The RebelRebel Podcast cover art

The RebelRebel Podcast

The RebelRebel Podcast

By: Michael Dean Dargie
Listen for free

About this listen

 The RebelRebel Podcast is a regular dive into the hearts and minds of creative rebels and entrepreneurs who are making the world a better and more interesting place—it's a love letter to everyone who thinks audaciously and acts courageously in service to their passion and purpose—ikigai. 2023 CANADIAN PODCAST AWARDS NOMINATION Outstanding Business Series 2021 CANADIAN PODCAST AWARDS NOMINATION Outstanding Business Series 2020 CANADIAN PODCAST AWARDS NOMINATION Outstanding Business Series 2019 CANADIAN PODCAST AWARDS NOMINATIONS Best Host | Outstanding Business Podcast | Outstanding Title Theme | Outstanding Original Music Hosted by Michael Dean Dargie | MichaelDargie.com Produced by Make More Creative | MakeMoreCreative.comAll rights reserved, MD and A Inc. Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Free-Range Joy with Cathy Nesbitt

    Free-Range Joy with Cathy Nesbitt
    Aug 11 2025
    “Why hit the bottom? Just go up from where you are.”

    A laughter leader. A worm advocate. A wellness warrior.

    Cathy Nesbitt is transforming stress into joy—one giggle and compost bin at a time.

    This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world.

    In This Episode

    Cathy Nesbitt joins Michael Dargie for a one-of-a-kind conversation about joy, purpose, worms, and why laughter really might be the best medicine. From corporate secretary to compost queen to laughter yoga teacher, Cathy’s journey is anything but ordinary—and totally intentional.

    It all started with worms. Cathy’s mission to teach people about indoor composting using red wigglers began in 2002, just as the Greater Toronto Area landfill closed. But her passion didn’t stop there. When the world shut down in 2020, she pivoted once again—this time using laughter yoga to help people move out of stress and into joy.

    This episode goes deep into personal reinvention, the power of saying yes, and how weird ideas might just be the ones that save us. Cathy shares her philosophy on business, community, media, and staying curious in a chaotic world. Plus: the art of winning radio contests, biking while laughing, and why she still doesn’t have a cell phone.

    You’ll laugh. You’ll learn. You might even start a worm bin.

    Quotable Quotes

    “Laughter is the best medicine—but not everybody’s laughing.”

    “Why hit the bottom? Just go up from where you are.”

    “Joy is our birthright.”

    “It’s no for sure unless you ask.”

    “Without awareness, action is impossible.”

    “We’re literally in charge of our own pharma.”

    “I’m not afraid to go and look ridiculous.”

    “Save the worms—they’re as important as bees.”

    Episode Highlights

    Laughter Yoga | How Cathy discovered the science of joy

    Worm Composting | Red wigglers and the black gold revolution

    Garbage Strikes | How a Toronto protest led to her first press hit

    Career Pivots | From secretary to social worker to solo entrepreneur

    Indoor Composting | Turning food scraps into soil in your own kitchen

    Morning Show Limo Ride | Proof that asking really works

    Radio Contests | How Cathy wins big with a whiteboard and a landline

    Relationship Tips | When to say yes, and how to support an idea generator

    The Enneagram | Adventurers, researchers, and fun as a guiding light

    Phone-Free Living | On landlines, fruit flies, and the beauty of quiet

    Why Titles Don’t Matter | Connection trumps status

    Advice for Rebels | Make joy your baseline, and ask anyway

    Links from the Episode

    Cathy’s Laughter Club (https://www.cathysclub.com)

    Cathy on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathynesbitt/)

    Cathy on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559438955975)

    Get Your Copy of Michael's Book:
    "BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable"
    Indigo | Barnes & Noble | MichaelDargie.com
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Making Media That Matters with Guillermo Barraza

    Making Media That Matters with Guillermo Barraza
    Aug 8 2025
    “I wish people would just know that their fear is what is stopping them” A misfit. A filmmaker. A disruptor for good. Guillermo Barraza is building a future where creators know their power—and how to use it responsibly. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode Michael Dargie welcomes Guillermo Barraza to the studio—filmmaker, founder of the Homegrown Arts and Media Collective, and passionate advocate for ethical media creation. From growing up in Calgary in a traditional Latino family to building a brand-new platform for mentorship and media literacy, Guillermo shares a raw and compelling journey of purpose, burnout, resilience, and reinvention. What began as a film festival to help underdog creators has grown into a non-profit collective aimed at helping young people—and new grads in particular—learn how to create and consume media responsibly. The show dives into his belief that everyone is a media producer now, whether they realize it or not, and the stakes have never been higher. We talk about what it means to be the minority, how travel changes everything, and why fear of the unknown might be holding you back more than you think. Guillermo shares the trials of job hunting, the accidental magic of film festivals, and the turning point when he watched his four-year-old instinctively start vlogging—and realized he had to do something. This episode is a rallying cry for rebels, misfits, and creators who know there’s a better way. Quotable Quotes “I’ve always shone in destabilization. I’m always the one throwing a monkey wrench into things.” “My purpose was never more solidified than when I saw my four-year-old daughter instinctively start vlogging.” “All knowledge is essentially self-knowledge. What you don’t know is where you grow.” “Lean into your ignorance—there’s invincibility in not knowing what’s ahead but knowing you can handle it.” “I wish people would just know that their fear is what is stopping them.” Episode Highlights Homegrown Arts & Media Collective | Mentoring the next generation of ethical creators Four-Year-Old Vlogger | The moment that changed everything Firelight Film Festival | A love letter to underdog creators Calgary Life | Growing up in a city of sovereign quadrants 130+ Job Applications | The journey that pushed him to build something new Early Travel | Realizing Calgary <> El Salvador isn’t all there is Rubber the Movie | Weird cinema and why it matters Tennyson & Bruce Lee | Unlikely combo, deep philosophy Existential Crisis at 27 | Learning who he is by becoming who he wasn’t Comfort Food | Mini-Wheats, cereal stress eating, and Italian tomato sauce Favourite Films | Godfather Part I, Dead Man, Mission: Impossible as cinema history Cuba Cigar Quest | Street smarts, Santa Claus, and the ultimate hustle Advice for Rebels | “Head down, get through it.” Links from the Episode Homegrown Arts & Media Collective *Under Development* (http://wearehomegrown.ca/) Guillermo on Insta (https://www.instagram.com/weare.homegrown/) Guillermo on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WeAreHomegrownYYC/) Guillermo on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/we-are-homegrown/?viewAsMember=true) Get Your Copy of Michael's Book: "BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable" Indigo | Barnes & Noble | MichaelDargie.com
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • Wear Your Inside on the Outside with Stacey Gonder

    Wear Your Inside on the Outside with Stacey Gonder
    Aug 6 2025
    “People don’t belong in boxes” A disruptor. A costumer. A soul stylist. Stacey Gonder fuses fashion and mindset to help people stop hiding—and start showing up as themselves. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie connects with Stacey Gonder—a creative rebel, transformational coach, and custom costume designer based in Toronto, Canada. Known for reinventing herself, Stacey is now blending two of her passions: clothing and coaching. Her mission? To help people walk through the world fully expressed, from the inside out. Stacey shares how her career evolved from professional dancer to costume designer to intuitive coach—and how those disciplines intersect in powerful, surprising ways. We explore what it means to shed the “beige” of conformity and design a wardrobe (and life) that aligns with who you actually are. Through coaching, couture, and conversation, Stacey helps clients ditch the mainstream script and embody their truest selves—feathers, sequins, and all. She speaks openly about burnout, beauty, resistance, contrast, and the courage it takes to show up differently. There’s also some potato theft, a lot of laughs, and maybe a little rage against frogs. Whether you’re on the verge of a reinvention or just wondering why your clothes don’t feel like you, Stacey’s rebel journey is your permission slip to do the thing that scares you—and dress like you mean it. Quotable Quotes “The thing that you’re most afraid of? That’s the thing you do.” “Move toward the fear. It’s either the thing in your way—or the thing that teaches you.” “You don’t have to be beige just because you work in beige places.” – Stacey Gonder “People don’t belong in boxes.” “You get to be that all the time—not just when you’re off the clock.” – Stacey Gonder “We’re not human doings. We’re human beings.” “Built by pierogies, cabbage, and hard work ethic.” “Let’s break the machine.” Episode Highlights Stacey’s Latest Reinvention | Coaching meets custom costuming From the Stage to the Studio | Life as a pro dancer turned designer Born a Rebel | Why she never fit the mainstream model Inside/Out Work | Matching inner truth with outer expression Closet Coaching | Why most wardrobes don’t reflect who we are Getting Loud with Style | Contrast, creativity, and permission Retail Reimagined | Revamping her Toronto studio Frame Game | Why glasses are an underrated accessory Driving to Think | Cross-country road trips and Morkie copilots Frog Phobia | Don’t ask, just accept Ukrainian Roots | Built by grandmas and pierogies The Thing You’re Afraid Of | A rebel’s roadmap to action RuPaul & Reflection | Why quiet time and drag shows both heal Deep Sea > Space | Where Stacey would rather explore Entrepreneur Energy | Wearing who you are, wherever you go Links from the Episode Stacey’s Website (bystaceyg.com) Stacey on Instagram (https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceygonder/) Stacey on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/stacey.gonder) Stacey on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceygonder/) Get Your Copy of Michael's Book: "BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable" Indigo | Barnes & Noble | MichaelDargie.com
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.