Chatter that Matters

Some artists find a sound or a look. Others find the truth. Bif Naked found both. In this moving episode of Chatter that Matters, I sit down with the iconic Juno Award-winning artist and activist Bif Naked to unpack "I am who I am." Born in New Delhi. Adopted. Raised across oceans, finding love in words and music. At 21, Bif met her birth mother, a moment that brought her story full circle. But identity is not formed only in comfort. At 36, Bif was diagnosed with breast cancer. Two years later, she suffered a stroke. Those chapters did not silence her. They fed her poetry and clarified what mattered. I loved every second of my time with Bif Naked. We discuss punk, poetry, feminism, and the discipline behind her philosophy: "save the rage for the stage." There is wisdom in that line. Choose where your energy goes. Do not let the noise of the world steal your voice. Channel it. Own it. If you have ever felt different, silenced or enraged. If you have ever had to rebuild or renew. If you believe identity is something you own, not something assigned. This conversation is for you. (And her music and passion roars throughout)

What happened to the truth? I find myself fixated on a troubling realization. It feels remarkably easy to win over an audience with a slogan, a promise without substance, or blatant mistruths, even when those are wildly disconnected from the audience's reality. And even more surprisingly, they are not only readily accepted but also often repeated and shared. I wanted to understand why. Not from a political or media lens, but from a human one. What is it about human nature that makes us so vulnerable? That question led me to two conversations on Chatter That Matters. What ties them together is a sobering conclusion. Our minds have not fundamentally changed, but the tools used to target them have. Unless we become more intentional about how we think as parents, citizens and individuals navigating the uncertainties and complexities of life, it will remain dangerously easy to sell comforting narratives that drift far from reality. Gordon Pennycook, a highly regarded cognitive scientist whose journey from small-town Saskatchewan to a renowned thought leader at Cornell University gives him a rare lens on how ordinary people reason in extraordinary information environments. Gordon studies why we are so trusting, why misinformation spreads faster than truth, and why most of us are not irrational or malicious, just distracted. His research shows that people do not fail because they cannot think, but because the systems around them reward speed, emotion, and certainty over reflection and accuracy. We discuss why falsehood often outperforms truth online, how social platforms exploit attention rather than intention, why news has become opinionated, and why there is still hope. I then bring in Milos Stojadinovic, a cybersecurity and threat expert at RBC, who thinks like attackers, so the rest of us do not have to. Milos explains how cybercrime has become organized, global, and industrialized, from ransomware-as-a-service to AI-powered scams and nation-state involvement. His insight makes one thing clear. Trust is still our greatest human strength, but it has also become the easiest point of entry for those who want to exploit it.

Robyne was a high school dropout who believed she wasn't worth saving. Then her car plunged through the ice, trapping her 20 feet underwater and changing everything. This is the story of how choosing hope became a strategy for survival and healing. I sit down with Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, bestselling author and one of the most trusted voices on resilience. As a teenager, Robyne battled addiction, dropped out of school, and was hospitalized in an adult psychiatric ward. At 16, a near-fatal accident gave her a second chance she refused to waste. This is not a glossy comeback story. It is an honest conversation about becoming. Robyn shares why pain does not have to make sense to be real, why recovery is never linear, how stress can be worked with rather than feared, and what everyday resilience actually looks like. This episode is about hope, not as a feeling, but as a practice, and choosing to show up again when life feels overwhelming. To find out more: Discover – Pre-Order 'I Hope So: How to Choose Hope Even When It's Hard' Hope isn't just a feeling – it's the key to rewiring your brain for resiliency and well-being, even in the toughest times. Stay Connected - Subscribe to Dr. Robyne's Newsletter Get exclusive tools, strategies, and Everyday Resiliency—straight to your inbox.

What happens when the dream you are chasing, ends in a split second? Only to find a new one awaits. At 19, Jane Roos was chasing Olympic dreams, fast, fearless, and focused. Then, in a single moment, everything changed. A devastating car accident took her best friend's life and ended the future she had trained for. What followed was pain, survivor's guilt, and a question that quietly redefined her life: Why am I still here? From a hospital bed, with no roadmap and no safety net, Jane founded the Canadian Athletes Now Fund, an idea that would grow into one of the most important sources of support for Canada's Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Today, CAN Fund has helped fund thousands of athletes seek their podium dreams, not by chance but by belief. Jane also shares the quieter, equally powerful parts of her journey, including overcoming survivor's guilt, choosing service over fear, and creating community through initiatives like Random Acts of Magic. Her perspective on gratitude, courage, and living fully feels both hard-earned and deeply generous. I then welcome Jacquie Ryan, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation. We explore what it truly takes to get athletes to the starting line and beyond, and why long-term commitment matters. Jacquie reflects on the enduring role of partners like RBC and how investing in athletes is about more than medals; it is about identity, pride, and belief in what Canada can be. If you have ever questioned your path, your purpose, or what is possible after life takes an unexpected turn, Jane's story is a powerful reminder that the worst day can become the greatest gift, and that sometimes the most meaningful victories happen far from the podium. To learn more about the CAN Fund: https://canadianathletesnow.ca

Ben Mulroney has spent his life carrying a famous last name while choosing a different path on his own terms. That is why I wanted to share his story. We recorded the show in front of a sold-out room at The Toronto Hunt. Ben takes you behind his public persona and into the moments that shaped him, tested him, and surprised him. He shares wonderful stories that are funny, candid, and genuinely human, including what it really feels like to work on a red carpet and suddenly find yourself face-to-face with someone like George Clooney. Over the past year, I had the chance to join Ben on his national radio show, on Corus, and I have watched his rare ability to take complex, sometimes controversial issues, synthesize competing viewpoints, then land on a perspective with clarity, confidence, and courage. In this conversation, that same clarity turns inward, toward family, fatherhood, identity, reinvention, and what it takes to build a life in your own voice. If you like interviews that move fast, go deep, and leave you thinking, press play. And as always a big thank you to RBC and RBC Wealth for all you do to allow me to share weekly stories of people who overcome circumstances to chase dreams and change their world and ours for the better.