One of the greatest lessons I've been gifted as host of Chatter That Matters is seeing how much impact one individual can have when they choose purpose over comfort. This episode is a powerful reminder of that truth.

At the centre is Tim Cormode, whose life changed during a moment of stillness alone on a glacier. That clarity led him to build Power to Be, using nature as a pathway to dignity, confidence, and possibility for people told their limits were fixed. Tim shares what two decades in the charitable sector taught him, not just about impact but about what is broken in how we give, from fear of risk to a scarcity mindset that holds good organizations back.

That experience sparked his next chapter, Power to Give, a bold rethinking of philanthropy rooted in trust, shared resources, and treating generosity as the investment it truly is. From a kayak on the water to a small-town skate park that drew an unexpected visit from Tony Hawk, Tim's story shows what becomes possible when imagination meets action.

The conversation then widens with Andrea Barrack, Senior Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and ESG at RBC. Andrea shares how RBC's new Purpose Framework is turning values into action. With a $2 billion commitment by 2035, RBC is focused on skills for a changing world and more equitable prosperity.

If you believe impact is built by people, not slogans, and that purpose is found by doing, not saying, you will love this episode as much as I did making it.

I open my 2026 season with fireworks of positivity. One of the best Chatter that Matters yet. A human journey marked with humility, humour and extraordinary. Someone knuckles decided to knock on the door of opportunity.

What does a Dragon, Best Selling Author, a McDonald's drive-through, a beat-up pickup truck, and a simple multi-million-dollar question have in common? 1-800-GOT-JUNK? The one and only Brian Scudamore.

Brian turned hauling junk into a $700 million empire by embracing a mindset he calls "WTF, willing to fail". His story is more than a business case study; it is a profoundly human one, marked by 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 about the moment his accomplished father said, "I'm proud of you,".

If you are an entrepreneur, a leader, a parent, someone young searching for their ladder to climb, or quietly wondering whether there is another path to follow, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends.

A special thanks and love to RBC for continuing to support the sharing of human stories that matter. Stories of ordinary becoming extraordinary.

As you listen, and if you have young adults around, listen together and then ask yourself two questions that changed everything for Brian Scudamore.

What if?

and

Are you Willing to Fail?

Happy New Year's, Everyone. Thanks for listening, and here's to a fabulous 2026.

Dear Canada. It is now or never. In this fifteen-minute podcast, I state that we stand at a crossroads. A century ago, the world emerged from the trenches of war and the shadow of a brutal pandemic. The optimism of the Roaring Twenties gave way to recklessness. We gambled our destiny, left it to chance, and crashed in 1929. Prosperity built on illusion never lasts.

Today, we face another critical time. The first quarter-century of this millennium has not been gentle, from the shock of 9/11, to the 2008 financial collapse, to pandemics, October 7, Ukraine, and a steady erosion of our freedoms.

While other nations seized their decade, Canada lost theirs. This is not partisan politics. It is our lived reality. Look around at food insecurity, job uncertainty, unaffordability, unchecked crime, and antisemitism spilling into schools, malls, streets, and places of worship, often met with a shrug by those in power. A feeling of impossibility, massive cracks in our confederation, and the Western Provinces squeezed, yet abandoned.

A decade of scathing Auditor General reports, with most buried in the shadows, without a flashlight in sight.

I end my podcast by saying our story is not over. I read a letter to Mark Carney. Why? There is no doubt in my mind that our footloose and party-free style of democracy will give the Liberals a majority.

The pen remains in his and our hands. Canadians can still choose destiny over chance, but only with courage, unity, and conviction.

Mark Carney has to make a choice. Continue more of the same and risk the fracture of this country, or earn his place among our greatest Prime Ministers by changing our course.

In my letter, I offer my thoughts on how.

Champion ideas over ideology. Restore critical thinking, law and order, and stand firmly against antisemitism and all forms of hate. Pursue smart immigration that welcomes those who will enrich our nation while sharing our values and respect for one another. Recommit to true reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and rebuild bridges with the West so all feel part of a united Canada. And practice fiscal stewardship, because we cannot borrow our way to greatness.

I even derail a $100 billion plan to connect Montreal and Ottawa with high-speed rail in favour of connecting Canadian IP and our resources to the world. R&D, Patents, Refurbished ports, Pipelines and more.

Mark Carney, don't chase the comfort of ideology or the safety of a base. Choose Canada, all of Canada. If you do, history will remember your name.

Canada, it's now or never.

Tony Chapman