Gail McDonald sits down with Lisa Purcell to explore a career journey shaped by curiosity, courage, and a willingness to move forward without having everything figured out.

From leaving Canada at 23 with a suitcase and a backpack, to working as a nanny and English teacher in Spain, joining the United Nations Development Programme in Geneva, navigating international banking in London, and eventually returning to Canada to raise a family and build a career in education and public service, Lisa’s story challenges the idea that careers must follow a straight line.

Together, Gail and Lisa unpack the fears that stop people from making changes, the pressure to “pick one path,” and the freedom that comes from reframing uncertainty as possibility. They explore how values and priorities shift over time, how work-life balance looks different in each life stage, and why it’s never too late to return to school or change direction.

This Conversation Covers:

• Trusting curiosity when you don’t have a clear plan
• Leaving without burning bridges
• The hidden pressure to settle into one identity or career
• Why fear often shows up right before growth
• Reframing nonlinear paths as strength, not failure
• Navigating career change across different life stages
• Balancing ambition, family, and personal values

Lisa’s story is a powerful reminder that meaningful careers are often built through exploration, not certainty — and that sometimes the most important step is simply being willing to begin.

Books & Resources Referenced

• 17 Lies That Are Holding You Back & the Truth That Will Set You Free — Steve Chandler

In this special year-end episode of Blind Spots, host Gail McDonald offers an unscripted, reflective conversation about gratitude, boundaries, and easing the pressure we place on ourselves during the holidays.

Recorded just days before Christmas, this episode isn’t about doing more — it’s about letting go. Gail reflects on the power of gratitude, the gift of time, and why perfection is often the biggest source of holiday stress. From family traditions and emotional triggers to intentions (instead of resolutions) and the freedom that comes from releasing control, this episode invites listeners to pause, breathe, and choose what truly matters.

Gail also shares personal stories, practical mindset shifts, and gentle reminders that joy doesn’t require perfection — only presence. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, reflective, or simply in need of permission to slow down, this episode offers a grounding close to the year and a compassionate bridge into what comes next.

As Blind Spots looks ahead to the new year, Gail invites you to be part of the conversation. If there’s a topic you’d love to hear explored in 2026 — a blind spot you’re curious about, a challenge you’re navigating, or a question you’d like unpacked — send an email and share your ideas. Your input helps shape the conversations to come.

Gail McDonald sits down with Dr. Joel Rothaizer, MCC, ABPP. He’s a Board Certified Psychologist, a Master Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation, and a long-time executive coach. Together we explore the surprising overlap between coaching and psychology — and why coaches can safely borrow powerful techniques without crossing ethical lines. With more than 30 years of experience supporting leaders and organizations, Dr. Rothaizer shares practical, grounded insights that help coaches deepen their impact while staying firmly within scope.

In this rich conversation, Gail and Dr. Rothaizer unpack the origins of the “coaching vs. therapy” divide, the false dichotomies that still influence the profession, and why the real foundation of both practices is the same: creating a safe, trusting environment where clients can be vulnerable, reflective, and open to change. They also explore developmental psychology, the Enneagram, emotional regulation, and how coaches can confidently navigate situations that may require referral.

This Conversation Covers:

• The false historical divide between coaching and therapy — and why it still misleads coaches
• How to create a strong “holding environment” that clients may describe as therapeutic
• The four capabilities every great executive coach needs:

1. A coaching model
2. Understanding of organizational culture
3. A framework for individual differences
4. A developmental model :

• Why clients struggle to take logical next steps — and how psychology explains those barriers• A clear, coach-appropriate explanation of the Enneagram and its use in understanding motivation
• When a client’s pattern points to a forward-focused coaching approach vs. a therapy referral
• How to recognize your own “window of tolerance” during sessions and why it matters
• The ethical red flags coaches must not ignore — and how to handle referral conversations with care
• Why mentor coaches are essential for self-reflection, ethics, and growth

This episode is a practical, eye-opening guide to the deeper layers of human behavior that shape coaching outcomes — and a reminder that powerful coaching doesn’t require stepping into therapy, only understanding people more fully.

Dr. Joel Rothaizer, MCC, ABPP

Clear Impact Leadership

Book: Clear Impact: Building Your Leadership Capacity

Books & Resources Referenced:

• Awareness to Action Enneagram Podcast
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• "Window of Tolerance” framework

Gail McDonald takes listeners inside one of her favourite personal-development books of all time: 17 Lies That Are Holding You Back and the Truth That Will Set You Free by Steve Chandler. In this reflective solo episode, Gail explores two powerful lies many of us repeat without realizing the impact they have on our confidence, our relationships, our habits, and our future: “That’s just the way I am” and “I’m too old for that.”

Drawing from Chandler’s insights and her own lived experiences, Gail unpacks how the stories we tell ourselves—about aging, habits, personality, and capability—can quietly shape our identity and limit our growth. She also shares practical examples from her childhood, career, and daily life that illustrate how unconscious narratives form, how they keep us stuck, and how shifting them can lead to lasting change.

This conversation is an invitation to pause, reflect, and consider: Which beliefs are truly yours, and which are old scripts you’ve outgrown?

This Conversation Covers:

• Why “that’s just the way I am” is often a self-protective story—not a truth
• How unconscious childhood programming shapes adult habits
• The difference between aging and feeling “too old,” and why perspective matters
• Real stories of people who started new careers, projects, or education later in life
• Why self-esteem is an inner practice—not something others can “hurt” or control
• The surprising emotional power of organization, habits, and early personality patterns
• How doing something—even small steps—begins to shift long-held narratives

This episode is a reminder that we are not fixed beings—we are always capable of learning, changing, and choosing differently at any age.

Books & Resources Referenced:

• 17 Lies That Are Holding You Back and the Truth That Will Set You Free — Steve Chandler
• 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself — Steve Chandler
• Atomic Habits — James Clear
• Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway — Dr. Susan Jeffers
• Work of Immanuel Kant (referenced in discussion)

Gail McDonald sits down with sisters Daria and Shawna Balas, the powerhouse founders behind SHE-Canada, a coast-to-coast platform built to support, celebrate, and elevate women-led businesses. What began as a simple acronym, Support Her Enterprise, has grown into a national movement giving women greater visibility, confidence, and community in entrepreneurship.

In this heartfelt conversation, Gail, Daria, and Shawna explore the real experiences of women in business: navigating confidence gaps, strengthening self-esteem, finding belonging, and rising together through mutual support. They discuss the challenges women face in accessing funding, building networks, and being taken seriously, and how SHE-Canada is breaking down those barriers through co-op marketing, a national directory, digital magazines, and genuine community-building.

This Conversation Covers:

• The meaning and origin of SHE—Support Her Enterprise
• The difference between confidence and self-esteem, and why both matter
• The “crown straightening” philosophy of women helping women rise
• Challenges female entrepreneurs face in visibility, connection, and financing
• How SHE-Canada’s co-op marketing model reduces costs and expands reach
• The importance of inclusive support for all women, from makers to CEOs
• How technology, community, and mentorship shape modern entrepreneurship
• Why networking remains essential for women in business

This episode is a reminder that women rise higher when they rise together, through authenticity, collaboration, and community.

SHE-Canada:

Founded by Daria Balas and Shawna Balas Website: she-canada.com

Books & Resources Referenced:

• The Tipping Point — Malcolm Gladwell
• Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway — Dr. Susan Jeffers
• Author Charles Darwin

Gail McDonald sits down with Ed Brenegar, leadership thought leader, writer, podcaster, and social catalyst, to explore what leadership really means in a time when old systems are breaking down and new models are emerging.

Ed, author of eight books and writer of The Future of Leadership on Substack, shares why leadership has nothing to do with titles and everything to do with initiative, clarity, and community. Together, they unpack how great organizations are built—not through hierarchy—but through trust, human connection, and the willingness to empower people at every level.

This conversation covers:

• Why most companies run their business but don’t truly lead
• How clarity of values, purpose, and impact transforms organizations
• The hidden leadership already happening in the “lower” levels of every company
• The Five Actions of Gratitude and why they can shift an entire culture
• Why kindness is strategic—and how to embed it into daily work
• How to help teams think clearly, innovate, and speak up
• Why “saying no” is essential for leaders
• The dangers of the Dunning–Kruger effect and how to stay curious
• How to believe in yourself without posturing or ego
• The surprising sleep routine that helped Ed write his most impactful book

Ed’s storytelling, insight, and lived experience offer a refreshing, human approach to leadership, rooted in dignity, community, and genuine impact. If you’re a leader, manager, or anyone who wants to make a difference, this episode will change how you see your role and your capacity.

Ed Brenegar:

edbrenegar.com

LinkedIn

YouTube

Facebook

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Books Referenced

• Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman
• May Your No Be a Yes by Ed Brenegar
• The Circle of Impact by Ed Brenegar
• Generational Memory: Restoring Community in the Continuity of Time (Ed’s forthcoming book; working title)

Gail McDonald sits down with Dayna Haig-Conway, Registered BC Clinical Counsellor, Certified K-12 Educator and founder of CAMP Mental Health, to explore the real stories and lived experiences that shaped her work in resilience, motivation, and belonging.

Dayna shares her nonlinear path, from outdoor education to youth care to school counselling, and the earthquake in New Zealand that changed everything. She talks candidly about postpartum struggles, shame, asking for help, and how the thread tying it all together was one core human need: belonging.

Together, Gail and Dayna unpack:

• Why belonging and connection are the foundation of emotional resilience
• How childhood experiences, expectations, and family narratives shape our reactions
• The difference between fixing, helping, and supporting
• What teens, parents, and leaders really need in order to feel motivated
• How to have hard conversations without judgment
• Why modelling emotional intelligence matters more than lecturing
• What inspired the creation of the CAMP (Calm & Connect, Assess Needs, Meaning & Values, Propose Solutions) framework
• How CAMP is helping families, caregivers, educators, and organizations across Canada

Dayna also shares real-life stories—from messy vans to smelly dogs to the “milk in the wrong spot” moment—that reveal how everyday life becomes an opportunity to practice clarity, compassion, and connection.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by expectations, struggled to ask for help, or wondered how to motivate someone you care about, this conversation offers grounding insight and gentle, practical guidance.

Dayna Haig-Conway, MA:

www.campmentalhealth.com

LinkedIn

Instagram

YouTube

Spotify

In the previous episode, we uncovered how invisible scripts—our assumptions—can quietly derail connection. This week, Gail returns to close the loop.

In Part 2 of Assumptions: The Unseen Saboteurs of Connection, Gail goes deeper into how we can notice and neutralize those knee-jerk reactions that keep us stuck. From the “lizard brain” to the 90-second rule, she explores the neuroscience of emotion and the everyday tools that help us respond rather than react.

You’ll learn how to name your inner saboteur, practice impulse control, and build habits that create space for calm and clarity. Along the way, Gail shares practical reflection questions, grounding exercises, and a bit of humor to remind us—progress is possible, even if it takes practice.

If Episode 7 helped you see your assumptions, this one helps you shift them. Tune in to transform awareness into action—and learn how to quiet your “Gloria” before she runs the show.

Shift from reaction to reflection.

Note: In this episode, Gail references the concept of “Positive Intelligence.” The founder of Positive Intelligence is Shirzad Chamine, whom she wishes to acknowledge here.

Books Mentioned:

• My Stroke of Insight by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
• Speak-Up Culture by Stephen Shedletzky
• Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters and How to Harness It by Ethan Kross
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
• An Inside Story: A Children's Book for Grown-ups Too! by Chris Hartstein and Leland Brigham

Others Mentioned:

• Seth Godin
• Dr. Gloria Wilcox (creator of The Feelings Wheel)
• Cy Wakeman