village, by Canadian soldiers, on April 12, 1945. This was the exact moment when John determined he would one day move to Canada - the land of his heroes. He was only five years old when this decision was rendered. Like many others who lived through that time, John has lived his entire life with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), resulting from being in a warzone. After serving in the Dutch Air Force for two years, John subsequently emigrated to Canada in July 1965, arriving in Prince George with $25.47 in his pocket. To this day, John can still hear the thousands of bombers in the sky when he closes his eyes. Regardless of which side you were on during World War II, we were all victims of war, fighting for the hope of better days ahead. In this solo podcast feature, John reflects on what it was like being a young boy stuck in the middle of a world war and then spending the rest of his life with PTSD. On November 11th each year, Canadians stand in collective Remembrance for all who have fallen in the military service of their country. We also honour those who continue to serve today.On Remembrance Day, please support the annual poppy campaign and take a moment to reflect on the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy today. #LestWeForget #RemembranceDay #WorldWar #WorldWar2
Vivien Siber is an experienced lecturer, speaker, BBC radio host and in-demand public speaker.In this episode, Vivien discusses the Holocaust in depth, as she is the daughter and grand-daughter of survivors with unique testimonies from family and girls saved by the Kindertransport.In Kino and Kinder the story of a European Jewish family's struggle to survive in the face of Nazi antisemitism and the Holocaust is brought into the spotlight.
Vivien Sieber, reveals the terrible story through the lives and writings of the survivors, illustrating the struggle with more than eighty evocative historic photographs throughout.
In 1915, Paula Ticho's family bought a cinema in Vienna. Run by Paula and her sister, Selma, two single Jewish women, the Palast Kino was a great success. As the Nazi Party rose to power in the 1930s antisemitism reared its ugly head and the wonderful cinema was forcibly taken over.
Threatened by Hitler's rise to power, Paula sent her younger son, Peter, to safety in England to join his half-brother, Erich, before fleeing herself—a penniless refugee. As the world entered a state of war, Paula found herself a position as a matron at hostels in Tynemouth and Windermere, caring for twenty-five Jewish girls who had been evacuated from Europe by the famed Kindertransport.
Sieber uses the girls' own descriptions of their lives and those around them to weave a heartrending tale.
From the insidious rise of antisemitism during their childhood in Europe to the distress of leaving their families, adjusting to hostel life, and the trauma of surviving when most of their family perished, the accounts in this profound retelling are all at once distressing, enriching, and evocative.
Combined with the myriad realities and experiences of the Tichos, a Jewish family fleeing from the atrocities of the Holocaust, and the eyewitness details about life in Vienna, Austria and Central Europe before World War Two and in post-war London, Sieber’s memoir/history of her own family provides the deepest, most powerful picture into what it was really like in those dark, deadly years.
Alexandra Watkins is a leading and outspoken authority on brand names with buzz. For nearly 20 years, she and her naming firm, Eat My Words, have created love-at-first sight brand names for countless companies including Amazon, Coca-Cola, Disney, Twitter, and Google. Her breakthrough creativity book, “Hello, My Name is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick,” was named a Top 10 Marketing Book by Inc. Magazine. Her personal "Name Hall of Fame" includes Wendy's Baconator, Neato robotic vacuum, Burger King’s Mac n’ Cheetos, Spanish language school Gringo Lingo, and frozen yogurt franchise Spoon Me. The vertical farming company she named Plenty was recently named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Companies by Time Magazine.Connect with Alexandra: Eat My Words: www.eatmywords.com Hello, My Name Is Awesome Book: https://eatmywords.com/brand-names-book Free SMILE & SCRATCH Name Evaluation Test: https://eatmywords.com/free-name-evaluation-test/ Free Brand Names Mini Masterclass: https://eatmywords.com/learn-about-brand-names-class How To Create Super Sticky Brand Names Online Course: https://eatmywords.com/brand-names-course LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrawatkins/
Robert "Bo" Bennett started "Adgrafix", a graphic design firm, right after graduating Bryant University in 1994, with a bachelor's degree in marketing. In 1995, he sold the graphic design business but kept the name "Adgrafix" that he used for his new web hosting company. As a self-taught programmer, Bo created one of the first (perhaps the first) web-based affiliate systems and web-based web hosting interfaces. He built Adgrafix to a 5 million dollar a year business, then sold it to Allegiance Telecom in 2001.A day after he sold Adgrafix, Bo started Archieboy Holdings, LLC as a holding company for many different web properties, some of which have become their own entities, and sold to new owners, and others which he is still running today. One of the past sales includes Boston Datacenters -- the distressed datacenter in Charlestown, MA purchased by Bo from former HarvardNet founder. He took the company from losing tens of thousands of dollars per month to profitability in less than a year. In two years time, he sold the property to Hosted Solutions. Today, the property is owned by Windstream, and it remains one of the premier datacenters in New England.Bo is currently the founder and CEO of eBookIt.com, a company that formats and distributes eBooks, print on demand, and digital audio books, as well as president of Archieboy Holdings.Success / Motivation.By age 10, Robert "Bo" Bennett started listening to and reading personal development tapes and books. Over the years, he has developed a science-based approach to success that differs quite a bit from the over-hyped success guru's approaches commonly seen today. Before beginning his lifelong quest to shape the lives of others, he had to prove to himself that his theories, beliefs, and convictions worked.At age 10, Bo started in business by creating and selling wooden key racks in his father's workshop. Since then, he has started several companies and sold them anywhere from $1 to $20,000,000.00.After selling his first company of significant value, Bo began writing Year To Success, the most comprehensive book ever written on success, based on his experiences, thoughts, and timeless success principles.Psychology.Bo's interest in psychology began as an undergraduate studying marketing, specifically, consumer behavior. After many years immersed in the business world, Bo returned to school and received his master's degree in general psychology. As part of this effort, Bo creates videos that can be found on his YouTube channel.Bo's personal motto is "Expose an irrational belief, keep a person rational for a day. Expose irrational thinking, keep a person rational for a lifetime." Much of his charitable work is in the area of education—not teaching people what to think, but how to think. His projects include his book, The Concept: A Critical and Honest Look at God and Religion, and Logically Fallacious, the most comprehensive collection of logical fallacies. His secular (humanistic) philosophy is detailed at PositiveHumanism.com.Academia / Education.Bo's pro bono work focuses on education. He developed and taught a public speaking and debate course for Student Athletes Rising, a non-profit youth development organization offering guidance and training for America’s youth, ages 7-19, preparing them for enriching college experiences and productive lives as future leaders of their communities. As a PhD student, Bo spent time as a graduate assistant for Walden University, tutoring masters and other PhD students in research methodology. His dissertation was on social intelligence development in both traditional and distance learning programs.Toastmasters.Bo joined Toastmasters in 2003, after a painfully embarrassing speech given to a room full of his contractors.\
Eric Seemann is the photographer behind the lens of ES Wildlife Photo Images, and this is his world. A wild, wonderful world he shares through his vast collection of photographs. You will find a choice selection of those photographs on his website, images he hopes will bring you the joy, excitement, and beauty it has been his privilege to experience firsthand. Growing up in British Columbia inspired Eric’s boyhood dream of becoming a professional wildlife photographer. BC’s natural bounty gave Eric endless opportunities to hone his craft. His unique blend of patience, passion, expertise and dedication is evident in the artistry of every shot. Eric’s lens is able to capture the drama and beauty in every moment. Many years, and hundreds of thousands of photos later, Eric’s dream continues to grow and evolve, as he travels the world to capture the spirit of nature through his camera lens. In pursuit of the wild, natural and unique, Eric has travelled every uninhabited corner of British Columbia, the magnificent Rocky Mountains, the untamed Amazon rainforest, the lush jungles of Mexico, and the vast savannas of Southern Africa. Nature’s story is told in stunning images of North American wildlife — wolves, grizzly bears, big cats, elk, owls and raptors — as well as the leopards, lions and elephants of Botswana, South African penguins, and so many more fantastic creatures. The Wildlifer’s world is always expanding, and every animal he encounters is like a new friend he could not be more excited to meet. As a well known and widely-published wildlife photographer, Eric holds a membership with Nikon Professional Services and is an invited member of the Professional Photographers Association of Canada.Learn more about Eric and view his portfolio of wonderful photography at https://eswildlifephotoimages.ca/
Eric Holsapple's business career started when he worked at his family campground in Maine. He worked at the local mill during high school, then at K-mart and an auto dealership, where he was promoted to service manager during college. After he earned his MBA, Eric went into real estate. Eric became the North American President for an Australian group and started his own company shortly afterward. Eric knows about self-generated business success. But he was not satisfied or fulfilled with business success. Eric decided to return to college to get his PhD in economics at Colorado State University (CSU) so he could teach. While at CSU, Eric started Yoga, and a few years later, was introduced to meditation. Through Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, Eric found his soul and his purpose: Presence - and to share Presence with the business community.
Years ago, in the midst of dealing with teen substance abuse, Marsha lost her voice, her drive, and shame/judgment ruled her life. She was consumed with trying to fix, manage and control others.
When Marsha started to share her story on small stages, online, on podcasts, she could have never predicted that she would find her soul's purpose.
Marsha learned that she wasn't alone in her pain, and realized that the reasons we tend to feel alone is because we don't like to talk about the difficult things/parts/and stories in our lives.
It became a personal mission to share her vulnerable story more openly.
Marsha wrote in 3 collaborative books, spoke on stages, launched a podcast - Own Your Choices Own Your Life - and released her best-selling solo book: 'When She Stopped Asking Why.'
Since then, Marsha has been published seven times, launched a second podcast, created a brand new business from scratch during the pandemic, recovered from full back surgery, and is more passionate than ever that our stories are meant to be shared to serve, support and impact others.
Marsha is now an NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer, and has created a certification to support people in using NLP techniques to heal from their stories, craft their talk from stage, from a podcast, write their book, or grow their business.
In addition, Marsha created a publishing house to support people in sharing their stories, supporting authors and becoming published authors.
Through these tools, NLP certifications, programs, coaching and two podcasts, Marsha continues to teach the power of Radical Responsibility and Owning Our Choices in our own lives. Marsha empowers men and women how to own and stand on their stories, be conscious leaders and build profitable platform businesses that create massive impact.
Marsha has spent the last 25 years as a Kinesiologist and Personal Trainer. She coached and mentored people on how to make physical changes and emotional transformations to their bodies and their lives. Her clients examined their thoughts, beliefs, habits and actions.
Marsha spent the last five years navigating herself through major life and family crises. Substance abuse entered her family, affecting her two teenagers from a very young age. Marsha learned to navigate herself through the process, learning many valuable lessons.
Marsha personally experienced financial, business and serious health challenges all while battling the feelings of frustration, overwhelming fatigue and isolation. She decided that her story and her lessons learned needed to be shared with others.
Learn more about Marsha at https://www.marshavanw.com/
Bob has led an accomplished and varied career as a senior executive in the private, public, and First Nations sectors of BC’s forest and resource industry. His extensive career began with 17 years in various technical and management roles with the Ministry of Forest and Lands, followed by 13 years as vice-president and president with the Husby Group of Companies, and the past eight years as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer with Haida Enterprise Corporation.He has been directly responsible for providing successful leadership and strategic planning to diverse and growing teams in challenging industry climates while concurrently maintaining strong and growing businesses.Bob has a proven track record of achieving goals and targets while working with a wide spectrum of public interest groups and ownerships to find successful balances of results and collaboration. For both First Nations and licensees, he successfully led the startup of new businesses and transformed them into sustainable and profitable enterprises with strong growth and job creation.Bob is a registered professional forester, has an MBA from Queen University, and was a TLA Board Director for 10 years.Learn more about the Truck Loggers Association by visiting https://www.tla.ca/
Bruce Williams and Shauna Allan are two extraordinary and hard-working entrepreneurs in Prince George, British Columbia. Bruce is the Owner of Rivers Edge Services, while Shauna is the Owner of Modern Match Lingerie Learn more about Bruce and Shauna's companies at the following links:Rivers Edge Services - www.riversedgeservices.caModern Match Lingerie - www.modernmatchlingerie.com
Victoria Pelletier is an award winning executive leader, #1 bestselling author, in-demand professional public speaker, corporate executive, board director and entrepreneur. She is also a #1 social seller/public brand worldwide per LinkedIn for her F500 employers, sought out for discussions on motivation, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, women in leadership, culture, workforce and more. Victoria is a 20+ year Corporate Executive and Board Director. Nicknamed the “Turn Around Queen” by former colleagues and employers, Victoria inspires and empowers her team and clients to change mindsets and drive growth in business, leadership and culture.As someone who does not subscribe to the status quo, she is always ready for new challenges becoming one of the youngest Chief Operating Officers at the age of 24, a president by 35 and a CEO by age 41. Victoria was recognized as one of the 2023 Woman of Influence by South Florida Business Journal, a semi-finalist in the 2023 50/50 Women on Boards Women to Watch, 2022 Top 30 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech by CIOLook, 2022 Most Influential Entrepreneur of the Year by World Magazine, 2021’s Top 50 Business Leader in Technology by Insight Magazine and a Mentor of the Year by Women in Communications & Technology in 2020. HSBC bank awarded her the Diversity & Inclusion in Innovation award in 2019 and she was IBM’s #1 Global Social Seller ranked by LinkedIn in 2019 and 2020.As a prolific motivational and inspirational speaker, Victoria has delivered keynotes discussing the importance of personal branding and its impact on professional growth; being an empathetic leader in empowering employees; the power of DEI on corporate cultures and building a life of resilience.Learn more about Victoria at https://victoria-pelletier.com/
Krystal Woolley is a multifaceted professional with expertise in human resources and consulting. As an entrepreneur, mom, and wife, she embarked on her entrepreneurial journey in 2022 by founding NoveltyHR, a reputable firm specializing in human resources outsourcing and consulting. NoveltyHR has successfully empowered small and midsize companies to elevate their human capital operations, serving clients across three countries. Krystal also focused on connecting ADHD individuals with careers they’ll thrive in. Krystal actively contributes to the field, holding a board member position in CTSHRM and being involved in the Granbury Young Professionals as part of the Granbury Chamber of Commerce. She is also a founding member of the Acton Networking Group and serves as the Fun Chair for Network Glen Rose. Demonstrating her commitment to professional growth, Krystal holds a certification as a Strategic Human Resources Business Partner from the esteemed Human Capital Institute and is actively pursuing her SHRM-SCP certification. Furthermore, she has a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Fresno Pacific University, a certified Professional Life Coach, and a certified Communications Specialist from Bakersfield College. In addition to her professional endeavors, Krystal indulges her creative side by designing fun t-shirts on a global scale as a hobby. Additionally, she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her family and helping the community.
Dana S. Diaz studied journalism and psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, USA. While there’s no better teacher than life experience and Dana has had life-long experiences with narcissistic abuse, her education did give her the ability to accurately verbalize and express how narcissistic abuse creates confusion and conflict within victims.Today, Dana is a proud voice for fellow victims who are unable, afraid, or ashamed to share their experiences. She strives to create awareness and understanding to ensure victims are given the support they need to first understand their situation and then begin the healing process.Her first book, chronicling her own abusive marriage that lasted nearly three decades, started as a journal that she hid under the couch cushion in the basement.Dana watches the sun rise and set every single day, and enjoys hikes in the woods. She absolutely loves animals for their sensitivity and loving hearts, and has two cats, Kitty Kitty and Tigger. Dana makes her home in Illinois with her husband Doug. Dana’s book is titled “GASPING FOR AIR” and it’s a best seller. Here’s a description of the book:Forced out of an unhappy home at a young age, Dana S. Diaz swears to make it on her own and never fall victim to the same abuse she witnessed growing up. But that’s before she falls for Darren. It doesn’t take long, however, for Dana to meet the darker version of Darren—a narcissist who seeks to control Dana in every way. Despite her best efforts, she is caught in the cycle of trauma once again. But how can she free herself from Darren’s stranglehold?In Gasping for Air, Dana invites readers along on her odyssey of healing and empowerment as she breaks free from the grasp of her 25-year-long abusive relationship. She fearlessly delves into old wounds to reveal the truth behind a lifetime of lies and stitches them closed as a new and resilient woman.An inspiring true story filled with strife and revelation, Gasping for Air exposes the raw truth of emotional, psychological and physical trauma, and is a bold testament of survival.Order your copy of Dana's new book here: https://bit.ly/GaspingForAir
Katie McManus is an ADHD Business Strategist & Money Mindset Coach. Katie helps Coaches and Consultants start their businesses with custom, ADHD friendly, heart-centered growth strategies. Katie is host of the Weeniecast Podcast, as her motto is "stop being a weenie" - which speaks perfectly to her belief that anything can be accomplished with a little bravery.Mission-Driven and ADHD Entrepreneurs work with Katie to get out of overwhelm and into a plan that actually fits. Because they've tried all the other business coaching programs. Up to now - nothing’s gotten them results.Katie’s a straightforward business strategist and coach who believes in empowered decision-making over waiting for motivation to strike.Learn more about Katie at https://www.katiemcmanus.com/
Marty Strong has been a leader and business consultant for decades, first in uniform as a combat-decorated Navy SEAL, and then in commercial business. Marty is a thought-provoking writer, speaker, and guest expert with over 350 appearances on national cable TV and hundreds of radio and Podcast interviews to his credit.Marty is the author of Be Nimble – How the Creative Navy SEAL Mindset Wins on the Battlefield and in Business.Marty’s writing, business consultant, and speaking expertise:▪ Stimulating executive thought leadership▪ Mentoring and coaching executives▪ Mastering disruption to win▪ Development of a visionary mindsetBe Nimble – How the Creative Navy SEAL Mindset Wins on the Battlefield and in Business The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has upended doing business, any business, as we know it, maybe forever. Remote work, enhanced virtual work, urban flight, suburban and rural real estate booms, nothing has been left untouched. This crisis has created three classes of people; the wait and see crowd, the world has ended crowd, and the seize the moment crowd. Crisis is opportunity, in fact, the Chinese word for crisis is the combination of the word for crisis and the word for opportunity. This has been acknowledged as long as humans have existed. The format and narrative style of Be Nimble, How the Creative Navy SEAL Mindset Wins on the Battlefield and in Business, is designed to appeal to a wide range of supervisors, managers, executives, and strategic leaders. The book’s direct and compelling message is agnostic as to industry, marketplace, private or public setting. This is not a textbook. It is a personal conversation between a high-performance business leader and readers looking for actionable insights that get results. It focuses on an underrepresented population of leaders, managers, supervisors, and those aspiring to these positions, who cannot glean actionable value from business books oriented to huge corporations
Rose Cardinal is a local tattoo artist and entrepreneur who moved to Prince George from Northern Ontario. Rose is the Founder and Owner of the Queen of Swords Tattoo Studio in Prince George. Before moving to Prince George, she was working out of her own studio in northern Ontario - where she was born and raised. Rose knew around age 4 that she wanted to be an artist (Follow Your Passion Living the Dream). Rose went to post-secondary school and earned a Fine Art degree and now she gets to draw on people… everyday! Tattooing has brought Rose on a journey she could have never imagined, having met thousands of people from all walks of life. Tattooing is very much like podcasting, where you get to spend time with individuals one-on-one without the distractions of daily life/technology... Rose has been very fortunate to cross paths with some amazing artists that have all shaped who she is as a tattooer today. The Queen of Swords Tattoo Shop is located in Downtown Prince George. This by-appointment-only studio gives the whole tattoo experience a different vibe. It’s more personal and attentive. There are absolutely no distractions or traffic. It's just the client and Rose. The Queen of Swords is a completely inclusive studio. That means - all are welcome and this is a safe space. Makes the space feel more cozy and my clients, more often than not, appreciate the privacy my studio offers. My space is like a raven’s nest! I collect all sorts of mementos that remind me of times and people. Every piece of decor has a story. Follow The Queen of Swords on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thequeenofswordstattoo
US Army Veteran turned life coach, Derick helps people break old patterns so they can thrive, not just survive. Derick experienced a dark upbringing in a home of alcoholism and rage, which he turned into his fuel and passion towards helping others. Derick used fitness as an escape and quickly was able to stay calm in most moments people would break down or snap. He used these experiences to thrive in the US Army along with his coaching career. Derick healed himself from childhood trauma and taught others how to do the same.#Trauma #Healing #AgainstAllOdds
Born in England, Peter Woodbridge left school at age 15 and began work as a booking clerk for British Rail, where he developed a love for steam engines.
Continuing his studies through night school, Peter won two scholarships that led him to a B. Sc. in Agricultural Economics from theUniversity of Reading, followed by an M. Sc. in Business Administration from the University of Bradford.
Peter began his professional career as an agricultural industries analyst, ultimately providing policy and planning advice to senior levels of industry and government in North America, Asia and Europe.
This took him to far-flung locations including tea estates in Uganda, cotton plantations in Ethiopia and tropical hardwood forests in the South Pacific—eventually settling in Canada, where his consulting practice produced numerous leading-edge strategic analyses for the global forest products industry.
Now retired from his consulting practice, Peter has returned to his first love—writing. The Girl From Barcelona is his first published novel of a fully fledged trilogy that he has released.
Outside of writing, Peter loves hiking in the mountains of British Columbia and Arizona, the relaxed lifestyle in Barcelona and travelling. Peter played rugby throughout his school days, later representing his university, eventually lapsing into social rugby in adult recreation leagues until his body begged him to stop.
An avid fan of English and European football, he sinks into abject misery every time his beloved Reading FC is beaten by lesser teams… which is often. It drives him back to writing.
Learn more at https://peterwoodbridge.com/
Margareta Dovgal is the Managing Director of Resource Works, a BC-based advocacy non-profit that champions responsible natural development. Margareta is a strategic communicator and natural resource policy advocate with a passion for technology, innovation and Indigenous economic development. Margareta serves as the Event Lead for the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase, an annual conference that brings together Indigenous and corporate leaders to celebrate and develop improved partnerships on the path to economic reconciliation. In 2020, Margareta and the team at Resource Works convened an unprecedented and diverse coalition of industry, labour and Indigenous groups to champion Canada’s economic recovery from COVID-19. Since being formed, the Task Force for Real Jobs, Real Recovery has grown to 38 members, including all major Canadian industry associations in natural resources.While studying for her Master of Public Administration in Energy, Technology and Climate Policy at University College London, Margareta led an international post-graduate consulting project, delivering recommendations on financial regulation, consumer debt, and digital government to the Prime Minister’s Office of the United Arab Emirates. A lifelong Vancouverite, Margareta also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Area Studies from the University of British Columbia. Follow her on Twitter at @margare7a or on LinkedIn.
Mark Herschberg lives in New York and teaches at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). He is the author of The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. He is also the creator of the Brain Bump app.
At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, currently serving on the board of Plant A Million Corals.
From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia, with over a dozen patents to his name.
Mark helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At MIT, Mark received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography.
Mark was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.
Purchase your copy of Mark's book online at: https://bit.ly/TheCareerToolkit
The Career Toolkit Website Links https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/resources (free resources)
Brain Bump app (Brain Bump app) https://brainbumpapp.com (website) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brainbump&hl=en_US≷=US (Android) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brain-bump/id1616654954 (Apple) https://brainbumpapp.com/#video (Brain Bump 90 second video)
Social Media Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/hershey/ https://twitter.com/CareerToolkitBk https://www.facebook.com/TheCareerToolkitBook https://www.instagram.com/thecareertoolkit/
A car accident in 2018 left Jenn Drummond awestruck and emboldened. Rescue workers couldn’t imagine any scenario where she came out of it alive, but she did. That’s when she realized you don’t get to choose when you leave this life…but you sure can choose how you live it. Strengthened by this awareness, she set out to live in a more authentic and adventurous way.
Inspired to climb a mountain for her birthday, her son raised the stakes by suggesting Mount Everest. Not one to back down from a challenge, she accepted the pursuit. During her training, her coach upped the ante and proposed that she go for a Guinness World Record and become the first woman to climb the 7 second summits. The pursuit matched her desire to live a life of significance, not just success.
Today, Jenn is a world record holder who elevates others to master their own summit in life. She’s a successful business owner and Mom of 7 remarkable kids who, as you have heard, boldly inspire and brazenly challenge her. She’s also an international speaker, an author, and Host of the Seek Your Next Summit podcast, who’s focused on inspiring others to go beyond success to a life of significance.
Learn more about Jenn at https://jenndrummond.com/
John Rossman is a former Amazon Executive, Best-Selling Author, and Leading Innovation Speaker.
John was responsible for launching and scaling the Amazon marketplace business, which now accounts for over 50% of all units sold and shipped at Amazon. His innovation and curiosity to dive into business problems and customer needs have made him a sought-after advisor and consultant across industry vertices on innovation, digital strategy, and culture.
Working with fortune 100 companies and others, including The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, T-Mobile, Fidelity Investments, Novartis, and Chick-Fil-A, John’s insights have provided the foundation companies need to compete in the rapidly changing digital landscape.
When he is away from the stage, he is a consultant with Rossman Partners, sharing his experience as a business strategist, operator, and expert on digital transformation, leadership, and business reinvention. He has written 3 best selling books: The Amazon Way: Amazon’s 14 Leadership Principles, Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader, and The Amazon Way on IoT: Principles for Every Leader from the World’s Leading Internet of Things Strategies. His 4th book will be published in the fall of 2023.
John is the founder of Rossman Partners, a leadership development, coaching and advisor solutions company. He is often joined by his French Bulldog, Bossman. Connect with John at https://johnrossman.com/
Kevin Palmieri is the CFO, Founder and Co-Host of Next Level University, a Global Top 100 Self-Improvement Podcast with more than 1,450 episodes and 850K+ listens in over 125 countries.
Some people find rock bottom... Kevin found out that rock bottom had a basement.
In his mid-20s, Kevin had it all - a beautiful girlfriend, high paying job, sports car, his dream body... but he still ended up sitting on the edge of a bed debating suicide.
After hitting rock bottom moment, he went all in on holistic self-improvement.
Kevin was determined to overcome his anxiety, depression and to finally live the life he'd always dreamed of.
Years later, Kevin is now host a podcast that impacts hundreds of thousands of people in countries all over the world.
At this stage, Kevin has helped grow the podcast into a multi six-figure business, and he has recorded well over 1,300 episodes. Kevin has also given hundreds of speeches, trainings and coaching calls with people all over the world.
The main thing that changed with Kevin was his attitude towards himself. He focused on learning what he didn't know (unlearning a lot too), and his life started to shift.
Kevin loves talking about Consistency, Commitment, Habits, Mindset, Confidence, Fear, Relationships, Limiting Beliefs and everything in between.
Kevin believes in a heart-driven but NO BS approach to holistic self-improvement, and he looks forward to teaching even more people about what it really takes to get to the next level!
https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/
𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 the full 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 episode featuring the very inspiring 𝗞𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗶 by clicking below ↘️
https://bit.ly/KevinPalmieriPodcast
Laura Renner is a former neonatal intensive care charge nurse whose primary focus is studying ways to heal the body and mind from trauma, while helping others do the same.
Laura's love for writing developed as a kid, but fell by the wayside as she pursued a career in nursing. She started writing again as a means of therapy after her traumatic brain injury, which led to the making of her memoir: "𝑵𝒐, 𝑰'𝒎 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒀𝒐𝒖", which is available now on Amazon: https://bit.ly/LauraRennerBook
Vern "One-Armed Bandit" Martel is one of the most driven, kindest world champion athletes you'll ever meet. Vern has too many provincial arm-wrestling championships to count. He has 10 Canadian championships and 13 world titles. This gifted athlete, who has overcome major injuries twice in his career, also has a spot in the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame. Martel, who was a member of Team Canada for over a decade, won his 1983 world title in San Jose, Costa Rica. A motorcycle accident shortly after that victory put him in a wheelchair for 18 months and paralyzed his left arm.Martel did not compete for three years but always had it in his mind that he would return to the world stage one day. Through sheer determination, he re-trained himself to arm wrestle without using his left arm for leverage. In 1993, he once again advanced to the world championships, this time in Moscow. In that historic Russian city, he won his second world crown.Prior to the 1998 worlds, Vern had been out of arm wrestling for more than two years because of a broken bone in his right hand. He made his comeback in a Williams Lake tournament, went on to place second at the B.C. finals and then found his way back onto Team Canada. In Thunder Bay, Martel scored two straight victories over Minnesota’s Wayne Springall to claim the world title in the 80-kilogram, right-hand class.Vern is a cancer survivor, loving husband and dad, as well as a community difference-maker.
Trudy Klassen is a community difference maker who has spent the past 29 years of her life calling Prince George and Northern British Columbia home. Learn more about Trudy at www.trudyklassen.ca
𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗞𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻 is the latest 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 guest and her feature episode is 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘: https://bit.ly/TrudyKlassenPodcast
Jan Hedberg and Richard Lehmann are visiting British Columbia from Sweden. In this episode, John, Richard and Jan compare the Swedish forest industry to the British Columbia forest industry. Join us for this eye-opening comparison of two forest industry giants – Sweden and British Columbia. Through this in-depth interview with Jan and Richard, they share their expert analysis and unravel the tapestry of these industries' histories, challenges, and triumphs. Whether you're an environmental enthusiast, industry professional, or simply curious about the forest industry in British Columbia and/or Sweden, this episode promises insights that will leave you pondering the future of our forests.Learn more about Jan's company SKOGSRESOR by visiting: https://www.skogsresor.se/To learn more about Richard, please visit: https://silvestica.se/en/crk-green-forest/rickard-lehmann/
Chris Goodwin (lead vocals/rhythm guitar) and Patrick Michaud (lead guitar/background vocals) are two of the four members of the Chris Goodwin Band.
Hailing from Prince George, British Columbia, the Chris Goodwin Band is a 4 piece country music group bringing high energy, engaging live performances to audiences across western Canada and beyond. Their debut single, "Shot of Jack Daniels", was released across all platforms in December of 2022 and climbed to #2 on the Canadian Indy Country Charts! Their follow-up single, "Don't You Wanna Truck?" was released in May 2023 and is a perfect example of the energy and attitude fans can expect of the band.
Steve Smith (bass guitar/background vocals) and Chester Hewkin (drums) make up the other two members of the band. Learn more at https://chrisgoodwinband.com/
Deb Ross was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her father was a former drug addict who became a Christian minister, focused on visiting prison inmates and establishing drug and alcohol recovery homes, so Deborah grew up in an environment of caring for people in crisis.
In 2019, Deb decided she wanted to work at something fun and relaxing, so she bought a café in the downtown core of Prince George, where she serves and relates to people of all sorts. Deb's Cafe & Specialty Bakery is located at t 7th & Quebec Street in the Stantec Building. In addition to coffee and a lunch menu, she and her daughter have developed proprietary recipes for delicious baking that is low carb, gluten free, and sugar free, to benefit people with dietary restrictions.
Deb has 22 years of experience in the financial community, specializing in helping people with the challenges associated with debt, through her training in family counselling, and as an Accredited Financial Counsellor – Canada (AFCC) and an Insolvency Counsellor (ICQC).
Deb and her family moved to Prince George in 2000, and they live on a farm near the city, where they raise Piedmontese cattle. Deb and her husband have raised 4 sons and 4 daughters. They have 15 grandchildren so far.
Learn more about Deb's Cafe & Specialty Bakery by visiting their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/DebscafePrinceGeorge/
Amy Beeman recently published her first children’s book Unwrap Your Dreams, which is exactly what she’s doing. Beyond her passion for writing, which includes her blog According to Amy, she also has a passion for helping people become the best version of themselves through her coaching business.
Amy is a professionally trained coach, currently working towards her CLC (Certified Leadership Coach) designation.
Along with coaching and writing, Amy is also working on other fun and exciting projects that include voicing commercials, audio books, and video games, as well as facilitating Media Training workshops.Amy is a partner in crime to her fabulous husband, Mark, and a mom to three amazing kids: twins Lucy and Sam, and their little brother Stanley. In her spare time, she sits on the Board of Directors for Ruben’s Shoes Society, a charity that builds schools and provides education for children in the Dominican Republic. This is especially important to her after having adopted her son Stanley from Haiti in 2019.
With an extensive background in dance and theatre, she’s thrilled that her kids also show an interest in the performing arts (along with basketball, volleyball, football, etc). Sam does ballroom (with his partner Samantha- #SamAndSamantha), Lucy does just about anything that gets her on stage (Amy doesn’t know where she gets that from…), and there’s no stopping Stanley when he gets a microphone in his hands!
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Learn more about Amy at www.amybeeman.ca
In this BC Forest Industry in Transition podcast episode, host John Brink is joined by Owen Miller, President of Deadwood Innovations and John-Paul (JP) Wenger, CEO of Nak’azdli Development Corporation.
Jonathan Valoroso was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and lived there for most of his life before moving to Prince George in 2010. Shortly after arriving in Prince George, Jonathan joined Shaw Cable as a Warehouse Technician, a career he enjoyed for nearly 10 years before being given the golden opportunity to get involved in community television with Shaw Spotlight. This rewarding position has given Jonathan the opportunity to get out into the wonderful community of Prince George to meet and highlight some of the most talented and amazing individuals imaginable, and help them tell their stories.
Angel Stewart is the Founder and Owner of Angel’s Aerial Fitness. Angel has spent the past decade and a half inspiring and empowering people of all ages, helping build a strong community through body movement and camaraderie.
With more than 15 years of operating, Angel's Aerial Fitness stands as Prince George's premier Pole & Aerial studio, embracing both virtual and on-site classes. Members will discover a diverse array of captivating sessions, including Aerial Yoga, Flexibility training, exhilarating workout classes, mesmerizing Liquid Motion, and the captivating Animal Flow.
Learn more at https://www.angelsaerial.com/
Kristen Carder is an ADHD expert, a top podcast host, and an internationally recognized life coach for adults with ADHD. Kristen’s extensive experience supporting people with ADHD began in 2012, and for the last four years she has provided coaching and consulting to thousands of ADHD adults.
ADHD is not a buzz word to Kristen Carder, it's her life's work. She started studying ADHD and its effect on adults long before it was trending on TikTok, and has had the privilege of learning directly from the leading psychiatrists and psychologists in the ADHD industry. Kristen’s life’s purpose is to help adults with ADHD accept themselves and move from Point A to Point B. She does this through the I Have ADHD Podcast and her group coaching program, FOCUSED.
Listen to Kristen's I HAVE ADHD Podcast at https://ihaveadhd.com/podcast/
Angela McLaren, a highly skilled and talented entrepreneur, is driven by her passion for animal welfare. Angela is the Executive Director of the Prince George Humane Society and has been with the organization for over a decade.
With a background in various fields, Angela brings a diverse skill set to her endeavors. Originally from South Africa, Angela relocated to British Columbia in 2008.
Over the past 15 years, Angela has dedicated herself to establishing numerous charities and non-profit organizations focused on animal rescue. Working closely with local communities and First Nations communities, Angela has played a pivotal role in developing effective animal management programs and tackling the issue of stray dog overpopulation.
The Prince George Humane Society is a community-based, registered non-profit that provides a safe haven for abused neglected and abandoned animals. Learn more at https://www.pghumanesociety.ca/
Jay Cook grew up in Maple Ridge, British Columbia and moved to Prince George in 2003 to pursue a degree at the University of Northern British Columbia. Shortly after graduating, Jay followed another passion of his (health, sports and fitness) and became owner of Xconditioning. In addition to this successful entrepreneurial endeavour, Jay also found himself competing as a world-class athlete in the sport of powerlifting. After stepping back from Xconditioning in 2021, Jay spent time teaching in the Okanagan, before accepting a new role working with the City of Prince George and local RCMP detachment.
Nicolette Ray Tuftin is a brand designer, soulful business strategist, speaker, and authenticity mentor. As the founder and CEO of the Inner Essence Brand Studio, Nicolette fearlessly guides multi-passionate entrepreneurs on a transformative journey to uncovering the truth of who they are so they can serve in a really big way.
She believes that true success lies in daring to to be radically authentic – both in business and in life. She teaches her clients that in order to be aligned in business, they must first align with themselves. Through her work as both a consultant, mentor, and designer, she helps entrepreneurs get fully aligned with WHY they’re here on this planet and how to be seen for who you truly are at your core.
Nicolette lives for spontaneity and adventure, and the opportunity to move to a new country arose in 2020, she packed up her life in her home state of California and made her way to Prince George, BC where she resides with her husband.
Lacey Hunniford manages Hunniford Gardens in Prince George, British Columbia. She is involved in nearly every aspect of this rapidly expanding business. Lacey’s tasks include marketing, corresponding with suppliers and customers, writing procedures, developing informative signage, creating website content, and Facebook page management. In winter, Lacey enjoys travelling, long walks, exploring new ideas, reading, and other creative pursuits.
Lacey is also a certified YOGA INSTRUCTOR. Lacey’s introduction to yoga began at age 16 with two videos and a mat from Costco. She was intrigued by this unfamiliar exercise, and the promise of greater flexibility and strength. She continued an on-again off-again yoga relationship for many years. In 2009, Lacey revisited yoga with other goals in mind: relaxation and self-care.
With regular practice, Lacey started experiencing all kinds of benefits (including many unexpected ones). This led to her own deeper inquiry of yoga. In 2018, she completed her 200 Hour Teacher Training with South Okanagan Yoga Academy (SOYA) and registered with Yoga Alliance. Since then, Lacey has continued her education, becoming a certified Gravity Yoga teacher and a Yin Yoga teacher.
Lacey also has 12+ years of experience in creating site-specific training manuals for the Pulp and Gas industries. She specializes in researching, organizing, formatting, and developing content for training modules. Lacey also does a large amount of freelance writing.
Learn more at https://www.hunnifordgardens.com/
Liam Parfitt is the owner of Freya Logging, a local company that specializes in selective logging, knows the forest industry is in trouble and believes he has a helpful solution.
Liam believes that selective logging is the only way to fix the big clearcuts witnessed in British Columbia. Liam advocates that all of British Columbia's clearcuts are actually full of wood and they can provide the wood required to keep British Columbia mills open. This will keep jobs in the industry sustainable and make forests functional.
Freya Logging is a Stump-to-Dump Logging Contractor specializing in making sure British Columbia mills do not run out of wood, including forest management, selective logging, community engagement, fire prevention and out of the box fiber solutions.
Freya Logging is a company committed to implementing sustainable logging practices such as tree thinning and planting to ensure the responsible and eco-friendly use of natural resources. With a focus on sustainable forestry management, Freya Logging aims to balance economic, social, and environmental factors to achieve long-term benefits for both the industry and the wider community.
Learn more about Liam and Freya Logging at https://freyalogging.net/
Former School Psychologist turned entrepreneur, Olivia has always been a free-spirit who didn’t fit or function well inside of a box.
Olivia has over 16 years in the mental health field and over 10 years of direct experience as a clinician. ADHD has always been one of her specialties.. She is trauma-informed as well as certified in mindfulness and other evidence-based modalities.
Despite her knowledge on ADHD, she went undiagnosed most of her life, which resulted in a clinical level burnout in 2019. It wreaked havoc on her physical and mental wellbeing. After being diagnosed, she decided to take everything she knew and apply it to her own life. As a high-achiever who was trying way too hard to keep up, Olivia had a significant amount of unlearning to do.
Today, Olivia runs a successful business helping other women with ADHD understand themselves so they can work with their wiring and not against it, too. Learn more about Olivia at https://oliviasilvana.com/
Michelle Ouellet's passion for hair began at the young age of 5 when she learned to french braid her sister’s hair from watching her mother. She started braiding people’s hair in the park for money at the age of ten, and by the age of 16 had converted her closet into a mini salon for friends and family. Upon graduation from high school, Michelle moved to Calgary and started an apprenticeship.
After the birth of her first child, she moved home to Prince George and completed hairdressing school. Michelle began her career at a local salon in Prince George and became the network educator for Bumble and Bumble (BBU). Rewarded for top sales in salon five years in a row, Michelle attended BBU "Harvard of Hair" several times. Michelle had a strong vision for a salon that works smarter, not harder, powered by a team of specialized stylists, so she decided to start her own business where she could continue her passion for mentoring apprentices. Michelle opened her own home-based studio in 2014 after the birth of her second daughter.
In December 2019, she opened a commercial location downtown Prince George that operates as a full-service salon and an academy for apprentices, while also offering advanced classes for hairstylists. Michelle named her studio The Current as a reminder to remain present in an ever-changing world and to go with the flow rather than fight the current. As a full Concept Davines Salon and Davines educator, Michelle is committed to quality ingredients and high-performance products that respect the environment.
Education is one of her main values which means she learns everything she can about her clients, products, and team.Michelle's mission is to bring quality education to Northern British Columbia and to grow a hairdressing academy for those who want to make hairdressing a sustainable and profitable career. Michelle believes in empowering women and also want her clients to feel that they have a team of stylists rather than just one.
She believe hairdressers have the ability to change the world, one person at a time.
Learn more about The Current at https://www.thecurrenthair.com/
Marty Anderson was born and raised in Prince George, and has raised a family of four daughters in this wonderful community. After a 30 year career in forestry and construction, Marty moved over to radio (Vista Radio – 94.3 The Goat and Country 97FM) and has recently "semi-retired" to focus on his writing and the family dog business.
Marty is also an author. Taking a usually humorous look at some of life’s trials and tribulations on his blog, "The Involved Husband" Marty’s stories have been enjoyed in over 50 countries around the world.
More recently, an online dare made Marty try out songwriting and - in partnership with Prince George Country legend, Rick Stavely - they have their first single inside the top 10 on the Canadian Indie Countdown chart. The song is called "𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙔𝙤𝙪" and it can be listened to on Spotify at the following link: https://bit.ly/CountryCauseOfYou
Marty studied at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and is also the author of the MOUNTAIN SLEDDER MAGAZINE.
Katie Paolucci is a certified personal trainer, pilot, cyclist, health and fitness advocate and proud member of the Wheelin’ Warriors of the North team, which helps raise money for the BC Cancer Foundation.
Katie is the lead Health Promotion Supervisor at the YMCA. Her main area is running their hip and knee program, as well as pre- and post-surgery rehab. She also runs another program called Small Steps for Big Changes. This is a university study being put on by Dr. Mary Jung of UBCO. It’s a program studying type 2 diabetes prevention.
Katie recently became a pilot. This was a huge achievement for her, as it was a major challenge and took substantial amount of hard work, focus and dedication. Since becoming a pilot, Katie also accepted the head chair role for the Canadian 99’s, which is a worldwide organization designed to support and encourage women pilots.
Katie will also be participating in the Tour De Cure fundraiser in August, raising money for the BC Cancer Foundation and cycling over 200km in a single weekend from Cloverdale to Hope.
Support Katie's fundraiser at https://bit.ly/WheelinWarriors2023
Daryl Bouchard is a certified Holistic Nutritionist with a military background. She served in the Canadian Armed Forces for nine years prior to starting her own nutrition coaching business.
Daryl created TEAM D Nutrition because she saw a lack of education sharing within the nutrition field and believed that she could help bridge that gap for some.
Daryl currently only takes on female clients, as she specializes in hormonal balance for women. The main focus is education and empowerment. The goal is to empower as many women as possible and provide them with the tools to roam through this very confusing world of nutrition with confidence and grace.
In her spare time, Daryl is quite active. She has many fitness achievements under her belt, but as of right now, she just moves her body for fun.
Daryl also runs a pro bono nutrition program for youth athletes in Victoria, BC. She works closely with Adam Geric at Transform Sports Hockey Academy. This academy provides in house schooling along with on ice training. Adam and Daryl came together to bring in a nutrition education component as we both felt that nutrition education was lacking for youths.
Daryl’s main goal with her business - and the other side work she does - is to simply impact as many humans as possible in this lifetime. Human connection & supporting each other is all we have ❤.
Learn more about Daryl and her business at https://www.teamdnutrition.com/
Christina Doll is an economic development, communications, and marketing specialist with a background in broadcast journalism. Born and raised on the traditional and unceded territory of the Lheidli Tenneh First Nation in the city of Prince George, she is passionate about facilitating economic growth in the city she has called home for most of her life and in communities across the North.
After working as a broadcast journalist in Prince George for five years, she found her true calling in economic development when she accepted the position of Manager, Marketing and Communications with Initiatives Prince George. She moved on to work as the Workforce Development Officer with the City of Prince George for six years before taking on her current role as a Senior Business Officer with the recently formed Federal Government agency, Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan).
She has been recognized for marketing campaigns and video series in which she has played a major developmental role by the International Economic Development Council and the Economic Development Association of Canada and by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce as a Top 40 Under 40 finalist. She is most proud of being a part of the team that developed the Move Up Prince George population attraction campaign and of developing a Young Professionals of Prince George Network to assist employers in retaining staff they recruit to the city and new residents in making connections. Christina is excited to have the chance to support economic growth across the Cariboo region in her new role.
She received her Ec.D. designation from the Economic Development Association of Canada in 2021 and holds a Bachelor of Arts, English Literature from the University of Northern British Columbia, a Diploma in Public Relations from the University of Victoria, and a Diploma, Broadcast and Media Communications, Journalism from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
When not at work, Christina can be found volunteering with various community organizations, hiking area mountains and trails, exploring one of the many local lakes on her paddleboard or kayak, and travelling across the region that is so close to her heart, as well as travelling across Canada and internationally. She loves attending local arts, culture, and music events and is a frequent patron of both local Farmers' Markets.
Watch the full podcast at https://bit.ly/ChristinaDollPodcast
In this solo podcast episode, John Brink discusses the history of the British Columbia forest industry and why it is currently in a major crisis.
Joel Ewert is a Prince George resident and Team Canada wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby athlete, who has a passion for education as he pursues his goal of becoming a cardiologist. Joel, who already completed his first degree in biomedical studies at the University of Northern British Columbia, is currently working on his second degree in First Nations studies as he tries to get into medical school.
Born with cerebral palsy, Ewert was first introduced to wheelchair basketball by the Harris family in Prince George as a 5-year-old. Ewert met Pat, Avril and Nancy Harris at an event, and the family encouraged him to give wheelchair basketball a try.
After nearly two years without meaningful competition due to the pandemic, Ewert had plenty of meaningful competition on the schedule this year. In addition to the U23 Worlds in Thailand, Ewert also represented Canada at the U23 Americas Zone qualifier and was part of Team BC’s gold medal victory at the Junior National Championship in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Jeff McWilliams has more than 30 years of experience in forest resource management and wood processing operations, both as a consultant and in private enterprise. His main areas of expertise are in strategic assessment and planning for various forest resource applications, silviculture practices and operational planning audits, silviculture and stand management prescriptions, and management of harvesting and silviculture operations.
Jeff has extensive experience managing large projects with multi-disciplinary teams, most recently as acting General Manager of the McBride Community Forest, and in particular supported the management of a $14M Forests for Tomorrow multi-year contract in the Cariboo to restore mountain pine beetle-damaged forests. As a consultant Jeff has specialized in auditing of industry and government forest operations as well as operational planning and management. He provides sound management solutions in the way of quality assurance and quality control programs and processes.
Jeff has broad experience in all stages of forest development in both coastal and interior BC forests from planning through implementation. This includes permitting, site plan development, block and treatment layout, supervision, and monitoring. Working for a large coastal sawmill, he acquired experience in log purchasing, byproducts sales and the supervision of all phases of operation of a sawmill and planer.
Jeff is well-versed in silviculture best management practices in BC. At the landscape level, he has contributed to a number of integrated management plans and silviculture investment strategies involving complex trade-offs.
At the operational level, Jeff has prescribed and implemented silviculture and stand management prescriptions for a range of treatments including reforestation, fertilization, juveniles spacing, and commercial thinning in both coastal and interior BC. Previously, as an operational forester with International Forest Products Ltd., Jeff was responsible for planning and implementing all phases of a major industrial silvicultural program, including planting, silviculture surveys, site preparation, spacing, pruning, vegetation management, and silviculture prescriptions.
In the area of forest ecology, Jeff has provided technical field sampling support for Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping (TEM) projects since 1996 and operationally applies his ecology knowledge in site plan and silviculture prescription development.
https://www.bablackwell.com/
Cees de Jager is the President and CEO of the Softwood Lumber Board for Canada and the United States.
Starting his forest products industry career with MacMillan Bloedel in 1995, Cees progressed through sales, marketing and leadership roles within the company, and later, with Weyerhaeuser. In 2002, Cees founded Hunter Consulting International a full-service consultancy specializing in forest products and building materials. The company quickly established itself as a leader in its field – delivering award winning and results oriented market development and promotion programs in North American and internationally.
In 2008, Cees was engaged to lead the Binational Softwood Lumber Council (BSLC) and took on the additional responsibility of Chief Marketing Officer for the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) after it was established in 2012. In December of 2018, Cees was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the SLB.
Through his leadership roles with these two organizations, Cees’ efforts to increase demand for softwood lumber-based building systems have delivered considerable results. SLB investments have generated more than 6 billion board feet of incremental demand for softwood lumber in the United States, helping shift the market preference from carbon intensive materials to sustainable wood products. Thanks in large part to the efforts of the BSLC and SLB, wood is becoming the material of choice in market segments not previously captured by the industry including multi-family and non-residential construction.
Katie Carter is a Certified Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach. She started her Online Coaching business in 2020 during the final year of her studies at the University of Northern British Columbia, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Katie Carter Fitness is a successful business focusing on helping clients improve all aspects of their life - both mentally & physically. To Katie, improving your health is about much more than just working out and eating healthy.
In Katie's first two years of business, she successfully helped and worked with over 300 clients on a solo basis, before hiring her first Assistant Coach.
Katie Carter Fitness now has three amazing Assistant Coaches, as well as a Holistic Nutritionist working with the team. Together, they’ve helped over 500 women achieve their fitness goals, while also improving their overall health and confidence.
In University, Katie struggled with depression and anxiety. Working out was one of the main things that helped her get out of the dark place she was in. With Katie's background in Psychology, as well as having a history of mental illness, she learned that prioritizing mental health is key when achieving fitness goals.
Follow Katie Carter on Instagram at @katiecarter_health and @kcfitness_team
https://www.katiecarterfitness.com/
Stuart Cohen is a certified ADHD life coach, empowering motivational speaker, entrepreneur andauthor.Diagnosed with ADHD at age 47, Stuart went through a deeply emotional period of reflection,revelation and activation inspiring him to achieve ADHD life coach certification. His new book will be titled ADHD Un-Shamed: 100 ADHD Success Stories. His purpose is to give hope to the ADHDers from ADHDers of all ages, genders, cultures and skill sets.
An entrepreneur for 16-years, Stuart is an influencer in the ADHD community and travel industry. His new startup, ADHD Travel Retreats™, is a group travel company designed to bring the ADHD community together.In 2008, Stuart built Resort For a Day™ from the ground-up. It was acquired by World TravelHoldings in 2013 and is now the world’s largest seller of hotel day passes for cruisers.
For 22 years prior he was an influential sales and marketing executive for major internationaltravel brands. He co-founded NEST (Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel) in 2004.Stuart is a wellness and fitness fanatic, having completed 18 half-marathons, 3 marathons, 2Ironman 70.3 (Panama City Beach and Memphis), and an Olympic distance triathlon.
Chase Tuftin lives for the art of the fight. As an amateur boxing coach, owner of the Wolves Den Boxing Club in Prince George, and competing jiujitsu athlete, Chase knows what it takes to win both the physical and mental battles that come with competition.
Chase believes in creating true warriors in the gym. Those who not only have the skill to win the bout itself, but those who have the courage and confidence to face themselves both in and out of the ring.
Learn more about the Wolves Den Boxing Club at https://wolvesdenboxing.ca/
Kyndra is a young entrepreneur from Northern British Columbia who owns two successful businesses and works full-time in the forest industry. She started her career and businesses from her experiences as an evacuee from the Shovel Lake forest fire.
Her first business is an industrial maintenance contracting company with her fiancé that they have been operating for two years. They have 17 employees, as well as significant contacts with West Fraser, Canfor, Northwest Wood Treaters and many other companies.
Her second business, Worth A Shot Mobile Bar, is a mobile bartending initiative that saw Kyndra nominated for Best Youth Entrepreneur and the the BC Premiers Choice Award at the annual Small BC Business Awards.
Kyndra is the Vice President for the Fraser Lake Eco Cooperative project. (A grassroots community renewal initiative). This young leader has a wealth of education. First at the College of New Caledonia and now at the University of Northern British Columbia. In both places, Kyndra has held positions on the Board of Governors. And while doing her schooling, Kyndra has received over $40,000 in scholarships.
Kyndra’s most recent project is building an app for Northern British Columbia to connect individuals to volunteer opportunities. It’s called Sign Me Up (she’s been working with Charles Scott to develop it) at The Hub Space.
Rachelle began her teaching journey in 2016 with the intention to share her love of intuitive movement. Her passionate nature is infused into her teachings, enveloping her students in an atmosphere thats welcome and warm.Known for her high vibrational teaching and direct cues she inspires and encourages her students with fluidity and grace. In Rachelle’s classes she invites her students to focus on sensations, enabling them to get into their body and out of their heads. Her approach to teaching allows students to leave class with a sense of pure satisfaction and joy. Rachelle purchased Sunset Studio July 2017 with the sincere goal of offering practices for every body, from the true beginner to the advanced practitioner. The many loyal students at Sunset Studio have become an extended family for Rachelle. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to get to know so many beautiful souls through the connection of yoga. Her trainings include 200hr Prince George May 2016, 200hr Hatha training Texada Island November 2016, SUP Yoga training San Diego March 2018, Baby and Me Yoga training Vancouver June 2019, Trauma Informed Yoga Core training Prince George September 2019, 300hr Advanced Vinyasa School India 2019, 200hr Rocket Yoga March 2020.Learn more about Sunset Studio at www.sunsetstudio.ca
Doug Clark is an entrepreneur, personal trainer, online coach, YouTuber, Podcaster, and owner of two successful businesses in Prince George: Northern Baseball Training and DC Fitness. The unexpected passing of his mother in December 2021 drove Doug to take his love of fitness and turn it into his mission to help busy moms like her change their lives and make their health a priority. Since then, he’s helped over 150 women change their lives through health and fitness.Doug’s work ethic and drive has helped him grow his social media presence to over 100,000 followers on all platforms and it continues to grow daily.His goal is to impact millions of people around the world through health, fitness, and baseball.Follow DC Fitness on Facebook by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/doug.clark.927/
Ana Trujillo is the Owner and Creator behind Grey + Oak. Her company specializes in creating handmade signage that is unique and custom to every occasion. In 2020, Ana took a leap into entrepreneurship and decided to follow her passion and dreams. She just had her first child and knew that staying at home to raise her kids was important, but It was also crucial that she continued to create and follow her passions. She began by creating custom wood signs and within her first year of launching Grey + Oak, proudly created over 1000 signs.
Ana’s business is rapidly growing and now they have expanded their creativity by creating custom acrylic signs. Ana’s main focus is wedding signs, business signs, event signage, and other custom creations. Ana works closely with her clients to capture their visions & vibe, nailing all the important details. Ana offers a huge range of different styles within her work, incorporating script alongside more stripped-back modern text & designs.
Learn more at https://greyandoak.ca/
Murf Laidlaw was born and raised playing multiple sports in Prince George, British Columbia. He was a national champion youth skier in his younger days, then turned to pro volleyball after graduating high school from Kelly Road Secondary School. Murf’s first career out of high school made him famous. He landed a career with Molson Marketing in Vancouver and officially became knowing as "Murf the Pilsner Guy." He created the slogan “I Love My Life Right Now” which went viral across the country, especially during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Although Murf found his love for entertainment during this career, he eventually got burnt out from the party lifestyle and missed competing in his passion: competitive volleyball. Murf then started training with the national beach volleyball team at 37 years old. But then he hurt himself, and briefly felt lost, which serendipitously led to acting magically fell into his lap…Since then, Murf has enjoyed many successes in the acting world, primarily out of Vancouver, which has become known as “Hollywood North” over the years. The pandemic changed the acting industry, so now Murf can live in his hometown of Prince George and still act, while making fun commercials here in his hometown with local businesses. Follow Murf on Instagram at @iammurraylaidlaw
Bruce Blackwell has over 30 years experience as a Professional forester and biologist, much of which has been related to fire and forest ecology, silviculture, vegetation management and forest practice audits and reviews. He is a specialist in forest fire science and has completed numerous projects on this subject including a fire risk assessment for British Columbia and numerous fire management plans for both the public and private sectors.Bruce assisted the Firestorm 2003 Review Team in the development of recommendations on forest management and policy . He has extensive experience in the assessment of forest fire hazard and risk and has been on the leading edge of the development of Wildfire Threat Assessment in British Columbia. Bruce has applied his expertise in developing FireSmart Communities and subdivisions and contributed to the development of a Municipal Wildfire Protection Strategy for the town of Jasper.Bruce's silviculture experience includes: preparation of silviculture prescriptions and stand management prescriptions, and fertilization program planning, implementation and monitoring. He has extensive experience in the assessment and auditing of soil disturbance and has developed and delivered a comprehensive training package on the subject to coastal and interior clients. He has applied the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification to ecosystem description and classification in a number of studies related to forest productivity and forest succession.Bruce has designed and conducted all phases of research studies in silviculture, fire ecology, forest nutrition, and vegetation management.
Katie Sue is an ADHD advocate with a massive online following. Katie was labeled a daydreamer in school, though throughout young adulthood, she was seen as happy and funny. And yet, she was suffering.For years, Katie wondered why she didn't quite fit in, why friends were hard to keep or why she couldn't stick to one thing without leaving it to pursue another. Last year, at 29 years old, Katie was diagnosed with ADHD. She started The KDHD Podcast with a mission to give others a taste of what goes on in her mind, to help empower, validate and educate other women like her. Katie's story is so uplifting to anyone who has felt unseen on their ADHD journey. #ADHD #adhdawareness #canada #unitedstates #mentalhealth
Carolina Hiller (Lina) is a world champion long track speed skater from Prince George. The 26-year-old Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club alumnus recently won the women’s team sprint earlier at the ISU World Speed Skating Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands.After graduating from high school she moved from Prince George, BC, to Calgary, AB, where she spent four years on Canada's 'Next Gen' national team program from 2017 to 2021. She was dropped from the team in 2021 and lost her national team funding, then began training at the Olympic Oval in Calgary and used this setback as a stepping stone to an eventual world championship. Having already set Canada’s fastest 500-metre time this year (37.85 seconds), Carolina first arrived on the national scene as a multi-medalist in long track at the 2015 Canada Winter Games, hosted in Prince George. She spent four years on the NextGen national squad.Carolina has many competitions coming up, but her long-term goal is to represent Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics in Italy. Carolina’s mom is a rider with Wheelin’ Warriors of the north, so athletics runs in her family. Her twin brother Nicolas Hiller has also competed in speed skating and has been a member of Canada's national team program. If you would like to help Carolina with sponsorship, please e-mail her at hillercarolina@gmail.com
Mindy Stroet, CFRE, is the Director of Development for the Prince George Community Foundation.Founded in 1995, the Prince George Community Foundation is an independent, volunteer-driven, charitable organization that brings together people who care about their community. The Foundation facilitates philanthropy, by partnering with donors to build permanent endowment funds that support community projects.The Foundation offers you the unique opportunity to support your community and to share in shaping its future by pooling and investing the charitable gifts of our donors. Gifts and bequests are accumulated in a permanent trust fund managed by a highly skilled team of professionals. Investment income is allocated carefully and responsibly to charitable organizations committed to enhancing the quality of life in our community.The PG Community Foundation is currently organizing the PG LIVE FOR UKRAINE fundraising event, which is designed to bring the Prince George community together for a great cause. The event includes special guest Jessica Holmes, entertainment, silent auction, and an opportunity to raise much needed funds to support those coming from Ukraine to Prince George.All proceeds from this event will go towards the "Ukraine Humanitarian Support Fund" to aid those individuals and families who will be settling in Prince George. Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/PGLIVEforUKRAINE
Zandra is the founder of Zandra Ross Consulting. Zandra is a leadership mentor and coach who helps ambitious people overcome obstacles and evolve into the next version of their selves to achieve greater success and happiness in their life and career. She does this through private and group facilitation, team building, and strategic planning sessions. With both online and in-person programs and courses available. She mastered how to stop her own past storylines and events from becoming limiting beliefs for her future. Today she guides others, with a passionate emphasis on those within indigenous communities, to re-write their own stories for the future by realigning their mindset and dropping beliefs that no longer move them forward. Her mission is to provide a fun, creative, safe space for people to dream, plan, implement, and grow. She offers a wide range of services on these themes. She has worked extensively in First Nations communities and Aboriginal non-profits. Zandra is from the Williams Lake First Nation, so she brings a deep understanding of issues facing first nation communities, organizations, families and individuals. At Zandra Ross Consulting, the mission is to help people unlock their potential and reach their goals. Zandra knows that you can do anything you set your mind to, and that's why she offers a range of services to help people realize your ambitions. Zandra provides a wealth of resources, including seminars, workshops, and one-on-one sessions, all of which are designed to provide people with the tools needed to achieve their dreams. With over 25 years of facilitation + coaching under her belt, Zandra guides and motivates people to reach their highest potential.
Steve Baker is one of the most talented musicians to ever call Prince George home. He’s originally from Newfoundland, though he grew up in Mackenzie, and has become a very popular local high school teachers. Steve has coordinated various musical productions over the years with high school students and is currently teaching at Duchess Park Secondary School. Steve hosts many musical gigs around Prince George, many of which are fundraisers, where he performs with his guitar on-stage at the community’s most popular venues. Steve is a cancer survivor who rides with Wheelin’ Warriors of the North. This August, Steve will be participating in the annual Tour de Cure to help raise money for the BC Cancer Foundation. Funds raised through the Tour de Cure will support life-saving research and enhancements to care at BC Cancer, bringing hope to cancer patients in British Columbia and making an impact around the world.Donate to Steve's Tour De Cure fundraiser at: https://bit.ly/SteveBakerWheelinWarriors
In 2019, Alex Mackenzie left his six-figure pulp mill job in Prince George to chase his dream of becoming a fulltime stand-up comedian. Alex sold his house and bought an RV to travel to gigs across the country with his dog Finley. He is now is now an internationally recognized touring comedian with over 40 million views on his online videos. Mackenzie tours around the world performing in sold out theatres. He’s performed at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, is the Host of the Hungry for Laughs Comedy Tour and his charisma and clever joke writing have gained him rapid popularity online that’s increasing daily with his consistent new content!
Learn more about Alex and his incredible journey by visiting www.alextellsjokes.com
Brooklyn Derksen is a local certified Yoga teacher and Level 1 iRest (Integrative Restoration) Meditation teacher. She has a passion to advocate for Mental Health and Complex Chronic Disease Awareness and to share tools for stress management, mental health support, healing and all around wellbeing. She was born and raised in Prince George BC, where she currently teaches yoga classes and workshops around releasing stress.Brooklyn is also a proud advocate for Mental Health Week in Canada, presented and endorsed by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Collectively and individually, we have multiple layers and stories that make us who we are and while each year 1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental illness or mental health issue, 5 in 5 of us – that’s all people – have mental health.We all have different, yet equally valuable stories which can be used to share one key message: universal mental health care is important and needed now. Follow Brooklyn's journey at https://www.facebook.com/brooklyn.derksen
David Elstone, RPF, is a professional forester and a highly-regarded industry expert with over 25 years of experience within the forest sector. Recently David has served as Executive Director of the Truck Loggers Association (TLA), advocating on behalf of the British Columbia forest industry's supply chain. Before the TLA, David worked for 10 years as a senior analyst for ERA Forest Products Research, focusing on the global forest products markets to advise institutional investors and governments. Based on his extensive knowledge of the forest products sector, David is inspired to help solve the many real-world problems facing this sector.David has a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Science in forestry from the University of British Columbia.David's company - Spar Tree Group - aims to support the decision-making processes of the many and varied supplier and service providers that form the supply chain for the forest industry. They provide analysis, lobbying and strategic advice services to business owners, boards of directors, senior level executives, government leadership (First Nations, municipal, provincial and federal), regulatory agencies, trade associations and investors. David's VIEW FROM THE STUMP NEWSLETTER is a highly popular and respected resource, offering timely and thoughtful analysis, editorial views, as well as various information pertaining to the BC forest industry, conveniently summarized all in one document, published 8x per year:Contact:David Elstone, RPFManaging DirectorEmail: david@spartreegroup.comwww.linkedin.com/in/david-elstone-45934784/VIEW FROM THE STUMP: https://bit.ly/ViewFromTheStump
Russ Taylor's background in the forest industry started in 1974 and encompasses forestry, manufacturing, marketing and consulting positions. Mr. Taylor was responsible for forestry operations in the 1970s (Northwood). He then held various sawmill management activities at three divisions of Interfor in the 1980s, including log purchasing, custom cutting, value-added remanufacturing, lumber sales manager and new product development. His global wood consulting career started in 1988.Russ has conducted wood products market analysis/intelligence and business assessment/investment analysis on timber, lumber and wood products for dozens of global industry clients. He has travelled extensively (~100,000 miles per year) to key producing, exporting and importing countries in Asia, Russia, Europe, the Southern Hemisphere and within North America to obtain first-hand insights. During his 28 years of operating International WOOD MARKETS Group, Russ and his team conducted many consulting projects for the “Who’s Who” of the global wood products trade. He also created a number of “must-have” newsletters and strategic multi-client outlook reports that involved unique insights and perspectives on global markets. The company was sold in 2017 to FEA and included a 3-year employment contract.As of September 2020, Russ started up the next phase of his career with RUSS TAYLOR GLOBAL – Wood Business & Market Consulting, where he is carrying on with similar work as in the past.Mr. Taylor has a forestry degree (BScF) and an MBA, both from the University of B.C., and is also a B.C. Registered Professional Forester (RPF-Ret). Learn more about Russ and his company at https://russtaylorglobal.com/
Dave Peterson recently retired from the position of Assistant Deputy Minister of Community Disaster Recovery, Lytton in the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. He has worked in Dave Peterson forestry since 1973 both in and outside of government. Dave was the ADM of Rural Development, Lands and Innovation, Provincial Chief Forester, and Deputy Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. While Chief Forester, he was instrumental in the formation of FESBC and has served on the Board of Directors since its inception. Dave is extremely proud of the accomplishments of FESBC over that time and is thrilled to remain on the Board and to continue that work into the future. Dave expressed that he is honoured to carry on the excellent legacy of the previous Chairs, Wayne and Jim, and to build off the strong foundation they have created.
Mayor Simon Yu was born in Hong Kong and has been an active member of the Prince George Community for nearly 50 years. He won the municipal election on October 15, 2022. Mayor Yu's scope of work and community involvement includes: Director for University of Northern British ColumbiaDirector for the Prince George Airport AuthorityFounding committee member of Woodwords Initiative Mayor Yu is a professional engineer who has taught engineering at College of New Caledonia, and he had an active consulting engineering business servicing Northern British Columbia prior to becoming the Mayor of Prince George.
One of the funniest individuals in Canada, Kylie Lewis Holt moved to Prince George from Eastern Canada and has loved comedy her entire life. Kylie is a full-time comedian, who has been performing at various clubs and venues throughout British Columbia, and will inevitably one day win a Juno. As a mom, wife and barber, Kylie has made it her mission to chase her passion of comedy. Kylie has a weekly spot on a local radio show – CFIS-FM – and has also spent time modeling, which she did this past Christmas at the Festival of Trees Fashion Show.
Born and raised in Prince George, British Columbia, Garrett attended the University of Northern B.C., where he studied business with a double major in Finance and Marketing. While attending UNBC Garrett completed his Canadian Securities Course and Life License Qualification Program to become a dually licensed Financial Advisor. He began working at the Assante Wealth Management office in Prince George while finishing his studies.
Upon graduation Garrett began his career as a Financial Advisor and has been advising clients since 2013.As the President & General Manager of Oracle Financial Services, Garrett attained his Certified Financial Planning designation in 2019.
His goal is to provide clients with integrated wealth management solutions to create prosperity and financial stability. By providing clients with a custom-tailored plan for their unique circumstances, he can take the stress and complexity out of their financial situation.
Garrett is also a former TOP 40 UNDER 40 recipient from the Prince George Chamber of Commerce.
Learn more at https://www.oraclefinancial.ca/team/garrett-dobson
Aimee is a northerner at heart, living in and loving Prince George her entire life. After working in management most of her career, she found her love of the not-for-profit sector while doing volunteer work locally. Driven by the desire to help her community and those impacted by cancer, she changed career paths and joined the Canadian Cancer Society as the coordinator of the largest, top earning, and only 24-hour Relay For Life in Canada. Through her time with CCS, she held a few different roles, always focusing on leadership and growth within Northern BC. After 6 years, Aimee joined the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation in May 2021, again driven by her passion for impacting the lives of her neighbors through improving healthcare in the North. Working with supporters to give in ways that align with their passions is the highlight of her career thus far, and one she looks forward to continuing with Spirit of the North. Outside of work, Aimee is also a very proud mother to four young daughters who keep her on her toes daily.Learn more about the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation at https://www.spiritofthenorth.ca/
Jim Girvan is a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) who has dedicated over four decades of his life to the British Columbia forest industry. Jim's name is synonymous across North America in respect to fibre supply forecasting and the varied lobby efforts on the part of independent timber harvesting contractors, consultants, forest licensees, and investors.Residing in Ladysmith. BC, Jim is a recipient of the Distinguished Forest Professional Award from the Association of BC Forest Professionals. He has previously served as Executive Director of the Truck Loggers Association of BC, and has advocated for the forest industry through various articles and speaking engagements.Girvan earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is the author of the book '𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝑯𝒂𝒅 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏,' which is available online at https://bit.ly/JimGirvanBook.Completing his MBA led Jim into boardrooms in the corporate world where he worked as a commercial lender at one of Canada’s big banks, a wood supply analyst at a major pulp and paper company, and a lobbyist with a major logging association before returning to consulting work for the balance of his career. In his spare time, Girvan served on numerous committees and councils related to safety, stumpage and forestry education. Girvan now works independently as an industry consultant, and is looking to retire soon. He looks forward to enjoying his time on his property raising dogs with his wife, Tracey.
Chief Dolleen Logan was elected Chief of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation on April 8, 2021. Prior to that, she served as Councillor for six years. Chief Logan has worked for the nation for the past 13 years in various capacities and most recently as Lead Executive Assistant.Chief Logan brings a team-oriented approach to Council operations and plans to involve Lheidli Elders more in key decision making. She also believes strongly in regular communication with members as Council’s job is to serve the nation.In her spare time, Chief Logan believes in strong family ties and enjoys camping, cooking, and reading.Learn more about the Lheidli T’enneh Nation at https://www.lheidli.ca/
Shirley Bond is one of the most respected leaders in Prince George's history. She was first elected in 2001 as the MLA for Prince George-Valemount.
Shirley currently serves as the Shadow Minister for Health, Seniors Services and Long-Term Care. Shirley has extensive experience serving as Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour, Deputy Premier, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Minister of Education, Minister Responsible for Early Learning and Literacy, Minister of Advanced Education, and Minister of Health Services.
Shirley was the first female to hold the position of Attorney General in British Columbia's history, a title she held while Minister of Justice. She has been honoured as a trailblazer in the B.C. justice system. Shirley also served as the Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Strong Economy, Vice Chair of the Treasury Board, as a member on the Priorities and Planning Committee and the Cabinet Committee on Climate Leadership and worked directly with the Premier's Women's Economic Council.
In Opposition, Shirley has served as the Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Official Opposition Finance critic. Before her election to the Legislative Assembly, she served three terms on the Prince George School Board, the last as chair.
She also worked with the continuing education department of the Prince George School District, becoming its business manager. She was given the B.C. Interior, North & Yukon Woman of Distinction Award for her work in public education. Shirley and her late husband Bill were married for 41 years.
Shirley lives in Prince George and loves spending time with her family, especially her twin adult children, and grandsons Caleb and Cooper.
Dan McLaren was raised on Vancouver Island. He moved to Prince George in 1987. In 1995, after a successful career in commercial banking, Dan founded Commonwealth Financial. Dan has served on many corporate and philanthropic boards, including: BC Rail, Junior Achievement of BC, the BC Chamber of Commerce and is a Past President the BC & Yukon Junior Chamber of Commerce. He is the Founding President of the Rocky Mountain Rangers Regimental Association (PG Branch). He is also the Founding Chairman of the Commonwealth Cup, Northern BC's largest charity golf tournament. Dan has been awarded a Senatorship and Life Membership in Junior Chamber International. He is twice runner-up as Prince George's Business Person of the Year. He has been recognized by the insurance industry as a member of the Million Dollar Round Table and the Conference for Advanced Life Underwriters. In 2008, in recognition of his community service, he was knighted by the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller. In 2022, Dan was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medallion. In 1986, Dan became a commissioned officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. Dan and his wife Roberta enjoy travelling and spending time at the lake.
Roberta McLaren is a native to Prince George who has reaped the benefits of living in the North and has developed a strong passion for Northern Communities However, she feels it’s the people that are so exceptional! From Haida Gwaii to Valemount, Fort Nelson to Williams Lake, Roberta has special memories from the tens of thousands of people and First Nations who she has had the pleasure to meet, support and work with. As a high-profile business leader, influencer, advocate, and ambassador, Roberta guides organizations to achieve growth, visibility, performance, and social impact. Roberta has a genuine passion for delivering a lasting impact on the region. She excels at forging strategic partnerships and building consensus amongst stakeholders. A strong business development professional with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused in Executive Management, Sustainability and Coaching. Roberta loves animals, outdoors, music and new adventures with her husband Dan. Learn more about Commonwealth Financial at https://www.mycommonwealth.ca/
Nicole Currie coordinates the Meals on Wheels program for the Prince George Council of Seniors. Prince George Council of Seniors (PGCOS) – located on Brunswick Street in downtown Prince George - has been providing affordable and nutritious hot noon meals to elderly, homebound, post-operative, and disabled individuals for over 20 years now.
PGCOS is very proud of its Meals on Wheels Service, as well as the fact that Meals on Wheels is much more than just food delivery; it's literally saving lives! PGCOS have a difference-making ADOPT-A-SENIOR Program that costs $180 to provide meals to a local senior for an entire month. Meals are delivered weekdays between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon by dedicated volunteers.
PGCOS is a registered charity that operates several programs, services and events to enhance the lives of Seniors in the Prince George area. You will find all the information needed for those programs, services and events at the Seniors Resource Centre.
Learn more at http://www.pgcos.ca/
Selen is the owner of the Canadian Tire store in Prince George. His career with this company began in 1978, progressing through the ranks over a 15-year span before acquiring a store in Ontario in 1993. Since then, Selen has had stores in Greenwood, Nova Scotia and Kenora, Ontario.
Since moving to Prince George, Selen has served on several boards including Prince George’s Health Communities Committee, the YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, the Baldy Hughes Therapeutic Community and the Northern Supportive Recovery Centre as board chair.
Serving on boards has also been his custom in previous communities in which Selen lived. Currently, Selen serves as a director on the Board of Directors for the Elizabeth Fry Housing Board and the Elizabeth Fry Society Board.
Selen is also past president of the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation and still sits on their board. In 2016, Selen joined the Pinball Clemons Foundation and was named the Prince George Citizen of the Year in 2017 by the Prince George Community Foundation. Also in 2017, Selen's Canadian Tire store was presented the award for Outstanding Corporate Culture at the Prince George Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. Selen is a difference-maker with a heart of gold and the world is a better place because of his generosity, kindness and ongoing mission to help others.
Kendall Kershaw and Tyler Sanchez are the owners and operators of The Little Fit Company in Prince George, British Columbia. These two community difference-makers spend their time helping people live their best lives.
The Little Fit Company offers effective fitness and nutrition solutions to professionals, executives and high achievers to maximize goals in business, relationships & lifestyle. They specialize in personal training, and creating customized fitness and nutrition protocols to help our client achieve massive results in weight loss, strength gain, muscle development and mobility.
Learn more at https://www.littlefitco.com/
Shannon Wright is a Gitxsen Hereditary Chief and long-time entrepreneur. Shannon is the Owner and Operator of The Pepper Tree, located in the Coast Inn of the North.
Over the years, Shannon has been recognized by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce as a TOP 40 UNDER 40 difference-maker, as well as a recipient of the Indigenous Business of the Year Award.
Originally from Houston, B.C., Shannon grew up as a hair stylist starting at age 14. Shannon bought The Pepper Tree in 2007, and became the first Indigenous person to have a business in the Coast Inn of the North. The Pepper Tree Hair Studio is a staple in BC's northern capital.
Operating for over 40 years, decades of experience and commitment to excellence allows customers the confidence to trust stylists completely with their hair. Proudly First Nations owned and operated, Shannon's company carries a unique selection of products that reflect her rich and varied Indigenous cultures.
From hand carved sterling silver jewelry to shawls/scarves and form line colouring books, the company continues to share its founders' heritage with customers.
Learn more about The Pepper Tree at https://www.thepeppertree.ca/
Jim VanderPloeg is a Primary Care Paramedic in Northern British Columbia and also one of the founders of the Prince George Relay For Life.
In addition to being passionate about patient care, Jim is also a Critical Incident Peer team member, Co-Chair of OSH Committee and Driving Evaluator. Jim is the Northern Public Education Director for the Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia and a strong advocate for mental health awareness.
Jim considers himself happiest behind a camera photographing entertainment for the CN Centre. In fact, Jim captured some of the first Prince George Cougars games in history behind the lens. Motivated by two primary things in life, Jim strives to help others and make a difference. Jim tirelessly brings these to motivational factors into his career as a paramedic, as well as through volunteer activities and in his neighborhood.
Jim has been a husband for 32+ years, dad to four amazing kids and is a true community difference maker.
Katie Stymiest is the founder of CAKED BY KATIE - a fun and flavourful dairy-free and gluten-free online baking blog.
She is also the content creator for the CAKED BY KATIE social channels, which has hundreds of thousands of followers, both domestic and international. As a self-taught baker living in Prince George, Katie has a love for fun and funky flavours. She was recently featured in a Netflix special - Cook At All Costs - in a home cooking challenge, competing against three other cooks. The show is hosted by chef and restauranteur Jordan Andino. In addition, Katie was one of three Prince George based- bakers who appeared on the Food Network’s Big Holiday Bake as part of the Reindeer Games Challenge.
Katie’s fondest memories of childhood are sitting at the kitchen counter with her sisters and mother making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Soon after having her oldest daughter, Katie found herself in the kitchen, baby on the counter, mixing up cookies, a new cupcake recipe, or attempting a homemade cake. The rest, as they say, is history.
Follow or learn more about CAKED BY KATIE at https://cakedbykatie.com
Originally from Aberdeen, Scotland, Ben Thomson is the Co-Owner and Operator of HVAC STRONG MECHANICAL. As a former strongman athlete who competed in the annual Arnold's Classic in Columbus, Ohio, Ben's focus is now on his company, which specializes in installation, service and maintenance of all types of HVAC systems and ducting.
Ben is the epitome of entrepreneurship and a major advocate for growing skilled trades in Northern British Columbia. Along with his wife Gallia, Ben enjoys raising a young daughter in Beautiful Northern British Columbia.
Learn more about Ben's company at https://hvacstrong.ca/
Rob Schuetz is the President of Industrial Forestry Service (IFS), which is one of the largest natural resource consulting firms operating in British Columbia for the forestry, bioenergy, oil & gas, and mining sectors..
Rob is past-president of the Society of Consulting Foresters of British Columbia. He specializes in the analysis of fibre supplies throughout BC and Alberta and has spent over 25 years consulting to the natural resource industries. In this regard he has undertaken due-diligence assessments of biomass fuel plans in support of over 50 proposed bioenergy projects; log supplies in support of sawmill acquisitions, economic assessments of the impact of a mountain pine beetle epidemic on timber supplies across Canada; delivered log cost optimization analysis to multiple delivery points and sawmill operating rate forecasts.
Rob graduated with a B.Sc. in Forestry from the University of Toronto in 1987. Learn more at www.industrialforestry.ca
Amanda Alexander is a community leader and builder in Prince George, who as spent the past 10 years in the CEO role at the YMCA of Northern BC. Amanda has helped facilitate the unification of British Columbia YMCAs and recently transitioned to a new vice president role with YMCA BC.
Amanda is passionate about the YMCA's mission, leading a charity that is dedicated to strengthening the foundations of community. She leads achievement of this mission through working on achieving three key strategic goals: promoting healthy living, helping children, families and seniors thrive, while fostering belonging, connection and inclusion. Translating these goals into yearly measurable operational goals, she is able to support the YMCA of Northern BC's growth in childcare, health, fitness and aquatics and community health programming.
In her time with the YMCA of Northern BC, regional expansion has increased dramatically given Amanda and her team's passion for ensuring that geography or economic circumstance are not a barrier for service. As such, the YMCA provides a valuable early learning opportunities for children in the communities of Fort St John, Chetwynd, Vanderhoof, Fort St John as well as Prince George. Health, Fitness and Recreation have expanded to provide unique service delivery models that meet the needs of communities beyond urban centres. In addition, valuable community health programs ensure that children, youth and seniors have access to meaningful support, mental health and chronic disease programs.
Amanda currently serves on the Board of Governors for the University of Northern British Columbia. Previous work experience includes a 17 year career with the Elizabeth Fry Society, where Amanda provided leadership, support and program development for women and children's programs such as transition houses, counselling, family resource centre, pregnancy outreach, young parent program.
Learn more about YMCA BC by visiting https://nbc.ymca.ca
Garry Merkel is a member of the Tahltan Nation and a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) with the Association of BC Forest Professionals. His achievements and contributions are numerous and span decades. They include being instrumental in the formation of the Faculty of Forestry’s First Nations Council of Advisors (FNCOA) in 1994 in which he currently serves as co-chair. He also worked with the UBC First Nations House of Learning to establish an Aboriginal Forestry Initiative at UBC.
Garry is the Executive Director of the BC First Nations Housing & Infrastructure Council, and has been the CEO of the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation. He was part of the 3-person team that negotiated the creation of the Columbia Basin Trust, was elected vice-chair of the Trust at its formation in 1995, and chaired the trust from 2005 to 2013.
Garry is a Co-Chair of the BC Minister of Forests Practices Advisory Council. Most recently, he co-authored A New Future for Old Forests, a report for the Province of British Columbia that includes recommendations on the management of old-growth forests in the province that the Provincial Government has committed to implement in full.
Garry has been involved in building First Nations governments for almost three decades. He has led numerous initiatives, including the Yukon Forest Policy, the BC First Nations Forest Policy Forum, the Hakai Recreation Area Co-management Agreement, the Canadian Aboriginal Forestry and Employment Training Strategy, the BC Aboriginal Housing Strategy, the BC Aboriginal Governance Initiative and Ktunaxa Strategic Engagement Agreement.
Watch the full podcast at https://bit.ly/GarryMerkelPodcast
Jordan Yu is a physical education teacher, community builder and founder of the Northern Bounce Sports Academy.
Jordan grew up in Prince George, thriving in the sport of basketball and winning numerous championships and awards. He played varsity basketball for the Capilano Blues and University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. After finishing his varsity athletics career as a player, Jordan turned to coaching the men’s basketball team at Capilano for several years, before enjoying a an opportunity to play basketball professionally overseas in Hong Kong with his younger brother, Nathan Yu.
Jordan and his family eventually made the decision to move back to Prince George, continuing his career as a school teacher and coach. Along with his wife, Candace - a former star point guard who won two B.C. AAA titles at Brookswood Secondary and later two CIS national crowns with the UBC Timberwolves - Jordan is happily raising two sports-loving boys, while growing the Northern Bounce Basketball Academy out of the Prince George Roll-A-Dome.
Jordan has big plans to continue growing the sport of Basketball in Prince George and throughout the province, with hundreds of athletes training in his program. Learn more about the academy by visiting https://northernbounce.com/
Jenn Cooper is a Media Relations Officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Prince George, British Columbia. Jenn grew up in the lower mainland of British Columbia and was very surprised to be posted in the North – she’d never traveled farther north than Kelowna before. Jenn’s first posting was in Terrace, B.C. where she stayed for five years. Jenn and her family moved to Prince George in September of 2016. She originally started out in Frontline Policing in Prince George, before moving into the Media Relations role for two years. Jenn has a passion for Community Policing, which ties in nicely with her current role within the RCMP.
To follow the Prince George RCMP, head over to their Twitter account at: https://twitter.com/PG_RCMP
In this solo podcast episode, John Brink discusses why the British Columbia forest industry is in crisis.
Tami van Kalsbeek is over 850 days sober. She is a certified self-love coach, executive assistant, dedicated mother, a grateful recovering alcoholic, empath, and founder of The Soul Project. Tami has combined these passions and skillsets to support those who are seeking deeper self-awareness, understanding, and growth. Her mission is to empower and heal the lives of women who have lived and experienced trauma, addiction, and self-sabotage behaviors.
Tami teaches women to heal themselves through spiritual practices, meditation, intuitive eating, removing limited beliefs, habits, and any blocks that hold them back from living a life they truly deserve. A few years ago, Tami found herself in a very dark place and she turned to drugs and alcohol as a means to escape the harsh reality of a failing marriage, deteriorating mental health, depression, and childhood traumas that had always followed her. In essence, she hated herself and made bad decisions repeatedly, continuously waking up with anxiety, guilt, and shame.
For years, it was a continuous vicious cycle of self- sabotage, low self-esteem, and toxic relationships. Tami was completely emotionally and spiritually bankrupt, and never thought she could find the strength inside to change her life around. She doesn’t remember the moment when something switched in her; that moment she was finally done living in pain. She just knew she needed help, that she had problem and something needed to change.
On her own self-love journey, she has discovered the beautiful parts of her that had been locked away for years.
David Elstone, RPF, is a professional forester and a highly-regarded industry expert with over 25 years of experience within the forest sector. Recently David has served as Executive Director of the Truck Loggers Association (TLA), advocating on behalf of the British Columbia forest industry's supply chain. Before the TLA, David worked for 10 years as a senior analyst for ERA Forest Products Research, focusing on the global forest products markets to advise institutional investors and governments.
Based on his extensive knowledge of the forest products sector, David is inspired to help solve the many real-world problems facing this sector. David has a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Science in forestry from the University of British Columbia.
David's company - Spar Tree Group - aims to support the decision-making processes of the many and varied supplier and service providers that form the supply chain for the forest industry. They provide analysis, lobbying and strategic advice services to business owners, boards of directors, senior level executives, government leadership (First Nations, municipal, provincial and federal), regulatory agencies, trade associations and investors.
David's VIEW FROM THE STUMP NEWSLETTER is a highly popular and respected resource, offering timely and thoughtful analysis, editorial views, as well as various information pertaining to the BC forest industry, conveniently summarized all in one document, published 8x per year:
Contact: David Elstone, RPF Managing Director
Email: david@spartreegroup.com
www.linkedin.com/in/david-elstone-45934784/
VIEW FROM THE STUMP: https://bit.ly/ViewFromTheStump
As a teenager Brian Fehr began his career working in sawmills across Northern British Columbia. In 1983, in partnership with his father Ike and brother David, he founded a sawmill maintenance and construction company called the BID Group. Over a period of 40 years, the Fehr family transformed the BID Group into a billion-dollar company with thousands of employees from rural communities across Canada.
As an innovator, Brian concentrates on finding solutions within natural resources and renewable energy sectors. His company developed an automatic lumber grading system to improve productivity. In his sawmills, Brian transformed equipment maintenance practices, increased worker safety and improved efficiency with his predictive maintenance program. Under his direction, the BID Group subsidiary DelTech led the development of innovative biomass energy systems to lower energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2018, Brian was awarded the Order of British Columbia for his contribution to helping sustain and grow northern communities in British Columbia. In 2019 the Brian Fehr Group was formed with the goal of building a portfolio of innovative businesses in the forest products, construction and renewable energy sectors.
Mike Bernier was elected MLA for Peace River South in 2013, 2017, and 2020. Mike is currently the Shadow Minister for Forests. In the past, he has served as Minister of Education, and as Parliamentary Secretary for Energy Literacy and the Environment for the Minister of Environment. He has also served on the Cabinet Committee on Strong Economy.
Before being elected to the Legislature in 2013, Mike served as mayor of Dawson Creek, elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2011. He also served as a Dawson Creek city councillor from 2005 to 2008. Mike is the past president of the North Central Local Government Association.
He has also served on the Peace River Regional District, B.C. Mayors Climate Leadership Council, Community Energy Association, Council of Resource Community Mayors, Northeast Regional Advisory Committee, Site C Regional and Local Government Liaison Committee, Northern Development Initiative Trust, and the South Peace Economic Development Commission.
Mike has lived in Dawson Creek since 1993 and has 20 years of experience in the natural gas industry.
Kevin Falcon is the Official Opposition Leader for the BC Liberal Party, elected leader in February 2022. He was then elected as MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena on April 30, 2022.
Prior to this, Falcon was elected MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale in 2001, a position he held until 2013.
He was born and raised on the North Shore and he graduated from SFU and the Real Estate Program at UBC.
When he was first elected, Falcon was one of the youngest MLAs to serve in cabinet. In his twelve years at the cabinet table, Falcon held a number of senior Cabinet roles including Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Health and Minister of Deregulation.
As Transportation Minister, he oversaw the completion of signature projects including the Canada Line, Sea to Sky Highway upgrades, Kicking Horse Canyon Bridge and the new Port Mann Bridge, to name a few.
During his time as Health Minister, BC was recognized as a leader in wait time reduction along with shepherding a 35% decrease in prescription drug costs.
After leaving politics, Falcon took on the role as Executive Vice President for Anthem Capital and served on the boards of several non-profits including Canuck Place, Lions Gate Hospital Foundation and the Street-to-home Foundation, an organization working to house the homeless on the Downtown Eastside.
He lives in North Vancouver with wife Jessica and two daughters, Josephine and Rose, and cats, Lucky and Feather.
In 2006 Sarrah made the Village of Fraser Lake in North Central BC her home after a lengthy stay in Prince George BC for almost 24 years.
Sarrah has a background in Business and Marketing and landed a role in her 20s as the manager of recreation for a municipality which started her on her journey in municipal politics.
In 2018 as a Municipal Councillor, Sarrah started departing her many other jobs to run for Mayor. She was employed with the College of New Caledonia as the Community Adult Literacy Program Coordinator, Executive Director for the Better at Home Program Rural & Remote Pilot Project and was the Nechako Literacy Coordinator through Decoda.
Currently she works for United Way BC and in a unique role as a Regional Community Developer under Population Health oversees the Healthy Aging Programs in the North that help seniors age in place.
Sarrah believes in supporting activities that provide opportunities for social development, wellness and mental health as well as those that contribute to making the communities of BC an even better place to live.
In her spare time Sarrah is an active volunteer and enjoy’s coordinating events for many projects, and in 2013 co-founded the Autumn Services Seniors Centre which is a registered charity and also created a food share program, she dubbed the centre a Community Social and Service Centre so all ages could work on social isolation and support older adults aging and community wellness together.
Sarrah has served 3 terms on the Village of Fraser Lake Council. In November of 2018 she was elected as Mayor of the Village of Fraser Lake and was acclaimed again as Mayor in 2022.
Sarrah serves as director on the Regional district Bulkley Nechako and is currently serving as director with the Union Of British Columbia Municipalities for her 3rd year. She served on the North Central Local Government Association for 5 years including as president in 2020 and is back on NCLGA as an appointee this year for year 6. Sarrah was also just made president of the Northern Medical Programs Trust and Serves on the Northern Development Initiative Trust.
For fun, Sarrah thoroughly enjoys the outdoors, as an avid outdoors woman who loves hunting, golfing, fishing, kayaking, rock collecting and organizing and playing in slow-pitch tournaments and volunteering her time teaching the youth how to play ball.
Sarrah believes it takes doing more than your share to make a community healthy, vibrant and strong and wants to leave the world better than she found it, making sure her children and the future generations have a great BC to grow up in.
For the past five years, Cristian Silva Zuniga has been a member of Team Rubicon (Canada and International), a veteran-led disaster response organization, which has enabled him to assist people on their worst days - locally, nationally and internationally.
On the international front, this past year Cristian travelled with this organization as TRI Lead in a project with US SOUTHCOM, the mission was called Resolute Sentinel and took place in the northern reaches of Guatemala. The goal of the mission was to support the (Guatemala) Ministry of Health and the Guatemala government in providing medical/dental clinics, engineers, and training.
Once home from this mission, Cristian felt there were some gaps that needed additional support - the major gap being access to clean water. Cristian rallied local support from friends, family members, and colleagues across Canada and with their generous support, made his way back to Guatemala on two separate occasions, bringing a combined 400 water filtration kits. As a result of the support, Cristian and his team were able to provide access to clean water and training on the care of these kits for 400 families for up to three years.
Coming home after the last trip to Guatemala, Cristian set to work with the support of colleagues to establish a not for profit - Aketzali Izamal Access to Clean Water Society - with the purpose to work with communities to ensure access to sustainable clean drinking water in rural and isolated regions of Central America. The aim is to improve health outcomes, access to education, and empower vulnerable individuals in the communities.
Jan Hedberg is a professional forester in Sweden and owner of the company Skogsresor.
In this episode, John Brink and Jan Hedberg spend time comparing the Sweden and British Columbia forest industries.
Since 2002, SKOGSRESOR offers well-organized themed trips across the world with a forest connection. They increase Swedish residents’ global knowledge of FORESTS & WOOD as well as agricultural activities through visits to the world's most interesting forest areas. They’ve made several trips to British Columbia and Brink Forest Products throughout the years.
SKOGSRESOR has the goal of creating meetings between people interested in forests and wood in the travel group and in different countries. They tour participants to add/expand the value of the forest on their forest properties and in forest work. Increasing awareness of forests as an environmentally friendly, renewable resource for Swedish and the global future is one of their most important goals.
SKOGSRESOR is coming back to Canada in August 2023.
There is also a Shaw Spotlight interview with Jan Hedberg available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dl95TWqJnc
Peter Legge lives his life dream as an internationally acclaimed professional speaker, a bestselling author and as Chairman & CEO of the largest, independently owned media publishing company in Western Canada – Canada Wide Media.
Controlling a network of over 25 magazines, in addition to providing a diverse range of media services and products with over $15 million in annual sales, Peter is a living legacy of one of Canada’s true entrepreneurial success stories. Peter travels worldwide speaking to organizations of varying industries. His presentations are based on his everyday experiences as a community leader, husband, father and CEO. T
oastmasters International voted Peter “Golden Gavel Award Winner” and “Top Speaker in North America” and both the National Speakers Association and the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers have inducted him into the Speakers Hall of Fame. Peter is the recipient of two honorary doctorate degrees presented to him in 2003 by Simon Fraser University and in 2009 by Royal Roads University.
Peter also received an Honorary Doctorate of Technology in 2010 from the British Columbia Institute of Technology and in 2013 was presented with an Honorary Fellow by Douglas College. Peter has published 23 bestselling books; the latest is Under The Influence.
Other notable titles include The Runway of Life, The Power of Tact, Lunch with Joe and The Power of Tenacity, The Courage of Leadership and the Strength of Character. His books have motivated thousands of people towards positive change.
Peter is a community leader, tirelessly devoting his time to many worthwhile organizations. In recognition, he was notably honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and was presented with The Nido Qubein Philanthropist of the Year Award in Atlanta Georgia in 2005. In 2008, for his lifelong commitment to serving the community, Peter received the province’s highest award, the Order of British Columbia.
Peter wholeheartedly believes in community service. He is a lifelong supporter of many charities, including Variety – The Children’s Charity, the Canadian Red Cross and he serves as an ambassador of Variety Club International. Publisher of BCBusiness magazine, Peter is a mentor and an influential leader in the local business community, as well as a past chairman of the Vancouver Board of Trade. Peter has also made “giving” a cornerstone of his company’s corporate culture.
Learn more about Canada Wide Media Limited, which has fundraised and donated millions of dollars to charitable causes, by visiting: www.canadawide.com
Riley Banzer is the Founder and Owner of Olympus Freerunning, Prince George's first and only Parkour Training Facility.
Parkour is the discipline of moving your body from point A to point B in the fastest most efficient way possible. It is the activity and culture of practicing to pass/overcome obstacles or structures. Parkour can be a fun activity to get in shape or a discipline to challenge your body and mind. It consists of, but is not limited to these basic locomotor abilities: running, jumping, climbing, crawling, vaulting, swinging (brachiating), and rolling.
Riley is an amateur Parkour/Ninja athlete, aspiring serial entrepreneur and motivational speaker. His ongoing hope is to use his mental toughness, energy, and natural abilities to help as many people as he can to get what they are after in their lives.
Learn more about Olympus Freerunning, located at 1741 Nicholson Street, by visiting www.olympusfreerunning.ca
Dr. Tracey Lotze is a family doctor providing primary care to a large variety of patients. Rather than being a specialist, she provides general care, specifically in taking care of a family’s healthcare. As such, she has the capability to offer comprehensive medical services for different members of the family, regardless of their sex or age on a continuous basis. Tracey is a cancer survivor and major advocate of ADHD awareness; she is a member of the Wheelin’ Warriors of the North and continues to help support the BC Cancer Foundation.
Originally from South Africa, Tracey splits her time between Prince George and Kelowna. Dr. Boxtart has been in private practice since 2002, co-founding the Northern Centre for Integrative Medicine, a multidisciplinary practice and the largest of its kind in Northern British Columbia. Dr Boxtart’s practice focus is chronic musculoskeletal pain and sports injury, along with BHRT in men’s health.
Dr. Boxtart has served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors for six years, three of those years as the Chairman of the Board. During that position he chaired both the Canadian Naturopathic Coordinating Council and the Canadian Naturopathic Foundation. As a component of these posts, he has been involved in bylaw review under the Canada Not-For-Profit Act and regulatory review and implementation of the Regulated Health Practitioners Act in both BC and Ontario. Dr. Boxtart received the Dr. Verna Hunt Award for his service to the profession.
Dr. Boxtart held Adjunct Faculty of Medicine positions with the University of Northern British Columbia in the Northern Medical Program for 9 years, working with new students in the Undergraduate Medical Program, introducing them to medical sociology and Naturopathic Medicine.
Dr. Boxtart remains a guest speaker at the UNBC Northern Medical Program discussing the challenges and merits of the integration of complementary medicine into the mainstream. In addition to private practice, Dr. Boxtart was the Team Lead for British Columbia for the Pure North S’Energy Foundation between 2012 to 2016. Pure North is a unique health care not-for-profit organization that provides primary prevention medical services focused on nutritional and lifestyle interventions to vulnerable populations throughout western Canada. In this capacity, Dr. Boxtart supervised the work of medical, para-medical and support staff providing care for over 20,000 patients in multiple centres across British Columbia.
Joan Atkinson moved to Mackenzie with her husband and two sons in 1997 and boasts there is no place she would rather live. Both of Joan’s sons and her husband, Jim, work in the Forest Industry in the area, so Joan recognizes the importance of maintaining a strong forest economy in our community.
As the Mayor of Mackenzie, Joan is very enthusiastic about the opportunities of good paying jobs, affordable housing and a great quality of life that Mackenzie can offer to families and young persons. She is also committed to ensuring the Senior Community in Mackenzie enjoy the respect and support that is due them. Joan has been a member of Mackenzie's Council since 2007.
Joan’s involvement in the community has been vast and varied and she has been recognized as Volunteer of the Year. Joan sees the role of Council of being one that moves the community into the future, with strong fiscal management, good governance and exploration of all opportunities that are available to Mackenzie.
Joan is committed to ensuring Mackenzie is a safe, attractive and healthy community that people are proud to call home.
Paz Milburn and Peter Weedon are the Lead Organizers of the bi-annual Boogie With The Stars fundraiser. Boogie with the Stars (BWTS) is part of a fun filled, New Year’s Eve Dinner and Dance held at the Civic Centre in Prince George every two years.
The evening is primarily one of music and dance for everybody, with an excellent dinner, great entertainment, together with a fundraiser for local charities. The competition segment of the evening is based on the model of the very successful TV show, “Dancing with the Stars” – and they put a cast of local celebrities and people of notoriety together with local dance instructors for a dance competition like no other in Prince George.
Each couple will perform a magnificent dance routine of their choice in front of the Civic Centre crowd. This year's fundraising event is set for New Year’s Eve on Saturday, December 31st, 2022. It has been twelve years since Peter and Paz put together the first event.
They have decided on the theme, “The Roaring 20’s”, and tickets can be purchased online at www.boogiewiththestars.ca
Rob Schuetz is the President of Industrial Forestry Service (IFS), which is one of the largest natural resource consulting firms operating in British Columbia for the forestry, bioenergy, oil & gas, and mining sectors.
Rob is past-president of the Society of Consulting Foresters of British Columbia. He specializes in the analysis of fibre supplies throughout BC and Alberta and has spent over 25 years consulting to the natural resource industries.
In this regard he has undertaken due-diligence assessments of biomass fuel plans in support of over 50 proposed bioenergy projects; log supplies in support of sawmill acquisitions, economic assessments of the impact of a mountain pine beetle epidemic on timber supplies across Canada; delivered log cost optimization analysis to multiple delivery points and sawmill operating rate forecasts.
Rob graduated with a B.Sc. in Forestry from the University of Toronto in 1987. Jim Girvan is a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) who has dedicated over four decades of his life to the British Columbia forest industry. Jim's name is synonymous across North America in respect to fibre supply forecasting and the varied lobby efforts on the part of independent timber harvesting contractors, consultants, forest licensees, and investors.
Residing in Ladysmith. BC, Jim is a recipient of the Distinguished Forest Professional Award from the Association of BC Forest Professionals. He has previously served as Executive Director of the Truck Loggers Association of BC, and has advocated for the forest industry through various articles and speaking engagements.
Girvan earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is the author of the book '𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝑯𝒂𝒅 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏,' which is available online at https://bit.ly/JimGirvanBook. Completing his MBA led Jim into boardrooms in the corporate world where he worked as a commercial lender at one of Canada’s big banks, a wood supply analyst at a major pulp and paper company, and a lobbyist with a major logging association before returning to consulting work for the balance of his career.
In his spare time, Girvan served on numerous committees and councils related to safety, stumpage and forestry education. Girvan now works independently as an industry consultant, and is looking to retire soon. He looks forward to enjoying his time on his property raising dogs with his wife, Tracey.
Finn Scott-Neff hails from the north coast of California and is the President of the UNBC Forestry Club. He is also a very talented musician. Finn got his start playing with the Humboldt Music Academy fiddlers and has played fiddle and classical throughout his childhood. Finn employs his passion for music and personal growth to his daily life and as guest performer with a multitude of other acts, and is stoked to be playing in The Ebbs.
Brooklynn Bach is finishing her last semester of forestry at UNBC. She has been a member of the UNBC Forestry Club since 2018 and has been on the event planning team for more than a year. Brooklynn was born and raised in Northern British Columbia and loves being able to attend university in the north, as well as apply her knowledge and experience in forestry here. Brooklynn has had the opportunity to work in the forest industry in Fort St James, Vanderhoof and Prince George. After graduation, she will shortly be heading to Dawson Creek. In her free time, Brooklynn enjoys snowboarding, playing hockey, camping, and spending lots of time with her family.
Doug Bell is the President and CEO of Northern Lights Estate Winery (Canada’s largest fruit winery) and chair of the Family Fast Group of Companies.
Doug has been a part of Prince George since 1988, and to say he is invested in his community is an understatement. This young difference maker is committed to excellence in the city and is involved in a substantial amount of events, causes and activities that drive Prince George Forward.
Doug has volunteered his time for a variety of committees at the University of Northern British Columbia, coached local high school sports teams, and was a driving force behind the creation of Prince George’s annual Climb for Cancer. Doug previously served on the Board of Directors for Initiatives Prince George, before joining Tourism Prince George to serve on their Board of Directors.
Learn more about Doug and Northern Lights Estate Winery at www.northernlightswinery.ca
To listen to the full podcast on Spotify, please visit: https://bit.ly/JohnBrinkSpotify
Jim Girvan is a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) who has dedicated over four decades of his life to the British Columbia forest industry. Jim's name is synonymous across North America in respect to fibre supply forecasting and the varied lobby efforts on the part of independent timber harvesting contractors, consultants, forest licensees, and investors.
Residing in Ladysmith. BC, Jim is a recipient of the Distinguished Forest Professional Award from the Association of BC Forest Professionals. He has previously served as Executive Director of the Truck Loggers Association of BC, and has advocated for the forest industry through various articles and speaking engagements.
Girvan earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is the author of the book '𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝑯𝒂𝒅 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏,' which is available online at https://bit.ly/JimGirvanBook.
Completing his MBA led Jim into boardrooms in the corporate world where he worked as a commercial lender at one of Canada’s big banks, a wood supply analyst at a major pulp and paper company, and a lobbyist with a major logging association before returning to consulting work for the balance of his career. In his spare time, Girvan served on numerous committees and councils related to safety, stumpage and forestry education.
Girvan now works independently as an industry consultant, and is looking to retire soon. He looks forward to enjoying his time on his property raising dogs with his wife, Tracey.
As a professional disc golf competitor, Chris Hartmann is one of the top 25 rated players in Canada and has played well over 100 courses in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Chris was a member of Team Canada who won gold at the WFDF World Team Disc Golf Championships in 2017 in England. He again represented Canada at the event in Estonia in 2019, and in Croatia in 2022 where the team secured the bronze medal.
Chris is sponsored by Innova Disc Golf and represents AceRunners and Ready Disc Golf. He has competed in over 90 Professional Disc Golf Association sanctioned events, including numerous World Championships and U.S. National Tour events.
As top Canadian at the Canadian Championships in 2018 at Hillcrest Farm in PEI, he qualified for, and subsequently competed in the United States Disc Golf Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Chris has a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology from Western Washington University. He has held coaching certification in four different sports and is currently the head coach of Canada’s first collegiate disc golf program at Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C. He has a passion for course design and bringing disc golf into mainstream recreational programming.
Chris is excited about the opportunity to bring this emerging sport to Trinity Western University Athletics and to help grow the sport in colleges and universities across Canada. He is also pleased that young disc golfers will have an opportunity to incorporate their sport into their university experience and benefit from The Complete Champion Approach™.
Chris is one of two partners in INdesign Disc Golf, a company passionate about designing, and consulting on, new disc golf courses. He is Director with the society that built and now maintains Raptors Knoll DIsc Golf Park in Langley.
Chris and his wife, Donna, reside in White Rock, British Columbia.
Learn more at https://www.indesigndiscgolf.ca/
Vova Pluzhnikov is a Ukrainian citizen who moved to Prince George in 2016 to play basketball for the UNBC Timberwolves. On March 8, 2022, Vova organized the highly successful RUN FOR UKRAINE fundraiser.
This event brought the community of Prince George together to run 44 Kilometres as a tribute to the 44 Million Ukrainian citizens facing war and times of uncertainty. The event raised more than $76,500 for the Red Cross relief mission, helping an estimated 10 million Ukrainians displaced by the war.
Prior to coming to Canada, Vova played professional basketball in the Ukraine and studied at Kharkiv University. Vova graduated from the University of Northern British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and currently works in the finance industry with the Royal Bank of Canada.
If you would like to support Vova's fundraising efforts for Ukraine, please visit https://bit.ly/SupportVova
Sheldon Clare holds a Master of Arts degree in military history from Norwich University at Northfield, Vermont, and a Bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He teaches history and English at the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, BC.
Sheldon is active in the Prince George community and has served two terms as the president of the local Royal Canadian Legion. He spent time as a reserve officer teaching cadets and also qualified as a military parachutist and is a recipient of the Special Service Medal with NATO bar and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Sheldon is an active mountaineer and is a past three term chair of the Prince George Section of the Alpine Club of Canada. He was a volunteer for the Canada Winter Games and Race Director for the Northern Hardware Prince George Centennial Canoe Race.
Sheldon was elected President of Canada’s National Firearms Association in June 2010. Prior to that he served as BC Branch President of the National Firearms Association for 11 years, and was a director and area representative of the NFA for several years before that. Sheldon is also past president of the Prince George Rod and Gun Club.
Sheldon resides with his family in Prince George, BC and continues to play an instrumental role in the annual Remembrance Day ceremonies on November 11th. If you would like to support the Prince George Legion, please visit https://legion43pg.ca/
Jana Phillips is a Prince George difference maker who has been involved in a variety of community-enriching endeavours throughout the decades, including:
1) Movie Producer and Casting Director.
2) Lead Organizer of the annual Mr. PG Pageant.
3) Owner of Jana Phillips Agency.
4) Executive Director of Mardi Gras Snow Daze.
5) Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society Retail Stores Manager.
Jana is married to her husband Alan and they have four kids. This year, Jana will be performing in Boogie With The Stars with her daughter on New Year’s Eve.
Jana recently took on a new managerial position with Prince George Hospice, leading their two retail stores in the community. Just in time for the holiday season!
Jana is a prolific fundraiser for numerous charity events throughout the region. More recently, Jana finished FIRST PLACE (tied with Jason Keller) in the 2022 Prince George Hospice Dream Home celebrity ticket-selling fundraiser in the Nechako View Subdivision this past August.
Podcast link: https://bit.ly/JanaPhillipsPodcast
Pat Bell is an entrepreneur located in Prince George and former British Columbia Cabinet Minister, who served three terms in the BC Legislature and held a number of high profile positions with the Provincial Government.
This included Minister of State for Mining, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, Minister of Forests and Range, and Minister of Agriculture. During Pat's influential time in politics, he also helped produce a 32-page document with the BC Liberals titled "Generating More Value from Our Forests: A Vision and Action Plan for Further Manufacturing."
A link to this 32-page document, which is discussed during this podcast episode, can be found here: http://johnabrink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/generating_more_value_from_our_forests.pdf
Entrepreneurially, Pat has been a Development Partner with Northern Lights Estate Winery since 2014 and a franchisee for Wendy’s Restaurant in Prince George since 1988. Recently, Pat and his team received approval to open up their third Wendy's in Williams Lake, B.C.
Throughout the years, Pat has owned a variety of businesses in British Columbia, ranging from logging and trucking to hospitality and, of course, the British Columbia's most northerly winery. In addition, Pat is the former Executive Vice President of Conifex Timber Inc.
Rob Schuetz is the President of Industrial Forestry Service (IFS), which is one of the largest natural resource consulting firms operating in British Columbia for the forestry, bioenergy, oil & gas, and mining sectors.
Rob is past-president of the Society of Consulting Foresters of British Columbia. He specializes in the analysis of fibre supplies throughout BC and Alberta and has spent over 25 years consulting to the natural resource industries.
In this regard he has undertaken due-diligence assessments of biomass fuel plans in support of over 50 proposed bioenergy projects; log supplies in support of sawmill acquisitions, economic assessments of the impact of a mountain pine beetle epidemic on timber supplies across Canada; delivered log cost optimization analysis to multiple delivery points and sawmill operating rate forecasts.
Rob graduated with a B.Sc. in Forestry from the University of Toronto in 1987.
Learn more at www.industrialforestry.ca
Catherine Hansen-McCarthy has one of the most recognizable faces – and voices – in Northern British Columbia, who is currently the Executive Producer of CBC Daybreak North.
In addition to being a longtime Prince George resident and community champion, Catherine is also a national award-winning broadcaster with more than two decades of experience working in journalism.
Catherine is a graduate of BCIT's Broadcast Journalism program. She has had stints at CKWL in Williams Lake, and CJCI (now Vista radio) in Prince George before moving to CKPG, where she worked for 18+ years.
At CKPG (Pattison Media), Catherine has held every job in the newsroom from reporter to anchor to producer, leading and sharing her knowledge with others. While not at work, she is a voice, dance and speech arts coach, adjudicator and performer, with a diploma from the Music Theatre program at Sheridan College.
Catherine is an avid volunteer in the community of Prince George and lead singer of the popular band PINK CHAMPANGE. She enjoys cycling, running and hiking (especially Mount Pope).
Learn more about Catherine and CBC Daybreak North by visiting https://bit.ly/DayBreakNorth
Follow Catherine on Twitter at https://twitter.com/cathhansen
Kyla Wilhelmsen was a participant in the City of Prince George's Titans’ Den competition back in November 2021. Kyla pitched a business idea, which was the only one that received full support from every single Titan, including John Brink.
Kyla’s business idea turned into the storefront launch of Homespun Refillery, which celebrated its grand opening in April 2022 on 4th and Dominion in downtown Prince George. Founded in 2020 as a small home-based business, Homespun Refillery is a one-stop local option for sustainable and clean-living essentials for northerners who want a convenient, low waste alternative to big box shopping, so they can live cleaner and healthier, while reducing plastic waste.
Kyla started Homespun Refillery out of a desire to help the environment by reducing the use of common plastic packing waste and single use containers. Recycling is an option in Prince George and other communities in central and northern BC, but she wanted to do more, so she started selling eco-friendly products packaged in mason jars online.
Kyla purposefully chose her storefront because she wants to be part of bringing people to the downtown as she believes it’s important to keep the downtown thriving because it’s the core of the city. So she found the perfect location next to other small, locally owned and operated businesses and got to work transitioning her business from home-based to a brick-and-mortar location.
Homespun Refillery has received overwhelming support from the community since beginning operations online and following the opening of its doors at its new permanent location. Kyla had no idea she would meet so many like-minded people in Prince George who want to make changes to their consumption habits, reduce their waste and use more eco-friendly products at home.
Now that she has a brick-and-mortar location in the downtown, Kyla is able to foster more partnerships and support local makers. She sells a variety of locally made products in her store that complement her offerings. Homespun Refillery recently won a PG Chamber Business Excellence Award for the category of ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP AWARD. Kyla has past experience in banking, spending 11 years with Integris Credit Union, and also specializes in meditation and mindfulness facilitation.
Learn more about Homespun Refillery at www.homespunrefillery.com
Or follow Kyla and her small business on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homespun.refillery (@homespun.refillery)
Christine Midgley moved to Prince George from Brantford, Ontario in 2020.
Since her arrival to Prince George, Christine helped create and produce one of the most successful television segments in Northern BC history with the launch of CKPG Today, a daily lifestyle television program.
CKPG Today is a weekday community and lifestyles show that is all about Northern BC, showcasing the outdoors, food, fashion, adventure, fitness and all the fun things to do in and around the community.
Christine recently joined the marketing and communications team at the College of New Caledonia. She also played an instrumental role in the inaugural season of the PG Kodiaks Football Club as their official emcee for home games at Masich Place Stadium.
Christine has a passion for performing arts, aquatics, skiing, planets, animal welfare and has been in two movies over the past three years: Big Food Bucket List (2019) and A Great North Christmas (2021).
Follow Christine's journey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/christinemidgley (@christinemidgley)
Roy Stewart, Q.C. practices law in Prince George and first became involved in public life by being elected as a School Board Trustee in 1981 and remained on that board until 1988. He was chair of the board from 1984. At the same time, he was the Canadian Bar Cariboo Representative on the Provincial Counsel from 1981 to 1987.
In 1988 Roy Stewart joined the Interior University Society as a director and became president of that ground-breaking society in 1989. He guided the Society until the University of Northern British Columbia was officially created by Act of the Legislature in 1992.
The Provincial Government appointed him as the first president of the UNBC Foundation in 1992 for a three-year term. In 1998 Roy Stewart led a group of lawyers in their quest to have the new Court House developed in Prince George. It is a solid development in the Downtown area.
In private practice, Roy Stewart was the solicitor for the City of Prince George for 20 years, until 2001. In that role, he advised the City of Prince George on all matters. In addition, he acted as solicitor for the Regional District of Fraser Fort George, the District of Mackenzie, and other local governments.
In 1992-1993, Roy was chair of the Fund-Raising committee of UNBC, and developed a fund-raising plan, entitled North to the Future, which was presented to the Board and adopted by UNBC in 1993. The object of that plan was to create an endowment for academic positions and student support and enlisted the support of communities, colleges, and businesses located primarily in North Central British Columbia.
As a director and now as president of the Prince George Symphony Orchestra (PGSO), Roy makes it his mission to get the finances of that organization under control and to develop a legacy fund to stabilize income for the future. He believes the PGSO is the premiere cultural asset of the City of Prince George.
Roy is a former CITIZEN OF THE YEAR recipient (1990) and has always regarded education as the key to a thriving democracy and has been active in this area all of his life. Roy has been an active member of the Prince George Golf & Curling Club for 46 years and was awarded an Honourary Doctorate of Laws Degree from the University of Northern British Columbia in 2017.
City Councillor Terri McConnachie is running to become the next mayor of Prince George. She officially announced her campaign with a kick-off event at the Knowledge Garden at the Prince George Public Library in September 2022.
McConnachie has been a resident of Prince George for over 40 years. She grew up in the Hart area and after graduating from Kelly Road Secondary School (Shas Ti Kelly Road Secondary), she met and married her high school sweetheart, Kevin, and together they have raised three children.
Terri was the general manager of the Prince George Exhibition (British Columbia Northern Exhibition) for seven years and built a career in the not-for-profit sector.
She is currently the executive officer for the Canadian Homebuilders’ Association of Northern B.C., promoting the interests of consumers and representing the residential construction industry which includes trades, builders, renovators, suppliers, and other sector service professionals and businesses. She currently serves as a trustee for the Prince George Public Library, a director for the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and is a member of the Nechako Rotary Club.
McConnachie has been a Prince George City Councillor since 2014, which she says has required her to draw on her leadership experience to support residents and businesses through the wildfires of recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges that Prince George faces today.
Learn more about Terri McConnachie at www.terriformayor.ca
Or on her Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/TerriForMayorPrinceGeorge Voters will hit the polls for the municipal election on Oct. 15.
Erica McLean is an intellectually gifted and highly optimistic local educator and Cross-Fit athlete who grew up on the Gitxsan First Nation, several hundred kilometres west of Prince George.
After years of working as an Indigenous education worker and community school coordinator, Erica McLean is now running for a seat on School District No. 57’s board of education as a Trustee. She was also named the Brink Group Athlete of the Month in the summer of 2021. Erica received her undergraduate degree and master’s degree (Education, Leadership and Administration) from the University of Northern British Columbia.
Erica cares greatly about the well-being and education of our children and school district. She feels it is in a challenging position right now. Erica spent many years in her profession connecting dots to spark collaboration and intends to do exactly that as a Trustee.
Erica worked in SD57 from 2012 to 2022 as an Indigenous Education Worker and Community School Coordinator, working in over thirty elementary and secondary schools. On Oct. 15 voters will have to elect five trustees to represent Prince George Board of Education.
Learn more about Erica at https://bit.ly/EricaMcLeanTrustee
Ivan Paquette's entertainment career began after moving to Vancouver in the mid-80s and he soon appeared in the original MacGyver series, 21 Jump Street, Black Stallion series, Border Town and made other appearances on television shows and movies.
As his success grew something in his spirit was calling him back to Prince George. During those years he would go back and forth to Vancouver developing his music and publishing songs. He was invited to help gather information from the Indigenous youth to help inform the public of the plight of the Indigenous people in the North. Using the Medicine Wheel teachings, Paquette created the model.
The BC United Metis Youth Circle was born, which is now known as Metis Youth BC. It was the healing piece; it was engaging the youth to help them see for themselves their future. That mentality of killing the Indian in the child in residential schools had to be washed away. The template used to form those circles was helping Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and bringing them together.
Paquette always says there is unity in community and that result is what he sees in the drumming circles at UHNBC that have continued every Monday night since the pandemic started. Along with Wes Mitchell, they drummed for 47 consecutive nights when the pandemic arrived in March 2020.
Ivan’s first love is his relationship with God, who gave him the ability to write songs. He wrote his first song at 15yrs old, to started playing guitar to accompany his songwriting that was getting attention and recognition and landing him a publishing contract in 1996. Ivan has a large repertoire of music and lyrics, includes Gospel, Country, Folk, etc., and many music influences.
Since 1989 Ivan has been instrumental in the Province of British Columbia and CANADA assisting artists and communities. His creative ability he has helped change the landscape in serving the arts community, creating successful government programs and services, etc. He has served on many boards and committees for many years, including 8 years at the Prince George and District Community Arts Council.
Ivan is a knowledge keeper – facilitator, and is well known for sharing his wisdom to make the world a better place.
‘If you give a person a reason to dream, you give the person a reason to succeed’ – Ivan Paquette
Born and raised in India, Sagar’s passion for international business led him to pursue graduate studies from Cardiff University in the U.K. After completing his MBA in 2009, Sagar returned to India and began Caravan O Herbs, an agriculture-based company with the vision of combatting unethical business practices and unreliable supply chains through corporate social responsibility.
Eventually, Caravan O Herbs carved a niche within India, Europe, and the United States. In 2014, Sagar shifted with his family to Canada and shortly after that joined the University of Northern British Columbia’s Research Office, focusing on partnerships and new initiatives. In 2016, Sagar began a career with School District 91 as their first Partnerships Officer.
In 2020, Sagar joined YELL Canada as the Director of Programs and Operations for Northern B.C. While promoting and nurturing new strategic alliances, Sagar is committed to exploring new sustainable economic growth models within the remote communities of northern British Columbia.
During his years in Northern B.C., Sagar has initiated several programs that continue to generate substantial funding, drive economic development, and create accessible opportunities for rural communities and youth. Two of his self-initiated projects were showcased by the B.C. Government. Sagar is also fondly referred as a “Northern Connector” by his network. Sagar is also an Impact Investor, Co founder of Boreal Sierra Capital and Bucky Technologies, strategic adviser to multiple Startup companies, and a former Executive in Residence for Hub Space in Prince George.
In 2018, Sagar was selected as a Top 40 under 40 by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Sagar plays an active role in many boards and organizations throughout British Columbia; Board member of Women’s Enterprise Centre, Advisory board of Our Satya Foundation, Board member of YMCA of Northern BC, Former board member of Innovation Central Society and former Representative of BC India Business Network.
Learn more at https://www.icubedsummit.com/
Born and raised in Prince George, Alison Hoskins is the Chief Executive Officer at Integris Credit Union and a local community difference maker.
Over the years, Alison has proven herself to be a dedicated volunteer and champion of the region in which she lives, works and loves. Alison’s volunteer history includes sitting as the Treasurer on the Board of the Canada Winter Games 2015 Host Society, as well as a volunteer coach for the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club and the Prince George Youth Soccer Association.
Alison also sits on the Board of Directors for the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT). When Alison is not working for you or volunteering on a race course, she can be found skiing our local mountains or riding her mountain bike with her teenage sons. Learn more about Integris Credit Union and the fine work they do in the region by visiting: www.integriscu.ca
Nearly 50 years ago, Simon Yu immigrated to Prince George from Hong Kong carrying only two suitcases. As a young high school student speaking very little English, he attended Prince George College, a local residential boarding school. As one of only a handful of immigrants in his school, Simon discovered and embraced the cultural diversity of this community.
Simon has since built a legacy and family of six successful children in Prince George. The Yu family name is entrenched in the fabric of this community that touch all areas of the city through their work in teaching, coaching, medicine, business, engineering, and music.
Simon is also a proud grandfather of 8 grandchildren, who all live in Prince George. As a long-time active citizen and volunteer in Prince George, Simon is inspired by the history and aspirations of the people of the great city. Simon arrived in Prince George with nothing, and believes he owes this community everything. Simon Yu keeps a promise of integrity and dedicated public service in every moment.
He is a community leader and business owner. Through his four decades of experience as an instructor at CNC, board of directors of UNBC, Prince George Airport Authority, the Downtown Business Association, and many other community organizations, Simon has forged a strong community vision for Prince George. Simon’s over 30 years of consulting engineering service in Northern B.C. and his instrumental leadership in the 2003 Aceh Post Tsunami housing relief effort have provided him with deep insights and practical solutions to help solve many challenges currently facing Prince George.
Through these experiences and his time as the municipal manager for Rankin Inlet, Nunavut in the late 1980’s Simon gained deep knowledge of municipal administration practices and how to work with senior governments to get things done.
Shannon Keeping has worked with Northern Health for the past 18 years, specializing in mental health counseling, addictions, wellness, crisis intervention, case management, social work and psychiatry.
Shannon is a strong information technology professional with a Bachelor of Social Work degree from UNBC, who also volunteers her time raising money for the BC Cancer Foundation as a member of the Wheelin' Warriors of the North.
An experienced senior leader, Todd Corrigall is a born and raised Torontonian living in Prince George who has spent the previous 15 years in government and media, working in a variety of leadership capacities.
Focused on strategic development, partner engagement, and greater public participation, Todd has worked with Municipalities, Provinces, all three Territorial Governments, and the Senate. As a former business owner and consultant, Todd is a strong advocate for local business, reducing barriers to entry and sustaining a vibrant and diverse business ecosystem in Prince George.
Todd joined the Prince George Chamber of Commerce as their CEO in 2018. With wide budget experience - through my consulting work and direct employment - this local difference maker has helped manage smaller project budgets, all the way to $35M Government budgets.
Nadia Mansour is a Video Journalist with CBC in Prince George. At 19 years old, Nadia is a major up-and-coming difference maker in Northern BC.
As a commerce student at the University of Northern British Columbia, Nadia is a creative, self-motivated individual who has a strong passion for marketing and journalism. Nadia is a strong believer in driving social change and contributing to a better world with the work she does. She strives to solve problems and think critically in both journalism and marketing to produce creative, innovative ideas that will stand out.
Follow Nadia on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-mansour-757523234/
Wesley Mitchell is a community difference-maker located in Prince George, British Columbia. He is one of the UHNBC Monday Night Drum Group founders, a group of determined individuals who met outside the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia for 47 consecutive days after the global pandemic arrived in March 2020. These heroes provided inspiration and hope for hospital patients, frontline workers and healthcare staff.
Since then, Wesley and the UHNBC Traditional Drummers have been drumming outside the hospital every Monday evening (over 130 consecutive weeks and counting!). Wes continues to make an inspiring impact in Prince George and various Northern BC communities and has been recognized by his peers on a local, provincial and federal level.
Wesley spent most of his young adult years in the chaos of a life of addiction. He is now a voice of reason and guidance for those currently struggling with addiction or going through recovery.
It took nine detox stays and attending 10 treatment centres before Wesley finally kicked his drug and alcohol addiction in 2017. He overdosed three times throughout those years of struggle. Wesley is the purest example of resilience, strength and never giving up.
The message he sends through his drum outside the hospital every week is a strong one filled with hope, encouragement and compassion.
Follow along Wesley's current journey by visiting https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesley-mitchell-a144a0209
Watch the full 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 episode with Kyle Sampson at https://bit.ly/KyleSampsonPodcast
Kyle Sampson is a Councillor with the City of Prince George and also manages the marketing, communications, events, sales, community partnerships, and charitable giving for Pacific Western Brewing.
Kyle's public appointment on October 20, 2018 made him the youngest person elected in the history of Prince George’s City Council. Kyle was also named a Top 40 Under 40 in the 2018/19 publication with the Prince George Chamber of Commerce for his accomplishments in business and significant community involvement.
Sampson moved with his family to Prince George in 2002 where he completed his schooling and began a career in Broadcasting and the Entertainment Industry.
After a two year stint in Edmonton, he returned to Prince George in 2013. Currently he In addition, he continues his work as a freelance professional in the entertainment and music industry, and continues to volunteer his time and expertise with a number of local organizations, groups, events, and not-for-profits.
In 2016, Sampson was awarded the Community Ambassador Award at the Prince George Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. In 2017, he received the Above and Beyond Award from Premier John Horgan for his efforts and selflessness in service of the Province in the response to the 2017 Wildfires.
Kyle is also the Lead Organizer of 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗗𝗔𝗠𝗡 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗧, which is running Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13, 2022.
To purchase your tickets, head on over to bit.ly/BestDamnTicketLink2022 and use the promo code "𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙨𝙤𝙣𝟭𝟬" for 10% off your order.
Dr. Johnson is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist who works at the University Hospital of Northern BC. Her education involves studies at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, as well as UVIC in Victoria and UBC in Vancouver. Dr. Jonson is proudly indigenous and from the Carrier-Chilcotin Tribal Council. This is a First Nations tribal council located in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and also on the Fraser River near the city of Quesnel.
Dr Robin Johnson is the founder and Medical Director of Blossom Fertility and Medical Clinic. She is also one of the first Indigenous OBGYNs in Canada. Dr. Johnson discovered joy in women’s health care as a medical student at University of British Columbia where she graduated in 2001. She then went on to train in obstetrics and gynecology at Dalhousie University, completing her training in 2006.
Dr Johnson returned to her home community of Williams Lake to live close to family and friends, later moving to Prince George in 2013. She now works at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia and has a practice that includes general obstetrics and gynecology as well as her special interests in fertility and gender diverse healthcare.
Seeing a need in the community for fertility care closer to home, Dr Johnson opened Blossom Fertility and Medical Clinic in 2019 (https://blossomfertility.ca/).
Dr Johnson enjoys skiing, reading, and baking with her three kids who range from elementary school to college age.
Christine Buemann started as a Mortgage Broker in 2010 and has been investing in real estate throughout Northern British Columbia since 2005. She is passionate about family, mortgages, helping others, reading, travelling and building relationships.
Christine is often commended for her ability to think “outside of the box” and has received numerous awards in her profession. When Christine is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading and exploring outdoors.
Get in touch with Christine at www.christinebuemann.ca or on her social channels (links below).
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineBuemann
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-buemann
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinebuemannmortgage/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbuemann
Blog: https://www.christinebuemann.ca/blog
Sarita Parmar is a business coach, mentor and project manager with Community Futures Fraser Fort George and helps facilitate the LEAP for Women Project. Sarita was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer early 2018. She went through eight rounds of chemotherapy to shrink a lump that she found myself, in addition to several emergency room visits, self injections to help with white blood cell count, a bilateral mastectomy, three “impromptu” surgeries because of an infection, one blood transfusion and over six weeks of daily trips to the hospital for IV therapy and 28 radiation treatments.
Genetic testing also revealed Sarita is BRCA1 positive. Having this gene mutation (a “spelling error” in her DNA) puts Sarita at higher risk for breast and ovarian cancers. After losing her Mom to ovarian cancer, Sarita made the decision to proactively have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed (salpingo-oophorectomy).
Sarita established a very powerful and informative blog called 'My Breast Life' and the blog shares Sarita's story through her love of writing. The blog can be accessed at the following link: https://saritaparmar.com/
Ties Brink is a very curious 20-year old student from TU Delft in The Netherlands. He is the former mayor of 'Madurodam' and is now on their board. In the course of a year, Ties visited over 130 companies to find out what he wanted to study under the name: #baggageinternship.
This highly driven and intellectual young man has a very promising future, as he continues to devote his time, passion and energy (three of our most valuable resources) towards learning from various CEOs, industry experts and community leaders. Ties is now has his own (Dutch) podcast about making the right study decision which is called 'De Studiekeuzecast.'
Connect with Ties online at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiesbrink
In 2019, Alex Mackenzie quit his six-figure pulp mill job in Prince George to chase his dream of becoming a fulltime stand-up comedian. Alex sold his house and bought an RV to travel to gigs across the country with his dog Finley. He is now is now an internationally recognized touring comedian with over 40 million views on his online videos. Mackenzie tours around the world performing in sold out theatres. He’s performed at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, is the Host of the Hungry for Laughs Comedy Tour and his charisma and clever joke writing have gained him rapid popularity online that’s increasing daily with his consistent new content! Learn more about Alex and his incredible journey by visiting www.alextellsjokes.com
Bruce Johnston, P.Eng, has a portfolio and reputation that speak for themselves. He holds designations as a Professional Engineer, Certified Professional, and Red Seal carpenter.
As the Principal and managing partner at Access Engineering in Prince George, BC, he leads multi-discipline design teams, often as the structural lead and coordinating registered professional. He understands that a well-defined design process and effective project management are critical to successfully delivering building developments.
Bruce’s tireless pursuit of knowledge contributes to our high standards. He is a collaborative leader who provides a clear vision for the company and his team. With community as a high importance to Bruce, he has continuously held a position on the Prince George Advisory Committee on Development and Design and completed a two-year term as committee chair. In addition, Bruce can often be found supporting various non-profits and local fundraisers that enrich the community and bring it closer together.
Bruce and his wife Amanda have two kids and are proud to call Prince George home. Bruce is committed to family, his career, bettering the community and is no stranger to physical fitness.
Learn more about Access Engineering at https://accesspg.ca/
Tracy Calogheros was born in Toronto and has been in Prince George since 1992. As CEO of The Exploration Place, which has been closed since March 2020, Tracy and her team have been busy coordinating world-class renovations at the museum, preparing for its grand re-opening in autumn 2022.
Tracy has shown she cares about her community by volunteering on various boards and for community organizations. She exudes integrity by standing up for her beliefs and following through on her promises.
In 2017, Tracy received the Governor General’s Award for History in Community Programs for her work with the Lheidli T’enneh Nation and, in 2006, received the Association of Science and Technology Centres’ award for Experienced Leadership in the Field. Tracy has planted her roots firmly in the north, and is committed to making a difference in her region.
Married with three grown children, Tracy and her husband John share a passion for their community’s heritage and culture by working together at The Exploration Place in Prince George.
Learn more at https://theexplorationplace.com/
Meryeta is an Olympic champion from Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Four years after missing her first chance to compete at the Olympic Games due to injury, in 2018 (South Korea Winter Olympics), Meryeta O’Dine was a double medallist at the Beijing 2022 Olympics. She won bronze in the women’s snowboard cross event and then teamed with Eliot Grondin to win bronze in the first Olympic mixed team snowboard cross event. In the latter, O’Dine was lauded for her effort to get up and finish the final after an Italian competitor landed on her coming off a jump.
O’Dine says she experienced the most difficult year of her life in 2020. Just as the world was shutting down because of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, her brother Brandon lost his battle with cancer. She struggled with anxiety and depression but with lot of self-reflection and sessions with psychologists, she re-learned how to be an Olympic-level athlete.
During the 2017-18 season, O’Dine recorded eight top-10 finishes on the World Cup circuit, which included making one big final and three small finals. She also won two medals with Zoe Bergermann in the women’s team snowboard cross. Named to her first Olympic team, O’Dine unfortunately didn’t get the chance to compete at PyeongChang 2018 when she suffered another concussion during training just two days before her event. She still ended the season ranked a career-best 11th in the World Cup SBX standings.
Having last competed in January 2020, she returned to the World Cup circuit in January 2021. She achieved a personal highlight at the 2021 World Championships where she was fourth-fastest during the qualification round, a sign that she was back to being the athlete she knows she can be. O’Dine won the overall snowboard cross title on the Nor-Am Cup circuit in 2015-16, posting three victories in nine events. She finished a personal best fourth at the 2016 Junior World Championships.
A year earlier O’Dine had enjoyed one of the greatest moments of her career when she won snowboard cross gold at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George. Having turned 18 just days earlier, she had to deal with the pressure of representing her hometown on her home mountain after more than two years of buildup. Her family had put in a lot of labour to prepare the course at Tabor Mountain, which was a great learning experience as she still uses the course to train and develop.
A Little More About Meryeta:
Getting into the Sport: Started snowboard lessons at age 12 but really disliked it; took a full season of twice-a-week lessons to learn to love it… In that first year she only snowboarded at night because she was so embarrassed she didn’t want to be at the hill when it was busy… Slowly introduced to racing in heats, her father suggested competing in the U14 category at national championships; snowboard cross was familiar to her from a background in BMX racing… At 15 won the overall title on the BC provincial tour…
Outside Interests: Enjoys drawing, reading sports science books, yoga… In the off-season enjoys playing beach volleyball, swimming, biking, wakeboarding, and rock climbing… Started her own landscaping company… Supports Prince George Hospice House, which helped her brother as he neared the end of his life and gave her a place to train in their gym…
Odds and Ends: Favourite quote: “Appreciate what you have before time makes you appreciate what you had”… Has a pair of lucky socks… When she first started to travel she collected snow globes from every country she visited; keeps up the habit so that when she’s older she can lay them all out at Christmas…
If you'd like to learn more about Meryeta or purchase some of his amazing apparel, please visit https://www.meryeta.com/
Joel McKay is the CEO of Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT), a regional development corporation focused on stimulating economic growth in Northern British Columbia.
Joel joined NDIT in June 2012, where he handled NDIT's communications, marketing and research. Prior to NDIT, Joel was an assignment editor at Business in Vancouver Newspaper and a journalist specializing in coverage of B.C.’s natural resource industries. Joel is an award-winning public relations professional and journalist.
He is a proud British Columbian with family roots in the Robson Valley. He currently serves on Destination BC’s board of directors and the University of Northern British Columbia's Board of Governors.
Joel, his wife Debra and their two daughters call Prince George home. Learn more about NDIT at www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca
Brooklyn Derksen is a local certified Yoga teacher and Level 1 iRest (Integrative Restoration) Meditation teacher. She has a passion to advocate for Mental Health and Complex Chronic Disease Awareness and to share tools for stress management, mental health support, healing and all around wellbeing.
She was born and raised in Prince George BC, where she currently teaches yoga classes and workshops around releasing stress. She is a proud supporter of the annual Ride Don't Hide event, a fundraising initiative for the Canadian Mental Health Association - Northern BC, where money is raised to bring mental health education and suicide prevention programs to the local community.
For the month of June, she will be offering yoga classes, by donation, at Chinook Yoga Studio to raise funds for this initiative - the classes will be held on Fridays at 5:30pm.
Brooklyn will also be leading a Meditation and Stress Release workshop with live music this weekend, as a collaboration with Chinook Yoga and the Prince George Symphony Orchestra. This event will provide an opportunity for attendees to explore stress management tools and an introduction to the practice of meditation. It is taking place on Sunday May 15th from 3:30-4:30pm at Theatre Northwest.
For information about the Meditation and Stress Release Session please visit: https://bit.ly/MeditationStressReleaseSession
And for more information regarding the upcoming Ride Don't Hide for CMHA please visit: https://cmha.donordrive.com/
Rob Schuetz is the President of Industrial Forestry Service (IFS), which is one of the largest natural resource consulting firms operating in British Columbia for the forestry, bioenergy, oil & gas, and mining sectors..
Rob is past-president of the Society of Consulting Foresters of British Columbia. He specializes in the analysis of fibre supplies throughout BC and Alberta and has spent over 25 years consulting to the natural resource industries.
In this regard he has undertaken due-diligence assessments of biomass fuel plans in support of over 50 proposed bioenergy projects; log supplies in support of sawmill acquisitions, economic assessments of the impact of a mountain pine beetle epidemic on timber supplies across Canada; delivered log cost optimization analysis to multiple delivery points and sawmill operating rate forecasts.
Rob graduated with a B.Sc. in Forestry from the University of Toronto in 1987. Learn more at www.industrialforestry.ca
Donna Flood is the Executive Director of the Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society. She has been a nurse for 36 years and had an opportunity to nurse in various countries around the world.
Donna's most memorable and life-changing experience was her work in Calcutta, where she worked in Mother Teresa’s Hospice and instructed her nuns on nursing practice. This developed her passion for providing care in a different way. Focusing on the individual and understanding that care and compassion are key elements in supporting all people with serious illness.
Donna has been in the position of Executive Director with Hospice since January 2015. Donna is the current president of the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association and is a Director on the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Board. Donna and her husband Frank enjoy living in Prince George with their two teenage children, Mary and Liam.
Learn more at www.pghpcs.ca
Rob van Adrichem is the Director of External Relations at Community Energy Association (CEA). With more than 25 years of experience in higher education and local government, Rob is an experienced executive team member with skills in “advancement” – a way of mobilizing messages and stories, visual identity, and relationships to advance the organization.
As a born-and-raised citizen of Prince George, Rob has a deep understanding of this region and its strengths. During his 23-year tenure with UNBC and six years with the City of Prince George, van Adrichem has helped to raise the profile of both UNBC and the community to an international level, while developing and maintaining strong relationships throughout the province and country with many of the City's key partners.
Rob's experiences, education, and values have exposed him to the complex issues related to the sustainable development of northern, rural, and resource-dependent communities, shaping his interests in the bioeconomy, local leadership, and the aspirations of indigenous communities.
Learn more at www.communityenergy.ca
Dr. Geoff Payne is the President and Interim Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia.
A founding faculty member at the Northern Medical Program, Dr. Payne came to UNBC in June 2004 to teach physiology following a post-doctoral fellowship at Yale University in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and John B. Pierce Laboratory.
Dr. Payne is also currently a Professor with Division of Medical Sciences in the field of vascular physiology. During his time at UNBC, Dr. Payne has served in a number of leadership roles including the inaugural Assistant Dean for Education and Research between 2009-2015 and the founding Director of the UNBC Health Research Institute.
In September 2015, Dr. Payne began his tenure as Interim Vice-President, Research at UNBC. He became Vice-President, Research in March 2018.
In February 2020, the UNBC Board of Governors asked Dr. Payne to take on the role of Interim President, and announced in October 2020 that he will stay in that role until August. 31, 2022.
Dr. Payne holds a PhD from Memorial University of Newfoundland in the field of cardiovascular and renal physiology. He earned his Bachelor of Science in behavioural neuroscience and his Master of Science in neuroscience and pharmacology from Memorial University.
Dr. Payne maintains an active biomedical research program with interests in vascular physiology and inflammation. Dr. Payne has over 40 publications.
In his spare time, Dr. Payne is an active trail runner and completed a number of ultramarathons and three Ironman triathlons.
Jamie Rivard is a commercial banker with TD Canada Trust and a strong advocate for people with disabilities Jamie moved to Prince George in 2012 to pursue her bachelor's degree at the University of Northern British Columbia, completing her 4-year degree in 2 years and 8 months. Jamie is a mother with two children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has a life goal is to spread awareness and acceptance to those whose lives are affected by this developmental disorder. You can find Jamie mountain biking, volunteering, hiking, playing baseball and/or skiing at the Hart Ski Hill.
Craig Briere is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and community-builder who is the CEO of West Coast Hospitality and The Prestige Treasure Cove Resort in Prince George, British Columbia. Craig is also the President of the PG Kodiaks Junior Boys Football Club, which begins its inaugural season in August 2022 at Masich Place Stadium.
Matija Tiani is a local Prince George athlete who has completed over 10 full marathon runs (42.2km), including the Boston Marathon in 2019 (physically) and 2020 (virtually). Matija is a huge advocate for autism awareness and advocacy. She is an Education Assistance with School District 57, where she provides support primarily for students with autism spectrum disorder. Matija has also raised a significant amount of money throughout her marathon runs for Autism Speaks Canada.
As a volunteer, Matija is on the board for the Prince George Road Runners, who just launched their 2022 running season schedule of events. In addition, Matija is a certified UESCA running coach, working with 'We Run The World Coaching.' Matija runs an online blog, which can be found at https://www.runningcoachmatija.com/blog
Paul and Sandra Clermont are the founders and owners of Northern Spirit Transportation (NST). Based in Prince George, the company hit the pavement in the fall of 2005, with a 2 bus fleet and Paul Clermont behind the wheel. Over the past decade, NST has grown from humble beginnings to a thriving and highly successful business.
The company has over 30 employees and operates a variety of vehicles, ranging from full sized highway coaches to specialized industrial units, as well as passenger vans and SUV's.
Learn more at https://www.gonst.ca/
Nikki Smyth and Renee Eliason are the founders of NorthSoulFit, based in Prince George, BC. These two Canadian moms specialize in online health, fitness, wellness and nutrition training and coaching.
You can find Nikki and Renee talking about all things they love from fitness and healthy living to body image, fashion, reviews, try-on hauls and so much more on their social media channels:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/north.soul.fit
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/north.soul.fit
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO-JmUVEE4GOdtByKwrMJwQ
This is a very special podcast with two incredible difference makers in Prince George, British Columbia.
Katie Marren is the District Vice Principal of Indigenous Education in School District 57. Harsh Dhaliwal is a grade 12 high school student at Prince George Secondary School.
Together, along with the District’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC), they took on a major leadership project, denouncing bullying and racism in School District 57.
They produced an impactful and educational video series (four in total, filmed by D. Rigo Media) that deals with racism in local and regional schools.
These videos are titled: 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕｡𝗔｡𝗥: 𝗕𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗦｡
Video #1: https://youtu.be/PyX81hRIVgA
Video #2 https://youtu.be/7Q00FZfoqjM
Video #3 https://youtu.be/1T7P3tRDrLM
Video #4 https://youtu.be/tOKUlkcPNMY
DSAC is a student body comprised of membership from each of SD57's secondary schools, five of which are in Prince George, and works to identify and bring to the attention of the Board of Education Trustees issues and concerns affecting the district’s student population.
Dana Meise is an amazing Prince George resident who holds the world record for enduring the longest hike in history (over 21,000km) that took him 10 years to accomplish. When his father lost the ability to walk, Dana was inspired to hike the entirety of the Trans Canada Trail and began his journey in 2008.
Dana travelled throughout all three Canadian territories and 10 provinces in one of the most epic and wild journeys imaginable on the Trans Canada Trail, becoming the first person in the world to touch the country's three coasts by foot as he journeyed from the Atlantic to the Pacific and finally up to the Arctic Ocean.
In total, Dana went through 27 pairs of hiking boots and finished his extraordinary journey in November of 2018 when he reached Tuktoyaktuk in the arctic. Using his now-intimate knowledge of Canada from coast to coast to coast, he has recently started a podcast and plans to write a book and start a docuseries in the future.
Along the journey, Dana built relationships with Stuart McLean, Walter Gretzky, a very unique adventurer from Belgium and had many experiences with the vast wildlife, wilderness and residents of Canada. Dana truly is the epitome of a passion, strength and determination.
Website: www.thegreathike.ca
Twitter: @thegreathike
Instagram: the.great.hike
Facebook Page: The Great Hike
Email: thegreathike@outlook.com
A Certified Professional Coach and Registered Professional Counsellor, Catherine Pennington operates Momentum Counselling and Coaching Services, her practice in which she specializes in narrative therapy and solution focused coaching.
A Metis woman from northern Saskatchewan, Catherine is passionate about improving employment, health and education outcomes for Indigenous and northern residents, particularly for women and children. A former social worker with extensive experience in family services, community wellness, counselling and social development, Catherine remains driven to ensure social and economic prosperity are extended to all communities through partnerships and inclusion. In her corporate role, Catherine leads a nationally distributed team focused on Community & Indigenous engagement.
Committed to community development Catherine is Vice Chair for the YMCA of Northern BC, Chair for the Prince George Community Foundation, Co-Chair of the National Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund and is the BC Chair of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Leadership Dialogue Program Advisory Council for 2021/2022.
In 2015 Catherine was one of 250 selected emerging leaders to participate in the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference travelling to Nunavut to further experience and study issues of Canadian importance from a northern perspective. In 2019 she participated in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Emerging Leaders Dialogue series in Canada with a focus on global reconciliation and sustainability.
Catherine attained an honors degree from the University of Victoria, graduate studies in counselling at Thompson Rivers University, is a Certified Professional Coach, Certified Professional Counsellor, and holds a diploma in Mediation and Advanced Conflict Resolution from Mount Royal University. She has recently completed a post graduate certificate from the London School of Economics as well an international coaching program with a focus on health.
As a lover of the outdoors and exercise enthusiast BC is the perfect home. When not working, Catherine can be found with her family Nordic skiing, biking or kayaking.
Learn more about Momentum Coaching & Counselling Services at:
Website: https://momentumnow.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momentumcoachingservices
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momentum_coaching_services
Dr. Kathy Lewis is currently Acting Vice President of Research, a Professor and former Chair of the Ecosystem Science and Management Program at UNBC. She teaches courses in forest health and researches the ecological roles of biotic disturbance agents in forests and the influence of management practices and climate change on forest health.
Her services to UNBC include membership on the Board of Governors, the Academic Structure Collaborative team for the Academic Action Plan, and the Senior Lab Instructor Promotion committee. She is also actively involved in outreach and community-based activities, including the Prince George Ice Oval and in her role as Director of the Hubspace.
Last fall, the Canadian Institute of Forestry granted Dr. Kathy Lewis its Canadian Forestry Scientific Achievement Award. The award recognizes those who have made “innovative and outstanding achievements in forestry research in Canada.
Learn more about Dr. Lewis and UNBC here: https://www2.unbc.ca/lewis
Prince George Daily News: https://pgdailynews.ca/index.php/2021/10/13/unbcs-dr-kathy-lewis-nationally-recognized-by-cif-for-contributions-to-forestry-research/
Prince George Citizen: https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/highlights/unbc-professor-recognized-for-contributions-to-forestry-research-4506939
Women In Science: http://blog.cdnsciencepub.com/women-in-science-dr-kathy-lewis/
Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Joe Elliott is a local veteran who spent 22 years serving his country in the navy, before moving to Prince George, British Columbia. In addition to a full time career as a medic, Joe spends a significant amount of time finding resources and directly helping other veterans. Joe is also a loving father, partner and difference maker in the community through persistent volunteerism.
Angela Lefebvre is the owner of Chinook Yoga in Prince George and a proud advocate of Northern British Columbia. Before becoming the owner of Chinook Yoga in December 2021, Angela explored rewarding careers as a Community Coroner, Business Development Officer, Mountain Bike Instructor, Nurse, CRA Agent, Education Program Coordinator and the General Manager of Caledonia Nordic. In her career with Caledonia Nordic, Angela helped achieve record membership growth, while successfully navigating COVID Public Health Orders with her team to keep the club and its members safe.
Angela's Instagram account (@her_northern_life) perfectly highlights the vast amount of incredible four-season activities to be enjoyed in Northern BC. Angela is currently learning to fly airplanes while enjoying her new leadership/ownership position at Chinook Yoga.
www.chinookyoga.com
Ron Gallo is a community difference-maker in Prince George who has helped the Wheelin' Warriors of the North raise over $1 million for the BC Cancer Foundation.
As a fierce advocate for Northern British Columbia and life-time resident of PG, Ron can be found volunteering for many local charities, fundraising events and non-profit organizations. Ron has also volunteered for over a quarter of a century with the Prince George Spruce Kings hockey team.
Ron is also a full time realtor for Royal Lepage Aspire Realty and a solid human being.
Get in touch with Ron at:
www.rongallo.ca
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rongallo
https://www.instagram.com/rongallo_realestate
https://www.facebook.com/RonGalloRealEstate
Dani VonShweetz is the Founder of North Soul Studios in Prince George, British Columbia. As a creative visionary, Dani established a Backyard Studio where she builds beautiful wooden wall art. Dani uses many inspirations in her artwork, whether it's the beauty of mountains, nature, conversations and/or love.
People can check out some of Dani's epic mountainscape and geometric works of art on her social channels or Etsy website (links below).
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northsoulstudios
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northsoulstudios
Etsy Website: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/NorthSoulStudios
OnTheBrink
Tim Bennett, a major leader in the community of Prince George and Northern British Columbia, has worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern BC since 2006, and as Executive Director since 2013.
Tim serves as a Trustee on the Board of Education for School District 57 (Prince George) and was named Board Chair in 2016, which he served for nearly five years.
In addition to these roles, in April 2018, Tim was elected to the Board of Directors of the British Columbia School Trustee Association. Tim served six years on the board of Volunteer Prince George, helped launch the Nechako Community Theatrics group, was a member of the PG Literacy Advisory Committee, and other volunteer efforts. It all adds to the youth legacy Tim has formed within his community
Tim is currently an MBA student, regular Top 40 Under 40 recipient, husband, father and former Prince George Youth of the Year in 1999.
Connect with Tim through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbennett12
Judy Russell is a legend in the performing arts, dance and entertainment industry in Northern British Columbia and is the founder of Enchainement Dance Studio in Prince George.
Judy started Enchainement Dance Studio in Prince George in 1979. She then left it to her mom Bunny Murray (long time teacher for the Royal Academy of Dance) to look after as Judy took off to B.C.I .T. to try to her hand in Broadcast Journalism. The education was great and she worked in local radio in Prince George for a short period of time in the early eighties.
As Judy’s true calling is dance and theatre, it didn’t take long for her to enroll in the R.A.D. Teachers Certificate Program. Judy achieved her teaching Certificate in 1987 and has trained highly successful ballet students right up to the prestigious Solo Seal examination. Judy’s formal R.A.D. training came from well known teachers Josephine Slater and Ellen Andrews of Canadian Dance World and teaching mentor Lynnette Kelly. Judy’s parents, Bunny & Alex (choral director/musical theatre conductor), also contributed to her performing arts education. She is woman of diverse talents, but perhaps her single most important attribute is her ability to teach and inspire performers of all ages.
Judy has mentored many young studio owners and teachers, sending dozens of young talented people out into the world of the performing arts(in various careers including classical ballet dancers, Cirque performers, stuntmen and professional technical engineers). Judy’s students have been wonderfully successful, and she especially loves travelling to different communities to teach and share her love, passion and knowledge of life and the performing arts.
Learn more at https://www.judyrusselldance.com/
Melissa Wolford is a entrepreneur, graphic design artist, alchemist and the founder/creator of Harmonic Vibrations, Sunshine Signs and Wolford Alchemy.
Dan Gallo is a 17-time provincial and 9-time national arm-wrestling champion. Based in Prince George and highly skilled as a heavy duty mechanic, Dan is the perfect example of what happens when hard work, passion and a positive attitude collide.
Todd Doherty is the Member of Parliament for the riding of Cariboo Prince George, first elected in October, 2015.
Mr. Doherty brings vast experience in the private sector to his new role. As an aviation executive, he was tasked with promoting regional, provincial and national passenger, cargo and tourism opportunities on the world stage.
Mr. Doherty has represented Canada throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the America’s on trade missions, industry conferences and on industry regulatory panels.
Mr. Doherty is widely respected as one of North America’s top aviation business development professionals, whom was widely sought after to present on industry topics regarding air service development, cargo, supply chain management, security and regional tourism opportunities.
In addition, he has authored and co-authored industry papers on regulatory challenges affecting air service development and air service development strategies in the Canadian passenger and cargo markets.
Mr. Doherty was most recently named Special Advisor on Mental Health and Wellness in the new Conservative Shadow Cabinet. In the last session, MP Doherty served as Shadow Minister for Transport. Mr. Doherty has also served as Shadow Minister for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, as well as Shadow Minister for the Asia Pacific Gateway.
Mr. Doherty was privileged to champion Bill C-211, An Act Respecting a Federal Framework on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Bill C-211
will require the Minister of Health to convene a conference with the Minister of National Defence, the Minister of Veterans Affairs,
provincial and territorial government representatives, representatives of the medical community and patients’ groups for the purpose of developing a comprehensive federal framework to address the challenges of recognizing the symptoms and providing timely diagnosis and treatment of PTSD.
Mr. Doherty sits as a Member of the Parliamentary Associations of the Commonwealth, Canada-Europe, Canada-Africa, NATO, ParlAmericas, the Canada Group of Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the Inter-Parliamentary Groups of Canada-United States, Canada-Germany, Canada-Ireland, Canada-Israel, Canada-Italy, Canada-Japan and the Canada-China Legislative Association.
Involvement in local community is also important to Mr. Doherty. He supports the local Canadian Cancer Society and various charitable organizations. Mr. Doherty has worked with at risk youth, teaching crisis intervention and suicide prevention in cross cultural communities. In addition, Mr. Doherty is passionate about coaching and mentoring youth through sports. Having coached all levels at hockey from Minor to Junior, Mr. Doherty has been part of the Prince George Spruce Kings Junior A hockey team from Scouting to President.
Mr. Doherty together with Mrs. Doherty are successful small business owners for over 20 years. Todd and his wife, Kelly have four children, Joshua, Kaitlyn, Kassi and Jordan.
"As a proud citizen of Prince George for more than 40 years, I have enjoyed meeting and working with the amazing people in our community in a career built primarily in the challenging and dynamic not-for-profit sector. My tenure as the General Manager of the Prince George Exhibition included bringing Prince George's oldest community event through to its centennial celebrations. As the present Executive Officer for the Canadian Home Builders' Association of Northern BC, and an invested member of the Nechako Rotary Club.
Together with my husband, Kevin, we have helped to raise three wonderful people. Our two daughters are currently attending UNBC and our son is a red seal Millwright."
Courtney Hayhurst is a soon-to-be-anthropologist, currently completing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Northern British Columbia. Born and raised in Prince George, Courtney is passionate about supporting the arts and building community.
While Courtney is currently spending most of her time finishing her degree, she also works full time at WorkForce development as a Marketer and Job Coach. In any of her free time, she can either be found working on her podcast “Stories of Us”, getting crafty, or taking some much needed time to catch up on sleep.
Courtney's podcast - STORIES OF US - can be found at www.storiesofuspodcast.com
Dr. Dennis Johnson is the eighth official president of the College of New Caledonia
Dr. Johnson brings 29 years of experience in the post-secondary sector to CNC. Currently, he serves in two vice president roles at Saskatchewan Polytechnic including Provost and Vice President Academic since September 2018 and Vice President Strategy and Business Development since 2016.
Dr. Johnson is a former resident and educator in British Columbia, and holds a Ph.D. Educational Administration from University of Saskatchewan, Master of Education, Post-Secondary Studies from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Bachelor of Education, Adult Education from Brock University.
Kimberley is a Northern BC girl who was born and raised in Prince George, BC, and she is currently based there. She is an enthusiastic believer in herself and others. Her water lifestyle began with learning to surf in Tofino, BC. Since then, she has chased waves as far away as Vietnam and taught surfing in Mexico, north of Puerto Vallarta.
Life's demands brought her back home to Prince George and made her a landlocked surfer in BC's Central Interior. Needing to be on the water, Kimberley began paddling on the nearby rivers.
She started passionately pursuing her paddling skills in 2012 and fell in love with Whitewater Stand-up Paddle Boarding. She lives to be on the water, whether it be flowing or frozen. More importantly, she is highly motivated to promote the development of a sustainable river community throughout Central and Northern BC. She is also a certified Paddle Canada Instructor for Stand-up Paddling.
She is a Badfish SUP Team Athlete, and an Aquabatics Ambassador. In January 2021 Kimberley was award Athlete of the Month from Brink Group of Companies. You can find Kimberley on the rivers throughout the seasons teaching, leading or coordinating events. She brings stoke and excitement to everything she does. Feel free to reach out and connect with her.
Kimberley is overeager to get people out on the water paddling safely and confidently.
Learn more at https://borntoboardca.weebly.com/
Mayor Lyn Hall has been an active member of the Prince George community for over 30 years. He first entered local politics in 2001 when he won a seat as a School Trustee on the Prince George School Board. He spent 10 years on the board holding various positions including vice-chair and chair.
In 2011, he ran and successfully won a seat on Prince George City Council. As a Councilor, he was a member of several committees and community groups. In 2014 and 2018, he ran successful campaigns for Mayor of Prince George. Mayor Hall and his wife Lorrelle are the parents of twin daughters, both of whom graduated from UNBC and are outstanding soccer players.
City involvement:
Chair, Select Advisory Committee on Economic Development City of Prince George Finance and Audit Committee Director, Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) Board Member of the Prince George NDIT Regional Advisory Committee Director, Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and representative to the Municipal Finance Authority Director, Prince George Community Foundation Municipal Finance Authority of BC Board Trustee BC Transit Board Member Past Chair, Northern Medical Programs Trust Chair of Regional District Public Safety and Emergency Management Standing Committee
Episode Link:https://bit.ly/LynHallPodcast
Lucy Poirier is an Air Traffic Controller at YXS - Prince George Airport who, at a very young age, is achieving great things and is a wonderful inspiration!
This local Prince George difference maker is raising awareness and donations for Elevate Aviation, a non-profit organization geared towards creating a profoundly powerful shift in the aviation industry by promoting gender balance and connecting women with a network of support.
One of this non-profit's goals is to encourage women to pursue careers in the aviation industry and provide support to those who dream of a career in aviation. They do this through several programs.
As British Columbia's Mentorship and Programs lead, Lucy is personally bringing these programs to Prince George and surrounding northern communities. In this podcast, we talk about Lucy's passion for the aviation industry, as well as her history growing up in southern British Columbia and the opportunity that brought her to the northern half of the province.
If you would like to make a donation or find out more information, we highly encourage you to visit:
www.elevateaviation.ca
Instagram: @Elevateaviation
Facebook: Elevate Aviation
If you're looking to connect with Lucy, her contact e-mail is Lucy@elevateaviation.ca 🖥
James Mclellan is a Medical Dosimetrist working at the BC Cancer Agency for the North in Prince George, British Columbia. In this podcast episode, James talks about his own personal journey with surviving colon cancer, the period in his life where he lived and worked in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, what inspired him to move to Prince George, his involvement with Wheelin' Warriors of the North and the world renowned ground-breaking cancer treatment being performed in British Columbia. In addition, James discusses the exponential changes in radiation therapy made over the years that have radically changed the practice of Medical Dosimetry.
Vern Martel won his first arm-wrestling tournament at 13 and was winning international titles by his 20s, but his career seemed over after a devastating motorcycle accident in 1984 left him with a paralyzed arm.
Against all odds, he came back to win a dozen more world titles, and then faced, yes again, one of his biggest life challenges yet: defeating a fierce battle with cancer. Vern Martel has 10 Canadian championships and three world titles.
The local Prince George arm wrestler, who has overcome major injuries twice in his career, has a spot in the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame. The man known as the One Armed Bandit sees his selection to the Hall as a tribute to his sport.
Vern continues to inspire others with his story of resilience and courage. No matter what obstacle presents itself to Vern, this local difference maker finds a way to overcome it.
We can all learn from this incredible being who refuses to give anything but his best effort in life, no matter what endeavour he takes on.
Derk Grooten is a Prince George resident and military veteran from Holland, who works as a Radiation Therapist for the BC Cancer Agency for the North. Derk is also highly involved with the Wheelin' Warriors of the North and an advocate of the benefits of living in Northern British Columbia.
Dr. Albert Koehler's journey from a small village in Northern Europe to Prince George in Central British Columbia has been interesting, challenging, enriching and also very rewarding.
Dr. Albert Koehler was born in Bremen, Germany and grew up on a farm on the outskirts of the city. After graduating from high school, he learned the trade of “Mechanic for Agricultural and Forestry Equipment” and worked for a time as a licensed mechanic. Later he studied Mechanical Engineering, first in Cologne and then at the Technical University of Aachen. After graduation with a Masters Degree he accepted a 6-year employment contract as Assistant Professor with a Research Institute at the Technical University of Aachen and received his PhD in 1981. Thereafter he was manager of “Reliability and Applications” with a large corporation in Duesseldorf.
Beginning of 2004, Albert sold part of his Consulting Engineering business and invested in real estate in Prince George. At that time he was elected as a board member to various organizations in the Prince George community, including the Chamber of Commerce and became the president of the Chamber in 2008.
In 2010, Albert founded the “Northern Technology & Engineering Society of BC” and subsequently became its President (www.ntes.ca). Thanks to the society’s lobbying activities the Prince George, postsecondary institutions are starting up with new technology and engineering programs with a recent student intake at the University of Northern British Columbia
https://www.albertkoehler.com/
Tara Webber is an international powerlifting champion from Prince George with an incredibly impressive commitment to training, recovery and nutrition. As a resident of Prince George, British Columbia, Tara is also an entrepreneur as part of the ownership group for Xconditioning. Tara and the powerlifting team at Xconditioning host meets twice a year in order to bring high-level competition to Northern BC. Tara is also passionate about mountain biking, swimming at the lake and spending time with her dogs and husband, Mike.
Tara's lifting career and accomplishments in the sport of powerlifting have been nothing short of amazing, as has her advocacy and promotion of women's participation in strength sport.
https://www.xconditioning.com/
Jim Good is the Founder and Operator of Goodsir Nature Park, a year-round 160-acre botanical garden for tourists and residents alike in Northern British Columbia.
Goodsir Nature Park developer Jim Good spent his life studying native plant life. In later years he travelled throughout Canada coast to coast finding, recording, pressing and photographing thousands of plant species. Now retired he shares his life stories and success with the public.
Goodsir Nature Park is perfect for visitors, families and groups. It is a must for all of Canada to see and is in the top 10 best places in the country to visit. The park was built over a lifetime by one person Jim Good who also served in the junior forest wardens in the 1960’s and 70’s.
‘Goodsir Nature Park is a place where you can come experience a first-hand relaxing environment. The trails are well-maintained and along the way you’ll see various interpretive signs identifying all native plant and tree life in the region. Two botanical gardens have native trees from other areas of BC as well as different provinces and territories growing there.’ www.goodsirnaturepark.com
Nicola Redpath is the Founder and Operator of the Prince George Animal Rescue, a great friend and a true community difference-maker. Thank you for being a guest on this week's ON THE BRINK podcast (Episode #6, Season Two) ON THE BRINK is a podcast hosted by John A. Brink, dedicated to interviewing motivational guests who are making a difference in their community and have the direct ability to provide inspiration for others to better their lives. www.johnabrink.com
What an honour it is to introduce Dr. Jason Boxtart as the fifth official guest on the podcast. Thank you for being ON THE BRIINK!
ON THE BRINK is a podcast hosted by John A. Brink, dedicated to interviewing motivational guests who are making a difference in their community and have the direct ability to provide inspiration for others to better their lives.
www.johnabrink.com
What an honour it is to introduce Dr. Tracey Lotze as the fourth official guest on the podcast. Thank you for being ON THE BRIINK!
ON THE BRINK is a podcast hosted by John A. Brink, dedicated to interviewing motivational guests who are making a difference in their community and have the direct ability to provide inspiration for others to better their lives.
www.johnabrink.com
Colin Breadner is an accomplished Real Estate Agent in Prince George, B.C. He has also previously worked in the food industry and brings the same enthusiasm and techniques into his Real Estate career.
Colin discusses his thoughts on the current state of Podcasting, the Real Estate markets, and what the future has in store for him.
The second guest "On the Brink" is Gillian Roberts. Gillian grew up in Ontario and has moved to Prince George, B.C. She is an accomplished tri-athlete and has fought against cancer. She is a true testament to human spirit and strength.
Kendall Kershaw is a model, personal training, and entrepreneur who is from Prince George, B.C. In this episode, John and Kendall discuss the challenges of the fitness industry as well as their achievements.