Frank Palmer is a character of immense character. Frank is a true icon, creative genius, thought leader, visionary and entrepreneur.  Frank is being featured as part of The Legends Journey, Lessons in Leadership series. A collaboration between Chatter that Matters and the American Marketing Association's Toronto Chapter. In this series, we interview inductees from Canada's Marketing Hall of Legends. To date, I have chatted with Arlene Dickinson, Joe Mimran, Angus Reid, Miles Nadal, Jeanne...

Sometimes, the most gripping tales are not those of fiction. They're not from a bookshelf or a TV screen. They're real-life stories that unfold around us. Stories that remind us of the power of the human spirit. Today on Chatter That Matters, we share the indomitable spirit of Stacey Curtis, who survived a plane crash, cancer that roared through her body and where she was given only a few years to live.  I wish I could bottle Stacey's outlook on life and her positivity.  Here are two quotes...

Did you ever dream of building something with your best friend?  Discover the inspiring story of April Brown and Sarah Sklash, who quit their jobs and purchased a roadside motel in Prince Edward County.   With hard work, dedication, and little experience, they transformed the dingy motel into a beautiful space reflecting life's sunshine and simple pleasures. Their entrepreneurial adventures caught the attention of Netflix, which produced Motel Makeover, a show about their next motel venture...

Today, I welcome Jeanne Beker, a global icon and an inductee into the Marketing Hall of Legends. Jeanne is also a dear friend and a trailblazer who has found success as a world-renowned fashion journalist, entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker, and, above all, a wonderful mom. At age 72, Jeanne continues to fashion her destiny with passion, creativity and talent. In this candid 'chat to me about anything' session, Jeanne shares many beautiful stories, life lessons we can all benefit from,...

This will define our country in the future: dreamers and doers who are taking on our most significant problems and then exporting their ideas and technology around the world. For my Earths Day Show, I chatted with Phil De Luna.  At age 32, he is among the most brilliant people I have ever interviewed. Phil has a great personality, radiates passion, and has a powerful connection to the human race. Phil makes me feel optimistic about science's role in battling climate change.   I know...

'I’m not making records; I’m making history. Today, my man Tony and I made history with this interview." Maestro Fresh Wes. Maestro Fresh We is credited as the "Godfather of Canadian Hip Hop, " his debut album, Symphony in Effect, was a certified platinum album. In 2023, Maestro Fresh Wes became the first hip-hop artist inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. His song Let Your Backbone Slide" is the first rap song inducted into the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame. What did Drake...

On my watch, we went from slides to video, from film to digital, a handful of channels to thousands, tens of millions of websites, analog to wireless, and a stolen milk carton container for our albums to three million songs in my pocket.The most critical change was that humans went from being captive consumers of content to nomadic, with an appetite to create, validate, and yield power. And tomorrow, on my watch - AI. I am working with three different programs and am mesmerized by how they...

"I moved 17 times in my first 18 years, faced abuse and adversity, but it fueled my drive to prove others wrong and achieve success against all odds." Shane Howard is an extraordinary storyteller who shares his inspirational and transformative journey, overcoming a tumultuous upbringing to becoming a mentor and global connector. Shane is a testament to the resilience and drive that can emerge from the "School of Hard Knocks."  Shane's insights offer hope and inspiration to those grappling...

Healing is Believing. I have been sharing inspiring human journeys for four years, but none like Tracy L Clark. For most of her life, Tracy has dealt with trauma. Debilitating illnesses, several near-death experiences, being kidnapped at gunpoint, an abusive relationship and then being a single mom caring for her children when illness once again threatened her life. Listen to the first few minutes of the episode; it is riveting. Tracy reads from her book, God, Where Are You, It's Me. After...

I occasionally break the format and post a Chatter That Matters podcast on a Monday about something important to all of us. The goal is to challenge the status quo with innovative ideas to improve our lives and livelihoods.   In today's episode, I want to discuss the growing unaffordability crisis and the problems that manifest when individuals and many others do not have enough. They cannot afford necessities—food, shelter, and transportation. If this continues, it will undermine much...

Are you ready to work smarter and shorter? Newcomers Grace Tallon and Joe O'Connor, co-founders of Work Time Reduction, join Tony Chapman to discuss the transformative idea of a four-day workweek and their beliefs about why it is good for individuals, families, corporations, and society. We also learn more about Joe and Grace's back story, which takes us back to Ireland and how each became an advocate for positive change. Tony closes the show by sharing his thoughts on why and how...

I am hosting a series titled The Legends Journey, featuring interviews with individuals inducted into Canada's Marketing Hall of Legends. In this episode, I chat with Miles Nadal. I have known Miles for over twenty years, and he has always dared to dream and do so with extraordinary entrepreneurial capability, charisma, and conviction.  Miles's journey began with a camera at summer camp, and from there, he built several extraordinary businesses with no signs of slowing down. What I admire...

My International Women's Day Special begins with honouring my Mother before introducing my guest, Alana Stott. I ask Alana to read the opening pages from her gripping memoir, She Who Dares. Her book begins when she answers the phone. Her husband, Dean Stott, a former Special Operations soldier, is on the other line, somewhere in the Middle East, in the middle of a civil war.   "The gunfire was getting louder and louder. I heard the phone drop to the ground as loud bangs pierced my ears. The...

Many guests have joined me to openly talk about their battles with their mental health, but not quite like my guest this week, Nancy Xia. Nancy brings us to the raw realities of her journey – from battling childhood anxiety to grappling with clinical depression, culminating, at age eighteen, in her leap from her eighth-floor balcony as her father watched helpless and in shock. Miraculously, Nancy survives but breaks her spine and loses the use of her legs. The power comes from her...

The first time B K Sethi came into my life was in 2023. B K wrote to me and said he loved listening to me on the radio and my podcasts. He then asked if we could have coffee. I had no idea I was meeting with one of our country's great entrepreneurs.  I took this picture, and you can see and feel it in his face and smile; B K is a beautiful soul. B K joins me this week to share his inspiring story. From the streets of 1940s India, where, at age four, he sold lemons to help his family...

Woman in Philanthropy. It's Nonprofit Appreciation Week, and I wanted to honour WoodGreen Community Services. WoodGreen ensures that the UNMET needs of thousands of Canadians are MET every year.   In this special edition of Chatter That Matters, taped live at the Toronto Hun Club, I chatted with three remarkable women who are Philanthropy Trailblazers. I learned that Charity focuses on eliminating suffering. In contrast, Philanthropy focuses on eliminating the problem. I also learned...

Every second Monday, I break the format by bringing out Chatters - a snackable podcast that is under five minutes in length. I share my insight on the status quo and ideas to bring about positive and substantive change.  In this episode, I share a story at the grocery store that led me to my insight - smartphones and technology are making us less financially literate. I have no empirical evidence, but many people are losing their ability to do even simple math. With a math deficiency, how...

Dr. Jean Marmoreo shares excerpts from her book The Last Doctor. Lessons in Living from the Front Lines of Medical Assistance in Dying  Dr. Jean Marmoreo believes the best care a health professional can provide is to honour a patient's life and to end it on the patient's terms. For 45 years Dr. Jean Marmoreo was a family physician practising in downtown Toronto, and in 2016 became one of Canada’s first practitioners of MAiD, to provide Medical Assistance in Dying.  Dr. Marmoreo shares...

Today's episode of Chatter That Matters is a live taping, which I have always loved because we can feed off the audience's energy. My guest is Cam Inglis, the founder of Marble Slab Creamery Canada. Cam is an inspiring entrepreneur who shares his journey from dreaming of playing in the NHL to real estate before choosing the path of an entrepreneur. During the show, we'll cover the daily challenges of running a franchise business and the reality that everything you know turns upside down when...

In my second 'snackable chatter' I look at how we can rewire Elections from Negative to Positive," I delve into the tumultuous landscape of modern elections, which often feel like a relentless hailstorm of negativity, eroding the fabric of our society and trust in democracy.  In three minutes, I present a refreshingly simple yet actionable concept aimed at rewiring elections to prioritize positivity and shift the focus towards substantive policy discussions. Thanks for listening,...

I was so profoundly moved by Adam Robarts and his book 'Nineteen' that I had to have him on Chatter that Matters. Anyone who has had to deal with the loss of someone you love will also be moved and have their heart lifted as Adam shares his deeply personal and poignant love, loss, and spiritual journey. Adam is a world-renowned architect, and his wife is an equally accomplished interior designer. They lived and raised their four children in China. In December 2018, during a family...

''You have dreams and goals, even a direction, but you must be active for the universe and magic to happen. It must find you, but it won't if you hide in the corner. You must be out there for your desired reality to unfold.' Jesse Jones I love taping Chatter that Matters in front of an audience. In this episode, we are live at Sheridan College and its stunning Hazel McCallion Campus, with students, faculty members, alums, and industry professionals in attendance and DJ Andre dropping the...

  Patrick Asare went from abject poverty in a small village in Ghana to achieving international acclaim. In an inspiring interview, Patrick shared his remarkable story. He was born to illiterate parents, his father was a subsistence farmer, and his mother was a homemaker. Patrick was one of fourteen children living in a small mud house. Most children in his village didn't have the opportunity to continue their education beyond primary school, which perpetuated the cycle of poverty in the...

Every second Monday in 2024, I post a segment called Ideas that Matter.  Each will be under five minutes, and I will examine an element of the status quo and then offer actionable ideas to improve upon.  I don't preach, teach or criticize. I only want to foster conversations about positivity and possibility.  In my first episode look at Democracy, and the importance of why promises made, must be promises kept. Let me know what you think.