Books That Shaped Us: Lessons from Try Hard by Max Kerman

Brie Pointer on Joy, Grief & Living in Colour

Brie Pointer is one of those people who lights up every room she walks into. She's an independent designer, illustrator, farmer, and community builder living in the Waterloo Region. She's also one of the most authentically joyful people we've ever met. At first glance, this conversation starts with colour. Why Brie wears it. Why it matters. And why embracing who you truly are can give other people permission to do the same. But as the conversation unfolds, we discover that her colourful spirit wasn't something that came easily. After losing both of her parents less than two years apart, Brie found herself navigating unimaginable grief while raising two young daughters, running a business, farming, and trying to rediscover herself. She shares, with incredible honesty, how she slowly found her way back to joy, why community became more important than ever, and what she's learned about living intentionally when life doesn't go according to plan. Brie has a contagious energy that's impossible not to be drawn to, but what makes her truly remarkable is her ability to hold both joy and grief at the same time. This is a conversation about authenticity, resilience, finding your people, and discovering that sometimes the brightest colours come after the darkest seasons. In this episode, we talk about: Why colour became such an important part of Brie's life Finding authenticity in business and personal branding Why confidence comes from embracing who you already are The role community plays in navigating life's hardest seasons Losing both of her parents in less than two years How grief changed her perspective on relationships and life Learning to choose joy again, one small step at a time Why vulnerability creates deeper human connection The importance of reflection and spending time with yourself What to do when you feel stuck or disconnected from who you are We laughed, we cried, and we left reminded that life isn't about avoiding the hard seasons. It's about finding the courage to keep showing up, keep loving people well, and maybe even adding a little more colour along the way. This episode is lovingly dedicated to Brie's parents, Brian and Marion (Gail) Pointer, whose love, kindness, and legacy continue to shine through Brie every single day. EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCES Brie Pointer Website [https://www.briepointer.ca/] Brie Pointer on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/briepointer/?hl=en] Wayward Farm Website [https://waywardfarm.ca/] Wayward Farm on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/waywardfarm] Buy Wayward Roaster Coffee [https://waywardfarm.ca/collections/coffee/products/whole-bean-coffee-serra-alta] Wayward Roaster on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/waywardroaster/] The Three Wellness [https://www.thethreewellness.com/] Den 1880 [https://den1880.co/] We’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us:  Vienna Waits Website [https://vienna-waits.com/] Subscribe to Vienna Five Newsletter [https://vienna-waits.com/vienna-five-subscribe] UNBLOCK Yourself™ Program [https://vienna-waits.com/unblock-yourself] Corporate Programming [https://vienna-waits.com/corporate] Waypoint Retreat [https://vienna-waits.com/retreat] Vienna Waits on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/viennawaits___] Greg’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregboyd-vienna-waits/]  Whitney’s LinkedIn  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneysusanna/] On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.  You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey. We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.

Identity, Recovery & the Long Game with Kyle Ferrigan

Kyle Ferrigan spends his days helping everyone from professional athletes in the NHL, NFL, CFL, and MLS to weekend warriors and active families recover from injury and get back to doing what they love. But this conversation goes far beyond physiotherapy. We talk about setbacks, identity, resilience, and what happens when life forces you to slow down. Kyle shares the story of failing his national physiotherapy exam shortly after graduation, a setback that felt devastating at the time but ultimately helped shape the career he has today. We also explore what he's learned from working with elite athletes, why recovery is often more mental than physical, and the surprising parallels between injury rehabilitation, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. Whether you're recovering from an injury, rebuilding after a setback, growing a business, or simply trying to make progress toward a meaningful goal, the lessons are remarkably similar: trust the process, focus on the next step, and play the long game. In This Episode We Talk About: • The setback that unexpectedly shaped Kyle's career • How studying psychology influences the way he approaches rehabilitation • Why recovery is often more mental than physical • Identity and what happens when something important gets taken away • Helping athletes navigate long recoveries and major injuries • What elite athletes can teach us about resilience and performance • Why the best performers focus on the process, not the outcome • The similarities between injury recovery, entrepreneurship, and personal growth • Setting short-term goals during long-term challenges • Knowing when to push harder and when to pull back • Building confidence one small win at a time • Why taking a step back can sometimes be the fastest way forward • What it means to play the long game in sport, business, and life There are a lot of parallels between recovery, business, and life, and Kyle does an incredible job connecting those dots. This episode is packed with goodness. We hope you enjoy the conversation. EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCES FP Sports Rehab [https://www.fpsr.ca/] Kyle Ferrigan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ferrigan.physio/] We’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us:  Vienna Waits Website [https://vienna-waits.com/] Subscribe to Vienna Five Newsletter [https://vienna-waits.com/vienna-five-subscribe] UNBLOCK Yourself™ Program [https://vienna-waits.com/unblock-yourself] Corporate Programming [https://vienna-waits.com/corporate] Waypoint Retreat [https://vienna-waits.com/retreat] Vienna Waits on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/viennawaits___] Greg’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregboyd-vienna-waits/]  Whitney’s LinkedIn  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneysusanna/] On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.  You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey. We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.

Building Big Dreams with Drew & Sarah

What happens when two ambitious entrepreneurs fall in love, start a family, and build separate businesses at the same time? In this episode, we sit down with Drew and Sarah (Matton) Butterworth to talk about entrepreneurship, marriage, parenthood, intentional living, and pursuing work you love. Drew is the founder of goodvibes juice co., Ontario's fastest-growing cold-pressed juice brands. After leaving a successful corporate sales career, he followed a passion for health and wellness and spent the last decade building a business from the ground up. Along the way, goodvibes juice co. appeared on Dragon's Den and has grown into a nationally recognized brand. Sarah is the founder of 10 Talent Management, one of Canada's leading talent agencies representing performers in film, television, commercials, and theatre. Before becoming an agent, Sarah spent years as a professional dancer and performer, including performing with Drayton Entertainment and working throughout the musical theatre industry. Together, they are raising two young boys while navigating the challenges and rewards of building separate businesses under the same roof. We talk about why neither of them took the traditional path, what it's really like being an entrepreneurial couple, how they balance ambition with family, and the advice they'd give anyone who feels stuck in a career that no longer feels aligned. In This Episode We Talk About: * How Sarah and Drew first met (and why Sarah had to track Drew down afterwards) * Leaving the security of a corporate career to start a business * Building goodvibes juice co. from a single storefront into a growing brand * Sarah's journey from professional dancer to talent agent * Why passion matters more than chasing a paycheck * The reality of entrepreneurship behind the scenes * Raising young children while building businesses * The advantages and challenges of being an entrepreneurial couple * Why failure is often the fastest path to growth * Advice for anyone feeling stuck in their career or life From entrepreneurship and marriage to young kids and big dreams, this conversation feels less like an interview and more like sitting down with friends who are figuring it out alongside you. We hope you enjoy it. EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCES Connect with Drew * goodvibes juice co. Website [https://goodvibesjuice.com/] * goodvibes juice co. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/goodvibesjuicecompany/] * goodvibes juice co. pitch on Dragon’s Den [https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6517119] Connect with Sarah * 10 Talent Management Website [https://10talentmanagement.com/] * 10 Talent Management Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/10talentmanagement/] We’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us:  Vienna Waits Website [https://vienna-waits.com/] Subscribe to Vienna Five Newsletter [https://vienna-waits.com/vienna-five-subscribe] UNBLOCK Yourself™ Program [https://vienna-waits.com/unblock-yourself] Corporate Programming [https://vienna-waits.com/corporate] Waypoint Retreat [https://vienna-waits.com/retreat] Vienna Waits on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/viennawaits___] Greg’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregboyd-vienna-waits/]  Whitney’s LinkedIn  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneysusanna/] On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.  You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey. We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.

Dr. Rebecca Sutherns: You’re Probably Not Stuck

We chatted with Dr. Rebecca Sutherns: speaker, strategist, facilitator, executive coach, bestselling author, and one of the wisest voices we’ve heard on the topic of navigating change. For more than 25 years, Rebecca has helped leaders and organizations move through uncertainty, transitions, and reinvention. But this conversation goes far beyond business strategy. We talk about parenting, adaptability, identity, ambition, friendships, entrepreneurship, grandparenting, and intentionally designing your life as the seasons change. Rebecca shares why she believes most people are not actually “stuck” (even when it feels like they are), why adaptability is a learnable skill, and how living an interesting life can fundamentally change the way we navigate uncertainty. In this episode, we talk about: • Why people confuse “slow” with “stuck” • The messy reality of life’s in-between seasons • Adaptability as a learnable skill • The 15 elements that make people more adaptable • Why hope is the strongest predictor of adaptability • “Optimize for interesting” and living a more expansive life • The emotional complexity of empty nesting • Values, behaviours, and how we actually make decisions • The tension between meaningful work and family life • Friendship, entrepreneurship, and evolving identity • Why transitions are rarely linear • Building a life by design • How environment shapes energy and creativity • The hidden cost of constant busyness • What Rebecca is currently reimagining in her own life Oh and we also officially fell in love with the term “Minga and Coach” as grandparent names and may steal them for ourselves one day. :) We hope you enjoy this conversation with Dr. Rebecca Sutherns. EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCES Rebecca Sutherns Website [https://www.rebeccasutherns.com] Rebecca’s Podcast Page [https://www.rebeccasutherns.com/podcast] Rebecca’s Books [https://www.rebeccasutherns.com/books] Rebecca’s “Possibility Packs” Card Decks [https://www.rebeccasutherns.com/cards] Learn More About Adaptability Quotient (AQ) [https://aqai.io] Follow Rebecca on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccasutherns] Follow Rebecca on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rebecca.sutherns] We’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us:  Vienna Waits Website [https://vienna-waits.com/] Subscribe to Vienna Five Newsletter [https://vienna-waits.com/vienna-five-subscribe] UNBLOCK Yourself™ Program [https://vienna-waits.com/unblock-yourself] Corporate Programming [https://vienna-waits.com/performance-coaching-facilitation] Waypoint Retreat [https://vienna-waits.com/retreat] Vienna Waits on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/vienna_waits_studio/] Greg’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregboyd-vienna-waits/]  Whitney’s LinkedIn  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneysusanna/] On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED. You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey. We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.

Ahmed Moneka: From Baghdad to Bobcaygeon

In this unforgettable conversation, we sit down with Ahmed Moneka: Iraqi Canadian actor, musician, playwright, activist, and co writer of the beautiful new musical It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken — an original story set to the timeless music of The Tragically Hip. Ahmed shares his incredible story of growing up in Baghdad and starring as a gay man in a film that was highly controversial in Iraq, which ultimately led to him being exiled from his home country. He takes us through what it was like arriving in Toronto with one suitcase, not speaking English, rebuilding his life from scratch, discovering community, busking on the streets of Toronto, falling in love, and eventually helping create one of the most moving Canadian musicals we’ve ever experienced. This episode is about so much more than theatre or music. It’s about belonging. Identity. Human connection. Art. Resilience. Immigration. Love. Canada. It’s also officially the longest episode we’ve ever released… and we won’t apologize for it. We couldn’t bring ourselves to cut a single minute. If this conversation moves you, please go see It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken. You won’t regret it!  In this episode, we talk about: • Ahmed’s childhood growing up in Baghdad, Iraq • The Afro Iraqi and Sufi roots that shaped his music and identity • The controversial film that changed his life forever • Being exiled from Iraq after advocating for LGBTQ rights • Arriving in Canada with one suitcase and no English • Working in coffee shops while rebuilding his life • Discovering community in Toronto (and Kensington Market!) • Busking on the streets of Toronto and forming his band, Moskitto Bar • Falling in love with his wife • The creation of the show: It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken • Why The Tragically Hip matter so deeply to Canadians • The connection between Bobcaygeon, belonging, and identity • Art as activism and storytelling as healing • Why community and human connection matter more than ever If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean the world to us if you followed the podcast, left a rating or review, and shared this episode with someone who needs to hear it. EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCES • Ahmed Moneka’s Website [https://www.ahmedmoneka.com/] • Follow Ahmed on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ahmedmoneka/] • The Musical: It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken [https://theatreaquarius.org/events/its-a-good-life-if-you-dont-weaken/] • Listen to Ahmed’s music on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6HKZK6rAF3dcMZ1awAK7eP?si=epafgOZ8RO2O4OEK3pc-mw] We’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us:  Vienna Waits Website [https://vienna-waits.com/] Subscribe to Vienna Five Newsletter [https://vienna-waits.com/vienna-five-subscribe] UNBLOCK Yourself™ Program [https://vienna-waits.com/unblock-yourself] Corporate Programming [https://vienna-waits.com/performance-coaching-facilitation] Waypoint Retreat [https://vienna-waits.com/retreat] Vienna Waits on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/vienna_waits_studio/] Greg’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregboyd-vienna-waits/]  Whitney’s LinkedIn  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneysusanna/] On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED. You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey. We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.