As we are all aware, the city of Beirut was hit with a massive explosion on August 4th causing mass destruction, leaving at least 190 deaths, 6,500 injuries, and destroying half of the city’s homes and businesses which left 300,000 people homeless.

Aline was located in the heart of Beirut just 500 meters from the blast. Aline found herself in the middle of an unthinkable situation. In a span of 3 seconds Aline found her restaurant completely destroyed, employees severely wounded, and no time to even think about the devastation. 

She has now become a leader in her community, feeding 2500 people in a day and rebuilding homes of her employees. Aline has become a pillar of hope for her people who have been abandoned by their government.

In this episode, Aline shares how she became interested in food, building a successful hospitality franchise spanning several countries, and the work she’s doing now to help rebuild all that was lost as a result of the explosion. Her stories are truly lessons of leadership, resilience and kindness.

@jaydendepeel & @harshvsomal talk to Kara about her amazing travel stories whether it was working in Sri Lanka with Elephants or studying Yoga in India. Kara teaches us about the spiritual arts of Reiki Chakra and how to coach ourselves to be our best emotionally, mentally and physically. 

Aside from founding Kickstarter, Yancey is also the author of “This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World,” as well as the creator of Bentoism.

In this episode, Yancey joins @harshvsomal and @jaydendepeel to share the story of how he founded Kickstarter. He teaches the concepts of Bentoism and the philosophy behind it. The three discuss the existing social differences in Canadians and Americans and the experience of adapting to life with COVID-19.

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Jessica and her Husband lost their son, Lewiston, 179 days after he was born due to a rare genetic disease called SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy). This life changing incident inspired Jessica to establish The Love for Lewiston Foundation and The Lewiston Label in an effort to find a cure and get new born screening into place so that no family has to endure what they did with their son Lewiston. So far Jessica has raised more than $800,000 through the foundation and continues to work towards her goals against SMA. She is also an author having published her recent book, Bring the Joy.

Jessica says that her on any given day, her activities range from: mopping up another mess and cleaning the kitchen for the millionth time, dreaming up her next design for the clothing line, fighting and lobbying to find a cure and get treatment for those that suffer with SMA or writing a chapter for her book. 

Her Energy in the Podcast is truly amazing and her ability to bring the joy in her life and to others going through difficult times is inspirational. 

Turning underdogs into winners is something important to him because it's what he strives to do. He came from a non-target school where the system taught him that the more jobs he applied to, the more responses he'd recieve when, in fact, he didn't receive responses from any. By help those who come from similar backgrounds, he hopes to bridge the gap between students and top companies, which he's done for tens of thousands.

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Brady Leman is a Canadian freestyle skier specializing in ski cross, and the reigning Olympic champion in that discipline following his victory in the ski cross event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

He won the opening event in the 2011–12 season after coming back from multiple injuries, and then went on to finish the year as the second overall ranked male ski cross racer for the year. Leman, a former alpine skier, is noted for his smooth gliding and crisp passing skills. 

We sit down with Brady to chat about the 31 years of process that led to the culmination of winning the Gold Medal. Coming from a Skiing family, Brady walks us through his journey involving extreme competition, overcoming injuries and heartbreaking losses that led to the ultimate victory. 

Brady is currently preparing to defend his Olympic Champion title at the next Winter Olympics  in Beijing, 2022.

Alex is the co-founder of The Gifted Gab Podcast and is running petitions to create reform in the systemic racism rooted in Canada. Having faced racism most of his life, Alex has a strong passion to bring about change through the BLM movement. Alex also played a role in organizing the large protest that took place in Edmonton and has been a leader recently seen on multiple news channels speaking out on the changes that need to take place in Canada.

OG Jonah returns to our podcast for the second time, not as a rapper but more as an activist. OG was the lead host of the BLM protest in YEG that gathered over 15000 people and in other protests as well. He has been raising money for George Floyds Family through his YEGMG BLM collection and was one of the first leaders in the city to speak up on the issue. OG has a large established following, many of the teenage demographic and takes great pride in creating positive influence and awareness for them in regards to BLM.

Conversations about the US have taken place but we sit down with these knowledgeable leaders and discuss the current situation specific to Canada, what needs to change and what we can do as citizens to create a place free of racism, oppression and police brutality. Listen in to our passionate debate and discussion  about Black Lives Matter.

Often compared to James Taylor and more recently Ed Sheeran (although that might have more to do with his ginger hair and charming English accent) Kerr's storytelling spans the whole spectrum of emotions. His powerful voice and songwriting have earned him high praise from legends like Sarah McLachlan and Bruce Cockburn.

In 2017 he went from busking on street corners to selling out his first major theatre show, then opening for Sarah McLachlan at a 20,000 seat stadium, and landing his album in the Canadian Top 10. It was an arrival of sorts for this globe-trotting singer-songwriter, having racked up passport stamps from 35 countries on his musical travels.

On our recent podcast we talked to Martin about the raw truth and stories behind the start of his career, sharing his personal journey travelling the world and turning his music dream into a reality. 

On todays Podcast, we had a great conversation with Daphne Reid, more well known as Aunt Vivian from the hit 90s TV show: The Fresh Prince of Bel-air.

In this conversation, we got the know the person behind the character we loved on screen. Daphne shares her fulfilled journey ranging from facing hardships being a woman of colour in Show Business to fun stories behind the scenes with Will Smith.

Daphne also talks about how she got into the industry that led to a 20 year acting career and what kind of mindset leads to a successful career being an actor. 

#Season2 ?

#InspiredThroughIsolation

Born in Savlamar, Jamaica, Akeem didn’t have much of an advantage from the beginning. With limited options and tragic events happening early in life, he moved to Canada with his mother seeking better opportunity. 

The theme of Akeems life is perseverance and as the lead-off runner, he helped Canada break a 20-year-old national record to win bronze in the 4x100m relay at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. 

His life’s mission is to empower OVER 1 BILLION people to be happy! This simple yet powerful mission has led him on an incredible journey to provide one thing…???? VALUE.

Our purpose is to motivate the next generation to become the best versions of themselves. No dream is too small or too big, and with this platform we hope to help you achieve your true passions in life. 

Friends and colleagues are lacking motivation during this tough time which is okay. Take this time to do some self searching. Just because you have to stay home doesn’t mean you have to stay where you are at. Remember that life’s challenges are not suppose to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.

Our team is “Inspired Through Isolation” and our goal is to inspire you too.

Jasmin is a writer, illustrator and poet. Her writing, which explores themes of feminism, womanhood, social justice and love, acts as a means of healing and reclaiming identity. As a spoken word artist and creative writing facilitator, she has toured across North America, the UK and Australia to connect with youth through the power of artistic expression.

Despite growing up in the stereotyped environment of Surrey, BC. She has been able to publish her latest book, “When You Ask Me Where I’m Going” which explores what it means to be a young woman living in a world that doesn’t always hear her.

Follow us along her journey as we discuss what it was like growing up as a woman in a stereotyped society and as well as the determination it took to release her book.

Reema is the owner of Reemake Studio(@reemakestudio). Reemake studio offers a variety of makeup and beauty services, including non-bridal, bridal hair and makeup services, hydrafacials and teeth whitening. Additionally, Reemake recently launched a new medical spa (@reemakemedspa ) to deliver scientifically-backed beauty services.

Despite only getting into make up 3 years ago after graduating High School, Reema has quickly established herself and Reemake as a prominent name in the Edmonton makeup scene. Some of her accolades include: launching her own successful lash line, doing numerous destination wedding and doing makeup for celebrities. In fact their business grew so quick, Reemake recently moved into a full studio at the beginning of this year!

Rahmaan is a professional art consultant and creative director specializing in contemporary street art, marketing, brand architecture, illustration, graphic design, and fashion design. He has done projects for some of the biggest names in the industry like Floyd Mayweather, Kevin Hart, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Raptors and Disney to name a few. 

He is the owner and founder of Rahmaan Hameed Studios & Le Monstre Clothing both of which are creating a global influence in contemporary art and mens fashion.

He has built a legacy amongst the creative art community in locally and globally having done murals and paintings. Locally you can also find his work in places like @alibiyeg, Rec room and @Ultimatowers.

We sat down with Rahmaan to discuss how a serendipitous fashion show allowed him to discover that he could actually get paid for his artwork and creative skills, rather it just being a lifelong passion. Rahmaan shares some tips on relationship building and how he was able to leverage relationships to develop a high-profile clientele. Additionally, Rahmaan shares lessons he’s learned along the way, such as the importance of betting on yourself, and gives advice to up and coming artists.

Seerat was born and raised in Edmonton. She attended the University of Alberta and graduated with a degree in political science. It was during her time at the U of A that she started to work on her craft and seriously pursue sports journalism as a career. Prior to being signed by Yahoo Sports, she freelanced as a sports writer for companies like ESPN and SBnation.

Her dedication, sustained self-belief and witty takes have allowed her to grow a following of over 40,000 followers on Twitter.

We sat down with Seerat to talk about her experience covering the Raptors surreal Championship run, how she got into sports journalism, the journey from freelancing to securing a full-time position, what its like being a woman in a male-dominated industry and much, much more!

Timestamps:

2:20: Did you always have a love for music? 

3: Start of Rap Career 

5: How he broke into the music industry/early beginnings

7:15: How to get people to “buy in” to your potential when starting up? 

8:50: Importance of Confidence and belief in himself 

10:40: OG sharing stories of getting recognized in public

11:48: OG on his purpose behind pursuing rap career and actively looking to give back to community 

15:30: OG on how his upbringing fuels his drive today

18:20: Importance of giving support, being grateful and how it eventually comes back to you

20:40: OG shares story of when someone took a chance on him 

22:00: The personal side of OG

25:44: Inspiration behind YEGMG (OG’s music label)

28:00: OG’s Business Advice for upcoming  artists

30:40: Importance of networking and building a loyal fanbase

33:50: OG on what makes his unique as an artist

36:50: OG on how his life experiences cultivated his current mindset and helped him become more aware

41:40: Embracing your struggle

43:30: What does it take to be successful in the music industry? 

49:40: OG on his lowest moment and what motivates him to keep going

53:05: OG on how his childhood contributed to his toughness/resilience

55:50: How does OG deal with the hate?

56:30 - In my own lane and letting his actions define him

57:25: Upcoming album/shows

58:30 OG Jonah on the music scene in Edmonton 

62-63: Cultivating confidence 

63:55: OG on what makes a gamechanger

64:50 Be yourself

65:25: where to find OG Jonah on social media/internet