Episodi
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What we cover: In this moment, we are safe.
Today's guest is Dr Russ Kennedy – someone I have known since 2004, when I launched my brief stint into the stand up comedy world. Russ was a fellow comic, and I got to know him then, and I always really liked him. I eventually set that aside as I evolved as a writer and instead focused more on my foray into the world of one-woman shows – but Russ remained in my orbit because my brother Julien Dionne and his girlfriend Jennifer Grant are comics and so I continued to see Russ perform over the years. The thing I dug about Russ is that he wasn’t just a comic, he had this whole other side to him. He was a neuroscientist and a medical doctor as well. It’s not everyday you meet someone so robust in background. But that’s who Russ is. As a physician, and someone who very openly speaks about his own struggle with anxiety and his father’s battle with mental illness, he has recently launched a fantastic course and online resource called The Kennedy Method. Which you can learn more about by visiting MJDionne.com and clicking on the podcaster tab. There are so many of us – I would venture to say the majority of the population – who at one time or another experiences some form of at least temporarily debilitating self-doubt, fear, worry, anxiety. And so this is a conversation for us all. Russ isn’t just a doctor, he’s been the patient. He gets it. He knows.
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: "I took the road less travelled by, and that has made all the difference." -- Robert Frost
Today’s guest is Stacey Shand. If there is a woman more easy to have a Girl Crush on that Stacey Shand, I have yet to meet her.
Stacey is an ultra-extreme endurance athlete and adventurer. She is affectionately known as ‘Racey Stacey’, and she has been keeping a promise she made to herself from her hospital bed following a near tragic auto accident a number of years ago. When she was faced with the realities of what could have been, she vowed never to take her physical abilities -- her physical and mental strength -- whatever that might look like, for granted again. She went from being virtually inactive and even skipping gym class… to giving her first 5km a try at the age of 25… to the woman she is today – someone who has done approximately 100 marathons, and a woman intent on completing what are known as the toughest races on the planet. I’m not just talking about Ironman, I’m talking about Ultraman and Marathon de Sables and Badwater.
One of the things she and I talk about is the idea of "the road not taken” – a concept popularized by the poet Robert Frost. So for this episode, I dug out my copy – a copy I have cherished since the mid-1980s when the dad of my best friend Erin – his name was Gordon Simons – was dying and he knew I wanted to be a writer and he shared that his favourite writer was Robert Frost, and he gave me two of his collections. The following year, this poem was read at his funeral. I have it here – so if it’s been a while since you’ve really considered the words and the message, here it is:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.MJDionne.com
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What we cover: "Take the past for what it is. And then, focus on moving forward." -- Kevin Reynolds
Today's guest is Kevin Reynolds. He is, of course, the Canadian figure skating super star who won silver at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, as part of the mixed team event.
According to the official Olympics athlete site, he is the first skater in the world to ever land a quad-triple-triple combination, and in 2010 he became the first man ever to land two quadruple jumps in the short program – and we talk about all that goodness.
But this is by no means just a talk about skating. You don’t have to be up on your figure skating lingo to follow along – despite the fact that many of us will be up on it on account of we Canadians following the recent success of our own ice dancers, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. This is a conversation about getting up after we fall – figuratively and literally. It’s about recognizing what Kevin calls that “glimmer of hope” in order to set the wheels in motion and turn a dream into reality. It’s about harnessing the adrenaline we’ve all felt at one point or another, and turning that into something positive. It’s about learning to replace the question: “What if it all goes wrong?” with “What if it all goes right?”
It’s a peek behind the curtain of the present-moment focus that is required to compete and perform at this elite a level.
And, it’s a conversation about the Top 5 skating movies in pop culture, and I’ve posted that complete list at MJDionne.com, under the podcaster tab. So there’s that.
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What we cover: “Addiction is the body’s way of telling you that you’re not listening to your soul.” – Sherry Strong
Today's guest is Sherry Strong – and strong she is. She is a woman who, after 35-years of playing the “victim”, which so many of us are guilty of from time to time – and who also struggled with an addiction to sugar to numb the sadness, took a good look in the mirror and said enough is enough. She was, as she puts it: “sick, obese, tired, and wanted to die.” Today, she is a professional chef, a nutritionist, and a food philosopher – and she can fit her entire body into one leg of her former pants. She has some really wise insights in terms of what it means to have a healthy relationship with food. And it’s all about looking to nature and our relationship to nature – look to the natural abundance of whole foods; what nature intended. She can also help you get off of sugar in as a little as 8-weeks with her famous online program. And if 8 weeks feels too daunting for you, she’s devised a new 7-day plan as well. Surely, we can all give a clean, sugar-free lifestyle a try for one week out of 52 this year. Because, despite our best efforts, sugar is everywhere. In a typical grocery store that carries 6,000 products – sugar is in 80% of what’s available. You can find all that amazing info to get you started on a sugar-free lifestyle at MJDionne.com – click on the podcaster tab.
I started this series as a gift to my two daughters so that they will have a library of resources to turn to when they are in need of a new way of seeing things. Because so often, that’s all that we need to get us out of a funk. So if you’re listening to this from far off into the future, JouJou and Birdie, whatever it is you’re going through, just know that your mom believes in you and loves you and knows you’ve got the world in the palm of your hands. And that my biggest wish for you, is that you will make all your decisions from a place of self-love – and Sherry and I talk about that today.
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: In the interest of full disclosure, I have been ridiculously spread thin – as we all can get from time to time – and completely run down, wrapping up deadlines before I shut the office down until the new year. I have been up late into the night with a sick 2-year-old. And I have been going through this incredibly heavy sadness on account of learning that someone I cared for very much in my high school life, died – but the thing of it all is that he died many years ago. Nearly 25, in fact. And I only just found out. Grieving after-the-fact is a strange and lonely thing. If you’ve ever been there, have found out news in a delayed fashion and have had to grieve alone, I feel your pain – the solitary sadness. Long story short, I have felt anything but titan-y the last couple weeks. More sloggy than titan-y. A friend of mine once said to me: As achievers, we need to learn to cut ourselves some slack. To let ourselves off the hook just every once in a while. And so, as we near the Holiday season, that is what I am doing. I am popping in quick-like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a very Happy Holidays – wherever you are, we have listeners in 80 countries now and whatever the traditions are in your home, so long as they are centred around love and gratitude and giving and memory-making and kindness, that’s all that matters right?
We will be back in January 2018, with a host of awesome guest titans – I promise, it won’t just be me with my semi-stuffed nose. It is my most sincere aim to be refreshed, and renewed, and ready to play my A-Game once again. To focus on that which truly matters – and for each of us, the answer to that will be different.
Happy New Year!
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: “The most important things I’ve learned in life, I’ve learned on the badminton court.” – Anna Rice
Today’s Guest Titan is two-time Olympian, Anna Rice – a woman who admits that, as far as life goes, everything she’s learned so far, she’s learned on the badminton court. This is a woman who is ripe with insights, and who possesses a calm wisdom that I found quite intoxicating, really. I know you’re going to love her.
This isn’t really a conversation about badminton, so much as it is a conversation about our own thought processes, the stories we make up about ourselves, our relationship with ego and Self, and even what it means and what it takes to do those things that we legitimately love. It’s also a chat that just happens to be bursting with goodness as it pertains to the way we are raising our kids and the things to take into consideration when it comes to our own desires for them and for their own achievements – like the gift of letting them fall, for one -- for those of us who have small humans around the house.
I adore this woman -- she is wise, wise, wise.
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: "You have to lose sight of the shore, to discover new lands." -- Andre Gide, paraphrased
For those of you who listen to the show on a regular basis, it’s not news that I am a huge proponent of perspective shifting. And of gear shifting. Of being adaptable and of having the ability to readjust as needed. As we were planning our recent trip to California, I had a couple leads with amazing LA-based Guest Titans, both of which didn’t end up panning out at the last minute. Because we couldn’t get schedules to align. At first I was a bit disappointed, but that feeling didn’t last long when I reminded myself that it meant I would, instead, get two full days, and not just one, at Disneyland with my 2-year-old and my 4-year-old daughters. Time that, one day, when they have left home to create their own adult lives, I will pine for. And, since this podcast started as a gift to them, so that they will have an inventory of conversations with paradigm-busting perspective-shifters to draw from at various times whenever they feel stuck, I want to tell you now, JouJou and Birdie, that while there is much to be said for achieving and pursuing your big beautiful goals, there is also much to be said for achieving and pursuing big beautiful memories. And our second day together, a day we wouldn’t have had if my two interviews had materialized, saw us instead having breakfast with none other than Princess Ariel, and we were able to squeeze in a live performance of Frozen – two events, two memories, that, seen through the eyes of two special little kids – that were well worth all the delayed goals in the world. I share that story today because I needed the reminder to get out of my own way – to take the headphones off, to back away from the mic, to throw caution to the wind. I needed to, as I heard Elsa belt out on stage… “Let it go!”
Perspective shifts happen when we twist the kaleidoscope on our traditional way of seeing things.
Nearly 20 years ago, when I was a mid-20-something-year-old junior copywriter in Toronto, I was in the throes of ending a 5-year relationship with a person I knew I shouldn’t be with. The relationship had long run its course, but it was familiar. It was what I knew. And leaving, despite the mundane rut and the repeat betrayals, wasn’t easy. I eventually took a job as a copywriter with the same ad agency but in its Vancouver office, figuring that if I couldn’t completely end the relationship, then at the very least, geography would give me a push, as he finished his post-graduate studies in Toronto. However, even in Vancouver, old habits died hard – there were still phone calls and emails and even short visits. I had 9 toes in Vancouver, but still had one toe in Toronto. In those early months, when I was getting my Vancouver bearings, meeting new friends and colleagues -- a client who would go on to become a dear friend and a bestselling author and even, in fact, a Guest Titan years later, recognized the self-sabotaging pattern I was creating and said something that changed it all for me. She gave me that kaleidoscope twist. She told me: “Mary-Jo... you have to lose sight of the shore, before you can discover new lands.”
I had to let go entirely. I had to let go of what I considered a life preserver, despite the fact the relationship was, in actuality, more of an anchor keeping me from the discovery of new lands. I had to sail into the great unknown. And that night, something shifted – my perspective. And I allowed myself, psychically and emotionally, to chart new waters. All I needed was to hear Gina Mollicone-Long (episode 19) remind me that it was time for me to lose sight of the shore. It was time for me to discover new lands.
Of course learning to let go certainly isn’t relegated to unhealthy relationships. It can be a negative relationship with food or addiction. It can be moving on from a stagnant career. It can be the desire to pursue a whole new field, a whole new passion, a whole new hobby. Regardless, we have to lose sight of the shore, before we can discover new land.
I mention this today for two reasons. One, to remind JouJou and Birdie of this, when they might be hanging on to something a little too long, despite wanting so desperately to seek out the freshness, the excitement of a new opportunity. And, secondly, I mention it because I find myself faced yet again with the decision to lose sight of an old shore – an old way of doing things -- in order to discover a new land.
Mark Twain said: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: "For temporary results, commit to temporary changes. For permanent results, commit to permanent ones." -- Karin Fortin Jackson, 3-time Ironman finisher, who lost 120 pounds In 18 months of conversations with people I admire, this might rank as my most favourite chat yet. And I say that with the full admission that I have loved every one of my Guest Titan encounters. Karin Fortin Jackson is so honest, so unassuming, so humble, so candid. She allows us a private peek inside her very personal journey – a journey that has a clear “before” and a clear “after”. She walks us through her “before years” – from the day as a child when she was called “fatso” to her days as an adult who chose to accept the label until she ultimately found herself as a 255-pound mother of two, who couldn’t shop from the bottom shelves at the grocery store for fear of not being able to hoist herself back up again.
Part One of our conversation delves into these years – the "before years" -- who she was and what was going on in her life. Part Two takes a look at the “after years” and how things began to shift for her from January 1, 2008 to today, -- ten years later. She admits freely that there was no trauma she was sedating herself from, there was no form of self-medicating, in those years when she chose to live her life on the couch – this is just who she was, this was the definition of herself she chose to believe. And similarly, she admits that there were no trumpets, no lightening bolts, no big ahas when she finally made the decision to strive for more. Today, 120-pounds lighter, she is a 3-time ironwoman, a soon-to-be 6-time marathoner, and is as vibrant and joyful and active a participant in life as they come.
With an estimated 1 in four North Americans living in and around the obesity mark, Karin’s story is certainly not unique. While the details may differ from person to person, the feelings are so often the same. She’s not special in that regard. As an obese woman, she juggled a career, two young children, and the demands of daily life – just like we all do. But eventually -- and this is why she is special -- she incorporated a slow commitment to gradual massive change, inch by inch, month by month, year by year. So if you think you don’t have the time, or if you’re waiting for your big a-ha – you just may be denying yourself your best chance to live a vibrant life. My friend and mentor Sharon Shales says: “If we wait until we are ready, we will be waiting for the rest of our lives.”
This is not a conversation about following a specific diet. I have no idea if Karin is vegan or paleo. That’s not what this is about. And the food plan that works best for you is of course entirely your business. This is an open conversation about the feelings and the events that come with living unconsciously, and the gradual transformation that occurs when you instead live with your eyes wide open. When you chose to love yourself more than you love – in Karin’s case and in Karin's words – the pizza and the chocolate and the wine.
The reason I started this series, is so that my two daughters, Majella (who we call JouJou) and Burgess (who we call Birdie) will have an inventory of inspiring conversations with paradigm-busters to draw upon for those times in their lives when they feel stuck. Each conversations give me the gift of at least one perspective shift – a new way of looking at the situation. And I want to thank Karin for reminding me that if we want temporary results in our lives – then commit to something temporarily. If we want permanent results, then we must stick to something permanently.
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: "For temporary results, commit to temporary changes. For permanent results, commit to permanent ones." -- Karin Fortin Jackson, 3-time Ironman finisher, who lost 120 pounds In 18 months of conversations with people I admire, this might rank as my most favourite chat yet. And I say that with the full admission that I have loved every one of my Guest Titan encounters. Karin Fortin Jackson is so honest, so unassuming, so humble, so candid. She allows us a private peek inside her very personal journey – a journey that has a clear “before” and a clear “after”. She walks us through her “before years” – from the day as a child when she was called “fatso” to her days as an adult who chose to accept the label until she ultimately found herself as a 255-pound mother of two, who couldn’t shop from the bottom shelves at the grocery store for fear of not being able to hoist herself back up again.
Part One of our conversation delves into these years – the "before years" -- who she was and what was going on in her life. Part Two takes a look at the “after years” and how things began to shift for her from January 1, 2008 to today, -- ten years later. She admits freely that there was no trauma she was sedating herself from, there was no form of self-medicating, in those years when she chose to live her life on the couch – this is just who she was, this was the definition of herself she chose to believe. And similarly, she admits that there were no trumpets, no lightening bolts, no big ahas when she finally made the decision to strive for more. Today, 120-pounds lighter, she is a 3-time ironwoman, a soon-to-be 6-time marathoner, and is as vibrant and joyful and active a participant in life as they come.
With an estimated 1 in four North Americans living in and around the obesity mark, Karin’s story is certainly not unique. While the details may differ from person to person, the feelings are so often the same. She’s not special in that regard. As an obese woman, she juggled a career, two young children, and the demands of daily life – just like we all do. But eventually -- and this is why she is special -- she incorporated a slow commitment to gradual massive change, inch by inch, month by month, year by year. So if you think you don’t have the time, or if you’re waiting for your big a-ha – you just may be denying yourself your best chance to live a vibrant life. My friend and mentor Sharon Shales says: “If we wait until we are ready, we will be waiting for the rest of our lives.”
This is not a conversation about following a specific diet. I have no idea if Karin is vegan or paleo. That’s not what this is about. And the food plan that works best for you is of course entirely your business. This is an open conversation about the feelings and the events that come with living unconsciously, and the gradual transformation that occurs when you instead live with your eyes wide open. When you chose to love yourself more than you love – in Karin’s case and in Karin's words – the pizza and the chocolate and the wine.
The reason I started this series, is so that my two daughters, Majella (who we call JouJou) and Burgess (who we call Birdie) will have an inventory of inspiring conversations with paradigm-busters to draw upon for those times in their lives when they feel stuck. Each conversations give me the gift of at least one perspective shift – a new way of looking at the situation. And I want to thank Karin for reminding me that if we want temporary results in our lives – then commit to something temporarily. If we want permanent results, then we must stick to something permanently.
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: “If you want something badly enough, you don’t make sacrifices. You make choices.” – Rhian Wilkinson
Today’s Guest Titan chat is a wee bit of a deviation from the norm – and I am so glad about it. Today, I have a guest co-host in the form of 12-year-old Alex Vietch, herself a serious athlete – she’s a track star and a soccer freak, in a good way. She asked me once if I ever were to interview one of the women from Team Canada, if she could maybe come and say hi, but we did one better. When I found out that Rhian Wilkinson, 3-time Olympian and today’s Guest Titan was up for it, I asked Alex if she wouldn’t mind being my co-host. And, because Alex is one of those kids who personifies carpe diem, of course she was in!
The impact of women athletes on the positive self-image of young girls and boys – because they too get to see another definition of what it means to be a powerful, strong woman – cannot be understated. To that end, I want to give a shout-out to two of my young friends on the east coast of Canada as well – a big hello to Elle and Lauren Davidson, sisters who themselves are so into the game of soccer in the province of New Brunswick. It was a bit of a coincidence really, on the day I interviewed Rhian – who is the aunt of one of my daughter’s friends – she was on her way back east to run a camp with teammates and today business colleagues within the scope of their incredible enterprise called iS4 -- Christine Sinclair, Karina LeBlanc, Diana Matheson. Well, turns out, one of my oldest and best friends, Alison, had put her two rock star daughters in the camp – and Alison told me that as a mother, she was moved to tears. That our girls are so privileged to have exposure to these resilient, accomplished women – women who teach girls that they are not to be relegated to the sidelines, that to be strong and powerful is the only option, that to work one another – our sisters on the field and off – is a surefire way to build a network and a life of support and love and memories and empowerment. I was so thrilled to have Alex join us for this important conversation. If you are a parent, this is one for the kids too. If you’re going on a road trip, or running errands, have this one on in the car.
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: “Boom! Gratitude.” —Mike Shaw
This week’s Guest Titan – Mike Shaw — is beyond inspiring. I have thought about our chat daily since it happened. He is just that impressive. I don’t want to give too much away, his story is incredible, and it’s best if I get out of the way – and let you hear it from his vantage point. Hear what it was like to be at the top of his game as a freestyle skier and coach, and to one day, in the moment it takes to snap our fingers, experience a fluke crash and the subsequent horror of feeling nothing from the neck down – to know that there is a very good chance that he would spend his life as a quadriplegic. This is a story of grit, determination, self-identity – and above all else, gratitude. I caught Mike’s TED Talk in Vancouver, and I knew I had to meet him. And I did, and we drank Vega shakes together, and he wowed me. Every day his feet touch the ground in the morning, he says: “Boom! Gratitude. Boom! Gratitude.”
His TED Talk is amazing – he is amazing – and it’s posted here, please check it out. While you’re here, Red Bull did an astounding documentary, called The Healing Agent, on Mike’s recovery – I’m not kidding, it’s one of the most unforgettable half-hours I’ve watched… the moment of Mike’s crash is captured, there is footage of that game-changing, life-altering moment, and it’s hard to watch, really hard, actually. His recovery and his unbreakable focus are also captured, and serve as a reminder that if we want something badly enough, this level of commitment is what it takes. Rehabilitation and recovery became Mike’s full-time job. And, it worked.
The reason I started this series, is so that my two daughters, Majella (who we call JouJou) and Burgess (who we call Birdie) will have an inventory of inspiring conversations with paradigm-busters to draw upon for those times in their lives when they feel stuck. Each conversations give me the gift of at least one perspective shift – a new way of looking at the situation. I want to thank Mike for so much – for reminding me to be grateful for the little things. Today, as I was leaving the library, I stepped up over the curb and I thought of Mike. Of those weeks following his accident – when to step up over a curb was an unthinkable privilege. We are all living someone’s version of an unthinkable privilege. Whether it’s having the ability to see, or to hear, or to walk, or just to be alive – those are privileges. Thank you for that special reminder, Mike.
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What we cover: Reinvention.
I have been calling myself a writer since I was 5 years old. I’ve had a fun and memorable career as an ad copywriter in agencies in Vancouver, as an editor, as a features writer for various magazines. I’ve written my one-woman show and am currently working on the sequel. I wrote my own comedy material in the days I did standup. But for me, the dream is to one day get that screenplay written – that’s the dream. I’ll be honest, though, for some reason, it’s scary to me. It’s a new format, and a new thing, and despite the fact that I’ve read countless books on screenwriting, and have taken half a dozen screenwriting courses, I continue to fall into the category – in this one area of my life – where I talk the talk, but I don’t yet walk the walk. That is my thing – my block. What’s yours? What’s that one thing you want to rock on, but instead you continue to stand in your own way? Because that’s what it is – it’s just ourselves -- getting in the way.
Terri Tatchell, of course is the Oscar-nominated writer of the 2009 blockbuster film District 9, which was directed by Neil Blomkamp, who also happens to be her main dude in life – her husband, in fact. So this is a woman knows a thing or two about filmmaking. I re-watched District 9 to prepare for our chat, and if you haven’t watched it lately – do so. I’m not sure how it’s possible, but its themes are somehow more relevant today. I actually felt sick to my stomach watching – themes of oppression, poverty, segregation. It’s all just a little too close to travel bans and walls and terror.
However, this isn’t just a talk about writing, and it’s not just a talk about filmmaking, it’s a talk about reinventing -- because she wasn’t always a screenwriter. She wasn’t one of those 18 year olds, fresh out of high school who makes a bee-line to LA. She was on another track altogether. She was a corporate gal, when she made what was arguably a 180, even going to so far as to both metaphorically and literally purge her closet of 33 of her office suits… knowing that in her new life as a writer, she would no longer be needing them. She made a fresh start. She hit the reset button, which is actually something we can all do. It just takes guts. And commitment. It takes what she calls: Hand-cuffing herself to the process.
The reason I started this series, is so that my two daughters, Majella and Burgess will have an inventory of inspiring conversations with paradigm-busters to draw upon for those times in their lives when they feel stuck. Each conversations give me the gift of at least one perspective shift – a new way of looking at the situation. And I want to thank Terri for reminding me that committing to a do-ever, throwing our proverbial hats in a whole new ring, is entirely our own choice. That we can get rid of our own version of our 33 suits – when we take the steps to make the decision to get to the heart of the answer to the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
MJDionne.com
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This is a mini-episode. Just a wee one. It’s sort of Part Two in my chat with the unbelievably well-respected professional Ironman triathlete, Jeff Symonds Asia Pacific Ironman Champion, the year before last. But it’s also a stand-alone. So I’m not really thinking of it as a continuation of last week’s episode. By all means, go back and check that one out – but don’t feel you have to in order to really “get it”. I saved this installment, which technically is the last twenty minutes of our initial time together, because I really believes it sums up everything I believe about what makes a Guest Titan a Titan. And that is the ability to rise after a fall. The story Jeff tells isn’t just that figuratively, -- it is that literally. It’s the story of what goes on in the mind of someone with such unshakeable conviction and focus on desired outcome, that even when they crash their bike going at speeds of more than 60km/hour during the 180km ride that precedes the full marathon in his iron event – that he will get back up on his bike and persevere. So I didn’t want to largeness of his message to hide in the final quarter of our talk. I wanted it to have its own space, its own room to breathe. It’s just that important – because it applies to us all. I said it last week, and I will say it again, this is a guy who personifies all that we admire in the best of humanity – he is devoid of pretension, he personifies hard work, he is the embodiment of his life philosophy: “Get ugly.” But Jeff is anything but physically ugly – his kind of ugly is the ugly that happens when you leave it all on the line. When you let the sweat and the grime and guts of pursuit ooze from wherever it is that sweat and grime and guts ooze as you stare-down the finish line. That’s the kind of single-focused, push through the pain and discomfort “ugly” he talks about in this short story.
The reason I started this series, is so that my two daughters, Majella (who we call JouJou) and Burgess (who we call Birdie) will have an inventory of inspiring conversations with paradigm-busters to draw upon for those times in their lives when they feel stuck. Each conversations give me the gift of at least one perspective shift – a new way of looking at the situation. And I want to thank Jeff for reminding me that the most rewarding experiences aren’t the ones where we do the best, they’re the ones where we overcome the most adversity.
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: “A diamond is a lump of coal that did well under pressure." – Henry Kissinger
This week’s Guest Titan is flipping amazing. I have loved him from afar for many years now – not like as a stalker, dressed as a plant, hiding in a corner. But just that feeling of tremendous respect you get when you know you are around someone who is truly great. Some one who personifies all that you admire in the best of humanity – he is devoid of pretension, he is the definition of hard work, he is the embodiment of his life philosophy: “Get ugly.” But professional triathlete Jeff Symonds is anything but physically ugly – his kind of ugly is the ugly that happens when you leave it all on the line. When you let the sweat and the grime and guts of pursuit ooze from wherever it is that sweat and grime and guts ooze as you stare-down the finish line. That’s the kind of single-focused, push through the pain and discomfort of “ugly” we talk about it. It’s that kind of ugly that garnered him a 3rd place finish at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas, followed by a 1st place finish at the Ironman Asia Pacific Championships in Melbourne.
However, like all of my best chats, this is a conversation that is universal in its nature – meaning, you don’t have to be a triathlete to “get it”. It doesn’t mater what our figurative finish line looks like, we can all glean from Jeff the inspiration required to dig a little deeper and get a little uglier when we’re face to face with adversity.
Jeff is so totally likeable, and he has a gift for story telling and for taking us right inside from within the perspective of a champion – what it feels like, in real time, to be out on the course, picking off our worthy opponents one by one— to sit with him as I did, and as you are about it, is a unique joy. I love this guy.
Jeff had a lot of great insights, and he tells one story at the end of our time together, about a time when he got particularly ugly – when he endured a bike crash, going 60km/hour, during a really important race, and how he handled the physical agony and what ultimately made him decide whether or not he would get back on his bike and resume the quest for the win, despite being horribly injured. I’ve saved it – the last 20 minutes of our time together – for a Part Two Mini-Episode, slotted for next time. Because it’s a nail-biter, and it works really well as a stand-alone. So, the good news is, you’ll get a dose – albeit a shorter dose -- of Jeff’s ugliness in Episode #59.
The reason I started this series, is so that my two daughters, Majella (who we call JouJou) and Burgess (who we call Birdie) will have an inventory of inspiring conversations with paradigm-busters to draw upon for those times in their lives when they feel stuck. Each conversations give me the gift of at least one perspective shift – a new way of looking at the situation. And I want to thank Jeff for reminding me that when you want something badly enough, it’s up to us to do whatever it takes to dig deep and to let ourselves get ugly for it. Thank you for that, Jeff.
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What we cover: “A fall doesn't have to be perceived as a fall. It can be a trip. Or a stumble." – Teryl Rothery
This week’s Guest Titan is flipping amazing. I first met Teryl Rothery, about 18 years ago – I’ll tell you how I know it was a long time ago – I was an ad copywriter at an agency here in Vancouver, and I’d written some radio scripts for a national telco. And the product we were advertising was – wait for it – the Yellow Pages. Like, the hard copy, yellow pages phone books. One of the voice actors, we hired for the scripts was Teryl Rothery. That’s how long ago I met Teryl – we were still in the days of advertising the arrival of phone books at our doorsteps, letting people know that they were on their way. And I am going to post that radio spot in the show notes – because why not?! Go to MJDionne.com, click on the podcaster tab, and you’ll see Teryl’s show notes banner there. Easy!
In between Seasons One and Two, I took the summer off from recording Tea with a Titan episodes. And it’s a good feeling to know you miss something, because I missed it. And I am so happy to be back. But one of the things I’m committed to doing is shortening my introductions, so that we can get right to the meat – or the tofu – of the episode. Which in today’s case, is my chat with Teryl. In a nutshell, to set the stage, Teryl played the role of Dr Janet Frasier for 7 seasons of Stargate SG-1. She was Grace Sherman alongside Andie MacDowell for 3 seasons of Cedar Cove, and truth told, her filmography on Wikipedia is – and I tell her this in our conversation – exhausting: X-Files, The Outer Limits, Super Natural, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Best in Show with Christopher Guest, Arrow, and, she’s also part of ABC’s new medical drama, The Good Doctor – which premiers on September 25th, 2017. Which very well could be yesterday, if you’re listening to this on the day we post.
Teryl is instantly likeable, but more than that, she’s just got a wisdom to her that I’ve always admired. Acting is a profession that has a built-in level of “the unknown” to it – and no matter the field or path we each pursue, wrapping our heads around being okay with uncertainty is a skill that would do us all a fair bit of good.
The reason I started this series, is so that my two daughters, Majella (who we call JouJou) and Burgess (who we call Birdie) will have an inventory of inspiring conversations with paradigm-busters to draw upon for those times in their lives when they feel stuck. Each conversations give me the gift of at least one perspective shift – a new way of looking at the situation. And I want to thank Teryl for reminding me that a “fall” doesn’t have to be perceived as a “fall”. We can perceive it as a trip, or a stumble. How liberating is that?!
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: “Where will we be 5 years from today?”
Welcome to Season #2 of Tea with a Titan: Conversations Steeped in Greatness.
This is the series where I get to sit down and have tea with entrepreneurs, athletes, entertainers, artists, philanthropists, thought-leaders, difference makers, -- those people who have one of five, or sometimes five of five, things in common. After evaluating the learning I was so blessed to be on the receiving end of throughout Season #1 (episodes 1 through 55), I have come to the realization that what makes a titan a titan comes down to five recurring themes and qualities -- every time.
1) A titan is self-made; they do not depend on others to determine their fate.
2) A titan has a high adversity quotient -- when they fall, they get back up.
3) A titan believes in reinvention – they are adaptable.
4) A titan is a dreamer. But more than that, a titan is a do-er. They set the alarm earlier, they sit at their desk longer, they hit the gym or the pool or the art easel or the laptop. They re-evaluate how they spend the minutes of their day in order to “Find a way.”
5) A titan knows that no mistake is a mistake and no failure is a failure, so long as there was a lesson learned and then implemented along the way.
Those are the types of people we connect with on this series. While every week a Guest Titans is on air with me, those of you tuning in now from 70 countries – you are my Guest Titans too, and I thank you for having tea with me every week.
It’s good to be back.
I hope you had an outstanding summer. Chad and I certainly did – for those of you who joined us throughout Season 1, you know that in June 2017, I had the extreme good fortune of spending a week with Sir Richard Branson on Necker Island with an organization called Change Makers and Rule Breakers. That was a worldview-shaping experience, to say the least. To be surrounded by people, Richard Branson chief among them, who think THAT big, who really believe anything’s possible… it was intoxicating. While there, I had the chance to moderate a panel of CEOs on the topic of Leadership, Culture and Growth. Feel free to check out the blog post I wrote for the HuffingtonPost, you can find it at MJDionne.com.
I’m fortunate to be married to a big thinker, and a few weeks after I returned to Canada, Chad competed in an event called Ultra520 in Penticton, British Columbia – it was his 4th ultra-distance triathlon, but it was his 3rd ultra-distance triathlon in a 12 month period, so I would like to take this chance to tell him for all of the people in all of the land to hear, just how exceptionally proud I am of him. Fewer people have crossed the finishline of an ultra-distance triathlon than have successfully summited Mount Everest, and he did it three times in a one year period. The event saw him swim 10km (6miles), bike 425km (264 miles), and run 84km (which is a double marathon) over three days.
And he does it, primarily plant based. We always say that our household is about 97% plant-based, with a 3% variability for when life happens. Diet -- and our choices around food -- is personal, and that formula is just what works for our family.
I’ve been plant-based for 18 years, Chad for about a decade, and I bring this up, because – and this is so exciting for me – our family life, including Chad’s throughout his incredible feats of endurance athleticism – our family is fuelled in a big way on Vega… I’ve talked about Vega a lot in the past on this show, because I often have a Vega One Smoothie in my hand while I’m recording. Vega is a certified vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, nutrient-dense line of clean, plant-based nutrition products. From protein powders and snack bars to hydration during workouts, our kitchen shelves are stocked. And Season 2, drum roll please, is brought to you by Vega – which brings me no end of happiness.
My relationship with Vega is such that, if you want to give it a try and you do it via this link – it’s a way for you to have amazing plant-based food delivered right to your door for free (because it’s free shipping on orders of $100 or more, true story), and it’s also a way to support “Tea with a Titan” because Vega offers me a percentage of the sales generated from my site. That’s full disclosure – I thank you in advance if you decide to give Vega a whirl via MJDionne.com, or if you’re already a Vega freak like we are, save yourself a trip to the store and have it shipped to your door for free. If you do decide to go for it, my favourite Vega One shake is Vega One chocolate protein powder, with about a cup of water, a cup of almond milk, a handful of frozen strawberries, half a frozen banana, you can even add a quick squirt of the Vega Antioxidant Omega Oil Blends, zap that bad boy in your VitaMix and you have an easy 3-minute breakfast or lunch.
I am SO happy to be back at the mic. This month in particular marks a major milestone for me – it’s been 5 years since I battled my last melanoma. And in many ways, five years goes by so head-turningly swiftly. So, the seed I want to plant is if the last five years have gone by in the snap that they have, conversely, that means the next 5 likely will as well. In light of the fact that we all have the gift of 5 years ahead of us (God- or higher-being-willing) I ask you, just as I ask of myself, what are we going to do with those 5 years? I just turned 45, so what do I want to have accomplished, achieved, experienced by the time I turn 50? We have 260 weeks. We have 1,825 days. We have 5 years. What are we going to do with the next one year? The next one month? The next one week? The next one day? Whatever it is, I hope it will in one breath scare you and challenge you, and in another breath please you to no end. I thank you for spending part of your precious time, with me.
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: "Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson A few weeks ago, I was speaking on a panel for the organization called Dress for Success. Dress for Success is a fantastic enterprise designed to empower women to get back into the workforce by providing professional clothing for job interviews and the first few weeks of employment, as well as providing a support network and tools for them to thrive. Because I was raised by a bum-kicking single mom who not only pulled herself up by the bootstraps, but who would then go on to “pay it forward” as they say, by serving as a beacon for others, it was an honour for me to speak at their event.
While I was on stage, I noticed Pamela Martin in the crowd. And because I have been a longtime admirer of her work in broadcasting and subsequently in politics, I was sort of giddy at the thought of having the chance to meet her. Not like an obsessed fan, but more as a woman in awe of another woman for her work-ethic and her contribution. I live in an area of Vancouver called the North Shore – and within the North Shore, more specifically a tiny little seaside village called Deep Cove, and previous to our Dress for Success encounter, I was sure I had seen Pamela Martin around my neighbourhood. Turns out, her granddaughter and JouJou are in the same class at the same Montessori Pre-school. So, in the days since I pounced on her at the Dress for Success event, I have connected with her a number of times at school events. I’ve always said that there is nothing better than meeting someone who you hope and think will be awesome, and they end up being exactly that. Similarly, there’s nothing worse than meeting someone who you hope and think will be awesome, and they end up being exactly the opposite. Pamela is the former. She is a delight, she is an inspiration, and she knows the secret of success. It comes down to two words: “Hard work.” And even she admits that she’s sorry that’s what the secret is – but alas, that is what it is.
Pamela was the first female reporter and on-air personality in her early days at top-rated stations and channels. And it was a role – to be the first woman – she took very seriously. To say that she has been a pioneer for women in broadcasting, would be an undeniable understatement. This is a person who talked about issues like breast cancer when it was actually not even permissible to say the word “breast” on-air, because it wasn’t considered good manners. ("Breast! Breast! Breast!")
Ultimately, she would over the years, end up in the coveted seat of News at 6 anchor, alongside the esteemed Bill Good, on Canada’s CTV network’s west coast affiliate, where she would remain for the last near-decade of her broadcasting career – scooping up her fair share of awards and accolades along the way.
For nearly 40 years, the name Pamela Martin was synonymous with respect and integrity and likability in the field of communications, and perhaps at no time was she more front and centre than during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games when she was not only a carrier of the torch, an interesting metaphor for someone who has been carrying a torch for decades – but she was the trusted face of the games, here in the host city.
And while she most assuredly could have chilled for a while after a career as illustrious as her own, in 2011, after her retirement from the media, she announced the next chapter of her career -- in politics, alongside now BC Premier, Christy Clark and the Liberal Government, where, in true Pamela form, she would go on to be a force yet again.
And after all this trailblazing, while many of us would seek the serenity and ease of the all-inclusive holiday, where the only decision we have to make is whether or not we want a mini-umbrella in our drink, Pamela recently took off to Africa for the better part of a month, where she would roll up her sleeves with the good people of Create Change – an organization dedicated to educating girls so that they are better equipped to rise out of poverty. Even in Africa, she was leaving a trail for girls and women, in the classes she taught while there. I love this woman and it is my goal to be her when I grow up. Or at least my own version of her.
This is a woman who, when she decides what it is that she wants, does what it takes to go and get it. And really, couldn’t we all commit to a little more of that in our lives?
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: "What the world needs now is love, sweet love." -- Burt Bacharach About three weeks ago, my four-year-old, JouJou had her first ballet recital with North Vancouver’s stellar organization Pink Petal Ballet, designed less to teach young girls the perfect arabesque, and more to teach young girls concepts like self-love and kindness. The recital concluded with 300 young girls on stage singing in questionable harmony the classic lyrical genius of Burt Bacharach: “What the world needs now, is love sweet love,… it’s the only thing that there’s just too little love.”
However, thanks to artistic visionaries and thought leaders like Wendy Williams-Watt who sees opportunity for beauty and self-expression all around her, the quantity of love shown and received and felt is growing exponentially around the world. Love for oneself, love for community, love for country, love for the planet. In fact, her most talked about project to date Big Love Ball now has a home on every continent globally. If you’re not familiar with Big Love Ball, it is the incarnation of the glue that holds societies, countries, and families together – the most powerful single-word in any language, love – written in simple type across the width of a ginormous 5-foot in diameter to be exact, inflatable ball. It’s been called inflatable sculpture; an enormous beach ball that says the one thing we most want to say and hear and feel. Love.
Wendy Williams-Watt is a neat person, and the reason this conversation is so important is two-fold. One, we talk about love. Why we’re so afraid to show it. What it feels like when we’re missing it. What it feels like when we’re in it. But, we also talk about what it means to not just have ideas – which, when you’re as creative a person as Wendy is, is kind of like breathing – but actually doing something about them. I say it all the time: “The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers, but most of all, the world needs dreamers who do.” Wendy is a dreamer who does, and this episode is an invitation to you too, to be a dreamer who does. Small admin note: I typically credit that quote as having come from Eleanor Roosevelt, but alas, I went to verify it the other day and I learned it was Sarah Ban Breathnach, writer of Simple Abundance.
For years, Wendy was respected in the city of Vancouver for her role concepting and operating the go-to lifestyle destination shop called Liberty – it was a place to go and just lose yourself in the awe of the finely curated pieces. The energy in that space for me, nearly 20 years ago, as a junior copywriter just starting out and living across the street from it, was the feeling of “one day…” It was like walking into a dream. When Wendy transitioned from being the décor expert, the entrepreneur with the thriving enterprise, she experienced an epiphany one day when the battery of her mouse died and she saw the words: “connection lost” across her screen. Her daughter had just moved out, a relationship had come to an end, and Wendy realized she had too much stuff and not enough love and people. She let herself walk through the pain and the loneliness and when she came out on the other side, a whole new articulation of love waited for her on the other side. If you have not seen Big Love Ball, and Wendy’s other love-enhancing, love-expressing projects like Pink Ring and Writing on Ribs, please – no, really, please – check out MJDionne.com and check out the podcaster tab. You need to see this work.
I hate to say it, but I’m going to anyway. There is perhaps an underlying feeling that to talk about love is a "female" thing to do. That it’s somehow not cool for guys to engage in dialogue this potentially vulnerable in nature. Which is why, I invite you all to tune in – love is as universal as it gets. And this is a talk for us all. In this time of a particular president talking about walls, and travel bans, and pulling out of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and we have fear in London in light of last week’s London Bridge attack, and in Manchester after the Ariana Grande concert terror attack, what the world needs now, is love sweet love. Wendy talks about what it was like touring the Fire Halls around ground zero on the anniversary of 9/11 last year, and the reaction of these big, burly men – as soon as they saw Big Love Ball, it became an invitation to talk and connect and share. When they brought Big Love Ball to ground zero and invited people to pen a loving note on the ball itself, Wendy describes this feeling of eutopia – love doesn’t see religion, gender, nationality.
She was back in New York this week, with her latest project, Big Love Button as seen on Good Morning America – congrats to you on that, sister.
MJDionne.com
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What we cover: "We can't go over it, we can't go under it. Oh no, we have to go through it." -- Michael Rosen
JouJou very recently has taken to riding her bike up and down the carpeted hallways of our condo building in BC's wine country, and since this is the first year that Birdie can actually walk, she sort of giddily squeals and chases behind her big sister in her distinctly diaper-clad waddle. However, the other day, JouJou went out into the hallway and left our condo door open, for Birdie to come out when she was ready. I watched as Birdie made the realization that JouJou had in fact left the suite on her bike, and I watched as she processed that she too wanted to leave the unit, and be in the vicinity of the big kid who was out in the hallway. She headed over to the door, which was wide open, and then she quickly stopped. She did not proceed, despite the fact that nothing was, at first glance, physically stopping her.
However, the door mat that sits at our entrance is made of sort of this grassy, sisal texture, and Birdie was in bare feet -- so to cross over it would mean a bit of short-term discomfort.
I watched her process this: I watched as the realization hit her that what she wanted was on the other side of the discomfort. And, in the moment, the symbolism was just too much for me – and is the reason I share this observation with you now.
How many times in our own lives, has the door been wide open – a standing invitation for us to simply walk through and embrace a new experience, to play at a bigger level -- but the thought of moving toward and through that little bit of discomfort ultimately stops us? The grassy sisal mat, can take many forms. Yet, most of the time, as soon as we approach it and tackle it, it vanishes. It’s no longer an issue. And in it’s place is a whole new reality – we have made it out of the condo and into the carpeted hallway where the big kids get to ride their bikes.
JouJou has a book that my cousin Dave bought her when she was just a little thing. It’s called “We’re going on a bear hunt”. In it, the writer, Michael Rosen, identifies a number of challenges that our protagonist faces along the way, throughout the duration of the epic journey. Deep mud, raging rivers, high grass. And in every instance, the refrain is the same: “We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it, oh no -- we have to go through it.” And such it is with the life we live above and beyond children’s literature, when it comes to life’s discomforts: We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it – oh no, we have to go through it.
I am recording this solocast on the eve of an important and exciting trip to Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson’s private estate in the British Virgin Islands, where I will spend the next week with 20 other social entrepreneurs – the Change Makers and Rule Breakers -- in an environment of positivity, leadership, and growth. To me, it’s my hallway, the place where the big kids get to ride their bikes. However, before I get there, I first must embrace the fear of the unknown. Because for as silly as it may seem – and let’s face it, so often our own versions of the grassy, sisal mats are indeed very silly when we acknowledge them – the unknown, the complete mystery of what the next seven days will have in store for me, has me in a state of mild frenzy. And yet, a week from now, I know I will look back with gratitude and a wealth of new memories and new friends, and I will laugh at the ludicrousness of it all.
So, tomorrow, I’ll be boarding a plane to Atlanta, and from there, one to San Juan, and from there one to Tortola, and from there, a small boat will zip me through the Caribbean Sea to Sir Richard Branson’s home island, where for one week, I will be surrounded by big kids on their bikes -- those people who know that when you want to get to the other side of life’s open doorways, you can’t go over it, you can’t go under it, oh no -- you’ve got to go through it.
As for Birdie, ultimately, as her mommy, I carried her over the grassy, sisal mat, and popped her out onto the other side. Which, when you’re only two years old, is in and of itself its own life lesson – which is… that sometimes we get by with a little help from our friends. But that’s a topic for another day.
MJDionne.com
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I’m a big believer that every once in a while, if you stay the path, dreams really can come true. And today’s episode, in my life, is evidence of that theory.
Ten years ago this summer, on my 35th birthday, a group of my closest friends and I went to a party at the Playboy Mansion of all places. I’ve said it a number of times on this series: if you have a chance to peek into a portal, to experience a glimpse of life that is counter to your own everyday routine, habits, surroundings, take it. And partying at the Playboy Mansion fell into that camp. While my friends and I – I believe there were ten of us in total – had a blast overall on that special evening, there was one unique highlight that -- for me -- was what some people might call a “pinch me” encounter.
I have a long history as a writer and a performer and a speaker, and I dabbled in stand-up comedy for about 3 years as I honed my comedic-writing chops. This ultimately led me to writing and producing and appearing in my one-woman show, "Glowing: A Reproduction Production", which chronicles my rocky road to motherhood in light of having been born short of one biological clock, and the challenges and hiccups, from foiled adoption attempts, to fertility issues and treatments, to all-day morning sickness, to cancer growing in my foot, to the crescendo of being hit full-on by an 18-wheeler love truck when my baby was eventually born. All that to say, in my life, I’ve always known who I was, who I am. A writer, a performer, a communicator. Someone who aims to connect with the goodness of humanity in a memorable and hopefully meaningful way. To that end, there are certain key players in my life who have stood out as real beacons – the ones whose light shines bright, as a reminder that with hard work, with abundance consciousness, with kindness, with lack of ego, with the old adage of “following one’s heart” at the forefront of decisions, and with a commitment to rising after every fall no matter how many times you do indeed fall – and one such beacon is George Shapiro.
Long story short, he and his colleague Aimee Hyatt, who that night became a dear friend, were sitting at the table next to us, and when I found out it was indeed THAT George Shapiro, I’m not ashamed to say it. I attacked him. He didn’t stand a chance. He was innocently eating a chocolate chip cookie and I pounced on him and, sadly for the cookie, it went flying, and I am pretty sure I didn’t let go of him for the entire evening.
When I decided last year to create this podcast for my daughters – JouJou is 4 and Birdie is 2 years old next week – so that they would have a library of inspiring conversations with fascinating people to draw upon whenever they feel stuck, the guest who I absolutely knew I needed to chat with, was indeed George Shapiro.
He is the embodiment of everything I admire: He’s self-made (he literally started in the mailroom at the William Morris Agency and through grit and passion, he worked his way up to being one of the most respected agents and then managers and producers and creative collaborators in Hollywood), he knows the correlation between failure and lessons learned (he has been there as clients like Jerry Seinfeld repetitively bombed on stage, time and again, only to ultimately hit it out of the park as a result of those lessons learned), and above all else, he is kind and a believer in what’s possible.
We talk about his time backstage on The Ed Sullivan Show with Elvis Presley, what is was like working with the one-of-a-kind Andy Kaufman, we talk about his years of not only working with Jerry Seinfeld and the fruition of the marginally successful sitcom Seinfeld, but just what a true and sincere love exists between the two of them – between George and Jerry.
Last week, I was invited to attend the premiere of the HBO documentary “If you’re not in the Obit, eat breakfast”, executive produced by my pal Aimee Hyatt and produced by George. In his opening remarks at the historic Samuel Goldywn Theater in Los Angeles, George described the documentary as a “love letter to the human race” – and I couldn’t agree more. The film examines what it means to age, not simply gracefully, but with downright vigour. Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Norman Lear, and Betty White – all highly productive contributors to the planet today, and all in their 90s. “If you’re not in the obit, eat breakfast” airs on HBO on June 5th.
The following day, after the screening, I made the trek over to the legendary offices of Shapiro/West, for the chat you are about to tune into. I was met with the warmth and the hospitality you can only dream of being on the receiving end of when you have the unique privilege of sitting down with one of your most revered and respected and admired icons.
Unlike a decade earlier when we met on that night at the Playboy Mansion, this time it wasn’t my birthday, it was his. So Happy Birthday, Georgie.
Danny Devito, who plays George Shapiro in the movie Man on the Moon says to Andy Kaufman – played by Jim Carey – “You are surrounded by what you create.” And George, you are surrounded by goodness and light.
I know it was your birthday, George, but the gifts were all mine.
MJDionne.com
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