When I'm thinking to myself, "All right. Who do I need to talk to about money? Who would be a great source of wisdom and calmness and guidance in this time?" I thought I should introduce you to the person who helps me most. I'm going to introduce you to my financial advisor, Rona Birenbaum, who is brilliant. I love her not just for how she manages our money, but for how she calms us down. Rona is the founder of Caring for Clients--the name says a lot right away--a Canadian fee-for-service...

Some years ago I was wandering up my street, Roncesvalles Avenue, here in Toronto where I live. I wandered into my library and one of the reasons I go into the library is so I can wander the shelves and I can let serendipity happen. A book waves at you and goes, hey, notice me! In this visit, a book leapt off the shelf: The Chairs Are Where the People Go. As a facilitator and somebody who cares about group dynamics, I thought …  well that's interesting, what is this about? So I took it home...

When I moved to Toronto and first dipped my toes in the murky waters of professional coaching, the name that got whispered with awe in the coffee shops and the ICF chapter gatherings was Karen Wright. Karen was already doing “coaching 2.0” before we’d really figured out what “coaching 1.0” was. Smart, provocative, rigorous and values-based. She and I have become friends, which I’m grateful for not just because we can share the occasional glass of wine, but because she’s who I turn to when I...

Can you tell the difference between a good PowerPoint deck and one that’s lousy? Do you have a commitment to slides that are useful, elegant and that tell a story? Do you feel some part of your soul die when you’re subjected to some poorly planned and poorly designed presentation? If so, knowingly or not, you’re likely a disciple of Nancy Duarte. She’s the co-founder and CEO of Duarte, an agency based in Silicon Valley that has been at the forefront of the revolution to improve...

"If music be the food of love, play on." That William Shakespeare was onto something. I think he’s going to go places. So too is my guest, Nathan Leigh Jones, a musician and an academic. Let’s start with the facts he's an avid singer-songwriter: he's taken his piano all over the world, including performances at Joe's Pub in New York City, the Sydney Opera House, and even Google's headquarters in Mountain View. But he’s also doing a PhD that exposes the impact of music and lyrics on...

This is the first season of We Will Get Through This, and of course I’m curious … should I keep doing it? Personally, I’m really enjoying the conversations, but I want to make sure that they’re useful for you too.  Will you email and let me know? Tell me what you like and don’t like about the show. Suggest some awesome guests, if someone comes to mind. [email protected]. I’d love to know what’s on your mind. This show is brought to you by The Advice Trap, Michael Bungay Stanier’s latest...

Ric Leahy, my guest in this episode, was almost responsible for a career choice of mine that would have been disastrous, both for me and my country. Ric and I went to high school together. When we hit our final year, Ric had a plan: “I'm going to win a scholarship and join the navy." And I thought … well, why not. I'm going to join the air force. Ric wins his scholarship and begins a career in the navy. I failed every test they had, didn't begin a career in the air force, and eventually...

Now I'm not going to name names but, oh, you need to know I have them in my head right now. I can see them, I can hear them, I can feel my breath getting a little faster, my shoulders going up around my ears, my spine stiffening, my jaw clenching a bit. Equally, and I hope this is true for you as well, there are some people who calm me down. People who make me smile, help me breathe, let my shoulders drop, let my heart open. Eric Klein is one of those people. He is a great calming influence...

One of the few people in my life who was a great boss to me was Kate Lye. One of the reasons I truly love Kate, and this will sound a bit odd, is her intolerance. Intolerance not of people so much, but of shonky, flabby thinking. She has an ability to stick a finger at the kind of weak thinking that often shows up in the world of leadership and resilience and whatever else and saying, "Well that's not really good enough is it? Somebody's just made that up." That quest for rigor in thinking is...

The poet Muriel Rukeyser wrote, “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” I think, actually, it’s likely made of both … and while I can’t really claim any deep expertise in physics, I do know a little bit about the power of story-telling. A little bit. But not as much as Bernadette Jiwa who amongst other things has teamed up with Seth Godin to create a fantastic workshop on storytelling as part of his Akimbo series. Storytelling is the fabric that creates relationship and community...

I was introduced to the concept of projects and project management through a productivity guy: David Allen. In David’s book Getting Things Done, he says (and I paraphrase), "We get overwhelmed by all the stuff on our plates. Start thinking about almost everything you do as a project, and then you can start managing it as a project." David’s introducing a system, and in tough times, good systems are one of the things that help you live a better life, feel more in control, and get through...

Dorie Clark has been described by no less than the New York Times as an expert in self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives. That’s probably all you need to know. But in case you’re asking yourself, “yes, but what else?” know that she's a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and is author of a number of books including Stand Out, which was named the number one leadership book of the year by Inc magazine. I’ve known Dorie for quite a while, and part of her...

Money is so often a source of anxiety … and that’s during the good times. When times are hard, money can prove to be an even more significant source of concern and stress. That’s why I invited Bruce Sellery to be a guest on the podcast. I met him many years ago when he was a business journalist, and he’s gone on to be the host of the Million Dollar Neighborhood for the Oprah Winfrey Network and a money columnist for CBC Radio. He’s the author of Moolala: Why Smart People do Dumb Things with...

Jen Louden is one of my most important friends. We met fifteen years ago (it might even be more), when a mutual friend suggested we be part of a mastermind group together. Honestly, I wasn’t sure it would last. She was the best-selling author of The Women’s Comfort Book, the first mega-selling book on self-care … and what I assumed was likely a whole bunch of touchy-feely, self-indulgent stuff that was not really my thing at all. And yet, here we are. I love her and I admire her work, in...

The first time I saw Chester, he was wearing one of his trademark orange shirts and was surrounded by adoring fans at a learning and development conference. It was clear that people loved him. To be honest, I was irritated. I wanted some of that mojo for myself! When I got to know him years later, I discovered that, well, I loved him too … the man combines a big heart and a big brain in a way that’s irresistible. He is the author of a number of books that combined have sold north of 1.5...

Confession: I’m not that great at conflict. For WAY too long my motto has been: Why have conflict when you can passively aggressively avoid it in some way? But the truth is, if we’re going to get through this, we need to manage conflict as best we can. Avoid the unnecessary fights; and fight well in the conflicts we have to have to move forward. That’s why it’s so important to listen to Liane Davey. She is an organizational psychologist who advises leaders on both strategy and team...

Lots of people have one piece of the resilience puzzle. Their experience and expertise has given them insight on, say, nutrition or money or self-care or community building. These people are awesome, and they’ll be coming on the show. Few people have an established model about resilience, based on empirical evidence and tested in both the business and academic worlds. Dr Taryn Marie Stejskal is the unicorn. Her pre- and post-doctoral studies focused on the assessment and treatment of...

In difficult times, it's easy to despair. But all around us are experts who have proven tactics and strategies to stay strong: for ourselves, for our teams and for our organizations. This is a podcast asking the very best in the world how to stay resilient. This is a podcast that shows us We Will Get Through This