What do a McDonald's drive-through, a beat-up pickup truck, and a single, dangerous question have in common? 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is one of the most iconic service brands in North America. In this unforgettable episode, I sit down with Brian Scudamore, the school dropout who turned hauling junk into a $700 million empire by embracing a mindset he calls "WTF, willing to fail". What unfolds is not a business case study, but a profoundly human story about courage, doubt, family pressure, leadership missteps, and the power of seeing possibility where others see nothing.

Brian shares how firing his entire team saved his company, why culture is the ultimate competitive moat, and how systems, not people, fail. He opens up about the moment his father finally said, "I'm proud of you," fifteen years after Brian walked away from university.

If you are an entrepreneur, a leader, a parent, someone young searching for their ladder to climb, or someone quietly wondering whether there is another path you are allowed to take, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. Special thanks and love to RBC for supporting these human stories that matter. Stories of ordinary becoming extraordinary.

Listen now and ask yourself the question that changed everything for Brian Scudamore.

What if?

This is a special New Year edition of Chatter That Matters. As Canada reaches the midpoint of the decade, I ask two defining questions.

Is Canada's destiny a matter of choice, or have we left it to chance?

Will Prime Minister Mark Carney become one of Canada's great leaders, or will he be even more of the same?

Looking back a century to the Roaring Twenties and forward to today's world of uncertainty, conflict, and eroding trust, I connect history, leadership, and accountability to the moment we are living in right now. This is not about partisanship. It is about Canada.

Please take off your partisan blinders, wrap yourself in our majestic flag, take a seat in the middle, and open your mind to our possibilities.

Happy New Year.

Thanks for listening to Chatter that Matters in 2025.

You and this country mean the world to me.

Tony Chapman

Our global food system is feeding more people than ever, yet some argue it is also making more people sick, more unequal, and more vulnerable. How did we get here, and more importantly, how do we change course?

In this timely and deeply human conversation, global nutrition expert Dr. Stuart Gillespie joins Chatter that Matters to unpack the forces shaping what we eat, who profits, and who pays the price. Drawing on decades of frontline experience across India, Africa, and within the United Nations, Gillespie blends memoir and manifesto to expose the structural realities behind ultra-processed foods, corporate power, broken policy, and the growing tension between undernutrition and obesity worldwide.

This is not a theoretical discussion. It is a grounded exploration of food justice, political will, activism, and the difficult trade-offs facing governments, industry, and consumers alike. Gillespie challenges the idea that individual choice alone can fix systemic problems, and makes a compelling case for coordinated, courageous action.

The conversation expands to Canada's role in shaping the future of food, with insights from Lisa Ashton, Agricultural Policy Lead at RBC. She shares how Canada's agricultural strength, innovation capacity, and collaborative ecosystems can help drive healthier, more equitable food systems at home and globally.

If you care about health, sustainability, equity, or the future we are building through the food we produce and consume, this episode will change how you see your plate.

Listen now, and join the conversation about what comes next.

To purchase Dr. Gillespie's Book Food Fight: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/food-fight-from-plunder-and-profit-to-people-and-planet/9781443475297.html