Actualize
Presented by First Session
About Actualize
Actualize explores the journeys of high performers in a variety of fields, from sports to business to the arts and beyond.
Join us as we delve into the mindset, sacrifices, and motivation of these successful individuals and learn how they achieved their goals. Through Actualize, we look beyond the highlights, and get curious about hardships endured and resilience built.
Actualize is hosted by Rob Pintwala, the founder of First Session.
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Latest episodes
#24: Mary-Lyn Kieffer, Director of Made of Millions - OCD, Intrusive Thoughts and Community
Join our chat with Mary-Lyn Kieffer, Director of Made of Millions and the Senior Manager for Togetherall. She shares her struggle with OCD and how she learned to cope with it.
EP 24Listen now
#23: Dani Nelson - Travel Meets Personal Finance. Create the Life of Your Dreams
Meet the creator behind Liberty Leave. Danica Nelson is an entrepreneur, marketer, financial educator, and world traveller. Her content focuses on personal finance and travel.
EP 23Listen now
#22: Margaret Coons, Founder and CEO of Nuts for Cheese: Building a sustainable, inclusive business while maintaining personal wellness
Margaret is the founder of Nuts for Cheese. We learn about her entrepreneurial journey and growth in business and in life.
EP 22Listen now
#21: Tessa McLoughlin, Founder of KWENCH - Creating culture, cultivating wellness, and being a single mother founder
On this episode of Actualize, host Rob interviews Tessa McLoughlin, the creator of Club Kwench, a culture club and co-working space in Victoria, B.C.
EP 21Listen now
#20: Tina Luu - On Work Ethic, Burnout, Resilience, and Self-Care
Interview with Tina Luu, co-founder of Canadian startup Fable discusses her battle with burnout, juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship and more.
EP 20Listen now
#19: Braden Handley - Humility, Work Ethic, and Building a Business With Family and Friends
Featuring Braden Handley, co-founder of Inkbox, the innovative temporary tattoo company. Braden shares the story behind Inkbox's success, taking it from $10,000 to $80 Million.
EP 19Listen now
#18: Jill Van Gyn - Addiction, Infertility, Building and Selling Fatso Peanut Butter
In this episode, we feature Jill Van Jean, entrepreneur and founder of Fatso Peanut Butter, who shares her personal journey, including addiction, pregnancy loss, and infertility.
EP 18Listen now.webp)
#17: Annie MacIntosh - On Living with Depression and Giving Yourself Grace
Explore life beyond the lens with content creator Annie MacIntosh as she delves into mental health, nature, and her journey into becoming a counsellor.
EP 17Listen now
#16: Jason Silver - Preventing Burnout, Taking Agency, and Finding Fulfillment at Work
Join our chat with Jason Silver, author of "Quietly Crushing It." After a significant loss, Jason combined mindfulness with ambition, offering strategies against burnout. Learn how to elevate work with purpose.
EP 16Listen now.webp)
#15: Christopher Brown, Licensed Therapist and Wounded US Marine on Healing, EMDR, and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Veteran Marine Chris Brown now a licensed therapist, dives into PTSD, EMDR, and the promise of psychedelic therapy. Listen to EP15 of Actualize podcast.
EP 15Listen now.webp)
#14: Kelly Hrudey - On Mental Health, Getting Help, and Hockey Culture
Former hockey player Kelly Hrudey discusses his NHL journey, personal mental health battles, and the changing narrative on mental wellness in sports.
EP 14Listen now
#13: Alicia Mccarvell - Feeling Worthy, Grieving Lost Time, and Setting Boundaries
Influencer Alicia McCarvell talks about body confidence, mental health, challenges and triumphs | Actualize Podcast by First Session
EP 13Listen now
#12: Bryce Seto - Exploring the Intricacies of Identity, Mental Health, and the Transformative Power of Personal Narratives
For individuals seeking understanding, especially those navigating the intersections of cultural backgrounds and emotional well-being. We also discuss how the support of a loving partner and the joy of fatherhood can transform the emotional landscape, challenging societal norms of masculinity and strength.
EP 12Listen now
#10: Taylor Loren - The Influencer Training Influencers
When working as a content creator: how can you create boundaries with social and with your emotional health? Taylor Loren, previously Director of Content Marketing at Later and Head of Marketing at Girlboss.
EP 10Listen now
#9: Alessia Scauzillo - From Corporate Finance to Fitness Influencer
Ever wondered about the emotional challenges of managing an online fitness business AND being an influencer? Dive deep with Alessia Scauzillo (aka Alessia Sculpt @alessiasculpt) as she uncovers the hidden facets of shifting from a full-time corporate role to the influencer field. Alessia candidly speaks on the pivotal role her mother's passing played in reshaping her life, teaching her to follow her heart and illuminating both her life and others'.
EP 9Listen now
#8: Daniel Eberhard, Founder & CEO of Koho - Trying to be Useful at Scale
Daniel is the Founder and CEO of Koho, a Canadian fintech company founded in 2015. Koho recently passed 1 million customers, and the company employs over 350 people. Daniel is a very thoughtful leader, who combines emotional intelligence, high intellect, and the ability to zoom in and out when needed.
EP 8Listen now
#7: Brianne Jenner - Selfless Leadership and Sustained Performance From a 2x Olympic Champion
Brianne is a renowned athlete and three-time Olympian, having represented the Canadian Women's Hockey Team on the world stage. Her accomplishments include two Olympic Gold medals and a silver, and she holds the distinguished title of being named the MVP of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Tournament.
EP 7Listen now
#6: Andy Johns - A Journey from Silicon Valley to a Mental Health Awakening
On paper, Andy Johns has had a remarkable career in Silicon Valley. He worked at nine companies worth over 1 billion each. He was an early employee of Facebook, Twitter, and Quora, and was President of Wealth Front. When Andy was a few years into his tech career, he discovered deep psychological pain stemming from childhood trauma. After years in therapy, while still being a top performer in the tech world, Andy now dedicates his life to healing and growth.
EP 6Listen now
#5: Alex Auerbach, PhD - Insights from Working with the World’s Best Performers
Alex Auerbach is a performance psychologist, currently working with the Toronto Raptors NBA team. Prior to this role, Alex has been a college football coach and also worked with the Kansas City Chief’s NFL team. He held the role of Director of Clinical and Sports Psychology at the University of Arizona. Alex applies the principles and practices of elite sport to everyday health and high performance.In this episode we discuss mental health in a sports setting, the difference between a coach and a therapist, and how to achieve sustainable high performance and maintain motivation over time.
EP 5Listen now
#4: Yvette Yong, Olympian — Building Confidence and Practice Makes Better
Yvette Yong is an Olympian, a 15-time Team Canada TaeKwonDo athlete, and a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. Yvette is a true champion in every sense of the word, having won three world TaeKwonDo championships and multiple international medals.
EP 4Listen now
# 3: Jillian Harris - Mental Breakdowns, Renewing Passion, and Getting Healthy
Today’s guest is the talented and dynamic Jillian Harris. Known for her creative flair, Jillian shows up to this podcast as authentically as ever. Jillian is a mother, partner, and an entrepreneur who wears many hats.
EP 3Listen now
#2: Mark MacLeod, CEO Coach - Operating at the Right Altitude and Unlocking Peak Performance
Our guest is Mark McLeod, a seasoned expert in the tech startup world. Mark has an impressive track record having served as CFO for companies such as Shopify and FreshBooks. In this episode, Mark shares his journey of how he transitioned from being a CFO to an executive coach. He highlights how he found his true passion in coaching and advising CEOs, which he feels was the most fulfilling aspect of his previous roles.
EP 2Listen now
#1: Sarah Stockdale, Founder of Growclass — Being Outspoken, Owning your Values, Entrepreneurship and Motherhood
Sarah Stockdale is founder of Grow Class (growclass.co), a collection of practical marketing courses taught by experts. In this episode, we discuss what it’s like to be a woman in the tech industry, touching on topics such as privilege, confidence, micro aggressions, imposter syndrome, and building an organization with values at its core.
EP 1Listen now
#0: Introduction to Actualize Podcast
Actualize co-hosts Rob Pintwala and Kim Foster Yardley introduce themselves and discuss their intentions for the podcast.
EP 0Listen now