Beyond Four Walls

Nat Harrison | Building a Purpose-Led Wellness Studio From the Ground Up

What if your workout was designed to help you feel good — not punish you? Nat Harrison, founder of SOAR, built a movement and mental health studio that does exactly that.Nat Harrison spent over a decade in corporate marketing — working on brands like Gatorade and Nike Canada — before stepping away to raise her family. What followed was an unexpected journey: a backyard barre class that grew into SOAR, a 4,000-square-foot movement and wellness studio in Toronto's West End now drawing 10,000 visits a month.In this conversation, you'll hear about:📌 Why she believes movement should build you up — not punish you for what you ate📌 How SOAR survived opening one week before pandemic lockdowns shut gyms down📌 The three-tier model she built: from drop-in classes to workshops to one-on-one psychotherapy📌 Her sobriety journey and how it shaped her books and her approach to mental health📌 Why she thinks careers are scaffolding, not a ladder — and what that means for reinvention at any age0:00 - Intro1:59 - From Pepsi to Nike Canada: Building a Corporate Marketing Career2:22 - The Moment That Changed Everything at 187:22 - From Backyard Barre Classes to a Movement Studio10:18 - Why Most Gyms Get Fitness Wrong for Mental Health13:52 - The Secret Behind SOAR's Community and Culture16:11 - Opening Week One of the Pandemic — And Surviving It19:10 - Movement for Mindset, Not Aesthetics: The SOAR Philosophy27:37 - Retreats, Workshops & the Three-Tier SOAR Model30:26 - Writing Two Books and Sharing Her Sobriety Journey Publicly35:03 - Returning to School at 45 to Become a Psychotherapist36:33 - Why Careers Are Scaffolding, Not a Ladder

Brittany Gray: Building Fancy Face

Brittany Gray is the founder of Fancy Face, a luxury beauty brand and brick-and-mortar studio built on the belief that "fancy is a feeling." A former professional performer who was cast in the Oscar-winning movie Chicago at age 15, Brittany has translated her background in theatre and dance into a beauty company known for its distinctive aesthetic and high-performance products. The conversation covers her business evolution from a mobile wedding service to a brick-and-mortar location and product line. Brittany explains her strategic decision to remain a boutique brand rather than competing in mass-market retailers, and shares her insights on formulating makeup for "mature skin," which she notes begins at age 35. 00:00 Intro 02:34 Getting cast in the movie "Chicago" at 15 05:30 Transforming wedding makeup into a business 08:09 Scaling from a home studio to a storefront 10:37 Why Fancy Face stays niche vs. mass market 12:05 Defining "Mature Skin" (It starts at 35) 16:42 The reality of social media for founders 18:24 Kids and skincare trends 22:57 Entrepreneurship and work-life balance 24:45 Creating the "Starlet Kit" for dancers 29:36 Common bridal beauty mistakes

Revolutionizing Postnatal Care & The "Fourth Trimester" with Melissa Gallagher

Melissa Gallagher is the Founder of AlmaCare, a company dedicated to revolutionizing the postnatal and family care industry in Canada. Previously the Chief Marketing Officer at Freshii, Melissa pivoted to entrepreneurship after experiencing a significant gap in support during her own postpartum journey. Melissa joins the podcast to discuss the reality of the "fourth trimester" and why the standard medical advice of "see you in six weeks" is insufficient for new mothers. She explores the cultural differences in recovery (including the "confinement" method), the transition from corporate executive to founder, and how to build a "village" of support. 00:00 - Introduction 02:46 - The problem with the "6-week checkup" standard 04:40 - Why no one prepares you for the physical trauma 07:44 - What we can learn from Chinese "Confinement" (Sitting the Month) 10:58 - How AlmaCare works: Night nurses & holistic support 13:47 - Vetting caregivers and building trust in the home 18:04 - Transitioning from CMO of Freshii to Founder 21:02 - Advice for new moms: Build your village early 25:12 - The future of postnatal care in Canada

Sydney Robertson: Inside the Twitter Takeover, Google, and Empowering Women

Sydney Robertson is a media industry veteran with over 20 years of experience leading high-performance sales teams at Twitter (now X), Google, AOL, and Yahoo. Currently a Video Partner Lead at Google, she is also the co-founder of Element, an organization dedicated to empowering women to invest and lead global change. Sydney joins the podcast to discuss the reality of a non-linear career path. She opens up about moving from a traditional law background into the fast-paced world of digital media and shares her firsthand experience managing a team during the volatile Twitter acquisition and mass layoffs. 00:00 - Intro 04:58 - Inside the Twitter acquisition & layoffs 05:56 - Stepping up when leadership disappears 07:33 - Why you need to avoid Toxic Positivity 09:26 - Adapting to rapid changes at X Corp 11:16 - Creating mentorship opportunities for women 17:30 - How early-stage founders can get funding 19:19 - Letting go of external validation 21:25- Why rejection is actually redirection

Daniel Shearer: CMO of Maple on Healthcare Innovation & Building Culture at Scale

Healthcare CMO Daniel Shearer reveals how Maple became Canada's #1 virtual care platform - and why Canada's aging population crisis demands urgent innovation in how we access medical care. From leading iconic campaigns like SickKids VS to scaling a healthcare startup, Shearer shares hard-won lessons on customer obsession, culture preservation, and building brands that solve real problems. 00:00 - Intro 00:49 - From Agency President to Healthcare CMO: Daniel's Journey from Cassette, Working with Google & SickKids, to Joining Maple as a Consultant Who Stayed 04:14 - Inside Maple's 10-Year Journey: The Three Founders' Story, Brett the Doctor-Consultant, Building Culture & Making Space for New Executive Voices 09:16 - Real Customer Impact Stories: Saving Trips to SickKids, 3AM Appointments, Doctor Shortages & How Maple Relieves Pressure on Canada's Healthcare System 12:01 - How Maple's Two-Sided Marketplace Works: The Genesis Story, Uber for Doctors & Patients, Not Hiring Doctors Out of the System & Managing Thousands of Providers 15:45 - Creating the Iconic SickKids VS Campaign: Making Kids the Heroes, When the Doctor Wanted It on His Scrubs & Raising $1.7 Billion by Disrupting Nonprofit Marketing 21:10 - Scaling Culture Without Breaking It: The 150-Person Rule from Taxi 2, Remote Teams, Rewriting Values in New York & Why "We Are a Team" Works Everywhere 28:20 - Marketing Healthcare Technology: Benefits Over Features, Customer Obsession Philosophy, Learning from Wealthsimple & Greenhouse & Why Users Don't Care About Your Algorithm 32:48 - Beyond Maple: Board Chair of The Bentway, G Adventures, The Power of BHAGs & How "End Poverty Through Tourism" Guides Every Single Decision 38:44 - Advice for Entrepreneurs & Founders: Solve Real Problems Not Fake Ones, Delight 100 People First, Don't Dilute Your Core Idea & The Right People Make Everything Work 43:03 - The Future of Canadian Healthcare: Staying in Canada For Now, Global Expansion Potential, The Demographic Pyramid About to Flip & Why the Next 20 Years Are Urgent 46:30 - Where to Find Maple: GetMaple.ca, App Store, 1.7 Million Five-Star Reviews & Creating More "Maple Aha Moments"