Episodes

251
Sept. 9, 2024

Debbie Brill, High Jumper

Canadian High Jumping legend Debbie Brill talks about developing the 'Brill Bend,' comparisons to the 'Fosbury Flop' [and her relationship with Dick Fosbury], jumping [and breaking world records] into her 50s, her positive interview experiences on the CBC with Adrienne Clarkson and Peter Gzowski, reaching that zen place of being ‘one with the jump,’ sharing a good chuckle with Queen Elizabeth, and why jumping ridiculously high was essentially “just this trick I could do for fun!”


Debbie will ...
250
Sept. 2, 2024

Patrick Chan, Figure Skater

10x National Champion/3x World Champion/3x Olympic Medalist Patrick Chan talks about retiring at 27 as Canada’s most decorated figure skater, his transition to a decade of touring the world with Stars on Ice, training for his next career as a Financial Advisor, whether Kurt Browning chews his ear off about Reverse Mortgages, thriving through ‘six minutes of pressure’ at three different Olympic Games, his ‘pinch me’ moment meeting Roger Federer, receiving courtside honours at a Raptors game, keep...
249
Aug. 27, 2024

Nicolas Mulroney, Bond Bakery Brands

Bond Bakery Brands CEO Nicolas Mulroney talks about the influence of his late father Brian [the 18th Prime Minister of Canada], growing up at 24 Sussex Drive, speedboating with President Bush, why he lives in Toronto but still loves the Habs, the entrepreneurial mentorship of Paul Desmarais Sr, building his portfolio of family-run bakeries within the Bond Bakery Brands platform, why NAFTA is a great name for a free-trade agreement but not so much for a bakery, the ‘Ozempic trend’ overtaking the ...
248
Aug. 19, 2024

Rudy Blair, Music & Entertainment Media

Longtime Music & Entertainment Reporter Rudy Blair talks about working overnights at The Fan 590 while doing weekends at All Hits 680 CFTR, his transition from pushing buttons to getting in front of the microphone/camera, his induction into TWO Halls of Fame, his favourite interviews [Phil Collins, Barry White], his *ahem* less enjoyable interviews [Steven Seagal, Adrien Grenier, Jewel, Gene Simmons], and his exceptional interactions with Dustin Hoffman/Gordon Lightfoot/Lionel Richie/Shakira/Mic...
247
Aug. 12, 2024

Scott Moore, Invictus Games

Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 CEO Scott Moore talks about his face time with Harry and Meghan, how the event is akin to Prince Harry’s Paralympics for Veterans, the 550 athletes from 23 countries competing in 11 sports, making use of legacy venues from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics [and the plans to leave behind their own $5MM financial legacy], the obvious reasons why they use whistles instead of starting guns, why everyone will gain inspiration from watching Heart of Invictus on ...
246
Aug. 5, 2024

Robert Esmie, Olympic Gold Medalist

Sprinter and 4x100m Relay Olympic Gold Medalist Robert Esmie talks about why if you're Canadian you have to love Saturday nights in Georgia, a breakdown of that immortal 4x100m relay to win gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, his 'forever bond' with Donovan Bailey/Bruny Surin/Glenroy Gilbert/Carlton Chambers/Don Wittman, his interactions with PM Jean Chretien/Gordie Howe/Wayne Gretzky/Ron MacLean/Pinball Clemons/Carl Lewis/Michael Johnson, why HE is actually faster out of the blocks than Ben John...
245
July 29, 2024

Gord Deppe, Spoons/Flock of Seagulls

Spoons’ Gord Deppe talks about doing double duty as guitarist for A Flock of Seagulls, their 1982 breakthrough at the Police Picnic at Exhibition Stadium [Police, English Beat, Joan Jett, Oingo Boingo, Talking Heads], Nile Rodgers taking a liking to them while opening for Boy George & Culture Club, catching grief for that Thrifty’s ad campaign [‘Tarnished Spoons’], working with Daniel Lanois before he was Daniel Lanois, and wondering aloud why they can’t get a major auto manufacturer to use Roma...
244
July 22, 2024

Brad Ross, Communications Counsel

Ex-City of Toronto/TTC Communicator Brad Ross talks about putting out a shingle and opening up his own firm, collaborating with Seth Rogen on TTC public service announcements, the most grievous cases of poor TTC rider etiquette [fornication! toenail clippers!], his adventures working under various Mayors [Lastman/Miller/Ford/Tory] and TTC Heads [Webster/Byford/Upfold/Leary], and why we have it much better with the TTC than we think we do!


For his Substack Hot Takes and everything else Brad Ro...
243
July 15, 2024

Michael Hanson, ex-Glass Tiger

Glass Tiger founder/original drummer Michael Hanson talks about how two bands merged into Glass Tiger, opening up for Culture Club/Journey/Tina Turner/Moody Blues, why Tiger Beat magazine compared him to pinup pretty boy David Cassidy, the ‘Boy George Incident,’ his celebrity interactions at the Juno and Grammy Awards [Roger Daltry! Paul Simon! Celine Dion! Peter Cetera! Don Johnson! Peter Gabriel! Stevie Wonder!], being too busy to play Wayne Gretzky’s Royal Wedding, how he got Bobby Orr to aut...
242
July 10, 2024

Cameron Rowe, HOVER Drone Deliveries

HOVER founder Cameron Rowe talks about autonomous drone deliveries, his pitch on Dragons’ Den [turning DOWN an investment offer!], piggybacking on the investment injected into drone deliveries by Amazon and Google, his experiences in the Techstars startup network, acquiring his drone pilot’s license, the challenges behind landing in ‘unsecured delivery areas,’ and why he is counting on his drones to support his upcoming swim across Lake Ontario for SickKids!


For everything Cameron and HOVER, ...
241
July 4, 2024

Vicky Sunohara, Hockey

Three-time Olympic Medalist/Eight-time World Championship Medalist/Canadian Hockey icon Vicky Sunohara talks about jumping on the backyard rink at two years old, getting BANNED from the boys leagues due to gender, earning a scholarship to play at Northeastern University, donning PINK jerseys at the inaugural IIHF Women’s World Championships, her Olympic experiences at Nagano/Salt Lake City/Turin, returning to the University of Toronto to earn her degree and become the first full-time coach of th...
240
July 1, 2024

Daniel Nestor, Tennis

Canadian tennis legend Daniel Nestor talks about his 12 Grand Slam doubles titles, his coming out party as a 19 year old defeating world #1 Stefan Edberg at the 1992 Davis Cup, winning his 2000 Olympic Gold Medal with Sebastien Leroux at the Sydney Games, winning [and loving the atmosphere--one million pounds spent just on FLOWERS!] at Wimbledon, playing a Pro-Am tournament where he was the ‘Pro’ and The Great One Wayne Gretzky was the ‘Am,’ his interactions with David Beckham/Donovan Bailey/Car...
239
June 27, 2024

Dave Randorf, Broadcaster

Television PxP voice of the Tampa Bay Lightning Dave Randorf talks about his time at TSN, Saturday nights at Hockey Night in Canada, finishing his 4th season calling Lightning games with Brian Engblom, heading to the arena in flip-flops & then being back in his swimming pool 30min after the game ends, catching up with the Hulkster while sunbathing on Clearwater Beach, Jon Cooper remembering him from Vancouver’s Sports Page, the amazing-ness of HHOFer Phil Esposito, and the PTSD he still suffers ...
238
June 24, 2024

Ed Sousa, 80s Music Impresario

Love bowling? Love the music of the 80s? Ed Sousa talks about his love for BOTH, his signature trilby hat, turning a one-night charity concert with Honeymoon Suite & the Spoons into the largest indoor music festival in North America, growing up 5 minutes away from radio station CFNY, Curtis Joseph’s wife’s adoration of When In Rome, learning the value of intimate artist/fan interaction from Randy Bachman, why his dream show would be booking Simple Minds, spending time with Midge Ure/Martin Fry/G...
237
June 20, 2024

Keith Merith, Author

Retired Police Superintendent and now Author Keith Merith talks about his 31 years of service for the York Regional Police, the messages of truth/pain/optimism/perseverance delivered in his new memoir, his six principles of success, his fantastic experiences with Bernice and the late Herb Carnegie, and why his retirement has been so fabulous that it can only be best described as DELICIOUS!


A Darker Shade of Blue: A Police Officer’s Memoir is available from ECW Press at https://ecwpress.com/pr...
236
June 17, 2024

Bruce Dowbiggin, Author

Media Triple Threat/Author Bruce Dowbiggin talks about co-writing with his son Evan [he’s like a sports ‘Rain Man’], the imminent integration of fellow sports journalist Eric Duhatschek into his own family, shuttling between Calgary and the 'Winter White House' in Florida, why newspaper columnists used to be the ‘Princes of the Pressbox,’ his career-changing investigative journalism into disbarred lawyer/former head of hockey players' union/convicted felon Alan Eagleson, why he doesn’t trade hol...
235
June 13, 2024

Hannah Mary McKinnon, Author

International Best Selling Author Hannah Mary McKinnon talks about the imminent release of her latest suspense thriller ONLY ONE SURVIVES [‘sharing the spotlight can be murder!’], how a professional crisis saw her pivot from high-powered business executive to becoming an author [‘I’ve read a lot of books, so shouldn’t I be able to write one??’], aligning herself with the OTHER author Mary McKinnon, admiring Roger Moore from afar but Jeffrey Archer from up-close, why she’s a ‘plotter’ who intervi...
234
June 10, 2024

Ulf Nilsson, WHA/NHL Superstar

Winnipeg Jets/NY Rangers Swedish superstar Ulf Nilsson talks about his jump to the WHA’s Winnipeg Jets in 1974, why The Golden Jet Bobby Hull was both such a great player AND a great teammate, why The Hot Line [Hedberg/Nilsson/Hull] SHOULD be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame, winning faceoffs against Gordie Howe in Houston, the behind-the-scenes maneuvering [collusion? racketeering?] that saw him and Anders Hedberg jump to the NHL’s NY Rangers as free agents, the ‘Potvin Sucks’ legacy of his...
233
June 6, 2024

Vince Beretta, WALKAWAY

The ‘Father of Vehicle Return Insurance’ Vince Beretta talks about his trademarked/copyrighted WALKAWAY protection, his Jerry Maguire-like bedtime epiphany following an enlightening meeting with car dealer Michael Croxon, the product blowing up for Hyundai USA after Jeff Bridges’ voiced-over TV commercials aired in prime time, Nav Bhatia jumping aboard with his FOUR point play [even better than a trey!], his entrepreneurial partnership with Robert Varga, and a passionate defence as to why the au...
232
June 3, 2024

Guy Rubino, Made To Order

Chef Guy Rubino talks about Toronto’s 'fraternal foodies' The Rubino Brothers [along with past podcast guest Michael], starring in/producing 39 episodes of Made To Order on The Food Network [24hrs of footage shot got trimmed to 24min on TV], working out on a treadmill alongside Madonna, his first proper kitchen job at Nobu in NYC, his interactions with Sir Richard Branson/David Bowie/Natalie Portman/Sting/Oasis’ Gallagher brothers, an ugly misunderstanding with Nelly Furtado’s posse [you did NOT...
231
May 30, 2024

Roland Gulliver, TIFA

Toronto International Festival of Authors Director Roland Gulliver talks about the 'multifaceted monster' that is TIFA, their MOTIVE crime and mystery festival coming up in June, their flagship Fall festival coming in September, making his career move from Edinburgh to Toronto just 3 weeks before the pandemic shut everything down, Linwood Barclay as a celebrity author [and former Toronto Star columnist], and why he STARTS a lot of books with the best of intentions!


The third annual MOTIVE Cri...
230
May 27, 2024

Kevin Newman, CBC/Global/CTV/ABC

Television news anchor and journalist Kevin Newman talks about retirement after a 40 year career, his tough decision to choose between attending Hamburger or Western University, interviewing Leonard Nimoy for UWO’s CHRW campus radio, his first job getting coffee for the late great Peter Truman, his work at CBC/Global/CTV in Canada, heading to the Big Apple to join ABC World News [and subsequently Good Morning America], inspiring times working with Peter Jennings and Ted Koppel, his respect for P...
229
May 23, 2024

Inge Hammarström, Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs legend Inge Hammarström connects from the South of France to talk about being discovered [with Borje Salming] by Leafs scout Gerry McNamara, leaving Sweden to join the Leafs lineup in 1973, their first practice at Maple Leaf Gardens in front of owner Harold Ballard [shooting on a 50 year old Johnny Bower!], Bobby Orr wishing them well while others were literally threatening to kill them on the ice [and taking slapshots at their unprotected calves from behind], great times wit...
228
May 20, 2024

Jack Hues, Wang Chung

Wang Chung’s Jack Hues implores everybody to have fun tonight...everybody Wang Chung tonight!!


Jack talks about his 40+ year partnership with Nick Feldman, why he chose to use a pseudonym [J'accuse, get it?], changing the band name from its original Huang Chung, huge tours with The Cars and Tina Turner, scoring the 1985 film To Live and Die in L.A., meeting his idols Tony Banks and Paul McCartney, hanging out with Willem Dafoe, and their imminent return to North America with the Abducted by t...