Many people are experiencing a growing sense of insecurity in an uncertain world. Every generation feels it, but for many young people, it's hitting harder. They've endured a pandemic and now face a world that's changing rapidly, along with high unemployment and a mental health crisis that's even harder to confront.

That's why I wanted to share this story. How a 16-year-old girl was lost and then found her way back.

At sixteen, Natasha Soregaroli was caught in a storm of self-doubt and comparison, her mind constantly echoing what she believed she wasn't. At eighteen, during the pandemic, she turned her journal of thoughts into a book titled Becoming Me Again, a raw and heartfelt memoir about learning to love yourself in a world that often profits from your insecurity.

Now twenty-three, Natasha has transformed her private struggle into a message of hope for anyone feeling alone with their thoughts. She openly discusses journaling as healing, the trap of perfection, and the effort needed to make your inner voice your ally rather than your critic.

This isn't a story about fame or wealth. It's about resilience, self-discovery, and the bravery required to come home to yourself. It might change how you speak to yourself or someone you love.

To purchase her book: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/becoming-me-again/d883d2f3-3c47-3108-94c0-f00ae4da68f6.html

I am breaking format and putting this show up on Monday, as Stewart has an event called Man Enough to Heal this Wednesday, that I want to support. Details and links below.

This week on Chatter That Matters, meet Stewart Thompson, a man who turned unimaginable trauma into a mission to help others heal. For decades, Stewart carried the silence of childhood sexual abuse, numbing the pain through addiction and isolation. At fifty, he faced an unthinkable choice: end his life or ask for help one last time. Walking through the doors of The Gatehouse changed everything.

Today, Stewart is a national advocate, leading Survivor Council Canada, and hosting a podcast with more than 300 episodes, empowering others to speak their truth. Stewart shares how he rebuilt his life from the ground up—through courage, community, and the hard work of healing.

It's raw, real, and deeply human. If you've ever struggled to find your voice or support someone searching for theirs, this is an episode you'll never forget.

To buy tickets to Man Enough to Heal, or to support Gatehouse: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/man-enough-to-heal-men-share-their-journeys-of-healing-and-hope

"Everybody's journey is unique, and we have the power to write our own story. We need to stop giving other people the pen." Calissa Ngozi

Calissa Ngozi's life is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the choice to rise above. Born into hardship, labelled by a doctor as a child who would "never amount to anything," and adopted into a world that didn't mirror her reflection, Calissa faced sexual abuse, family mental illness, and later in life, the unimaginable loss of her twin sons. Yet at every turn, she refused to surrender her story.

Now a mental health educator, community leader, mother, and creator of The Oxygen Mask Mindset, Calissa teaches others how to breathe again, how to care for themselves before they care for others. Her voice is unfiltered and full of grace, reminding us that healing begins when we reclaim our power.

Andrea Barrack, RBC's Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Impact, reveals how RBC's leadership in mental health is giving more Canadians the care, hope, and community they deserve.

Perry Miele is someone I have admired since the first day we met many decades ago. Perry shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Thunder Bay as the son of Italian immigrants to becoming a serial entrepreneur, investor, and mentor to many. Perry's story is about resilience, optimism, and the enduring lessons that come with having both grit and grace.

In this episode, Perry reflects on politics, entrepreneurship, and pursuing the Canadian Dream as individuals and as a country.

Alan Depencier from RBC joins to share how small business owners are the engine of our economy and all RBC does to fuel their dreams.

A show about positivity and possibility and all things Perry Miele.

Many people dream of owning their own business and being their own boss, especially today when careers can be suddenly disrupted by tariffs or technology. I would encourage those who dream to also do.

Judy Lewis is my guest this week, and she doesn't follow paths; she creates them. An inductee into the Marketing Hall of Legends and co-founder of Strategic Objectives alongside her sister Deborah Weinstein, they have redefined what it means to build with purpose.

Their campaigns have received every PR honour, as well as recognition from the United Nations for promoting social change.

Judy shares her story and how vision, grit, and a simple "What if?" mindset enabled her to leave the corporate world and establish one of the world's most respected public relations agencies. Stay tuned for my three key takeaways, and then ask yourself, What if I applied Judy's lessons in life to my own life?

To find out more about RBC's Women of Influence Awards: https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/rbc-cwea/

Scott Stirrett grew up in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a hockey town where he never fit in. Bullied, struggling in school, and privately wrestling with his sexuality, he felt like a misfit destined to sit on the sidelines. Instead, those early struggles became the foundation for his life's work.

Scott left a prestigious role at Goldman Sachs to start Venture for Canada, raising more than $80 million and helping over 10,000 young Canadians embrace entrepreneurship. Now, with his book, The Uncertainty Advantage, he shows how to go beyond resilience to antifragility—how actually to thrive because of chaos.

Scott shares how small wins build confidence, why wide and deep networks are essential, and how rethinking risk is the key to growth. His story is proof that the very things that make us feel different can become our most significant edge.

And at the close, Alan Depencier, Chief Marketing Officer, Personal and Commercial Banking at RBC, will discuss their deep commitment to supporting Canadian entrepreneurs with the resources, mentorship, and capital they need to succeed.

To purchase Scott's book: https://a.co/d/bqK05mx

To learn about RBC and Small Business: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=rbc.com%2Fsmall+business&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

This episode was taped in front of a live audience at Canavision, which is a fantastic conference made possible through the vision and creativity of Randy Rowe. My guest is Michele Romanow, one of Canada's most fearless entrepreneurs, a Dragon, a disruptor, and a mentor who built seven businesses before the age of 35 and changes the way founders access capital.

From launching a sustainable coffee shop at Queen's University, to cold-calling chefs and starting a caviar company, to co-founding Clearco and providing over $5 billion in funding to 10,000 companies, her story is proof that entrepreneurship is less about waiting for the perfect idea and more about diving in, scrapping, iterating, and moving faster than the giants around you. Michele is all in.

In this conversation, Michele opens up about resilience, speed, and scrappiness, the difference between ego and conviction, and why storytelling is the real currency of entrepreneurship. She also speaks candidly about becoming a mother and how that shifts her perspective on the world we're building for the next generation.

Alan Depencier joins the show to discuss small business and why it matters to you, to me and to RBC.

If you've ever wondered what it truly means to go "all in" on your ideas, your business, and your life, this conversation will light your way.

I love the famous Walt Disney quote, Dream it and Do it. It is also the battle cry for Entrepreneurs and Artists as they seek sponsors, support and a paying audience. But what if an idea came to you in an actual dream, and that dream manifested into a destiny that touched your entire universe?

In the rawest days of her sobriety, Jenn Harper had a dream of three Indigenous girls wearing lip gloss. Her subconscious became her living quest, one that allowed her to reclaim her indigenous roots, conquer her addictions, carry her through the heartbreak of losing her brother, and fulfill her dream by create Cheekbone Beauty. This business brings beauty to our world in so many wonderful colours-shades of survival, purpose, resilience, and purpose.

To look at the creativity of Cheekbone Beauty and this extraordinary entrepreneur: https://www.cheekbonebeauty.com

To learn more about Jenn Harper, 2020 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Ones To Watch Award Winner:

https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/2020/09/22/meet-jenn-harper-founder-and-ceo-of-cheekbone-beauty-cosmetics-inc-and-2020-rbc-canadian-women-entrepreneur-awards-ones-to-watch-award-winner/

To learn about RBC's Truth and Reconciliation Office: https://www.rbc.com/newsroom/news/article.html?article=125905