It may come as a surprise that, in 2024, we are still having conversations about gender equality. But, the truth is that equality remains an illusion for many women. In this latest episode of The Honest Talk podcast, best-selling author and award-winning journalist Elizabeth Renzetti joins Jen and Catherine to better understand why. For years, Liz worked for the Globe and Mail, where she was a reporter, an editor, and a columnist. Her latest book, What She Said: Conversations About Equality,...

On this episode of The Honest Talk podcast, Jennifer and Catherine sit down with Chinyere Eni. Not only is she Head of RBC Origins, but she’s also had a really interesting career path, which has seen her embrace her own heritage while creating an inclusive professional space for others along the way. She also has an incredible personal story. She’s overcome cancer and an amputation, and we all have a lot to learn from her courage and leadership.

Since she was a little girl, Mitzie Hunter has used her voice to make a big difference. Whether around the kitchen table with her three brothers, working with community organizations, or later at Ontario’s provincial cabinet table, Mitzie has always focused on solutions. Recently, Mitzie was appointed president and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, Canada’s public foundation for gender justice and equality, an organization we’re proud to call a partner here at The Honest Talk. Mitzie...

In this episode, Jen and Catherine chat with Vinita Savani, who has moved her way up the ranks at RBC since starting with Canada’s largest bank in 1997. Not only has Vinita stayed with RBC ever since, but she’s now their Senior Vice President of Personal Lending and Auto Finance. Along the way, she’s learned how to use her voice, mentor others, and be mentored. She’s established boundaries that have allowed her to become a truly successful professional and a dedicated mom and spouse.

Penny Wise has had a truly distinguished career. From taking on the role of President of 3M Canada to returning to the U.S. to lead the organization’s global public policy and communications effort—and tirelessly advocating for women every step of the way—she is a force in the business community. She joined us at The Honest Talk to discuss women in leadership, how empathy can create a better workforce and the importance of inspiring more women and girls to join STEM.

Our special guest for this episode is Natasha Holiday, Co-Head & Managing Director of Infrastructure (East) at RBC Capital Markets. Throughout our conversation, she offers invaluable insights on everything from navigating male-dominated industries to becoming a mom while maintaining a fast-paced, demanding career.  Tune in to this latest episode of The Honest Talk to hear Natasha’s candid reflections on her near-win in a fiercely contested political race in New York State and the pivotal...

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has definitely got high name recognition, and she uses it for causes that make a difference for women too, which is something that a lot of women admire about her. She's invested in equality, mental health, and youth empowerment. And now she's entering a really fascinating period in her life, a period of both joy and healing. She's about to release a much-anticipated book called Closer Together, and she's recently separated from her husband, though they're still...

Dr. Jennifer Gunter is a Canadian obstetrician and gynecologist, a pain-medicine physician, a podcaster, and a best-selling author. Her books The Vagina Bible, The Menopause Manifesto, and her latest, Blood, have brought conversations about women’s health and periods to an absolutely new level. Dr. Gunter has been described as the most important truth teller in women's health. She joined us at The Honest Talk to chat about women’s health, the myths and stigma around it, her own life, and...

We have talked to female political leaders and journalists, to activists and athletes. But this episode is the first time we speak with a leading punk rock artist! Bif Naked is a Canadian musical icon with a multi-decade, award-winning global career. In this episode of The Honest Talk, we talk with Bif about her birth in India and how being adopted by missionaries shaped her life. She shares with us her reflections on having breast cancer, being married three times, and staying positive in...

Marilyn Denis opens up about the challenges women face in the media industry, confronting ageism with grace, and her personal journey through loss.

Michelle O'Bonsawin made history as Canada's first Indigenous Supreme Court Justice. She joined us at The Honest Talk to share insights from her 20-year legal career, including the adjustments she had to make in her personal life to take this role, security issues, and self-care. Join us as we explore her commitment to education and community service, and her vision for a more equitable and inclusive legal system.

Jyoti Gondek is the first female Mayor of Calgary – a leader who learned the value of compassion and empathy as the daughter of immigrants who came to Canada when she was a child. In this thought-provoking conversation with Jennifer and Catherine, Mayor Gondek discusses the importance of authenticity, the challenges of being a woman in politics, and the need to address polarization in society. She shares her perspective on the role of social media in politics, the power of data-driven...

Our special guest for this episode is Harriet Thornhill, a former Vice President with RBC and a true champion of mentorship. Harriet has won numerous awards, including being named one of the 100 most influential Black Canadians, and she’s a force to be reckoned with, now holding the prestigious position of Chancellor at Tyndale University. Immerse yourself in this empowering episode of The Honest Talk where Harriet shares her insights, experiences, and invaluable wisdom that will leave you...

Lieutenant-Colonel Melanie Lake is one of the most public-facing women in the Canadian Armed Forces. As Task Force Commander of Operation UNIFIER, she led a team that trained the Ukrainian army months before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Melanie joins Jennifer and Catherine to talk about her experience as a woman in the Canadian Armed Forces and her decision to go to Ukraine when her daughter was five months old. In this episode, Melanie talks about her childhood, her mother’s...

Kirsten Hillman is Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. and the first woman ever to hold this role. In the past, she has also played a critical part in negotiating major trade agreements for Canada. Ambassador Hillman joined Jennifer and Catherine to talk about the preparation for President Biden’s historic visit to Ottawa in March and how the team at the Canadian Embassy to the U.S. was involved in the process. She also gave us a behind-the-scenes look at her career and talked about her...

Christina Cleveland is RBCs Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion. At a time when D&I discussions are top of mind for businesses, governments, institutions, and individuals across the country and around the world, she shares various perspectives on the importance of why everyone needs to Speak Up for Inclusion.

Heather Stefanson is the 24th Premier of Manitoba and the first woman ever to hold the role. She was elected to the Manitoba legislative assembly in 2000, and she has won every election since. Premier Stefanson has navigated the ups and downs of politics for over 20 years. She has mentored other women who want to get involved in public service, and she has raised two kids while serving her constituency, her community and her province. The Premier joins Jen and Catherine on this episode of...

Canadians from coast to coast jumpstart their mornings with journalist Anne-Marie Mediwake, co-host of Your Morning on CTV. An award-winning national journalist, Anne-Marie has worked at every major television news organization in the country, reporting on some of the biggest news stories of our time. She is a reporter, a mom of triplets and a friend to morning people everywhere, and she joins Jen and Catherine on this episode of The Honest Talk. Listen as she generously shares the...

Meet Flora Do, a remarkable woman who is helping to reshape the face and voice of modern corporate Canada. A progressive and influential voice in Canada's largest bank, she is the Vice President of Investments, Transformation and Client Segments at RBC and the head of RBC Healthcare. She has made a big impact at Canada’s largest bank and on the generation of women leaders who are coming up behind and beside her in the workplace. Flora joins Jen and Catherine to talk about it all: her career,...

Vassy Kapelos is one of the most well-known figures in Canadian media and politics, and the latest guest on The Honest Talk. An award-winning journalist, she hosted Power and Politics on CBC for five years before recently announcing a move to CTV News. There, she will take on the role of Chief Political Correspondent and host not one, but two shows: Question Period and Power Play. On the heels of her biggest career move yet, Kapelos sat down with Jennifer Stewart and Catherine Clark for...

A sports website for women-identifying fans? Now, that is a home run! Just ask Jacie deHoop, co-founder of The GIST, a thriving sports media company and the go-to source for sports coverage and conversations for women. Launched across North America in 2019 by three college friends — Jacie deHoop, Ellen Hyslop and Roslyn McLarty — The GIST is all about changing the game in the male-dominated sports industry, where fewer than 14% of journalists are women and less than 4% of coverage is on...

Vicki Saunders is making her mark in a radically different way. Over the span of her career, Vicki has co-founded and run ventures all over the world. She is an acclaimed author, a mentor, a public speaker, an award winner, and a change maker. At 50 years old, she founded SheEO, now Coralus, a global not-for-profit that finances woman-identifying and non-binary entrepreneurs. Seven years later, the community has successfully expanded into the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and the...