Elisa Kosonen's empathetic, intuitive nature is a gift. It's why she is an incredible storyteller, having spent the last few decades in various senior level roles—editor, writer, publicist, marketing & communications—at magazines (NUVO and Flare), start-ups (Garmentory), and global brands (Aritzia and Mindful Collective). Now a registered holistic nutritionist, she recently launched her practice 14 Carrots. Her offerings include 1:1 coaching focused on reconnecting to your physiology and discovering your unique nutritional needs, reconnecting with your body/mind, and creating a lasting foundation for a full and energetic life.

Raised in the suburbs surrounding Vancouver, her childhood was idyllic—her father was an educator, her mother launched a career counseling business, and the home was filled with fun. Elisa was both creative and athletic, fascinated with the body from a young age. Though excelling in English, she always wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon—so, at university, she began a major in kinesiology. But it didn't feel aligned at the time and she explored other avenues, finding her lane in journalism. After graduating, she landed an editor role at NUVO Magazine, then had life chapters in London and New York. When her late mother was diagnosed with cancer, she returned to Vancouver and settled into her career. During the pandemic, her true calling came knocking—and she went back to school to become a registered holistic nutritionist & certified health coach.

In this episode, we discuss her creativity and penchant for storytelling; what she's learned about the beautiful interconnectivity of our bodily systems; understanding the crucial role of digestion & being present with our meals; how trying different foods can help us discover what makes us feel our best; rituals and mindfulness in eating; and much more.

[TIMESTAMPS]

00:00 - Introduction and Childhood in Coquitlam

06:03 - Exploring Creativity and Storytelling in the Fashion Industry

13:09 - Transitioning from Fashion to Nutrition

31:13 - Personalized Nutrition and Unique Nutritional Needs

36:22 - Tuning Into Our Bodies and Exploring Different Foods

39:24 - Honoring Cultural and Ethnic Influences on Food Preferences

41:06 - Rituals and Mindfulness in Eating

45:14 - The Power of Holistic Nutrition for Well-being

50:13 - Finding Joy and Adventure in Our Meals

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Thara Vayali is a naturopathic doctor, public speaker and educator blazing new trails when it comes to women’s wellbeing and improving a broken healthcare system. And she’s paving it not only with innovation but with intuition and compassion, too.

She is profoundly connected to herself, her body, and elements of nature—foundational as cofounder & chief medical officer at Hey Freya, a brand with a mission to reimagine women’s wellness by radically shifting how women show up in the world and care for themselves. Her decades-long work focuses on the intersectionality of women’s health, society, medical research, and the environment.

She grew up in a small, predominantly Irish-Catholic town in Newfoundland, Canada, as a first-generation North American in her family. It was an intense navigation of her personal identity in the world, feeling disconnected from South India where her father and mother had come from. Becoming a naturopathic doctor was a winding path, but also a calling—she was always interested in the human body and moved toward a nutrition degree. Thara worked in the community, educating kids (through play) about nutrition throughout Vancouver.

But there was a systemic approach missing for her, and so she decided to pursue a master’s degree in environmental education to draw the connection between what we eat and where it comes from. Her thesis on how embodied yoga practice can teach connection to land—much better than words and didactic learning—won the Governor General’s Gold Medal award. She eventually applied to naturopathic medical school, and her purpose solidified even further.

A number of years later, the stars and shared purpose aligned at a femtech conference, where she met Cecilia Tse and Helkin Berg, who became her cofounders in Hey Freya a few months later.

In this episode, we explore how her connection to nature and the elements impact her approach to healthcare; what collective liberation means to her; shifting the broader healthcare system by creating spaces and resources to care for women; the life force of adrenals and their importance to women’s health; how her cofounders Cecilia & Helkin have been mirrors for her; what she would say to her teenage self; and much more.

[TIMESTAMPS]

00:00 Introduction and childhood in Newfoundland
03:09 Navigating identity as a first-generation immigrant
06:01 The influence of parents and cultural background
10:07 The deep connection to nature and the elements
32:15 Co-founder alignment
34:19 Hay Freya's mission: Reimagining women's wellness
45:40 The shift in the medical establishment
50:30 Exploring the concept of life force
59:39 Empowering women for societal change
01:01:24 Thara's legacy: Patience and determination

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Everyone needs a little Sean Daly in their life. This artist, creative director, set & production designer, and go-to character architect in Hollywood has a long list of accomplishments, but his humility never lets you know it.

From set designing with legendary photographers like Annie Leibovitz, to the interior design of Lulu Restaurant at the Hammer Museum and creative direction on Phaidon books, to advising Robert Downey Jr. on Sherlock Holmes, Jamie Foxx on The Soloist, and others with getting deep into character in some of their most well-known roles, Sean has done it all.

His grandparents immigrated from Ireland and Italy to Boston, Massachusetts, to start anew, where Sean was eventually born and bred. The youngest of seven children, his household was a lively place—no two kids were alike, no cable at home, and his creativity was nurtured by his artistic mother. To her, the world was a field trip to be observed. His dad taught Sean structure and how to ask himself the right questions, a great balance to his artist soul.

A summer acting program ushered young Sean to a new world: acting. After high school, he went to a small liberal arts university in New Jersey across the river from Manhattan, a place that gave him a sense of freedom. He fell into the indie film scene, leading him to the Sundance Film Festival, then a move to LA. It was being an actor on set—and an industry strike—that sparked his curiosity in set/production design, and the rest is history.

In this episode, we talk about how imaginative play as a kid led to acting; the things one has to consider when world-building on shoots; finding the balance between character detail ideas he has, with ideas that actors may have; adventure of creative challenges he’s given; and much more.

[TIMESTAMPS]

4:01 - Growing up

22:33 - Where his love for acting originated from

25:13 - Could he tell which kids wanted to be actors/actresses for a career

30:34 - How he felt his New York chapter changed him

37:46 - How he got to LA

44:44 - What drew him to set production

54:55 - What it was like to work on set and his creative process

58:40 - The transition of building sets to building characters and how he balances his ideas and an actor’s ideas of a character

1:05:17 - What he loves about world building and what makes him great at it

1:09:50 - Final question

1:10:31 - Where to find him

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Lee Knaz leads with love. His aura feels like warm light and, once you’re in conversation, his words are wise. For many years, he was in the culinary world—as a sought-after private chef, a finalist on season one of Master Chef, and founder of his own company Mission Olive, which focused on good food as wellbeing. After leaving his chef life behind, he’s now a successful life & relationship coach.

Born in a small agricultural town in Israel, Lee is the youngest of his family and the only boy among three sisters. His parents were peace activists, each in their own way—his mom was part of Women in Black, a peace activist group of Jewish-Israeli and Arab women coming together every Friday and gathering at one another’s homes. His father was an artist whose work focused on co-existence and who did work as an illustrator for various newspapers.

He completed his military service from 18 to 21-years-old and was drafted in a war at 24-years-old. In 2006, Lee made a major move to California. He enrolled into business school at USC, but eventually joined culinary school during a summer off. Cooking had always come easy to him and though a gastronomy career hadn’t originally been at the top of his mind, it found him—and he began to truly set out his path in that world after landing on Master Chef.

In this beautiful conversation, we explore the sights and smell of his hometown; his quiet observations as a child; why he decided to move to the United States; how culinary school felt like learning a language he already knew; cooking as meditation, reciprocity & healing; his career transition from cooking to coaching; how his daughter Vida is teaching him to be a child again; and much more.

[TIMESTAMPS]

3:27 - Growing up

11:03 - What made him leave Israel

13:14 - How he found his way into a culinary career

17:55 - What does cooking feel like

21:29 - Can he tell when someone needs to be nourished

25:04 - How the spotlight was for him after MasterChef

31:23 - How he was able to stay composed while his dishes were being judged

39:50 - What drew him to self-leadership

49:22 - How he thinks his daughter sees him

56:55 - Final question

58:31 - Where to find him

[TODAY'S SPONSORS]

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Scott Borkowski has an energy that’s calm yet dynamic. Humble but no doubt powerful. Creativity pours out of him as an artist, tattoo artist, skateboarder, entrepreneur and owner of Grateful Tattoo in Squamish, Canada.

Born and raised in Toronto, though his parents both worked in the corporate world, they unconditionally supported his artistry and right-brain inclinations. As a teen, he often took the train downtown, eventually moving there when he was 18-years-old. Skateboarding brought much into his life, a medium for getting more deeply into art, culture and music. Scott was fascinated by tattoos from a young age, getting his first one at 15. After a chance apprenticeship and doing temporary tattoos at music festivals, this fascination ended up becoming a booming career, with him inking some of the biggest names in music, including Rüfüs Du Sol, LANY, Lil Yachty, and 6lack.

When the pandemic hit, he and his wife took a leap and moved west. There, he’s been steadily building community through his tattoo shop, giving back to the skateboarding community and mother nature, percolating on additional ventures, and working with brands like Levi’s, Panasonic, Environmental Defense, and more.

In this episode, we explore Scott’s childhood, how he feels about art, what skateboarding has brought to his life, his philosophy when it comes to tattooing, what’s on the horizon, and much more.

[TIMESTAMPS]

3:31 - Growing Up

7:41 - How art and creativity came to hime at a young age

9:35 - What drew him to skateboarding

10:29 - How has he seen the scene change

11:34 - What he hopes to carve in the industry for himself

12:40 - What led him to be a tattoo artist

17:06 - Philosophies of work and business

19:00 - What brought him to Squamish and how it has been

23:39 - Leaps of faith

26:17 - Would he move back to Toronto

27:42 - The next 5 years of his life

28:41 - Giving back

30:35 - What would he say to his younger self

31:07 - Upcoming projects

32:14 - How he pushes through imposter syndrome

34:12 - Final question

34:42 - Where to find him

[TODAY'S SPONSORS]

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Sara Gulamali is bright and brilliant, not only as a person but also as an award-winning young artist. For years, she’s created her own works, has hosted creative events through the Tate Exchange Programme and is now part of supporting artists as associate director at Howard495 Gallery, a global art advisory firm and gallery serving new and dedicated collectors in both the private and commercial spaces.

As a British-Pakistani, she is proud of her Muslim heritage and in 2017 with two close friends, founded Muslim Sisterhood, a collective and creative agency working across campaign production, research, consultancy, and community-focused initiatives with clients such as Nike, Crocs, Disney, the NHS, and more. Their aim is to spotlight, unite and uplift Muslim women across the world, and they’ve been featured in British Vogue, DAZED and Marie Claire Arabia.

Born and raised in London, she came from a close-knit family and had a wonderful bond with her late grandmother, who taught Sara the basis of the Muslim faith. She was also very close with her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2011-2012 and passed two months later. Creativity was intrinsic to Sara as a young person, and she was always practicing art in various methods. After high school, she attended @KingstonUniversity for a Foundation degree, followed by Central Saint Martins for a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Sara also co-curated the first student show at the Lethaby Gallery, within the university. In 2019, she relocated to Vancouver from London to be with her now-husband and eventually connected with Krista Howard, founder of HOWARD495.

In this conversation, we go deep into the circumstances of life that forced her to grow up quickly; what faith looks like to Sara; the role art plays in her life; how art university experiences & friendships taught her to question the nature of things; the genesis story of Muslim Sisterhood; navigating the culture shock moving from London to Vancouver; how she chooses to navigate spaces as a Muslim woman; and much more.

[TIMESTAMPS]

6:34 - Growing up

9:21 - Life circumstances, grief & growing up quickly

11:16 - What faith looks like to her

14:11 - The role art plays in her life

19:08 - Her time at art universities and what it taught her

22:18 - How Muslim Sisterhood came to be

30:55- Navigating her life transition to Canada

43:26 - How to build an art collection

45:06 - Vancouver and its art scene

51:00 - A reflection on her ancestors

53:13 - Final question

54:55 - Where to find her

[TODAY'S SPONSORS]

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Adam Lewis is precisely the kind of person you want in your life: a supportive friend, conscious being, creator/entrepreneur & community builder. He’s driven and fired up, while also being open and vulnerable—an admirable balance. He was founder of flash chilled coffee brand Miura, before launching hot & cold therapy circuit The Portal Project.

Now, as head of partnerships for Othership, Adam has a big hand in growing the popular Toronto-based social bathhouse—focused on wellness through sauna, ice bath & breathwork experiences—and helping cultivate its dedicated community.

Born in Toronto, he spent his childhood growing up just outside of the city. He comes from two lineages: Jewish on his father’s side, Japanese on his mother’s. His father grew up in South Africa, during the intensity of the apartheid. His mother’s grandparents immigrated to Canada from Japan to plant roots abroad. A wild & free kid, Adam found solace in nature (still does). As a teen, he was captain of the track & field team, representing Canada at high level competitions. Entrepreneurship was his main focus at Dalhousie University, and Miura was his first solo business. As Miura wound down, Adam went through a life shake-up and found healing in cold plunging in lakes & building a portable sauna with his own hands. This became the Portal Project, and served as a bridge to connecting with Othership, where he is today.

In this conversation, we go in many heartful directions: his family lineages & the cultural impact of his Jewish & Japanese roots; how being a top athlete encouraged him to push his body & mind limits; the transition unwinding Miura into discovering hot & cold therapy; understanding masculine & feminine energies within; what he’s learned being on the Othership team; being loving witnesses to each other’s life journey; and more.

[TIMESTAMPS]

5:36 - Growing up

7:21 - His parents as people

8:47 - Reflecting on his Jewish and Japanese lineages

22:42 - What being a competitive athlete taught him

28:55 - Pivoting from his business to the Portal Project

31:48 - How he found hot & cold therapy

37:24 - The Portal Project

40:17 - Balancing masculine and feminine energies

46:53 - How he found his way to Othership

59:12 - Profound revelations that have come up for him recently

01:05:22 - Honouring his lineage moving forward

01:06:53 - How he wants to honour himself

01:07:47 - Final question

[TODAY'S SPONSORS]

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Before Company: https://beforecompany.com/discount/CRAFT10 - get 10% off your entire order; one-time use per customer; no expiry date

otō healing: https://www.instagram.com/otohealing/ - email otohealing at gmail.com to get 10% off your initial sound therapy session

There’s a built-in optimism and passion to Sung Lee that’s contagious—and he is well-loved by many because of it. He was employee number one at Herschel Supply, first as a graphic designer and, over the course of a decade, became the brand’s creative director. Now, Sung leads creative at premium, contemporary dinnerware brand Fable.

He was born in Korea and spent his childhood there. An architect, his father was the definition of a stoic, emotionally closed Asian father. His mother, an art teacher, continuously nurtured his creative side, encouraging him to draw, paint, and go to art school. Their upper middle class life ended when the IMF economic crisis hit Korea and, one day, Sung was suddenly told they had to live with an aunt. It turned out his father had borrowed money to keep his business afloat, and the Korean equivalent of the yakuza had come around to settle and his father wanted to keep the family safe.

Eventually, the family moved to Canada, with Sung applying to an ESL school—he struggled until his mother enrolled him in a Korean art school, where he made some friends. This brought him to Emily Carr, where he learned to present his work in English phonetically. On a trip back to Korea, his father expressed he was sick—his parents returned to Canada, leaving 23-year-old Sung to sell their house in Korea. As he drove home from the airport, his mother told him his father had cancer and, two weeks later, Sung’s father passed. To move through grief, Sung took on a physical warehouse job. After a few months, his creative spirit came back. He started by launching a fashion show and landed a job at a small design agency that had an office beside Vans, where Lyndon Cormack worked prior to launching Herschel Supply with his brother Jamie. It was an instant meeting of like design minds, leading to a deep bond with the Cormacks and launching his long career as a creative director.

In this conversation, we examine the effects on not sharing emotions with his family members; how Sung found skateboarding as a teen and its influence on him; his chapter at art school; navigating his father’s passing, surviving in Canada and processing his grief; the story of how he landed the job as employee number one at Herschel Supply, where he spent a decade; the roles of a graphic designer versus creative director at a company; his current interest in AI and its impact on design; Korea’s cultural dominance; the love for “han” or sorrow amongst Koreans; and much more.

[TIMESTAMPS]

6:41 - Growing up and family history

16:36 - His transition to Canada

25:16 - Reflection on processing his father’s death

39:48 - Skills he learned from being a graphic designer to being a creative director

41:56 - His creative process

45:32 - What's fascinating him right now

47:20 - His transition from Herschel to Fable

53:10 - What a good feeling feels like for him

54:16 - One thing that can change someone’s perspective

56:20 - Missing Korea

57:32 - How he met his wife

01:06:41 - Korean cultural dominance

01:14:53 - Expressing his emotions now

01:15:36 - Looking back at his life's journey

01:20:01 - What he would say to his dad right now

01:21:08 - The kind of life he hopes for his daughter

01:23:32 - What 'han' means to Koreans

01:26:27 - Final question

01:28:29 - Where to find him

[TODAY'S SPONSORS]

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Before Company: https://beforecompany.com/discount/CRAFT10 - get 10% off your entire order; one-time use per customer; no expiry date

otō healing: https://www.instagram.com/otohealing/ - email otohealing at gmail.com to get 10% off your initial sound therapy session