The Eric Ibey Podcast

This is a solo episode. I felt inspired to create it after reading the following article in CBC News:TDSB needs millions to ensure safe return to school in fall, says it may have to cut FrenchI didn't start learning French until I was an adult but I wish I would have started sooner. There is a lot of negativity in Canada towards the French language from English speakers and I want to be someone who encourages bilingualism in our country.This podcast is for people who want to learn French and for parents and future parents who want to encourage their children to learn French. And if you're not sure about French or don't see the value in learning to speak French, then this episode is ESPECIALLY for you.****Explore Intensive Language Program****The Eric Ibey Podcast is on Instagram!

Bryan "B-Mac" McDonald is an outdoorsman, nature lover, plumber, hunter, angler, and entertaining storyteller. From hunting deer, elk, and mountain lions through the mountains of Colorado to crab fishing in British Columbia to moose hunting in Northwestern Ontario, Bryan has done some wild stuff. His stories will make you say, "Did he just say what I think he said?!" You're damn right he said it! It's a pleasure to call this guy a friend and I can't wait to go on a hunting trip with him in the future.In this episode, Bryan shares an incredible story about tracking a wounded deer in Colorado. He also recalls the most delicious wild game he's ever eaten (which will definitely surprise you!) He's an advocate for the great outdoors and he's sure to inspire you to get out of your comfort zone and connect with nature!Check Bryan out on Instagram!****The Eric Ibey Podcast is also on Instagram. Follow along HERE!

Amanda L. Kennedy is Haudenosaunee and an Indigenous Woman Innovator. She is an Indigenous Youth and Women Activist, Innovative Consultant, Educator and Strategic Planner.  She is a self-taught, self-made, social entrepreneur and the Founder of two social enterprises based out of her First Nation, Oneida Nation of the Thames; Kuwahs^nahawi Social Enterprise and Yotuni Charitable Initiative, an Indigenous Youth-Led Social Enterprise.Through Kuwahs^nahawi Social Enterprise, Amanda provides advocacy, education, consultation, facilitation, and holds space for healing and wellness through story-telling, sharing circles, smudging, and teachings. By utilizing her traditional and spiritual Indigenous ways, she mindfully bridges gaps in truth and reconciliation and connects marginalized, colonized, and Indigenous People and communities mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.  Through guiding and mentoring, she inspires and empowers Indigenous and Non-Indigenous children, youth, and adults from all walks of life. Amanda brings forth awareness and innovative education creating diversity, inclusiveness, and positive change in a kind and gentle way.  Yotuni Charitable Initiative was founded in January 2016.  Through Traditional Indigenous ways and innovative education, Yotuni C.I supports marginalized and colonized Indigenous youth and their families through various camps, projects, and services that lean on mentorship, leadership, culture, education, teachings, and ceremonies. Amanda gives youth a voice, bringing forth healing, wellness, and breaking vicious cycles of mental health and intergenerational trauma through positive change and growth. ****This was not an easy conversation for me, but it was an important one. The fact that it made me uncomfortable was sort of the point. As a White Canadian who has grown up close to Indigenous communities, I have seen the vicious cycles of racism, oppression, and negativity between White and Indigenous people. Truthfully, I know I've contributed to those cycles and I'm trying to do better. I'm not sure what the solution to these issues is, but I do know that through honest, vulnerable dialogue like this conversation Amanda and I had together, hopefully we can start building bridges instead of burning them down.****You can find The Eric Ibey Podcast on Instagram!

Melonie is a digital media maven working on high profile digital projects since 2005, before Twitter was even a thing! She is inspired to teach people how to project manage their lives by applying the skills learned from 15 years of projects, because the most important project you’ll ever work on is yourself.​She has a passion for public speaking and leading workshops. Melonie loves sharing her experiences and knowledge about inclusion & diversity, leadership, digital media and how to set goals and create the habits that will lead you to success. ​Professionally, she manages over 150 digital properties, founded Rogers Women in Technology, oversees three mentorship programs, and is on the Programming Committee for the Women in Film and Television organization.****Melonie and I went to high school together and it was cool to catch up with her after not speaking to her for two decades. I'm inspired by her tenacity and focus. She is raising the voices of women so that they can be heard in the corporate world. We have a lot of issues around the lack of diversity of people in leadership positions and Melonie is helping change that. If we don't have people in positions of leadership from a wide range of backgrounds, how can we expect the next generation to fully live into their potential? In order for young people to know it's possible to be what they want to be when they grow up, they need to see people who look like them doing the things they want to do. Let's get it done!****You can find Melonie on all social media platforms at Melonie de Guzman:WebsiteLinkedInInstagramTwitter****You can now find The Eric Ibey Podcast on Instagram! Follow for not only updates on the podcast but about any other thoughts and rants I might be sharing that day.

Ryan McCarty is an author, international renowned speaker, and the Co-Founder of Culture of Good, Inc.After creating and implementing a wildly successful Culture of Good movement at the largest Verizon Authorized Wireless Retailer, in which he spearheaded community investments worth $6 million for those in need, Ryan recognized the need to share the Culture of Good with other successful organizations and their leadership.Ryan’s work has been featured in Huffington Post, Inc.com, People, Forbes and more. With more than 25 years of leadership experience in the non and for-profit industry, Ryan has a meaningful passion for inspiring employees and customers, igniting positive change in the world, and impacting companies’ bottom lines. Join me in welcoming Ryan to the stage as he teaches how to unleash positive results in the workplace and world by inspiring us to bring their soul to work every day.****This conversation was inspirational and powerful for me. We talked about leadership, faith, love, racism, and White privilege. This chat was a catalyst for me to look deeper into myself and for the past two weeks my eyes have been opened. I will continue to do the work and increase my awareness around tough subjects, namely my own privilege, fragility, and biases. Thanks, Ryan! I have a feeling I'll look back at this conversation as being a turning point in my life.Contact Ryan McCarty:WebsiteTwitterLinkedInBook Recommendation: Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad****You can find The Eric Ibey Podcast on Instagram!

Paul Simard is the Director of Community and Impact Partnerships at the UN Refugee Agency, a TEDx speaker, and Founder of HuMENity, a new paradigm for boys and men to create a new future for themselves, their families, and their communities because the old ways are no longer serving us.He believes in the power of partnerships, of collaboration, and of innovative and intentional partnerships. In helping to create the foundation for those opportunities to exist, he works to connect people with people, programs or projects that can create positive and meaningful outcomes that will advance innovation and entrepreneurship.****This episode was deep for me. We recorded the episode over a week ago, before we had heard about the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. I listened back to this episode as protests are still going on in the US, Canada, and around the world. We discussed topics like (toxic) masculinity, #MeToo, and White privilege which seem even more important as I educate myself and do the work of becoming a better human being and dive down the rabbit-hole of my White privilege. Thank you to Paul for having the guts to have this incredible discussion with me!****You can find Paul Simard on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. His website is HuMENity.co and you can find his TEDx talk HERE.****Follow The Eric Ibey Podcast on Instagram!

At her very core, Phoebe Yì Líng is an explorer, often braving the unknown to see what she can discover.  A former elementary school teacher, she now spends time writing for her blog, offering Reiki therapy, and experimenting with performance art whenever the opportunity arises.  Her work is grounded in connection; connection to self, connection to others, connection to nature, and all that surrounds us.She believes that in connecting with ourselves and understanding our unique stories, we are then able to give back in the most marvellous of ways!  In her own process, Phoebe is currently going back to her Chinese roots and unpacking her complex identity as a “third culture” adult .  By taking ownership of her own story, she hopes to contribute to her community in a more meaningful, sustainable way. ****This conversation covered a lot of different themes, including self-discovery, self-expression, spirituality, acceptance, social-anxiety, and so much more. Phoebe is on a journey of exploration and it was fun hearing about how that process has been going for her, what she's learned, and how it's changing the way she shows up in the world. I'm grateful that she shared her adventure with me and delved into some vulnerable topics! Thank you, Phoebe!Where you can find Phoebe:Blog: http://www.qikichi.com/Facebook/Instagram: Phoebe Yì LíngEmail: phoebe1yiling@gmail.comNote: Phoebe is offering FREE a free Reiki session for anyone interested! Just contact her and she'll be happy to chat!****The Eric Ibey Podcast is on Instagram! Follow the adventure @ericibey.podcast

Calder is a Toronto-based educator and workshop facilitator. He values student-driven, curiosity-based education styles, and is currently teaching a lot of math, chess, and general life skills-y stuff. He's fascinated by the educational power of games and play, and generally feels that young folk are pretty dang clever and should probably have more say in decision-making processes, especially given that they're pretty much the leading experts in all sorts of new programs and tech, having grown up with the stuff. Calder is also a writer and blogger (links below).I loved talking to Calder on the podcast. He is one of the most creative and innovative minds I've ever known. We talked about a number of subjects, including how to deal with losing in a more healthy way, how to stay accountable to yourself when trying to manage temptations (especially if you live alone during the pandemic), and how to deal with rude, shitty people using "counterspells." Check it out!Calder's Blog: https://caldermtg.wordpress.com/Calder's Twitter: @hutchintweetsCalder's Instagram: @calderhutchinsonThe Hamthology: Ham Sandwich Literature

Brandon Love is a professional speaker and inspirational wizard who awakens people to their possibilities. He has been speaking and performing for 10+ years to audiences across North America. He is also the co-author of Brainsprouting: How to Become Fearlessly Creative & Have Better Ideas More Often.He has spent most of his adult life learning about possibilities and what it takes to create them.After falling in love with magic and the art of achieving the impossible from a young age, Brandon began to wonder about all the ways we’ve sold ourselves short. What other things do we call “impossible” that are actually just waiting for a creative solution to become “possible”?As a result of this quest to uncover the secrets of our limitless potential, Brandon has also formally studied education, psychology, philosophy, hypnosis, and yoga. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS), and is a proud member of the Academy of Magical Arts at the World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California.He’s on a mission to help people create new possibilities, and is convinced that we’re all so much more capable than we think.****I consider Brandon to be a close friend and mentor. He's helped me become a better public speaker and facilitator and it was great chatting with him on the podcast. We talked about all kinds of stuff, including taking the unconventional path to success, the negative effects of comparing ourselves to others, and practices we can incorporate into our lives to find more joy. He's an inspiring guy and all-around great human. Check it out!Brandon's website: BrandonLoveMagic.comBrandon's Instagram: @BrandonLoveMagicArticle we discussed in the podcast: 6 Practices That Bring Me Joy

Matt Zinman is a personal success trainer whose experiences as an entrepreneur, athlete, single parent, caretaker, consultant and nonprofit founder drive him to be a difference-maker and positively impact as many people as possible. He is also the CEO of The Internship Institute which he established in 2007 to bridge the gap between education, active duty and employment by “Making Experience Matter."Matt is the author of Z-isms - Insights to Live By a richly authentic book, deeply personal and highly motivating. Z-isms offers new ways to better ourselves, our experiences and our encounters. Matt keeps it casual with readers, as though in private conversation, freely sharing his own life experiences and challenges.I had fun chatting with Matt on the podcast! We covered a lot of topics including life and career transitions, relationships, building confidence, job hunting strategies, and the law of attraction. Matt is also a hockey player (unfortunately a Philadelphia Flyers fan!) and I always love connecting with fellow sports lovers. He's a funny, inspiring guy and if you're interested in personal development check out his book! You can find everything on his website:Matt Zinman and Z-ismsFREE job hunting resources mentioned by Matt in the podcast:StudentSteps.org and VetSteps.org

Deri Latimer is a TEDx Speaker, author, and organizational consultant. She works with organizations who want to create happy, healthy, humane workplaces for increased positivity, productivity, and prosperity!Deri is one of fewer than 15% of speakers globally who hold the designation of CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), combining a Business degree in Human Resources Management with 20 years of experience providing high-value speaking and training services to virtually every industry and business sector.It was great having Deri on the podcast. I met Deri this past December at my first conference for professional speakers and she was the first person who welcomed me. As a 17-year veteran of CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Speakers), she offered to help me any way she could in my speaking business. I reached out to Deri after the conference, we built a connection, and now I consider her a friend. It's incredible how we can build meaningful relationships if we're willing to accept help, stretch our comfort zones, and take bigger risks. It was a pleasure having Deri on the podcast!Deri is an advocate for positive mental health and she shared some stories on the podcast that were insightful and inspirational. She also gave me some tips for staying present, mindful, and how to build resilience, especially during uncertain times.Deri's Website: DeriLatimer.comSocial Media Handles (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) @DeriLatimerMeditation App recommended by Deri in the podcast: Insight Timer

Diamond is a writer/journalist who focuses on contemporary social and environmental issues. A Montreal native, she aims to bring underreported stories and perspectives into the open to add to important conversations. Her work has been featured in many outlets that include the Montreal Gazette, the CJAD and the CBC. I really enjoyed speaking to Diamond. This was the first time we met so it was cool making a podcast with someone I didn't know previously. Diamond is curious, confident, and well-spoken. Her views around subjects like creating a healthy body image, how to be more open-minded, and what it means to be successful were enlightening. Thanks, Diamond!Here's the article I reference in the podcast that Diamond wrote for the Montreal Gazette:Opinion: Fat shaming, body positivity and me – a McGill student's manifesto

Arielle London is a writer, singer and rapper from Montreal, Quebec. She is a human rights and mental health advocate with a love for freedom of expression. Arielle created The Child-Centric Framework, a theory for the promotion of children’s rights, while completing a Master’s in Human Rights at the UCL School of Public Policy. Almost one decade later, Arielle London still promotes her theory but with now a greater understanding due to her own personal mental health experiences. Arielle has been published on a variety of platforms including Global Grind, AskMen and HotNewHipHop. She is launching a new website, LondonMindFit.com, as a mental health initiative for people who are “going through it.” I have heard Arielle's story before and it still brings a lot of emotion up for me. On the podcast, she discussed some difficult topics and shared stories about her personal experiences with mental health, PTSD, and relationship rape. I hope that other people who are "going through it" as Arielle says will find strength and hope in her words. I also hope that other people will learn something new so that they can help others who may be going through their own struggles.Arielle's Social HandlesTwitter/Instagram: @ariellelondonmaSoundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ariellelondonmaWordpress: ariellelondonma.wordpress.comLondon Mind FitTwitter/Instagram: @londonmindfitWebsite: londonmindfit.comBooks mentioned by Arielle in the podcast:The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of TraumaThe Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

Dan Plexman is an international professional workplace safety expert. He's an average guy on a mission to keep workers safe! In 2008, a preventable workplace accident changed his life forever. Dan was working alone in a man-lift that came in close proximity to live overhead power lines. An electrical arc fire caught him in an inferno that caused 3rd to 6th degree burns to 60% of his body. Without a practiced emergency rescue plan, panic and mass confusion set in and made rescue efforts completely ineffective.Since beating the odds of a 13% chance of survival and enduring over 10 years of constant surgeries, Dan has learned to accept his “new normal” life. Now, Dan feels obligated to promote a safety culture that will keep everyone safe in the home, on the school yard, and at the workplace.This conversation with Dan was inspiring for me. It's amazing to hear someone speak about "feeling lucky" after dealing with so much suffering. I'm grateful to have met Dan in person at a speaker's conference and that we continue to have a friendship. Dan shares his story with such courage that I have no doubt it will inspire others.Dan's Website: DanPlexman.com

It's been 5 months since I launched my podcast. In that time, I've learned a few things. Namely, I've learned what isn't working. In this episode, I discuss with my partner, Marie-Eve, how I plan on changing the podcast moving forward so that it's more interesting, engaging, and consistent.

I started reading a book this week about organizational change and I couldn't help compare the lessons offered in the book to our current situation. COVID-19 is an unexpected challenge that we ALL have to deal with right now. What is the best way to manage an unexpected change? How do you prepare? What are some obstacles that might get in your way and how do you deal with them? In this episode I answer those questions.

Why would Eric decide to get his gun licence at the age of 37, during a time when guns are becoming more and more taboo? The reason might surprise you.

Robyn Ibey is a sports orthopaedic physiotherapist, PhD in neuroscience, and clinical lecturer at the University of Waterloo. In this episode, we discuss several topics including body shaming, gender identity, and healthy eating habits.I loved this episode with my sister. She's a brilliant woman but she had some apprehensions about being on the podcast. Although she's used to lecturing and speaking to hundreds of people, she wasn't sure about having an unscripted conversation that would be shared publicly. When we finished recording, she was happy that she faced her fear and felt great about our conversation.It's funny, when I listen to my favourite podcasts and hear people at the top of their industries speak, it never occurs to me that they could be nervous or afraid. People we look up to seem impervious to fear, but they're not. The more I keep that in mind, the more empathy, kindness, and understanding I have. Thanks for the reminder, Robyn!You can find Robyn at Brain Body Love on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brainbodylove/?hl=en

Luis Serrano is the CFO (Chief Fun Officer) of Fundamentals of Play, a life coach, facilitator, and motivational speaker. He is obsessed with maximizing human potential through the power of play! He has studied positive psychology, practiced & performed improv for over eight years & facilitated hundreds of public and corporate workshops.Luis and I have been friends for just over a year so sitting down with him and chatting on the podcast was easy. He is the first guest on my podcast and I'm grateful he agreed to it since he probably had no idea what to expect! I'm also grateful that he shared his story about hitting rock bottom and what he did to recover and get his life back. I had heard it before, but not like this. It's a story of heartache and struggle but also inspiration and positivity. In short, it's a story that most people will be able to relate with in their own way.You can find Luis and his company Fundamentals of Play here: https://www.fundamentalsofplay.ca/

In this episode, I talk about how social media can be toxic. Of course, it's not toxic for everyone, but I think the toxic aspects of social media often creep into our lives without us even knowing it. I also share the five positive outcomes that have happened to me in the two years since I deleted my social media accounts. And finally, I issue a little challenge for the holiday season!